Chapter 4080: The Opponent in the Game
Zhang Ruochen sat alone on the divine throne. Though his cultivation was peerless, his aura flourishing, and a bejeweled crown adorned his head, he exuded a sense of loneliness that only the elderly possessed.
It was as if he were the only one left in the entire world.
"Yaoyao, you're back!"
Setting down the bronze wine vessel shaped like a cauldron, Zhang Ruochen staggered to his feet. Then, his eyelids lifted slightly, and his pupils shimmered with a kaleidoscope of colors like two star seas.
A bright sword light surged from his eyes, splitting through the star sea as it flew out, transforming into a tangible beam of killing light.
The scene within the Origin Divine Temple shifted dramatically. Candle flames flickered, and overwhelming energy surged like mountains overturning seas.
Chi Yao stood gracefully like the moon at the center of the temple, slowly raising her arm.
Her hand turned golden, her palm lines transforming into mountain ranges as she unleashed a stunningly exquisite Mixed Yuan Palm Seal, colliding with the incoming sword light.
"Boom!"
The palm seal and sword light shattered, dissipating into nothingness like mist.
The Origin Divine Temple shook violently, and the shockwave surged outward, causing the sky over the Nether Kingdom to shift in color.
The two massive doors of the temple slammed shut.
Outside the temple, Xu Kun War God, Famous Sword God, Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden, and Xiao Hei all looked over. Some were astonished, some worried, and others remained calm and composed.
From the Sword Realm, the Nether Kingdom, and the various realms above the Wuding Divine Sea, even more gazes turned in that direction.
...
Inside the temple.
Zhang Ruochen looked at the fleeting, layered Celestial World projections above Chi Yao's head and revealed a genuine, joyful smile. "Twenty-five layers of Celestial World. It seems you and Zangjin Baihu gained tremendous benefits at the North Marsh Great Wall."
Cultivating the Celestial World was no easy task.
At Chi Yao's current height, increasing even a single layer was like rowing against the current—extremely difficult.
Zhang Ruochen's expression and tone at this moment dispelled the worry in Chi Yao's heart. She walked lightly toward the divine throne.
Zangjin Baihu followed behind her, moving like a cat—silent and graceful. "Compared to the Imperial Dust, what are our little achievements?"
Chi Yao looked at the seven empty wine vessels and several toppled bronze cups on the table. "Chen Ge hasn't answered my question yet."
Zhang Ruochen showed no sign of dejection, sitting steadily back on the divine throne. "You underestimate the Moon God too much. You only see her holiness, beauty, and pride, but you forget that she was once decisive in killing, experienced great ups and downs, entered the demonic path, and was also cunning in her thoughts."
"She is not an untainted bright moon, nor will she, like a pedantic Confucian scholar, value reputation more than life. I have full confidence in her spiritual essence."
Zhang Ruochen didn't know if he had fooled the Moon God and Wu Yue, or if they were merely playing along with his act.
But he knew that when the truth was eventually revealed, he would have a massive headache.
Was the Moon God really someone who could meekly submit to adversity?
Recalling the past, she had never feared anyone. Her backbone was harder than anyone's.
The divine throne was spacious. Chi Yao lightly adjusted her skirt and sat beside Zhang Ruochen. "The North Marsh Great Wall is an excellent place to build an end-times fortress. The Wuding Divine Sea and the Sword Realm can be relocated there at any time."
Zhang Ruochen said, "If it can be called a relic of prehistoric civilization, it must have its extraordinary qualities. As for the Abyss of Darkness, needless to say, that's where the Primordial Beings built their end-times fortress."
"The God Realm likely locked onto the Colorless Realm—now the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom—as the location for its end-times fortress long ago. Perhaps... the God Realm itself can be considered part of that fortress."
"As for the Nether Ancestor Faction's end-times fortress, it will most likely be the Jade Emperor Realm."
"For us, both the Divine Ancient Nest and the North Marsh Great Wall are options. We could even merge the two."
Chi Yao asked, "Will our enemies give us that chance?"
Zhang Ruochen chuckled. "Isn't the so-called end-times fortress just a gimmick? The top-tier figures all know it's just a pie-in-the-sky promise drawn for the lower-level cultivators."
"When the Great Calamity arrives, even the Immortals aren't sure they can survive—they can barely save themselves. How can they manage an end-times fortress and shelter a large number of cultivators into a new era? Is that even possible?"
Gradually, Zhang Ruochen's smile faded, replaced by extreme seriousness. He tapped the table with his fingers and said firmly, "Others might be drawing empty pies, but with me, every single pie must be edible. Building the end-times fortress—we must go all out. I'm entrusting this to you!"
Chi Yao nodded gently. "Don't worry. The Golden Lion Ancestor is guarding that place. And..."
Zangjin Baihu stood below, its body round and tall, cutting in, "And I have a subtle control over all the remaining walls of the North Marsh Great Wall. I can help the Sword Realm cultivators gather and assemble them, and in critical moments of life and death, I can act as a half-artifact spirit. This is an advantage that no other faction controlling prehistoric civilization relics possesses."
Zhang Ruochen was in an excellent mood and teased, "Why are you holding your head so high? Waiting for me to praise you?"
"I'm telling you that even though you now have the combat power to rival an Ancestor and look down on the ages, there are still things you can't do that I can. So, do I have the right to speak to you with my head held high?"
Zangjin Baihu's voice was crisp and pleasant, like a fierce young girl.
Zhang Ruochen said, "You do, absolutely! From now on, the North Marsh Great Wall, the Sword Realm, and Yaoyao all depend on you."
This wasn't just praise.
It was a genuine entrustment of hope.
Zangjin Baihu, as if victorious, said happily, "In that case, do I have the right to know your plan?"
"No."
Zhang Ruochen ignored Zangjin Baihu, grabbed Chi Yao's jade hand, and said in a low voice, "If one day I'm no longer here, you and Yan Wushen will be the only ones relatively safe in this world."
Chi Yao said, "I'm not his match."
Zhang Ruochen shook his head. "What you've inherited is the path of the Great Venerable, as well as the paths of Xumi Saint Monk and me. Can the efforts of the four of us not compare to Yan Wushen's?"
"You must understand—you are the only one in this world who has cultivated the 'Wisdom King Scripture' beyond the eighteenth layer of the Celestial World. You aim to build thirty-three layers, a height even the Great Venerable never reached. Hmm... forget about that old bastard Wang Shan. He's just a false god with limited achievements."
Chi Yao seemed not to hear his latter words, pressing, "What do you mean, 'if I'm no longer here'?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "I'm talking about a hypothetical. If that day comes, the chips the Nether Ancestor and the God Realm have placed on me will be forced to shift to Yan Wushen and you."
"You two are, aside from me, their secondary choices."
"Otherwise, do you think you could have far surpassed everyone else and reached where you are today so quickly and steadily?"
"In truth, Hao Tian, Heavenly Mother, Fengdu Dadi—they all have the potential to become Ancestors and are closer to that realm. But they've cultivated for over ten eons. Their spiritual wills are mature, making it difficult for the Immortals to influence or control them."
"For young people like us, we're the easiest to control in the eyes of the Immortals. They can start laying their plans when we're young, like cultivating seedlings."
"For instance, if I were the Nether Ancestor, and I wanted A Le, Qing Su, and Han Qiu to help me deal with the God Realm, would they refuse?"
Chi Yao's eyes were as bright as stars, staring directly at him, pressing again, "What do you mean, 'if I'm no longer here'?"
Just as Zhang Ruochen was unsure how to answer,
Zangjin Baihu lay on the ground, saying, "Haven't you figured it out yet? This is his plan. This is why he's been putting on a facade in front of others. Tsk tsk, I have to say, it's a clever move... but also very dangerous. If the fake death is too fake, it'll just be a joke. If it's too real, he might actually die."
Chi Yao understood Zhang Ruochen's predicament far better than others. "Is this the only way?"
Zhang Ruochen nodded.
Chi Yao said, "Then go ahead. I will be your strongest support and your final pillar. No matter the outcome, I will unwaveringly follow your path, even if we end up utterly defeated."
"Dying on the same path is a kind of romance."
"I know what you're worried about. Rest assured—if your guess is correct, and I am forced to become the key cultivation target of some Immortal, I will do everything in my power to protect those you want to protect, including them."
Zhang Ruochen smiled, pulling Chi Yao into his embrace, their fingers interlocked. His heart was filled only with warmth and tranquility.
"Do you already know the identities of the Nether Ancestor and the one from the God Realm?" Chi Yao asked.
Zhang Ruochen's gaze grew profound. "The Nether Ancestor has left too many traces. I have a rough idea. As for the one from the God Realm, they've hidden too deeply. Perhaps only the Eternal True Ruler can give me some answers."
...
As soon as Chi Yao returned, she had clashed with the Imperial Dust. Many cultivators speculated that the two must have argued over the Imperial Dust's cold and ruthless behavior in recent years.
Many were uneasy, worried that the situation would worsen and cause a split in the Sword Realm.
Some deities had already rushed to the Dragon God Temple, Wang Shan, the All-Heaven Divine Temple, and other places, hoping to invite the Dragon Lord, the Calamity Venerable, Wen Tianjun, and the Remnant Lamp to mediate.
But, contrary to everyone's expectations, Zhang Ruochen and Chi Yao walked out of the Origin Divine Temple hand in hand and immediately summoned the realm lords of the various major worlds, announcing the plan to build an end-times fortress at the North Marsh Great Wall.
In the days that followed, Zhang Ruochen seemed to revert to his former self, visiting various realms with Chi Yao, treating everyone with warmth and kindness.
"So, Empress Chi Yao is the Imperial Dust's one true love. Only she can influence him the most."
"Do you even need to ask? Just look at how he treats Kongle God Venerable and Yuyan Fairy compared to his other children. It's like night and day."
...
Many cultivators also felt they couldn't see through Zhang Ruochen anymore.
His current actions were impossible to deduce. He was both affectionate and ruthless—which one was the real him?
After Zhang Ruochen, Chi Yao, and Chi Kongle visited over a dozen major worlds under the Sword Realm's banner, they arrived at Zhenlu Island on the Wuding Divine Sea.
This island stretched three thousand miles from north to south and one thousand seven hundred miles from east to west.
Zhenlu Island was once the cultivation ground opened by "Xu Wenzhi," the senior disciple of Yuan Juren, the former master of Star Heaven Cliff.
Ever since the identity of the Star Sea Angler was exposed, and Nine Heavens was branded as the Nether Ancestor, Bai Qinger was alienated by Zhang Ruochen. The cultivators of the Star Heaven Cliff and Star Heaven System factions naturally faced exclusion from all sides.
Xu Wenzhi, known as the omniscient one and a spiritual power expert, naturally felt lonely and chose to live in seclusion on this island.
In Chi Kongle's view, her father and mother's purpose in this visit was to win back hearts, set things right, and reinstate Xu Wenzhi, along with Yuan Juren and Yu Yao behind him.
After all, building the end-times fortress required a large number of spiritual power experts.
As night fell, the eastern shore of Zhenlu Island was brightly lit, with rows of city walls and houses, creating an atmosphere of peace and prosperity. It showed that despite being excluded and suppressed, the cultivators of the Star Heaven Cliff and Star Heaven System factions still maintained their optimism.
Zhang Ruochen, Chi Yao, and Chi Kongle arrived at the seaside, where waves layered upon each other and the biting wind was cold.
The crescent moon hung like a hook.
From a distance, they could see two Confucian-robed elders playing a game of chess under the star-filled sky on a cliff by the sea.
One of them was undoubtedly Xu Wenzhi.
Zhang Ruochen knew that Xu Wenzhi was a master of chess, known as the number one chess player in the world. Their first meeting had been over a chessboard.
To be able to play against him, and to be qualified to play against him, were rare in the universe.
Xu Tingting was no longer the young girl she once was; time had left its marks on her. But at this moment, she clutched her clothes tightly, nervous and worried to the extreme.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen and the others arrive, she looked as if she had seen a savior. She quickly walked over and was about to kneel and say something.
Zhang Ruochen quickly waved his hand, signaling her not to speak, and instructed Chi Kongle to help her up and comfort her.
Chi Yao's gaze fell on the Confucian-robed elder facing the sea. He had a childlike face and white hair, exuding an immortal aura. His eyes were bright and spirited, and his beard, a foot long, fluttered in the wind.
He seemed very approachable, but Chi Yao sensed an infinitely vast energy within him, as if he carried the entire universe and starry sky on his back.
Xu Wenzhi's moves grew slower and slower, his brows furrowed, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
Zhang Ruochen's gaze shifted to the Confucian-robed elder behind him, where he saw Wen Qingxiu and Xu Mingjing.
After having them apprentice under the Second Confucian Ancestor eighty thousand years ago, their cultivation had advanced greatly, and they had undergone earth-shaking changes.
To Xu Mingjing's left stood Yinghuo.
She held the Ten Thousand Beasts Treasure Mirror in both hands and gave Zhang Ruochen a bitter smile, her expression extremely stiff.
After waiting for a long time, Xu Wenzhi conceded defeat, stood up, and bowed deeply to the Confucian-robed elder opposite him.
Only then did Chi Yao bow in the Confucian manner. "Greetings, Second Confucian Ancestor!"
Who else could it be but the Second Confucian Ancestor, Yan Tingqiu, famous for his chess skills?
Xu Tingting only knew that the Confucian-robed elder had unfathomable cultivation. How could she have known he was the legendary Eternal True Ruler? Both she and Chi Kongle were greatly shaken, almost suffocating.
Facing an Ancestor up close, being able to stand firm and not kneel was already extraordinary.
Zhang Ruochen stood straight, calm and composed, not even bowing. With an equal and proud demeanor, he said, "The Second Confucian Ancestor has graced us with his presence, yet we failed to welcome him. This emperor has been remiss!"
The Second Confucian Ancestor had a different temperament from the Fourth Confucian Ancestor.
He looked at Zhang Ruochen, a smile on his face, but it was not a fake smile, nor a kind and affectionate one. It was simply the gaze and appreciation of one strong individual for another.
"I originally wanted to return to the Kunlun Realm first, but I had an itch to play, so I came here. I hope the Imperial Dust won't take offense."