Chapter 4116: Hao Tian's Speculation
The entire Wangchuan had completely transformed. Medusa vine canopies covered the sky and earth, some growing to heights of hundreds of thousands of miles.
San Ying Tian moved through them, evading Zhang Ruochen's pursuit.
Zhang Ruochen struck ruthlessly, each staff blow delivered with full force, hitting San Ying Tian's head until more than a dozen lumps appeared, making him resemble a Buddha.
"Heavenly Zither Palm Technique!"
San Ying Tian finally seized an opportunity, mobilizing the Palm Dao Esoterica to execute a palm technique divine ability.
The Palm Dao Esoterica was extremely heavy; he had mastered at least thirty to forty percent of it.
As his right hand struck out, the Palm Dao Rule Divine Patterns surging from within his body trembled like zither strings, emitting bursts of zither sounds that directly assaulted the soul.
This palm technique divine ability attacked both the physical body and the soul.
"Whoosh!"
The Santu River below, affected by the palm wind, actually reversed its flow, with waves stacking a thousand zhang high.
Zhang Ruochen dared not be careless against a Heavenly Venerable-rank divine ability. He immediately formed hand seals, condensing a black-and-white yin-yang imprint dozens of zhang in diameter before him, with life and death qi circulating within it.
This was an imprint derived using Wuji!
What exceeded Zhang Ruochen's expectations happened.
The death qi of Wangchuan was continuously absorbed by the Wuji circle.
After entering the Wuji circle, the death qi only circulated once before being massively converted into life qi. Thus, death qi and life qi cycled repeatedly, their power rapidly escalating.
San Ying Tian's Heavenly Zither Palm Imprint struck the center of the black-and-white yin-yang imprint, only creating layers of ripples, unable to break it.
"This... quite interesting!"
Even Zhang Ruochen himself found it unbelievable.
The death qi here was actively converging toward him, actively helping him repel the enemy.
It was as if the entire Wangchuan had to obey his command.
In San Ying Tian's view, this was a manifestation of Saint Si Daoist's extraordinary cultivation. He felt that continuing to fight would only bring humiliation. Better to lure him to the Gray Sea...
Let him pay for his arrogance and conceit.
"Life and death qi... so that's it!"
Shang Tian's eyes revealed a look of understanding. After uttering this sentence, divine qi overflowed from him, and ten thousand miles of colorful clouds emerged around him, illuminating the endless night.
San Ying Tian, who intended to retreat, was intercepted by Shang Tian.
"Boom!"
The Heavenly Zither Palm Technique was unleashed again.
Shang Tian, in turn, struck out with the Great Dao Heavenly Desolation Seal.
Ten thousand miles of colorful clouds surged out with the palm imprint, dazzling and brilliant, with unmatched divine might.
San Ying Tian had long noticed Shang Tian hiding in the shadows observing the battle. After clashing with him once, he snorted heavily: "Have you finally lost your patience? Do you wish to become an enemy of the Eight Divisions Followers?"
Hearing this tone, Zhang Ruochen knew that San Ying Tian and Shang Tian had likely known each other before.
Shang Tian stood by the Santu River, his right arm behind his back, his crimson beard swaying in the wind, and said: "You were the ones who first violated the ancestral teachings."
"The ancestral teachings were set by the Nether Ancestor; naturally, the Nether Ancestor can modify them. The Great Calamity is approaching, heaven and earth are about to change. The Eight Divisions Followers should also emerge and shake the universe." San Ying Tian said.
Shang Tian seemed thoughtful and asked: "Is the Nether Ancestor in the Gray Sea?"
"What? Are you afraid?" San Ying Tian said.
Shang Tian asked again: "Is the Nether Ancestor in the Gray Sea?"
"If you have the guts, follow me there."
San Ying Tian glanced at the Nether Luo Heavenly Net that had fallen into the Santu River and waved his hand to retrieve it from afar. Even if he wanted to lure the two to the Gray Sea, he had to recover his treasure first.
"Bang!"
Tan Tuo Di Zang struck out with both palms, unleashing a hundred thousand Sanskrit characters, shattering the divine qi and rules that San Ying Tian extended toward the Nether Luo Heavenly Net.
"The Gray Sea, this Daoist must go! But not following you—first I'll suppress you, then go."
Zhang Ruochen was about to charge at San Ying Tian to close the distance when he saw Shang Tian make the first move, clashing with San Ying Tian.
Even with Ancestor Divine Patterns and Nether Ancestor Order permeating the space, the clash between two Heavenly Venerable-rank experts still destroyed a thousand miles of land.
Shang Tian manifested three identical Heavenly Venerable Dharma Forms, trapping San Ying Tian, and unleashed various divine abilities and secret techniques like a storm.
"Twilight of the Gods!"
"Radiant Demon-Breaking Technique!"
"Heavenly Desolate Flowing Light Finger!"
...
Each divine ability was infinitely profound, with various esoterica, rules, and orders weaving together a chaotic and violent battlefield.
This was a true Heavenly Venerable-rank duel!
Unlike before, when under Zhang Ruochen's relentless pursuit, the two had almost no divine ability clashes.
"What a formidable Shang Big Beard, having fully integrated the power of the divine corpse and demon corpse. No wonder he's been so low-key all these years—he was in seclusion cultivating. With these three Dharma Forms, finding an opponent below the Half-Ancestor level is difficult." Zhang Ruochen remarked.
The three Dharma Forms, of course, could not compare to the Three Corpse Separation, unable to achieve triple combat power.
But they still elevated Shang Tian's combat power by a significant margin.
Tan Tuo Di Zang retrieved the Nether Luo Heavenly Net, draping it over himself like a messy kasaya, and came to Zhang Ruochen's side, asking: "What now? Is this Big Beard friend or foe?"
"How would I know?"
Zhang Ruochen shrugged and said loudly: "Shang Tian, does this Daoist need to lend you a hand?"
"No need."
Shang Tian's divine voice came from the most brilliant divine light.
"Come on, let's attack together and suppress San Ying Tian. Remember, San Ying Tian is ours."
Zhang Ruochen took out one of the divine chains previously used to bind Desolate Heaven and tossed it to Tan Tuo Di Zang. Then, wielding the Forgetfulness Demon-Subduing Staff, he charged into the Heavenly Venerable-rank Dao technique battlefield.
"Others say no need... sigh, Amitabha!"
Tan Tuo Di Zang lifted the bowl-thick divine chain and advanced in a leaping manner. Soon, he too disappeared into the divine radiance of the Heavenly Venerable-rank duel.
Zhang Ruochen leaped over the shoulder of one of Shang Tian's Dharma Forms, swinging the Forgetfulness Demon-Subduing Staff horizontally. It stretched tens of thousands of zhang long, like a heavenly pillar toppling.
"Boom!"
After enduring this staff strike, San Ying Tian spat blood and retreated rapidly.
Having stepped into the Heavenly Venerable rank, he was naturally no ordinary figure. He could summon various divine abilities at will—formation imprints beneath his feet, star rivers above his head—all trump cards he had cultivated for years.
But dealing with just Shang Tian had already exhausted his means and left him stretched thin. How could he fight two?
"Capture all gods and buddhas into the heavenly net, gather all spirits into the Nether Luo."
Tan Tuo Di Zang stepped on auspicious clouds, reciting the same words San Ying Tian had used earlier, and then cast down the Nether Luo Heavenly Net.
Zhang Ruochen looked up and his eyelids twitched.
Was this reckless monk trying to trap him in the net as well?
Zhang Ruochen spread his arms, activating the Wuji circle, intending to return to a state of fundamental particles.
San Ying Tian knew the Nether Luo Heavenly Net could not trap the Daoist opposite him, but the Daoist seemed to need time to execute his escape technique. To turn the tables, he abandoned the chance to escape and instead shifted his position in front of Zhang Ruochen, striking out with a palm.
Zhang Ruochen countered by swinging his staff back.
"Bang!"
Energy ripples surged, and both were sent flying backward simultaneously.
The Nether Luo Heavenly Net descended, enveloping both San Ying Tian and Zhang Ruochen. As the net rapidly contracted, the space also shrank quickly.
San Ying Tian smiled sinisterly, his body transforming into a mass of blue flame, actually merging with the Nether Luo Heavenly Net.
The blue flame traveled across the Nether Luo Heavenly Net, charging toward Zhang Ruochen.
"It's over—I've harmed Saint Si Daoist!"
Tan Tuo Di Zang slapped his head heavily, descending from the sky, with brilliant Buddha light surging beneath his feet, pressing down on the Nether Luo Heavenly Net.
Shang Tian naturally would not miss this opportunity, mobilizing Radiant Divine Radiance and God-Slaying Order to launch indiscriminate attacks at Zhang Ruochen and the blue flame. In this situation, it was impossible to avoid Zhang Ruochen and only attack San Ying Tian.
San Ying Tian chose to engage Zhang Ruochen within the Nether Luo Heavenly Net for two reasons.
First, the Nether Luo Heavenly Net was, after all, his battle treasure. Although Tan Tuo Di Zang had performed a simple refinement, the artifact spirit was not fully tamed. He could completely use the Nether Luo Heavenly Net's power to suppress Zhang Ruochen, thus turning passive into active.
Second, he believed that as long as he and Zhang Ruochen were both inside the Nether Luo Heavenly Net, to avoid accidental injury, Tan Tuo Di Zang and Shang Tian could only stand aside and could not surround him.
But he miscalculated!
Tan Tuo Di Zang had a reckless temperament and acted straightforwardly.
Shang Tian was someone who only cared about results. Since the opportunity was right before him, he naturally would not let it go. Besides, he had no friendship with Saint Si Daoist.
The four experts fought in a chaotic melee, obliterating a large swath of Ancestor Divine Patterns and Nether Ancestor Order.
About half an hour later, only San Ying Tian remained inside the Nether Luo Heavenly Net, with a divine chain bound around him. On the divine chain, Half-Ancestor Rule Divine Patterns flowed.
The Nether Luo Heavenly Net continuously contracted, finally merging with San Ying Tian's skin in a net-like pattern, flickering occasionally.
Tan Tuo Di Zang sat cross-legged beside San Ying Tian, using golden Buddha flames to refine the artifact spirit of the Nether Luo Heavenly Net, preventing further accidents.
Zhang Ruochen and Shang Tian stood ten steps away.
Shang Tian had a tall and robust physique, with a crimson beard as thick as a broom, hanging down to below his navel.
"Sir, are you the legendary Life and Death Elder?" Shang Tian asked.
Zhang Ruochen smiled and said: "A remnant soul returns, already reborn. Please, Shang Tian, address this Daoist as Saint Si in the future."
Shang Tian's eyes were deep and unfathomable, devoid of any emotion, and he said: "I am very curious—with your level of cultivation, why do you only use physical strength?"
"What level of cultivation does Shang Tian think this Daoist has?" Zhang Ruochen countered.
Shang Tian thought for a moment and said: "No lower than the early Half-Ancestor stage! If you went all out, suppressing San Ying Tian would hardly be difficult, would it?"
Zhang Ruochen shook his head and said: "Wrong! This Daoist is merely a remnant soul—how could I be that strong? Using only physical strength was just to mislead San Ying Tian, to scare him a bit. In truth, this Daoist's strongest aspect is his physical body; everything else is a complete mess."
Shang Tian did not believe Saint Si Daoist's words at all, only feeling that he was showing weakness.
But it also resolved a doubt in his mind. He thought to himself: "It seems the Life and Death Elder must have seized his former Ancestor-level physical body, which is why his physical strength is so formidable."
The Life and Death Elder had once been suspected of being one of the Nine Witch Ancestors, showing how powerful his cultivation and strength were in life.
No matter how strong his physical body was, it was nothing strange.
"Can Shang Tian also answer a few of this Daoist's doubts?" Zhang Ruochen said.
The reason Shang Tian had attacked San Ying Tian and could stand here talking with Saint Si Daoist was that he intended to form a cooperative alliance.
After all, he was all too aware of the Eight Divisions Followers' power.
"Ask freely."
Shang Tian was stern and unsmiling.
Zhang Ruochen asked: "Did Shang Tian know San Ying Tian before?"
"I not only know San Ying Tian, but when I was young, I also went to the Gray Sea and cultivated there for a period of time." Shang Tian said.
Zhang Ruochen's expression remained unchanged, and he said: "I've never heard that Shang Tian had such an experience."
Shang Tian said: "Back then, Hao Tian, who was still just a God Venerable, selected three thousand young cultivators to go to Tianhuang in search of Biluo Pass. Of the three thousand who went, only I returned. The rest all perished!"
"Without this legendary experience and Hao Tian's full support, how could I have reached my current level of cultivation and realm?"
Zhang Ruochen said: "So, the unknown existence in that stone hall is Hao Tian?"
Shang Tian said: "The theft of the Saha World and the disappearance of Cihang Venerable are a heavy blow to the Western Buddha Realm and a monumental matter for the Western Universe and the Heavenly Court."
"Where is he?"
Zhang Ruochen actually felt a hint of joy in his heart.
With Hao Tian here, many things would become easier.
Shang Tian gazed at Zhang Ruochen and said: "Which side does the Daoist represent? The God Realm? Or the Primordial Beings?"
"Can this Daoist not represent himself?"
A hint of cold pride appeared in Zhang Ruochen's eyes.
Shang Tian knew he would not get an answer, and continuing to probe was meaningless. He said: "Which side you belong to is not important, as long as you are not on the Nether Ancestor's side."
"That's right!" Zhang Ruochen said.
Shang Tian said: "The situation is more dangerous than you imagine! Not only was the Saha World stolen, but Bore, who controls the Land of Ultimate Bliss, and Desolate Heaven, who controls the Life-Death Lamp, have both met with accidents. When Heavenly Venerable Hao Tian and I arrived at the Life-Death Realm Star and were about to enter Tianhuang, we received another even more terrifying piece of news."
"The Book of Life and Death has been taken!"
Zhang Ruochen said: "How is that possible? Yan Huanyu is a contemporary Half-Ancestor, and Meng Naihe is no easy opponent either. Who could take the Book of Life and Death from them? Could it be... Corpse Yan made the move?"
"I don't know!"
Shang Tian gently shook his head and said: "Whoever took the Book of Life and Death must be stopped outside Biluo Pass."
"Why?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Shang Tian said: "Heavenly Venerable Hao Tian speculates that the Nether Ancestor is likely about to initiate a Minor Calamity! Using the Santu River as a medium, connecting all life-bearing planets and major worlds in the universe, with the Book of Life and Death as the ultimate tool, sketching the life and death of all beings in heaven and earth, collecting all life qi, blood qi, souls, and consciousness."
Zhang Ruochen drew in a cold breath.
Shang Tian said: "This is just Heavenly Venerable Hao Tian's speculation! Whether the Nether Ancestor will do this and how exactly it will be implemented are all unknown. All we can do is try our best to stop it."
"After all, if the Nether Ancestor devours all living beings and recovers his cultivation, everyone will die. Daoist, will you lend us a hand? You understand the Book of Life and Death better than anyone, and you know Biluo Pass better than anyone. What do you think the Nether Ancestor's goal is?"
Zhang Ruochen's expression shifted uncertainly. After thinking for a moment, he said: "The most important thing right now is to reclaim the Saha World, the Land of Ultimate Bliss, and the Life-Death Lamp. As for the Book of Life and Death... I'm afraid we can only leave it to Hao Tian to handle. I hope he can resolve it. Could the one who went to the Yama Clan to seize the Book of Life and Death be the Nether Ancestor's true body?"
"Boom!"
From the distant sky came the sound of battle.
Moments later, a badly wounded Meng Huang'e flew over like a streak of light, landing before Zhang Ruochen. Extremely weak, she said: "Saint Si Daoist, something terrible has happened... Cihang Venerable... Venerable..."
She was extremely weak, her physical body and divine soul both severely injured. Before she could finish speaking, her delicate body swayed and collapsed toward Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen quickly stepped forward and caught her.
(Chapter End)