# Chapter 4149: The Game and the Momentum
Seeing that Shang Tian and Cihang Venerable were still alive, Xuan Yuan Lian was in an excellent mood. She trusted these two quite a bit and told them everything she knew.
However, she was still somewhat displeased with the way Saint Si Daoist had "invited" her earlier.
"Seventy-Two Layer Tower?"
Shang Tian was shocked. His gaze involuntarily glanced at Zhang Ruochen as he asked, "As far as I know, the Seventy-Two Layer Tower can only be refined by an Ancestor, and it takes no small amount of time." "This heavy artifact suppressed in the Sword Realm—why did it suddenly appear in the Desolate Universe? Who is controlling it?"
He seemed to be asking Xuan Yuan Lian, but in reality, he was asking Zhang Ruochen.
Clearly, he believed Zhang Ruochen should know a great deal about the situation with the Seventy-Two Layer Tower.
Xuan Yuan Lian stood beside the golden chariot, dressed entirely in white with silver scale soft armor. She showed no immaturity or weakness. Her gaze was far deeper and more resolute than before, exuding the imposing aura of an Indestructible Infinite powerhouse. "According to the description of Sect Master Xia of the Fallen God Sect, the Seventy-Two Layer Tower flew away on its own, disappearing into space. The various formations and talisman patterns arranged in the Fallen God Sect couldn't suppress it at all."
"An Ancestor's methods—how could he possibly see through them?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Xuan Yuan Lian grew even more curious about this Daoist. She said calmly, "But all the known Ancestors were in the Abyss of Darkness at that time."
"Could it be…"
Fan Chen hesitated, as if about to speak.
Zhang Ruochen knew he wanted to say the word "Heavenly Demon." He had also suppressed the Half-Ancestor Red Crow King, who had tried to assassinate the Blood Absolute Clan Leader.
At that time, Zhang Ruochen had already deduced that Void Heaven, Meng Ge, and Ming Gu had likely rescued the Heavenly Demon.
But Zhang Ruochen did not believe the Seventy-Two Layer Tower was deployed by the Heavenly Demon.
First, even if the Heavenly Demon had escaped the God Realm, he would certainly be in a weakened state. Why would he act so ostentatiously?
If Zhang Ruochen were him, he would definitely hide in the shadows. Restoring his cultivation and strength would be the top priority.
Second, the Heavenly Demon simply didn't have the time to refine the Seventy-Two Layer Tower.
Third, could a weakened Heavenly Demon suppress the Nether Ancestor?
According to Xuan Yuan Lian, even an Ancestor like Ksitigarbha King, who burned himself, could only block the Nether Ancestor for half a day by self-destructing his Ancestor Divine Source.
No matter how weakened the Nether Ancestor was, he was still an Immortal who had lived for who knows how many eons.
Being able to suppress him motionless with the Seventy-Two Layer Tower was definitely not something an ordinary Ancestor could accomplish.
Zhang Ruochen asked, "Does Wen Tianjun have an answer?"
The information Xuan Yuan Lian had learned was all told by Wen Tianjun.
She said, "Wen Tianjun is also deeply worried, believing it is very likely the work of a hidden Immortal. Now, the entire Sword Realm is in a state of panic. All the gods speculate that this unknown existence might be hiding among the cultivators of the Sword Realm."
"Of course, there are also some optimistic gods who believe it might be the work of the Great Venerable. Over these five hundred years, cultivators from all over have been rushing to the Eastern Domain of the Kunlun Realm, as if on a pilgrimage."
Shang Tian snorted coldly, "That's far too optimistic! If the Great Venerable were truly not dead and had the power to suppress the Nether Ancestor, why wouldn't he show himself?"
Cihang Venerable said, "That's understandable! Looking on the bright side saves one from living too tiredly. In reality, whether it's a Minor Calamity or a Great Calamity, it has nothing to do with the vast majority of cultivators. These burdens are borne by the strong, with giants holding up the sky."
Shang Tian frowned deeply. "One Nether Ancestor dies, but another Immortal emerges, one who hides even deeper than the Nether Ancestor. If we want to deal with them, we don't even know where to start."
Xuan Yuan Lian had clearly discussed this issue with many experts before. She smiled bitterly. "The biggest problem isn't dealing with them! It's that if they are like the Nether Ancestor, preparing to launch a Minor Calamity, during the preliminary preparations, we might all become tools they use without even realizing it."
"Visible enemies are not frightening. It's the invisible, formless ones that inspire fear."
Bore said, "Could it be the true master of the God Realm? Before the Nether Ancestor died, the God Realm could contend with the Nether Ancestor faction. Was the Eternal True Ruler alone really enough?"
Xuan Yuan Lian said, "This speculation exists in the minds of many cultivators. But Bore, you must remember: once you return to the Heavenly Court Universe or the Hell Realm, you must not even mention it, or you might die a violent death."
"Is it that terrifying?" Shang Tian sneered, eager to test it.
Xuan Yuan Lian sighed deeply. "In the five hundred years since the Nether Ancestor's death, the cosmic situation has undergone earth-shattering changes. The God Realm's influence over the entire universe has reached an unprecedented level, with countless fanatical believers."
"Of course, among these fanatical believers are those who follow the wind, those who curry favor, those who go with the flow, those who chase fame and profit, and those who fear death…"
"In short, anyone who dares to question the God Realm will be attacked by the masses."
Shang Tian heard the helplessness in Xuan Yuan Lian's tone. "Has the God Realm's hand reached the Heavenly Palace?"
"To be precise, the entire Heavenly Palace has been controlled by the God Realm. More than half of the cultivators have become fanatical believers of the Eternal True Ruler. My father was once the banner of the entire Heavenly Court Universe, the symbol of invincibility. After his fall… In short, many things have happened over the years. It's hard to explain in just a few words," Xuan Yuan Lian said.
Shang Tian raised his voice. "What about Pan Yuan? Xuan Yuan Taizhen? Why don't they come out to control the situation?"
"Compared to an eternal nation with an Ancestor sitting in charge, what can they do?"
Xuan Yuan Lian said, "About four hundred years ago, Pan Yuan Ancient God was assassinated by an unknown existence. Even his head was cut off. Although he didn't die, his strength was greatly damaged, and he lost all face."
"Since then, he has never left the Pan Gu Realm and has never interfered in any affairs of the Heavenly Court Universe. Everyone says he was scared, that he's cowered away, that he no longer has any courage. Some even spread rumors that Pan Yuan Ancient God isn't even in the Pan Gu Realm, that he fled in fear to the cosmic borderlands and hid himself."
"As for my second uncle…"
After listening to Xuan Yuan Lian's account, everyone learned that Xuan Yuan Taizhen had become the Lord of the Heavenly Palace, ruling over all the realms of the Heavenly Court.
But Xuan Yuan Taizhen had defected to the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom, offering even the "Kongming Ruins," which the Xuan Emperor had brought to this era, to the Eternal True Ruler. He was despised by many hardliners who questioned the God Realm.
Shang Tian was furious. "Xuan Yuan Taizhen is such a spineless coward? Was he scared? Where did the pride of the Xuan Yuan family disciples go? That was the Xuan Yuan family's greatest foundation, one of the ultimate forces sent to this era by several Witch Ancestors to help us fight against the Immortals and the Great Calamity."
Xuan Yuan Lian was silent, unsure how to answer.
Zhang Ruochen said neither lightly nor heavily, "Pride? In the face of the greater momentum, the more prideful one is, the faster they die. The Xuan Yuan family's reputation is too great, their foundation and treasures countless. Countless people covet them. They are at the forefront of the storm. If Xuan Yuan Taizhen weren't clever, the family would collapse in an instant."
"The supreme Yan family, with the fall of Yan Renhuan and Yan Huanyu, has already lost its glory. Fortunately, the Hell Realm has many experts who can support each other. Though precarious, they can barely hold on."
"But the Xuan Yuan family, as the number one family under heaven, can't find a single helper anywhere in the Heavenly Court Universe."
"Compared to Corpse Demon, Dark Sovereign, and Hongmeng Black Dragon—Ancestors who might attack the Xuan Yuan family at any moment without scruple—the God Realm at least cares about face. The Eternal True Ruler's reputation as the Confucian Ancestor is at least seen as righteous and upright in the hearts of cultivators across the world."
"Under these circumstances, if Xuan Yuan Taizhen wants to protect the Xuan Yuan family, it seems he has no other choice."
Shang Tian's expression softened slightly. "Is that how the Daoist sees it? If that's the reason Xuan Yuan Taizhen had no choice but to defect to the God Realm, then he is enduring humiliation to bear a heavy burden. It's hard to judge."
Zhang Ruochen shook his head. "I understand him, but that doesn't mean I respect him."
Hearing this, Xuan Yuan Lian immediately showed displeasure.
Because she knew that Xuan Yuan Taizhen had to compromise not just for the Xuan Yuan family, but for the entire Heavenly Court Universe.
Having the Heavenly Palace in his hands was better than having it in the hands of some petty villains. At least things could still be controlled, and there wouldn't be a complete loss of bottom line.
"Do you know that if my second uncle weren't sitting in the position of Heavenly Palace Lord, the Wind Clan would have already been taken over by the Murong family? The Nuwa Palace might have been seized as well," Xuan Yuan Lian said.
The Wind Clan and the Murong family were top-tier families in the universe, both belonging to the Daoist lineage, with generations of marriage alliances.
Even the Wind Clan's patriarch, Feng Yan, had a wife from the Murong family.
But ever since Murong Huan schemed against Feng Yan, luring him to the Soul Realm with the intent to kill him, the two families had developed a rift.
Later, when Zhang Ruochen presided over the situation at the Space Divine Temple and many secrets of Murong Buhuo and Murong Huan were exposed, the Wind family finally broke with the Murong family.
Originally, with Murong Huan imprisoned by the Guan Lord in the Five Elements Temple, and Murong Buhuo and Murong Tailai dying one after another, the Murong family was bound to decline.
Who would have thought that with the emergence of the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom, the Murong family would produce a remarkable figure—the Eternal True Ruler's second disciple, Murong Duiji.
Murong Duiji did not grow up in the Murong family but was a native of the God Realm.
It was Murong Duiji's ancestor who had a friendship with the Eternal True Ruler and was taken to the God Realm for cultivation in ancient times. And that ancestor of Murong Duiji was originally from the Murong family.
With this blood connection, the Murong family naturally rose in status, even surpassing their former glory.
Murong Duiji had once been to the Sword Realm, trading with it to rescue the Divine Martial Envoy Wu Shi. At that time, Zhang Ruochen had met him and formed a deep impression.
Back then, Murong Duiji's spiritual power might not have matched the Fourth Confucian Ancestor, but he was deep-thinking and cunning.
With the Fourth Confucian Ancestor and Qishier Pin Lian fallen, Murong Duiji had now become the figure second only to the True Ruler in the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom. It was easy to imagine that the Murong family's cultivators were now arrogant and untouchable in the Heavenly Court.
That they coveted the Nuwa Palace was not surprising.
Xuan Yuan Lian continued, "If you haven't sat in a high position, how can you understand the helplessness of those in high positions? If every word and action of the Daoist determines the life and death of a family, or even the fate of all realms and heavens, you probably wouldn't judge someone so lightly."
Zhang Ruochen's expression was serious. "I don't respect Xuan Yuan Taizhen not because he defected to the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom, but because he submitted too quickly."
"Originally, I thought that with the current situation still undecided and many variables, the God Realm and those Ancestors would have their attention focused on the Desolate Universe and on each other, not on the Xuan Yuan family and the Heavenly Palace."
"If Xuan Yuan Taizhen were more tactful, all sides would actually want to win him over, using the power he controls to do things they find inconvenient. This way, he could play all sides against each other. Holding on for a few thousand years shouldn't be a problem."
Xuan Yuan Lian disagreed, saying coldly, "Being so servile and two-faced—wouldn't that completely disgrace the Xuan Yuan family?"
"It's all for survival! Since you've chosen to kneel, why not kneel completely? Since you've already abandoned face, why still hide it?"
Before Xuan Yuan Lian could flare up, Zhang Ruochen continued, "There's another hypothesis! If Xuan Yuan Taizhen were tough enough, with the same spirit as the Meng family—ready to perish together with the enemy—then countless supporters in the Heavenly Court Universe would rally to him. Even the God Realm would have to be wary. Think about it: if someone like you, Xuan Yuan Lian, or Xuan Yuan Dier—an Indestructible Infinite—were to sneak into the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom and self-destruct their divine source, that would be quite terrifying. Even with an Ancestor sitting in charge, it would be hard to guard against."
"As for Dark Sovereign, Corpse Demon, and Hongmeng Black Dragon, seeing Xuan Yuan Taizhen as tough and fierce as a mad dog, they would be delighted and might even secretly support him. This way, Xuan Yuan Taizhen could probably hold on for tens of thousands of years."
"Although the final outcome might not change, the longer he holds on, the more bargaining chips he has, and the more say he gains."
"Who would have thought he would cave so quickly, causing the Heavenly Palace and the Heavenly Court Universe to lose morale and spirit? Otherwise, with Hao Tian's years of management in the Heavenly Palace, how could half the cultivators have defected in just five hundred years?"
Everyone fell silent, including Xuan Yuan Lian. She lowered her eyes in contemplation, then sighed softly.
She had to admit that what this Daoist said made some sense.
Whether Xuan Yuan Taizhen was tactful enough or tough enough—whether he acted as a true villain or an iron-blooded hero—the result would certainly be better than the current situation.
Unfortunately, there was no "what if." A person's nature determines how they act.
If time were turned back and it happened again, the result would be the same. Xuan Yuan Lian asked, "Daoist, who exactly are you?"
Zhang Ruochen stood with his hands behind his back, his expression proud.
Shang Tian introduced him, saying, "This is the ancient Ancestor of the Yama Clan, the Life-and-Death Old Man! Before his death, Heavenly Venerable Hao Tian entrusted the Heavenly Palace to him."
Zhang Ruochen corrected him, "Not an Ancestor, just the remnant soul of an Ancestor returning, now reborn. This second life is still a million miles away from the Ancestor realm!"
"Senior is too modest. You were the one who stopped the Minor Calamity launched by the Nether Ancestor. With such cultivation, who among those below the Ancestor realm can compare?" Cihang Venerable cooperated, saying this.
If not for the fact that these words came from Shang Tian and Cihang Venerable—two people Xuan Yuan Lian believed were the least likely to lie—she would never have believed it.
Xuan Yuan Lian secretly transmitted a message to Shang Tian: "Did Father really entrust the Heavenly Palace to an ancient powerhouse whose remnant soul has returned? Could this Daoist be problematic?"
Shang Tian did not avoid the topic and said openly, "I absolutely trust Heavenly Venerable Hao Tian's judgment. I also hope that Young Master Lian will follow Heavenly Venerable Hao Tian's final decree and fully assist the Life-and-Death Heavenly Venerable."
Zhang Ruochen flicked his robe, releasing a powerful and unmatched aura. "What, Xuan Yuan Lian, do you think I am inferior to Xuan Yuan Taizhen and unworthy to be the Lord of the Heavenly Palace?"
"This Daoist's cultivation is truly terrifying. His imposing momentum is like a blazing sun, as if it could burn the soul of an Indestructible Infinite. Having him as the Lord of the Heavenly Palace—whether it's a blessing or a curse for the Heavenly Palace remains to be seen."
Xuan Yuan Lian's gaze swept over Shang Tian, Cihang Venerable, and Bore one by one. Finally, she bowed deeply. "In accordance with my father's final decree, I pay respects to the Life-and-Death Heavenly Venerable."
Clearly, she trusted these three.
Zhang Ruochen nodded approvingly and asked, "Have you been in the Desolate Universe all these five hundred years?"
"Most of the time, yes," Xuan Yuan Lian said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "You can't enter the fire domain formed by Lan Ai Tong Fen and Ancestral Flame. Hao Tian and Qishier Pin Lian have long since turned to dust. Don't harbor any more vain hopes. Come back to the Heavenly Palace with me."
Five hundred years had passed, and Xuan Yuan Lian had long since emerged from her grief.
She said, "I have enough self-awareness for that. The Heavenly Venerable need not remind me. I stayed in the Desolate Universe to collect the fragments of the Seventy-Two Layer Tower. All sides have sent cultivators to do this in the Desolate Universe."
Zhang Ruochen asked, "How much have you collected?"
"About the material of one layer of the tower," Xuan Yuan Lian said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Only that much?"
Xuan Yuan Lian always felt that this Life-and-Death Old Man, though shrewd and wise, lacked the proper temperament of an elder and seemed to deliberately target her.
She tried to stay calm. "Lady Shiji has collected the most fragments of the Seventy-Two Layer Tower. If the Heavenly Venerable is interested, you might try to seize them from her."
Xuan Yuan Lian thought this would deflate the Life-and-Death Old Man's arrogance.
Unexpectedly, he replied, "I'll go then. I've long wanted to meet the legendary number one beauty of ten thousand ages."
"Whoosh!"
The divine ship's speed instantly increased several times.
The Liuli Divine Temple floated in the Void World.
Lady Shiji reclined sideways on a wide throne above the temple, looking lazily as if she had just woken up. Her sparkling, clever eyes carefully examined Qinglu Divine King. "Even the Nether Ancestor has fallen, yet you survived. Truly worthy of being an existence with an Ancestor's remnant soul. You old rogue, you certainly have nine lives."
The candles in the hall flickered, casting shifting shadows.
Qinglu Divine King heard the suspicion and probing in Lady Shiji's tone and snorted. "What do you mean by that? If you hadn't failed in your mission and failed to stop the news from spreading, how would the various experts from the Heavenly Court Universe, the Sword Realm, the Hell Realm, and the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom have rushed to the Heavenly Wasteland and the Desolate Wasteland? How would the Nether Ancestor's plan have failed? I fought desperately in the Gray Sea, and now you're making sarcastic remarks. Cough, cough…"
Qinglu Divine King coughed up a mouthful of blood, clutching his chest. "You're not looking for an excuse to silence me, are you? After all, I'm the only one left in the world who knows your secrets."
Lady Shiji frowned slightly, sitting up a little straighter. "Did all the leaders who went to the Yama Clan to retrieve the Book of Life and Death fall?"
Apart from Soul Mother, Corpse Demon, and Dark Sovereign, only the leaders of the Eight Divisions Followers who participated in the battle at the Yama Clan knew her identity.
Qinglu Divine King retreated to the temple entrance, looking very wary of Lady Shiji. "Yan Huanyu, Meng Naihe, and Desolate Heaven died self-destructing their divine sources. Curse Bone and Rotten Stone God all died at the hands of the Fourth Confucian Ancestor. Er Juntian perished together with Hao Tian. The brutality of the Gray Sea battle is far beyond your imagination."
Lady Shiji said, "Even Er Juntian died. How did you survive?"
"I have my own way of survival!" Qinglu Divine King said.
"Did you really fight desperately in the Gray Sea?"
Lady Shiji knew Qinglu Divine King too well. This old rogue would never fight desperately for anyone but himself.
With his cultivation already at the mid-stage Half-Ancestor level, he still called himself a Divine King. Such shamelessness and disregard for face were unique among the world's top experts.
Qinglu Divine King sneered. "That's right. Why would I fight desperately for the Nether Ancestor like those fools Er Juntian? With my cultivation at this level, as long as I don't fight desperately, I won't die."
Lady Shiji asked, "What about Soul Mother? Is she still alive?"
"Soul Mother?"
Qinglu Divine King frowned, thought for a moment, then showed a look of sudden realization. "Haha, I see, I see. No wonder she kept hiding her identity. Zhang Ruochen's Abyssal Divine Sword appeared in her divine realm world. Now I understand everything! So Zhang Ruochen died at your hands."
Seeing that Qinglu Divine King didn't even know Soul Mother's identity, Lady Shiji felt greatly relieved. Who could have imagined that Soul Mother was still alive and had cultivated to the Half-Ancestor realm?
Qinglu Divine King said, "Soul Mother, disguised as the Nether Envoy, had captured Bore and Cihang Venerable, intending to refine them into the world spirit of the Life-and-Death Realm. Unfortunately, an accident occurred. Two terrifying figures emerged from Biluo Pass. They were the culprits behind the failure of this Minor Calamity."
Lady Shiji said, "Tell me in detail."
"One was the Great Brahma Heaven returning from the Myriad Realms of Mortal Dust. The other was the remnant soul reincarnation of the Life-and-Death Old Man. The Great Brahma Heaven returned at the Half-Ancestor level. I was no match for him. His combat power probably surpassed Xuan Yuan Haotian's. I was injured by him."
Qinglu Divine King's eyes were full of resentment. "Soul Mother, to prevent the Minor Calamity from being interrupted, voluntarily threw herself into the Life-and-Death Realm, becoming its world spirit. In the end, the Fourth Confucian Ancestor broke into the Life-and-Death Realm and perished together with her, their souls scattering."
Lady Shiji asked, "How many people know her true identity?"
Qinglu Divine King didn't answer immediately but thought carefully. "You don't need to worry. Even I didn't know her identity, let alone others. The Fourth Confucian Ancestor might have known, but unfortunately, he died in the Death Vortex, becoming nourishment for the Nether Ancestor."
Qinglu Divine King was worried that Zhang Ruochen's side might leak the truth and drag him down, so he had carefully considered his words on the way here.
Even if Lady Shiji later discovered that Bore and Cihang Venerable were still alive, she wouldn't worry about her identity being exposed.
When it came to lying through his teeth, Qinglu Divine King had some confidence.
Suddenly, Qinglu Divine King said, "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
"Are you that afraid of being silenced?" Lady Shiji's lips curled slightly as she smiled.
Qinglu Divine King gave a forced smile. "As long as I live, I hold leverage over you. You must be unable to sleep or eat in peace. But if you want to keep me here, it won't be easy. Why not part ways here and not provoke each other? You should believe that I'm not one to make enemies easily."
Lady Shiji laughed. "I've already sensed two extremely powerful auras heading toward this star region. They should be the ones chasing you, right? The Great Brahma Heaven and the Life-and-Death Old Man?"
Qinglu Divine King's expression changed several times.
Lady Shiji said, "Your identity has been exposed. The label of the Nether Ancestor faction can't be washed off. You can't return to the Shura Clan."
Qinglu Divine King said, "Are you saying there's no place for me in the world?"
"No! Although the Nether Ancestor is dead, the Yan Ancestor is still alive. Now is the time to employ people. Why would I kill you?"
Lady Shiji slowly stood up, her layers of robes emitting a riot of divine light. From her sleeve, she extended a snow-white, slender jade finger and pointed toward the temple gate.
"Whoosh!"
Countless rules and orders appeared before Qinglu Divine King's eyes, like a cocoon, airtight.
Among them were even Ancestor Rules.
Clearly, Lady Shiji was telling him that if she wanted to kill him, he couldn't escape.
Qinglu Divine King was naturally shocked by Lady Shiji's cultivation level. It seemed Zhang Ruochen was right—she had already separated her cauldron and body, and her cultivation had advanced significantly.
"Trying to intimidate me? If you don't reach the Ancestor realm, sooner or later, you'll have to strip naked and lie on Zhang Ruochen's bed to save your life. Heh!"
Qinglu Divine King believed that even if Lady Shiji's cultivation was very close to the Ancestor realm, she was still no match for Zhang Ruochen. When Zhang Ruochen decided to take revenge, that would be the time Lady Shiji would submit.
He was quite looking forward to that day, eager to see if Lady Shiji would still be as proud and confident as she was now.
Soon, a divine ship larger than a mountain slowly entered the Void World from the Real World.
The formation light on the ship's hull intermingled with the light of the Liuli Divine Temple. Zhang Ruochen, Fan Chen, and Shang Tian stood at the bow, looking down at the Liuli Divine Temple. The aura they emitted pressed down on the dozen or so Stone Clan divine beasts guarding the temple, making them tremble.
Bore flew out of the divine ship alone, heading toward the temple gate.
Only she had the background of the Hell Realm, making her the most suitable to meet Lady Shiji.
Before Bore could ascend the steps, Lady Shiji walked out of the temple, wearing a jade hairpin, a rainbow sash around her waist, graceful and elegant. Endless light rain scattered between heaven and earth.
Lady Shiji's gaze moved from the divine ship above to Bore below. "I've already heard everything from Xuan Yuan Dier! It's a great fortune that you managed to return alive."
Lady Shiji didn't fully trust Qinglu Divine King. She had been observing Bore, trying to see through her heart, to know if she knew that the Nether Envoy was Soul Mother, and that Soul Mother was once Lian Xi.
Zhang Ruochen had sent Bore to meet Lady Shiji to further dispel Lady Shiji's doubts, lest Qinglu Divine King's side reveal a flaw and ruin his plan.
Bore said, "Fortunately, the Great Brahma Heaven and the others were there. Otherwise, I would have surely died this time. Has the Lady sensed Qinglu Divine King's aura? That old traitor has betrayed the Hell Realm. He was the leader of the Asura Division among the Eight Divisions Followers in the Gray Sea."
Lady Shiji said, "Is that why you've come?"
Before Bore could speak, Shang Tian shouted coldly, "Shiji, Bore's every word is true. If you know where Qinglu Divine King is, you'd better tell us. Don't harbor him."
Lady Shiji smiled charmingly. "A mere Heavenly Venerable-rank dares to be so insolent before a Half-Ancestor?"
"Whoosh!"
Lady Shiji struck out with a palm.
Dark Qi and Dark Rules converged from all directions, heading straight for Shang Tian's brow, as if the darkness would devour his soul. She wasn't trying to kill Shang Tian.
Rather, she wanted to use this opportunity to test the strength of the Life-and-Death Old Man that Qinglu Divine King had mentioned.
Could he really be stronger than Xuan Yuan Haotian?
Zhang Ruochen stood motionless at the ship's bow. Life and Death Qi flew out from his left and right pupils respectively, clashing with the Dark Qi and Dark Rules surging toward Shang Tian.
Zhang Ruochen said coldly, "Is the number one beauty of ten thousand ages so bad-tempered? Killing at the slightest disagreement?"
Lady Shiji withdrew her palm. "This palm of mine is not something an ordinary Half-Ancestor can easily neutralize. Who exactly are you, sir? Your cultivation seems unfathomable."
"Who I am doesn't matter," Zhang Ruochen said.
"Since it doesn't matter, please leave! Bore, come into the temple and tell me in detail about the Gray Sea."
Lady Shiji looked sleepy and lazy, turning back toward the Liuli Divine Temple.
"Shiji, have you seen Qinglu Divine King or not?" Shang Tian shouted coldly again.
"If the Lady knew about Qinglu Divine King, she would have told you. Since she didn't speak, she must not know. Please forgive her, Shang Tian and Senior Life-and-Death."
Then, Bore bowed to the divine ship. "Thank you for your care along the way. Let us part here."
"Let's go. We'll search elsewhere. We can't let that old dog Qinglu escape."
Zhang Ruochen waved his sleeve, and the divine ship disappeared into space.
Fan Chen transmitted a message to Zhang Ruochen. "Are you really at ease leaving Bore in such danger?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "She's already an Indestructible Infinite, capable of standing on her own. Fooling Shiji is the most crucial part. I left a Life-and-Death imprint in Bore's body. If she's in danger, a billion miles of space is just a single step away."
Xuan Yuan Lian couldn't hear the conversation between Zhang Ruochen and Fan Chen. She walked out from inside the divine ship, looking at Zhang Ruochen with a bit more respect. "The Daoist's cultivation is truly extraordinary."
Zhang Ruochen ignored her and walked toward the interior of the divine ship. Suddenly, he stopped and muttered to himself, "I've suddenly thought of a key issue! Xuan Yuan Lian, you said the spatial fluctuations reached the Life-and-Death Realm Star at the exact moment Qishier Pin Lian was heading to the Desolate Universe?"
"That's right," Xuan Yuan Lian said.
"There's a big problem here!"
Zhang Ruochen said, "How did Qishier Pin Lian cross the vast space of the Desolate Universe and reach the center of the battlefield in such a short time? Someone was helping her."
"Was it the mysterious existence that activated the Seventy-Two Layer Tower?" Xuan Yuan Lian asked.
Zhang Ruochen said, "That's the only possibility! That existence was using Qishier Pin Lian. Qishier Pin Lian knew she was being used, yet she still resolutely executed Lan Ai Tong Fen, perishing together with the Nether Ancestor. Because she knew this was her only chance to kill the Nether Ancestor."
Shang Tian said, "The mysterious existence that activated the Seventy-Two Layer Tower must be the Immortal of the God Realm. What a terrifying scheme."
"You all return to the Heavenly Court first. I need to go see someone."
With these words, Zhang Ruochen disappeared from the divine ship.