Chapter 4024: The One Chosen by the Divine Realm
The two old clan emperors, Zhen Yi and Tu Teng, were successively suppressed. The other three old clan emperors, seeing Zhang Ruochen's formidable combat power, did not hesitate for a moment and decisively retreated.
"There is no need to pursue them. With our strength, trying to keep all of them here is not something that can be accomplished in a short time."
After collecting the Zhen Yi Mirror and the Tu Teng Banner, Zhang Ruochen stopped the four old clan emperors of Gold, Water, Fire, and Earth from continuing their pursuit, and added, "They won't give me another chance! The fact that we managed to capture the two old clan emperors, Zhen Yi and Tu Teng, alive is already a result far exceeding my expectations."
The Water Clan old clan emperor said, "Having been struck by the Consciousness Curse, their mental will and judgment are inherently flawed. They are not in their peak state."
The Earth Clan old clan emperor laughed and said, "We implore Imperial Dust to help dispel the Consciousness Curse on them. All the Primordial Beast clans are deeply grateful."
The Gold Clan old clan emperor saw Zhang Ruochen put away the Zhen Yi Mirror and the Tu Teng Banner, opened his mouth as if to speak, but ultimately held back.
These two artifacts were indeed supreme treasures of the Abyss of Darkness, the inherited divine artifacts of the Zhen Yi and Tu Teng clans. However, the Gold Clan old clan emperor had also witnessed the critical situation just now.
Zhang Ruochen had paid a tremendous price to capture the two alive.
Especially when facing the Zhen Yi old clan emperor, controlling the River of Time to only severely wound him without cutting his lifespan clearly meant Zhang Ruochen had to endure the backlash of time.
Under such circumstances, on what grounds would Zhang Ruochen hand over the Zhen Yi Mirror and the Tu Teng Banner, which he had personally seized, to them?
In the future, when the Zhen Yi and Tu Teng old clan emperors regained their clarity, it would be up to them to repay this debt of gratitude.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Since I have agreed, I will naturally help dispel the Consciousness Curse on the two old clan emperors. But right now, regarding the war on the Abyss of Darkness front, shouldn't the four of you go personally to stop it?"
The four old clan emperors exchanged glances, already understanding the real reason Zhang Ruochen had stopped them from pursuing the three old clan emperors Hong Meng, Tai Chu, and Tian Ji.
"I know that all Primordial Beasts have been determined since birth to lead their clans back to the Upper Realm, to reclaim the glory their ancestors once created, to wash away the shame upon them, to seek revenge, and to see the light again."
"I have no intention of stopping you, nor do I intend to suppress you in the Abyss of Darkness forever. But do you all truly believe this is the right moment?"
Zhang Ruochen waved his sleeve, and the chaotic dust in the void dissipated.
The power of time and space formed a mirror surface, projecting the figures of the two Divine Martial Envoys, Wu Ying and Wu Yan, who were far away in Lihentian.
"If the Primordial Beasts and the Hell Realm fight to mutual destruction, it will only benefit the Immortal hiding in the shadows."
Wu Ying and Wu Yan, upon being discovered by Zhang Ruochen, did not flee. They exchanged a glance and continued collecting the Divine Martial Marks.
Zhang Ruochen could not afford to divert his time and strength to deal with them at this moment.
They also did not believe that, with Zhang Ruochen's current cultivation, he had the boldness and courage to openly assassinate the Divine Martial Envoys of the Divine Realm.
As long as their actions were not too excessive, even people like Hao Tian, Fengdu Dadi, and Heavenly Mother would only turn a blind eye.
Such was the transcendent influence and deterrent power of the Divine Realm!
The Fire Clan old clan emperor snorted coldly, "Arrogant fellows! They show no regard whatsoever for the cultivators of this era. I truly wish to fight them once."
The Water Clan old clan emperor had grasped the meaning of Zhang Ruochen's words and said, "Since Imperial Dust has spoken to this extent, this old man will naturally do his utmost to stop today's war."
The Earth Clan old clan emperor was even more direct, saying, "As long as this old man still lives, and as long as the Immortal is not destroyed, the Primordial Beasts will not easily declare war on the Upper Realm again."
He did not speak in absolute terms.
The four old clan emperors immediately headed for the battlefield, while Zhang Ruochen parted ways with them and went to the Kongming Realm.
If this battle were solely orchestrated by Divine Music Master, the presence of the four old clan emperors would be enough to stabilize the situation.
Of course, if the Twelve Primordial Clans insisted on going their own way, Zhang Ruochen would not mind retrieving the Sword Heart from Void Heaven, slaying a few clan emperors, and forcing them to back down.
At this stage, Zhang Ruochen absolutely would not allow the Hell Realm and the Primordial Beasts to suffer mutual destruction, allowing the Immortal to reap the benefits.
The White Clothes Valley had been completely reduced to scorched earth, with ruins and broken walls everywhere.
Black smoke and dust flew in the air, and intact buildings were hard to find.
A palm print ten thousand meters long had shattered all the defensive formations of the White Clothes Valley, nearly crushing the entire canyon.
Shattered worlds and fragments of continents fell into the plains and seas, remnants of the Divine Realm Worlds of fallen gods.
Zhang Ruochen walked through the ashes and arrived beneath the Nine Heavens Celestial World.
The gods who had not fallen were all gathered around the Gui Chi and the Bodhi Tree.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen appear, they finally breathed a long sigh of relief, knowing that the most difficult moment had passed.
Bore's injuries were severe; her physical body had been shattered, and her face was as pale as paper. She walked step by step to Zhang Ruochen, her eyes filled with guilt and pain. She said in a low voice, "I'm sorry. The Suddhodana Silver Tree and the Ten Thousand Buddha Formation were both destroyed by my hand."
This pain was more for the gods who had fallen.
Zhang Ruochen reached out and wiped the dust from her cheek, saying, "The Suddhodana Silver Tree was originally a treasure of the White Clothes Valley. To be destroyed while protecting it is the true embodiment of its value. Why should you feel guilty? What's wrong? The always strong Princess Bore seems about to shed tears?"
Bore forced a bitter smile, "At a time like this, you still jest with me? The right hand of the Dark Lord came together with the Qishier Pin Lian and was pulled into the alternate space-time battlefield by Heavenly Mother. Ice Ancestor and Feng Tian have both entered the alternate space-time battlefield. You should go quickly!"
Zhang Ruochen naturally knew the general situation here. The reason he was not in a hurry to enter the alternate space-time battlefield was that he had sufficient confidence in Heavenly Mother's strength.
The right hand of the Dark Lord was ultimately different from the Qishier Pin Lian.
Heavenly Mother would not personally kill the Qishier Pin Lian, so her actions would inevitably be restrained. However, she had no such scruples when facing the right hand of the Dark Lord.
"Whoosh!"
A rift tens of thousands of miles long split open in space.
The Wu Hall, the Origin Divine Temple, and the Luo River all descended together, suppressing the right hand of the Dark Lord in its palm, falling from the alternate space-time battlefield.
This black hand was enormous, fully ten thousand meters long. However, compared to the other left hand suppressed within the Nine Heavens Celestial World, it appeared extremely battered, with blood flowing from many places and wounds so deep the bone could be seen.
Zhang Ruochen was slightly shocked, "Impressive. You actually managed to wound it to this extent."
"It was not our doing. It was already in this state when it appeared at the White Clothes Valley."
Chan Bing stood on the Luo River, her body radiating Ancestor Divine Light, but it was hard to hide her internal injuries. There was not much vitality in her eyes.
Heavenly Mother stood atop the Wu Hall, her gaze first turning to the battlefield in the starry sky, then looking down at Zhang Ruochen on the ground, saying, "If I am not mistaken, when the Divine Realm released this black hand, they had already set up a scheme within it. Thus, not only did the Dark Lord fail to merge with the remnant body, but he also suffered considerable injuries. Can those four stop this chaos?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "If Heavenly Mother can release the aura of a Half-Ancestor, it should be able to help them."
"Then I'll leave this to you. I'll head to the Extreme North Star Domain first."
After flying out of the Kongming Realm, Heavenly Mother immediately manifested a Half-Ancestor Dharma Form as vast as a nebula. She sneered in the direction of the Abyss of Darkness before heading north.
"A sneer from a Half-Ancestor still carries some deterrent power." Wu Wo Deng muttered softly.
Xiu Chen Heavenly God said, "I find it awkward. A person like Heavenly Mother, just to cooperate with Zhang Ruochen, would actually let out a sneer in the universe. I, this god, absolutely could never do such a thing!"
"Do you dare to slander a Half-Ancestor? This is not about cooperating with me; it's for the greater good of the Hell Realm."
Zhang Ruochen dared not let Xiu Chen Heavenly God spout nonsense like this. Who knew if it might offend Heavenly Mother and the gods who followed her? "Stop causing trouble for me. This divine pill and this divine medicine are for you."
Xiu Chen Heavenly God could hardly believe her ears. She stared blankly at Zhang Ruochen, how could her heart not be stirred?
Zhang Ruochen added, "It's not for you. Take it to the Origin Divine Temple and help Feng Tian heal."
Xiu Chen Heavenly God was disappointed and said coldly, "I won't go. Why don't you go yourself?"
She, an Indestructible Infinite, had to have her own independent will. How could she obey Zhang Ruochen's orders in everything? What difference would that make from a mindless puppet?
"Fine."
Zhang Ruochen handed the divine pill and divine medicine to Wu Wo Deng, letting it make the trip.
Wu Wo Deng did not haggle and went happily, after all, Feng Tian was the inheritor chosen by the Fate Ancestor.
Xiu Chen Heavenly God saw that Zhang Ruochen did not force her or threaten her. For some reason, a sense of loss arose in her heart, followed by anxiety, secretly guessing if Zhang Ruochen was planning to use some other extreme method to deal with her.
Zhang Ruochen clearly had no mood to bother with her. He flew to the top of the Wu Hall, released the Eighteen Heavens Celestial World, mobilized the Nine-Colored Ancestor Divine Qi to seal the right hand of the Dark Lord.
Then, he released his spiritual power, cautiously on guard.
No one knew if someone might launch a sneak attack at this moment.
After all, this chaotic war sweeping the entire universe still had some top-tier experts who had not yet appeared. For example, Jiusi Yitianhuang and Gu Yanluo.
As expected, before Heavenly Mother arrived, the Dark Lord had already retreated first.
...
In a silent place within the Void World.
After shaking off Nutian Shenzun, the Qishier Pin Lian arrived here. Before long, the massive body of the Dark Lord appeared before her.
The magma flames on her body's surface and the chaotic darkness within formed a stark contrast, with countless lightning bolts flashing across her.
The Qishier Pin Lian sat cross-legged at the center of the seventy-two Divine Throne Planets, sensing the anger emanating from the Dark Lord, but her eyes remained calm. She did not rise to greet him, saying, "The Qishier Pin Lian failed to complete the task, deserving punishment from the Venerable Lord."
"Did you do it on purpose?"
The Dark Lord's voice was like thunder, almost roaring.
The Qishier Pin Lian's eyes were clear and bright. She did not deny it, saying faintly, "That's right."
The Dark Lord's true form manifested, a completely dark silhouette standing at the brow of the Chaos Giant, and said in a low voice, "You are seeking death!"
The Qishier Pin Lian said, "If I were you, I would not lose my reason and attack me. Di is destined to fall. Continuing our cooperation is the way to survive."
"The way to survive? I feel your ambition is far more than mere survival. Is there a day when you will want to replace me as well?" the Dark Lord questioned.
The Qishier Pin Lian chose silence.
And silence was the best answer.
"Rustle."
A rain of Divine Martial Mark light, like a tidal wave, surged toward this silent place in the Void World, surrounding the Dark Lord from three directions.
Within the rain of Divine Martial Mark light stood a tall, lean figure, speaking leisurely, "Bai Yuan, you did not cherish the last chance we gave you. Since that is the case, we will give this chance to someone more capable."
...
Sixty thousand years later.
Zhang Ruochen pushed open the stone door that had been sealed for many years. Grains of dust fell, and the sunlight outside, filtering through the crack in the door, fell upon his face, forming a bright path of light.
Stepping out of the stone door, the fresh air outside rushed toward him.
The stream babbled, the birds chirped lightly, and the fragrance of flowers assailed the nose.
Spring came and went, and spring returned. All things were reviving.