Chapter 4228: Qinghui Returns
Zhang Ruochen, Zhen Yuan, Cihang Saint Venerable, and Xiang Chunan walked one after another into Feng Yan's Divine Realm World, arriving at the banks of the Five-Colored Pool within the Nüwa Palace.
The Five-Colored Pool was vast as an ocean, its colors layered and resplendent, a dazzling and magnificent sight.
The water within the pool possessed an utterly pure essence of the Five Elements, yet contained none of the world's rules, including the Five Elements Rules themselves.
This was a substance sent by Nüwa to this era, transcending the rules of heaven and earth.
Zhen Yuan stood facing the Five-Colored Pool, his hair tied with a wooden hairpin. Even standing before an Ancestor, he showed no sign of nervousness, speaking freely: "If the Great Venerable went to the past to seek answers, how could a figure as unparalleled as he have failed to meet Nüwa?"
"Let us assume, for now, that about thirteen Eons ago, Nüwa descended upon the Jade Desolate Realm, fought alongside the Great Venerable, and battled the Immortal. In that case, the two of them would have forged a bond across the River of Time. Thus, Nüwa sending the Nüwa Palace to this era must hold deep meaning—either to aid the Great Venerable's scheme, or to help us face the Great Calamity."
"Imperial Dust, are you not the most crucial part of the Great Venerable's plan?"
"As an Ancestor, you surely know far more than we do. Standing at your height, you must see things more clearly. Can you speak one truth to us?"
Zhen Yuan clasped his hands and bowed deeply.
Feng Yan, unwilling to beat around the bush like Zhen Yuan, asked directly: "Big Brother, just tell us—can the Five Elements mend the heavens and help you achieve perfection in your cultivation?"
Of course, the Five Elements could mend the heavens.
Moreover, it was the most orthodox and grand path to mending the heavens. Zhang Ruochen's Wuji Divine Dao was forged from the nine paths: the Five Elements, Yin-Yang, and Space-Time.
The fifty clusters of Dao Light he had cultivated so far were mostly formed by comprehending the paths of various Ancestors and tracing their Ancestor Rules. They included the Five Elements Rules, but not the purest Five Elements and Five Paths.
Everyone, regardless of their cultivation level, was trying to devise plans and offer assistance to help him, which deeply moved Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen naturally would not underestimate them. He said seriously: "This is a major leap in realm. How easy is it to mend the heavens? Well Jingguanzhu refined various Five Elements treasures, including the Bronze Divine Tree, the Stone God Star, and the Five Elements Earth, but in the end, he could only cultivate a false Ancestor body of the Five Elements."
"To use the Five Elements and Five Paths to condense five clusters of Dao Light, the Five-Colored Pool alone is far from enough. It would likely require draining all the Heaven and Earth Five Elements Rules from the universe. What consequences would that bring?"
"This would be equivalent to me personally initiating a Minor Calamity!"
Zhen Yuan then understood that Imperial Dust had already considered using the Five Elements to mend the heavens.
For him, it was the best method. But for the world, it would be a world-ending Calamity. Zhen Yuan had long pondered this and said: "Actually, to mend the heavens, it may not be necessary to drain all the Five Elements Rules from the universe. Thus, it might not necessarily cause the Five Elements to fall into chaos and the heavens to collapse. Imperial Dust, do you still remember the Five-Colored Merit Stele?"
How could Zhang Ruochen not remember?
The Five-Colored Merit Stele was a treasure refined by the Merit Divine Temple using the merit power of countless living beings. On the Merit Battlefield back then, it had shone brilliantly.
The merit power it contained could even, to some extent, counter the Nine Eternal Paths.
Shang Ziyan had even used it to forge his own body. But later, it was refined and absorbed by Shi Shenghua.
Zhang Ruochen appeared contemplative and said: "You mean to use the merit power of all living beings to supplement the deficiency of the Five Elements?"
Zhen Yuan was not only a deity of the Five Elements Temple but also the Hall Master of the Merit Divine Temple: "Not just that! No matter how profound and esoteric the Immortal's path may be, it must be inseparable from the Nine Eternal Paths. If Imperial Dust gains the merit power of all living beings, you will surely be able to suppress him."
Zhang Ruochen found it feasible, so he began to calculate with his fingers.
After a moment, he shook his head helplessly: "It won't work! Merit power requires a material carrier. In the universe, the ultimate material of the Five Elements is lacking, so the great path cannot be achieved."
"Whoosh!"
Feng Yan formed hand seals, and the Five-Colored Glass Cover flew out from between his brows.
Xiang Chunan condensed the Heart of Truth.
Cihang Saint Venerable opened his right palm and transformed the Buddha's ten-thousand-life merit into a green lotus.
"Please, Imperial Dust, carry this with you. It will be as if Cihang is accompanying you!"
"Please, Big Brother, do not refuse. Grant us this bond of brotherhood." "Big Brother, take it. I want to contribute. This Heart of Truth was given to me by you back then, allowing my cultivation to advance by leaps and bounds over the years. Now, it also contains a part of my power!"
Zhang Ruochen looked at the three before him, so familiar and dear, moved in his heart. He accepted the three treasures and said to Zhen Yuan: "Was this your idea?"
Zhen Yuan bowed again with clasped hands and said: "This universe can do without us, but it cannot do without Imperial Dust. No one knows how the Immortal will make his move, but carrying the treasures of the three Witch Ancestors on your person—what if, just what if, they prove useful?"
Man proposes, but heaven disposes.
Yet when everyone calculates and schemes together, with united wills and united wisdom, even heaven can be overcome.
"Thank you all. This bond of loyalty, I, this Emperor, will remember!"
Zhang Ruochen clasped his hands in return, his voice resounding with determination. Then, he was the first to leave the Nüwa Palace.
Sensing Zhang Ruochen's departure from the Divine Realm World, Feng Yan said softly: "Big Brother clearly harbors a death wish in going to meet the Immortal. It's not that he lacks the ability to mend the heavens and break through his realm, but that he wants to leave more resources and power for us to face the future Great Calamity. This is perhaps the spirit of sacrifice that only a Heavenly Venerable of each generation possesses!"
Zhen Yuan said: "Sacrificing oneself to perfect the world. He has engraved this will into his soul, making himself unwavering, unshaken by any emotion. If the Immortal tries to manipulate him through emotions, he will surely fail. But hasn't he also limited himself? Feng Yan, are you afraid of death?"
Feng Yan smiled and said: "If death is worthwhile, what is there to fear?"
"Then you must be prepared to die!" Zhen Yuan said solemnly.
Seeing that he was not joking, Feng Yan said: "What do you mean?"
Zhen Yuan said: "The Five-Colored Clay left by Nüwa can bear merit power. You are the leader of the Twelve Clay Men, so you must bear the greatest responsibility. What Imperial Dust fears is that too many people will sacrifice for him. He wants to protect you all and all the living beings of the universe on his own. Therefore, initiating a Minor Calamity to break through his realm has never been within his consideration."
"When it truly comes to the critical moment, I hope someone can step forward and force him to make a decision."
Feng Yan fully understood Zhen Yuan's meaning. He was silent for a long time, his fingers tightly interlocked, and said: "I understand what you mean!"
Zhen Yuan patted Feng Yan on the shoulder and said: "Imperial Dust is the greatest hero of this era, but we are not inferior either. How can we be content to be mere survivors sheltered by Imperial Dust? We, too, must choose a path and contend with the Immortal. Though we are but mayflies, we shall shake the heavens!"
Feng Yan said: "Big Brother's divine soul and spiritual power are surely locked onto Ancestors like the Eternal True Ruler, the Dark Sovereign, and Corpse Nightmare, which gives me the opportunity to act in secret. I will first summon the other Five-Colored Clay Men—Sister, Han Qiu, Xuanji Sword God, and the others—under the pretext of sharing the Five-Colored Pool. Then, I will try my best to persuade them!"
Truth Divine Temple.
That night, children, relatives, and friends gathered.
Though each harbored their own thoughts, many had not seen each other for years. They either reminisced about the past, chatted about the current situation, or had the younger generation offer wine, tea, and perform sword dances and fist techniques. The atmosphere was joyful, with endless laughter and cheerful voices.
Lamplight flickered, and cups clinked together.
Jie Tian was toasted by many second- and third-generation members of the Zhang Clan. He drank until his tongue could no longer straighten, lost in the chorus of "Old Ancestor" from every mouth.
Zhang Hongchen felt out of place in the lively atmosphere, finding many cultivators too immature, lacking the composure and steadiness of a supreme deity. But she did not leave. Instead, she sat by the lake under a thick cassia tree as wide as a bucket, drinking alone.
"Hongchen!"
At some point, Zhang Ruochen came to her side.
"Father!"
Zhang Hongchen quickly stood up.
Zhang Ruochen gestured for her to sit down, then sat on a stone stool himself. He looked into her eyes, beautiful as stars yet clouded with worry: "Worried about your mother?"
"Mm!"
Zhang Hongchen replied softly.
Zhang Ruochen took out the jade battle sword belonging to Ling Feiyu and placed it on the stone table before her.
Logically, Zhang Hongchen could understand Zhang Ruochen's difficulties.
But emotionally, she felt dissatisfied with him. She thought that since he had returned as the "Life-and-Death Heavenly Venerable," he must know about his mother's situation. Why had he not gone to resolve the Time Corpse for her in these thirty thousand years?
Only upon seeing this battle sword did she realize that her father had already risked visiting her mother.
"This time when I return, I will first help Feiyu resolve the Time Corpse, then send someone to bring her to the Heavenly Court." Zhang Ruochen thought for a moment and added: "Your cultivation is now comparable to the All Heavens. There is no need for us, father and daughter, to be evasive, so I will speak plainly. If I cannot return, you must take care of your mother in the future, as well as your younger siblings."
Zhang Hongchen's gaze was sharp: "Since Father acknowledges my strength, why not take me with you? Hongchen can support a cluster of Dao Light for you, fight side by side with you, and battle across the starry sea—that has been my goal since I began cultivation."
Zhang Ruochen waved his hand: "Each generation has its own challenges and responsibilities. When our generation is dead and gone, it will naturally be your turn! Hongchen, among all your siblings, you are one of the most intelligent, but your temperament is too extreme. Moreover, you always hide your thoughts deeply, never communicating with anyone. This..."
"Is this bad?" Zhang Hongchen said.
"This will make you very unhappy!"
Zhang Ruochen added: "Compared to your cultivation level, your father hopes you can be happier. You are the daughter of an Ancestor; you don't have to live so heavily. Is there someone you like?"
Zhang Hongchen was stunned, then her red lips curled slightly into a smile: "Is Father trying to marry me off?"
"Bei Ze and Gu Shen have both started families, with children and grandchildren. I heard that Yuyan and Kecai have also married, going to the Thousand Star Civilization and the Dragon Clan respectively. Have you considered it at all?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Of course, Zhang Ruochen knew that the older a female cultivator got, the harder it was for her to fall in love.
But for Zhang Hongchen, he always carried an extra layer of worry, believing that her character had significant flaws. If she had an emotional anchor, it might be a good thing.
Zhang Hongchen straightened up, her beautiful eyes gazing at the shimmering lake, and said: "Has Father gone to urge Big Sister?"
"She seems intent on growing old in the Zhang Clan."
"Kong Le?" Zhang Ruochen shook his head with a smile, unable to imagine Chi Kongle falling in love with any male cultivator.
Zhang Hongchen said: "If Big Sister doesn't marry, I won't either. Father, don't change the subject. When you go to meet the Immortal, your daughter is willing to follow you to the death."
Chi Kongle, who had approached nearby, happened to hear this and said: "Father is taking Hongchen?"
Zhang Ruochen shook his head.
"Father, don't lie to me! If Hongchen goes to battle with you, I will definitely go too." Then, Chi Kongle added: "When does Father set out?"
"I still need to wait a while."
Zhang Ruochen looked up at the starry sky, able to see across vast distances the powerful figures of the Hell Realm hunting the Corpse Demon, and said: "Go find Ni He. I want to see her alone."
In the following days, Zhang Ruochen stayed in the Truth Divine Temple, extremely busy.
He helped the deities of the Heavenly Court Universe replace their Divine Martial Marks and taught the second- and third-generation members of the Zhang Clan.
He did his best to enhance the cultivation of Chi Yao, Mo Yin, and Zangjin Baihu, giving them lectures on the Dao. After all, when he went to meet the Immortal next, he would need to rely on their power to support the Dao Light of the Heaven and Earth numbers.
The stronger they were, the more stable the Dao Light.
Zhang Ruochen's combat power would increase somewhat.
During this period, deities from the Sword Realm and the Hell Realm continuously led their armies to the Heavenly Court.
Forces from all sides gathered, all believing that Zhang Ruochen was about to launch a decisive battle with the God Realm in the Heavenly Court.
It was not until a month later that the "Ancestor-Slaying War" initiated by the Half-Ancestors of the Hell Realm finally came to an end.
At the last moment, Corpse Nightmare nearly succeeded in self-destructing his Divine Source. It was Zhang Ruochen, who had been closely watching the battlefield, who suppressed his spiritual will across the dimensions of time and space.
Sitting in the Heavenly Court, overlooking the entire universe, he could change the world with a wave of his hand.
Yan Wushen took the Ancestor's corpse, Fengdu Dadi obtained the Ancestor's divine soul, and Nutian Shenzun obtained the Ancestor's Divine Source.
Soon after.
Nutian Shenzun, accompanied by the deities of the White Clothes Valley, came to the Heavenly Court to meet with Zhang Ruochen.
"Imperial Dust has been delaying his return to the Sword Realm. Are you worried that the Heavenly Court, without an Ancestor to guard it, might face unforeseen upheaval?" Nutian Shenzun saw through Zhang Ruochen's concerns at a glance.
After all, the myriad realms and star regions of the Heavenly Court Universe currently gathered half of the universe's major worlds and cultivators.
If, during the gap when Zhang Ruochen went to the Sword Realm, an Ancestor-level incident occurred, he would be caught between two fronts, and the consequences would be unimaginable.
Zhang Ruochen smiled and said: "I am waiting for the powerful figures of the Hell Realm to finish their battle and come here. With the entire Supreme Group stationed here, I can leave with peace of mind. Where is Feng Tian? Why didn't she come with you?"
Only Zhang Ruochen, Chi Yao, Nutian Shenzun, and Chan Bing were in the hall.
Even Jue Miao Channü and Yanshu Chanshi were left outside by Nutian Shenzun.
Chan Bing said: "Imperial Dust is undoubtedly supreme in cultivation, and his knowledge and calculations are beyond reach. But when it comes to understanding women, I believe you still have some shortcomings."
Zhang Ruochen said: "Say something I can understand."
Chan Bing shot him a glance, feeling the terrifying energy of the Ancestor's gaze, and then softened: "The reason Nutian Shenzun and I can come to the Heavenly Court so openly is that we simply don't care about the opinions of the Heavenly Court cultivators. We only know that we are here to help you, to fight against the God Realm together."
Zhang Ruochen said: "You mean Feng Tian cares about what the Heavenly Court cultivators think of her?"
In the wars between the two universes in the past, Feng Tian and Nutian Shenzun were both main war advocates, having forged deep enmity with many deities of the Heavenly Court Universe.
Chan Bing shook her head: "What status and cultivation does Feng Caiyi have now? Why would she care about the opinions of those Heavenly Court cultivators? What she cares about is your opinion, the opinions of those around you, and her own inner thoughts."
Zhang Ruochen fell silent, knowing what Chan Bing was hinting at, and said: "The matter of Saint Monk Xumi is long in the past!"
"It is only in the past for you! For her, it has never passed."
Chan Bing added: "All cultivators in the world know that Xumi Saint Monk was your master. All cultivators in the world also know that Feng Caiyi had a hand in Xumi Saint Monk's death."
"Only when one does not care can one walk the world openly, even with blood on one's hands."
"Once one cares, the blood on one's hands can never be washed clean! The more one cares, the harder it is to get past oneself."
Zhang Ruochen said: "Did she tell you all this?"
"No! When we parted, she only said she was the Hall Master of the Destiny Temple and would always stay with the cultivators of the Destiny Temple." Chan Bing said.
"Imperial Dust..."
Nutian Shenzun was somewhat worried about Zhang Ruochen's state, afraid that he might be affected before the decisive battle.
Zhang Ruochen smiled, indicating that he was fine. Because someone had once told him that when dealing with Feng Caiyi, one must be firm and not let her make the choice.
If both the Minor Calamity and the Great Calamity could be overcome, he wouldn't mind going to the Destiny Temple and using force against Feng Caiyi. Let her know that the will of an Ancestor cannot be defied.
Seeing that Zhang Ruochen could handle anything calmly now, Nutian Shenzun realized his worry was entirely unnecessary and asked: "Heavenly Mother has not returned yet. Could something have happened?"
Zhang Ruochen had already used his Ancestor's will to go to the Jade Desolate Realm, but as soon as he entered, it was severed by an unknown force.
There was no doubt that Heavenly Mother had indeed encountered trouble! Zhang Ruochen snorted coldly: "If White Jade Divine Emperor has defected to the God Realm, it only proves that his strength is not worth fearing. It is easy to trap Heavenly Mother, but killing her, who possesses the Houtu Wedding Gown, is as difficult as reaching the heavens."
"Should we use him as a sacrifice first?"
A familiar voice sounded in the space beside Nutian Shenzun.
Chi Yao and Chan Bing were both startled and looked over. Beside Nutian Shenzun, there was nothing.
"On my way to the Heavenly Court this time, I encountered him on the road." Nutian Shenzun released a corner of his Divine Realm World.
A clear, soft radiance spilled out, like the first ray of morning sunlight.
In the light, a tall and majestic figure walked out from within the Divine Realm World, as imposing as a mountain, as dazzling as a star.
Feeling the terrifying pressure so close, Chan Bing was astonished: "How did I not know about this? We have been together from start to finish!"
Nutian Shenzun sighed with some envy: "Because there is an essential gap between your cultivation and his, of course you don't know when he appeared."
"Has he broken through to that realm?" Chan Bing exclaimed softly.
Who could have imagined that someone everyone thought had fallen would return as an Ancestor?
This was absolutely an earth-shattering event!
Once it spread, cultivators from all corners of the universe would be immensely inspired.
Aside from Nutian Shenzun, Zhang Ruochen was the calmest. He smiled and said: "Excellent! With your return, I can go to the Sword Realm without any worries!"
The figure bathed in clear radiance said: "Without a doubt, in that battle thirteen Eons ago, White Jade Divine Emperor was on the Great Venerable's side. I am extremely curious—what conditions did the God Realm offer to win him over?"
"A wavering fence-sitter, why bother with him? Heavenly Mother is over there, keeping him occupied!" Zhang Ruochen, who could now count on one hand the number of opponents he still considered worthy, naturally had the confidence to say this.
The clear radiance figure said: "Leaving now? If I go with you, will the chances of victory be greater?"
Zhang Ruochen said directly: "Both you and I know the secret of the Nether Ancestor and the power of the Immortal. So the key to this battle does not lie with you or Heavenly Mother, but with her choice."
"But you have waited for her in the Heavenly Court for a month, and she has clearly made her decision—to stand by and wait for the spoils. If you can win without fighting, who would choose to take risks?" the clear radiance figure said.
The next day.
Zhang Ruochen, Chi Yao, Zangjin Baihu, Nutian Shenzun, and Mo Yin set off together, heading for the distant North Marsh Great Wall.
The Sword Realm, the Wuding Divine Sea, and the thousands of major worlds attached to the Sword Realm had long been moved there.
Using the North Marsh Great Wall as a foundation, they had built a doomsday fortress.
Besides the five of them, Ling Yanzi had taken Jie Tian's place and was hidden within Chi Yao's Celestial World.
Lady Shiji was imprisoned by Zhang Ruochen within the Dark Cauldron.
From the day they set out, many cultivators, including Xiao Hei, A Le, Bai Qinger, Zhang Hongchen, and Chi Kongle, secretly followed, but Zhang Ruochen sent them back to the Heavenly Court across space and issued stern warnings.
On this journey, Zhang Ruochen did not deliberately hide himself, nor did he act conspicuously. It was entirely a normal return to the Sword Realm.
In reality, aside from Chi Yao and Ling Yanzi, who were quite certain of the Immortal's identity, the others accompanying him only knew that the Immortal of the God Realm was hiding in the Sword Realm. They did not know who specifically.
Thus, not long after leaving the Northern Universe and continuing north, they encountered a large number of deities from the Sword Realm coming to welcome them.
"Greetings, Imperial Dust! Welcome back, Imperial Dust!" "Greetings, Empress!"
Qiangu Nüdi, Bore, Kong Lanyou, Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden, Chi Xingtian, Eight-Winged Night Fork Dragon, Luo Xu, Xiao Qi, Niu Jianqiang, Han Xue, Qing Fu, and many others—each was overjoyed, completely unaware of the purpose of Zhang Ruochen's journey.
They only knew that the Ancestor had returned, and Imperial Dust was now invincible under heaven.