Chapter 4114: Forgotten River
"If you want revenge, I'll be waiting anytime. Let's settle this between our generation—let's not leave more trouble for our descendants! Pass that on to Desolate Heaven too!"
Zhang Ruochen recalled the words left by Shang Tian's Yuan Corpse back on White Desolate Star, when he had taken away the Demon Corpse and Divine Corpse, merging the three corpses into one. From that day on, Shang Tian had no weaknesses, and his cultivation soared.
Meeting him again today, he had already reached the Heavenly Venerable rank.
In his youth, Shang Tian was undoubtedly an extraordinary prodigy, with an unyielding will and no background to speak of. He had fought his way up from the bottom, step by step, to become the number one powerhouse of Paradise Realm.
Back then, any one of his three corpses could stir up storms across the world.
The Demon Corpse was one of the Four Great Quantity Emperors of the Quantity Organization, with Xuan Yi as his disciple and Shang Yao as his daughter.
The Divine Corpse was an ally of the Seventy-Two Lotus, an unwavering advocate for Paradise Realm's interests. In the late Middle Ages, he had joined forces with multiple factions, nearly wiping out Kunlun Realm. The Divine Emperor Duotian and Yi Tianjun were both his descendants.
It could be said that the Demon Corpse was Desolate Heaven's enemy.
The Divine Corpse was the enemy of the entire Kunlun Realm.
In the battle at White Desolate Star, the Demon Corpse and Divine Corpse were suppressed and taken away by the Yuan Corpse.
The Yuan Corpse, having merged with the Divine and Demon Corpses, had to take on the grudges and karmic retribution of the other two. That was why, before leaving, he left behind those words, waiting for Zhang Ruochen and Desolate Heaven to seek revenge.
Years had passed, and Zhang Ruochen, having seen through the entanglements of grudges, had long since let his hatred for Shang Tian fade.
If it had been the Demon Corpse or Divine Corpse that had merged the three, Zhang Ruochen might have already flattened Shangqiu.
Since the final victor was the Yuan Corpse, Zhang Ruochen was more inclined to consider Shang Tian's value from a standpoint of interests.
Paradise Realm could not fall yet. After Koro's death, only Shang Tian could hold up this ruling world that governed the Western Universe, serving as Hao Tian's right hand.
Whether Desolate Heaven would abandon his revenge against Shang Tian now that the Demon Corpse had been refined by the Yuan Corpse was something Zhang Ruochen could not guess.
After all, the Demon Corpse bore primary responsibility for White Empress's death.
Between them lay a true blood feud.
At Zhang Ruochen's instruction, Tantra Earth Treasury stopped.
"Daoist friend, what is your intention?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
The Demon God Stone Pillar, flying like a ship, also stopped, hovering in the void opposite them.
Shang Tian's eyes were like sharp blades as he scrutinized Zhang Ruochen for a moment, then said, "Eighth of the Meng family, Earth Desolate Tantra. Daoist priest, who are you?"
Being able to recognize Meng Huangni and Tantra Earth Treasury at a glance showed that Shang Tian had a deep understanding of both Heaven Desolate and Earth Desolate.
This was no easy feat!
After all, the ferry to Heaven Desolate and Earth Desolate was in Hell Realm.
Tantra Earth Treasury was at the Indestructible Infinite peak level. The Daoist priest standing on his shoulder clearly held an even higher status.
How could Shang Tian not be curious?
Perhaps that was why he had appeared before the three of them.
Facing the gaze of a Heavenly Venerable, Zhang Ruochen showed no panic, smiling as he said, "This humble priest is Sheng Si. Greetings, Shang Tian."
"From the God Realm?" Shang Tian asked.
Zhang Ruochen gave an ambiguous smile and asked, "And what brings Shang Tian to Heaven Desolate?"
Shang Tian replied, "Why ask such an obvious question? Aren't we walking the same path?"
Zhang Ruochen nodded, muttering to himself, "So Shang Tian is also heading to the Forgotten River."
Shang Tian was about to ask something else, but seemed to hear someone's telepathic message. He glanced toward the stone hall on the Demon God Stone Pillar.
"We'll meet again at the Forgotten River."
Leaving these words, the Demon God Stone Pillar flew into the spatial light mirror and vanished.
As the spatial ripples in the void faded, the smile on Zhang Ruochen's face also disappeared. He thought to himself, "Who is in that stone hall? Shang Big Beard had already secretly mobilized his divine power, ready to test me, but after hearing the person in the stone hall's message, he just left like that!"
At Shang Tian's level of cultivation, to still obey someone else's words...
Was that "someone else" Hao Tian?
Or...
Could it be the Nether Ancestor?
Zhang Ruochen couldn't yet confirm Shang Tian's relationship with the Eight Divisions Followers, but he could sense the terrifying aura emanating from the stone hall just now.
"Daoist priest!"
Meng Huangni called out to Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen snapped out of his thoughts and said, "Let's continue discussing the Eight Divisions Followers."
Tantra Earth Treasury resumed their journey toward the Forgotten River.
No matter if the presence in that stone hall was the Nether Ancestor, it couldn't stop Zhang Ruochen's determination to reach the Forgotten River.
Meng Huangni spoke slowly, "Legend has it that the Eight Divisions Followers were the eight disciples of the Buddha Kasyapa. The era is too distant, and their specific names are no longer known. They were ordered by the Buddha to guard the Gray Sea and Tianhe."
"But as time passed and ages changed, the Eight Divisions Followers evolved into eight tribes. It's said these eight tribes were cursed by an unknown power, becoming evil and ferocious, often bloodbathing Heaven Desolate."
"In history, several Heaven Desolate calamities were all caused by the Eight Divisions Followers."
"The eight tribes of the Eight Divisions Followers are: Heaven Division, Yama Division, Stone Division, Ghost Division, Asura, Kinnara, Garuda, and Gandharva."
"When I was young, my sister and I followed an elder of our clan to travel through Heaven Desolate. In the cosmos, we saw a flock of white bones flying past, covering the sky and earth, endless and infinite. That elder was deeply worried at the time, saying it looked very much like the Garuda Bone Tide recorded in ancient texts."
...
Along the way, Meng Huangni kept telling Zhang Ruochen everything she knew about the Eight Divisions Followers, most of it legends or others' speculations.
As she said, it was all just stories to listen to.
Half a month later, the three finally arrived at the star region where the Forgotten River was located.
According to Meng Huangni, the Forgotten River was a place of oblivion, hidden within a cosmic secret realm. The surrounding starry sky was dead silent, with no living planets.
But now, in Zhang Ruochen's field of vision, he saw one living planet after another flying past, charging into a pitch-black void and disappearing.
Like sinking into black lake water.
Each living planet was like a ship, carrying countless living beings and resources.
Meng Huangni said, "Every planet has a highly cultivated cultivator on it. They're transporting these planets into the Forgotten River, definitely gathering sacrifices. How many living beings are they going to offer? What exactly are they planning to do?"
Tantra Earth Treasury said indignantly, "We'll find out by breaking in!"
Zhang Ruochen stopped him and asked, "Divine Lord Huangni, do you recognize those cultivators driving the planets?"
"I don't... Well, I do recognize some of them."
Meng Huangni knew she couldn't hide it from Zhang Ruochen and let out a long sigh, "There are Great Saints and false gods from the Meng family involved, quite a few."
Zhang Ruochen said, "These living planets all come from various parts of Heaven Desolate. To travel across the distant cosmic void to reach the Forgotten River, it couldn't have been done in a short time. It might have started a thousand years ago, or even ten thousand years ago. That doesn't match the timeline given by the Meng family's eldest master!"
"There are only two possibilities. First, the Meng family's eldest master lied! Second, there are other strong members of the Meng family who have long since sided with the Eight Divisions Followers."
"I think the first possibility is very small."
Zhang Ruochen didn't believe the Meng family's eldest master had the ability to lie in front of him.
Meng Huangni's eyes remained cloudy, but her expression was extremely grim, as if she had thought of something.
Zhang Ruochen asked, "Divine Lord Huangni, do you know who it is?"
"I don't know! And please, Daoist Sheng Si, don't casually slander other members of the Meng family. The eldest master's mistakes are his personal actions, unrelated to the Meng family. These Meng family cultivators must have followed his orders, secretly gathering sacrifices from all over Heaven Desolate." Meng Huangni said.
Zhang Ruochen knew Meng Huangni was deliberately hiding something, but pressing further would yield no answers. He said, "Then let's first enter the Forgotten River and see, to confront the Eight Divisions Followers."
"Everything will be as Daoist Sheng Si commands." Meng Huangni said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Tantra, you enter the Forgotten River first and find San Ying Tian."
Tantra Earth Treasury had seen the image of San Ying Tian drawn by Desolate Heaven. His tone was disdainful and somewhat reluctant, "What do I need him for?"
Meng Huangni guessed Zhang Ruochen's intention and said, "The current Tantra Earth Treasury is no longer the same as before. He might give himself away."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Use your current tone, even be more forceful. Directly ask him, where is the Nether Envoy?"
"Where is the Nether Envoy?"
Tantra Earth Treasury shouted loudly.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Add more emotion, with anger."
"Alright, no problem. Besides this?" Tantra Earth Treasury had no idea why he was doing this, but it didn't seem difficult, so he agreed.
"Besides this, ignore whatever he says to you."
Zhang Ruochen knew very well that the key to everything lay with the Soul Mother.
Retrieving the Saha World, the Blissful World, and the Lamp of Life and Death, and rescuing Bore, were the most important tasks at hand.
For now, he could only hope the Soul Mother was still at the Forgotten River.
If she had already gone to the Gray Sea, to the Biluo Pass, capturing her would be several times more dangerous and challenging.
After Tantra Earth Treasury left, Zhang Ruochen said, "Divine Lord Huangni, you don't need to enter the Forgotten River for now. You can go intercept a few Meng family members and investigate whether there are other strong members within the Meng family, besides the eldest master, who have sided with the Eight Divisions Followers."
"Alright!"
Meng Huangni agreed without a second thought and disappeared from Zhang Ruochen's sight.
"She really does seem to know something."
Zhang Ruochen's figure gradually faded, following behind Tantra Earth Treasury as he flew toward the direction where all the living planets were converging.
"Whoosh!"
Like the other planets, he crashed into an invisible spatial barrier and vanished from the cosmos.
Passing through this spatial barrier was like crossing between two worlds.
Before him, a vast, boundless river flowed turbulently through the void.
On the river's surface, yellow-brown mist and clouds drifted. The riverbanks were plains formed from piles of various corpses.
It looked very similar to the Santu River basin.
This land was much smaller than the Santu River basin, but the deathly aura was several times denser.
Those living planets all hovered above the river, densely packed, moving according to some pattern. Their number had already exceeded a thousand.
Beneath the many planets, by the riverbank, stood a ten-thousand-foot-tall stone mountain.
On the stone mountain were carved two soul-shaking characters—Forgotten River!
These two characters truly contained the power to intimidate souls.
Almost all cultivators, upon arriving at the foot of the stone mountain, would kneel and bow.
"Is this the end of the Santu River?"
Zhang Ruochen looked at the vast continental plain before him, which seemed entirely formed from piled bones. It was very likely the gathering place for the dead from various planets and great worlds throughout history.
He couldn't help but look downstream of the river.
"Greetings, Earth Treasury Lord!"
Two ghost cultivators of upper god rank flew up from the bone plain, approached, and respectfully bowed to Tantra Earth Treasury.
It was clear that Tantra Earth Treasury, unlike Bao Yin Earth Treasury, had been to the Forgotten River before.
Tantra Earth Treasury's status was far higher than Bao Yin Earth Treasury's.
Tantra Earth Treasury roared, "Where is San Ying Tian? I want to see him!"
The two upper god ghost cultivators, intimidated by Tantra Earth Treasury's divine might, immediately led him down toward the bone plain.
Zhang Ruochen, formless and invisible, quietly followed.
As he passed by the "Forgotten River" stone mountain, in a hidden corner at its base, he saw the black-and-white chess piece pattern left by the Fourth Confucian Ancestor.
"The Fourth Confucian Ancestor has already arrived. Has Shang Tian arrived too?"
Zhang Ruochen made up his mind: even if the Soul Mother wasn't at the Forgotten River, he would first suppress San Ying Tian.
But first, he needed to see what kind of person this San Ying Tian really was.
...
Meanwhile, in the starry sky where the Forgotten River was located, two other Meng family cultivators arrived.
They were none other than Meng Huang'e and Meng Twenty-Eight, who were supposed to be heading to Wanliu Realm with the Compassionate Navigator.
Meng Huang'e had an ethereal aura, a slender waist, and colorful robes fluttering. She pointed as if commanding the world, laughing, "Little Twenty-Eight, do you see? The Meng family cultivators are all working for the family's survival. Heaven Desolate has always been our territory, our domain."
Meng Twenty-Eight's tone was cold and heavy, "Isn't this the result of you and the eldest master siding with the Eight Divisions Followers? You're leading the Meng family into utter ruin."
"You're wrong, completely wrong!"
Meng Huang'e wasn't angry, her mind extremely steady. She said calmly, "First of all, the Meng family hasn't sided with the Eight Divisions Followers; we ourselves are one of the Eight Divisions Followers."
Meng Twenty-Eight was shocked, "What did you say?"
Meng Huang'e said, "Do you know why the Heavenly Venerable has such a close relationship with the Yama Clan? Because in an extremely ancient era, the Meng family split off from the Yama Clan as a branch, sharing the same origin as the Yama Division of the Eight Divisions Followers. The Meng family can completely replace the Yama Division! This secret, the Heavenly Venerable surely knows, but he just didn't tell you."
"The second thing you're wrong about is that as long as I'm here, the Meng family will never fall into utter ruin. Following the Nether Ancestor is the correct path."
Meng Twenty-Eight said, "Can you protect the Meng family?"
"My strength, haven't you already seen it? I am a disciple of the Nether Ancestor, now the leader of the Yama Division. Protecting the Meng family is hardly difficult. In the future, the Meng family will be the nobility of the Yama Division." Meng Huang'e said.
Meng Twenty-Eight recalled the scene of Meng Huang'e immobilizing the Compassionate Navigator with a single finger, and his face immediately paled.
Just how high had her cultivation reached?
No wonder her appearance never aged or faded.
Meng Huang'e said, "A family needs both peak-level experts at the top and talented newcomers in the next generation. You are the most outstanding genius of the Meng family's generation. I sincerely hope you can stand on the same side as me, and your future will be bright. If you continue to be stubborn, even if I am reluctant, I can only send you as a sacrifice."
A living planet several thousand miles in diameter flew past Meng Huang'e and Meng Twenty-Eight.
Meng Huang'e's eyes grew distant, and she sighed softly, "I see Eighth Sister! They arrived quickly, even earlier than us."
Meng Twenty-Eight said, "Does Eighth Miss know about your hidden identity? Will she agree with your views? Will you kill her too?"
Meng Huang'e was silent for a long time, a bitter smile appearing on her stunningly beautiful face, "She's different! She's my sister. No matter how willful she is, she can live. You can still think it over. Once I deal with Sheng Si, if you still can't make a decision, don't blame me for disregarding our clan ties."
(Chapter End)