Chapter 4031: Breaking a Promise
As the highest-realm Half-Ancestor of the current era, Lady Shiji's methods and foundations absolutely surpassed Zhang Ruochen's imagination. Naturally, she had more than one path.
Without needing to submit to the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom or the Nether Ancestor Faction, the middle strategy she had spoken of sixty thousand years ago—to hide herself with the Desolate Moon and cultivate in seclusion, letting the winds blow from all directions—who could possibly find her?
This was feasible.
She was not like Zhang Ruochen and the other cultivators of this age, burdened with entanglements, weighed down by attachments, entangled in endless karma, with friends, relatives, and disciples scattered across the world.
If she truly wished to go into seclusion, Lady Shiji could vanish into the universe in an instant.
She could even flee to the far reaches of the cosmos.
This was precisely what Zhang Ruochen feared most.
Without Lady Shiji holding the line, the defense of the Abyss of Darkness would no longer be so impenetrable. If turmoil erupted in the Hell Realm, how could the Sword Realm remain stable?
Perhaps the only thing that could still make Lady Shiji linger was Zhang Ruochen's First-Rank Divine Path, which could help her resolve the most critical step in impacting the Ancestor Realm.
The news brought back by Ming Bone delivered a tremendous psychological shock to both Zhang Ruochen and Lady Shiji.
There was no need to guess—the Primordial Black Dragon had awakened.
Who else could shake the Great Dark Mountain?
Such terrifying power exceeded Zhang Ruochen's estimates.
He had originally believed that after awakening from endless ages, it would have a long recovery period and would not be too powerful. Thus, he had not intervened, intending to use the Primordial Black Dragon to restrain the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom and the Nether Ancestor Faction.
Now, it seemed he had been too optimistic.
Yan Wushen's move was too dangerous, far beyond his ability to control.
Originally, relying on his relationship with the few old Clan Emperors, Zhang Ruochen had some leverage over the Primordial Beings, enough to maintain the current stability. Now, that leverage was completely gone.
From now on, the universe would inevitably descend into greater chaos.
Lady Shiji's expression flickered with uncertainty. She opened her palm, and the Desolate Moon floated above it. "Zhang Ruochen, give me the Five-Colored Glass Cover, and I will give you the Desolate Moon now. Otherwise, I will have no choice but to flee to the borderlands and avoid the sharp edge. Once I return after refining the Desolate Moon, even if I face an Ancestor, I believe I will have the power to contend."
"Do you truly believe, Lady, that I can use the Desolate Moon to obtain endless benefits from the Abyss of Darkness? How about you come with me personally? Whatever gains we make, they will all be yours?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Lady Shiji thought of the Victory Crown, the Yellow Spring Seal, and the Ancestor Divine Source that Ming Bone had just mentioned. Even at her level, she still felt tempted.
Most importantly, she did not believe that, after learning of the collapse of the Great Dark Mountain, Zhang Ruochen would still support the Primordial Beings without seeking any benefit.
A faint smile appeared on her face as she tested him. "We do not know whether the Primordial Black Dragon is friend or foe. Dare you go to the Abyss of Darkness?"
Seeing Lady Shiji's smile return, Zhang Ruochen knew there was hope. "I would not dare to go alone, but if you accompany me, with the combined strength of the two of us, where in the world can we not go?"
"You still dare to go to the Abyss of Darkness?"
Ming Bone was astonished, thinking these two had lost their minds. "Wait... what does the Primordial Black Dragon mean? This is a creature that only exists in legends!"
Zhang Ruochen shot Ming Bone a contemptuous look.
Here was a top-tier expert who had spent so many years at the Great Dark Mountain, yet he had been completely kept in the dark by Immortal Music Master.
What had he been doing all these years?
Secluded cultivation?
And he still hadn't reached the Half-Ancestor realm.
Ming Bone remained at the Colored Glass Divine Temple, while Zhang Ruochen and Lady Shiji headed for the Abyss of Darkness.
Of course, Zhang Ruochen had no intention of actually entering the Abyss of Darkness. Upon reaching Ba Ridge outside it, he found a Boundless Realm royal cultivator from the Primordial Path Clan and asked him to relay a message to Yuan Sheng.
Ba Ridge was the territory of the Gold Clan. Together with the River of Radiant Flame that surrounded the entrance to the Abyss of Darkness, it formed the frontline base for the Twelve Primordial Clans in their assault on the upper realm.
Lady Shiji did not show herself, hiding in the space near Zhang Ruochen as she accompanied him.
"Why not take this opportunity to break Ba Ridge, destroy the River of Radiant Flame, and recapture the Ancient Desolate Ruins City? That way, we can seize the initiative in the coming predicament," Lady Shiji said.
"Do you want to seize the matter contained in Ba Ridge and the River of Radiant Flame to impact the Finite Ancestor Realm?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
"To reach the Finite Realm, I would probably need to refine and absorb the entire Abyss of Darkness. And in truth, even shaking the Ancient Desolate Ruins City is as difficult as ascending to heaven," Lady Shiji said.
Clearly, Lady Shiji had entertained the idea of claiming the Ancient Desolate Ruins City.
Throughout history, many cultivators had harbored such thoughts. But they had all turned into withered bones and yellow earth, while the Ancient Desolate Ruins City remained.
Shaking the Ancient Desolate Ruins City was probably even harder than destroying the Great Dark Mountain.
Sixty thousand years ago, the four old Clan Emperors of Gold, Water, Fire, and Earth had stepped in to stop the twelve clans from attacking the Abyss of Darkness defense line. At the same time, they had seized power from Divine Music Master, taking full control of Ba Ridge, the River of Radiant Flame, and the Ancient Desolate Ruins City.
Zhang Ruochen paid a visit to the Gold Clan. Beneath the Gold Clan's sacred site, the "Thousand Gold Purple Peak Tree," he met the old Gold Clan Emperor once more.
The old Gold Clan Emperor was naturally overjoyed, his golden face beaming with smiles. After some pleasantries, he asked, "Imperial Dust, have you already resolved the consciousness curses of the old Clan Emperors Zhen Yi and Tu Teng? How are they doing now?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "The consciousness curses on the old Clan Emperors Zhen Yi and Tu Teng seem to have been reinforced by Corpse Nightmare. Resolving them is extremely difficult."
This was true.
However, Zhang Ruochen did not mention the second half—that despite this, the consciousness curses of the old Clan Emperors Zhen Yi and Tu Teng had been completely lifted.
They were now in seclusion in the Sword Realm, recuperating their damaged consciousness.
Zhang Ruochen could not let them return to the Abyss of Darkness now.
If he did, the Abyss of Darkness would become too powerful, and they might attack the Hell Realm at any moment.
The old Gold Clan Emperor understood the terror of consciousness curses and Corpse Nightmare, so he did not suspect anything. His mood grew heavy.
After all, the other old Clan Emperors had spent even more time by Corpse Nightmare's side, making their consciousness curses even harder to resolve in the future.
"Imperial Dust, your visit to Ba Ridge must be more than just a social call to the Gold Clan, right?" the old Gold Clan Emperor said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "The Great Dark Mountain has collapsed, the Black River has risen to the sky, and the earth spews Nether Flames. Does the old Clan Emperor know what exactly happened?"
The old Gold Clan Emperor had guessed that Zhang Ruochen had come for this matter. He shook his head gently. "It happened so suddenly that I have not yet received any definite news. If Ba Ridge did not need someone to guard it, I would have returned to the Abyss of Darkness myself."
"If Imperial Dust is not in a hurry, you can wait a little. The old Fire Clan Emperor has already gone to the Primordial Plain to investigate. It should not be long before he sends me word."
From the old Gold Clan Emperor's demeanor, Zhang Ruochen could tell that this old fellow knew the truth.
Otherwise, with something as earth-shattering as the collapse of the Great Dark Mountain, how could he be so calm?
And had the old Fire Clan Emperor really gone to the Primordial Plain?
Ba Ridge and the River of Radiant Flame could not have only one Heavenly Venerable-rank cultivator guarding them.
The old Gold Clan Emperor's words were most likely a test for Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen had indeed done them a favor, but in their eyes, in the Nether Prison and the great war sixty thousand years ago, they had already repaid that debt.
There might still be some friendship left, but in the end, they belonged to different camps with historical grievances. They might even cross swords in the future. How could they not be on guard?
Was Zhang Ruochen any different?
The higher one's cultivation and the greater one's power, the harder it was to have genuine friendships.
It did not take long. Immortal Music Master and Yuan Sheng arrived at Ba Ridge.
The old Gold Clan Emperor wisely did not show himself.
After many years, when they met again, Yuan Sheng's cultivation had improved significantly. She had completely shed her youthful immaturity, now exuding royal dignity and profound steadiness, but also a sense of unfamiliarity.
No one remained unchanged.
Zhang Ruochen smiled. "Congratulations. From today onward, the Primordial Beings will no longer have to live in the shadow of the Nether Ancestor."
Immortal Music Master wore a veil, divine light and ghostly mist flowing around her delicate form. "It seems Chi Kunlun told you everything."
Zhang Ruochen neither admitted nor denied it. "Where is the thing I want?"
Immortal Music Master raised her slender hand slightly. Behind her, the Victory Crown, resembling golden material, flew out from the space.
Zhang Ruochen reached out to take it.
But Immortal Music Master shook her head. "And the Desolate Moon?"
Zhang Ruochen maintained his smile. "The Desolate Moon was never part of the conditions negotiated a hundred and ten thousand years ago. Back then, I fulfilled the three conditions you set, one by one. On the other hand, the three conditions you promised me have been repeatedly broken."
"At that time, my third condition was that before the hidden dangers in the universe were cleared, you must prevent the Twelve Primordial Clans from launching an all-out war against the Hell Realm. But sixty thousand years ago... if I remember correctly, the Yuan Clan Emperor also participated in the war, did she not?"
Yuan Sheng avoided Zhang Ruochen's gaze. She wanted to argue but did not know how.
"This has nothing to do with the Yuan Clan Emperor. I was the one who made the promise to you, not her. So the broken promise has nothing to do with her," Immortal Music Master said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "So you admit you broke your promise?"
"I had no choice. At that critical moment, I was about to awaken the Primordial Black Dragon ancestor. I had to divert the attention of the Nether Ancestor Faction cultivators in the Abyss of Darkness to the war. The Yuan Clan Emperor acted on my orders. You should not blame her," Immortal Music Master said.
Lady Shiji's voice echoed in Zhang Ruochen's ear. "You actually believed that promises exist in this world? I overestimated you."
"Of course I believe. Those who value their promises will never be betrayed by them."
Zhang Ruochen continued, "Then does Immortal Music Master still remember your second promise at that time? You were to suppress the old Primordial Path Clan Emperor and give me the Victory Crown. No other conditions."
"What if I break my promise again?" Immortal Music Master said.
Yuan Sheng did not know that such a promise existed between Immortal Music Master and Zhang Ruochen. Intense guilt welled up inside her. "Immortal Music Master, Imperial Dust is a friend of the Twelve Primordial Clans. He resolved the consciousness curses of the four old Clan Emperors. The old Clan Emperors Zhen Yi and Tu Teng are still in the Sword Realm."
"Sixty thousand years ago, it was unavoidable. But now, I believe we must never break our promise to a friend again."
Yuan Sheng's stepping forward at this moment brought a trace of comfort to Zhang Ruochen's deeply disappointed heart.
He said, "Yuan Sheng, since you have become the emperor of a clan, you must learn Immortal Music Master's methods. In the face of absolute interests, promises are worthless. Back then, I worried that Immortal Music Master alone could not deal with the old Primordial Path Clan Emperor, so I left Ming Bone in the Abyss of Darkness to help her. But look—I treated her as a friend, yet she only saw me as a tool to be used."
Immortal Music Master's voice was as melodious as heavenly music. "Imperial Dust, feel free to mock me. For the sake of the Twelve Primordial Clans' resurgence and for the Primordial Beings to walk out of the darkness and see the light again, I am willing to use any means and bear any infamy. Now, can we continue our negotiation?"
No matter how strong Yuan Sheng's mental fortitude had become through trials, her face turned slightly pale at this moment.
She knew that from this point on, Zhang Ruochen and Immortal Music Master had completely torn apart. Even if there was still cooperation for mutual benefit, it would only be using each other. They could never become true friends.
"Clap! Clap! Clap..."
Lady Shiji clapped in applause from the field space around Zhang Ruochen. "Brilliant. To witness such a fine show, it was not a wasted trip. Zhang Ruochen, now do you see how pure and flawless I am among top-tier experts?"
In truth, as early as sixty thousand years ago, when Chi Kunlun brought him Immortal Music Master's words, Zhang Ruochen had already foreseen this day.
This was also why he had invited Lady Shiji to come along.
All traces of smile vanished from Zhang Ruochen's face. "Immortal Music Master, your spiritual power is at the ninety-third level, is it not? At our current distance, if I attack, can you withstand it?"
"If we were elsewhere, I truly would not have much confidence in escaping if Imperial Dust tried to seize the Victory Crown. But here, at Ba Ridge, the Gold Clan's sacred ground..."
Immortal Music Master's fingers brushed the strings of her pipa, and ripples of sound waves spread outward.
From the ground, dazzling golden light shot up, each beam containing dense arrays of formation inscriptions.
The Thousand Gold Purple Peak Tree was formed from a thousand types of metal. It resembled a mountain peak and also a divine tree, possessing life. As it breathed, the celestial energy of the entire Ba Ridge converged toward Immortal Music Master.
The old Gold Clan Emperor looked toward the direction of the Thousand Gold Purple Peak Tree and let out a long sigh. Then, he sent out divine thoughts, summoning the armies of the twelve clans stationed at Ba Ridge.
Zhang Ruochen locked eyes with Immortal Music Master. "Do you want to fight? Now that the Primordial Black Dragon has awakened, the Primordial Beings have found a backer, so you can act recklessly without any fear?"
"Whether Imperial Dust believes it or not, in my heart, I hold the utmost admiration and gratitude for you. I would never wish to fight you. But the Desolate Moon is crucial to the Primordial Black Dragon ancestor. With it, the ancestor has a chance to contend with the Nether Ancestor."
Immortal Music Master bowed slightly to Zhang Ruochen. "Exchange the Victory Crown for the Desolate Moon. Let us shake hands and make peace. Would that not be the best of both worlds? With the Primordial Black Dragon ancestor opposing the Nether Ancestor and the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom, the pressure on Imperial Dust and the Sword Realm will naturally be much lighter."
"Do you think a mere Ba Ridge can deal with me?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Immortal Music Master said, "Starting a war at Ba Ridge would benefit neither Imperial Dust nor the Primordial Beings. A win-win or a lose-lose—Imperial Dust should know which to choose."
Lady Shiji could no longer hold back her laughter. She stepped out of the space, surrounded by a rain of light. "Zhang Ruochen gave the Desolate Moon to me long ago. It is not that he refuses your offer; he simply cannot trade with you."
"You are..."
Sensing the terrifying aura emanating from Lady Shiji, Immortal Music Master's expression changed. She immediately transformed into a beam of light and retreated.
"Whoosh!"
Zhang Ruochen waved his sleeve, dispersing the formation inscriptions surrounding him and shattering the spatial barrier. With a flicker, he appeared before Immortal Music Master.
(End of chapter)