Chapter 4166: Gathering at the Heavenly Academy
The four continents of the Heavenly Court were all vast and boundless.
Divine formations existed between heaven domains, and realm boundaries separated saint domains.
Even with the Divine Realm as their enemy, Xuanyuan Second and the Black and White Daoist, despite their formidable combat power, acted with extreme caution. Over half a year, they had traveled through various heaven domains, destroying no more than a hundred altars in total.
However, according to the latest statistics from the Heavenly Palace, over two hundred and forty altars across the four continents of the Heavenly Court had already been damaged.
It could be said that most of the destroyed altars within the Heavenly Court were not their doing.
As for the thousands of altars destroyed outside the Heavenly Court, they had even less to do with them.
In just half a year, the situation had escalated to this point, completely beyond the expectations of both Xuanyuan Second and the Black and White Daoist. Their hearts grew increasingly uneasy, feeling as if a great calamity was about to befall them.
Thus, they decisively returned to the Five Elements Temple.
Outside the Divine Wood Garden.
"Why have you returned so soon? Have all four thousand and one Heaven and Earth Altars of the Heavenly Court been destroyed?" Lianxi's tone carried displeasure.
Xuanyuan Second and the Black and White Daoist were extremely curious about the identity of this Death Great Protector, who always wore a purple gauze hat. They felt she must be a figure of considerable fame, given that there were only so many female cultivators with profound cultivation.
However, the Death Great Protector was the foremost confidant of the "Life and Death Heavenly Venerable," and they dared not offend her, so they had never attempted to probe her.
The Black and White Daoist's face stiffened as he gave a bitter smile. "Now we don't even need to act. Every day, Heaven and Earth Altars are destroyed by some unknown force. The Divine Realm won't just sit back and take this. If this continues, something big is going to happen."
Xuanyuan Second chimed in, "All the blame is being pinned on us two. If the Divine Realm wants to make an example of someone, they'll kill us first."
The Black and White Daoist said, "The Doomsday Priests were attacked, cultivators from the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom were killed, and even the messy accounts of resource disputes within the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom over the past few hundred years have been laid at our feet. Balancing the books isn't done this way."
Xuanyuan Second added, "I heard that two hundred years ago, the theft of divine materials meant for building the Heaven and Earth Altar in the Fate Divine Domain was also pinned on us!"
The Black and White Daoist said, "I heard that the Eternal True Ruler has issued an Ancestral Decree, ordering Xuanyuan Taizhen and Yanluo Taishang to clean house within three years and kill us both. Two months ago, we had a close encounter with Xuanyuan Taizhen in the Southern Continent. Fortunately, the Heavenly Venerable obscured the heavenly secrets, so he didn't find us."
Xuanyuan Second said, "If this keeps fermenting, the Eternal True Ruler might come to the Heavenly Court himself to kill us. The situation is out of control. Please inform the Heavenly Venerable to let us go into seclusion for a while and lie low."
"Are you afraid already?" Lianxi said.
They both replied in unison, "When life and death are at stake, caution is necessary."
Lianxi's voice turned icy, "Isn't this your own doing? Who told you to leave divine inscriptions and names behind after destroying the altars? Do you two think you're not famous enough in the universe?"
Xuanyuan Second pointed at the Black and White Daoist, "It was all his idea."
The Black and White Daoist chuckled awkwardly, "Our initial plan was to raise two banners of resistance against the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom in the universe, to attract more cultivators to join us. We just didn't expect... didn't expect these people to be so sneaky, each one daring to act but not to take responsibility."
"All of them are spineless wretches," said Xuanyuan Second.
"You don't need to be so panicked. If the Eternal True Ruler were going to act, he would have done so long ago!"
Zhang Ruochen's voice rang out as he walked out of the thatched hut, his Daoist robe like a green cloud, drifting like an immortal.
"Greetings, Heavenly Venerable."
Xuanyuan Second bowed.
"Father!"
"With outsiders present, you must call me Heavenly Venerable."
...
"Greetings, Heavenly Venerable."
The Black and White Daoist quickly corrected himself.
With a wave of his sleeve, Zhang Ruochen sent out two divine pills. "These are soul pills refined from the half-ancestor divine soul of the Dragon Scale. They will be immensely beneficial to you."
The Black and White Daoist, being a ghost clan member, found the half-ancestor soul pill as valuable as a divine medicine.
Holding the pill in his hand, he was overjoyed. "The divine soul and Dao of the Nine-Headed Dog are already enough for me to digest for tens of thousands of years. How could I deserve this half-ancestor soul pill?"
This kind of saturated, high-level cultivation resource arrangement was only possible for an Ancestor.
It was like the Ancestor personally feeding him.
Was this the benefit of following an Ancestor?
The Black and White Daoist felt that the past million-plus years of his life had been wasted!
No wonder so many cultivators had submitted to the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom, and no wonder the Nether Ancestor faction was teeming with experts. The resources in the hands of the Immortal must be even more extraordinary.
"If you don't want it, you can give it to me," said Xuanyuan Second.
The Black and White Daoist shot him a mocking glance that said, "How can you be so greedy?" and immediately hid the half-ancestor soul pill away.
Zhang Ruochen let out a soft exclamation and looked toward the mountain path outside the Divine Wood Garden, a smile appearing in his eyes. "Interesting."
The others present followed his gaze.
But they saw nothing unusual.
Void Heaven, using the order power of the Path of Nothingness, had concealed the forms of himself and Well Daoist, so naturally, outsiders could not see them.
"Second, don't blame me for mocking you. With your courage and strength, you still want to be the master of the Heavenly Palace? Just a mere former site of the Heavenly Academy has scared you off?"
Void Heaven's head swayed with the Sword Source Divine Tree as he walked down the mountain. "To be the ruler of a universe, one must have great courage and fearlessness."
"If it weren't so important, would I have come to beg you?"
Well Daoist, short and rotund, wearing a Daoist robe with the character "Well," showed displeasure. "I've already investigated three times. The back mountain of the Heavenly Academy is truly off. There's definitely something wrong beneath the main altar, and it's very dangerous."
"To touch the main altar of the Heavenly Court universe, of course it's dangerous. If we're not careful, we might even provoke the Eternal True Ruler. Don't forget, the Heavenly Academy was founded by him. Second, if it weren't for our deep bond, who would wade into this muddy water for you? After this, don't bother me again," said Void Heaven.
Well Daoist caught up, smiling, "Don't worry, we won't provoke the Eternal True Ruler. We'll just pin it all on Xuanyuan Second and the Black and White Old Ghost. No one will suspect us."
Void Heaven had heard the legends of Xuanyuan Second and the Black and White Daoist more than once over the past half year, and he was very dissatisfied.
Xuanyuan Second was one thing, but who did the Black and White Daoist think he was?
What right did he have to be so tough?
All the limelight among the gods of the Hell Realm had been stolen by him alone!
Now, in the eyes of the cultivators of the Hell Realm, the Black and White Daoist might actually be considered his equal.
What qualifications did he, the Black and White Ghost, have?
Well Daoist knew that Void Heaven had always been competitive and understood his current mood. "Xuanyuan Second and the Black and White Old Ghost are only so reckless because they have an Ancestor backing them. In terms of strength, courage, and wisdom, how can they compare to us two?"
After Void Heaven and Well Daoist had gone far.
Zhang Ruochen narrowed his eyes. "Truly, we find it after searching high and low. That old fellow is actually hiding in the Five Elements Temple. Crane Qing Envoy, Death Great Protector, you two will accompany me to the Heavenly Academy. The rest of you, stay in the Divine Wood Garden!"...
The main altar, using a Stone God Star as its foundation, was undoubtedly of great importance.
With it in place, it posed a tremendous threat to the entire Heavenly Court.
Zhang Ruochen deduced that many forces within the Heavenly Court were converging on the heaven domain where the Heavenly Academy was located, clearly intending to use this special time, under the names of Xuanyuan Second and the Black and White Daoist, to destroy the main altar.
Well Daoist had investigated it three times but dared not act.
The Divine Realm's forces guarding the main altar were certainly not as simple as they appeared on the surface.
For this reason, Zhang Ruochen decided to go there personally.
The Heavenly Academy had long since moved to the Sword Realm, but its old site remained.
This heaven domain had suffered many great calamities. Mountain ranges were severed, and earth fissures and deep valleys were everywhere, with battle traces from hundreds of thousands of years ago still visible.
Xuanyuan Lian, dressed in white like snow, holding a folding fan, appeared like a handsome young man on the peak of a broken mountain range.
Her beautiful eyes, misty, gazed toward the direction of the old Heavenly Academy site.
The space within a hundred thousand li was twisted and sunken. Countless cultivators were continuously transporting various materials for building the main altar.
When Murong Dui Ji had been stationed here, this place had become a second Heavenly Palace, with gods coming to pay respects every day.
Although several Doomsday Priests still sat guard at the main altar, they were now confined within, unable to go out, having lost their former prestige.
Throughout the entire Divine Realm faction, who was not afraid of the two killing gods, Xuanyuan and Black and White?
Shang Tian, Bian Zhuang War God, and Zhao Gongming successively ascended the mountain peak, appearing beside Xuanyuan Lian.
Zhao Gongming, riding a black tiger, was fierce and imposing. "Is the information accurate? There's no sign of it at all. If I were going to attack the main altar, I wouldn't leak the news."
Bian Zhuang War God said, "How can one judge the actions of Xuanyuan Second and the Black and White Daoist by common sense?"
They had come upon hearing the news that Xuanyuan Second and the Black and White Daoist were about to attack the main altar.
Zhao Gongming said, "Second Master should have arrived before us. I wonder if he's hiding inside the Heavenly Academy?"
Second Master referred to Xuanyuan Taizhen.
Bian Zhuang War God, his armor gleaming in the sunlight, his brows sharp, said, "With the Ancestral Decree issued, Second Master is under great pressure. If he can't deal with Xuanyuan Second and clean house, does he really have to go to the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom to accept punishment? He is still the master of the Heavenly Palace, representing the face of the entire Heavenly Court universe."
The coup half a year ago had fizzled out due to the battle between Zhang Ruochen and Dragon Scale.
The news of the attack on the main altar was naturally not spread by Xuanyuan Second and the Black and White Daoist.
It was Well Daoist's doing.
His aim was to muddy the waters, both to test whether there was an unknown force inside the Heavenly Academy and to make it easier for him and Void Heaven to act.
In the future, framing Xuanyuan Second and the Black and White Daoist would be more convincing.
The Dragon Lord, dressed in the ordinary attire of a saint realm martial cultivator, followed a team transporting altar materials into this heaven domain, traversing an endless desert.
He was still hundreds of thousands of li from the Heavenly Academy.
He, too, had heard that Xuanyuan Second and the Black and White Daoist were planning something big. With the convergence of forces, he had come specifically. If the matter was feasible, he naturally intended to lend a hand.
"Whoosh!"
A spatial ripple appeared in midair.
Lianxi, draped in a wide black robe and wearing a purple gauze hat, stepped out of the spatial ripple, hovering dozens of feet above the ground. "Dragon Lord, Ji Wang."
The Dragon Lord sensed that his divine consciousness had been locked onto by the other party and looked over. Outwardly calm, his heart was in turmoil.
Exposed?
With his current cultivation level, once he concealed his aura and obscured the heavenly secrets, hiding in the Heavenly Court, a great plane filled with many gods, how could he be so easily detected?
The Dragon Lord remained composed. "Who might you be?"
"You don't need to know who I am. My master wishes to see you. Come with me!" Lianxi said.
The Dragon Lord was extremely calm, probing with his divine soul thoughts. But as soon as the thoughts approached Lianxi, they were blocked by half-ancestor-level order.
Even a half-ancestor had to call someone master. In the entire universe, there were only a few such beings.
The Dragon Lord silently calculated his chances of escape if he chose to flee.
Was that "master" also nearby?
If it truly was an Ancestor-level existence, the Dragon Lord knew that even if he mobilized the Ancestral Dragon Qi from the Dragon Nest and donned the Ancestral Dragon Armor, he could not escape the other's grasp.
The only gamble was that the other party was also hiding their tracks and dared not escalate the situation.
Lianxi said, "Rest assured, my master means you no harm. He only wishes to make a deal with you."
The Dragon Lord smiled and shook his head, reverting to his true form, warm and unrestrained. "Lead the way!"
From beginning to end, the other saint realm cultivators in the team remained motionless, as if time had stopped.
Zhang Ruochen sat on the city wall of a newly built saint city not far from the Heavenly Academy. From this position, he could gaze into the distance at the outline of the main altar hidden within the clouds.
Before him was a long wooden table.
On the table were eight bronze chimes.
Lianxi and the Dragon Lord ascended the city wall, walking step by step from behind Zhang Ruochen.
Seeing the bronze chimes on the table and the Crane Qing Divine Venerable standing beside Zhang Ruochen, the Dragon Lord immediately recognized the man's identity.
Someone who could severely wound Murong Dui Ji was undoubtedly terrifying.
"May I ask how the senior saw through my heavenly secrets and tracked my movements?"
The wind on the city wall was sharp and swift, causing the golden hair on the Dragon Lord's head to sway.
Zhang Ruochen held the Human Head Scepter in his hand, not turning around. "When you collected the Ancestral Dragon flesh and blood, you exposed the starting point of your heavenly secret traces. No matter how you hide afterward, the trajectory is clear in my mind. At my level of cultivation, within the spatial boundaries of a mere Heavenly Court plane, once you show yourself, you can never disappear again."
The Dragon Lord's scalp tingled, gaining a deeper understanding of the Ancestor.
He would have to be even more cautious in the future.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I am not showing off my strength, but telling you that your situation is dangerous. From the moment you were exposed, you have been in danger."
Lianxi said, "The Dragon Lord might think my master is exaggerating. But in truth, the Ancestor hiding in the Heavenly Court is not just my master. The Hongmeng Black Dragon and the Dark Sovereign are hiding in Buzhou Mountain and have already fought with my master. They cannot be uninterested in the Dragon Nest!"
The Dragon Lord quickly pondered the truth of their words and their purpose. "Did the senior stop them?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "To be precise, it was my special identity that made them restrain themselves, which is why they did not act against you."
Whether it was Hao Tian or Zhang Ruochen, if the Dragon Lord encountered danger in the Heavenly Court, they would certainly step in to save him.
Before the Dragon Lord could speak, Zhang Ruochen continued, "You don't need to feel indebted to me, nor will I use this to coerce you. I invited you here to make a deal."
With a sweep of his Daoist robe sleeve,
The space before him tore apart like a piece of paper, revealing the Ancestral Dragon corpse lying in the divine realm world.
Seeing the Ancestral Dragon corpse, the Dragon Lord's eyes shot out sharp beams of light, then he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "May I ask if the senior is the legendary Life and Death Heavenly Venerable?"
"Xuanyuan Tai Hao did indeed pass the position of Heavenly Venerable to me. You may address me as such," Zhang Ruochen said, his tone aged and profound.