# Chapter 4074: New Traces
"Whoosh!"
The light of the Selfless Lamp spread outward like ripples, dissolving the Radiant Divine Radiance into nothingness.
Light against light.
The collision of two eternal paths—the Way of Fate and the Way of Radiance.
Even without the divine qi of Zhang Ruochen's true body to drive it, the Selfless Lamp possessed combat power at the Indestructible Infinite middle stage. Among all first-rank divine artifacts, its artifact spirit's cultivation ranked among the top five.
Koro did not wish to create a commotion. While releasing the Radiant Divine Radiance, he also released rules and order, constructing his own independent small world.
The spatial structure atop Mount Mar's summit underwent a tremendous transformation, becoming like an isolated cage, not leaking a single trace of energy fluctuation.
"With just this lamp, you dare to charge into Paradise Realm? Zhang Ruochen, you underestimate me too much!"
As Koro's words arrived, so did his figure, his palm seal striking out.
In his palm center, a dazzling light shadow appeared, like a pair of white feathers, its contours outlined, its Dao resonance inexhaustible.
The palm seal transformed to several meters in length, enveloping both Zhang Ruochen and the Selfless Lamp.
"Boom!"
Zhang Ruochen struck out with a palm, colliding with the palm seal Koro had unleashed.
The light shadow of the palm technique shattered like bubbles.
Koro was shocked inwardly, suddenly unable to see through Zhang Ruochen's depth.
This state was very dangerous!
Because in close-quarters combat, victory or defeat was decided in an instant.
He immediately retreated backward, standing beneath the giant stone wall of Mar Temple, constructing layers of defensive measures, and re-examining Zhang Ruochen with an extremely cautious expression.
A doppelganger, capable of breaking his Feather Transformation Palm Seal divine ability?
Impossible.
"Indestructible Infinite peak! When the Hall Master does not act, it is nothing, but once you make a move, you bring me such great shock." Zhang Ruochen stepped forward, the hem of his black robe fluttering like a banner.
Koro quickly steadied his mind, light patterns flickering in his pupils, once again confirming that the Zhang Ruochen before him was undoubtedly a doppelganger.
He took out a trident over three meters long, and a Dharma Realm rose around him, his demeanor becoming completely serious.
The trident shaft was exquisite, carved with feather patterns and eye diagrams.
At the fork of the trident was embedded a fist-sized, semi-transparent gem. As the gem flickered, Koro's Dharma Realm changed between bright and dark. It was evident that the gem's interior must contain terrifying energy.
"Even if your true body left power for you, how many strikes can you unleash?"
"Boom!"
Koro struck the trident heavily against the ground, and Radiant Divine Radiance spread. The scene of the entire world disappeared, leaving only Mar Temple still standing, tall and sacred.
"This trident is called the Blazing Trident, left behind by Ancestor Chi. Zhang Ruochen, you are merely a doppelganger, yet you force me to use this divine artifact. The current you truly stands at the pinnacle of the universe!" Koro's tone was complex, containing both admiration and envy.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Since Hall Master Koro is so uncertain, why not hand over the painting to me? You should understand that I have no intention of killing you today."
"Killing me?"
Koro gave a cold, mocking laugh, and the Blazing Trident was already swung out in a slash.
The trident's edge easily cut through the light of the Selfless Lamp, heading straight for Zhang Ruochen's doppelganger.
Zhang Ruochen shifted his body to the left, dodging this strike.
"Afraid to fight me head-on?"
As Koro spoke these words, he had already predicted Zhang Ruochen's movement trajectory. With his other hand, he released the Radiant Esoterica, mobilizing Radiant rules and order to condense into chains, entangling both Zhang Ruochen and the Selfless Lamp.
"Swish!"
His figure flickered, forcibly pulling Zhang Ruochen and the Selfless Lamp into Mar Temple.
The strength displayed by Zhang Ruochen and the Selfless Lamp was too great. Koro was not confident he could suppress them without alerting the outside world.
Entering Mar Temple was different.
Not only did it have Ancestor Rules isolating the outside world, but it was also his home ground. He could mobilize Ancestor Rules and the divine patterns left by successive generations of powerhouses of Paradise Realm for his own use, elevating his combat power by a full level.
Koro manipulated the Radiant Divine Chains, further entangling Zhang Ruochen and the Selfless Lamp.
"With the Radiant Esoterica and the Blazing Trident in hand, I can fight even a Heavenly Venerable-rank opponent. Let alone you, a mere doppelganger?" Koro saw that Zhang Ruochen could not break free from the Radiant Divine Chains, and his worry gradually dissipated.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Aren't you afraid my true body will make a move?"
Koro said, "Can your true body make a move? The destruction of Truth Temple was all because Xu Fengjin and Pan Yuan Ancient God pursued and killed Bone Yanluo. Who in the world doesn't know that in the battle at North Marsh Great Wall, you suffered severe injuries? With the current complex and dangerous situation, if you don't heal your injuries as quickly as possible, you won't even know how you'll die. Can your true body come out of seclusion? Can it make a move?"
"So this is what you think." Zhang Ruochen said.
"Is it wrong?"
Koro's body was like a lamp, illuminating his skin and hair to an extremely dazzling degree. He fully released the Radiant Esoterica, and the light emitted by the divine chains multiplied several times, intending to lock Zhang Ruochen and the Selfless Lamp onto the stone pillars of Mar Temple.
"Right, but not entirely. To deal with you, my true body is not unable to make a move, but rather does not need to."
As the words finished, blood light surged.
On Zhang Ruochen's back, a pair of broad blood wings appeared.
The blood wings released a terrifying Ancestor-level aura. As they flapped, heaven and earth overturned, space shook, and all the Radiant Divine Chains were snapped.
The energy waves formed by Ancestor blood qi filled Mar Temple, forcing Koro back several steps.
"This doppelganger of mine carries the Ancestor Blood Wings. Can you possibly contend with it?"
Zhang Ruochen held the Golden Scepter, suspended in midair, his expression solemn. Blood light and golden radiance pushed back the Radiant power, his aura continuously rising.
The situation reversed; Zhang Ruochen seemed like the only god in Mar Temple.
Koro had certainly heard of the Ancestor Blood Wings. He was very decisive, immediately activating the space formation within the temple, intending to open the Ancestor Realm.
Only by borrowing the power of the Ancestor Realm could he contend with the Ancestor Blood Wings and the Golden Scepter.
"Rustle!"
A formation plate for a space formation emerged on the temple floor.
The inscription patterns were like linear swimming snakes, quickly interweaving and darting.
Space vibrated, becoming increasingly active.
Suddenly, Koro's body stiffened, and his consciousness experienced a brief darkness.
"Not good, it's the power of the Selfless Lamp."
Koro knew that the Selfless Lamp specialized in attacking a cultivator's divine soul consciousness. He had been on guard, but the sudden variable of the Ancestor Blood Wings had startled him, causing a momentary lapse in his mind. He hadn't expected the Selfless Lamp to seize this opportunity and launch an attack.
In just an instant, Koro relied on his powerful divine soul to repel the Selfless Lamp's consciousness attack, and clarity returned before his eyes.
"Pfft!"
The Golden Scepter struck Koro's chest, piercing through from the center of the pairs of wings on his back.
Blood flowed along the scepter, dripping to the ground.
In an instant, victory and defeat were decided.
Koro let out an earth-shaking roar, divine qi surging within him as he swung the Blazing Trident.
The Blazing Trident was caught by Zhang Ruochen with a single hand.
Powerful blood qi energy coiled around the trident shaft, pressing it back.
The divine blood within Koro's body was continuously absorbed by the Golden Scepter, his body rapidly shriveling, his power declining.
"This old fellow has definitely defected to the Nether Ancestor. That painting has most likely already been destroyed by the Nether Ancestor. Let's directly perform a soul search!"
The Selfless Lamp flew out, landing above Koro's head.
It suppressed Koro from self-destructing his divine source, while also condensing streams of Fate light, pouring them into his seven orifices.
"You want to perform a soul search on me? With just you?"
Koro gritted his teeth and roared, blood burning within him. The Radiant Divine Radiance on his body released increasingly higher temperatures, continuously evaporating Zhang Ruochen's doppelganger.
Zhang Ruochen's gaze darkened. Dense Ancestor Rules emerged on the blood wings on his back. His figure leaped up, slashing diagonally downward.
"Pfft!"
The Ancestor Blood Wings swept across Koro's body, splitting him in two.
Zhang Ruochen held the Golden Scepter in one hand and the Blazing Trident in the other, striking out heavily, pinning each half of Koro's body to the temple floor.
"This old fellow's spiritual will is very strong. I can only barely suppress him from self-destructing his divine source; there's no way to collect his soul. How about taking him back to Sword Realm?" the Selfless Lamp said.
Zhang Ruochen looked toward the temple gate, discovering that for some reason, Time Imprint light dots were rapidly condensing there.
"Who is it?"
Zhang Ruochen's expression changed slightly. He withdrew the Selfless Lamp and was about to release divine qi to sweep up Koro, who was pinned to the ground.
"Boom!"
A sound like a surging river emerged from that cluster of Time Imprint light dots.
A long river of time appeared, sweeping away Koro's two halves of his broken body, quickly disappearing from sight.
If not for the Ancestor Blood Wings being powerful enough to carry Zhang Ruochen's doppelganger and leap out of the temple, he would certainly have been swept into the long river of time.
When Zhang Ruochen returned to Mar Temple, the long river of time, Koro, and even the Golden Scepter and Blazing Trident had all vanished without a trace.
"It's over. We didn't find the painting, the secret of the Immortal wasn't uncovered, and we lost a Golden Scepter as well." The Selfless Lamp sighed.
Zhang Ruochen's expression remained unchanged. "What formidable time techniques. Without the true body arriving, yet able to rescue someone right under my nose. There are no more than a few such figures in the entire universe."
"Stop bragging. We lost, that's all. This time, you lost completely and utterly." The Selfless Lamp said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "You completely missed my point! What was our purpose in searching for the painting?"
"Naturally, it was to find the Immortal." The Selfless Lamp said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Exactly! The appearance of this long river of time caused the other party to expose their most critical flaw, confirming a guess I've had in my heart all along. This answer is more important than that painting. As you said, since Koro has defected to the Nether Ancestor, that painting obviously no longer exists in this world."
"What guess?"
The Selfless Lamp asked curiously.
Zhang Ruochen turned his head toward the entrance of Mar Temple, where the Fourth Confucian Ancestor was already standing there.
The Fourth Confucian Ancestor let out a long sigh. "Ruochen, you should have waited for me. If I had been here, unless an Ancestor came in person, no one could have taken him away. Now, the most critical clue is broken!"
"Discovering that Koro has defected to the Nether Ancestor—isn't that also a gain? It can be seen that back then, during the war between Heavenly Court and Hell Realm, and the calamity of Kunlun Realm, Koro must have been one of the masterminds."
Zhang Ruochen thought for a moment, then said, "Confucian Ancestor, how much do you know about Chi, one of the Nine Great Ancestors, about the Great Radiant Mar, and about Mar Temple?"
The Fourth Confucian Ancestor observed the furnishings and layout within Mar Temple, walking among the giant stones, and said slowly, "Actually, this is also my first time entering Mar Temple! Logically speaking, each of the Ancestors should have sent power to this era to help the cultivators of this age deal with the Nether Ancestor. Ancestor Chi should also have sent power to this era, shouldn't he? Could it be that someone intercepted it?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "Could that person be Mar?"
"Mar doesn't have that kind of strength! But if his backer is the Nether Ancestor, then it's very possible." The Fourth Confucian Ancestor said.
Zhang Ruochen nodded slightly, pondered for a moment, then said, "I have other important matters to attend to. I'll take my leave now."
After Zhang Ruochen left Mar Temple, the Fourth Confucian Ancestor's brow furrowed slightly, a deep doubt surfacing in his heart.
Could it be that Zhang Ruochen had no interest whatsoever in the Ancestor Realm connected to Mar Temple?
Within the Ancestor Realm, it was entirely possible to find valuable clues.
Or even find the power left behind by Ancestor Chi.
Why could he leave so freely?
The Fourth Confucian Ancestor hesitated inwardly, debating whether to enter that Ancestor Realm.
If he entered but found nothing useful, wouldn't it make him, the Ancestor of the Confucian Path, seem inferior to a younger generation's doppelganger?
Within the temple, the Fourth Confucian Ancestor's long sigh echoed.
...
Leaving Paradise Realm, Zhang Ruochen no longer concealed the heavenly mechanisms and cause and effect, heading straight for Heavenly Court.
He needed to inform Pan Yuan Ancient God about Koro's matter, letting the Heavenly Palace handle the impending chaos of Radiant Divine Temple being left leaderless.
More importantly, he had to go to the White Fox Clan of the Night Demon Six Tribes to complete the final piece of the puzzle in his heart's speculation.
Back when Di was born, the Night Demon Six Tribes lost their dwelling place and all joined the Southern Universe, returning to the demon clan camp of the Heavenly Court Universe.
Su Zilian, who had painted the legendary painting, was born in the White Fox Clan.
This search for the painting had indeed encountered many unexpected events and could be considered a failed journey. But it was not without gains. The fist-sized gem on the Blazing Trident had been dug out by Zhang Ruochen.
"This should be the power left behind by Ancestor Chi. With it, the Victory Crown can truly display its real power!"
Zhang Ruochen handed the gem to Liao Kuo, telling him to send it back to Sword Realm.
Liao Kuo was greatly shocked and dared not take it. "Lord Imperial Dust, I am merely a mid-rank god. How could I bear such a great responsibility? If this treasure is taken by someone..."
Zhang Ruochen smiled. "Precisely because no one would think that I would entrust such an important item to a mid-rank god to carry, you are safe. Rest assured, my whereabouts have already been exposed, and everyone's attention is on me. If I carried it myself, it might actually be taken."
Liao Kuo was no fool. "I understand! In the current universe, those who dare to make a move against me are all top-tier existences who do not fear the Imperial Dust. And these people look at me as if I were an ant, too lazy to bother with me. Lord Imperial Dust, rest assured, I will definitely deliver this item back to Sword Realm. If the item is here, I live; if the item is lost, I die."
Zhang Ruochen said, "With this kind of mindset, daring to take on great responsibility, your future achievements will certainly not be low."
Legend had it that the Great Radiant Mar, at the Half-Ancestor realm, had forged the Victory Crown. With the Victory Crown, he could mobilize the power of the Ancestor Divine Source, and with it, he had even defeated an Ancestor.
The legend might contain inaccuracies, but Zhang Ruochen had personally seen Mar's remnant soul, wearing the Victory Crown and unleashing extraordinary combat power.
At that time, the Ancestor Divine Source set into the Victory Crown was only half a piece, and it was not of the Radiant attribute.
The gem Zhang Ruochen had dug out from the Blazing Trident had an interior like a Radiant Divine Sea, containing dense Radiant Ancestor divine qi. It was highly likely to be Ancestor Chi's Ancestor Divine Source.
If it were set into the Victory Crown, what kind of combat power could Zhang Ruochen's true body unleash?
Could it fight an Ancestor?
(Chapter End)