Chapter 4251: Grand Finale (Part 5)
The starry scene where the Destiny Temple once stood had long since undergone a drastic transformation.
The Heaven Hunting Battlefield's No-Return Forest had turned to ashes, and of the three World Trees, only one remained.
That single World Tree had been condensed by Zhang Ruochen using the power of the Strange Domain.
Entering the Fate Divine Domain, Zhang Ruochen finally found traces of the past, recalling how before the Heaven Hunting Grand Banquet, he had shared a drink of "Twelve Flowers Blooming" with Yan Wushen, battled Que and Lan Ying, met Yan Zhexian and Zangjin Baihu, and personally killed Manjian Great Saint.
That Heaven Hunting Grand Banquet had opened two completely different chapters of life, one before and one after.
Standing beneath the collapsed Fate Divine Mountain, Zhang Ruochen gazed at the ruins of the Destiny Temple, sensing that Feng Tian was within the mountain. But after much hesitation, he ultimately chose not to go see her.
Leaving the Fate Divine Domain, Zhang Ruochen went to Tiannan. That place was utterly silent, all the grudges and entanglements having passed like a gust of wind, leaving no trace behind.
He continued onward.
The defense line at the Abyss of Darkness had been dismantled, and all the great worlds and planets had been relocated back to their original star regions.
Zhang Ruochen passed through the barrier between the Hell Path and the Ancient Path, making a trip to the Abyss of Darkness.
Waves of Heavenly Dao divine power surged toward him.
He grew dazed, his body swaying unsteadily.
Though the Ancient Desolate Ruins City had clearly been destroyed, he felt as if he had stepped back into it, seeing the one who had gone by the alias "Hai Shui"—the exquisite Zen nun—along with Yunqing Ancient Buddha, Kong Yinxue, Yuan Sheng, Jie Tian, Yuan Suyin, and the Imperial Ancestor Divine Lord...
So many people, all gathered together, laughing and talking, some reminiscing about the past, others chasing and playing.
The Ancient Desolate Ruins City showed no sign of desolation at all. It was brightly lit, bustling with people, weaving countless stories.
How long passed, he did not know. This dream, half-real and half-illusory, dissipated. Zhang Ruochen's ears caught the rhythmic sound of a wooden fish, accompanied by a beautiful and familiar chanting of sutras.
He cracked his eyes open—a harsh glare made him shut them again.
More sounds came from outside: the chirping of birds, the rustling of wind through bamboo leaves, the faint fragrance of flowers drifting in through a half-open wooden window, and the scent of sandalwood in the room.
Hearing, touch, smell—all converged into a picture in his mind.
His five senses returned.
Zhang Ruochen sat up abruptly, looking around.
A familiar meditation room.
Before the Buddha statue a zhang away sat a familiar cross-legged figure.
The wooden fish sound stopped abruptly.
The exquisite Zen nun, sitting on her cushion, looked toward the bed: "You're finally awake!"
She was as beautiful as ever, and as calm, as if even the collapse of heaven and earth could not stir a ripple within her.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Hai Shui!"
The serene Zen nun furrowed her brow. One could say that her time as "Hai Shui" was the biggest black mark in her entire life.
Zhang Ruochen asked, "Am I still in a dream?"
"Do you often dream of me?" the Zen nun replied.
Zhang Ruochen's perception fully returned, distinguishing reality from dreams. He put on his shoes and socks, stepped down from the bed, and smiled. "To be honest, I really did dream of you!"
The Zen nun was unaffected by his words. "Amitabha, Buddha be praised. I thought your injuries were severe and your humanity hard to recover, but it seems I worried too much. You just woke up, and already you're trying to disturb a female Buddhist cultivator's Zen heart. What kind of Heavenly Dao Great Emperor is this? Clearly, it's still that romantic Sword God!"
Zhang Ruochen didn't know how to explain and gave an awkward smile. "What exactly happened? How did I end up in White Clothes Valley?"
The Zen nun said, "Ten years ago, one night, you collapsed on the stone steps outside the temple. Two young monks found you, and I carried you into White Clothes Valley. Luckily, those two little monks didn't recognize you, or news of the Heavenly Dao Great Emperor sleeping on the street would have spread across the Six Paths by now."
"I slept for ten years?"
Zhang Ruochen found it hard to believe, thinking back carefully. "I remember now. In the Ancient Desolate Ruins City, I was invited by you, Yunqing Ancient Buddha, and Kong Yinxue to visit White Clothes Valley."
"...?"
The Zen nun's eyes, like water-soaked gems, simply stared at him, her lashes fluttering.
"It must have been a dream... You know, I was backlashed by time and causality, my divine soul and spirit severely damaged." Zhang Ruochen quickly explained. "Does that mean you've been taking care of me for ten years?"
"And me, haha! Great Emperor, you're finally awake!"
Yanshu Chanshi's voice came from afar.
Zhang Ruochen and the Zen nun walked out of the room together.
Outside, the sunlight was just right, spring was in full bloom, birds sang and flowers gave off fragrance, and the wind carried a faint scent of soil.
In the distance, among the emerald green leaves, ancient trees, precious halls, and pagodas were half-hidden.
The long-missed spring breeze and warmth.
Yanshu Chanshi emerged from the forest, but he gave Zhang Ruochen a sense of unfamiliarity. He wasn't wearing Buddhist robes or a kasaya; instead, he was in white clothes with his long hair tied up in a crown, carrying a hint of a dashing chivalrous swordsman's air.
"Chanshi, what's this?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
"Haha, I've left the monastic life!"
Yanshu Chanshi lowered his voice mysteriously. "The old man said that White Clothes Valley's population is dwindling, and if everyone cultivates Buddhism, what kind of place is that? So he forced me to return to secular life and even married me off to five wives at once. Tell me, where am I supposed to seek justice?"
As he said this, Yanshu Chanshi held up five fingers.
"Tsk, tsk..." Zhang Ruochen said.
Yanshu Chanshi continued, "Guess why the old man was in such a hurry?"
Zhang Ruochen's expression turned serious. "Could it be that Nutian Shenzun is severely injured and doesn't have much time left?"
"Pah, pah, pah, his blood energy is still vigorous; he can live for many more years."
Yanshu Chanshi said, "The Great Venerable is coming back! Think about it, the Zhang Clan of the Kunlun Realm, under Jie Tian's leadership, has grown and flourished, with descendants spreading across ten thousand worlds. Now look at the Zhang Clan of White Clothes Valley? Just a couple of monks and nuns. Do you think the old man can afford not to be anxious?"
"As the saying goes, a father beating his son is only natural."
"If you don't force me now, when the Great Venerable returns, he'll be the one forcing the old man!"
Zhang Ruochen showed a look of realization, giving Yanshu Chanshi a thumbs up. Then he looked at the Zen nun. "How about you leave the monastic life too, Zen nun?"
The Zen nun replied with utmost seriousness, "Anyone can say that, but you'd better be careful. I might take it seriously!"
Zhang Ruochen sucked in a breath of cold air, trying to calm himself.
"Jingzhe—spring returns to the earth, all things revive, good things are brewing, another fine season... Amitabha, Amitabha..."
Yanshu Chanshi clasped his hands together, muttering as he walked back into the forest. Having already left the monastic life, this behavior seemed incongruous.
Zhang Ruochen did not wait for Nutian Shenzun and Chan Bing to return. He stayed one night in White Clothes Valley, then took his leave.
It had been nearly eleven years since he set out from the Gray Sea. With the Heavenly Dao's divinity temporarily receding, some matters could not be delayed and had to be handled quickly.
Continuing along the Santu River, Zhang Ruochen followed his calculations and arrived at a planet in the star region ruled by the Undying Blood Clan.
This star region was located in the Hell Path.
Although the Undying Blood Clan was migrating, they ruled over too many planets; it would take hundreds of thousands of years to fully relocate to the Wangchuan Path.
Zhang Ruochen found the reincarnated new life of the Blood Absolute Clan Leader, born into an ordinary family, now ten years old, named Mu Jin.
After examining his bones, he found them excellent, with the potential to become a god.
But not as good as the Blood Absolute Clan Leader's previous life.
This was exactly what Zhang Ruochen feared, which was why he had to find the Blood Absolute Clan Leader while he was still young, to help him cleanse his marrow and refine his body, laying the foundation for a future peerless powerhouse.
As for the path to becoming an Ancestor, that could only be walked alone; no one could guarantee it.
Zhang Ruochen had a special bond with his maternal grandfather and hoped that in his second life, he could go even further. After all, his first life had already laid an extraordinary foundation.
After cleansing and refining the Blood Absolute reincarnated body, Zhang Ruochen took him specifically to the Ten-Winged World of the Undying Blood Clan in the Wangchuan Path, intending to hand him over to the Underworld King for careful cultivation.
Along the way, Zhang Ruochen continuously imparted teachings and doctrines to the Blood Absolute reincarnated body.
When they arrived at the Ten-Winged World, the Underworld King learned that Mu Jin was the Blood Absolute reincarnated body. His expression changed instantly, and he even refused to give face to the Great Emperor Zhang Ruochen, directly rejecting the request.
This wasn't teaching a disciple; it was raising a living father.
Zhang Ruochen then went to find the already retired Blood Butcher and Yan Ting, receiving a grand reception.
Blood Butcher called out all his descendants to pay respects to the reigning Great Emperor.
But upon learning Zhang Ruochen's purpose, Blood Butcher fled his home that very night, abandoning even Yan Ting and his children.
Teach the reincarnated Blood Absolute Clan Leader?
When they first met, Blood Butcher had been patting the child's head, praising him endlessly. But now, just one look made his back feel cold.
If he dared to be the Clan Leader's master now, once the Clan Leader became a god and recovered his memories, he would surely beat Blood Butcher until even Yan Ting wouldn't recognize him.
Zhang Ruochen didn't force the issue. He took the Blood Absolute reincarnated body to the third stop, finding the Undying Divine Temple's Hall Master, Bing Huang.
In the entire Undying Blood Clan, only Bing Huang dared to be the master of the Blood Absolute reincarnated body.
Bing Huang did not refuse and accepted Mu Jin. "I was originally planning to let him reincarnate a few more times before retrieving him for the temple's cultivation. But since the Imperial Dust personally cleansed his marrow and refined his body, let him return in this life."
"There's no time to wait. The future will be stormy, with even greater challenges ahead."
Zhang Ruochen warned Bing Huang with these words, then left the Undying Divine City, continuing his journey to restore his blurry memories and recover his lost emotions.
He visited the Yama Clan's Outer Heaven, the Shura Clan's Pillar Realm, and the Tian Luo Divine Kingdom, then left the Wangchuan Path, exited the Yellow Spring Star River, and arrived at the edge of the Wuding Divine Sea.
The Wuding Divine Sea had been relocated from the North Marsh Great Wall, half in the Human Path and half in the Hell Path.
Originally, the Wuding Divine Sea and the thousand-plus great worlds under the Sword Realm had moved to the North Marsh Great Wall solely to rely on it as a fortress against the Great Calamity.
But the North Marsh Great Wall was too remote, far from the core of the Heavenly Court Universe.
Thus, under the push of the Sword Realm's gods, the various great worlds were being moved back.
The star region where the Hundred Clans Royal City was located lay on the Hell Path side of the Wuding Divine Sea.
Zhang Ruochen had a drink of the Immortal Source Clan's wine in the city, then went to the Night Rain Sea.
Eight hundred Night Rain Seas, ten trillion corpse-burial grounds.
This was the sacred land of the Yaksha Clan!
Ailian Jun led the way for Zhang Ruochen, speaking respectfully, "Today marks the end of my master's life span. To have the Imperial Dust see her off, she will surely be deeply gratified."