Chapter 560: Senior Brother and Senior Sister
Zhang Ruochen leaped onto the back of the Earthfire Qilin and gazed out across the sea, yet he could not see any trace of the monk Lidi. That monk had likely already departed.
"Splash!"
The Earthfire Qilin spread its wings, riding a gust of wind as it carried Zhang Ruochen and Lingshu Half-Saint, soaring into the sky and flying toward Huangyu Island.
Strangely enough, the flames on the Earthfire Qilin's wings, which originally possessed devastatingly high temperatures, had become extremely gentle since being subdued by Lingshu Half-Saint, lacking any aggressive nature.
The Earthfire Qilin soon flew to the sea area where the Evil Sea Pillar had been located. However, at this moment, that stretch of sea had become quite calm.
Lingshu Half-Saint seemed to know what Zhang Ruochen was thinking and said, "Earlier, while I was searching for you, three War Saints stationed by the Ministry of War at Chaos Myriad Realms Mountain arrived simultaneously and have already taken away the Evil Sea Pillar."
Zhang Ruochen probed indirectly, "Senior Sister, that evil artifact possessed extraordinary power, and its forging technique seemed somewhat different from that of the Kunlun Realm."
Lingshu Half-Saint glanced at Zhang Ruochen, then looked up at the vast sky, lost in thought as she said, "The great thousand worlds are full of wonders. How vast is the Kunlun Realm? Even the Eastern Domain alone is boundless, with many places that even Saints have never heard of."
"Junior Brother, the places you have visited are merely a tiny corner. How can you be certain that the Kunlun Realm does not have unique artifact-forging techniques?"
"Read ten thousand books, travel ten thousand miles, observe the changes of all things, experience the myriad facets of human life—only then can you truly comprehend the realm of a Half-Saint. I offer you this advice: when you return to the Kunlun Realm, do not remain cooped up in the Holy Academy. Go out and explore more. It may allow you to gain a clearer understanding of this world."
Zhang Ruochen nodded, firmly committing Lingshu Half-Saint's words to memory.
In his previous life, Zhang Ruochen had spent the vast majority of his time cultivating, almost never venturing out alone to gain experience.
In this life, Zhang Ruochen had only accumulated military merit on the Ruins Realm battlefield, where it was nothing but slaughter upon slaughter. Many aspects of human relationships and many famous historical sites he had only read about in books, never experiencing them firsthand.
Read ten thousand books, travel ten thousand miles.
Perhaps he truly should go out and take a good look, witness the wonders of the great thousand worlds—there might be the deceit and intrigue of human hearts, or temptations that could make one lose oneself.
Only through experience could one prove that they had existed in this world.
Then, Lingshu Half-Saint added meaningfully, "Actually, there are some things I cannot tell you now, for fear they might affect your cultivation."
Zhang Ruochen glanced at Lingshu Half-Saint, saw that she had closed her eyes again, and so did not press further.
Swallowing a mouthful of Wood Spirit Red Chan, Zhang Ruochen began to heal his injuries.
With Lingshu Half-Saint escorting him, the journey was smooth and uneventful, with no further dangers encountered. Zhang Ruochen returned safely to Chaos Myriad Realms Mountain.
At Chaos Myriad Realms Mountain, besides the sprawling military camp stretching for thousands of miles, there were also dozens of palaces suspended in midair.
Each one was like a divine immortal's residence. Ordinary Ruins Realm warriors could only gaze up at them, utterly unqualified to set foot on the palaces, let alone know which great figures resided within.
Azure Grain Hall stood ninety-nine zhang tall, entirely pitch-black, forged from dark iron. The tiles, beams, pillars, and windows were almost all fused into one, exuding an aura of grandeur, solidity, and solemnity.
The master of Azure Grain Hall was a Saint named Qingxiao, one of the War Saints of the Ministry of War and also the senior disciple of Xuanji the Elder.
Zhang Ruochen and Lingshu Half-Saint entered Azure Grain Hall and simultaneously bowed, saying in unison, "Disciple pays respects to Master."
Xuanji the Elder, dressed in a white robe, stood at the center of the hall. He turned around, his aged eyes carefully examining Zhang Ruochen, and smiled, "Ten years is a small era; a hundred years is a great era. Seventy years ago, the Little Saint Heavenly King, Wan Zhaoyi, annihilated three nations of the Lingchuan Ruins Realm. Alone, he killed all indigenous beings above the Earth Extreme Realm Great Perfection, breaking through to the Heavenly Extreme Realm's supreme extreme realm. The world believed that era belonged to him, that no one could surpass him. But I, your master, feel that your talent surpasses even Wan Zhaoyi's."
Zhang Ruochen said humbly, "Over the past hundred years, the Kunlun Realm has produced countless exceptionally talented individuals. My current achievements are far inferior to many of them."
"Let alone the Little Saint Heavenly King from seventy years ago, in just the last fifty years, over a hundred Saint Bodies have emerged across the Kunlun Realm. Which of them is not a dragon among men or a phoenix among women? Your disciple must work even harder to catch up to them."
From the left side of the hall, a loud laugh rang out, "Little Junior Brother, you are too modest! Who will rise and fall in the great era of a hundred years remains uncertain. But in the small era of ten years, the stage is surely yours. I, your Second Senior Brother, do not believe anyone can surpass you."
Inside Azure Grain Hall, besides Xuanji the Elder, there were two others.
The person seated on the left was named Zhu Hongtao, Zhang Ruochen's Second Senior Brother.
This man was extremely tall, standing four meters and three inches high, with a large head and thick ears, his waist as wide as a millstone. He wore a bright red pair of shorts on his lower body and a green silk shirt draped over his upper half, his chest and belly exposed as he sat beside a green wooden table, devouring meat and guzzling wine.
Zhang Ruochen sensed a powerful aura from his Second Senior Brother, akin to that of a barbaric beast, indicating that he was not human.
It was not uncommon for humans to take barbaric beasts as disciples, so Zhang Ruochen was not surprised.
The man seated on the right was Zhang Ruochen's Third Senior Brother, named Wan Ke.
Wan Ke appeared quite refined, wearing an immaculate white robe with every button fastened neatly. His hair was combed smooth and glossy, without a single strand out of place.
He looked to be around thirty years old, with delicate features, a fair and beardless face, refined facial structure, and proper demeanor, with a humble smile perpetually at the corner of his mouth.
Before arriving, Lingshu Half-Saint had explained the characteristics of Zhang Ruochen's several senior brothers, so he could identify them. He immediately bowed and said, "Greetings, Second Senior Brother, Third Senior Brother."
Second Senior Brother Zhu Hongtao waved his hand grandly and laughed, "Between us brothers, no need for such formality. Hehe, Little Junior Brother, I heard you captured the Orange Moon Star Envoy of the Black Market First Class Hall and even took her as your little wife. I am full of admiration for you. How about we exchange some pointers sometime?"
"Cough, cough!"
Third Senior Brother Wan Ke coughed dryly twice and shot a glare at Zhu Hongtao, saying, "Second Senior Brother, Little Junior Brother's taste is not as vulgar as yours. As far as I know, Little Junior Brother's fiancée is a proud daughter of the Chen Clan of the Eastern Domain Saint King Manor, and they are to be married soon. If you take Little Junior Brother to those places you frequent, aren't you afraid your sister-in-law will fight you to the death?"
Zhu Hongtao's eyes lit up as he fixed his gaze on Zhang Ruochen, "Really? Little Junior Brother is getting married so soon? As far as I know, the cellar of the Eastern Domain Saint King Manor holds a treasured collection of the wine immortal 'Feng Zuisheng's' brew. Doesn't that mean I'll get to enjoy it again?"
Zhang Ruochen smiled, "According to the engagement agreement, it is indeed time to complete the marriage. I expect that once I return this time, I will begin preparations for this matter."
Zhu Hongtao was initially very excited, but then furrowed his brow and sighed, "Ah! Actually, getting married... Since Little Junior Brother has made up his mind, I, your Second Senior Brother, will not try to dissuade you. If you need any help, just speak up. I still have some influence in the Eastern Domain."
Wan Ke pondered for a moment and said, "Originally, at our first meeting, as senior brothers, we should give a gift. Unfortunately, this visit was rather rushed, and I forgot to prepare. On the day of Little Junior Brother's wedding, I, your Third Senior Brother, will definitely present a generous gift to make up for this omission."
Lingshu Half-Saint laughed, "Third Senior Brother, aren't you being a bit too stingy? A meeting gift is a meeting gift, and a wedding gift is another matter entirely. How can they be lumped together?"
"As I recall, you have a 'Meteor Invisibility Cloak' woven from hidden silkworm silk. When worn, it not only makes one invisible but also conceals one's aura. Beyond ten zhang, it can fool the five senses of a Saint."
Wan Ke felt a pang of reluctance. The Meteor Invisibility Cloak ranked among the top three of all his treasures.
The Meteor Invisibility Cloak possessed many wondrous powers. It was not merely an invisibility garment but also a defensive sacred artifact, capable of helping a cultivator withstand ninety percent of an attack's force.
Moreover, wearing it allowed a cultivator to burst forth with speed akin to a meteor.
Thus, with it, even if the enemy were a Saint, there was a chance to escape alive.
Wan Ke's cultivation had already reached the Ninth Step Half-Saint realm, just one step away from the Saint realm. The Meteor Invisibility Cloak was no longer of much use to him.
Originally, he had planned to give the Meteor Invisibility Cloak to Zhang Ruochen as a gift on his wedding day.
Unexpectedly, Lingshu Half-Saint brought it up now.
If he gave away the Meteor Invisibility Cloak now, what would he give at the wedding? He couldn't possibly give a gift inferior to the Meteor Invisibility Cloak, could he?
Headache!
Truly a headache!
Just as Wan Ke was racking his brains, Zhu Hongtao bellowed, "No matter! Third Senior Brother is famously stingy, but I, your Second Senior Brother, am not cut from the same cloth. What's there to begrudge when giving to one's own junior brother?"
With that, Zhu Hongtao spat out a golden orb from his mouth.
The orb spun in midair, emitting a buzzing sound. The patterns on its surface flickered continuously, and upon closer inspection, they seemed to form mysterious characters.
Lingshu Half-Saint was slightly startled, "Beast Origin Golden Pill."
Zhang Ruochen was also taken aback and immediately stepped forward, hastily saying, "Second Senior Brother, this gift is far too precious. I cannot accept it."
Only barbaric beasts of ancient relic lineage could absorb the essence of the sun and moon, condensing a Beast Origin Golden Pill within their bodies.
Ancient relic beasts were even rarer than divine beast descendants, but their combat power was formidable.
At the same cultivation level, one ancient relic beast could contend with two divine beast descendants. One divine beast descendant could easily defeat ten ordinary-bloodline barbaric beasts of the same level.
Nowadays, barbaric beasts mostly cultivated sacred sources and rarely managed to condense Beast Origin Golden Pills.
In truth, Beast Origin Golden Pills were similar to sacred sources, containing not only abundant sacred qi essence but also vast amounts of knowledge. The only difference was that Beast Origin Golden Pills were more easily absorbed by cultivators and did not cause mutual rejection.
Even for an ancient relic beast, it took a hundred years to cultivate a single Beast Origin Golden Pill. This illustrated its extreme preciousness.
Such a precious treasure, Second Senior Brother could generously offer as a gift, but Zhang Ruochen could not accept it.