Chapter 4111: The Withering Death Art Appears Again
After interrogating Tantuo Dizang, Zhang Ruochen and Fan Chen learned a new piece of information.
Under their escort, the Tianlong would first head to Wangchuan.
The legendary Land of Forgotten.
At Wangchuan, experts from the Eight Divisions Followers would come to receive them and lead them to the mysterious and unfathomable Biluo Pass.
Fan Chen examined the marks on Tantuo Dizang's body and said, "He is at the Indestructible Infinite peak. His blood energy is as vast as a divine river surging, containing boundless power. The Ten Thousand Buddha Seal is rapidly being eroded by his blood energy. Once the Ten Thousand Buddha Seal can no longer suppress him..."
His voice trailed off as he looked at Zhang Ruochen and transmitted a low voice message: "My cultivation is rapidly declining, entering another low point. From now on, I can only rely on you. Are you confident in suppressing him, Imperial Dust?"
Fan Chen had little confidence in Zhang Ruochen's strength.
After all, Zhang Ruochen had only just reforged his physical body, his Dao techniques were nonexistent, and the fact that he had managed to take down the Meng Family's Elder was already far beyond Fan Chen's expectations.
But an Indestructible Infinite peak was at least two levels stronger than the Meng Family's Elder, a false Indestructible. Such an existence stood at the very pinnacle of the universe and was not so easy to imprison.
If any variable occurred, allowing Tantuo Dizang to break free, it would be a disaster for the two of them, whose states were already highly unstable.
Tantuo Dizang harbored deep resentment in his heart. He could tell that the monk's words carried hidden meaning—he was no benevolent monk. The fact that he had transmitted a message to the Daoist priest was definitely to discuss how to kill him.
His mind raced as he considered countermeasures. With a sincere tone, he said, "Please listen to my words, both of you. If you intend to go to Biluo Pass, it will undoubtedly be extremely dangerous. Among the Eight Divisions Followers, Sanying Tian is a formidable figure. The Nether Envoy is even more mysterious and unfathomable, with exceptionally high cultivation. Who knows if there might be even more terrifying existences there?"
"Therefore, you cannot go openly. You must move in stealth and concealment. I have a plan!"
Zhang Ruochen looked intrigued and said, "Go on."
"You can hide within my Buddhist realm world, using a method to deceive the heavens and cross the sea. This way, once you reach Biluo Pass, you can investigate thoroughly before taking action. However, to execute this plan, you must first eliminate all those on the Tianlong who know the truth, lest the Eight Divisions Followers waiting at Wangchuan detect any anomalies."
Tantuo Dizang had considered everything for them, as if he had truly defected.
Before Zhang Ruochen could raise any doubts, the Meng Family's Elder, still with a bag over his head, spoke up: "Daoist Priest, Buddhist Monk, you could actually hide in my divine realm world. I am at the Indestructible Infinite initial stage, which is easier to control than an Indestructible Infinite peak."
The Meng Family's Elder was well aware that once those two unknown Buddhist and Daoist figures chose Tantuo Dizang, he would lose his value.
A valueless Indestructible Infinite was a variable.
He would certainly be silenced.
Tantuo Dizang never expected the Meng Family's Elder to compete with him.
He snorted disdainfully, "A false Indestructible. The Nether Ancestor Faction might not even take him seriously. He won't be able to access core secrets."
The Meng Family's Elder retorted, "I can oversee Tianhuang for the Nether Ancestor Faction. My value far exceeds that of a mere Earth Desolate Buddhist cultivator. Moreover, his cultivation is too high, and his defection is too recent. How could the Nether Ancestor Faction fully trust him?"
Zhang Ruochen nodded thoughtfully and said, "That does seem to make some sense."
Fan Chen grew wary. He felt that both Indestructible Infinite cultivators were too cunning and untrustworthy.
If they really used their divine realm worlds to go to Biluo Pass, they would most likely be sold out and die without a burial place.
As experts, they valued their dignity highly. The more humbly they behaved under duress, the more ruthless their revenge would be.
Zhang Ruochen toyed with the human head staff in his hand.
This was Tantuo Dizang's divine artifact!
A foot-long golden rod extended from the neck into the interior of the head.
The head was pale gold, with a ferocious expression, made of a material that seemed like gold, wood, and stone—extremely special. Zhang Ruochen had never seen anything like it.
The head's eyes were set with two gray stones the size of pigeon eggs.
Zhang Ruochen turned the human head staff to face him, his eyes meeting the gray stone eyeballs. Suddenly, an unexpected event occurred. A terrifying curse power emerged from the invisible, invading Zhang Ruochen's body.
The gray eyes of the human head staff were the source of the curse.
Zhang Ruochen's skin turned gray, becoming woody, and his flesh rapidly withered and shrank.
"This Daoist priest was too careless! The human head staff was bestowed by that mysterious master. What a terrifying magical artifact."
Seeing this, Tantuo Dizang was overjoyed.
He never expected the Daoist priest opposite him to dare meet the gaze of the human head staff. Even he, its owner, would not dare do such a thing.
The curse contained in the human head staff, once attached, would accompany one for life and even be passed down to descendants.
Generations would be unable to escape.
"Opportunity!"
Tantuo Dizang silently recited the "Scripture of All-Breaking Dharma," doing his utmost to dissolve the Ten Thousand Buddha Seal on his body, seeking to break free from the suppression of the "Ten Thousand Buddhas Illuminate the Universe" divine ability.
"Whoosh!"
Tens of millions of dazzling Buddha light rays shot out from his pores.
Each one was like a sharp sword.
The scripture, which had been silently recited, manifested in the world, flying around his body, growing more numerous.
"Boom!"
A staff came down, striking Tantuo Dizang's forehead.
Instantly, a burst of golden light exploded on Tantuo Dizang's head, and golden blood splattered everywhere. His skull cap was sent flying, embedding itself into the mountain body of Yunxia Holy Mountain.
His face was now tattered and mangled, a gruesome and chilling sight.
Tantuo Dizang fell heavily to the ground. His sea of consciousness was shattered, a large amount of his Buddha soul was scattered, and countless fragments of his Buddha soul and consciousness dissipated into the world.
The sound of that staff strike was too loud, like striking a heavenly bell, causing Fan Chen and the Meng Family's Elder's eardrums to ache.
Fortunately, Fan Chen, when at his peak, had imprinted many space divine marks into the space around Yunxia Holy Mountain. Otherwise, the sound wave energy from the staff striking the head might have shattered the Tianlong.
If Tantuo Dizang's head could be compared to a wooden fish, this wooden fish's hardness was nearly on par with some divine artifacts.
Yet it was still broken.
After a brief moment of tinnitus and dizziness, Fan Chen recovered, his mouth agape in astonishment. "You knocked off Tantuo Dizang's skull cap! How is your strength so immense?"
Zhang Ruochen looked at the Wangqing Demon-Subduing Staff in his hand and said, "It's the power of the Elder's staff."
The Meng Family's Elder had recovered and nearly spat blood upon hearing this.
The Wangqing Demon-Subduing Staff was only a mid-to-low-tier divine artifact. To be able to break Tantuo Dizang's physical body with it in a single strike—just how powerful was the physical strength required?
The Meng Family's Elder inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that the Daoist priest had shown restraint earlier.
Otherwise, one staff strike might have shattered both his physical body and divine soul into fundamental particles.
Fan Chen said, "What just happened? I sensed an incredibly terrifying curse power. Your body was severely withered. Now, it seems to have recovered?"
Zhang Ruochen looked at his own body. Indeed, it had returned to normal.
His expression grew grave. In an instant, countless thoughts raced through his mind.
He had searched high and low without finding it, but now, here was the clue that the Great Venerable, Yintian Xue, Nutian Shenzun, and others had pursued their entire lives.
The Withering Death Art!
The curse contained in the gray eyes of the human head staff was the Withering Death Art.
Long ago, Ling Yanzi and Yintian Xue had both been afflicted with the Withering Death Art curse. To resolve it, the Great Venerable had sought out Yutian Buddha, engaged in a meditation duel, and won the Mani Pearl.
Ling Yanzi's Withering Death Art curse had been resolved.
But Kong Yinxue, Nutian Shenzun, Kong Faning, and even the entire White Clothes Valley Zhang Family lineage had been tormented by the Withering Death Art for generations.
This had caused ten eons of conflict between the White Clothes Valley Zhang Family and the Kunlun Realm Zhang Family.
It was the source of countless killings, hatred, deceptions, and suffering between the two families.
A true blood feud.
Zhang Ruochen held the human head staff in one hand and the Wangqing Demon-Subduing Staff in the other, looking down at the fallen Tantuo Dizang. "Tantuo didn't tell the truth. He hid many things from us. For him to have reached the Indestructible Infinite peak, he must have had extraordinary opportunities. When he wakes up, we need to question him thoroughly."
Unfortunately, Zhang Ruochen's Dao techniques were currently nonexistent, so he could not personally perform a soul search.
Fan Chen's cultivation was highly unstable, fluctuating between strong and weak.
Soul-searching an Indestructible Infinite peak was an extremely dangerous task. Even a cultivator of the same realm had to be cautious to avoid a backlash at the soul level.
"Wait until my cultivation returns to its peak, then I'll directly soul-search him. Someone who can reach the Indestructible Infinite peak is definitely not simple. Don't let him scheme against us," Fan Chen said with great seriousness.
In the face of life-and-death threats, no one dared to be careless.
The Meng Family's Elder spoke up: "I said Tantuo Dizang was not to be trusted. Once he got an opportunity, he would definitely strike back. But I am different. I have family, descendants, and many concerns. My initial agreement to cooperate with the Eight Divisions Followers was itself under duress, not my own will."
"Moreover, I am only at the Indestructible Infinite initial stage. Even if I were to strike back, it would be something the Daoist priest could resolve with a single staff strike."
As the Meng Family's Elder rambled on, trying to secure his survival...
Fan Chen looked Zhang Ruochen up and down and transmitted a message: "Even after losing all his cultivation, Imperial Dust can still dominate the starry sky and sea with his physical strength. The Lamp Master told this humble monk to follow you, originally to protect you. Now it seems there is no need."
Zhang Ruochen pondered for a moment, then said, "Actually, I haven't completely lost my cultivation and Dao techniques, because the Wuji is still present. Although the Wuji is empty of everything, it can derive everything. Now, without divine energy and rule divine patterns in my body, many things are quite troublesome."
"The fact that I could take down Tantuo Dizang with one staff strike was because he was already restrained and hadn't broken free from the Ten Thousand Buddha Seal's suppression. Against him at full strength, I'm not sure what the outcome would be."
Zhang Ruochen walked over to the Meng Family's Elder, removed the bag from his head, and tucked it into his Daoist robe's long sleeve.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen and Fan Chen's appearances, the Meng Family's Elder, lying on the ground, felt a jolt in his heart.
Zhang Ruochen saw through the Meng Family's Elder's thoughts and said, "Don't worry. Seeing our appearances is fine. We won't kill you. The reason we concealed our identities earlier was to keep a low profile. Now, I've changed my mind. You and Tantuo Dizang are right—going to Biluo Pass in stealth and concealment is the better approach."
The Meng Family's Elder relaxed and chuckled ingratiatingly, "Both of you are big shots from the Divine Realm, right?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "When big shots from the Divine Realm see me, they have to bow and pay respects."
So, someone above the big shots.
The Meng Family's Elder said, "As long as the Divine Realm can protect the Meng Family, from now on, I will follow the Daoist priest's lead without any second thoughts."
"Everyone has their own thoughts. I cannot trust you. Unless..."
Zhang Ruochen took out the human head staff and said, "Elder, look this way."
The Meng Family's Elder looked toward the gray eyes of the human head staff.
...
It was two days later when Cihang Zunzhe and Baozhu Dizang suppressed Baoyin Dizang.
Battles at the Indestructible Infinite level were actually difficult to conclude quickly. The threat of self-destructing the divine source alone was enough to make Cihang Zunzhe and Baozhu Dizang hesitant to go for the kill, forcing them to adopt a roundabout strategy.
Zhang Ruochen's one-staff resolution and Fan Chen's one-move suppression were exceptions.
In the Meng Family's Elder's view, it was a shameless act. At the same time, he believed their cultivation was extremely high, at least at the Heavenly Venerable level.
"What happened? What's wrong with him?"
Baozhu Dizang's eyes widened in shock as she looked at Tantuo Dizang.
Tantuo Dizang was bare-chested, his legs slightly bent, standing firmly in a horse stance, his eyes bright and spirited, as if he had no interest in what was happening around him.
Zhang Ruochen sat under a tree, holding the Wangqing Demon-Subduing Staff, and said, "He got hit once, and this is how he turned out."
Baozhu Dizang shook her head. "Impossible! He is an Indestructible Infinite peak. How could a single strike from the Wangqing Demon-Subduing Staff make him submit to you?"
"It's not submission. It seems he's lost his memory," Fan Chen explained.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I struck a bit too hard. I scattered a large part of his Buddha soul and consciousness. Now he thinks he's only fifteen years old."
Baozhu Dizang was even more astonished. She walked up to Tantuo Dizang and called out, "Uncle Master, do you know who I am?"
"Don't disturb me while I'm training."
Tantuo Dizang closed his eyes, unwilling to acknowledge her.
"Could he be faking it? My uncle master is extremely cunning. Don't fall for it."
Baozhu Dizang struck like lightning, pointing at Tantuo Dizang's brow. Streams of golden light invaded his sea of consciousness.
After a long while, she withdrew her finger.
The Buddha soul was shattered, and the sea of consciousness had collapsed.
Baozhu Dizang found it hard to believe. "Just how hard did you hit? Daoist Priest, your cultivation is somewhat terrifying!"
Zhang Ruochen said, "I don't have that kind of ability. The Nether Envoy had already broken his sea of consciousness earlier, so he couldn't withstand the blow."
Who would believe that?
Baozhu Dizang looked at the Meng Family's Elder and frowned slightly. "And what's his situation?"
At this moment, the Meng Family's Elder had not yet awakened from the Withering Death Art. His body had withered like firewood, shriveled like a wooden stake left to dry for hundreds of years.
"Him? He's been cursed. Nothing serious," Zhang Ruochen said casually.
Cihang Zunzhe and Huang Tian ascended Yunxia Holy Mountain, arriving later than Baozhu Dizang.
Clearly, they had been discussing certain matters at the foot of the mountain.
Huang Tian's body was still pierced by multiple chains that could not be pulled out. His expression was stern, exuding a wild and domineering aura.
Zhang Ruochen could tell at a glance that the chains piercing Huang Tian's body were crafted with extremely advanced techniques, containing half-ancestor divine patterns within. They were definitely not the work of Tantuo Dizang or Baoyin Dizang.
He wanted to ask but held back, not wanting to reveal his identity.
After examining the conditions of Tantuo Dizang and the Meng Family's Elder, Huang Tian's sharp gaze finally locked onto Zhang Ruochen. "Daoist Priest, your cultivation is truly formidable. But why are you so proficient in the curse of the Withering Death Art?"