Chapter 4189: Sword Twenty-Six Plan
Empress Chi Yao would make a move—this was within Zhang Ruochen's expectations.
In the starry sky, the corpse of the Blazing Sun Ancestor slowly toppled over.
Immediately after, an immensely powerful spiritual will thought crossed space and landed upon Zhang Ruochen.
It came from the Seventy-Two Layer Tower!
Using the *Book of Life and Death* to kill a half-ancestor, the fluctuations were intense, impossible to conceal from a Spiritual Power Ancestor.
Zhang Ruochen remained calm and composed, gazing back into the depths of the universe.
No need for words, no need for explanations.
Wang Jingyang had been too reckless in the Paradise Realm, constantly provoking without any reverence for an ancestor. If he didn't die, where would the ancestor's authority stand?
This was precisely the era of doom where multiple ancestors coexisted.
In any other age, an ancestor's word could decree the laws of the world, no different from what cultivators called "Heavenly Lord" or "Will of the Heavenly Dao."
At the same time, Zhang Ruochen was certain that the God Realm couldn't do anything to him.
The Eternal True Arbiter was in seclusion.
The mysterious God Realm Immortal, who hadn't even appeared when suppressing the Nether Ancestor, clearly harbored some kind of restraint. Or perhaps they were exceedingly cautious, unwilling to expose themselves without absolute certainty.
In this doomsday confrontation, with multiple parties vying for dominance, the God Realm had yet to form an overwhelming advantage.
In short, relying solely on a single Overlord Murong couldn't suppress him.
"Hmph!"
Overlord Murong's furious roar caused the heavens and earth around Zhang Ruochen to tremble.
Then, the spiritual power dissipated.
The main purpose of this spiritual power envelopment wasn't a contest of spells, but to confirm the identity of the caster.
"To hold back like this, they're quite good at biding their time." Zhang Ruochen was slightly disappointed.
Jing Daoren was deeply worried: "Heavenly Venerable, could that old bastard Murong kill a Heavenly Lord of the Heavenly Court Universe to vent his anger and save face?"
Within the ancestor's domain, Overlord Murong couldn't detect them, so Jing Daoren's words naturally carried fewer scruples.
Void Heaven said, "Rest assured, it won't be your turn. If he kills anyone, it'll be a half-ancestor of equal standing."
Jing Daoren let out a long sigh of relief.
But then he raised an eyebrow, feeling that Old Ghost Void was somewhat belittling him.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I've made my stance clear. If he kills a half-ancestor of the Heavenly Court Universe in retaliation, I will surely kill another strong one of the God Realm in return. Do you think such a thing will happen?"
Jing Daoren completely relaxed.
Indeed, if an ancestor were to engage in combat below the ancestor level, it would be pure slaughter.
If it escalated to that point, the God Realm wouldn't be able to build the Heaven and Earth Altar. The entire universe would descend into great turmoil and chaos, directly triggering a life-and-death bloodbath, fighting to the death.
Even if one side won, they'd be left with residual strength.
A residual victor would ultimately die in the Great Calamity—a lose-lose situation.
Wang Jingyang's death was purely self-inflicted. He thought he was Empress Chi Yao, capable of challenging an ancestor at the half-ancestor realm. But the gap in their strength was vast.
When the "Life and Death Heavenly Venerable" killed him, Overlord Murong couldn't even intervene in time.
"As long as you don't actively offend an ancestor, the ancestor won't kill you," Zhang Ruochen said.
Void Heaven said coldly, "With his cultivation, why would an ancestor need to act?"
Jing Daoren was furious. As the master of a temple, with an exalted status, he was repeatedly mocked. Old Ghost Void looked down on people too much. He really shouldn't have taken him in back then.
Jing Daoren cupped his hands and bowed: "Heavenly Venerable, Xu Fengjin of the Hell Realm has offended the God Realm too deeply. Paper can't wrap fire forever, and one day it will be exposed. If it implicates you, it will give the God Realm an excuse to retaliate. It's no longer suitable for him to stay in the Heavenly Court!"
"Jing the Second!"
Void Heaven's eyes sank with fury, and killing intent and sword energy surged within his pupils.
For speaking a few truths, he was already holding a grudge?
As a Heavenly Lord, his heart was narrow.
Jing Daoren moved behind Zhang Ruochen, his expression helpless and bitter: "There's no choice. Overlord Murong has likely already sensed the Heavenly Mechanism Brush. This is the only way to solve the problem. At that time, the Heavenly Venerable can explain that it was taken from you. But continuing to shelter you, who would dare..."
Jing Daoren was silenced by the sword intent erupting from Void Heaven's eyes. Fortunately, with the "Life and Death Heavenly Venerable's" protection, he would have fled otherwise.
When Xu Fengjin was pushed to the limit, he was still very dangerous.
Zhang Ruochen stopped Void Heaven, who was about to tear Jing Daoren apart in anger, and said, "Even if Overlord Murong senses the Heavenly Mechanism Brush, it's not a big deal. I have my own ways to handle it. Of course, the prerequisite is that Void Heaven cannot be directly exposed before him, and cannot reveal my identity."
Jing Daoren, seeing that Void Heaven's killing intent hadn't subsided, quickly said, "Heavenly Venerable, think twice. If he is exposed, the implications are too great."
Even if Xu Fengjin's whereabouts were exposed, it would be a minor matter. With Zhang Ruochen's current cultivation and strength, he could pay some price to protect him.
But Zhang Ruochen himself absolutely could not remain active in the universe. If he got involved in a few more major incidents, it would be hard to avoid revealing flaws and having his identity seen through.
The more he did, the more mistakes he made.
He needed to hide and go into secluded cultivation!
Once he cultivated the Great Derivation and truly stepped into the ancestor level, even if he still wasn't a match for the Immortal behind the God Realm, he would at least have the power to protect himself.
At that time.
He would no longer need to hide behind the identities of Life and Death Old Man or Hao Tian, nor be as cautious as he was now.
Even if exposed, he could stand upright between heaven and earth.
But before going into seclusion, Zhang Ruochen had to find a sufficiently powerful cultivator for the Heavenly Court Universe to deal with threats from all sides.
Otherwise, the myriad realms of the Heavenly Court Universe would be endlessly bullied and enslaved, and he, as the Heavenly Venerable, couldn't cultivate in peace.
In his position, he had to handle his duties.
Thus, the strong one Zhang Ruochen needed had to be at least at the peak of the half-ancestor level. Otherwise, facing top-tier half-ancestors like Hidden Corpse, Headless Kashyapa, Murong Dui Ji, Lady Shiji, and Yan Wushen, he would have no say.
The Dragon Lord had the potential to reach that level, but time was insufficient.
Feng Caiyi could be tried, but she would have to seize A Fuya's ancestor body and ancestor divine source, gaining the achievements of two lifetimes, to be qualified.
But to make her willingly work for the Heavenly Court Universe, he would have to reveal his identity and slowly persuade her.
Moreover, could the cultivators of the Heavenly Court Universe accept Feng Caiyi, the former Death God Venerable who had committed countless killings?
Void Heaven felt the "Life and Death Heavenly Venerable's" gaze shift toward him, and his heart cried out in alarm. Could he really be listening to Jing the Second's slander and driving him out of the Heavenly Court Universe? Leaving him to fend for himself?
After a moment of thought, Zhang Ruochen asked, "Have you refined the sword bone and sword heart?"
Void Heaven said, "Just refined, but fusion and comprehension are extremely difficult."
"I can lend you a hand... and also help you comprehend Sword Twenty-Six..." Zhang Ruochen said.
"It's over!" Jing Daoren's heart sank.
He hadn't expected the Life and Death Heavenly Venerable to value Old Ghost Void so much.
Why?
Had Old Bastard Xu Fengjin secretly sworn fealty as a foster son?
With Zhang Ruochen's current cultivation and attainments, he could use the Wuji to deduce all paths and methods, having already comprehended about seventy to eighty percent of Sword Twenty-Six.
As for the Wuji Divine Dao's auxiliary cultivation effects, while not unparalleled, it was second only to the Immortal capable of nurturing ancestors.
At least for now.
Relying solely on the Wuji Divine Dao to help Void Heaven comprehend Sword Twenty-Six was still too forced (miǎnqiǎng).
But with the addition of the sword bone and sword heart, it should be enough!
After all, the former Sword Ancestor's attainments in the sword path far exceeded Sword Twenty-Six.
The essence of Sword Twenty-Six was definitely hidden within the sword bone and sword heart.
Void Heaven knew how unfathomable an ancestor's methods were. With their full support, Sword Twenty-Six was absolutely achievable.
His heart surged with excitement for a moment, but he quickly calmed down, his eyes filled with doubt. "May I ask the Heavenly Venerable, why are you helping me so much?"
"I need a sword of Sword Twenty-Six!" Zhang Ruochen said lightly.
Sword Twenty-Six—after the Sword Ancestor, no one had ever been known to master it.
Among ancestors, comprehending and practicing Sword Twenty-Six might not be difficult, but there was no need to spend too much effort on it. Because, setting aside the Immortal, there were few eras in history where two ancestors appeared simultaneously.
Rather than spending so much time cultivating Sword Twenty-Six, it was better to seek depth and breakthroughs in cultivation.
The sword path was a way to use sword techniques to break through realms.
Using sword techniques to forcibly shatter the shackles of a realm.
Zhang Ruochen calculated that if Void Heaven could comprehend Sword Twenty-Six, he could cut through all bottlenecks of the half-ancestor realm with a single sword, directly stepping into the half-ancestor peak.
If he cultivated Sword Twenty-Seven, he could even split open the ancestor path with one sword, becoming the next Sword Ancestor.
Of course, even if Zhang Ruochen reached the ancestor level in the future, he had no confidence in helping Void Heaven comprehend Sword Twenty-Seven.
This was far more difficult than nurturing an ancestor!
The ancestor path required one to have the foundation of an ancestor, coupled with opportunities, and finally guidance from a supreme strong one.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Participating in the destruction of the main altar is indeed no small crime. It's best to keep it hidden if possible. You and Jing Daoren were once fellow disciples, as close as brothers. In future actions, it's better to hide within his God Realm world, advancing and retreating together."
"Good!"
Void Heaven agreed readily, then asked, "The Heavenly Mechanism Brush..."
"No rush."
Zhang Ruochen left directly.
You've already refined the sword heart and sword bone, and you still want the Heavenly Mechanism Brush back?
If it weren't for the need of personnel, Zhang Ruochen would have made Void Heaven spit out everything with interest.
Jing Daoren saw Void Heaven's gaze turn unfriendly toward him and quickly smiled apologetically: "Hehe, Senior Brother Void... there's no choice, you know, it's for the Five Elements Temple. I have to be responsible for the lives of the temple's cultivators..."
The massive corpse of the Blazing Sun Ancestor fell, spanning the starry sky, still burning with flames and radiating intense heat, but devoid of any soul fluctuations.
A powerful half-ancestor, possessing an ancestor's corpse, had died so bizarrely under countless eyes.
Years later, it might, like the Demon Ancestor Cloud Mountain Realm, transform into a human-shaped great world.
Undying War God, Blood Absolute Clan Leader, and Ice King didn't bother to think about the cause. They immediately fled into space rifts, disappearing into the endless darkness and void.
Heavenly Duke and Hidden Corpse had already stopped fighting and didn't pursue, not daring to act rashly.
A curse?
Not quite.
The life and death rules of heaven and earth had fluctuated intensely and widely just now.
The gap between half-ancestors and ancestors was ultimately too great for them to sense the source of the technique.
"Even the Overlord couldn't stop it in time, which means the caster is in the nearby star domain, most likely that Life and Death Heavenly Venerable," Heavenly Duke said, wrapping himself in lightning and cautiously observing his surroundings.
His cultivation wasn't much higher than Wang Jingyang's.
If he could kill Wang Jingyang silently, killing him wouldn't be difficult. Of course, Overlord Murong was now on guard, making it somewhat safer than before.
"Penetrating the ancestor body, erasing all soul and consciousness—a formidable technique," Hidden Corpse muttered to himself.
Penetrating the ancestor body meant penetrating not just the flesh, but also the ancestor's rules, order, and divine qi.
Layer upon layer of ancestor defenses.
This was the benefit of possessing an ancestor's corpse—it could resist curses.
At a sufficient distance, it could even resist curses cast by ancestor-level strong ones for a short time without dying. Over time, the God Realm would naturally have ancestors act.
Moreover, powerful curses, when crossing vast distances, couldn't be cast out of thin air; they required some items from the cursed target.
Overlord Murong's voice came: "That's enough for today. Return to the Seventy-Two Layer Tower immediately."
Hidden Corpse and Heavenly Duke carried the Blazing Sun Ancestor's corpse and quickly returned to the Seventy-Two Layer Tower.
Overlord Murong said, "It was the Life and Death Heavenly Venerable using the *Book of Life and Death*. This old bastard is not only treacherous but also vengeful. From now on, you must be careful."
"Are we just letting it go?" Heavenly Duke said.
"Wang Jingyang showed too little respect for an ancestor and offended him multiple times, giving the other party an opportunity to kill and establish authority."
Overlord Murong thought for a moment and added, "If we retaliate now, we'll inevitably clash head-on with the Heavenly Court Universe, which isn't worth it. Since the Life and Death Heavenly Venerable claims to fully cooperate with the God Realm in building the Heaven and Earth Altar, we'll endure him for now. If he pays lip service and continues to obstruct, his death won't be far off!"
"Before the Eternal True Arbiter emerges from seclusion, stability is the priority, and building the Heaven and Earth Altar is the first priority."
Heavenly Duke secretly guessed that Overlord Murong was likely no match for the Life and Death Heavenly Venerable, which was why he had to adopt this strategy. He said, "What about Chi Yao? A half-ancestor daring to sabotage the God Realm's great plan is truly unforgivable."
Overlord Murong said, "This woman has been named by the Eternal True Arbiter, so I can't personally deal with her. As for you..."
Feeling Overlord Murong's gaze, Hidden Corpse said, "With the power of Zangjin Baihu, Golden Lion, and Bright King's Twenty-Seven Heavens layered together, although she has just broken through to half-ancestor, her combat power can rival an ancestor. Before obtaining the ancestor blood wings and undying bone, I am no match for her."
After absorbing the substance of White Cang Star, Hidden Corpse's combat power was already on par with Headless Kashyapa. One more step, and he could rival Hao Tian in the Heavenly Punishment Divine Armor or Heavenly Mother in the Houtu Wedding Gown.
The top-tier sequence of ancestor corpses was their Heavenly Punishment Divine Armor and Houtu Wedding Gown, even slightly stronger in combat power enhancement. Because they could use the power of the top-tier ancestor sequence more skillfully.
As for Dragon Scale, with a complete Ancestral Dragon corpse, his combat power was a notch above Headless Kashyapa.
Of course, Hidden Corpse wasn't pursuing this. Even if he reached Dragon Scale's level, encountering an ancestor would still result in suppression. If Chi Yao broke through to the half-ancestor middle stage, even the half-ancestor peak wouldn't be his match.
With the ancestor blood wings and the three types of Undying Blood Clan Heavenly Dao esoterica, seeking the ancestor path was his only pursuit.
Overlord Murong said, "There's one more thing. The Heavenly Demon has escaped the God Realm! This is likely another reason Chi Yao dares to challenge the God Realm—she has an ancestor's support behind her."
"Then building the Heaven and Earth Altar remains the top priority," Heavenly Duke said.
In the Paradise Realm.
Shang Tian had a good understanding of the *Book of Life and Death's* power and knew it was likely Zhang Ruochen's doing.
Using this method to kill clearly indicated he didn't want to clash head-on with the God Realm at this stage.
"What a Corpse Nightmare, easily cursing a half-ancestor to death—truly fearsome," Shang Tian muttered, heard by many Paradise Realm gods around him.
Feng Yan glanced at him and added, "The God Realm will probably take aim at the Corpse Nightmare faction next. At the very least, they'll have to kill a half-ancestor to save face."