# Chapter 4169: Meeting Corpse Yan
Void Heaven had some anticipation regarding this Daoist's identity, but was still secretly shocked.
The successor chosen by Hao Tian was actually a Primordial Ancestor.
Whether this was a blessing or a curse for the Heavenly Court Universe remained to be seen.
After all, this Primordial Ancestor's style of conduct was somewhat radical, constantly probing the bottom line of the Divine Realm.
Very dangerous!
Well Daoist slapped his forehead, suddenly understanding: "I see! Sheng Si is Life and Death, it was Zhen Yuan who brought you back to the temple. Sure enough, young people lack experience, being deceived without even knowing it."
"Zhen Yuan knows this poor Daoist's identity," Zhang Ruochen said.
Well Daoist said: "Oh? So it was this temple master who was kept in the dark. Good, this deceiving master and betraying ancestor Zhen..."
Well Daoist's voice grew softer and softer, because he realized that the one standing opposite him was a Primordial Ancestor, someone who could slap even the corpse of Primordial Ancestor Yaksha King flying with one palm strike, not someone he could afford to offend.
Void Heaven said: "Life and Death Heavenly Venerable could destroy the Heavenly Academy with absolute ease. This old man truly does not understand, why must the Heavenly Venerable forcefully drag the two of us into this?"
When saying this, Void Heaven tried his utmost to control his emotions.
"Resentment?" Zhang Ruochen said.
"Wouldn't dare," Void Heaven said.
Well Daoist was always half a beat slow, then slapped his forehead again, saying: "I see! The news that the foundation stone of the main altar is a Stone God Star was told to Zhen Yuan by you, sir, with the purpose of drawing this temple master into the game."
Zhang Ruochen said: "You don't want the Stone God Star?"
Well Daoist immediately stepped back, retreating behind Void Heaven.
Zhang Ruochen's tone was unhurried, but his voice carried penetrating power: "The main altar within the Heavenly Academy is the greatest threat to the Heavenly Court, and someone must go to uproot it. This seat originally chose Well Temple Master. Xu Fengjin, it was you who willingly entered the game."
Void Heaven wanted very much to refute this.
Yes, he had entered the game willingly, but only halfway; the other half had been forcibly pushed in by the other party.
Now that the Heavenly Academy was broken, all cultivators under heaven believed it was Void Heaven who had joined forces with Black and White Daoist and Xuan Yuan the Second to accomplish this. Things he hadn't done, yet couldn't explain clearly at all.
To refute a Primordial Ancestor, even if one won, what then? Void Heaven decided to swallow the words he wanted to say.
Not being schemed against by Corpse Demon, Dark Sovereign, or Hongmeng Black Dragon was already the best possible outcome.
Void Heaven thought for a moment, then asked the most practical question: "The Heavenly Venerable waited for the two of us here, and laid out all matters completely. It seems you intend to use the two of us. May I ask how?"
Well Daoist's heart jumped, realizing that great disaster was imminent.
Now that he and Void Heaven knew the other party's secrets, if they could not be used by him, they would certainly be silenced.
Zhang Ruochen said: "Xu Fengjin, you have managed to survive through the great storms of this past million-plus years. You are indeed a clever man. This seat will not beat around the bush. There is one matter I wish to entrust to the two of you."
"Before the Fourth Confucian Ancestor died, he revealed a secret. He said that the Heavenly Demon is not dead, but imprisoned within the Divine Realm."
"If the two of you can go to the Divine Realm and rescue him, it will be a great merit. Whether it be Xuan Yuan Taizhen or the Eternal True Arbiter, all troubles, this seat will handle for you!"
Zhang Ruochen intended to extract information about the Heavenly Demon's whereabouts from Void Heaven's mouth, but could not ask directly, so he used this method to force him to speak.
Void Heaven's eyes rolled, countless thoughts arising in his mind.
Well Daoist heard this news for the first time, greatly delighted: "The Heavenly Demon is not dead? Excellent! The Heavenly Demon is a transcendent existence who once suppressed the Great Demon God. If he returns, he will surely lead the current cultivators to resist the Divine Realm together. Heavenly Venerable, are you preparing to go with us to the Divine Realm to rescue people?"
Zhang Ruochen shook his head, saying: "The Heavenly Court still needs this seat to oversee it! If the two of you agree, this seat will now open a passage to the Divine Realm and send you on your way."
Zhang Ruochen waved to He Qing.
He Qing walked over with a jade plate holding wine cups. Zhang Ruochen picked up one of them, saying: "This seat wishes in advance for your triumphant return. Why do the two of you not raise your cups?"
Well Daoist's face had already turned the color of pig liver. Void Heaven had even tucked his hands into his sleeves.
Zhang Ruochen's expression darkened. He threw the wine cup back onto the jade plate, saying: "As a Primordial Ancestor, being able to discuss a matter with you so calmly is something you should cherish. If you refuse, it is no matter. This seat is not without people to use."
The air instantly turned ice-cold and piercing.
Countless rules and orders began to manifest all around.
Well Daoist felt an extreme sense of danger, quickly saying: "No one has ever been able to forcibly break into the Divine Realm and return alive. Heavenly Venerable..."
Void Heaven spoke, interrupting Well Daoist's words: "This old man has already been to the Divine Realm!"
Well Daoist's eyes widened as he looked over, immediately catching on. He silently praised Void Old Ghost for his quick wits, nodding: "That's right, this poor Daoist has also been!"
Anyway, it was something that couldn't be verified. Deal with it first.
Void Heaven added: "Moreover, we have already rescued the Heavenly Demon."
"This is not false," Well Daoist said, puffing out his chest, though his belly stuck out even more.
"Oh?"
Zhang Ruochen said: "Where is the Heavenly Demon now?"
This old Daoist was not easy to fool!
Well Daoist was thinking about what place to fabricate.
Void Heaven had already spoken without thinking: "Although the Heavenly Demon has returned, he is extremely weak and needs to recuperate. How could he reveal his hiding place to outsiders?"
"That is indeed the reasoning," Well Daoist followed.
Zhang Ruochen sneered: "It seems the two of you take this seat for a fool. Since you are so ungrateful, there is no need to keep your lives."
"Kunlun Realm!"
Void Heaven said: "The most dangerous place is the safest place. The Eternal True Arbiter must already know that the Heavenly Demon has escaped, and will do everything to find him, to re-imprison him before his cultivation recovers. When we parted, the Heavenly Demon left with Chi Xingtian, very likely returning to the Kunlun Realm."
"Unless the Eternal True Arbiter refines the entire Kunlun Realm, it will be very difficult to find the hidden Heavenly Demon."
"And refining the Kunlun Realm would violate the Confucian righteousness he has always upheld. Which cultivator under heaven would follow someone who refines even their own ancestral realm?"
"The persona he has built is the shackle that binds him."
Well Daoist saw that the Destruction Dao rules in the palm of Life and Death Heavenly Venerable had dissipated, and only then let out a long sigh of relief, casting an admiring look at Void Heaven.
"Void Old Ghost, you are the one. I am not your equal!"
To fabricate lies in front of a Primordial Ancestor, speaking off the cuff, and the key point being that the Primordial Ancestor could not discern truth from falsehood. Thinking of himself, facing the Primordial Ancestor's soul-shaking gaze, he didn't even dare to breathe heavily. Comparing the two, the gap was evident!
Zhang Ruochen said: "Since it was you who went to the Divine Realm to rescue the Heavenly Demon, you must know how the Heavenly Demon managed to live for over ten million years without dying? What exactly is the reason?"
Void Heaven said: "It was a region where time flows extremely slowly. Even a Half-Ancestor entering it would be affected. If a Primordial Ancestor enters a state of slumber, reducing the activity of the power within their body, like feigning death, it should be possible to suppress the loss of lifespan."
"The Eternal True Arbiter is most likely the same, which is why he has lived to this era."
Zhang Ruochen shook his head: "I rather think the Eternal True Arbiter may have already mastered part of the method for immortality."
If the Eternal True Arbiter had been sleeping for these past several million years, how could he have raised his spiritual power to the level where he could simultaneously contend against Corpse Yan and Hongmeng Black Dragon?
At the Primordial Ancestor level, being able to fight one against two, even if at a disadvantage, but remaining undefeated, his combat power was already terrifyingly high.
After all, among those who could reach the Primordial Ancestor level, who was weak? Who didn't possess countless heaven-shaking methods?
Zhang Ruochen felt that Void Heaven probably didn't know much more, so he stopped asking about the Divine Realm and the Heavenly Demon.
Void Heaven said: "May I ask the Heavenly Venerable, who was the Half-Ancestor who pretended to be Xuan Yuan the Second?"
"That is not a question you should ask. Let's go."
Zhang Ruochen led Lian Xi and He Qing toward the Ten Thousand Longevity Divine Mountain where the Five Elements Temple was located.
The sky had darkened.
Only the clouds on the horizon remained bright like fire.
Watching the three figures disappear into the dim night mist, Well Daoist secretly transmitted: "You are truly formidable. Even a Primordial Ancestor cannot see through your heart, and was deceived by you!"
Void Heaven shot him a glance: "Do you truly think a Primordial Ancestor can be fooled? That Life and Death Old Daoist's eyes pierce straight through the soul. If even half a word was false, we would already be dead without a burial place."
"What?"
Well Daoist exclaimed: "You really have been to the Divine Realm? Such a great opportunity, why didn't you bring this poor Daoist along?"
"If I truly told you, would you dare to go?" Void Heaven said coldly.
Well Daoist's brow furrowed deeply. He stroked his beard, saying: "What do we do now? We know the Life and Death Old Daoist's secret. He will eventually silence us."
"Moreover, Xuan Yuan Taizhen is hiding and not revealing himself, surely plotting something."
"The Eternal True Arbiter knows that you joined forces with Black and White Daoist and Xuan Yuan the Second to attack the Heavenly Academy. He must wish to skin you alive. We are now trapped in a threefold dangerous situation!"
Void Heaven pondered for a moment, then said: "As for Xuan Yuan Taizhen, there's no need to worry too much. He probably won't expose you. If because of his exposure, the Five Elements Temple is annihilated by the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom, the Heavenly Court Universe will have no place for him. The reputation of the Xuan Yuan Clan would truly be destroyed."
"Then why did you scare me earlier?" Well Daoist said.
Void Heaven's gaze was extremely serious: "Your life and death all hang on Xuan Yuan Taizhen's single thought. Is this not dangerous? You call this scaring you? Next time you act, you absolutely must not take such risks again. Ai, I really owe you."
Well Daoist said: "What about the other two dangers?"
Void Heaven said: "Life and Death Heavenly Venerable and the Eternal True Arbiter are both Primordial Ancestors. They are each other's opponents, so naturally they check each other. In the past half year, many great events have occurred, yet the Eternal True Arbiter has been unusually quiet. I suspect there must be hidden circumstances behind this."
"The quieter it is, the more abnormal, and thus the more dangerous."
"Life and Death Heavenly Venerable is most likely troubled by this very matter. In this kind of contest, the less we get involved, the better. If he wants us to be his vanguard, we can only accept it! One realm difference in cultivation is like the difference between heaven and earth."
Void Heaven's heart became even more determined. After returning, he would definitely fuse and refine the Sword Bone and Sword Heart.
As long as his combat power was high enough, strong enough to reach the level of Heavenly Mother, only then would he have the ability to bargain when facing a Primordial Ancestor.
Unfortunately, the Void Cauldron had long since disappeared into the universe. If he could find it, plus the Heavenly Mechanism Brush, Void Heaven was confident that even if the Eternal True Arbiter sacrificed half his life, he would not be able to deduce him.
Well Daoist suddenly thought of something, saying: "Let's go, quickly return to the Five Elements Temple."
"What's the rush?"
Void Heaven really didn't want to return to the Five Elements Temple. It gave him a feeling of frustration, living under someone else's shadow. But if he slipped away now, Life and Death Heavenly Venerable might truly silence him.
Well Daoist said: "I need to prepare a generous gift to send to Xuan Yuan Taizhen. Today's matter requires thinking of an explanation to get through."
Void Heaven secretly admired. In matters of human relations, Well Number Two had it down perfectly. No wonder so many formidable figures had died, yet he still lived.
Everyone had their own way of survival.
Returning to the Five Elements Temple, Well Daoist first sought out Zhen Yuan for a conversation.
"What? Life and Death Heavenly Venerable knew all along that the Heavenly Demon had been rescued?" Well Daoist was sweating profusely, feeling as if he had just walked through the gates of hell.
Zhen Yuan nodded helplessly, saying: "Empress Chi Yao told him."
"Good, good."
Well Daoist wiped the sweat from his forehead, grabbing Zhen Yuan's hand, saying: "Nephew-disciple, now the Five Elements Temple relies entirely on the two of us to hold it up. In the future, if there are any secrets, we must share them with each other in advance. You must believe that your uncle-master will always be the person most worthy of your trust. Come, follow your uncle-master to the Heavenly Academy!"
Back in the Divine Wood Garden, Zhang Ruochen had not yet had time to study the Primordial Ancestor Yaksha King's corpse when a crack several zhang wide appeared in the space beneath the Ginseng Fruit Tree.
Within the crack was a stretch of darkness.
Deep within the darkness floated a dilapidated wooden boat, with Corpse Yan standing at the prow.
What happened at the Heavenly Academy might not escape Xuan Yuan Taizhen's notice, but it absolutely could not be hidden from the Primordial Ancestors present in the Heavenly Court.
Being sought out was within Zhang Ruochen's expectations, only he hadn't thought it would be Corpse Demon who came.
It seemed Corpse Demon had also come to the Heavenly Court.
"Your Five Breaks Clear Spirit Hand is merely an empty form. Would you like to learn the complete divine ability technique?" Corpse Demon got straight to the point, raising this matter, but without any intention of calling him to account. Clearly, he had not come to contest with Zhang Ruochen, but rather to gain the upper hand in conversation through this.
Zhang Ruochen sat cross-legged in the thatched hut, saying: "Thank you for the kind intention, Demon Ancestor! This divine ability technique is more than enough to deal with cultivators below the Primordial Ancestor level, but it falls a bit short when dealing with a Primordial Ancestor. Learning its form is sufficient!"
Corpse Demon heard the warning in the other's words, smiling: "This old man has not come to contest with the Heavenly Venerable, but to discuss cooperation."
"To attack the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom together?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Corpse Yan's smile deepened: "Since we are both clear-eyed people, there's no need for superfluous words. This old man has fought with the Eternal True Arbiter. His spiritual power is astonishingly high, likely just one step away from the ninety-sixth rank. If we do not stop him from breaking through, you and I will surely die by his hand in the future."
Zhang Ruochen said: "The Eternal True Arbiter may not necessarily be in the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom. If we cannot find him, everything is empty talk."
"Then let us first destroy the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom, then campaign against the Divine Realm. We will surely force him out," Corpse Demon said.
Zhang Ruochen had never considered starting a war with the Eternal True Arbiter, or even the entire Divine Realm, at this stage. Everything he had done in the past half year was merely to force out the hidden forces of the Divine Realm.
If they truly campaigned against the Divine Realm, what would be forced out would not only be the Eternal True Arbiter, but also that unknown existence controlling the Seventy-Two Layer Tower.
If it truly came to that point, it would have to be a decisive battle.
Zhang Ruochen did not believe that with his current cultivation, he could handle it.
What Zhang Ruochen truly wanted was to delay time as much as possible, waiting for Hao Tian and Heavenly Mother to impact the Primordial Ancestor realm, waiting for the Heavenly Demon's cultivation to recover.
Waiting for the geniuses and heroes of the current era to make rapid progress in their cultivation. The longer they delayed, the greater the advantage might become.
As for the Eternal True Arbiter breaking through to the ninety-sixth rank, Zhang Ruochen was wary, but absolutely not afraid, because he had confidence that in the future, he would be even stronger than the ninety-sixth rank.
Zhang Ruochen said: "Actually, there are people more eager than us. We can wait at our ease for the exhausted enemy."
"You mean Hongmeng Black Dragon and the Dark Sovereign?" Corpse Demon said.
"They are both Immortals, their sense of crisis far stronger than ours."
Zhang Ruochen said: "Demon Ancestor, do you think it's just a coincidence that thousands of Heaven and Earth Altars have been destroyed in just half a year? Do you truly believe that only the radical factions among the current cultivators have such energy? They are the ones secretly pushing from behind. They are using this to test the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom's reaction."
"Just wait and see. Before long, this wind will blow toward the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom."
"Why don't we be spectators for a while, and see if the Eternal True Arbiter can still remain calm when all the Heaven and Earth Altars are destroyed and the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom falls?"
After the space crack closed and Corpse Demon disappeared, Zhang Ruochen's expression immediately shifted from calm and composed to solemn.
He muttered to himself: "Those destroying the Heaven and Earth Altars are not just the forces of Hongmeng Black Dragon and the Dark Sovereign. You, Corpse Demon, are also one of the behind-the-scenes black hands, are you not?"
Corpse Demon's eagerness to attack the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom exceeded Zhang Ruochen's expectations.
After all, from the current perspective, among all the Primordial Ancestors, Corpse Demon's power and strength were the weakest. He should have hidden himself and watched from the sidelines.
Zhang Ruochen's thoughts drifted toward the Sword Realm. In his mind, Ji Fanxin's moving figure was impossible to dispel. From the subtle connection between Si Zhao Xiulian and Corpse Demon, all clues pointed toward Ji Fanxin.
Ji Fanxin had already transformed from an intimate lover into the person Zhang Ruochen was most afraid to face deep in his heart.
Recalling that year in the Shu Xiang Ge Cave Heaven, flipping through the Kunlun Realm archives, seeing through the bookshelf those stunningly beautiful eyes he still couldn't forget, he couldn't help but sigh: "If only life could always be like that first meeting, how wonderful would that be?"
Zhang Ruochen would never forget the Hundred Flowers Fairy of that year. Everyone was young, their seven emotions and six desires written on their faces. Love was love, crying could be cried, impulses were impulses.
Zhang Ruochen touched his own face, restoring it to its original youthful appearance. He squeezed out a smile toward the lamp candle, trying hard to find the sincerity of those early years, but the mask on his face seemed impossible to remove anymore.
Always wanting to maintain the original heart, to treat everyone sincerely.
But the losses suffered, the deceptions endured, the calamities experienced, the blood spilled, would tell you: if you cannot become invincible under heaven, what qualification do you have?