Chapter 605: Gathering of Evil Forces
As Zhang Ruochen had just exited the Scroll World, pushed open the door, and stepped out of his secluded cultivation room, he saw a fully black-armored evil path cultivator waiting outside the courtyard. [Fengyun Novel Reading Network]
This man was tall and robust, with a pair of bright, piercing tiger eyes. His cultivation had evidently reached the third transformation of the Fish-Dragon Realm, making him a formidable expert.
"Grand Protector, the Star Envoy invites you to the Saint Willow Hall to discuss important matters." Guo Song bowed slightly before straightening up again.
Zhang Ruochen walked unhurriedly out of the courtyard, closed the door, and then asked, "How did you know I would emerge from seclusion today?"
Guo Song's dark face revealed a hint of a smile. "The Star Envoy instructed that unless the Grand Protector comes out of seclusion, no outsider should dare barge in and disturb you. I have been waiting outside your door for two days and one night."
So that was it?
Zhang Ruochen couldn't help but gain a new respect for the Red Desire Star Envoy. This seductive woman truly had a knack for winning people over.
Initially, Zhang Ruochen had been quite worried that his closed-door cultivation to break through to the peak of the third transformation of the Fish-Dragon Realm in the Red Willow Manor would be interrupted. Now it seemed that the Red Desire Star Envoy trusted him enough to grant him considerable freedom.
If Zhang Ruochen were truly just a rogue cultivator of spiritual power, he might have stayed to assist the Red Desire Star Envoy, helping her secure the position of Young Master of the Black Market First Class Hall. Unfortunately, Zhang Ruochen was not.
"Lead the way," Zhang Ruochen said indifferently.
Guo Song led Zhang Ruochen through seven winding corridors and layers of formation light screens, heading deeper into the Red Willow Manor. The further they went, the more he realized that the manor was no ordinary place.
Was it really just an estate?
Zhang Ruochen found that his previous understanding of the Red Willow Manor was merely the tip of the iceberg.
This manor was extraordinarily vast, and its spiritual energy was exceptionally dense. At the center of the estate, there was even a magnificent hall, more splendid and imposing than the City Lord's Mansion of Qingyun Commandery City.
"I never noticed before that the Red Willow Manor had such a grand layout. The mechanisms and formations here could probably only be breached by a Half-Saint in person," Zhang Ruochen remarked casually, feigning nonchalance.
Guo Song followed behind Zhang Ruochen and laughed. "The Grand Protector may not know this, but the Red Willow Manor was once the main residence of a fourth-rate family called the Liu Clan. The Liu Clan was a Half-Saint family that lost a struggle with the Blood Cloud Sect for dominance over Qingyun Commandery and was wiped out. Thus, this residence became the Blood Cloud Sect's territory."
Zhang Ruochen said, "So, the Red Willow Manor is now the property of the Blood Cloud Sect?"
"Not exactly. The Blood Cloud Sect long ago offered the Red Willow Manor to the Illusion Saint, who then bestowed it upon the Star Envoy. Therefore, the Star Envoy is the true master of the Red Willow Manor," Guo Song explained.
Zhang Ruochen nodded and asked no further questions.
As they spoke, the two arrived outside the Saint Willow Hall.
The Saint Willow Hall was built atop a ten-zhang-high stone platform. One had to climb ninety-nine jade steps to reach its entrance.
Standing at the foot of the steps and looking up, the hall appeared extremely ornate and grand. Twelve pillars, each requiring three people to encircle, stood in a row, each coiled with a giant python.
The giant pythons on the pillars were not lifeless; they were twelve fourth-rank upper-level savage beasts—Black Centipede Electric Pythons. They had serpentine bodies but were covered in sharp centipede-like legs.
The twelve Black Centipede Electric Pythons were tasked with guarding the Saint Willow Hall.
At the center of the hall grew an ancient willow tree. Its trunk was a hundred zhang tall and exceptionally thick; even the hanging roots were thicker than the hall's pillars.
The massive trunk, lush branches, and dense roots split the hall in two.
If one listened carefully, they would notice that the ancient willow tree was actually breathing, as if it could come to life at any moment and unleash an incomparably powerful force.
Zhang Ruochen remained calm as he ascended the steps, clearly sensing the powerful auras emanating from the Saint Willow Hall. It seemed like a gathering of evil forces.
Guo Song lowered his voice and reminded Zhang Ruochen, "The decisive battle is imminent. The Star Envoy has invited all the experts loyal to the Illusion Saint from the eighteen commanderies of the Fallen God Prefecture to the Saint Willow Hall to discuss important matters."
"Oh?"
Zhang Ruochen glanced at Guo Song and smiled faintly.
He fully understood the meaning of "the decisive battle is imminent." When the Red Desire Star Envoy had resolved to kill the Azure Star Envoy, she already knew that a direct confrontation with Di Yi was inevitable.
A battle between her and Di Yi in Qingyun Commandery was unavoidable.
The struggle for the position of Young Master in the Black Market had always been exceptionally brutal, like raising Gu insects in a jar by the Black Market's upper echelons. All the Gu insects relied on their talents, strength, methods, and wisdom to fight and compete. In the end, only one Gu insect would survive—the strongest one, who would eventually take the position of Hall Master of the Black Market First Class Hall.
The victor would naturally secure the position of Young Master. The loser would find even a quick death hard to come by.
As the saying goes, "The victor becomes king, the loser a bandit."
Since the decisive battle was imminent, the Red Desire Star Envoy no longer hid her forces. She gathered all the available personnel to the Red Willow Manor.
Zhang Ruochen entered the Saint Willow Hall alone. As for Guo Song, he was only a cultivator at the third transformation of the Fish-Dragon Realm and not qualified to attend such a meeting.
Zhang Ruochen's gaze swept over the evil path experts seated on both sides of the hall, quickly assessing the Red Desire Star Envoy's strength.
The four most formidable cultivators sat in the second seats on the left and right, respectively.
All four concealed their true appearances using various methods, suggesting they had special identities they didn't want others to know they had come to the Red Willow Manor.
Their bodies were enveloped in a colored divine light, and they all had cultivation at the ninth transformation of the Fish-Dragon Realm.
Besides these four major figures at the ninth transformation, there were twenty-six cultivators at the eighth and seventh transformations below them. Each had their own seat, neatly arranged on both sides of the hall.
They all appeared calm and composed, yet exuded an exceptionally domineering aura. Their blood energy surged, their spirits were full, and every breath they took sounded like a howling gale.
Who among those who had reached the seventh transformation of the Fish-Dragon Realm wasn't a tyrant of the evil path?
Figures like Ji Gui and Luo Shi could only sit near the entrance, occupying the fifteenth seat on the left and the fifteenth seat on the right, respectively.
In just three days, the Red Desire Star Envoy had gathered so many evil path overlords. This showed that she had deliberately appeared weak before, fooling everyone.
Her tactic of showing weakness had led countless people, including Zhang Ruochen and Di Yi, to underestimate her.
She wouldn't reveal her trump cards until the critical moment.
The Red Desire Star Envoy and Di Yi were evenly matched in strength.
However, their personalities differed. Di Yi had more charisma—confident, proud, intelligent, and decisive—so he had gathered a large group of experts around him, crushing any enemy with overwhelming force.
The Red Desire Star Envoy, on the other hand, was more reserved. She always showed her weakest side to others while secretly building her power. When she didn't act, it felt like anyone could defeat her. But when she did, she always caught you off guard, and you might die without knowing why she had killed you.
As Zhang Ruochen entered the hall, he felt many unfriendly gazes. Not wanting to draw attention, he walked over to Ji Gui and picked the sixteenth seat on the left, preparing to sit down.
The Red Desire Star Envoy sat at the highest position in the hall, holding a crystal holy staff. Her long hair cascaded like a waterfall, making her appear exceptionally charming and radiant.
She naturally saw Zhang Ruochen enter. Her beautiful face immediately broke into a smile. "Grand Protector, why are you sitting by the door? Your seat is here."
The Red Desire Star Envoy extended a slender jade finger, pointing to a seat beside her.
That seat was extremely close to her, even above the four major figures at the ninth transformation of the Fish-Dragon Realm.
As soon as the Red Desire Star Envoy spoke, several cold snorts echoed through the Saint Willow Hall, and the atmosphere grew quite tense.
Zhang Ruochen had already sat down halfway but paused upon hearing her words. His gaze swept across the hall, sensing several more hostile stares.
"Your subordinate's experience is shallow. How could I dare to sit above these seniors? I think this seat is fine."
With that, Zhang Ruochen sat down directly and even nodded and smiled at Ji Gui beside him.
"At least you have some self-awareness. Don't think that just because the Star Envoy appointed you as Grand Protector, you're truly qualified to sit in that seat." From the third seat on the right, a silver-haired old man spoke coldly.
Zhang Ruochen glanced at the silver-haired old man, then closed his eyes, ignoring him.
For now, Zhang Ruochen just wanted the meeting to end quickly so he could discuss his seclusion with the Red Desire Star Envoy. With the decisive battle imminent, he needed to enhance his strength as much as possible.
Zhang Ruochen didn't want to stir up trouble, but the evil path experts present had no intention of letting him off easily.
From the seventh seat on the left, an evil monk with crimson skin suddenly stood up and roared, "How dare you openly defy the Star Envoy's orders? Do you believe I, Chi Hai, will tear you apart right now?"
"Whoosh, whoosh."
In the hall, more than half of the evil path overlords from the thirty seats on both sides stood up.
Each of them exuded a monstrous killing intent, all directed at Zhang Ruochen.
Only the Red Desire Star Envoy, the four major figures at the ninth transformation of the Fish-Dragon Realm, and Zhang Ruochen remained calm and composed.
The Red Desire Star Envoy did not intervene. Perhaps she was displeased that Zhang Ruochen had openly challenged her authority and wanted to teach him a lesson.
Or perhaps she was using this opportunity to test whether Zhang Ruochen had the ability to serve as Grand Protector and whether he could suppress the various evil path overlords present.