Chapter 4206: Using the Empress as a Blade
The two World Trees each had a broad spatial channel appearing in every leaf world. The cultivators, living beings, and undead under the Destiny Temple and Fengdu Ghost City were continuously migrating, walking through the void.
The cultivators in the World Tree where the Destiny Temple was located migrated toward an Ancestor Realm that Feng Tian had unfolded.
The ghost cultivators in the World Tree where Fengdu Ghost City was located migrated toward the vast Santu River region, which had always been a paradise for the undead of the Middle Three Clans.
The Second Confucian Ancestor had already left, not worried that Zhang Ruochen would suddenly strike to seize the two World Trees. If Zhang Ruochen were truly that short-sighted, it would actually be a good thing, making it easy to defeat him.
Feng Tian stood beside the entrance to the Ancestor Realm, folding her flaming wings. She looked like a human female cultivator, her robes and skirt gently swaying, her silhouette incredibly beautiful against the backdrop of the stars.
After the initial icy coldness, she was now as quiet as a painting.
Suddenly, from behind, came Zhang Ruochen’s warm voice:
“Do you hold any resentment in your heart?”
Feng Tian knew Zhang Ruochen was standing just a few steps away, but she did not turn around. Her red lips parted slightly as she said calmly, “I dare not. I dare not hold resentment toward the Heavenly Venerable, and even less toward an Ancestor.”
Zhang Ruochen walked to Feng Tian’s right side, his figure tall and upright, looking forward along her line of sight.
Gazing at the Destiny Temple cultivators migrating through the void, he said, “The Immortal behind the Divine Realm is still hiding in the shadows, concealed among the masses. If we do not find Him and rashly engage the Divine Realm in a decisive battle, it would be irresponsible to the cultivators of all races in the universe.”
“When I was young, I acted on impulse, seeking quick revenge, only thinking about whether I would die. But now, I must consider: if I die, what consequences would it bring? How many people would I drag into death and suffering? Therefore, every decision must be made after careful thought, because as an Ancestor, every thought could cause the death of billions of beings.”
“I am not a lone traveler! Too many people trust me and follow me. I have to bear this responsibility.”
Feng Tian understood—he was beating around the bush.
She said, “The World Tree was not lost because of the Heavenly Venerable. Moreover, the Divine Realm’s attackers were cultivators below the Ancestor level, so it cannot be blamed on the Heavenly Venerable. It was my own failure. How could I dare to hold resentment because of it? But…”
“But the Heavenly Venerable had already given the Victory Crown as a gift, only to snatch it away again. Isn’t that too capricious?”
Zhang Ruochen pointed to the magnificent giant tower of Eternal Heavenly Kingdom and said, “The Nine Cauldrons are the only heavy artifacts capable of countering the Seventy-Two Layer Tower. All Ancestors want to seize them. Keeping them with you would put you in danger.”
How could Feng Tian not understand this reasoning?
What irritated her was that Zhang Ruochen had clearly returned thirty thousand years ago and had been by her side all along, yet he never revealed his true identity.
Was he that distrustful of her? Or did he not believe she could keep a secret?
Feng Tian knew she could be impulsive at times, but when it came to major matters of right and wrong, she was absolutely clear-headed.
She believed that people like Ci Hang Zunzhe, Shang Tian, and Fan Chen could trust the Life-and-Death Heavenly Venerable without reservation because they had long known his true identity.
So, in Zhang Ruochen’s heart, was her trust ranking even lower than these three?
What made Feng Tian hold a “grudge” even more was the way Zhang Ruochen had taken the Victory Crown and the Heaven Cauldron. At that time, he had definitely been ruthless with her.
“Shua! Shua! Shua…”
The Immovable Bright King Great Venerable’s twenty-seven layers of heavenly realm worlds moved over. Figures flew out from within, gathering first around Chi Yao.
Xiao Hei had no reservations and directly said, “Empress, what exactly is going on? Is it Di Chen? What is he discussing in secret with the Destiny Temple’s Hall Master?”
Zhang Ruochen’s aura was too strong. He had not restrained his Ancestor’s might, and any cultivator who approached felt oppressed.
To put it bluntly, even if an Ancestor just cast a glance without any emotion, it was enough to suppress a god, making them unable to lift their heads.
An Ancestor could not be looked at directly. To do so was disrespect. Mortal emperors were solitary, but Ancestors were even more so—truly alone.
Chi Yao was the same as them; she could not hear what Zhang Ruochen and Feng Caiyi were saying. She could only see that they were very close, like a hero and a beauty, a divine couple, as if watching the starry sea, which had a certain romantic charm.
Zhang Ruochen had not yet spoken a single word of reminiscence to her, yet he seemed to have endless things to say to Feng Caiyi.
Xiao Hei grew impatient. His heart felt like a cat was scratching it, with too many doubts and emotions he wanted to share with Zhang Ruochen. He said urgently, “These two have been hanging around the Heavenly Palace for thirty thousand years. How can they have so much to say? Is there no end to it? If you all don’t dare to go, I will. I’ll go pull him over.”
“How dare you! Is Di Chen someone you can criticize? An Ancestor’s every move depends only on the Ancestor himself. Who do you think you are? Hmph!” Jie Tian said, hands behind his back, stepping out from the crowd. His eyes carried a haughty, cold expression as he scolded Xiao Hei, “An Ancestor is also human, with emotions and desires. Is it so hard to give him a moment alone with the one he loves?”
Xiao Hei, now a Tianyuan Wuque and a sect master, was not as afraid of Jie Tian as before. He said, “You ask who I am? Old man, who do you think you are? Do you think I, the Emperor, am afraid of you?”
Jie Tian revealed a meaningful smile: “I am surnamed Zhang. The Immovable Bright King Great Venerable is surnamed Zhang. Di Chen is also surnamed Zhang. The same Zhang—the arrogant Zhang.”
“First, the Great Venerable laid out the grand plan; then, Di Chen turned that plan into reality. One family, two Ancestors, with Zhang Jie in between. Without me bridging the gap between the two Ancestors, would the universe be where it is today?”
Someone immediately stepped forward to flatter him: “Jie Lao speaks well! One family, two Ancestors, full of heroic spirit! All the heroes under heaven come from the Zhang family. Who dares to say otherwise?”
Among the top cultivators, the only one who could shamelessly flatter others like this was Xue Tu.
Xue Tu had somehow mixed into the crowd of Sword Realm cultivators, acting as if he were familiar with everyone, nodding and waving.
He walked all the way to Jie Tian before putting away his smile and bowing solemnly.
“Da Tu Zhan Shen Huang, you are a palace master of the Destiny Temple. How can I, an old man, accept such a grand salute from you?” Jie Tian quickly stepped forward to support him.
“Jie Lao, you are highly respected and virtuous. If my senior brother had not received your guidance, protection, and help when he was young, how could his path to Ancestor have been so smooth? This bow is on behalf of my senior brother. You deserve it.”
Even Jie Tian felt a little embarrassed. He waved his hand and said, “It’s nothing. I just helped refine a few pills.”
Xue Tu leaned in and said in a low voice that everyone could hear, “My senior brother is now an Ancestor. He cannot bow to anyone, not even his closest elders. Otherwise, people might gossip that he is honored but unfilial. I am his most trusted and closest junior brother. Of course, I will do it for him.”
In an instant, Jie Tian’s old eyes turned red, glistening with tears. He grabbed Xue Tu’s shoulders as if they were long-lost friends, trembling with emotion: “Do you see that, everyone? Do you see? Even cultivators from the Hell Realm know the achievements of my life.”
One dared to flatter, and the other dared to accept it. This truly made the gods present unable to bear it. But Jie Tian’s seniority was there—who dared to speak rudely?
If anyone had objections, they had to keep them to themselves.
Xue Tu really acted as if he were the host, standing on a higher spot and saying, “Everyone, everyone, I know you are eager to meet Di Chen. I want to as well. Who doesn’t want an audience with an Ancestor?”
“But there is a distinction between importance and closeness. My master, the Hall Master of the Destiny Temple, is a Half-Ancestor at the peak of her cultivation. She is also the woman Di Chen treasures most and feels most guilty toward.”
“I am Di Chen’s closest junior brother and Hall Master Feng Tian’s most proud disciple. I have witnessed them overcoming countless difficulties and hardships, step by step. It has been so hard for them!”
“Perhaps you don’t know, but thirty thousand years ago, on the night before Di Chen knew he might never return, he handed the Victory Crown to Xiu Chen Heavenly God to give to my master. Senior brother said, ‘If Chen falls like dust, this crown shall be her phoenix crown.’”
“What profound love! What an epic romance!”
“In the past thirty thousand years, I have seen my master secretly caress the Victory Crown more than once, facing the stars, tears streaming down her face. They have truly suffered so much. Let’s give them more time!”
At this point, Xue Tu lost control of his emotions, covering his sleeves and sobbing.
Among the figures of the gods, a discordant light snort drifted out.
Xue Tu glanced in the direction of that sound, quickly suppressed the anger in his eyes, and smiled, bowing with clasped hands.
It was Empress Chi Yao! This one, he could not afford to provoke.
Seeing this, Xiao Hei also snorted: “Feng Tian is the Death God Venerable and a Half-Ancestor. Her state of mind is so profound. How could she cry every time? Da Tu Zhan Shen Huang, you have reduced the dignified Hall Master of the Destiny Temple to a crying little girl!”
“You dare insult my master? Today, we fight to the death!”
Xue Tian manifested divine armor, released divine flames, and exuded a murderous aura.
Just as the two emperors were about to clash, Chi Yao’s gaze once again fell on Zhang Ruochen and Feng Tian in the distance. Even someone with Feng Caiyi’s personality could face thirty thousand years of deception so calmly. Could she, Chi Yao, not even match Feng Caiyi?
Feng Tian said, “That palm strike you hit me with in the Paradise Realm—was it revenge for that palm strike on the Wuchang Ghost City wall?”
Back then, on the wall of Wuchang Ghost City, Zhang Ruochen had kissed her, and she had struck him in the chest with a palm, sending him flying.
Zhang Ruochen couldn’t help but laugh: “In your heart, am I that narrow-minded? Would I take revenge for something like that?”
“Who knows?”
Feng Tian turned her head to look at him, her bright eyes gazing, her white teeth like shells as she said, “Just like how everyone under heaven knows Di Chen is unmatched in faith and righteousness—once he says something, he will definitely do it. Tell me, that line ‘If Chen falls like dust, this crown shall be her phoenix crown’—it can’t be something Xiu Chen made up, can it?”
Zhang Ruochen calmly faced her eyes, which seemed to pour out a thousand words.
These speaking eyes questioned why Zhang Ruochen had stirred her emotions thirty thousand years ago, recounted the pain she had endured over the past thirty thousand years recalling the past, and rebuked Zhang Ruochen for his distrust and deception…
After a long silence, Zhang Ruochen took the Victory Crown from his sleeve, held it in his ten fingers, and slowly placed it on Feng Tian’s head, gently smoothing the strands of hair beside her cheek.
His voice was low but resolute: “Zhang Ruochen’s words are always kept. If Chen falls like dust, this crown shall be her phoenix crown. If Chen becomes Di Chen, this crown shall be the empress’s crown.”
These words were heard by many, and they all looked over.
Xue Tu and Xiao Hei, who had been fighting fiercely, stopped.
Wu Yue stood with the Moon God, twin moons shining together, jade-like skin and immortal beauty, making the stars seem dim. Wu Yue said, “Empress’s crown? So he’s already making her empress?”
“Perhaps it’s just as Xue Tu said—Di Chen has long had a distinction between importance and closeness in his heart,” Yu Chenjing said.
Bai Qinger was as cold as ice and frost: “After all, she is a Half-Ancestor at the peak, a hall master. Without such cultivation, would you dare to be Di Chen’s empress? That position…” Her gaze shifted toward Empress Chi Yao.
If Feng Tian were to become empress, the greatest resistance would undoubtedly come from Empress Chi Yao.
During the thirty thousand years Di Chen had been away, Empress Chi Yao had held up the entire Sword Realm, demonstrating unparalleled mastery and governing wisdom. She had built the Doomsday Fortress internally and quelled disputes among the realms. Externally, she had resisted the Divine Realm and various evil Ancestors.
This achievement and ability had earned the recognition of all gods in the Sword Realm.
Moreover, Feng Tian had enmity with many gods in the Sword Realm.
With Di Chen’s current cultivation, he could naturally act arbitrarily. But if all the gods of the Sword Realm opposed it, Di Chen would have to consider the pros and cons of acting alone.
Thinking of this, a strange light suddenly appeared in Bai Qinger’s cold eyes. She thought to herself, “Perhaps this is that guy’s method of diverting conflict?”
Something that was clearly impossible, yet he said it in front of all the Sword Realm gods. If Bai Qinger didn’t think Zhang Ruochen had ulterior motives, she would absolutely not believe it. He had been back for thirty thousand years but had played the role of the Life-and-Death Heavenly Venerable for all that time. How many people who cared about him, were concerned about him, and missed him, didn’t feel resentful?
Not to mention Chi Yao and Feng Caiyi, who had seen the Life-and-Death Heavenly Venerable. Even Bai Qinger herself had some complaints.
For thirty thousand years, her act of worshiping at his cenotaph had become a joke?
Often in the dead of night, recalling the past, all the pain and longing in her heart became worthless.
His return alive was a joyful thing.
But since he was back, no matter if there were a thousand or ten thousand reasons, everyone would settle accounts with him.
Now, he had directly used the ultimate move of “empress.” Who would dare to settle accounts with him? That would be lacking in understanding of the bigger picture. He didn’t even need to act; Feng Caiyi and Empress Chi Yao would naturally step in to knock them down.
An empress, after all—if she couldn’t share Di Chen’s worries, what qualifications did she have to be empress?
Without a broad mind, what qualifications did she have to be empress?
This move was ruthless!
Bai Qinger sensed something and looked at Wu Yue, meeting her gaze.
The two women understood each other, then simultaneously shook their heads slightly.
The struggle for the empress position—see through it but don’t point it out. It was better to keep a low profile.
Previously, Wu Yue had some thoughts about the empress position, but as Chi Yao’s cultivation gradually reached a level capable of confronting Ancestors, she had completely cut off that thought.
In the distance, Feng Tian, wearing the Victory Crown, said something more to Di Chen, then leaned into his embrace.
This scene stirred many!
In the eyes of the Sword Realm gods, most showed various emotions, as they had long regarded Empress Chi Yao as the empress.
“In this doomsday era, who cares about the empty title of empress?” Xiao Hei snorted coldly.
Xue Tu was determined to argue with him: “You don’t care because it has nothing to do with you. If someone said now that the Ice King is not your father and you were born from your mother and another man, see if you wouldn’t get angry. An empty title might be empty, but when it involves oneself, it often matters a lot.”
Xue Tu completely ignored Xiao Hei’s murderous glare and continued, “Besides, what kind of figure is my senior brother now? He is an Ancestor who can rival the Eternal True Ruler, fully worthy of being the common master of the Heavenly Court Universe, the Sword Realm, and the Hell Realm. His empress is not an empty title; there are real benefits involved.”
“To put it bluntly, in the future Great Calamity, if someone must be sacrificed, those in the empress’s faction will be the last to be sacrificed. If someone can survive, those in the empress’s faction will have a higher chance of survival.”
“What’s with that look of yours…”
“Bang!”
Xiao Hei punched through Xue Tu’s protective divine light, hitting him in the face, and roared, “How dare you insult my late mother! Today, I’ll show you why I’m called the Emperor Who Slays Heaven and Destroys Earth.”
In the distant void, the Ice King, who had arrived with Void Heaven and Xue Jue War God, heard Xiao Hei’s furious roar and frowned. Everyone knew that “A Jiu” was his reverse scale. Had Xue Tu eaten the Supreme Heart and Ancestor’s Gall?