Chapter 513: Subduing Orange Moon
Duanmu Xingling asked, "What exactly do you need me to help you with?"
Zhang Ruochen said slowly, "I first captured Orange Moon Star Envoy, then killed Yellow God Star Envoy, causing the Black Market First Class Hall to lose all face. I've already angered them, and they will definitely retaliate. The Black Market's power in the Eastern Domain Sacred City, though not as strong as the Chen Clan or the Holy Academy, holds immense influence throughout the entire Eastern Domain, gathering countless evil path experts."
"I'm not worried about them coming after me. But I am worried they might go to Demon Ridge to target my family. Although the Martial Market Bank will certainly protect them, the Black Market's experts are cunning and treacherous, and I fear something unexpected might happen."
Duanmu Xingling nodded and said, "You want me to dispatch cultivators from the Sacred Sect to Demon Ridge to secretly protect them?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "With the power of the Moon-Worshipping Cult, intercepting the Black Market's people midway shouldn't be too difficult, right?"
Duanmu Xingling rubbed her chin and said, "Since Di Yi has already declared he will cause trouble on the day of your and Dust Sister's wedding, he will certainly put great effort into making it happen."
"If it really comes to a fight, it might trigger a large-scale conflict between the Sacred Sect and the Black Market, possibly even leading to Saint-level battles."
"Zhang Ruochen, I can only say that as your senior sister, I will do my utmost to help you this time. But whether I can contend with Di Yi, I have no guarantee."
Zhang Ruochen smiled and said, "Thank you, Senior Sister Duanmu."
Duanmu Xingling rolled her eyes, lifted her chin, revealing a crystal-clear side profile, and said, "Just a thank you? Isn't there any... substantial token of gratitude?"
Zhang Ruochen thought for a moment, then took out ten jin of Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal and ten jin of Purple Cloud Agarwood from his Space Ring, handing them both to Duanmu Xingling, and said again, "Thank you, Senior Sister."
A hint of disappointment flickered in Duanmu Xingling's eyes.
But in the end, she still put away the Black Water Colored Glaze Crystal and Purple Cloud Agarwood, saying somewhat resentfully, "You're just like that piece of wood—no difference at all."
Then, Duanmu Xingling took out a half-foot-long jade box from her Storage Bracelet and handed it to Zhang Ruochen, saying, "You only lack Nourishing Saint Blood Earth among the Five Elements Spiritual Treasures, right? I know you can't bring yourself to ask me for it. Now I'm giving it to you willingly. Do you want it?"
Duanmu Xingling's beautiful, starry eyes were clear and bright, her eyelashes fluttering as she looked closely at Zhang Ruochen, her gaze full of affection.
That last sentence carried a double meaning, as if she wasn't just offering the Nourishing Saint Blood Earth to Zhang Ruochen, but something else entirely.
Zhang Ruochen took the jade box, held it in his palm, and said flatly, "Thank you."
Duanmu Xingling bit her lip and said, "If you like saying thank you, then thank me for a lifetime."
With that, Duanmu Xingling turned around, her eyes stinging, her heart feeling as if it were being squeezed by a hand, aching deeply.
She had already understood that she and Zhang Ruochen could never be together.
There was an insurmountable chasm between them.
Duanmu Xingling took a deep breath to hide her emotions, and with a creak, she opened the door and walked out quickly.
Zhang Ruochen put away the Nourishing Saint Blood Earth and followed her out.
Huang Yanchen was standing under the osmanthus tree in the courtyard, her hands behind her back, waiting quietly. Her beautiful eyes occasionally glanced toward the door of Duanmu Xingling's room.
Although she knew that Zhang Ruochen and Duanmu Xingchen couldn't possibly do anything improper, her heart still couldn't calm down.
Orange Moon Star Envoy said sarcastically, "How pitiful! Your fiancé is alone in a room with your best friend, and you can only stand guard outside for them. Hah! If I were you, I wouldn't be so foolish."
"If you say one more word, I'll immediately carve ten sword marks on your face. Do you believe me?" Huang Yanchen said.
Orange Moon Star Envoy snorted coldly and said nothing more.
The sound of the door opening came, and Duanmu Xingling and Zhang Ruochen walked out one after the other.
Huang Yanchen breathed a slight sigh of relief, trying to appear as natural as possible, and immediately went up to them, asking, "Did you reach an agreement?"
She didn't know what Zhang Ruochen and Duanmu Xingling had discussed, nor did she want to know the content, so she could only ask this way.
Duanmu Xingling nodded and said, "It's settled. I need to return to the Eastern Domain Sacred City now. Dust Sister, we'll meet again when you and Zhang Ruochen get married."
With that, Duanmu Xingling left without any further delay.
Zhang Ruochen looked at Xiao Hei and used voice transmission to say secretly, "The inner space of the Cosmic Divine Wood Map has been propped up by the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree. There are some confidential matters I need to ask you."
Xiao Hei laughed loudly and said, "Zhang Ruochen, there are no outsiders here. The secret of the Cosmic Divine Wood Map can be spoken openly."
Present were Zhang Ruochen, Xiao Hei, Huang Yanchen, Orange Moon Star Envoy, and Ao Xinyan.
Zhang Ruochen hadn't wanted Orange Moon Star Envoy and Ao Xinyan to know the secret of the Cosmic Divine Wood Map, but since Xiao Hei had already brought it up, there was no need to hide it further.
After all, Xiao Hei wasn't just an ordinary cat; it was a mid-ancient ferocious beast sealed for a hundred thousand years. In terms of wisdom and cunning, it far surpassed Zhang Ruochen as he was now.
Since it dared to reveal the secret of the Cosmic Divine Wood Map, it must be confident that the secret wouldn't leak out.
Huang Yanchen asked curiously, "What Cosmic Divine Wood Map?"
Not only Huang Yanchen, but Orange Moon Star Envoy and Ao Xinyan were also extremely curious.
"Since you want to know, I'll tell you."
The Divine Martial Mark on Zhang Ruochen's forehead emerged, forming a strange and complex imprint.
"Whoosh!"
The Cosmic Divine Wood Map flew out from the Divine Martial Mark on his forehead and hovered in front of Zhang Ruochen.
Xiao Hei stood on a ten-thousand-jin black stone and said, "The Cosmic Divine Wood Map was refined by Xumi Saint Monk using a leaf from the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree. It is a scroll painting and also a time-space treasure."
"The Cosmic Divine Wood Map has recognized Zhang Ruochen as its master. As long as he injects true qi into the scroll, he can open the inner world of the scroll."
"The time flow in the scroll world is completely different from the outside. If a martial artist cultivates in the scroll world for ten days, only one day passes outside. In other words, possessing the Cosmic Divine Wood Map allows a martial artist to increase their cultivation speed tenfold."
"But in reality, it's far more than tenfold. Because within the scroll world, there is a Sky-Connecting Divine Tree, which can be called a heavenly spiritual root. With its help, the scroll world becomes a cultivation holy land."
Upon hearing Xiao Hei's words, Huang Yanchen, Ao Xinyan, and Orange Moon Star Envoy were all stunned.
"Impossible, impossible."
Orange Moon Star Envoy immediately shook her head and said, "During the mid-ancient era, the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree was cut down by a fierce person. How could it still be alive? Besides, how could a mere scroll painting contain the legendary Sky-Connecting Divine Tree?"
The Sky-Connecting Divine Tree was called "Sky-Connecting" because its power rivaled that of a deity.
In the eyes of later saints, the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree was even considered the last god of the Kunlun Realm.
How could a mere scroll painting contain a deity?
Not only Orange Moon Star Envoy didn't believe it, but even Huang Yanchen and Ao Xinyan had their doubts.
They looked toward Zhang Ruochen.
Xiao Hei liked to boast, so they couldn't trust it, but they could trust Zhang Ruochen's words.
Zhang Ruochen glanced at them, not wanting to explain further, and said, "Since everyone already knows the secret of the Cosmic Divine Wood Map, let's all enter the inner world of the scroll together."
Zhang Ruochen pressed one palm against the surface of the Cosmic Divine Wood Map and injected true qi into it.
"Whoosh!"
Moments later, rays of multicolored light surged up from the scroll, converging into a spatial gate.
Everyone walked through together, entering the inner world of the Cosmic Divine Wood Map.
The Space Ring Zhang Ruochen had refined was already quite miraculous, but compared to the Cosmic Divine Wood Map, it was utterly insignificant.
This was a true space treasure!
Under Zhang Ruochen's lead, everyone arrived at the base of the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree's stump. From a distance, it didn't look like a tree stump at all but rather an endless plain.
One could imagine how enormous that tree must have been when it was still alive.
A vast, surging wave of spiritual qi and saint qi emanated from the stump, like layers of water crashing against one's soul.
"This... this is the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree?"
Orange Moon Star Envoy's eyes widened, her entire being shaken by the aura emanating from the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree.
Compared to the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree, she was like an ant.
Xiao Hei leaped up, turning into a black shadow, and landed on the stump of the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree, speaking with an air of authority, "How about it? Cultivating here allows you to absorb the saint qi emitted by the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree. With this Emperor's guidance, I believe it won't be long before you can perfect your physiques."
The "you" Xiao Hei referred to were, of course, Orange Moon Star Envoy and Ao Xinyan.
Orange Moon Star Envoy felt a stir in her heart, thinking to herself, if the time in the Cosmic Divine Wood Map were truly ten times that of the outside, combined with the help of the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree, she could break through to the Fish-Dragon Realm within two months. Within three years, she could assault the Half-Saint realm.
Of course, three years outside meant thirty years in the scroll world.
She could focus entirely on closed-door cultivation in the scroll world, while Zhang Ruochen would be bogged down by worldly affairs, unable to spend much time cultivating in the scroll world. In that case, her cultivation speed would surely surpass Zhang Ruochen's.
Once she reached the Half-Saint realm, why would she fear a cat and a Zhang Ruochen?
By then, she could kill Xiao Hei and Zhang Ruochen, seize the Cosmic Divine Wood Map—this supreme treasure—and surely become the strongest in the Kunlun Realm.
"Very well, I'll endure for now, let Zhang Ruochen think I've submitted to him, and when my cultivation is complete, I'll crush him under my foot," Orange Moon Star Envoy thought to herself.
Even now, she still believed Xiao Hei was just a battle pet Zhang Ruochen kept, not taking it seriously.
But she didn't know that Xiao Hei's power was sealed within the scroll world of the Cosmic Divine Wood Map. Even if a Saint entered the scroll world, Xiao Hei could kill them.
Of course, no matter how strong Xiao Hei was, Zhang Ruochen could still mobilize the power of the Cosmic Divine Wood Map to suppress it.
It was a case of one thing subduing another.
Zhang Ruochen glanced at Orange Moon Star Envoy and said, "The secret of the Cosmic Divine Wood Map must never be leaked. Since I've brought you in, I can't easily let you out. If you still refuse to obey, I'll have no choice but to kill you to silence you."
Zhang Ruochen's intention to kill Orange Moon Star Envoy had never changed.
Orange Moon Star Envoy put on a look of great fear, immediately kneeling on one knee, and said respectfully, "The cultivation environment in the Cosmic Divine Wood Map is ten times better than the Black Market First Class Hall. With such a treasure aiding you, young master, you will surely become the ruler of the Kunlun Realm. Orange Moon is not a woman who doesn't know her place. From now on, I am willing to serve by your side, as a maid or a slave, and will never dare to have a second thought."
Zhang Ruochen stared deeply at Orange Moon Star Envoy, too lazy to bother whether she was telling the truth or lying. As long as she was willing to bow her head and submit, he would spare her life for now. Letting her cultivate in the scroll world was fine; perhaps she could be of great use in the future.
(For those who haven't followed WeChat yet, I remind you: there will be spoilers on WeChat tomorrow.)