Chapter 4046: Above the Long River
Inside the Wind Pavilion, a profound silence fell.
Had an existence like the Chongming Ancestor fallen just like that?
The former Lord of the Southern Universe, a spiritual power giant at the ninety-third level, had died here in this Wind Pavilion. They had all witnessed it.
The gazes of those present toward Zhang Ruochen grew even more filled with reverence.
"The Nether Nation is one of the most dangerous killing grounds in the current universe, extremely perilous. We must leave immediately," Zhang Ruochen said.
Led by the Seven Great One, the gods rode clusters of divine light and rushed out of the Wind Pavilion.
"Form the formation, break through the Nether Soldier army."
The Seven Great One raised both hands.
The Time-Space Death God Tree manifested behind him, its trunk rapidly growing from several dozen meters to tens of thousands of meters high.
Countless formation inscription patterns hung down from the lush branches and leaves.
The gods of the Destiny Temple released their Divine Realm Worlds, transforming them into formation foundations, and together with the Time-Space Death God Tree, they formed a combined attack formation.
The power of all the gods was linked as one.
Outside the Wind Pavilion, layers of black clouds piled up, covering heaven and earth. Countless Nether Soldiers, holding war halberds, stood within the clouds.
Eighty thousand war banners fluttered, and war drums thundered deafeningly.
These Nether Soldier armies were not of high cultivation, not reaching the Divine Realm, but the black clouds beneath them were formed by the formation of the eighty-thousand-story Nether Nation. Their battle intent was highly condensed, coalescing into towering and majestic war souls.
The battle was about to erupt.
From the black clouds in the northeast corner of the Wind Pavilion, killing cries rose to the sky, and war drums sounded like thunderclaps.
A thousand-zhang-tall Nether War Soul, holding a precious mirror, shot a blood-red beam of death light toward the Time-Space Death God Tree.
"That's my Pure Soul Mirror."
A great god of the Destiny Temple exclaimed, then cursed under his breath.
After they were captured, their war implements were naturally taken away.
The Seven Great One displayed the heroic bearing of a Heaven Round No Gap cultivator, pointing a finger forward, dispersing the incoming death beam.
The finger force flew into the black clouds, breaking through the formation inscription patterns.
Clusters of Nether Soldiers fell like rain.
That Nether War Soul was struck in the chest, let out a low roar, and its body dissipated.
The Pure Soul Mirror exploded into pieces, turning into scrap metal fragments that scattered in all directions like shooting stars.
"Activate the formation together and fight our way out of the Nether Nation."
The Seven Great One flew down to the top of the Time-Space Death God Tree, standing against the wind, his figure imposing. He spread his right hand and struck a palm toward the sky.
Tens of billions of talisman patterns in his palm turned into a rain of talismans flying into the sky, sweeping away a large area of the black clouds.
The gods beneath the Time-Space Death God Tree moved quickly, their hundred-plus Divine Realm Worlds operating, transforming into a formation grinding disc that pushed outward.
Wherever the formation grinding disc passed, the Nether Soldier formation collapsed, unable to resist, all vanishing like smoke.
In the end, as Zhang Ruochen had guessed, the formations in the Nether Nation could only be controlled by the Nether Sea Spirit. The Nether Generals in the eighty-thousand Nether Towers could only activate the formation inscription patterns for defense.
...
Outside the Demon Ancestor Ridge, Xiu Chen Heavenly God, who had been fuming with anger, felt a sensation and looked toward the direction of the Wind Pavilion.
He saw the thick black clouds of Nether Qi being scattered by divine light. The Time-Space Death God Tree, enveloping over a hundred Divine Realm Worlds, was moving rapidly outward, releasing power fluctuations that caused the space of the surrounding tens of millions of miles to tremble.
Xiu Chen Heavenly God showed a delighted expression and let out a long laugh: "The Chongming Ancestor has been suppressed! Will you not surrender now?"
Inside the Demon Ancestor Ridge, Snow Granny and Wu Zhen, along with other Demon Ancestor giants, had extremely ugly expressions.
But they didn't believe the Chongming Ancestor had been suppressed.
With the Ancestor's strength, holding off Zhang Ruochen for several days, or even several months, shouldn't be difficult.
As long as Zhang Ruochen didn't act, they could definitely hold the Demon Ancestor Ridge.
The Demon Ancestor Ridge was the Demon Ancestor's Divine Realm World, containing the Ancestor's rule order within. Even the earth vein flowing along the underground of the mountain range was formed by the convergence of Ancestor Divine Qi.
That was why, with Xiu Chen Heavenly God's cultivation and wielding the Heavenly Demon Stone Saber, he couldn't break through the defense of the Demon Ancestor Ridge.
"Boom!"
From the direction of the Wind Pavilion, a heaven-shaking, earth-shattering sound came.
Divine Qi and divine light spread outward like tidal waves, instantly killing all Nether Soldiers and Nether Generals within tens of millions of miles.
Zhang Ruochen, holding the Parasol Tree Divine Tree, shot into the sky, his body radiating ten thousand rays of rosy light. His might covered the entire Nether Nation, like a supreme divine emperor.
The Nether Generals within the Nether Towers, even those millions or billions of miles away, trembled from his divine might. Some bent their legs and knelt to the ground.
Inside the Demon Ancestor Ridge, the demons were terrified and restless.
Zhang Ruochen had actually taken away the Parasol Tree Divine Tree.
And the Ancestor hadn't come out of the Wind Pavilion with him, his aura completely gone.
Could it be...
Had he really been suppressed?
Xu Kun War God, his body as massive as a small mountain, stomped the ground, causing it to shake. A metal ball-shaped divine artifact floated above his head. He said in a deep voice: "Gods of the Demon Ancestor Ridge, you were all coerced by the Chongming Ancestor into joining the Nether Ancestor Faction. Now that the Chongming Ancestor has been killed by Emperor Dust, if you surrender voluntarily, Emperor Dust's magnanimity will surely grant you a path to survival. Otherwise, it's the path of death!"
"The Chongming Ancestor is dead?"
Even Xiu Chen Heavenly God found it hard to believe, thinking Xu Kun War God was boasting. He even felt contempt in his heart, believing Xu Kun War God lacked the pride of an Indestructible Infinite cultivator and was too flattering.
How could a ninety-third-level spiritual power giant be so easily erased?
Inside the Demon Ancestor Ridge, chaos erupted.
Some of the lower-cultivation demon cultivators felt as if struck by a thunderbolt from a clear sky. Their faith collapsed, and they slumped to the ground. Of course, many demon cultivators didn't believe Xu Kun War God and remained firm in their resolve to fight to the death.
"Where is the blade?"
Zhang Ruochen gazed into the distance at the Demon Ancestor Ridge. The Ancestor Blood Wings on his back dyed the sky red. He raised his hand and made a grasping motion.
The Heavenly Demon Stone Saber in Xiu Chen Heavenly God's hand flew away, turning into a winding trail of light and landing in Zhang Ruochen's hand.
He raised the saber and slashed down.
The strike was smooth and flowing.
Demonic Qi overturned heaven and earth, and the blade light extended for a hundred thousand miles.
"Whoosh!"
The blade light fell above the Demon Ancestor Ridge. Within the mountain range, tens of thousands of divine rays containing Ancestor power shot into the sky. The Ancestor's rules and order condensed into a thick atmospheric layer.
"Puff! Puff! Puff..."
Countless demon cultivators within the Demon Ancestor Ridge exploded into clouds of blood.
The blade light broke through the rays and rules, but it didn't cause the Demon Ancestor Ridge's defense to collapse.
"Emperor Dust, I'll go and persuade them to surrender, to break their will to resist from within."
Xu Kun War God entered the Demon Ancestor Ridge through the defensive gap opened by the Heavenly Demon Stone Saber.
As a member of the Demon Ancestor lineage, he had friendships with many gods. He didn't want all the demons to die under Zhang Ruochen's blade. Further pointless resistance was meaningless.
Zhang Ruochen hadn't wanted to waste time. The stone saber in his hand rolled up a thousand layers of Demonic Qi clouds, but he keenly sensed that the time rules above the Nether Nation had become active.
The sound of flowing water arose. A majestic and vast river manifested in space, surging straight toward the Nether Nation.
The time rules became even more turbulent.
"The Nether Sea Spirit's methods are truly formidable, capable of changing heaven and earth." Zhang Ruochen sighed in admiration. He silently calculated: if a Heavenly Venerable-level powerhouse escaped into the River of Time, would he have the ability to lock onto them and pull them into a pre-set location?
...
On the River of Time.
The Past Divine Palace and the Future Divine Palace were like two isolated islands, drifting rapidly toward the future with the flow of time.
Feng Tian stood atop the Future Divine Palace. Behind her floated a Gate of Destiny. Within the gate, death Qi was thick. Over fifty percent of the Death Esoterica had condensed into a suit of Dominator War Armor, attached to her body.
"Rumble!"
The Heaven Cauldron flew over the River of Time, violently colliding with the Auspicious Wish, stirring up waves.
Baal manifested his giant demonic body, stepping on the Origin Divine Temple, chasing behind, using demonic Qi to control the Auspicious Wish. At the same time, strands of demonic Qi, like a gauze net, continuously entangled the Heaven Cauldron.
This was his unique divine ability, capable of plundering other cultivators' divine artifacts and war implements.
The Auspicious Wish and the Origin Divine Temple had both been taken by him in this way.
"Hall Master, the Fate Esoterica is leaking, being taken by Baal. We can't lock it down. His mastery of the Path of Fate is too profound."
Que stood at the gate of the Past Divine Palace, both hands gripping the sword hilt, the Shadow Dan Sword firmly embedded in the ground.
He used his body and the Shadow Dan Sword to lock the Fate Esoterica tightly within the palace, but he couldn't hold on any longer. His body and the sword were covered in cracks, like porcelain, ready to shatter at any moment.
The other person guarding the Past Divine Palace, Lian Xi, had been struck by Baal with the Auspicious Wish earlier. Her body had shattered and decomposed once, and her divine soul was severely damaged. She was recuperating.
The total number of gods in the two palaces had dwindled to just over three hundred, all severely injured.
Facing a Half-Ancestor-level existence, only Feng Tian could contend to some extent. The rest couldn't even threaten him by self-destructing their divine sources.
In fact, Feng Tian was injured even more severely. Her physical body had been heavily damaged multiple times. Although she had reshaped it, the divine light on her body had dimmed by half.
After refining the three broken remains of the Nine-Headed Stone Man, Baal's demonic body was robust, and his Dao techniques grew deeper. With his full effort, Feng Tian simply couldn't compete with him.
Even with all her trump cards exhausted, she could only hold on until this moment.
If it were any other Heavenly Venerable, they would have already died at Baal's hands.
Feng Tian's control over the Heaven Cauldron became increasingly difficult. She couldn't even retrieve it. Although her face showed no emotional change, only she knew that this gamble had been a complete failure.
A single realm's difference was like the gap between heaven and earth.
She was not Zhang Ruochen, and there was only one Zhang Ruochen in the world. Only Zhang Ruochen could cross realms to fight an enemy.
Feng Tian felt no regret. She knew she had to make this journey.
If there was danger and one didn't fight, then there was no need to cultivate.
Even if she lost, she would die a spectacular death.
But still, her mind involuntarily turned to Zhang Ruochen, to his figure as he angrily left the Nutian Divine Palace.
If she had softened her tone at that time and told Zhang Ruochen that "she didn't have much time left," would the outcome have been different with the help of Zhang Ruochen and the Sword Realm?
Feng Tian knew very well that if she asked for his help, Zhang Ruochen would find it very difficult to refuse her.
If Zhang Ruochen knew that from the day of her Nirvana, she only had one Eon to contend with heaven, then Zhang Ruochen would have shattered himself to help her.
Not for any other reason, just to repay a debt of gratitude, Zhang Ruochen would do it.
But how could she bear to see Zhang Ruochen shattered?
She was already half-buried, with a slim chance of survival.
Zhang Ruochen, however, was like a rising sun, about to reach its zenith, illuminating the universe. How could Feng Tian drag him into a muddy, deadly quagmire?
Feng Tian's thoughts were myriad. She thought of Xumi's death, of the bond she once had with Kong Faning, of the countless lives she had killed and the countless great worlds she had destroyed. There was no regret, no joy.
Even if she had to do it all over again, she would still walk this bloody path of death she had carved out.
Only in a flash, as she recalled being suddenly kissed by Zhang Ruochen on the city wall of Wuchang Ghost City, did a smile involuntarily appear at the corner of her mouth.
As a Corpse Clan member, as the Death God Venerable, to have her heart stir once in this life was an extraordinary experience.
That was enough!
She had even been the Hall Master of the Destiny Temple. What more could she ask for?
Half-Ancestor?
Throughout history, how many heroes and champions had there been? How many had reached the Half-Ancestor realm?
"Feng Caiyi, your battle intent is weakening. Have you given up? In fact, there's no need for you to fight any longer. Just offer half of your divine soul and submit to me. You can still be the Hall Master of the Destiny Temple on the surface, second only to me, above all others. I also come from the Destiny Temple. The gods in the Past Divine Palace and the Future Divine Palace can all keep their lives."
Baal's divine voice came from the River of Time, pulling Feng Tian's thoughts back to reality.
He didn't dare push Feng Tian too hard.
If Feng Tian self-destructed her divine source, he wasn't sure he could suppress it.
Feng Tian sent a telepathic message: "No need to hold the line any longer. All gods in the Past Divine Palace, enter the Future Divine Palace."
"Master!" Yan Ju said.
"Master!" Blood Leaf Parasol Tree said.
Bore said: "Hall Master!"
The gods who had survived were not mediocre. Hearing Feng Tian issue this order, they understood what she was about to do.
"No one needs to say anything more! The space imprint the Nether Sea Spirit locked onto me cannot be refined away. I can't escape anymore! But you can still go. I will send you... Lian Xi, take them to the Sword Realm. Zhang Ruochen's mastery of time and space is unparalleled. He will surely sense it in advance and come to receive you."
Feng Tian flew to the top of the Past Divine Palace. Divine blood burned within her body, the flames taking the shape of phoenix feathers, flying in the void.
"Hurry and go, enter the Future Divine Palace."
Que was an absolutely rational person. He gave up guarding the Past Divine Palace and forcibly led the gods to move to the Future Divine Palace.
"I will live and die with my master."
"Master, Yan Ju won't leave either. I'll be buried in the Past Divine Palace. There are countless cultivators in the world; who doesn't die in the River of Time?"
...
Lian Xi slowly stood up, walked to the edge of the Past Divine Palace, and looked at the river water formed by time rules and time imprint light points. She murmured softly: "It's his aura. He has come to the North Marsh Great Wall..."
She and Zhang Ruochen had engaged in dual cultivation; their mutual resonance was subtle.
"Whoosh!"
Divine light flickered. The Eternal Spear, the former number one divine artifact of the Time Divine Temple, appeared in her hand.
She hurled the Eternal Spear, straight toward the direction she sensed.
The Eternal Spear, like a guiding arrow, fell into the water. Immediately, ripples spread out one after another, and the space world manifested accordingly. The Nether Nation appeared ahead on the River of Time.
Zhang Ruochen appeared at the end of the River of Time as far as the eye could see. His figure was straight and tall, holding a saber, standing as if he had been waiting for endless ages to welcome their arrival.
In the space of the real world, time was rapidly overlapping.
(End of chapter)