Chapter 4153: Adopted as Godfather
Five hundred years ago, the news that the Red Crow King had assassinated the Blood Absolute Clan Leader but was instead suppressed by Void Heaven spread throughout the Hell Realm, causing a sensation at the time.
Back then, relying on this piece of news, Zhang Ruochen had analyzed many things.
The Red Crow King was a Half-Ancestor.
Even if ambushed, as long as he was determined to flee, it would be difficult for Void Heaven to keep him there.
Moreover, at that time, the Nether Ancestor Faction was powerful, and Void Heaven did not yet have the audacity to confront them head-on.
He must have had something to rely on.
In Zhang Ruochen's view, Xia Yu definitely could not have access to secrets like "Heavenly Demon Emergence." Therefore, he could only rely on her description to reconstruct that battle as accurately as possible.
From this, he could analyze Void Heaven's mindset at the time and determine whether the Heavenly Demon had already been rescued.
In fact, Zhang Ruochen even felt that when Void Heaven suppressed the Red Crow King, the Heavenly Demon might have been present.
Xia Yu spoke in great detail, and Zhang Ruochen listened quietly. But she refused to board the green wooden boat, still standing on the shore.
Clearly, she could not face Zhang Ruochen with her current appearance. Being farther away was somewhat better.
After finishing, Xia Yu said, "I don't know exactly what information you want to extract from this. This is all I know. In fact, the Imperial Dust could completely go see the Clan Leader; he surely knows all the secrets. The Clan Leader..."
"The Clan Leader has always believed you had fallen. Although he said nothing, everyone could feel his change. He became silent and withdrawn, introverted and cold."
"Whether due to repeated injuries, burning his lifespan, or perhaps cultivating too long under the Sundial, he has aged greatly, with frost at his temples, no longer possessing the sharpness and arrogance of the past, his face and heart seeming to have aged by hundreds of thousands of years."
"Since the Imperial Dust has returned, he will surely be overjoyed, will laugh heartily, and will definitely pull you in for a hearty drink."
Back then, even the Ancestors present were deeply convinced. How could anyone believe Zhang Ruochen was still alive?
Even Blood Absolute and Heavenly Mother, who were slightly in the know, sighed silently, thinking Zhang Ruochen's plan had failed and he had truly fallen. Perhaps only a sliver of hope remained.
He died in the starry sky, died before everyone's eyes.
The reason some cultivators still assassinated the Blood Absolute Clan Leader and those close to Zhang Ruochen was purely because they could not accept the fact that Zhang Ruochen had fallen.
How could the most important pawn fall?
How could the number one under heaven fall?
Others sought to seize the supreme treasures Zhang Ruochen had once possessed.
After Zhang Ruochen's death, many treasures vanished, involving the Nine Cauldrons, the Mani Pearl, and multiple first-rank divine artifacts.
Many cultivators believed Zhang Ruochen had foreseen his death and thus gave away most of his treasures. Those closest to him must have received a share.
"For now, if I don't meet with Grandfather, he will be in less danger."
Zhang Ruochen listened to the wind and the sound of water lapping against the boat, his eyes flickering with the wisdom to see through all things in the world. "The Eternal Heavenly Kingdom building the Heaven and Earth Altar has unfathomable intentions. I have only met the Eternal True Ruler once, and it is hard to judge what kind of person he is. For now, the Hell Realm cooperating with the Corpse Nightmare Faction is understandable."
"But you must remember, the sacred foundations of various clans like White Cang Star, Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm, and Shura Battle Soul Sea were stolen. The Black Flood Dragon and the Dark Venerable are the most likely culprits. The Corpse Demon and the Eternal True Ruler may also have acted."
"Everyone has their own goals."
"This kind of cooperation, like plotting with a tiger, is purely for survival, and the relationship is fragile. Caution should outweigh trust."
"Is the Red Crow King already dead?"
Xia Yu said, "Highly likely. Only Void Heaven knows the specifics. This might become the biggest variable in the alliance between the Corpse Nightmare Faction and the Hell Realm!"
Zhang Ruochen shook his head. "You overestimate the Red Crow King's status within the Corpse Nightmare Center! A Half-Ancestor is indeed as great as the heavens to any clan in the Hell Realm. If he falls, it becomes a ten-thousand-generation enmity."
"But in the eyes of an Ancestor, the lives of all cultivators can be measured by value. To the current Corpse Nightmare, the value of the Hell Realm far exceeds the life of the Red Crow King."
"Give me that drop of blood from Murong Huan!"
After putting away the drop of Murong Huan's blood, Zhang Ruochen turned into a gentle breeze, disappearing from the boat and appearing before Xia Yu.
He extended a finger toward Xia Yu's brow.
Knowing what he intended to do, Xia Yu shook her head vigorously, bloodshot eyes appearing, her emotions intense, tears streaming. "Zhang Ruochen, you cannot erase my memory. You cannot be so cruel. You know that even if I die, I will never reveal that you are still alive, never. No one can search my soul. I swear to you... Don't erase my memory... Please..."
When she spoke the last three words, she no longer resembled a peak Great Unbound Infinite powerhouse, her voice filled with sobs and pleas.
Zhang Ruochen hesitated for a moment, then flicked her brow.
"Hua!"
A life-and-death imprint fell into her sea of consciousness.
Xia Yu touched her forehead. That segment of memory had not been lost.
"I have placed a life-and-death imprint in your sea of consciousness. If someone searches your soul, this imprint will wrap around all the memories just now and burn them away."
Zhang Ruochen stood with one hand behind his back, gazing at the vast Santu River. "For now, don't tell Luo Ran about my matters. Although she is extremely intelligent, she is too bold and will act on her own, unable to control herself from coming to see me. The current Bone God Temple is being watched by forces from all sides; not a single mistake can be made."
Then, Zhang Ruochen took out a scroll.
"This battle scroll is called the 'Haoran Fentu Tu.' I painted it casually while studying the Fourth Confucian Ancestor's Haoran Divine Path. At the most dangerous moment, unfold it, and its power can wound a Half-Ancestor."
Zhang Ruochen dared not entrust his own power to Xia Yu.
He dared not reveal any flaws anywhere.
Letting Xia Yu use the Fourth Confucian Ancestor's power would instead muddy the waters.
Who knows if the Fourth Confucian Ancestor is dead or hidden?
Zhang Ruochen had only studied the Haoran Divine Path for a short time, but he had already comprehended over fifty percent of it.
With his current cultivation, insight, understanding, and Dao methods, everything was interconnected. Any divine path or divine ability could be grasped in a short time.
The Black and White Daoist's body—ten teachings—a drunkard—a branch—a limb—a huge black and white Taiji imprint.
He had white hair, tied in a Daoist bun.
At this moment, he was extremely angry, his face somewhat twisted.
After sending off the triumphant Ghost Lord, Mingye Shenzun and Heqing Shenzun walked in from outside.
They sensed that the Black and White Daoist was on the verge of losing control, his emotions triggering spatial changes, with countless black and white lightning bolts interweaving in the hall.
Heqing Shenzun said cautiously, "Master, the Ghost Lord..."
"Don't mention him. I will eventually devour all his souls." The Black and White Daoist said angrily.
Laughter suddenly sounded outside the hall: "Haha, the dignified Ghost Clan Clan Leader, an Indestructible Infinite level existence, only dares to make threats after the Ghost Lord has left. The Ghost Lord is only at Great Unbound Infinite, right?"
"Which rat dares to show himself?"
Black and white lightning bolts flew from the Black and White Daoist's eyes, passed through the hall door, and struck in the direction of the laughter.
Xuanyuan Di'er, holding a Zen staff in one hand and forming the Fearless Seal with the other, emerged from space, using Xuan Huang Divine Qi to dissolve the incoming black and white lightning bolts without a trace.
"Erjia Heavenly King!"
The Black and White Daoist squinted his eyes, his heart shaken like a stormy sea.
He had not held back just now; he had used all his strength to unleash a divine ability.
But Xuanyuan Di'er, at the same cultivation level, stood still and dissolved his divine ability with divine qi.
How was that possible?
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Xuanyuan Di'er strode into the hall, laughing endlessly: "I am truly curious, Clan Leader, what exactly are you afraid of? Why do you fear even a mere Ghost Lord? The reputation of the number one tough guy among the Middle Three Clans seems somewhat undeserved."
The Black and White Daoist could certainly hear the contempt and mockery in Xuanyuan Di'er's words, which only added fuel to the fire, making him even angrier.
What had he done to offend this man, causing him to come specifically to mock him?
If not for the unfathomable depth Xuanyuan Di'er had just displayed, like a deep abyss, the Black and White Daoist would have already lashed out. How could he have let him enter the hall?
Xuanyuan Di'er was not afraid of angering the Black and White Daoist at all and continued laughing: "Just now, the Ghost Lord left triumphantly, carrying the Soul-Suppressing Banner. It was no different from carrying away the Clan Leader's wives and concubines... No, I misspoke. How could a mere wife or concubine compare to the Soul-Suppressing Banner?"
"Clan Leader, isn't this a huge loss of face? In the past, the Ghost Lord wouldn't have dared to be so presumptuous. I remember about fifty years ago, he only dared to ask you for the Earthly Fiend Ghost City."
"Human desires grow, and so do ghosts'."
"The Ghost Lord will not be satisfied with just the Soul-Suppressing Banner! The Ghost Clan's four ancestral artifacts will surely be taken by him one by one. Clan Leader, are you just going to silently endure his humiliation?"
The Ghost Clan's four ancestral artifacts were the Soul-Suppressing Banner, the Soul-Suppressing Pearl, the Soul-Suppressing Platform, and the Soul-Suppressing Hall.
These four artifacts formed a set, containing Ancestor Divine Qi and formation inscriptions left by a Spiritual Power Ancestor. They were only activated when the Ghost Clan faced life-or-death crises.
When the four artifacts formed a formation, their power was limitless.
At this moment, Xuanyuan Di'er was ten times more hateful than the Ghost Lord, speaking harshly and hitting sore spots, making the Black and White Daoist gnash his teeth.
Xuanyuan Di'er sighed: "The Great Emperor left the four ancestral artifacts to you to deal with powerful enemies, yet you don't cherish them, giving them away to a junior at Great Unbound Infinite. The Great Emperor entrusted the wrong person!"
The Black and White Daoist's teeth chattered for a long time before he suddenly calmed down: "What exactly do you want? Speak plainly. Your words are harder to bear than insults. If you don't give a reasonable explanation, I will make you see what it means to be the number one tough guy among the Middle Three Clans!"
Xuanyuan Di'er glanced at Mingye Shenzun and Heqing Shenzun, then changed his hand seal.
Immediately, the two ghosts, one black and one white, were swept away by a spatial vortex and flew out of the hall.
Only then did Xuanyuan Di'er say: "The Clan Leader fears not the Ghost Lord, but the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom behind him."
The Black and White Daoist stood up, his ten-zhang-tall humanoid form exuding a sense of oppression: "A mere Ghost Lord is nothing to worry about. But the Ghost Lord hit a sore spot: the Divine Martial Envoy, Invisible, is responsible for building the Hell Realm's main altar. He will definitely target the Ghost Clan."
Xuanyuan Di'er nodded in agreement: "It is said that Invisible is a celestial alien ghost, taking wind as his body, formless and substance. To increase his cultivation and quickly break through to the Half-Ancestor realm, the fastest and best method is to devour ghost souls."
"In the past, with the Spirit Ancestor Faction to check and balance, the cultivators of the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom dared not antagonize major forces. They called themselves saviors, all righteous and self-disciplined."
"After the Nether Ancestor died, the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom became the sole dominant power, no longer needing to pretend."
"Invisible will surely use the pretext of building the main altar to devour souls and spirits. At that point, the Ghost Clan must either silently endure or resist. But once they resist, the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom will have an excuse to deal with them!"
"After all, the Great Calamity is approaching, the end times are already in sight. Even if the entire Ghost Clan is wiped out, it's no big deal. Has the Clan Leader ever seen the empty Tianhuang? The entire Tianhuang Universe is dead!"
The Black and White Daoist truly felt Xuanyuan Di'er deserved a beating, but he held back and said: "The Ghost Lord said that offering the Soul-Suppressing Banner could ensure the Ghost Clan's safety."
"Offering it to Invisible? Haha, once Invisible tastes the sweetness of the Soul-Suppressing Banner, he will surely find ways to seize the Soul-Suppressing Hall, the Soul-Suppressing Pearl, and the Soul-Suppressing Platform. Where does desire end? Once the four ancestral artifacts are in hand, he can begin soul-suppressing, and the target will be the Ghost Clan." Xuanyuan Di'er laughed endlessly.
The Black and White Daoist could not bear it any longer and said coldly: "Your Xuanyuan Clan is no better. You offered Kongming Ruins."
"True, Xuanyuan Tai is a coward. But now, a figure of unparalleled talent has emerged in the world, ready to contend with the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom. Clan Leader, would you like to meet him?" Xuanyuan Di'er said.
The Black and White Daoist, having sat in the Clan Leader's position for many years, was far more cunning and shrewd than Xuanyuan Di'er. He immediately realized that this was the reason Xuanyuan Di'er had come to mock and provoke him.
He was trying to provoke him!
The Black and White Daoist quickly calmed down, worried about making a wrong decision in anger, and said: "Contend with the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom? Are you talking about the Black Flood Dragon or the Dark Venerable?"
"Could it not be the Corpse Nightmare?" Xuanyuan Di'er said.
The Black and White Daoist said: "Every cultivator in the entire Nether Clan Faction wishes to break every bone in your body and feed them to the dogs. Don't you know that yourself?"
Xuanyuan Di'er smiled and said: "Actually, neither! The person I speak of has some connection with the Clan Leader and thinks highly of you, intending to nurture you. A great opportunity is right before your eyes, depending on whether the Clan Leader can seize it!"
"Connected to me?"
The Black and White Daoist became interested.
Even if only because the other party wanted to contend with the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom, the Black and White Daoist felt he needed to meet him.
If he could use the other party to eliminate Invisible, it would solve the immediate crisis.
As for the so-called great opportunity, he didn't take it to heart at all. At his age, how could he be so easily deceived?
If they were not related by blood or friendship, why would a great opportunity fall on him?
Walking with Xuanyuan Di'er by the Santu River and seeing Zhang Ruochen sitting on the green wooden boat, the Black and White Daoist was momentarily dazed.
The other party was also a Daoist, with black and white life-and-death qi flowing around him.
The Black and White Daoist secretly wondered if he truly had some extraordinary connection with this person.
If not for the fact that ghosts could not reproduce, the Black and White Daoist might have suspected the other party was one of his ancestors, crossing the River of Time to come here.
Zhang Ruochen said: "Have you told him my identity?"
Xuanyuan Di'er released a Heavenly Venerable-level divine might and pressed down, saying solemnly: "The one before you has returned from Biluo Pass. He is the remnant soul of the Life-and-Death Elder achieving the Dao. Hao Tian has entrusted the entire Heavenly Court Universe to him. The reason my cultivation and combat power have reached the Heavenly Venerable level is due to the Life-and-Death Heavenly Venerable's handiwork."
"Black and White Daoist, why do you not kneel and pay homage?"
The Black and White Daoist was shocked beyond words.
Every word Xuanyuan Di'er spoke carried information that exploded like thunder in his ears.
The Heavenly Venerable-level divine might on Xuanyuan Di'er was like countless great worlds pressing down on the Black and White Daoist's head, truly making it hard for him to lift it.
The Black and White Daoist cupped his hands and bowed: "Paying respects to the Life-and-Death Heavenly Venerable."
At this point, whether Xuanyuan Di'er spoke truth or falsehood, at least the Daoist on the small boat possessed terrifying cultivation, not someone he could afford to offend.
"Kneel!" Zhang Ruochen said calmly.
The Black and White Daoist stared at the ground, his heart trembling.
A scholar can be killed but not humiliated.
Was this going too far?
Zhang Ruochen said: "If you want to inherit a great opportunity like Xuanyuan Di'er's, do you think this bow is enough?"
The Black and White Daoist's body seemed to ignite, trembling with excitement.
A great opportunity like Xuanyuan Di'er's?
Five hundred years ago, Xuanyuan Di'er was at the same level as him, Indestructible Infinite Middle Stage.
Now, he exuded Heavenly Venerable-level aura and pressure.
The other party dared to contend with the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom, likely an Ancestor-level figure. What harm was there in kneeling? Kneeling to an Ancestor was absolutely not shameful.
First, seize the opportunity.
The Black and White Daoist was worldly-wise and could bend and stretch. He immediately knelt and said: "Paying respects to Master."
"Master?"
Zhang Ruochen frowned slightly and shook his head: "I cannot teach you much, nor do I have the time to teach you. But such a great opportunity cannot be given to an outsider for free. How about this: you may worship me as your godfather!"
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