Chapter 4154: A Meeting Gift
With the cultivation level and ghost body strength of the Black and White Daoist, he naturally could not withstand the ghost soul power of the Nine-Headed Dog at the Heavenly Venerable level. Therefore, Zhang Ruochen sealed most of the Nine-Headed Dog's power into the "Soul-Suppressing Pearl," one of the four great ancestral artifacts of the Ghost Clan.
The "Soul-Suppressing Pearl" was then refined into the Black and White Daoist's brow, becoming his third ghost eye.
By merely fusing with a portion of the ghost soul power, the combat strength the Black and White Daoist could unleash had already reached the peak of the Indestructible Infinite realm.
If he unsealed the Soul-Suppressing Pearl and released all the power of the Nine-Headed Dog, the Black and White Daoist could reach Heavenly Venerable-level combat power for a short time. However, this duration was very brief and would cause massive damage to his ghost body.
In the end, Xuan Yuan the Second and the Black and White Daoist had not fully absorbed all the cultivation of the "Cursed Bone" and the "Nine-Headed Dog." They were still at the middle stage of the Indestructible Infinite realm in terms of cultivation realm.
It was merely that, with Zhang Ruochen's help, they had obtained secret methods to mobilize the Heavenly Venerable-level combat power of the "Cursed Bone" and the "Nine-Headed Dog."
Of course, if one day they could fully comprehend, transform, absorb, and integrate the Dao of the "Cursed Bone" and the "Nine-Headed Dog," their cultivation realm would surely achieve a major breakthrough.
That would inevitably be a long process measured in tens of thousands of years.
The third ghost eye on the Black and White Daoist's brow slowly opened. Inside, it was pitch black, with countless yin souls swirling around, emitting the sounds of dogs barking.
"Hua!"
A dog head with ten eyes flew out from the ghost eye, massive as a hill.
The ten eyes were like yin moons, soul-shaking and spirit-startling.
"Haha, the power is profound, the ghost qi is pure and thick. This Nine-Headed Dog's cultivation achievement is truly remarkable! A ten-eyed head — throughout history, only the Great Demon God cultivated one. I didn't expect it had achieved it too!"
"If I could fully control its power, this old man could fight at the Heavenly Venerable level. Unfortunately... this old man is still at the middle stage of the Indestructible Infinite realm, and my ghost body's strength is somewhat lacking. I can only briefly unleash the Nine-Headed Dog's full combat power."
The Black and White Daoist was in high spirits, wishing he could go to the Bone God Temple right now and challenge all the Doomsday Priests there.
He wanted to fight ten of them.
Anyway, with the unfathomably powerful Life and Death Heavenly Venerable backing him, he feared nothing.
Before obtaining the power of the "Nine-Headed Dog," he had already agreed to be Zhang Ruochen's sharp blade. Partly because he was tired of the threats and provocations from Ghost Lord and other Doomsday Priests.
But more importantly, he also felt that the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom's construction of the Heaven and Earth Altar might not necessarily be to counter the Great Calamity. There was immense risk involved.
He could not entrust his life and fate to people he did not trust.
Now that a Life and Death Heavenly Venerable had emerged, someone who opposed the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom and had the strength to back it up, the Black and White Daoist naturally did not mind going along with the flow. He could gain benefits while also using the situation.
The price was merely calling him "adoptive father."
Ghost Clan cultivators never lacked adoptive fathers.
The Black and White Daoist retracted the ten-eyed dog head, closed his brow ghost eye, and proactively volunteered for battle: "Adoptive Father, may I ask who we should strike first? These Doomsday Priests are too arrogant. We must teach them a painful lesson to declare war on the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom."
"I suggest we first kill Ghost Lord. I can handle this matter."
"It must be done silently and without a trace. Then, the world will only know the name of the Life and Death Heavenly Venerable, but never know where the Life and Death Heavenly Venerable is. Mystery is what inspires the most fear."
The Life and Death Heavenly Venerable was likely a Primordial Ancestor. In the Black and White Daoist's view, the other party was probably tens of thousands of years older than him, so calling himself "son" was no problem at all.
Zhang Ruochen cast a light glance at him and said, "Ghost Lord cannot be killed. He is the future clan leader of the Ghost Clan."
The Black and White Daoist was stunned.
If Ghost Lord was the Ghost Clan leader, then what was he?
"You should go back now and announce that you are abdicating the Ghost Clan leader position to Ghost Lord," Zhang Ruochen said.
The Black and White Daoist was completely dumbfounded.
This was not what he had imagined.
Zhang Ruochen continued, "Since you have agreed to be my sharpest blade, you must cut off the past. Fighting the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom is no joke. One misstep and you risk falling, and it will also bring disaster upon the Ghost Clan."
"You are the toughest man among the Middle Three Clans, so you naturally have the courage. But what about the Ghost Clan? The Ghost Clan will be implicated."
"Only by abdicating the Ghost Clan leader position to Ghost Lord can you ensure that even if you are hunted by the entire Eternal Heavenly Kingdom in the future, the Ghost Clan will not suffer retaliation."
The Black and White Daoist felt he had boarded a pirate ship. He had only wanted to use the other party to deal with the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom. But it seemed he had underestimated the other party's scheming!
Too insidious!
The Black and White Daoist dared not curse aloud. He bowed and said in a low voice, "Adoptive Father, I want to be a hidden blade! The sharpest blade is often the assassin's blade. The most skilled assassin is often hidden in the most conspicuous place. The position of Ghost Clan leader is undoubtedly the best disguise."
Lian Xi snorted coldly: "What are you thinking? Being a hidden blade? Killing Doomsday Priests and still trying to hide it from Murong Duiji and the Eternal True Ruler? This is no joke. You could lose your life at any moment, but it will be a glorious and earth-shattering death. Otherwise, why would the Life and Death Heavenly Venerable have chosen you? Such a great opportunity is not easily obtained. You must risk your life to earn it."
Xuan Yuan the Second was very calm and said, "If you cherish your life while doing great deeds, you are not qualified to be an opponent of the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom."
The Black and White Daoist said, "Heavenly Venerable, can I still get off this ship now? I don't want this Nine-Headed Dog opportunity anymore! Rest assured, I will never reveal a word of today's events to anyone."
Lian Xi and Xuan Yuan the Second both sneered coldly.
Zhang Ruochen was not angry, nor did he intend to force the Black and White Daoist. He said, "I can tell you very clearly that the Divine Realm is extremely problematic. Building the Heaven and Earth Altar to lead all living beings in the universe against the Great Calamity has no chance of success. At the very least, the Eternal True Ruler does not have such strength!"
Xuan Yuan the Second said, "Even an existence like the Nether Ancestor had to harvest the entire universe to have any hope of withstanding the Great Calamity. The Eternal True Ruler's strength is far inferior to the Nether Ancestor in his injured state. How could he possibly have the ability to lead the entire universe into the new era after the Great Calamity?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "Doing something with no chance of success has only one explanation: the Eternal True Ruler has another purpose. Therefore, the Heaven and Earth Altar absolutely cannot be completed. The day it is completed will be the day all living beings in the universe are sacrificed."
"I am not the only one who can see this clearly. Many cultivators in the universe understand that this is unreasonable."
"Some are afraid and dare not oppose the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom. Some harbor illusions, thinking that since the Eternal True Ruler is the Second Confucian Ancestor, he can be trusted. Others have resigned themselves to fate, believing that the Minor Calamity is doomsday and the Great Calamity is also doomsday. There is no difference. Either way, they will die."
"But you are a clan leader! If you are afraid, if you resign yourself to fate, then the Ghost Clan has no reason to exist. In the future, being formlessly refined to break through to the Half-Ancestor realm will be the Ghost Clan's destiny."
"Either fight, or leave. Now, I leave the choice to you."
The Black and White Daoist turned and walked away, but after only a dozen steps, he turned back and said, "You're right. The Minor Calamity is doomsday, and the Great Calamity is also doomsday. There aren't many years left! Rather than living a few tens of thousands of years in cowardice, it's better to have a glorious and earth-shattering end. Oppose the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom, you say? This will definitely shake the entire universe. Fengdu Dadi was the backbone of the Ghost Clan. This old man will be the face of the Ghost Clan."
"Haha! This old fellow can truly be called the toughest man among the Middle Three Clans!" Xuan Yuan the Second said.
Zhang Ruochen handed the drop of Murong Huan's blood to Xuan Yuan the Second and said, "The Cursed Bone is most skilled in curses! Try to see if you can mobilize the power of the curse to kill Murong Huan."
"To wrestle with the Divine Realm, we must first know how many trump cards our opponents have. Only by dealing with Murong Duiji and leaving the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom with no one to use will the true power of the Divine Realm be revealed."
The Nether Ancestor faction had "Eight Winds, Ten Thousand Towers, Corpse and Ghost Forge the Nether City," with the four great experts — Life Ancestor, Thunder Clan, Corpse Nightmare, and Soul Mother — each commanding a host of experts under their banners, forming their own forces, deeply entrenched and stirring up trouble across the universe.
There were hidden forces like the "Eight Divisions Followers," as well as long-laid plans involving "Lady Shiji," "Yama Clan," and "Meng Clan."
How could the Divine Realm only have the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom as its sole force?
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After sending Xuan Yuan the Second and the Black and White Daoist away, the Green Wood Skiff sailed downstream at great speed. Half a day later, large stretches of yin trees appeared on both banks of the Santu River.
They were Yin Soul Bone Locust Trees!
The trunks were composed of wood and white bone, with branches made of bone spikes. The tallest could grow several thousand meters high, densely packed like a thorny jungle.
Zhang Ruochen disembarked.
Lian Xi tied the Green Wood Skiff to a Yin Soul Bone Locust Tree and followed him ashore.
The two walked through the thorny jungle.
The Yin Soul Bone Locust Trees seemed alive, constantly moving.
Lian Xi, walking behind, sensed something and said, "Xia Yu was right. He is indeed here. I have already sensed him spying on us."
Zhang Ruochen stopped and looked toward the jungle on the right.
"Chi chi!"
A wisp of soul mist flew from Lian Xi's fingertip, like a swimming snake, instantly crossing the dense forest and appearing before Chi Kunlun.
Chi Kunlun released the Six Paths Reincarnation Seal from within his body, colliding with the soul mist. His figure rapidly retreated and disappeared into space.
"Bang!"
The Six Paths Reincarnation Seal was shattered by the soul mist, but Chi Kunlun's trail was also lost.
A strange light flashed in Lian Xi's eyes. "He has already reached the initial stage of the Indestructible Infinite realm? How is his cultivation speed so fast?"
Chi Kunlun naturally could not escape. Just as he emerged from space, he saw the man and woman from before standing right in front of him.
His spine instantly chilled to the freezing point.
The cultivation of these two was too terrifying!
Zhang Ruochen said, "Take me to see Yan Wushen."
This sentence contained powerful divine might.
The command struck directly at the soul.
Chi Kunlun resisted with great difficulty. His spiritual will felt as if it were about to be pierced through, but he ultimately held firm and asked in a deep voice, "Who are you? How do you know we are hiding here?"
Zhang Ruochen nodded in satisfaction. "Good mental fortitude. Your will is strong enough. But with your cultivation level, you are not qualified to ask me questions."
"Ao!"
A dragon roar came from deep within the thorny jungle.
In an instant, countless time imprint light points enveloped the massive Swastika Azure Dragon as it charged out of the forest.
The Swastika Azure Dragon had a huge head, sharp fangs, and swallowed chaotic qi into its mouth, releasing a terrifying half-ancestor-level might.
Yan Wushen's true body, clad in a black robe, stood majestically atop the Swastika Azure Dragon's head. His face was resolute, his physique robust, and his pupils emitted infinite divine radiance, like a sovereign standing proudly between heaven and earth.
His thousand heads and thousand bodies were spread in all directions, standing in various spatial dimensions.
In the Real World, the Void World, and Lihentian, all had his figures.
In such a situation, if he wanted to leave, it would not be easy for ordinary cultivators to stop him.
"Your Excellency has profound cultivation and is a supreme being of this era. Bullying a junior is hardly interesting, is it?" Yan Wushen said.
Zhang Ruochen stood on the ground, exuding an immortal and transcendent aura, calm and distant. "I came here to make a deal with Corpse Nightmare! Can you convey this to him?"
Yan Wushen laughed. "I don't even know who you are. How can I know if you are qualified?"
Zhang Ruochen took out the Origin Lamp and said, "I came from Biluo Pass. Do you think I am qualified?"
Yan Wushen's smile faded as he re-examined Zhang Ruochen.
The Origin Lamp was in the hands of Hao Tian.
If Hao Tian had given the Origin Lamp to this Daoist, then this Daoist must have extraordinary abilities.
If this Daoist, as he claimed, had obtained the Origin Lamp from Biluo Pass, that would be even more terrifying. He would be someone who survived the battle five hundred years ago.
Yan Wushen leaped down from the Swastika Azure Dragon's head and walked forward step by step. "When did you leave Biluo Pass? And how did you obtain the Origin Lamp?"
"Let's talk about the deal first!"
Zhang Ruochen put away the Origin Lamp and got straight to the point. "I intend to deal with Murong Duiji and the Imperial Ancestor Divine Lord, cut off the Eternal True Ruler's arms, and delay the forging of the Heaven and Earth Altar. I hope Corpse Nightmare can restrain the Eternal True Ruler."
Yan Wushen said, "I, Yan Wushen, rarely respect anyone. If you truly have such courage, I will certainly regard you as a figure to be respected. But how can I trust you?"
"Do you think I came empty-handed? Since it's a deal, of course there is a meeting gift. Let's wait a moment," Zhang Ruochen said.
Before long, the Primordial Being's Heavenly Mechanism Old Clan Emperor hurried over. Seeing Zhang Ruochen and Lian Xi also present, a look of surprise appeared on his face.
The Chaos Old Clan Emperor, the Primordial Beginning Old Clan Emperor, the Hongmeng Old Clan Emperor, the Heavenly Mechanism Old Clan Emperor — the consciousness curses of these four had not yet been lifted, and they were now under Corpse Nightmare's banner.
Yan Wushen asked, "What happened?"
The Heavenly Mechanism Old Clan Emperor transmitted a message: "Two earth-shattering events occurred at the Bone God Temple. Murong Huan was cursed and killed by an unknown existence. The Black and White Daoist announced his abdication to Ghost Lord and captured Zhuo Yunzhen. Now, the entire Hell Realm is shaken, and it's causing a huge uproar."
"The Black and White Daoist actually has such courage? Is he going to confront the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom head-on?" Chi Kunlun said.
The Heavenly Mechanism Old Clan Emperor said, "It's not a confrontation. It's purely smashing an egg against a rock. He's just looking for death."
Yan Wushen could not help but show surprise as he looked at Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen smiled lightly and said, "Count the time. The Black and White Daoist and Erjia Heavenly King should be arriving soon. Go and receive them."
Lian Xi accepted the order and left.
"Yan Wushen, is my meeting gift sincere enough?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Yan Wushen became even more curious about the identity of this Daoist before him. "You were able to drive those two?"
"Just two blades. Nothing worth mentioning," Zhang Ruochen said.
"Do you think I came empty-handed? Since it's a deal, of course there is a meeting gift. Let's wait a moment," Zhang Ruochen said.
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