# Chapter 4148: The Best Strategy
The divine ship sailed through the broken starry sky, with burning planets and fragments of worlds flying past everywhere. Even the Santu River had been severed, turning into patches of filthy water floating in the void.
"Thump!" "Thump!"
Zhang Ruochen sat on the wide deck at the bow of the divine ship, gazing at the ruined universe, rhythmically tapping the wooden planks beneath him.
"A hundred years like drunkenness, the heart full of spring."
"Lying high on the eastern mountain, a patch of cloud."
"Tsk, right and wrong brush the face like dust, worn away completely, countless people past and present."
"Worn away completely, countless people past and present..."
The song was low and melodious, filled with sorrow. Going forth on the Heavenly Wasteland journey, returning on the Earthly Wasteland road. Too many had died, with no one to wrap their bodies for burial.
Dizang Wang, Yan Huanyu, Meng Naihe, Qiandapo, Tantuo Dizang, Meng Huang'e... Figures appeared in his mind and then vanished like dreams and illusions. Each of them had truly existed in this world, had intersected, laughed, loved, and hated. But what remained now?
The members of the Meng Clan, the living beings of Heavenly Wasteland and Earthly Wasteland—once possessing flesh and blood, emotions and souls—had now all turned into grains of sand and dust.
What was the true meaning of life? What was eternal?
As the song ended, Zhang Ruochen let out a long sigh, sinking into deep thought.
In this battle, countless people had died, but at least the Minor Calamity had been stopped, and even the Nether Ancestor had been reduced to ashes.
But what about the Great Calamity to come?
The Great Calamity would surely be far more terrifying than the Minor Calamity. How could it be stopped? Could it be stopped at all?
Erjun Tian had been right about one thing: if one hadn't even thought clearly about how to face the Great Calamity, any reasoning about right and wrong seemed pale and meaningless.
Survival—leading more people to survive—was the greatest meaning of the present.
"What exactly is the Great Calamity?"
Zhang Ruochen felt he needed to understand this question. With his current cultivation level, as the number one among contemporary cultivators, he had to contemplate this issue!
"Clap, clap, clap..."
Behind him, applause sounded.
Azure Deer Divine King walked over, praising, "Life is like a drunken dream; who remembers the countless people past and present? I didn't expect Imperial Dust's attainments in music to be so profound. After hearing this song, I am deeply moved. If one could drink today's wine and be drunk today, ignoring past sorrows and future disputes, wouldn't that be a more carefree way to live?"
Zhang Ruochen put away the wooden planks and also put away his emotions.
He was no longer that young man who would immerse himself in grudges and grief. He could control himself and overcome with reason.
Mourning was for seeing off; singing was for bidding farewell.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen's eyes instantly regain their wisdom and depth, Azure Deer Divine King immediately dropped his casual demeanor.
He said solemnly, "Imperial Dust, Lady Shiji is a Half-Ancestor at the peak level. We must capture her before she becomes wary. Otherwise, once she goes into hiding, even an Ancestor won't be able to find her. An existence like that is too great a threat!"
Zhang Ruochen said, "What do you think should be done with her?"
Azure Deer Divine King smiled. "Killing her directly would be the simplest, but it would be too merciful to her."
"I believe that since she is the artifact spirit of the Dark Cauldron, we should completely refine her into an artifact spirit, take her as a soul slave, and make her submit. For an existence of her level, that would be more painful than death."
Zhang Ruochen stood up. "But I have already helped her separate from the artifact body. She is no longer bound to the Dark Cauldron."
Azure Deer Divine King was slightly stunned, then laughed again. "Even better. Lady Shiji has a reputation spanning ten thousand years. Now that she has a flesh-and-blood body, it's perfect to capture her and bring her into Imperial Dust's palace. Conquering a peak Half-Ancestor is far more enjoyable than killing one."
Zhang Ruochen could see that Azure Deer Divine King's words were insincere—merely flattering him by deliberately suggesting this inferior strategy.
An existence like Lady Shiji was far too dangerous!
The danger lay not only in her cultivation but also in her beauty. Beauty was the most terrifying spiritual attack against men.
If the attack was ineffective, it only meant the beauty wasn't enough.
Zhang Ruochen pondered for a moment, then said, "I believe killing her is the superior strategy."
Azure Deer Divine King was delighted inside but kept his expression unchanged. "Imperial Dust is wise. This way, the Corpse Nightmare faction will inevitably suffer a major loss, leaving them with no choice but to cooperate with contemporary cultivators. However, does Imperial Dust have the confidence to capture Lady Shiji without alarming the other cultivators? Not only must she be captured, but she must also be annihilated as quickly as possible."
"Otherwise, even if Corpse Nightmare doesn't act, the Half-Ancestors of the Hell Realm will surely try to save her. At that point, Your Excellency's identity might be exposed."
Zhang Ruochen had naturally considered all the circumstances. "Therefore, I have an even better strategy—the best of the best."
"What is the best strategy?"
Azure Deer Divine King asked.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Killing her is not as good as using her. Using her is not as good as using her and then killing her. The best way to use her is through exploitation."
He continued, "After the Nether Ancestor's death, the Divine Realm stands alone. The Primordial Beings, the Corpse Nightmare faction, and the Dark Lord all have the means to protect themselves, each carving out their own territory. The Heavenly Court Universe, the Hell Realm, and the Sword Realm, lacking Ancestor-level protectors, are as precarious as stacked eggs. Five hundred years have passed, and the cosmic situation must have changed dramatically."
Azure Deer Divine King asked, "Has Imperial Dust already deduced the outcome?"
"Some things don't need deduction."
Zhang Ruochen clasped his hands behind his back and walked step by step toward the ship's railing. "Regardless of whether the Nether Ancestor trusted Corpse Nightmare, and regardless of whether Lady Shiji was the Nether Ancestor's direct subordinate, now she can only submit to Corpse Nightmare. In this great upheaval, if the Hell Realm seeks an Ancestor to cooperate with, who would they choose?"
Azure Deer Divine King pondered for a moment. "The Primordial Being, Hongmeng Black Dragon, has the greatest possibility."
"Why?"
Azure Deer Divine King said, "First, Corpse Nightmare and the Dark Lord have deep blood feuds with many gods of the Hell Realm, and there is great mutual suspicion."
"Second, the Ancestor-level battle that erupted in the Abyss of Darkness must have severely wounded the Primordial Beings. Now, it is precisely the time when Primordial Beings and the Hell Realm need to huddle together for warmth."
"The Abyss of Darkness and the Hell Realm have been in confrontation for many years, with quite a few conflicts, but neither side has suffered truly heavy casualties."
Zhang Ruochen shook his head. "What you see is only the surface. Hatred is worthless in the face of survival."
"In the battle of the Abyss of Darkness, the Primordial Beings were severely wounded. Do you think this is a bad thing for Hongmeng Black Dragon? I think not! How ancient is Hongmeng Black Dragon? Does He truly have any emotional attachment to the current Twelve Primordial Clans? They are merely useful tools."
"If devouring the cultivators of the Twelve Primordial Clans could help Him quickly recover his cultivation, do you think He would do it?"
Azure Deer Divine King nodded. "Perhaps Hongmeng Black Dragon can instead travel lightly, no longer needing to sit guard in the Abyss of Darkness and become a target for all sides."
Zhang Ruochen said, "The entire population of the Twelve Primordial Clans combined cannot compare to a single Dark Lord. Therefore, I believe the possibility of Hongmeng Black Dragon and the Dark Lord forming an alliance is extremely high. After all, they share a common goal: to go to the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom and seize the Desolate Moon."
"In that case, Hongmeng Black Dragon would look down on the Hell Realm."
"Among the several Ancestors, Corpse Nightmare's position has become extremely awkward instead. He has offended everyone. After the Nether Ancestor's death, the Divine Realm wants to eradicate him root and branch—they cannot tolerate him either."
Azure Deer Divine King's eyes lit up. "Does Imperial Dust believe he will cooperate with the Hell Realm?"
"Does he have any other choice? Does the Hell Realm have any other choice?" Zhang Ruochen countered.
Azure Deer Divine King said, "Relatively speaking, the blood feud between Corpse Nightmare and the Hell Realm is indeed lighter. Even if the Battle of the North Marsh Great Wall caused heavy losses to the Destiny Temple, it was because the Destiny Temple took the initiative to attack. If Yan Wushen and Lady Shiji act as intermediaries, there is a possibility of secret cooperation between the Corpse Nightmare faction and the Hell Realm."
"I understand! Imperial Dust's best strategy is to have me approach Lady Shiji and submit to Corpse Nightmare's banner?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "If Lady Shiji learns that her identity is exposed, she will either go into hiding or flee to the cosmic frontier. Who will help me withstand the pressure from the Divine Realm? If she is in the Hell Realm, helping Feng Tian and Nutian Shenzun and the others, I can be more at ease."
Azure Deer Divine King smiled. "Using her is indeed better than killing her directly. I will handle this matter!"
Zhang Ruochen suddenly asked, "In your opinion, who is stronger, Corpse Nightmare or I?"
Azure Deer Divine King understood the intent behind Zhang Ruochen's question—it was to test whether he would truly defect to Corpse Nightmare's side. Without hesitation, he said, "Although Corpse Nightmare is an Ancestor and may currently be stronger, he is old and decrepit. How can he compare to Imperial Dust, the number one under heaven? And that's not all."
"More importantly, Imperial Dust has a broad mind and the capacity to tolerate others. Working for Imperial Dust, I will never have to worry about one day being discarded once the birds are gone and the bow put away."
Seeing that Azure Deer Divine King knew his place, Zhang Ruochen said no more. "Lady Shiji must be in the Earthly Wasteland Universe. She needs to confirm that everyone who knows her identity died in the Gray Sea."
"I will go find her immediately! I will make her let down her guard and tell her that all the cultivators who knew her secret have already fallen."
After a moment's thought, Azure Deer Divine King added, "Actually, I have a suggestion! Imperial Dust doesn't need to continue using the false name Sheng Si. He should restore his true identity as the Life and Death Elder. This identity carries more shock value and is more convincing."
Zhang Ruochen smiled. "Just tell her that! By the way, how are your injuries?"
Azure Deer Divine King showed a flattered expression. "Thank you for your concern, Imperial Dust. I have already recovered seventy to eighty percent."
"How is that enough? If your injuries are too light, it won't be convincing."
While Azure Deer Divine King was still stunned, Zhang Ruochen's hand seal had already landed heavily on his chest, instantly shattering his five viscera and six bowels. Then, his Half-Ancestor flesh-and-blood body shattered into pieces and flew out of the divine ship.
The divine ship continued forward, flying toward the distant Hell Realm.
Huang Tian appeared beside Zhang Ruochen. "Betting on the loyalty of an opportunist is too risky! If he betrays you, you will lose everything."
Zhang Ruochen said, "The inner soul of Azure Deer Divine King is an Asura—a man of great ambition with high pride. Regaining the status of Ancestor is his goal. He knows very well what he wants. As long as he is smart enough, he will know how to choose."
"I am overthinking. You have already grown to a height I cannot reach."
Huang Tian sighed and then said, "Since you want to use the identity of the Life and Death Elder to reappear in the world, don't use the Abyssal Ancient Sword anymore. That would make people unconsciously associate you with the name Zhang Ruochen."
Zhang Ruochen nodded. "What about you? What are your plans next?"
"I am already dead. I need to go into hiding and focus on healing. This time, whether it's indestructible matter, soul spirit, or lifespan, I have overdrawn severely," Huang Tian said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "If you also die, how devastated would Qing'er be?"