Chapter 4095: Ambush from All Sides
"Truly worthy of being the number one under heaven."
Lady Shiji praised, then added, "There's no need to meet anymore! Coro knew secrets he shouldn't have, and should have died long ago. It's only because of his valuable identity as the Hall Master of the Radiant Divine Temple that he lived long enough for you to trace him. So sometimes, one must act decisively. Losing the big picture over small matters leads to total defeat."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Do you think you've already lost, Lady?"
"Let's just say the scheme laid around you has failed due to this one small mistake. Zhang Ruochen, your wisdom and forbearance are far more terrifying than your cultivation," Lady Shiji said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "So? Does that mean I've lost my value and can be eliminated?"
"You dared to come, so clearly you're not afraid."
Lady Shiji pondered for a moment, then said, "I'm curious. Since you've narrowed my identity down to either Su Zilian or the Nether Ancestor, aren't you afraid I might actually be the Nether Ancestor? By the way, why do you think I might be the Nether Ancestor?"
"Clang!"
Zhang Ruochen summoned the Abyssal Ancient Divine Sword, his right hand gripping the hilt while his left hand caressed the blade.
"What do you think of the God-Defying Stele material, Lady?" he asked.
Lady Shiji gently shook her head, smiling without speaking.
Zhang Ruochen began to explain slowly: "The God-Defying Stele material was struck down from the Nether Ancestor's dark light during the battle of the Twenty-Four Heavens at the Void Exhaust Sea. It might be material from the Nether Ancestor's body, or fragments of an item he carried."
"Interesting. Continue," Lady Shiji said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "The God-Defying Stele material can nullify all rules, divine patterns, and inscription patterns in the world into nothingness. That's far too special! I suspect it's related to the legendary Void Cauldron. Perhaps it's even a part of the Void Cauldron."
"The Void Cauldron is a stone cauldron?" Lady Shiji asked.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Perhaps it was your true original body in your previous life, Lady."
"You think the Nether Ancestor's body is the Void Cauldron?" Lady Shiji laughed.
Zhang Ruochen said, "The Void Cauldron is the most mysterious thing. It can hide within the Void World, evade the Eon Calamity, and achieve immortality. So it's not impossible."
"That possibility is absurd," Lady Shiji said.
"Not necessarily!"
Zhang Ruochen shook his head and said, "Eighty thousand years ago, when I learned that the painting the Heavenly Demon, the Great Venerable, and the Second Confucian Ancestor had been searching for was an original work by Su Zilian, and that it was a portrait of the Buddha Kasyapa, I was very puzzled."
"Su Zilian and the Buddha Kasyapa were not from the same era. What basis did she have for painting such a portrait?"
"Legend says the Buddha Kasyapa left behind only five portraits: 'The Guiding Path,' 'The White Stone Enlightenment,' 'The Great Compassionate Seated Image,' 'Seeking Leaves in Cold Mountain,' and 'Painted Colors in the Clouds.'"
"But over billions of years, the five original portraits have long been destroyed, leaving only later copies. Copies made generation after generation must have lost their authenticity and no longer hold any value. The Ancestor wouldn't be looking for such images."
Lady Shiji asked curiously, "Then what kind of image is it?"
Zhang Ruochen said with certainty, "The one carved on the Void Cauldron! That image must record all the truth. Su Zilian copied it down, and later the scroll passed through the ages into Coro's hands. After learning the truth, Coro found the Nether Ancestor, joined his ranks, and his cultivation advanced rapidly."
"You didn't want me to know the truth, Lady, so you rescued Coro from my hands at the Ma'er Temple."
Lady Shiji smiled sweetly and said, "I understand! The true form you've always wanted to see is the Void Cauldron. More precisely, you want to see the carved image on the cauldron's body."
"Does Lady admit it?" Zhang Ruochen asked with a smile.
Lady Shiji said, "I'm just following your train of thought! Zhang Ruochen, your speculation is far too wild. Everyone knows the Nether Ancestor is the Buddha Kasyapa turned to darkness, but in your view, the Nether Ancestor has become a stone cauldron."
Zhang Ruochen waved his hand: "I didn't say the Nether Ancestor is a stone cauldron. That speculation only holds if you, Lady, are the Nether Ancestor. If you are Su Zilian, then the stone cauldron is your second life, and you became the artifact spirit of the Nether Ancestor's war weapon, using the Void Cauldron and the Nether Ancestor's power to survive into this era."
"Furthermore, I don't believe the Nether Ancestor is the Buddha Kasyapa turned to darkness."
"Oh? What do you mean?" Lady Shiji asked.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Kongming Ruins has appeared!"
"Kongming Ruins is the Ancestor Realm of Xuanyuan Xuandi, and the Buddha Kasyapa achieved enlightenment from Xuanyuan Xuandi's bone body. There's no dispute about this in the cultivation world."
"Lamp Wrecking Monk explored Kongming Ruins and confirmed that Xuanyuan Xuandi indeed used this Ancestor Realm to send his power into this era."
"This shows that Xuanyuan Xuandi, like Nuwa, the Demon Ancestor, and the Ancestral Dragon, hoped to help the cultivators of this age fight against the Immortal."
"If the Nether Ancestor were the Buddha Kasyapa turned to darkness, Xuanyuan Xuandi's third life, why would Xuanyuan Xuandi go to such lengths in the future to oppose his own third life?"
"That's the first point!"
"Second, during his lifetime, the Buddha Kasyapa gathered the six desires of humanity to refine the Mani Pearl, clearly helping future cultivators resist the Nether Ancestor's curse."
"So I speculate that the Buddha Kasyapa is related to the Nether Ancestor, but is not the Nether Ancestor. The reason the Nether Ancestor distorted history is precisely to cover up the truth."
Lady Shiji said, "In the end, it's all just your speculation. Whether the Nether Ancestor is the stone cauldron or Su Zilian is the stone cauldron, why would they abandon the stone cauldron and choose the Six Directions Heavenly Venerable Cauldron as their body?"
Zhang Ruochen smiled and said, "Because the stone cauldron was damaged, and because they were severely injured. They needed to hide their identities and re-strategize to fight against the Divine Realm and the Great Venerable, and to secure victory before the Great Calamity arrives."
"If my guess is correct, Lady, you didn't hide in the Six Directions Heavenly Venerable Cauldron from the most ancient times. Rather, after the battle at the Void Exhaust Sea, you separated from the stone cauldron, became the artifact spirit of the Six Directions Heavenly Venerable Cauldron, and then hid on Shiji Divine Star, reactivating your former identity as a member of the Stone Clan."
"However, your divine soul couldn't fully merge with the Six Directions Heavenly Venerable Cauldron, and might be detected by the will of heaven and earth, inviting the Eon Calamity. So you stayed hidden."
"Back then, you sent Xuanyi to the Illusory Extinction Star Sea to receive Di, but in truth, you wanted to seize the Demon Shrine from Di, using it to conceal the temporal traces of your body that don't belong to this era, truly deceiving heaven and crossing the sea."
"I'm very curious—what happened in the Illusory Extinction Star Sea back then that caused your plan to fail?"
"It seems you've already guessed the truth about the Illusory Extinction Star Sea back then." Lady Shiji sighed softly and asked in return, "What do you think the reason was?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "For you and Corpse Nightmare to withdraw and hide again, I imagine only the Divine Realm could have done it."
"It was actually because of the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable! At that time, a divine ability from the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable fell from somewhere, startling everyone away. Of course, your cultivation was too low back then to perceive it," Lady Shiji said.
"The Great Venerable saved Di..."
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen thought of something.
Perhaps it wasn't the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable who acted, but Ling Yanzi, a divine ability on the cause qin.
The Demon Shrine containing Di's divine soul consciousness had to pass through the time fracture to reach this era, inevitably crossing the bridge of the Oarfish.
Di knew Ling Yanzi's secret, so Ling Yanzi naturally had to help him survive that calamity.
Lady Shiji said, "Of course, the Divine Realm was also one of the reasons."
"I'm very curious, Lady. Since you're a cultivator of the Nether Ancestor faction, why didn't you help the Nine-Headed Stone Man in the Nether Prison?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Lady Shiji sneered coldly: "Help? How much more help could I give? If I hadn't helped him, he would have died at the hands of Haotian and the Heavenly Mother long ago, let alone fighting for fifty thousand years in the Nether Prison. I helped him for fifty thousand years, and he still couldn't return to the Ancestor Realm, even waiting until you arrived. If I continued helping him, would I even want to live myself?"
"Who could kill you, Lady?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Lady Shiji said, "The Divine Realm, Corpse Nightmare, even the Nether Ancestor! Zhang Ruochen, you must understand that any cultivator who knows the Nether Ancestor's secret, once there's a risk of exposing it, their only outcome is death."
Zhang Ruochen's expression turned grave, and he said, "Is Lady admitting that you are Su Zilian, the former artifact spirit of the Void Cauldron?"
"What can I do? Even if I don't admit it, you won't believe me, right?" Lady Shiji said.
Zhang Ruochen smiled and said, "Doesn't that mean Lady now also faces the risk of exposing the Nether Ancestor's secret? The possibility of being killed by Corpse Nightmare and the Nether Ancestor? Why not abandon the darkness for the light, tell me the Nether Ancestor's secret, and we'll deal with Him together."
Lady Shiji looked at Zhang Ruochen with her beautiful eyes and said, "Zhang Ruochen, if your cultivation had reached the Ancestor Realm, I might hesitate a little in the face of life and death. But with your current cultivation, I can only tell you that the Nether Ancestor's kindness to me is as heavy as a mountain, and I have absolute respect for Him. Even if He told me to die, I wouldn't hesitate."
Zhang Ruochen was very disappointed and said, "In that case, we don't have many choices left!"
Lady Shiji said, "That's right! To protect the Nether Ancestor's secret and to avoid being silenced, I have only one choice: to kill you."
Zhang Ruochen let out a long laugh and asked a question that slightly shocked Lady Shiji: "Does the Nether Ancestor agree to you doing this?"
"What do you mean?" Lady Shiji said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I believe I hold a very important position in the Nether Ancestor's eyes. Otherwise, how could I have lived until now? Before you kill me, shouldn't you consult the Nether Ancestor first?"
Lady Shiji raised her sleeve to cover her lips and laughed, "You really are too interesting! If it weren't so important, I truly wouldn't want to kill you. Indeed, killing you will force many things to start over, and I will surely be punished by the Nether Ancestor. But if I don't kill you, you will spread the news across the world, and I will die without a doubt. Choose the lesser of two evils!"
"Hua!"
Her long sleeve swept out lightly, carrying a fragrant breeze far away.
It seemed as if she wanted to caress Zhang Ruochen's cheek, but where the wind passed, everything vanished, displaying the power of the Way of Nothingness to its fullest.
The entire Hundred Flowers Garden Small World transformed drastically. All matter, including flowers, trees, the lake, pavilions, and terraces, turned into chaos.
Building was difficult, but destruction happened in an instant.
Zhang Ruochen evaded Lady Shiji's attack, standing a thousand miles away. One hand held the sword, the other was behind his back, his robes fluttering. He said, "Lady's words make sense! Because if you don't kill me, I will certainly not leave. I must see the carved image of the Buddha Kasyapa on the Void Cauldron today."
"What about your Victory Crown? Do you think you can be my opponent without using it?" Lady Shiji said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Do you think you alone can kill me, Lady?"
"Who said it's just me alone?"
Lady Shiji's long hair flew in the wind, exuding boundless charm, as she summoned the Ghost Seal.
The Ghost Seal flew into the air, hovering above Zhang Ruochen's head, transforming into the size of a city.
Coro, dressed in white with pairs of wings on his back and holding a golden staff, stood atop the Ghost Seal. The Radiant Divine Light on his body merged with the dark clouds and ghostly mist, releasing terrifying power.
However, his expression was blank, his eyes hollow, like a walking corpse.
"You wanted to see him, now you have!" Lady Shiji said.
"Rustle!"
From within the chaotic clouds, the roaring sound of water arose.
The Weak Water, like a long dragon, carried the aura of a Half-Ancestor, winding its way over.
The Mother of Weak Water, her divine body towering ten thousand zhang, stood within the river. Her eyes burned like fire, her killing intent fierce, as if she had been waiting for this day for a long time.
Facing three great experts, Zhang Ruochen remained expressionless. He slightly turned his head, glancing with the corner of his eye behind him.
Behind him, the void was completely filled with flames.
A massive Red Crow Tree emerged from the fire clouds, growing branches, with countless fire crows flying within the clouds, emitting irritating cawing sounds.
The Weak Water and the Red Crow King simultaneously released their Half-Ancestor divine thoughts, one yin and one yang, forming a yin-yang fish pattern to suppress Zhang Ruochen's Dao techniques, preventing him from escaping using the power of time and space.
Lady Shiji had seized control of Coro's divine soul, using the Ghost Seal to command him.
Suddenly, an intense sense of crisis rushed toward Zhang Ruochen.
He looked up at Coro above the Ghost Seal.
"Roar!"
Coro's eyes turned blood-red, his expression growing increasingly ferocious, as if in immense pain. After letting out a long howl, he shot straight toward Zhang Ruochen like a meteor.
"This is... a self-detonation of the divine source!"
Coro was at the peak of Indestructible Infinite realm. The destructive force from a self-detonating divine source was not to be underestimated.
Zhang Ruochen was about to use his divine soul and spiritual power to suppress Coro, but Lady Shiji's divine soul first entered his body in the form of a curse.
Too strong!
Lady Shiji's cultivation was far greater than that of the Mother of Weak Water and the Red Crow King. The curse was like an ocean, surging endlessly, trying to engulf Zhang Ruochen's divine soul.
In this moment of extreme danger, the light of the Mani Pearl burst forth, blocking the curse.
"Boom!"
The Hong Cauldron flew out from Zhang Ruochen's body, colliding with the incoming Coro dozens of miles away.
The divine source self-detonated, and Coro's physical body was annihilated.
Terrifying destructive energy spread in all directions.
Even with Zhang Ruochen's cultivation, he had to hold the Abyssal Ancient Divine Sword horizontally in front of him, using the sword as a shield. Otherwise, at such close range, he would surely suffer some minor injuries.
But strangely, Lady Shiji was completely unaffected, rapidly shuttling through the storm of destruction.
All destructive energy that approached her was neutralized by the power of darkness and nothingness.
At this level of cultivation and mastery of divine abilities and Dao techniques, Zhang Ruochen, even at the Heavenly Venerable rank, could only admit his inferiority.
"I can't let Lady Shiji get close."
This thought arose in Zhang Ruochen's mind. While resisting the destructive storm, he retreated toward the edge of the Hundred Flowers Garden Small World, intending to break out first.
This was Lady Shiji's home ground, and who knew how many hidden tricks she had.
"Don't leave, Imperial Dust!"
Lady Shiji's beautiful, melodious voice seemed to sound right in Zhang Ruochen's ear. He had no choice but to turn around and swing his sword in a straight slash.
Stepping into a bow stance, his body like a mountain, all the power of his physical body exploded in this single strike.
Even with Lady Shiji's high cultivation, she dared not take Zhang Ruochen lightly in his current state. She immediately struck out with the Six Directions Heavenly Venerable Cauldron, colliding with the Abyssal Ancient Divine Sword.
"Boom!"
Sword and cauldron clashed, sending ripples of energy surging.
Just then, not far behind Zhang Ruochen, the world barrier of the Hundred Flowers Garden Small World split open with a crack over ten zhang long.
From within the crack, countless Time Imprint light points surged out.
Time was compressed to the extreme, arriving too fast. Zhang Ruochen had no time to defend himself as the Eternal Spear pierced into his back, blood soaking through his clothes.
The one holding the Eternal Spear was none other than Lian Xi.
But at this moment, Lian Xi no longer had any of her former tenderness. Her eyes were filled with coldness and sharpness, wisps of ghostly mist and yin energy swirling around her.
The Half-Ancestor level cultivation power also proved that she could not possibly be Lian Xi.
Although Zhang Ruochen had long anticipated that Lian Xi might already be dead, when this moment truly arrived, an endless sorrow arose in his heart.
"Didn't expect this, Imperial Dust?" Lian Xi said.
Zhang Ruochen's gaze was indifferent. Gritting his teeth, he resisted the Six Directions Heavenly Venerable Cauldron and the Eternal Spear, and asked, "Where is Lian Xi?"
"Her? You could guess Shiji's identity, so can't you guess her fate? When the ten souls and ten spirits merged into one soul and one spirit, she was left with only an external consciousness. Her only value was you. Now that you're about to die, that consciousness of hers no longer has any reason to exist. Zhang Ruochen, back then you wanted to save her but couldn't. You shouldn't have held onto any illusions. Some people's fate is sealed from the moment they are born."
Though it was Lian Xi's appearance, the voice was that of the former Soul Mother.
One soul and one spirit—that was the hardest to find flaws in.