Chapter 4033: Hao Tian's Inner Heart
After sixty thousand years of cultivation, the number of Dao Light clusters Zhang Ruochen had cultivated reached forty.
This coincided with the number of the Small Derivation.
But it was not complete.
Among them, thirty-seven clusters were bright and dazzling, while the remaining three clusters of Dao Light were very faint and had unusual forms.
Of these thirty-seven bright and dazzling Dao Light clusters, besides the twenty cultivated earlier, fourteen were obtained by learning from the Nine-Headed Stone Man's enlightenment. The other three were learned and outlined from the Heavenly Demon Divine Source, the Stone Blade, the Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm, and the Mani Pearl, originating from the three Primordial Ancestors: the Heavenly Demon, the Demon Ancestor, and the Buddha Ancestor Kashyapa.
The thirty-seven clusters of Dao Light were all interwoven with Ancestor Rules. Zhang Ruochen had "stolen" their Dao.
As for the remaining three clusters of Dao Light, which were very faint and had unusual forms, the first two were learned and outlined by Zhang Ruochen from the Nether River and the Dark Hand.
Their forms resembled one like the "Nether River" and the other like the "Myriad Forms Formless Seal."
The final cluster of Dao Light closely resembled the Space-Time Divine Martial Mark that Zhang Ruochen had long lost in the Ancient Desolate. It was outlined by Zhang Ruochen from the Dao principles within the Ghost Gate, the Sword Pavilion, and the deepest part of the Nether Prison, originating from the Space-Time Human Ancestor. It was the most difficult one for him to cultivate.
These three clusters of Dao Light corresponded to the Dao of three Immortals.
Unfortunately, they were extremely unstable, as if they would scatter with a single gust of wind.
"The Small Derivation number is forty, but only thirty-seven are in use. If I can complete the remaining three clusters of Dao Light, it will be the Great Perfection of the Small Derivation. At that time, I believe the Divine Qi, rules, and order will all undergo a qualitative transformation, entering the Half-Ancestor realm."
Zhang Ruochen took out the Desolate Moon and secretly considered whether to probe its interior again. Perhaps he could complete the "Myriad Forms Formless Seal" cluster of Dao Light and advance his cultivation further.
In the end, he abandoned this idea.
Lady Shiji had possessed it for sixty thousand years and dared not swallow it, ultimately choosing to hand it over to Zhang Ruochen. This showed how terrifying the danger hidden inside the Desolate Moon was.
Moreover, Zhang Ruochen had another way to complete the "Myriad Forms Formless Seal" Dao Light.
That was the cluster of "Dark Soul Fire" suppressed in the Dragon Nest.
This cluster of Dark Soul Fire was an Eternal Divine Soul split off by the Dark Sovereign, which had possessed Shangqing. Through this, Shangqing had reached the Heavenly Venerable level in an extremely short time.
From this, one could see the power of the Dark Sovereign and this cluster of Dark Soul Fire.
This was also why Zhang Ruochen and Lady Shiji felt extreme danger upon learning that the Qishier Pin Lian was refining the Dark Sovereign's Eternal Soul.
Because the Eternal Soul that the Qishier Pin Lian had obtained was certainly far greater than the cluster in the Dragon Nest.
Unconsciously, the Wuding Divine Sea was already in sight.
The great worlds centered around the Wuding Divine Sea had grown to two thousand, incorporating the former Hundred Clans Royal City Star Domain and the Dark Great Triangle Star Domain into the Sword Realm's territory.
In addition, parts of the Heavenly Court Universe and the Hell Realm had also been occupied.
This was the result of Zhang Ruochen's efforts, traveling back and forth to negotiate.
The Heavenly Court Universe and the Hell Realm themselves did not wish to continue the war, not wanting to expend their strength on mutual containment. Having the Sword Realm in between could reduce conflicts.
The Divine Ship entered the Wuding Divine Sea, heading straight toward the Sword Realm in the Guixu.
"Chi Yao" in the Kunlun Realm and the "Five Dragon Divine Emperor" in the Heavenly Dragon Realm immediately sensed it, gazing into the sky, then simultaneously rushed toward the Sword Realm.
...
Since the appearance of the Eternal Divine Kingdom, obtaining Divine Martial Marks had become increasingly difficult. The cultivators under the Sword Realm banner had increasingly turned to the path of Spiritual Power cultivation.
Thus, one Spiritual Power sect after another emerged explosively in the Sword Realm universe.
As the foremost Spiritual Power cultivator of the current era, Tai Shang naturally had to establish a sect. Xiao Hei was appointed as the first Sect Leader, founding the Godfall Sect.
Xiao Hei's Spiritual Power had reached the eighty-ninth rank, so he was certainly qualified.
When he was reliable, he could definitely be considered a good teacher. In his youth, Zhang Ruochen's cultivation path had been guided by him.
This was also his constant boast!
The Divine Ship headed straight for the Godfall Sect, stopping outside the sect's gates.
Xiao Hei had long sensed the Heavenly Mechanism of Zhang Ruochen's return. He wore a loose green robe, a one-foot-tall Zizhan hat on his head, his beard like needles, and his eyes deep and profound. He stood at the mountain gate to welcome him.
Zhang Ruochen gave some instructions to A Le, Bai Qinger, and Xiu Chen Heavenly God on the Divine Ship, then left the ship alone and landed beside Xiao Hei.
"Is the visitor Hao Tian?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Xiao Hei and Zhang Ruochen quickly walked toward the heart of the Godfall Sect.
"Besides him, who else could alarm the Grandmaster and make you come back?"
Whether it was an act or time had carved Xiao Hei into maturity and steadiness, his face was full of worry. He said cautiously, "This time, it seems Hao Tian is going to lay his cards on the table. Many mysteries will be unraveled. And this also means that a storm even he cannot handle is about to arrive, forcing him to seek help from the Sword Realm."
As they spoke, the two had already arrived at the residence of Yunshen Daozhu.
It was a simple and unadorned courtyard, with a fence of green vines and a path of yellow stones.
Two white geese were playing outside the yard.
Further away, Zhang Ruochen saw through time and space. Amid the spatial mist, a fifty-four-story towering Divine Tower stood, like a pillar supporting the heavens and earth.
In recent years, Yunshen Daozhu had spent most of his time forging the Sword Pavilion, the Nether Prison, and the Ghost Gate.
Only by forging the Seventy-Two Layer Tower could he contend with the Primordial Ancestors.
Xuan Yuan Lian stood outside the wooden gate of the courtyard, dressed in a green robe embroidered with plum blossoms and orchids, her skirt woven with cloud patterns. She wore a woman's attire, with a pearl hairpin in her hair and the Radiant Divine Sword at her waist. She was both stunningly beautiful and gracefully composed.
"Lord Imperial Dust, I have been waiting for you for many days," she said.
Zhang Ruochen smiled and clasped his hands in greeting. After exchanging a few pleasantries, they walked inside together.
Hao Tian and Yunshen Daozhu were playing chess in the courtyard.
Hao Tian seemed trapped in a difficult position, holding a black piece and pondering for a long time. When he saw Zhang Ruochen arrive, he immediately put the piece back into the chess container and said, "Imperial Dust's cultivation has advanced again!"
Zhang Ruochen said, "I observe the Heavenly Venerable's aura; it seems you have already refined the Ancestor Divine Source, and your cultivation has reached an unknowable level."
The Ancestor Divine Source of the Nine-Headed Stone Man was incomparable to the Ancestor Divine Sources of the ancient Primordial Ancestors. Its vitality was many times stronger.
Besides Chi Yao and the Five Dragon Divine Emperor, top-tier experts like Gai Mie, Old Drunkard, Qiangu Nüdi, and Jie Zunzhe had also appeared outside. But upon seeing Hao Tian, they all stopped in their tracks, their faces showing surprise.
Clearly, they had not known of Hao Tian's arrival before.
Hao Tian did not avoid anything and said, "Imperial Dust, do you know why I had to see you in person?"
"It must be related to the upcoming opening of the Jade Desolate Realm."
Zhang Ruochen naturally sat down on the other side of the chess table and looked at the game.
To break through the aura of Hao Tian and Yunshen Daozhu and sit on equal footing with them required powerful cultivation and unparalleled boldness.
Hao Tian nodded slightly. "Back when you came to the Heavenly Palace to borrow the Ancestor Divine Source for enlightenment, you asked me where the Twenty Heavens were fighting and what had happened. I didn't tell you because the time wasn't right. Now, the time has come!"
Zhang Ruochen said, "In the Jade Desolate Realm, or in the Void Exhaust Sea?"
Hao Tian was not surprised that Zhang Ruochen could guess. With Zhang Ruochen's current cultivation and status, there were few secrets left in the world.
"The two battles that have had the greatest impact on our era broke out in the Jade Desolate Realm eleven Eons ago and in the Void Exhaust Sea about four hundred thousand years ago."
Hao Tian's gaze was deep and solemn. He continued, "Eleven Eons ago, it was the Great Venerable who acted, stopping the Minor Calamity initiated by the Immortals. It was a battle of Primordial Ancestors. I don't know the specifics of what happened, but the Wu Cauldron played a crucial role."
"I speculate that the Great Venerable, relying on the Wu Cauldron, broke the rules of time and space, and from the River of Time, summoned several Wu Ancestors from the Ancient Desolate to assist, thus severely wounding the Immortals."
The Wu Cauldron itself could channel the power of the Nine Wu Ancestors for its user.
Back then, even the Moon God had borrowed the Wu Cauldron to cross time and space and communicate the power of the Wu Path.
Zhang Ruochen asked, "Why does the Heavenly Venerable have such a speculation?"
Hao Tian said, "Because four hundred thousand years ago, during the campaign of the Twenty Heavens, the Inverse God Heavenly Venerable borrowed the Wu Cauldron from Xumi Saint Monk and also summoned the power of several Wu Ancestors. Of course, the Inverse God Heavenly Venerable's cultivation was far inferior to the Great Venerable's, so it was Long Zhong and the other Heavens who possessed Wu Ancestor bloodlines who burned themselves to successfully summon them."
Zhang Ruochen fell silent and smiled bitterly. "No wonder the Ancient God Pan Yuan complained that back then, you didn't give him a spot but sent Long Zhong, whose cultivation was inferior to his. It seems the Inverse God Heavenly Venerable knew something. Long Zhong and the others knew they would die before they went."
Hao Tian said, "But it was also because of their sacrifice that in that battle four hundred thousand years ago, we managed to fight the Nether Ancestor to a draw, both sides suffering heavy losses. Of course, the Nether Ancestor was already severely injured before that, having fled from the River of Time to the Void Exhaust Sea."
Everything matched up.
The Ancient God Pan Yuan had mentioned this before, and now it was truly confirmed.
Zhang Ruochen asked, "What kind of person is the Nether Ancestor?"
Hao Tian shook his head gently, his tone growing heavier. "A mass of Nether Light; no true form can be seen. Perhaps His true form was shattered eleven Eons ago, and when He fled to four hundred thousand years ago through the River of Time, He hadn't had time to recondense before we ambushed Him."
"If He had truly condensed His true form, there would be no way to fight Him. Even self-destructing the Divine Source would have little effect."
"In fact, after summoning the power of the Wu Ancestors, some of the Heavens didn't have to sacrifice. But there was a traitor among us who leaked the information to the cultivators of the Nether Ancestor faction. At the most critical moment, Corpse Nightmare and Nether Sea appeared one after another. At that time, Corpse Nightmare was hidden inside the Nether Sea, not revealing his true form, and his cultivation was far from breaking through to the Primordial Ancestor realm."
"One by one, the Heavens charged forward and self-destructed their Divine Sources, some rushing toward the Nether Ancestor's Nether Light, others toward the Nether Sea."
"Originally, I, Yan Huanyu, and the Sixth Patriarch were all prepared to die. It was the Inverse God Heavenly Venerable who ordered us to take the Inverse God Stele material and leave. Because the Inverse God Stele material had been knocked down from the Nether Ancestor's Nether Light, and perhaps it could be used to counter the Nether Ancestor in the future."
"We escaped, while the Inverse God Heavenly Venerable charged toward the Nether Ancestor's Nether Light and the Nether Sea, turning into a bright storm of destruction."
Hao Tian's tone gradually returned to calm. Clearly, over the past hundreds of thousands of years, the scenes of that year had replayed in his mind countless times.
"Fear, worry, confusion, and helplessness filled my heart. I knew the Nether Ancestor was definitely not dead and would surely retaliate. But with all the Heavens dead, who could still stop the Nether Ancestor? Rely on me? Could I do it?"
"So, after escaping back, I chose to go into seclusion, unwilling to see anyone. I trained desperately, trying to forget my fear through cultivation."
"It wasn't until the news of the Sixth Patriarch's fall reached me, until the Grand Elder found me with the Inverse God Stele and ordered me to come out of seclusion and become the ruler of the Heavenly Court, that I acted. Because, facing the Hell Realm's assault, the fragmented Heavenly Court was already in grave danger. If no one stepped up to take charge, the consequences would be unimaginable."
"I originally didn't dare. I didn't have the courage to become the ruler of the Heavenly Court and face the Nether Ancestor directly."
"But seeing the Inverse God Stele, seeing the imprints of the words on it, hearing the Grand Elder recount the Sixth Patriarch's final words, and the news that Yan Huanyu might have fallen, I knew I had no retreat."
"Even though I knew I was absolutely no match for the Nether Ancestor, even though despair filled my heart, even though fear consumed me, I had to step forward."
"Because there was no one left ahead of me!"
"I could only face the wind and rain, grit my teeth, never revealing a trace of weakness in my heart, and continue leading the masses forward. Everything had to be hidden inside. Was I supposed to tell the world that we had no hope?"
Xuan Yuan Lian was already in tears.
She had never seen Hao Tian so vulnerable, completely baring his heart, showing it to everyone, bloody and raw.
It turned out that there was no such thing as a strong person with an unbreakable will in this world.
There were only warriors who forced themselves to be strong and absolutely refused to fall.
Zhang Ruochen could imagine Hao Tian's difficulty and loneliness at that time. He was utterly hopeless about the future but hid this emotion, telling no one.
Zhang Ruochen said, "In fact, the Nether Ancestor faction was also afraid. They had deep fear and dread for you and the cultivators of this era. Otherwise, they wouldn't have secretly established the Quantity Organization, inciting war between the Hell Realm and the Heavenly Court to weaken the strength of the current era's cultivators."
"Inciting war might have been to secretly absorb blood Qi and souls to heal wounds," Hao Tian said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I am very curious. About two hundred thousand years ago, at the end of the Middle Ages, that Minor Calamity that swept the entire universe—was it initiated by the Nether Ancestor? Who repelled them?"
Hao Tian said, "The Divine Realm! The Divine Realm would never allow the Nether Ancestor faction to devour the entire universe. They check and balance each other. It was this battle that made me see hope for the future. The Nether Ancestor is not without enemies."
"Zhang Ruochen, do you know why I can show you my vulnerable side today and speak these words that have been pent up for years?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "It shows that after hundreds of thousands of years of tempering, the Heavenly Venerable's state of mind has finally broken through. You no longer fear or despair. Speaking it out shows that you no longer care. Not speaking it would mean you still care."
Today's Hao Tian, just like when Zhang Ruochen saw him in Xuan Yuan Lian's porridge shop, was merely a middle-aged Confucian scholar, truly returning to simplicity.
Hao Tian said, "It's because this era has already given birth to too many like-minded cultivators. I am no longer alone. Even if one day I fall, you will still be here, and the future holds infinite possibilities."
"The Jade Desolate Realm is about to open. What are the Sword Realm's plans?"
Zhang Ruochen glanced at Yunshen Daozhu, then looked at Wen Tianjun, who had arrived at the door.
Neither spoke, only nodding to him.
Clearly, they had left the decision to him.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Since we are caught between a rock and a hard place, it's better to take the initiative and start the war. I bring you good news. An old monster has awakened in the Abyss of Darkness, destroying the Great Dark Mountain. The news should soon reach the Sword Realm and the Heavenly Court."
(End of Chapter)