# Chapter 4035: Before Departure
After the coronation ceremony, the various clan deities and visitors departed one after another, and the Fate Divine Mountain returned to its cold and quiet state.
Blood Butcher was finally no longer so busy. Dragging his exhausted body, he returned to the Fierce Horror Divine Palace.
After his cultivation broke through to the Great Unbound Infinite realm, he became the palace master of the Fierce Horror Divine Palace. His status soared, and aside from the three giants, he no longer needed to look up to any other cultivator.
Yan Ting saw him like this for the first time. She took the initiative to walk over and remove his armor, asking, "Are worldly affairs and trivial matters really this tiring? If you're truly exhausted, take a break for a while. The Destiny Temple won't stop functioning just because you're not here."
Blood Butcher closed his eyes and said, "It's not physical fatigue. It's here."
He pointed to his heart with his finger.
"Master has been crowned as the Hall Master. It looks bustling and lively, with flowers and splendor, but in reality, dangers lurk on all sides. She is going to do something major, preparing to stake the entire Destiny Temple on it. If she fails, it will be a devastating disaster for the Destiny Temple," Blood Butcher said.
Yan Ting asked, "What major thing?"
"I don't know! For such a major matter, I estimate that only Void Heaven, Nutian Shenzun, and Senior Brother Di Chen are qualified to know."
"That day, outside the Nutian Divine Palace, when Senior Brother left, it was clearly a falling out with Master. It shows that he absolutely opposes Master doing that thing. Senior Brother acts cautiously, while Master is swift and decisive. So I trust Senior Brother's judgment more."
Blood Butcher's armor had been removed, and his entire body felt much lighter. His tiger eyes opened, once again becoming bright and spirited. He said, "Master ascending to the position of Hall Master must be to legitimately take control of the entire World Tree and all the Fate Esoterica, elevating her combat power to the highest level. What exactly does she want to do? It can't be that she's crazy enough to go to war against an Ancestor, right?"
Yan Ting's heart pounded violently. She said, "Maybe we should temporarily leave the Fate Divine Mountain?"
The Fate Divine Domain was located at the top of the World Tree, and every leaf was a world.
If Feng Tian's goal in becoming Hall Master was truly to use the World Tree for a huge gamble, once she lost, no one knew how many cultivators would fall.
"Leave now? We can't get away."
Blood Butcher shook his head, pondered for a moment, and said, "Hasn't the Clan Leader of the Yama Clan broken through to Half-Ancestor? How about this: you take the children to the Yama Clan. I won't leave. Life and death are fated. Master has treated me well. If I leave at a time like this, even if Master doesn't hold it against me, Senior Brother won't let me off."
Yan Ting shook her head, extremely stubborn, refusing to leave.
"Don't you consider yourself? You should at least consider the little ones, right? Besides, all of this is just my speculation. The possibility is extremely low. Maybe nothing will happen at all?" Blood Butcher said with a smile.
After several attempts to persuade her, Yan Ting finally agreed. She took the younger generation of the family and boarded a Divine Ship, leaving the Fate Divine Domain.
The younger ones were all overjoyed, full of anticipation for their trip to the Yama Clan.
After sending them off, Blood Butcher returned to the empty Fierce Horror Divine Palace and let out a long sigh: "Everything is cause and effect. The more you gain, the more you are destined to bear in the future."
Suddenly, he felt increasingly exhausted, his eyelids heavy.
His consciousness gradually became blurred.
"Not good!"
Blood Butcher knew he had been attacked. He struggled to open his eyes, but found only mist before him.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen standing in the mist, he finally let down his guard and let out a long breath. He said, "Scared me to death. So it was Senior Brother pulling me into a dream."
"I have important matters to discuss," Zhang Ruochen said.
Blood Butcher noticed Zhang Ruochen's serious expression and realized that something major must be happening. He said, "Senior Brother, whatever you command, Blood Butcher will go through fire and water without hesitation."
"It's not that serious."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Feng Tian should be leaving the Abyss of Darkness defense line soon. If she takes the World Tree with her, you must act as my inside agent. Find opportunities to contact me at any time, or leave a space imprint, and I will come find you."
"If she does not take the World Tree, before she leaves, she will surely summon you personally and have you stay behind to guard the Destiny Temple. At that time, you must send me a message immediately."
Blood Butcher was overjoyed: "Senior Brother, I thought you had fallen out with Master. This is great! With you secretly protecting us from the shadows, I have nothing to worry about. Rest assured, I will definitely carry out Senior Brother's instructions."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Don't you want to know what is going to happen?"
"Haha, with my cultivation level, I'm only fit to be a helper for Master and Senior Brother. What use is knowing? Anyway, with Senior Brother around, my hanging heart has finally settled. I feel completely secure," Blood Butcher said.
...
Kunlun Realm, Tongtian Divine Temple.
Wen Tianjun frowned deeply and said, "You want to go to the North Marsh Great Wall in my place? What about the Sword Realm?"
"With Wen Tianjun and Candeng Laozu in charge, it will definitely be stronger than if I stayed behind in the Sword Realm."
Zhang Ruochen did not reveal the information about Feng Tian and Chongming Laozu. He continued, "Wen Tianjun has fought against Shi Yan before, so you know how formidable he is. Does Wen Tianjun have confidence in evading Shi Yan's Ancestor Divine Thought?"
Wen Tianjun recalled the "Five Breaks Clear Spirit Hand" that Shi Yan had used back then. That single move had nearly killed him.
A Half-Ancestor, who could be invincible in any other era, had absolutely no power to fight back against Shi Yan.
His injuries were so severe that after returning to the Sword Realm, he had to recuperate for a full thirty thousand years before returning to his peak state.
This battle had left an indelible shadow in Wen Tianjun's heart.
As for evading Shi Yan's divine thought, Wen Tianjun had no confidence at all.
His reason for going to the North Marsh Great Wall was to overcome the shadow in his heart.
Courage leads to survival.
Cowardice leads to danger.
Zhang Ruochen saw through Wen Tianjun's state of mind and said, "If Shi Yan is at the North Marsh Great Wall, wouldn't Wen Tianjun's trip be extremely dangerous? My First-rank Divine Path can deceive heaven and sea at a certain distance. That is my advantage!"
Wen Tianjun stared at Zhang Ruochen for a long time. Suddenly, with lightning speed, he struck a palm at Zhang Ruochen's face.
The Half-Ancestor's might was unleashed, like a star exploding.
The hand seal was fierce and domineering, blazing and powerful, shattering space inch by inch while opening up a different space-time passage.
The palm broke through space and time, destruction containing endless vitality.
The distance was too close. Zhang Ruochen had almost no reaction time. In haste, he could only raise his right arm to block. Forty clusters of Dao Light naturally flew out, circling his arm as they operated.
"Boom!"
It was as if the entire heaven and earth had smashed into him.
Zhang Ruochen clearly heard the sound of the bones in his right arm breaking. The overwhelming force sent him flying backward, falling into a different space-time.
The entire process took almost no time at all.
Just as Wen Tianjun chased into the different space-time and prepared to strike a second blow, endless Blood Fiend Qi surged out from the different space-time, taking the forms of evil dragons, demonic ghosts, demon pillars... and many other shapes. Countless Ancestor Rules interwove within the Blood Fiend Demonic Qi.
"Thousand Spirit Blood Fiend!"
After Wen Tianjun broke this demonic path divine ability, he found that Zhang Ruochen was already holding the Abyssal Divine Sword at the ready. His broken right arm had fully recovered, showing no sign of weakness.
He had lost the opportunity to press the attack and expand his advantage.
Wen Tianjun withdrew his divine might, a hint of despondency in his eyes. He said, "Your combat power now is no less than that of a Half-Ancestor. Go ahead. I'll give you this opportunity. But I want to know, what is the reason you must go? Is it because you think your strength surpasses mine and you will have a better chance?"
Zhang Ruochen put away the Abyssal Divine Sword and shook his head with a smile. "Wen Tianjun broke my right arm with just one palm strike. This level of physical strength and power is among the best even among Half-Ancestors. I am far from matching it."
"So, Wen Tianjun's advantage lies in facing the enemy head-on. With the War Ancestor Divine Army and the Hundred Flags Chaos Diagram, combined with the geographical advantage of the Wuding Divine Sea, you can definitely fight an Ancestor."
"Scouting, hiding, and escaping are my strengths."
"In the current situation, we must make reasonable use of every bit of power. I know that Wen Tianjun carved the name 'Shi Yan' on the door of the Tongtian Divine Temple to spur himself on."
"But I believe that now is not the time to wash away that shame. Losing to an Ancestor is by no means a shameful thing. Surviving at the hands of an Ancestor should instead be a glory. From ancient times to the present, how many people have accomplished that?"
Zhang Ruochen circled around without answering his question. Wen Tianjun could only shake his head and turn to leave, saying with a laugh, "If you won't say it, then forget it. I'm sure you have your reasons. Make sure to return before the Jade Desolate Realm opens!"
Zhang Ruochen said, "If I don't make it back, Wen Tianjun will have to take charge of the Sword Realm's major affairs."
Wen Tianjun did not respond and disappeared from sight.
Walking out of the Tongtian Divine Temple, Zhang Ruochen stopped and glanced at the two characters "Shi Yan" carved on the temple door. Each stroke was deep, containing a powerful battle intent.
Though defeated, nearly dead.
But the battle intent was undying, which was quite admirable.
"Greetings, Di Chen."
Shenba Gongzhu had sensed the fluctuations of battle and had rushed to the Tongtian Divine Temple.
Additionally, Yin Yuanchen stood nearby.
Zhang Ruochen cupped his hands in return and said, "Wen Tianjun and I were just sparring. No need to be so tense. The Jade Desolate Realm is about to open, and I have a matter I would like to ask the Princess for help."
Zhang Ruochen naturally wanted Wen Tianjun to do it, but ever since his defeat at the hands of Shi Yan, Wen Tianjun had been completely immersed in cultivation, uninterested in any worldly affairs outside the Nether Ancestor Faction.
To ask Wen Tianjun to do something, he had to go through Shenba Gongzhu.
"Di Chen is too polite. We are all part of the Sword Realm. Whatever you command, the Tongtian Divine Temple will do its utmost to carry out," Shenba Gongzhu said.
Zhang Ruochen was waiting for her to say that. He said, "Then for the next period of time, I'll trouble the Princess with the worldly affairs of the Sword Realm."
After talking with Shenba Gongzhu for over two hours, Zhang Ruochen finally left the Tongtian Divine Temple.
Yin Yuanchen, dressed in dark clothes, his eyes deep, one hand behind his back, said, "The wind is rising and the rain is about to come. Di Chen seems to be leaving the Wuding Divine Sea again. Moreover, he likely won't be able to return before the Jade Desolate Realm opens."
...
Yama Clan, Clan Mansion.
Mi Tian Zhan Shen walked quickly. Wherever he passed, servants, maids, and guards all stopped and knelt on both sides of the road.
Arriving outside the Life and Death Cave Heaven where Yan Huanyu was cultivating, he bowed and reported: "Clan Leader, something terrible has happened. News has come from the Wuding Divine Sea. Gai Mie has betrayed the Sword Realm and fled to Lihentian. Wen Tianjun personally went to intercept him but only managed to leave one of his arms. The outside world is speculating that Gai Mie has defected to the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom."
This was a universe-shaking event!
A figure like Gai Mie defecting was not just a loss of a powerful expert for the Sword Realm; more importantly, it would trigger a series of adverse chain reactions.
Would the various Heavenly Venerables of the Heavenly Court and Hell Realm also start having thoughts?
"I know!"
Inside the cave heaven, Yan Huanyu's tone was calm.
Mi Tian Zhan Shen knew that the Clan Leader had just broken through to a new realm and must be fully focused on consolidating his cultivation. He was afraid that the old man might not realize the seriousness of the problem, so he added, "There are rumors that Gai Mie took the Desolate Moon and captured Zhang Ruochen's son Zhang Gushen and Wen Tianjun's great-grandson Yin Yuanchen as hostages, intending to hand them over to the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom as a pledge of allegiance."
"Everyone has their own choices. Whatever cause they sow, they will reap the corresponding fruit in the future. Go. Focus your efforts on the matter of the Jade Desolate Realm's opening. There are still many preparations to be made." The aged voice from inside the cave heaven sounded.
Mi Tian Zhan Shen smiled bitterly, truly admiring the Clan Leader's composure.
Inside the Life and Death Cave Heaven, Zhang Ruochen sat opposite Yan Huanyu.
Yan Huanyu was already very old, having lived for thirteen Eons. If he hadn't broken through to Half-Ancestor, he almost certainly wouldn't have survived this Eon. In his own words, "I just want to hold on until the day the Calamity of Quantities descends, to do my small part before I die."
He said, "This move is too risky. Was it necessary to let Zhang Gushen and Yin Yuanchen be trapped? Even if the Eternal True Ruler believes it, the Qishier Pin Lian won't believe the story you're telling."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Whether they believe it or not doesn't matter. As long as the Nether Ancestor Faction and the Hongmeng Black Dragon believe it, that's enough."
"Gushen said that whether it's the Great Calamity or the Minor Calamity, once it comes, death is inevitable. With his cultivation level, he probably wouldn't even see the enemy before being reduced to ashes. Since death is certain, why not die in a way that has value? He is willing to take the risk. If he doesn't die, staying in the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom will be even more useful."
Yan Huanyu praised, "A son should be like Zhang Gushen! Your heart has become much colder than before. This is a good thing. No one will believe that Zhang Ruochen would send his own child into a hopeless situation."
In fact, Zhang Ruochen agreed to Zhang Gushen's request for another reason that he couldn't tell anyone.
He wanted to use this to test whether the Eternal True Ruler was truly connected to the Kunlun Realm.
If so, then before the Eternal True Ruler defeated the Nether Ancestor Faction and the Hongmeng Black Dragon, he would absolutely not become a mortal enemy with the Sword Realm or with Zhang Ruochen.
In that case, Zhang Gushen would be safe.
From the time the Eternal True Ruler used a peaceful transaction to rescue the Divine Martial Envoy "Wu Shi," it could be seen that this possibility was extremely high.
Unfortunately, the one who came to the Sword Realm back then was the Eternal True Ruler's second disciple, not his true body.
Zhang Ruochen very much wanted to lift the mysterious veil of the Eternal True Ruler to confirm the guess in his heart.
Yan Huanyu said, "Hao Tian has spoken with you, hasn't he? Do you still have any questions?"
"There is one! The Clan Leader cultivated in the Jade Desolate Realm for many years. Do you know the location of the Ancestor Battlefield?" Zhang Ruochen had come precisely for this matter.
Yan Huanyu nodded and said, "The North Marsh Great Wall is a setup by the Eternal True Ruler, a visible move. It's the same as you having Gai Mie take the Desolate Moon and defect to the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom—both are luring people into the trap. This trip is dangerous. If you can return alive and make it to the Jade Desolate Realm in time, I will take you there."
"Don't you want the God-Defying Stele material back?" Zhang Ruochen asked out of curiosity.
Yan Huanyu smiled and said, "Because it's in your hands, we feel at ease. Look at me—how much longer can someone like me live? You are the hope of the future!"
"What about Yan Wushen? As your descendant, he must have been in contact with you over the years." Zhang Ruochen said.
Yan Huanyu reached into his sleeve and took out a delicate and exquisite small red gourd, handing it over. He said, "I called you here to give this to you. He sent it to the Yama Clan!"
(This chapter ends)