Chapter 4026: Wu Ying's Secret
Wu Ying calmly looked at the hell realm gods surrounding him on all sides, saying, "Eternal Heavenly Kingdom bears no ill intentions; it has truly come to offer congratulations, with generous gifts to present. Please invite the newly appointed Destiny Hall Master out!"
If a Divine Martial Envoy brazenly intruded into the Fate Divine Domain and the Destiny Hall Master still came out to welcome him, it would undoubtedly be a massive blow to the prestige of the Destiny Temple.
Having struggled and scrambled for many years, Xue Tu naturally understood this principle. He said, "I am the Hall Master's disciple. You can hand your congratulatory gifts to me, and I will pass them on to the Hall Master."
Ghost Lord spoke with a sarcastic, sinister tone, mocking, "What status do you have, and what status does the envoy have? Are you worthy of receiving the envoy's personally delivered congratulatory gifts?"
"You old bastard, you betrayed the hell realm, and I've tolerated you for far too long! Today, you trespass into the Fate Divine Domain—that is a capital offense."
Xue Tu dared not provoke Wu Ying, but he certainly dared to take Ghost Lord to task.
Great Slaughter Godfire blazed up on his body, burning like a lantern. His form flickered and shifted as he shattered the air with a palm strike.
The palm force shook heaven and earth, drawing forth a tide of rules.
"With just you?"
Ghost Lord let out a sinister laugh and shot forward like a cannonball.
"Boom!"
The two collided, divine power erupting wildly as blood qi and ghost qi twisted and tangled together.
The entire space trembled.
Fortunately, this was the Fate Divine Mountain, where space was stable, densely covered with formation inscriptions and divine patterns. Otherwise, large swaths of the city would have already collapsed.
The hell realm gods retreated one after another, afraid of being injured by the aftershocks of the battle between divine venerables.
After more than a dozen consecutive clashes, both flew backward simultaneously.
The divine flame on Xue Tu's body burned even more fiercely. Just as he was about to strike again, Hai Shang Youruo's crisp and pleasant voice drifted down from the Fate Divine Mountain.
"The Hall Master has decreed that guests from Eternal Heavenly Kingdom must follow the rules of the Destiny Temple. The precedent of forcibly entering the divine domain cannot be established."
It was not only Hai Shang Youruo but also Que and Bore.
The three descended along the Fate Stream, passed through the Gate of Destiny at the mountain's base, and appeared opposite Wu Ying.
Each was wrapped in the light of Fate Divine Light.
Que said, "My master has long admired Envoy Wu Ying and has wished to engage in discussion and exchange for some time. If the envoy ascends the Fate Divine Mountain, my master will warm the wine and await."
Hai Shang Youruo, Que, and Bore were the representative figures of the new generation of the Destiny Temple, all being divine venerables, backed respectively by Feng Tian, Xu Tian, and Nu Tian Shenzun.
Their simultaneous appearance undoubtedly meant that the three giants were watching this place.
With Wu Ying's cultivation and status, and representing the face of Eternal Heavenly Kingdom, he merely smiled faintly, but his gaze suddenly turned cold and fierce.
"Whoosh—"
Heavenly Venerable-rank divine might radiated outward, its aura spreading across the entire Fate Divine Domain.
All the rules of heaven and earth were scattered, leaving only his rules.
The gods of the Judgment Department and Heavenly Mandate Department flying in midair fell like rain.
On the Wu Jin Square, cultivators from all over the world prostrated themselves.
Even Xue Tu, Yan Yu, Hai Shang Youruo, Que, Bore, and others felt as if they were bearing the weight of a hundred thousand divine mountains, their bodies trembling, unable to speak.
This was absolute suppression in terms of cultivation realm!
Ghost Lord, full of pride and arrogance, sneered, "Soldiers face soldiers, generals face generals. Are you worthy of chattering before the envoy?"
"Although Xu Tian is powerful, the envoy is not afraid of him," Zhuo Yunzhen said.
Ghost Lord said, "Feng Caiyi, the honored guest of Eternal Heavenly Kingdom has arrived. Why aren't you showing yourself to welcome him?"
His voice was like thunder, echoing in layers.
He dared to call Feng Tian by her name because he was certain that the Destiny Temple would not dare to kill him, nor would it dare to engage in a direct conflict with Eternal Heavenly Kingdom.
"Tap, tap!"
Footsteps sounded from behind.
Someone could walk under the pressure of Heavenly Venerable-rank divine might?
Ghost Lord turned his head and saw Zhang Ruochen and Xiu Chen Heavenly God approaching one after the other. His expression changed slightly.
His eyes darted, and he moved his steps, drawing closer to Envoy Wu Ying.
Legend had it that Zhang Ruochen had not only beaten a Divine Martial Envoy back then but had also captured one—he was utterly fearless.
Even if Ghost Lord had the backing of Eternal Heavenly Kingdom, he did not dare to show off in front of Zhang Ruochen.
Wu Ying's Heavenly Venerable-rank momentum was neutralized by an invisible force.
Feeling the pressure on his body lighten, Xue Tu called out, "Senior Brother, it's great that you're here! Some people, relying on the power of Eternal Heavenly Kingdom, don't even put Master Feng Tian in their eyes. They're incredibly arrogant."
Zhang Ruochen cast a glance at Ghost Lord.
Ghost Lord immediately bowed in salute.
"They're not that arrogant!" Zhang Ruochen said.
Xue Tu: "..."
Que, Hai Shang Youruo, and the hell realm gods all showed reverence in their eyes, clasped their hands together in salute, and felt no more worry in their hearts.
It was like a blazing sun breaking through the clouds, dispelling the gloom overhead.
Zhang Ruochen wore a smile and said, "Making such a big commotion, it seems the gifts from Eternal Heavenly Kingdom are not light. May I have a look?"
Zhang Ruochen's gaze fell on the jade box in Zhuo Yunzhen's hands.
Although he displayed no imposing momentum, Zhuo Yunzhen felt an irresistible force, as if an invisible hand was controlling her divine soul, compelling her to offer the jade box.
Wu Ying sidestepped, standing in front of Zhuo Yunzhen to block Zhang Ruochen's spiritual will, and said, "Are you sure you want to see, Imperial Dust?"
Sixty thousand years ago, outside the Nether Prison, Zhang Ruochen had encountered Wu Ying once and had a deep understanding of his strength.
His mastery of the Way of Space and the Way of Time left Zhang Ruochen in awe, unable to catch up.
More importantly, he had secretly handed over the Ancestor Divine Source of the Heavenly Demon to Zhang Ruochen.
Later, a rumor spread from Eternal Heavenly Kingdom that Envoy Wu Ying and Envoy Wu Shi had been punished by the Eternal True Ruler for losing a heavy treasure.
Wu Shi had lost the Hundred Flags Chaos Diagram and had even been captured and detained in the Sword Realm. It was the second disciple of the Eternal True Ruler who visited the Sword Realm and paid a considerable price to redeem him.
What had Wu Ying lost?
Zhang Ruochen naturally speculated it was the Heavenly Demon's Ancestor Divine Source.
Had Wu Ying given him the Ancestor Divine Source behind the divine realm's back?
What was his intention? What was his purpose?
Zhang Ruochen very much wanted an opportunity to speak with him alone. Of course, before that, he needed to confirm one thing.
Was Wu Ying the former artifact spirit of the Sundial?
Their eyes met for a moment.
Zhang Ruochen stood still but had already employed the technique of space displacement, directly targeting Zhuo Yunzhen, who was blocked behind Wu Ying.
When cultivation reached their level, a mere slight move was enough to determine superiority and inferiority.
Wu Ying knew very well that after sixty thousand years, Zhang Ruochen's spatial mastery had far surpassed his own. Therefore, he decisively chose not to engage in a spatial contest with Zhang Ruochen but instead spread his arms, forming an order divine wall to sever the spatial connection between Zhang Ruochen and Zhuo Yunzhen.
Before Xiu Chen Heavenly God could react, his shoulder was grabbed by Zhang Ruochen, who flung him away.
It had never been so sudden.
Xiu Chen Heavenly God almost cursed out loud, but it was too late. His physical body vanished, and he manifested his true form as the Sundial.
The Sundial spun and tumbled, releasing Time Imprint light points that converged into rivers of time, crashing heavily toward Wu Ying.
Wu Ying raised his right hand, and from his palm also surged several rivers of time.
The rivers were like dragons, blocking the Sundial.
"Boom!"
Two immensely powerful time forces clashed at the foot of the Fate Divine Mountain. They did not truly escalate into material collision, or else the spatial structure here would not have been able to withstand it.
The space where Zhang Ruochen and Wu Ying stood alternated between light and dark in continuous flashes.
Each flash represented the passage of a day and night.
Bore frowned and, along with a large number of hell realm gods, retreated behind the Gate of Destiny.
Hai Shang Youruo glared at Xue Tu and said, "They start fighting at the slightest disagreement. Your lack of calm is understandable. But him... who is he? He is Imperial Dust, one of the most powerful beings in the world today."
"What are you looking at me for? Do you dare to say he... heh heh... Are you criticizing Senior Brother? How dare you! You're saying he's not calm?" Xue Tu grinned.
Que said, "It is indeed unusual! Given Imperial Dust's steady character, he should know what kind of terrible impact a battle between Heavenly Venerable-rank beings would have on the Fate Divine Domain. With the slightest misstep, the entire divine domain could be destroyed."
Xu Tian was the first to appear, manifesting atop the Gate of Destiny.
Using the Gate of Destiny as a medium, he activated the defensive formations of the entire Fate Divine Domain. Bright beams of light shot up from every city district.
Feng Tian, wearing a Mo Yu Fate Crown and holding the Auspicious Ruyi, walked out of the divine temple and stood at the mountain's peak.
Nu Tian Shenzun manifested his dharma body light and shadow, his form stretching for who knows how many miles, looking down upon the entire Fate Divine Domain as if examining a bonsai.
In the outside world, only a few breaths had passed.
Zhang Ruochen's true body moved!
"Whoosh!"
On the scene, apart from the three giants of the Destiny Temple, no one saw Zhang Ruochen's movement technique.
As if taking no time at all, Zhang Ruochen appeared before Wu Ying and lightly pressed a palm toward his chest.
Wu Ying pushed his time rules and order to the extreme, trying to buy himself time to dodge this palm.
"Boom!"
Zhang Ruochen's palm struck him solidly, sending his body violently arching backward as he flew away.
"His time mastery has also surpassed mine." That was the only thought in Wu Ying's mind.
The next instant, Zhang Ruochen, with his palm print, carried him into a different time-space battlefield.
Wu Ying tumbled backward, rolling several times in the dark void before barely stabilizing himself and standing up again.
Zhang Ruochen did not pursue. He stood with his hands behind his back, exuding an air of composure, as if everything was under his control. He said, "I think this time, you can answer the question I asked back then. Who exactly are you?"
Although trapped in the different time-space battlefield, Wu Ying was even calmer than he had been outside, as if he had long expected this.
"Haven't you already guessed?" Wu Ying said.
Zhang Ruochen had just used the Sundial to attack Wu Ying, and the Sundial had once again shown subtle fluctuations, undoubtedly confirming his previous speculation.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Ten thousand years ago, when Qing Cang was dying, I went to Tiannan Life-Death Ruins to ask him. After Saint Monk Xumi fell, where did the Sundial go? He told me that the Sundial was most likely taken by the divine realm at that time. He had a feeling but couldn't be entirely sure."
Qing Cang was the one who, sixty thousand years ago, used the death clan secret technique to transmit his spiritual power to Qi Daren.
He lived for another fifty thousand years before dying of old age.
Zhang Ruochen had intended to see him off on his final journey, which was why he had come to the Abyss of Darkness defense line ten thousand years ago. Their grudges, if not completely resolved, had at least been set aside, with a smile to bury the enmity.
Qing Cang's last words before death were to instruct Qi Daren not to oppose Zhang Ruochen.
Wu Ying nodded slightly and said, "Qing Cang was indeed a remarkable figure, with unparalleled talent. His perception and insight were unmatched in his era. Even when the True Ruler personally collected the Sundial, he could still generate a trace of resonance."
Zhang Ruochen said, "So, it was the Eternal True Ruler who stripped the Sundial of its artifact spirit and damaged it? What was her purpose? Why did she later release the Sundial back into the universe?"
Perhaps because they were in a different time-space, Wu Ying had fewer scruples. He also knew that if he did not give an answer today, Zhang Ruochen would never let him leave.
He said, "In the Middle Ages, the large-scale activation of the Sundial caused the rapid expansion of the Kunlun Realm's strength, which had already alarmed the divine realm and the Nether Ancestor faction. The Kunlun Realm was targeted by both the hell realm and the Heavenly Court, nearly being destroyed. Wasn't that secretly the work of the Nether Ancestor faction?"
"I understand."
Zhang Ruochen said, "But why didn't the Eternal True Ruler take the Sundial to the divine realm and use it for herself?"
Wu Ying said, "With her cultivation, the Sundial is of no use to her. As for why she released the Sundial back into the universe, I don't fully understand her intention either. The only explanation might still lie with you."
"Do you think she deliberately handed the Sundial to me in a way that was hard to detect?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Wu Ying said, "If she wanted to take back the Sundial, she could do so at any time. As long as she retrieves the Sundial, with me as its artifact spirit, it could be restored to its original state in an instant."
Zhang Ruochen's thoughts drifted far away, considering many things.
He thought of what the Starry Sea Angler had said back then, telling him to investigate the internal affairs of the Kunlun Realm.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Is the Eternal True Ruler the Time-Space Human Ancestor?"
Wu Ying shook his head gently and said, "I haven't met the Eternal True Ruler many times either, and I know very little about her. How could the secrets of an Ancestor be penetrated by the likes of us?"
Zhang Ruochen carefully observed Wu Ying's expression, confirming that he was not lying, then asked, "What about the Heavenly Demon's Ancestor Divine Source? Did you give it to me privately?"
Wu Ying's gaze turned a few degrees colder, and he said, "The Heavenly Demon's Ancestor Divine Source was given to us by the Eternal True Ruler, with the intention of using it to activate the Stone Blade and help you kill the Nine-Headed Stone Man. I told the True Ruler that the Heavenly Demon's Ancestor Divine Source was taken by Hao Tian, and that I myself was severely wounded by him."
"Zhang Ruochen, do you know how disappointed I am in you?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "Your purpose was to get me to go to the divine realm?"
"Exactly."
Wu Ying said, "The Heavenly Demon might not have completely died; he could be sealed in the divine realm. Sixty thousand years ago, when the Eternal True Ruler was about to clash with the Corpse Demon, it was the best opportunity for you to enter the divine realm and investigate. If the Heavenly Demon really isn't dead and you could rescue him, how passive would your situation be now?"
Enter the divine realm?
Easier said than done.
That was completely betting with one's life.
After all, even Wu Ying himself was not sure whether the Heavenly Demon was dead or not.
Moreover, Zhang Ruochen could not fully trust Wu Ying. Who knew if this was a trap he had set?
Zhang Ruochen frowned and said, "One last question: why do you help me?"
Wu Ying let out a long sigh, his gaze becoming distant. "Because of your teacher, Saint Monk Xumi. He was my only friend. I want to help him fulfill his last wish. Do you believe this answer?"
"I believe it. I do believe it."
Zhang Ruochen was willing to extend the greatest goodwill and believe in the emotions of every living being in the world.
If he were to die one day, he believed that the sword spirit of the Abyssal Ancient Sword, and even the always disobedient Xiu Chen Heavenly God, would still support his successor, just like Wu Ying.
A look of extreme relief appeared on Wu Ying's face, and he smiled. "Although the Eternal True Ruler never searches my soul, now that I've told you all this, I know that one day I will die because of it. However, since you already have the strength to defeat me, if I go down to see Xumi now, I can give him an account."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Come with me to the Sword Realm."
"The current Sword Realm cannot protect someone the Eternal True Ruler wants to kill," Wu Ying said.
Zhang Ruochen showed a helpless expression and said, "I promise you, I will go to the divine realm, even if I never return."
"Good. Then I'll tell you another secret. The third disciple of the Eternal True Ruler is your old acquaintance, Qishier Pin Lian. She is currently refining the Eternal Soul of the Dark Lord. You should understand what that means."
"We can't stay in the different time-space battlefield too long. Come, strike me with a Sword Heart sword strike."
Wu Ying spread his arms, his eyes as calm as a lake, open and unrestrained.
In him, Zhang Ruochen seemed to see the shadow of Saint Monk Xumi—one of those who would sacrifice themselves, saying, "If I don't go to hell, who will?"