Chapter 635: The Foremost Among Ten Thousand Sects
(Today's two chapters contain quite a bit of exposition; everyone can take their time reading.)
Zhang Ruochen nodded, pondered for a moment, and said calmly, "Whether you believe it or not, I still have to tell you. Although I captured Orange Moon Star Envoy, I did not bully her, nor did I mistreat her. Of course, if she does something detrimental to me, I will consider killing her."
"I naturally trust the words of Xuanji Sword Saint's disciple."
Bu Qianfan clasped his hands to Zhang Ruochen and added, "Let us part ways here. I hope that when we meet again, we can be friends who share a drink and laughter, not enemies who fight to the death."
Bu Qianfan lifted his right foot, stomped heavily on the ground, and his body shot upward, soaring to a height of several hundred meters before disappearing into the rugged mountains.
"If not for the weakness of Orange Moon Star Envoy, Bu Qianfan would definitely have the strength to rival Di Yi." Zhang Ruochen sighed inwardly. He had to admit that some women could indeed bring a hero to his knees.
The most painful thing in the world is to love someone who does not love you back. Today's Bu Qianfan was remarkably similar to the Zhang Ruochen of the past.
Unfortunately, Empress Chi Yao was even more ruthless than Orange Moon Star Envoy.
And wasn't Zhang Ruochen even more pitiable than Bu Qianfan?
Returning to the Scroll World, Zhang Ruochen flew for half an hour and arrived at a city that was already more than half-built. Entering through the city gate, he soon found Xiao Hei and Orange Moon Star Envoy.
Xiao Hei sat beside a stone table, discussing with Devouring Elephant Rabbit and Demon Ape how to eat the flesh of the Black Crow Python King. The three gluttons had long been eyeing the python king's flesh, chatting away with "hehe" laughter.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen approach, they immediately stopped smiling.
Zhang Ruochen asked, "Xiao Hei, Ao Xinyan went with you to the Ruins Realm battlefield. Where is she now?"
"We parted ways as soon as we returned to Kunlun Realm. She probably went back to the Holy Academy," Xiao Hei said.
"Good, as long as nothing happened to her."
Zhang Ruochen glanced at Orange Moon Star Envoy in the distance and then asked, "Did you discover anything during your trip to the Ruins Realm battlefield?"
Xiao Hei's eyes darted around. He raised a claw and released a mass of black light, forming an energy barrier that enveloped him and Zhang Ruochen.
Clearly, what he was about to say was not meant for others to hear.
Xiao Hei said seriously, "Based on the coordinates I found on the altar in the Wood Essence Ruins Realm, I visited two more Ruins Realms—one lower-rank and one mid-rank. In those two Ruins Realms, I also found two altars. Moreover, the origin energy of both Ruins Realms was suppressed beneath the altars."
Zhang Ruochen drew in a sharp breath of cold air. "What exactly is Chi Yao trying to do? Using Ruins Realms as formation platforms to set up such a massive array—could she really be trying to refine Kunlun Realm?"
Xiao Hei said, "Maybe she does want to refine Kunlun Realm, absorbing the blood energy of all living beings in the world to break through to the legendary True God realm. If she succeeds, she would be the only deity since the Middle Ages."
"Of course, this is just my speculation. The likelihood isn't high—no one would do something so insane."
"Actually, I lean more toward a second possibility. Empress Chi Yao might be trying to set up an unprecedented formation, wrapping the entire Kunlun Realm to form a fortress-like array connecting Kunlun Realm with countless Ruins Realms."
"To be honest, Empress Chi Yao's unification of Kunlun Realm has indeed accomplished many great deeds that benefit humanity. This era is arguably the most prosperous since the Middle Ages. If Empress Chi Yao truly builds a 'Heaven-Earth Great Cycle Array,' it would be a monumental achievement, earning her eternal fame."
Zhang Ruochen's gaze grew heavy. "What if it's the first scenario? You have to understand, people are selfish."
Xiao Hei said, "That is a possibility. That's why I came back this time—to have you come with me to uncover the truth. Based on the clues from the altar in the Ruins Realm battlefield, there are also altar coordinates distributed within Kunlun Realm itself, with faint connections between them."
"Among them, the closest altar coordinate to us is located in the western section of the Fallen God Mountain Range."
The Fallen God Mountain Range stretched across most of the Eastern Domain, spanning who knows how many tens of thousands of miles. Within the mountain range, there were not only billions of barbarian beasts but also hundreds of large and small sects.
Some small sects had only a few dozen members.
But there were also large sects, passed down for over ten thousand years, with over a hundred thousand disciples alone, making them regional overlords.
Additionally, in the western section of the Fallen God Mountain Range, there was a sect passed down from the Middle Ages—the Liangyi Sect.
The Liangyi Sect, in the Eastern Domain, was known as the "Foremost Among Ten Thousand Sects." Its disciples were spread across the land, with over three hundred thousand inner disciples stationed at the main sect alone.
If you included disciples distributed across the Eastern Domain Sacred Land and Eastern Domain Evil Land, the number of inner disciples would surely exceed a million.
Moreover, the Central Domain, Southern Domain, Northern Domain, and Western Domain also had inner disciples of the Liangyi Sect.
Adding outer disciples, affiliated sects, affiliated clans, servants, laborers... the human members directly managed by the Liangyi Sect were simply incalculable.
Because of the Liangyi Sect's strength, it could stand as an equal against the Black Market, the Demon Sect, the Chen Clan, and the Martial Market Bank in the Eastern Domain, earning its title as the foremost among ten thousand sects.
In the western section of the Fallen God Mountain Range, a sect nation had formed with the Liangyi Sect at its head.
The imperial court's armies had repeatedly attempted to suppress the Eastern Domain Evil Land but always stopped at the Fallen God Mountain Range, partly due to the constraints of the sect forces led by the Liangyi Sect.
Zhang Ruochen said, "You mean that altar is in the Liangyi Sect?"
"Only the Liangyi Sect has the capability to build such a massive altar," Xiao Hei said.
Zhang Ruochen fell into thought. "In that case, I really do need to go to the Liangyi Sect. No matter what, I have to uncover the truth."
"However, the Liangyi Sect's power is immense. I can't force my way in; I'll have to think of another approach."
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen's eyes lit up as a strategy came to mind.
If he couldn't force his way in, why not infiltrate the Liangyi Sect under a different identity?
Once he became a disciple of the Liangyi Sect, investigating the altar would be much easier.
Zhang Ruochen looked at Xiao Hei. "Xiao Hei, I just remembered I forgot to retrieve something. Go get it for me."
"What is it? Where do I get it?" Xiao Hei asked.
"It's at the place where we fought the Blood Crow King earlier. Bring back the corpse of that Liangyi Sect disciple, along with his sect token," Zhang Ruochen said.
Xiao Hei had some idea of Zhang Ruochen's plan and nodded. Then, he and Devouring Elephant Rabbit left the Scroll World, heading to the earlier battlefield.
Once Zhang Ruochen's cultivation broke through to the fourth transformation of the Fish-Dragon Realm, he could practice the Formless Formless Thirty-Six Transformations. At that point, he could simply transform into the appearance of a Liangyi Sect disciple and easily infiltrate the sect.
Clearly, Lin Yue, who had died at the hands of the Blood Crow King, was a good choice. That was why Zhang Ruochen had Xiao Hei retrieve Lin Yue's corpse.
Of course, before that, Zhang Ruochen needed to resolve another matter, so he walked over to Orange Moon Star Envoy.
Hearing Zhang Ruochen's footsteps, Orange Moon Star Envoy kept her back to him, her voice devoid of emotion. "You finally killed Di Yi."
"That's right."
Zhang Ruochen said, "If you want to avenge him, you can do it now. But I must warn you—you have already pledged allegiance to me. If you attack me, it would be an act of disloyalty and dishonor."
Orange Moon Star Envoy let out a cold, mocking laugh. "Zhang Ruochen, you're too arrogant. Let me tell you the truth—I never truly intended to pledge allegiance to you. I was just playing along with you."
Zhang Ruochen found a stone stool and sat down, speaking calmly. "I was playing along with you too. If Xiao Hei hadn't thought you might still be useful, I might have killed you long ago."
Orange Moon Star Envoy spun around abruptly, gathering a faint ball of sacred energy in her palm, while the Dragon-Locking Chain spun rapidly around her wrist.
Zhang Ruochen glanced at her indifferently, showing no intention of fighting. "Di Yi is dead, but Bu Qianfan has come back to life."
Orange Moon Star Envoy bit her lip, her expression complicated. "He is a good man."
"Unfortunately, he loved the wrong woman."
Zhang Ruochen smiled, then his expression turned serious. "Earlier, you said you were from the Murong Clan? In all of Kunlun Realm, families that dare to call themselves 'Clans' are quite rare."
"So what?" Orange Moon Star Envoy said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "You said the Murong Clan has four tenets: 'Loyalty, Filial Piety, Bravery, and Righteousness.' But I recall that Yin Wuchang, the third disciple of Ghost Saint, was killed by you. He was your senior brother. Killing him should be an act of unrighteousness, shouldn't it?"
The four tenets seemed to hold great importance in Orange Moon Star Envoy's heart. Hearing Zhang Ruochen's words, she felt insulted.
Orange Moon Star Envoy looked at Zhang Ruochen as if he were an idiot. "Do you really think Yin Wuchang was some kind of saint? That he would give up precious cultivation time to save a junior sister? I'll tell you anyway—in the Black Tortoise Ruins Realm, I deliberately used your power to get rid of him."
Zhang Ruochen knew that in the evil path, talk of senior-junior bonds was a complete joke.
Perhaps there were indeed hidden circumstances behind Orange Moon Star Envoy's killing of Yin Wuchang.
Zhang Ruochen stopped probing and got straight to the point. "Do you know Murong Yefeng?"
Orange Moon Star Envoy's expression froze, and her eyes flashed with sharp light. "How do you know that name? Who exactly are you?"
Seeing the look in Orange Moon Star Envoy's eyes, Zhang Ruochen knew she had heard the name, confirming some of his suspicions.
Eight hundred years ago, the Murong Clan was one of the three largest aristocratic clans in the Sacred Bright Central Empire, producing many outstanding talents who were loyal generals under Emperor Ming.
Among them, the person from the Murong Clan with the best relationship with Zhang Ruochen was Murong Yefeng.