Chapter 4106: Soul Mother Makes Her Move
Cloud Terrace Palace was brightly lit and bustling with activity.
Cultivators above the Great Saint realm had gathered, most in human form, but some were half-human, half-beast, with five ears and six tails, corpse ghosts and Rakshasa, and a host of white-boned demons.
By the time Zhang Ruochen and Fan Chen arrived, the cultivators were already well into their cups.
Meng Ershiba invited the two into the inner hall for a gathering of deities, but they politely declined.
After he left, Zhang Ruochen and Fan Chen found a seat at a peripheral table where a group of children had gathered. On the rectangular table, carved from Fire Spirit Divine Jade, were dozens of exquisite jade plates piled high with dragon liver and phoenix gall, divine fruits and sacred springs, elixir food and medicinal tea—everything imaginable.
Some of the food was extremely precious, enough to make a Great Saint's eyes redden with envy and heart tremble.
The few children sitting at the table were all about seven or eight years old, each one exquisitely carved, with delicate features. Some were cute and playful, some were crying and arguing, and others were stuffing their faces.
Looking at the fine wine and aged brews on the table, Zhang Ruochen and Fan Chen had no interest in drinking at all.
Fan Chen asked, "Your perception is sharp, unmatched by few in this world. Can you see through Baozhu Dizang's cultivation level?"
"She hasn't made a move, and I can't deliberately release my perception to probe. I can only make a rough estimate. She's at least at the early stage of Indestructible Infinite, or maybe the middle stage," Zhang Ruochen said.
Fan Chen's face turned pale and ashen. "Isn't that the same as Xuanyuan Second? It's over! At least a third of the time, this humble monk can't beat her."
"What are you afraid of? It's not like she'll force herself on you. As long as you keep your mind firm and aren't seduced, you'll naturally be safe."
Zhang Ruochen picked up a red fruit from the table and took a loud, crunchy bite.
The little boy sitting to Zhang Ruochen's left, who had been about to take that fruit but was beaten to it by Zhang Ruochen, shot him a contemptuous look before grabbing a greener one from another jade plate.
Fan Chen asked, "How does the Daoist plan to handle this?"
"I don't need to guard my heart. I am at ease. All conditioned dharmas are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows." Zhang Ruochen smiled easily and naturally.
Fan Chen was shocked, feeling that Zhang Ruochen's words were an excuse for his own downfall.
Fan Chen said, "If the Daoist chooses to wallow in depravity and covet beauty, this poor monk won't save you when the time comes."
"If that night truly comes, don't you dare save me, or you'll be my enemy for ten lifetimes," Zhang Ruochen said.
"Two seniors, don't you think it's inappropriate to discuss such matters so openly in front of a group of children?" said one of the children, who looked the oldest, with a very serious expression.
"Hmph! A Daoist and a monk—too improper!"
"Exactly! Talking behind the Buddha Mother's back like this—I'll go tell her right now, and she'll skin you alive and turn you into drums!"
...
Nine children, nine pairs of eyes. Some were angry, some calm, some radiating a fierce killing intent.
Since they could attend the banquet of the Meng family's eldest master, their cultivation was naturally not low. They weren't truly children.
Fan Chen looked them over carefully and realized that all nine children were wearing Buddhist robes. Golden light shimmered in their eyes, and all their Buddhist essence was contained within, revealing their extraordinary cultivation realms.
"Careless! I was too distracted by Baozhu Dizang earlier, my mind full of ripples, and I didn't notice that this table of children all had impressive cultivation."
Fan Chen was embarrassed and regretted not communicating with Zhang Ruochen through voice transmission earlier.
Zhang Ruochen, however, was completely unflustered, clearly already knowing the general origin of the "Nine Spirit Buddha Children." He smiled and asked, "Is Baozhu Dizang your Buddha Mother?"
"Of course," said Tongling FoTong.
Fan Chen's old habit flared up, and he asked directly, "Is she your biological mother? Since there's a Buddha Mother, there must be a Buddha Father, right? You all look different, so you probably don't all have the same Buddha Father? Tsk! What a tragedy!"
No one knew what Fan Chen was thinking, but he let out that final sigh.
Perhaps he thought that the Buddha Fathers of the Nine Spirit Buddha Children had all been killed by Baozhu Dizang, and that everything was "karmic retribution."
By the time he realized he had said something wrong, he found the Nine Spirit Buddha Children all burning with rage, flames of Buddha fire igniting atop their heads. They surrounded him, looking ready to tear him into nine pieces.
As for Zhang Ruochen, he had already slipped away, disappearing without a trace.
...
Zhang Ruochen was following Tantuo Dizang and Baoyin Dizang as they left Cloud Terrace Palace.
These two—one as burly as an ox, the other as thin as a bamboo pole—both wore thick, bright yellow Buddhist robes and lama hats, with ten thousand Buddha-mark patterns on their faces.
Zhang Ruochen had noticed them concealing their auras and hiding their forms, sensing something suspicious, so he quietly followed.
Just as he stepped out of Cloud Terrace Palace, he made an unexpected discovery.
He wasn't the only one following the two Dizangs. There was another expert, whose form was as elusive as a ghost. This person was adorned with Half-Ancestor talisman patterns, making it impossible to see their face, and even their heavenly aura was extremely faint.
This person was using some kind of Five Elements escape technique, moving underground, blending with the earth, making them very hard to detect.
"Someone from the Divine Realm has also boarded the Tianlong."
Zhang Ruochen recognized the hidden expert underground as Wu Shi, the Divine Martial Envoy of the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom.
This was a Heavenly Venerable-level existence!
Zhang Ruochen released his Wuji circle, leaping outside the space of heaven and earth, then stepped back a dozen paces before slowly following.
The two Dizangs walked quickly while communicating through divine thought.
Tantuo Dizang said, "Baozhu and Cihang are debating the Dharma, drawing everyone's attention to Cloud Terrace Palace. This is the perfect opportunity for us to go pay our respects to the Envoy."
"I didn't expect the Envoy to also be on the Tianlong. If not for that Meng family member telling us, we would have been kept in the dark," Baoyin Dizang said.
Before long, Tantuo Dizang and Baoyin Dizang arrived at a cluster of palaces in the central part of the Tianlong, walking straight into a Meng residence at the core of the palace cluster.
Each of the twelve palace clusters on the ship had such a Meng residence at its core, a private residence belonging only to the Meng family's deities.
Zhang Ruochen stood at the gate of the Meng residence, watching the two Dizangs disappear inside, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Is this the residence of the Meng family's eldest master? What are they sneaking in here for?"
If Zhang Ruochen's cultivation were still intact, he could have overheard the secret communication between the two Dizangs.
But not now.
He would have to follow them in to find out.
Just as he stepped into the Meng residence, Zhang Ruochen's expression suddenly changed. He sensed an extreme danger. Looking at Wu Shi, who had already infiltrated the residence from underground, Zhang Ruochen ultimately decided not to enter and quietly retreated out the gate.
He looked to the right of the courtyard wall, where a hundred-meter-tall Nether Soul Tree was planted.
With a flicker of his form, Zhang Ruochen appeared on the tree, standing on a branch as thick as a bucket, looking through the gaps in the leaves into the residence.
Under the light of several lanterns, Tantuo Dizang and Baoyin Dizang arrived outside a three-story painted building. They bowed respectfully to the interior.
"We pay our respects to the Nether Envoy!"
The second floor of the painted building was lit, and two beautiful silhouettes could be seen standing inside.
Lian Xi's voice rang out: "You've led the people from the Divine Realm here!"
Tantuo Dizang and Baoyin Dizang were startled, then their eyes widened. They immediately activated their divine artifacts, the "Human Head Staff" and the "Precious Seal," to seal off the Meng residence.
Wu Shi never expected that the two Dizangs from Dihuang were colluding with the Nether Ancestor Faction, and that the person they were meeting was a Half-Ancestor-level existence!
Almost the moment Lian Xi's voice sounded, Wu Shi immediately fled from underground.
But the entire ground of the Meng residence instantly turned golden, as if forged from pure gold. Countless Half-Ancestor divine patterns flowed like a heavenly net and earthly trap.
"Boom!"
Wu Shi broke through the ground and shot into the sky.
From inside the painted building, a cold snort rang out.
"Shua!"
The Eternal Spear flew out, breaking the rules of time, and directly pierced through Wu Shi's body, bringing with it a large spray of blood.
The next moment, Lian Xi appeared in midair, holding the Eternal Spear. She swung it fiercely downward, sending Wu Shi crashing back to the ground, where he collided with the incoming Human Head Staff and Precious Seal.
In the blink of an eye, the battle was over.
Lian Xi used the Ghost Seal to suppress Wu Shi's divine soul, dragging him into her Divine Realm World.
The gap between a Heavenly Venerable and a Half-Ancestor was too great. Added to that, Wu Shi had been too careless, falling into the Half-Ancestor rule cage Lian Xi had woven. By barging into the Meng residence, even escaping had become difficult.
If Wu Shi had been like Zhang Ruochen and not entered the Meng residence, even if Lian Xi, with her Half-Ancestor cultivation, wanted to kill him, he would have had a chance to escape.
This battle between a Heavenly Venerable and a Half-Ancestor caused no ripples in the outside world.
The night remained deep and quiet, even more still than before.
Having witnessed Lian Xi's overwhelming ancestral might, Tantuo Dizang and Baoyin Dizang revered her like a deity. They bowed respectfully again, gaining a clearer understanding of this Nether Envoy.
"Did you complete your mission in the Stone Clan?"
Lian Xi stood beneath the painted building, her figure straight and tall. She did not reveal her true face, still wearing a bamboo hat with a purple gauze veil covering it.
Tantuo Dizang reached into his sleeve, took out the Lamp of Life and Death, and presented it to Lian Xi.
Baoyin Dizang opened a corner of his Divine Realm World, revealing a vast expanse of Buddha light. In the distance, among the mountains, a tall, imposing figure could be seen bound by thousands of divine chains.
"Who told you to suppress Huang Tian?" Lian Xi scolded coldly.
Baoyin Dizang said fearfully, "To seize the Lamp of Life and Death, we had to suppress him first!"
Lian Xi said, "Huang Tian's talent is extremely high. The Half-Ancestors of the Hell Realm regard him as the next leader of the Upper Three Clans. His disappearance will lead the Half-Ancestors of the Hell Realm to investigate Tianhuang and trace it back to you."
Tantuo Dizang said disdainfully, "So what? There's no need for Yan Ancestor or the Nether Ancestor to act. The Envoy alone can make sure they never return."
"Enough. Since you've already captured him, keep him well-guarded. He can be used as a sacrifice when we reach Biluo Pass."
Lian Xi held up the Lamp of Life and Death, examining it closely, then added, "You've already been noticed by someone from the Divine Realm. Don't meet with me again."
"Wasn't the expert from the Divine Realm just suppressed?" Baoyin Dizang asked, confused.
Lian Xi gave a cold, mocking smile, then moved with lightning speed. Her hands grabbed the faces of Tantuo Dizang and Baoyin Dizang. Her Half-Ancestor divine soul turned into strands of light, entering their sea of consciousness.
She erased part of their memories.
When Tantuo Dizang and Baoyin Dizang regained their mental awareness, they found that the Nether Envoy had already left. Their minds ached, and they had completely forgotten what had happened in the Meng residence.
They only remembered meeting the Nether Envoy.
The Nether Envoy was like a mass of black fog, formless and blurry.
Zhang Ruochen did not pursue Lian Xi, nor did he act to rescue Huang Tian. Instead, he returned to Cloud Terrace Palace as quickly as possible.
"The theft of the Sahā World was indeed the work of the Nether Ancestor Faction. Bore is with the Soul Mother, which means the Land of Ultimate Bliss has also fallen into her hands."
Although it was just a silhouette on the painted building, Zhang Ruochen recognized that the person sharing the room with the Soul Mother was undoubtedly Bore.
As for the Soul Mother, who was concealing her aura and appearance, it was even harder for her to hide from Zhang Ruochen.
"The Soul Mother hiding in the private residence of the Meng family's eldest master is no coincidence. It seems that part of the Meng family has already defected to the Nether Ancestor Faction."
"The Soul Mother suppressed Wu Shi but immediately fled into hiding. She must know something and is wary of someone. Is there a Half-Ancestor-level expert from the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom on the Tianlong?"
"The Nether Ancestor Faction has seized the Sahā World, the Land of Ultimate Bliss, and the Lamp of Life and Death one after another. What are they planning to do in Tianhuang? Is it related to Biluo Pass?"
"The fog is thick, and the undercurrents are turbulent. Where should I start?"
Zhang Ruochen knew very well that to deal with an existence like the Soul Mother and rescue Bore, the only one on the entire Tianlong who could do it was probably that hidden Half-Ancestor of the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom.
Never before had Zhang Ruochen wanted to cooperate with the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom as much as he did now, to find that Half-Ancestor.
But he was also worried that the one he found would be Qishier Pin Lian.
"Since the Soul Mother is wary of something, I'll first disrupt this situation. Use the momentum, break the momentum. Starting from..."
Seeing Xuanyuan Second walk out of the inner hall, Zhang Ruochen had an idea and quickly approached him.
"Boundless Heavenly Venerable! Second Ga Heavenly King, please wait."
Zhang Ruochen blocked Xuanyuan Second's path and bowed respectfully.
Xuanyuan Second knew that Zhang Ruochen and Fan Chen had a close relationship, so he gave him some face and asked, "Ox-nose Daoist, you're just a Half-God at the peak, yet you dare to block my path? Quite bold."
Zhang Ruochen smiled bitterly, putting on an apologetic expression. "I have no choice. I can't find the monk Fan Chen anywhere. I'm worried he might be in danger, so I had to come to the Heavenly King for help."
Xuanyuan Second laughed heartily. "You mean that monk? He was spouting nonsense and got caught by that woman from Dihuang's nine children. They tied him up and threw him into the inner hall. Of course, you can't find him!"
"What can be done? That mouth of his will be the death of him one day." Zhang Ruochen looked worried and anxious.
"Don't worry, don't worry. With Cihang Zunzhe there, his life is safe."
Xuanyuan Second thought of something and asked, "Did you see two foreign Buddhist cultivators wearing lama hats?"
"Are they the ones with some strange marks on their faces?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Xuanyuan Second's eyes lit up. "That's right! Where are they?"
Cihang Zunzhe had noticed that Tantuo Dizang and Baoyin Dizang had left suspiciously, not at the right time for debating the Dharma, so he had sent Xuanyuan Second to find them.
Zhang Ruochen said, "When I was looking for Fan Chen earlier, I saw those two strange men near the Meng family eldest master's private residence in the central palace cluster. Their eyes were terrifying, piercing straight to the soul. I was quite frightened."
The flames in Xuanyuan Second's bony eye sockets flickered. "Interesting! Don't tell anyone about this, or your life will be in danger."
"Hua!"
Xuanyuan Second vanished in an instant.
"Sheng Si Daochang!"
Meng Ershiba approached from a distance, bowing to Zhang Ruochen. He asked, "Daochang, did you come to the inner hall because of Master Fan Chen's situation? It's not looking good. Originally, Baozhu Dizang wasn't that angry, but because Cihang Zunzhe protected Master Fan Chen, now..."
Zhang Ruochen interrupted Meng Ershiba, saying, "This poor Daoist and he are only casual acquaintances, with shallow friendship. Don't misunderstand, Mr. Ershiba! I came here to report another important matter."
As Meng Ershiba was shocked by the fragility of their friendship, he also assumed a listening posture.
...
On the last day of September, Little Fish also asks for monthly votes. Friends on the QQ Books platform, if you have monthly votes, please help cast them. Thank you!
(Chapter End)