Chapter 4172: The Nine Eternal Dao Locks the Black Dragon
Zhang Ruochen stood at the chaotic boundary that pierced through the three realms. As far as his gaze could reach, the entire battlefield lay before him like a sand table.
He cast only a brief glance at the clash between Zhang Hongchen, Chi Kongle, Chi Kunlun, and Yan Ying'er before withdrawing his gaze and turning his eyes toward the shattered Eternal Heavenly Kingdom.
He was now the Life-Death Heavenly Venerable. Not Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen believed that the most supreme beings in the universe must be watching from some corner, secretly observing everything unfolding in this battlefield.
He was searching for the Corpse Demon, searching for the Eternal True Ruler, searching for that Immortal of the God Realm.
Likewise, these transcendent beings at the Ancestor level were surely searching for him as well.
If he rushed over now, all his efforts would be wasted. In the ensuing confrontation, he would fall into absolute disadvantage, and might even lose his life. Zhang Hongchen must know some secrets about the mysterious existence controlling the Seventy-Two Layer Tower, but Zhang Ruochen did not believe she knew too much, nor would that being allow her to know too much.
Thus, Zhang Ruochen was not so eager to go to Zhang Hongchen to learn the truth.
From the height Zhang Ruochen now stood, his perspective differed from that of Chi Kongle and Chi Kunlun.
Zhang Ruochen believed that Zhang Hongchen was certainly very safe right now. Because before that mysterious existence controlling the Seventy-Two Layer Tower activated the tower, he deliberately released her and sent her to the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom.
If he did not value her, there would be no need for such an extra step. Since he valued her, he would never let her fall easily.
First, because Zhang Hongchen was indeed extraordinarily talented, with immense potential for growth.
Second, because she was Zhang Ruochen's daughter. Using her, he could later divide the Sword Realm, or even control it. Alternatively, he could lure out Zhang Ruochen, who might not be dead.
With sufficient value came sufficient safety.
Lian Xi stepped forward and said, "Are you really at ease letting her walk down this wrong path?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "What is the wrong path, and what is the right path? They must walk their own paths. I have always supported that, because I believe that even if the paths they take are temporarily different, the direction must be the same. Hongchen cultivates the Way of Truth. Her heart must be clearer and more enlightened than anyone else's. There is no need for me to worry."
Lian Xi said, "The Eternal Heavenly Kingdom has been completely destroyed. It seems that the Second Confucian Ancestor is truly at a critical moment in breaking through to the ninety-sixth level of Spiritual Power, unable to attend to anything or anyone. I suspect that the next step for the Dark Lord and the Primordial Black Dragon will be to attack the God Realm. The real show is about to begin."
Zhang Ruochen had no interest in the battlefield of the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom. Everything was within his expectations.
Instead, he was deeply concerned about Xiao Hei and A Le.
He sensed that Ling Feiyu's aura was extremely weak.
Cultivators could conceal their aura, but once they drew their sword, the strength of the sword would reflect the state of its master. How could this be?
Ling Feiyu was very rational. The time she spent cultivating in the Sundial was far less than others. Because of this, although her cultivation was not exceptionally high, her lifespan was still extremely young.
Why had she weakened to this extent?
"Roar!"
A dragon cry resounded through the nine heavens, shaking the Lihentian.
The Primordial Black Dragon appeared, shuttling above the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom, absorbing the blood qi and soul mist of billions of dead cultivators, and charged straight toward the Tianyuan Divine Mansion.
With a thunderous crash, the divine mansion collapsed, and the entire heavenly kingdom began to fall, presenting a scene of doomsday.
Clearly, the Primordial Black Dragon was convinced that the Second Confucian Ancestor would not appear, so it acted without restraint, going on a killing spree, absorbing blood qi and soul mist to restore its cultivation.
Countless cultivators, like grains of rice, were swallowed into the black dragon's maw.
"Flee quickly, it's an Ancestor… an Ancestor of the Primordial Beings…"
"The heavenly kingdom is completely shattered. Space rules are breaking. Everyone will die here."
The Ancestor aura released by the Primordial Black Dragon suppressed countless cultivators, leaving them unable to move, some lying prostrate on the ground, others kneeling and begging for mercy.
Of course, some gods with higher cultivation, being far away at the edge of the heavenly kingdom, broke free from the suppression of the Ancestor aura and fled the battlefield at top speed.
The beings of the Twelve Primordial Clans were in a frenzy. Not only had they returned to the upper realm, but they had also captured the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom, about to restore the glory of their Primordial ancestors and become the rulers of the entire universe.
"Primordial undying, eternal life. Conquer the God Realm, all-powerful."
"Primordial undying, eternal life. Conquer the God Realm, all-powerful."
The earth-shaking divine sound continuously spread into the starry sky of the Real World.
The four Indestructible Infinite cultivators of the Heavenly Court Universe—Shang Tian, Xuanyuan Lian, Bian Zhuang War God, and Zhao Gongming—stood at the edge of a space rift, gazing into the distance at the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom of the Colorless Realm.
Zhao Gongming found it hard to believe, saying, "Is the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom destroyed just like that? The Second Confucian Ancestor and the God Realm have no reaction at all?"
Xuanyuan Lian sighed softly, "In this battle, the number of dead cultivators is counted in the billions. The Eternal Heavenly Kingdom has certainly suffered a severe blow, but these cultivators were once subjects of the Heavenly Court, the Hell Realm, and the Sword Realm. The ones who benefit are the Primordial Black Dragon and the Primordial Beings, but the one who is wounded is not the God Realm."
"Why think so much? It has nothing to do with us. Just watch the show," Zhao Gongming said with a smile.
Shang Tian lowered his head and closed his eyes, saying, "On the surface, this is an attack led by the Primordial Black Dragon and the Dark Lord. But beneath the surface, undercurrents surge. All the top cultivators in the universe have been alarmed. They must be restraining each other, with hidden currents flowing, where a single move affects the whole."
"To save the God Realm, one must first consider what price they are willing to pay. Do they have the ability to shock the entire universe with lightning speed? If not, they might face a united crusade from the entire universe."
"This is not unrelated to us. In fact, we must be ready to join the battle at any moment. In the Post-Glory Era, every battle could be our final battle."
"Many cultivators think that the Great Calamity in twelve thousand years is the final test. This is a mistaken belief. Five hundred years ago, if not for the sacrifices of Hao Tian, Dizang Wang, Qiandapo, the Fourth Confucian Ancestor, Yan Huanyu, and others, the universe would have already turned into empty silence. We would not have the present."
"From the epic Ancestor battle twelve Eons ago, every extra day we live was bought with the lives of our predecessors and sages. They bought us time to cultivate and strive, and bought us variables."
"With only twelve thousand years until the Great Calamity, we still lack the power to confront the Immortal, let alone the Great Calamity. This is a disgrace, a failure to live up to the sacrifices of our predecessors."
"In the next twelve thousand years, we must be ready to die at any moment, to buy time for those who have a chance to strike the Ancestor Realm, waiting for the flowers to bloom and bear fruit."
Zhao Gongming's smile completely vanished, and he no longer dared to say things like "unrelated to us."
Suddenly, Xuanyuan Lian's expression changed.
"Sizzle!"
The space behind her cracked with countless lines, and her Divine Realm World was torn open by an unknown, terrifying force.
Then, a mass of broken buildings wrapped in flames rushed out of her Divine Realm World and flew toward the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom.
Unstoppable.
"This…"
Xuanyuan Lian had never been so terrified. Someone could cross space and forcibly take items from within her Divine Realm World.
Such power could control everything in the universe?
The Dao techniques of an Indestructible Infinite were like paper, easily broken.
"What is that?"
Lian Xi widened her eyes, looking at the starry sky.
She saw fireballs, like a meteor shower, flying from all directions of the universe into the Lihentian, then rushing upward toward the battlefield of the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom. Many fireballs even directly broke through space and appeared above the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom.
Zhang Ruochen's gaze was sharp as a divine sword. He noticed that the Dragon Lord had already left the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom, and then said in a calm tone, "It's the fragments of the Seventy-Two Layer Tower!"
"It seems the God Realm is his bottom line."
"He will not allow the Primordial Black Dragon and the Dark Lord to spread the war to the God Realm. He wants to replicate the momentum of suppressing the Nether Ancestor, to warn all cultivators in the world. Excellent, so he does have something he cares about, and he is not as calm as he seems."
Zhang Ruochen was very excited, laughing genuinely.
That the Primordial Black Dragon and the Dark Lord could force the Immortal behind the God Realm to act far exceeded his expectations. This was a great joy.
As long as he acted, he would leave traces. As long as he left traces for Zhang Ruochen to grasp, he could dispel the fog that obscured his vision.
Zhang Ruochen was not afraid of a powerful opponent; he was afraid of being toyed with without knowing it.
This was an opportunity to see the opponent clearly!
"It seems that the Nether Ancestor's death has affected this one's mindset. Still cautious, but not cautious enough. More of an absolute self-confidence after becoming invincible under heaven. Does this mean he no longer needs to fear anyone?"
Zhang Ruochen spread his arms, forming a circle with them.
In the small space between his arms, he derived the great cosmos of the universe, using his spiritual will to analyze the source of the power controlling these Seventy-Two Layer Tower fragments and the pattern of their aura.
To retrieve these fragments, the power would have to be dispersed, making it impossible to completely hide the celestial mechanism and aura like five hundred years ago.
Whether it was the fragments in the Desolate Universe or those collected by Xuanyuan Lian, Xuanyuan Di'er, and Lady Shiji, all were pulled by a force that penetrated time and space, converging on the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom.
"Boom!"
A metal fragment wrapped in flames flew past, knocking hundreds of cultivators attacking the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom into the air. Their bodies shattered into pieces, then burned to ashes.
"He's acting again. Flee, leave the Colorless Realm."
The Immortal Music Master's eyes were filled with terror. After transmitting this divine sound, he immediately transformed into a formless, qualityless Primordial Qi, like a long river of flowing light, fleeing toward the Real World.
The Primordial Beings, who had been ecstatic moments before, immediately scattered in panic, only wanting to escape quickly.
But they were struck by the Seventy-Two Layer Tower fragments flying from all directions, suffering heavy casualties. Fewer than one in ten survived. Even some clan leader-level figures fell on the spot.
It was like a massacre!
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Countless metal fragments bypassed the Primordial Black Dragon and reassembled above its head.
The first layer of the tower, the second layer, the third layer…
In an instant, eighteen layers of the tower were completed, like eighteen dazzling great worlds. The aura they released solidified the space of the entire Colorless Realm.
"Boom!" The passage to the God Realm that the Primordial Black Dragon had opened was suppressed and closed by the power released by the eighteen-layer tower.
Below, the Primordial Black Dragon spat out a blinding beam of light, colliding with the descending eighteen-layer tower, creating overwhelming energy ripples that boiled the entire Lihentian.
The Dark Lord appeared, manifesting a Chaotic giant body as massive as a great world. He manipulated the dark energy of the universe, continuously channeling it into his hands.
In an instant, the Heavenly Court Universe, the Hell Realm, the Sword Realm… the entire universe was affected. As dark energy decreased, everything became brighter.
Just as Zhang Ruochen was considering whether to act.
The gate of the God Realm opened above the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom, pouring down billions of sacred light rivers into the eighteen-layer tower.
At the same time.
The nineteenth layer of the tower.
The twentieth layer of the tower.
The Seventy-Two Layer Tower was reassembled at a visible speed. After absorbing the energy rivers falling from the God Realm gate, its power greatly increased, pressing heavily onto the Primordial Black Dragon.
"Bang!"
The Primordial Black Dragon released the Black River, the sacred river of the Twelve Primordial Clans, to clash with the Seventy-Two Layer Tower, while its body quickly retreated.
The Black River was struck by the Seventy-Two Layer Tower, turning into a black ocean, then into black rain, scattering into the vast universe.
After several consecutive clashes, the Primordial Black Dragon could not escape the spatial order field constructed by the Seventy-Two Layer Tower. It was struck by the tower body, its dragon scales and flesh exploding, leaving only a skeleton of dragon bones.
It was like a universe explosion. All the Ancestor matter on its body scattered outward.
The light emitted by each drop of blood was as bright as a star.
The Primordial Black Dragon struggled desperately, causing the star seas of the entire world to shake.
"Clatter!"
In the universe, countless rules of the Nine Eternal Dao were woven into nine heavenly divine ropes, flying toward the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom.
The length of the chains could rival the Yellow Spring Star River, piercing through the universe, connecting the Real World and the Lihentian.
Eight of the heavenly divine ropes emerged from the starry sky of the Real World, wrapping around the dragon bones, and connected to the upturned eaves of the Seventy-Two Layer Tower.
The heavenly divine ropes formed by Fate and Morality locked the Ancestor's soul.
The heavenly divine rope of Nothingness bound its body.
The moment the God Realm gate opened, the Dark Lord fled, disappearing into the endless darkness of the universe.
Zhang Ruochen, who had been preparing to fight, immediately abandoned the idea. Even the Dark Lord had fled; what was he fighting for?
Too strong!
The opponent, wielding the Seventy-Two Layer Tower, was so strong that it was impossible to contend. The Nether Ancestor had been strong enough, but Dizang Wang could hold him off for half a day by sacrificing himself.
But the Primordial Black Dragon did not even know what the opponent looked like before being suppressed, with almost no power to resist. Admittedly, the Nether Ancestor had divided his power at the time and was not in a complete state.
But Zhang Ruochen felt that even if the Nether Ancestor had been complete, he would still be a step behind in Dao techniques.
"Is this the power of the Seventy-Two Layer Tower? Even an Ancestor can only withstand a few blows, unable to escape." Lian Xi's voice trembled as she said this.
Zhang Ruochen's expression was extremely serious, saying, "The most important thing is that once trapped in the order field of the Seventy-Two Layer Tower, there is no escape. The Nether Ancestor five hundred years ago must have faced the same predicament."
"Is the power of the Seventy-Two Layer Tower truly invincible? Stronger than the Nine Cauldrons? If that one in the God Realm wants to sweep the world, what power can stop him?" Lian Xi asked three questions in a row, her emotions surging, unable to calm down.
Zhang Ruochen had to admit that the Seventy-Two Layer Tower elevated that one's combat power to a height that somewhat broke his current understanding. But to say it surpassed the Nine Cauldrons was not necessarily true.
"Sweep the world?"
Zhang Ruochen gazed at the God Realm gate above the Seventy-Two Layer Tower, his brows deeply furrowed. He was genuinely worried.
That one was no longer pretending, no longer hiding. He had admitted that he was the Immortal behind the God Realm.
Did this mean he was about to launch a Minor Calamity belonging to the God Realm?
"If so, then let's fight!"
Zhang Ruochen cut off all distracting thoughts and made a decision. If the God Realm launched a Minor Calamity, he would follow Dizang Wang's example and self-destruct, burning together with that one.
If the Dark Lord and the Corpse Demon could understand his spiritual will, they would help him die.
"So it's in the Sword Realm!"
Zhang Ruochen found the source of power controlling all the Seventy-Two Layer Tower fragments, looking toward the far north, toward the deep space of the universe.
"Being in the Sword Realm proves nothing," Lian Xi said.
"No!"
Zhang Ruochen shook his head, saying, "Many cultivators under the Sword Realm are not at the North Marsh Great Wall right now. This can rule out many people! This way, I have more people to use!"
From the direction of the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom, the dragon cry of the Primordial Black Dragon echoed endlessly.
The terrifying Ancestor energy and force spread into the starry sky of the Real World, causing planets to float and ripple like water.
Zhang Ruochen drew a circle three zhang in diameter around Lian Xi.
He said, "Wait here for Uncle Long. Do not step out of this circle. If the Corpse Demon finds you first, once he steps into the circle, I will sense it and return at the fastest speed."
"Where are you going?"
Lian Xi asked worriedly.
Zhang Ruochen gazed at the vast star sea, watching Xiao Hei and A Le racing through it in their chariot, and said, "This might be my only chance to see her! You must believe that sometimes, even earth-shattering upheavals cannot compare to the love and attachment in one's heart that cannot be let go.
Heaven-splitting and earth-crumbling are the torrents of a chaotic era. Cultivators must use themselves as stones to build dikes and resist, not retreating a single step. But family and loved ones are the flesh of one's heart—how can they be cut away?
That Immortal of the God Realm was fully occupied with suppressing the Primordial Black Dragon, which gave Zhang Ruochen the opportunity to go see Ling Feiyu.
He had to know what had happened!
While all the cultivators of the Heavenly Court Universe, the Hell Realm, and the Sword Realm were shaken by the upheaval at the Eternal Heavenly Kingdom, Zhang Ruochen drifted away, chasing the speeding chariot in the star sea.