Chapter 788: Nether King Blood Poison
At this moment, Zhang Ruochen stood at the edge of the white stone square, his gaze fixed on the direction Fourth Senior Brother Feng Han had departed. He was also quite puzzled, thinking to himself, "How strange. Why did Fourth Senior Brother take Master's corpse away alone? Why didn't Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, and Third Senior Brother go with him?"
Earlier, beside Xuanji Sword Saint's corpse, Qingxiao Saint had unfolded his Saint Soul Domain, sealing off the sound. Therefore, Zhang Ruochen had not heard their conversation and had no idea what had happened.
Just then, Zhang Ruochen sensed something and turned around, meeting the gaze of Huang Yanchen, who was walking toward him. Their eyes locked.
Huang Yanchen's eyes were quite red and swollen, with tear stains still on her cheeks. Clearly, Master's death had hit her hard as well.
Zhang Ruochen glanced at Mu Jiji and Xun Hualiu. "What are you two still doing here? Can't you see I want to talk to Princess Yanchen alone?"
Mu Jiji and Xun Hualiu, both seasoned in matters of the heart, immediately gave a knowing look and tactfully left first.
Huang Yanchen was about to send a voice transmission to tell Zhang Ruochen about Feng Han. However, Zhang Ruochen raised a hand, making a silencing gesture, and looked toward the outside of the Sword Pavilion. Sure enough, he noticed several pairs of eyes occasionally fixed on him and Huang Yanchen. Among them was even Shengshu Cainü.
Neither Zhang Ruochen nor Huang Yanchen were Saints, so they couldn't deploy a Saint Soul Domain. Even if they transmitted messages, some cultivators with deep cultivation might overhear their conversation.
Although Huang Yanchen was extremely anxious, she dared not speak now, lest she expose Zhang Ruochen's identity.
The two remained silent and left Ancient God Mountain.
It wasn't until they returned to Zixia Spirit Mountain that Zhang Ruochen released his protective Saint Qi, enveloping both of them. He spoke first to comfort her, "Don't be too sad. Master was a Sword Cultivator. Falling in a high-profile decisive battle is a glorious end. Even in death, there should be no regrets."
Huang Yanchen leaned into Zhang Ruochen's arms, pursed her lips, and tears welled up again from her eyes. She nodded, then suddenly recalled her earlier doubt, and asked, "Zhang Ruochen, Master valued you the most while he was alive. Did he ever tell you who he intended to be his successor?"
Zhang Ruochen nodded. "Master did speak to me alone about this once. He said his greatest regret was not finding a successor to inherit his legacy."
Huang Yanchen's expression shifted. "Not even Fourth Senior Brother?"
"At the time, I asked Master the same question, but he just shook his head. In the end, he asked me to be his successor, telling me that if he fell in the decisive battle, I was to take the Skyward Sword and his corpse to the Nether King Sword Grave in the Central Domain."
Zhang Ruochen's tone was somewhat bitter. Clearly, with Master having just passed away, he didn't want to dwell too much on the matter of the successor.
Hearing Zhang Ruochen's words, Huang Yanchen was shocked.
Zhang Ruochen's words and Fourth Senior Brother's words were so similar. Without a doubt, one of them must be lying.
Huang Yanchen naturally believed Zhang Ruochen without reservation. So, she immediately recounted everything Feng Han had said earlier, word for word.
"How could this be?" Zhang Ruochen's face changed.
"Master couldn't have chosen two successors at the same time. Zhang Ruochen, I feel like Fourth Senior Brother is very suspicious," Huang Yanchen said.
"There's definitely something wrong."
Zhang Ruochen's expression grew very serious. "You said earlier that Master met with Fourth Senior Brother alone before the Sword Discussion Conference?"
Huang Yanchen nodded.
Zhang Ruochen took a deep breath, his eyes narrowing, and his ten fingers clenched slightly. "Master clearly had the upper hand in his duel with Jiuyou Sword Saint. Why did he suddenly fall? I have a feeling that Master's death is connected to Fourth Senior Brother."
"But why? Why would Fourth Senior Brother harm Master?" Huang Yanchen asked.
"Don't ask too many questions for now. I'm going after him right now. I can't let him take Master's remains and the Skyward Sword," Zhang Ruochen said coldly.
Huang Yanchen knew Feng Han's cultivation was extremely profound, so she was very worried about Zhang Ruochen's safety. "I'll go with you."
Zhang Ruochen shook his head. "No, go to the Sword Pavilion and find Senior Brother. Tell him about this alone. If necessary, you can reveal the truth that I'm still alive. Remember, only tell Senior Brother. Don't reveal it to anyone else."
Zhang Ruochen didn't distrust his other senior brothers and sisters, but among them, only Senior Brother was the most steady and could keep a secret. It was best not to let the others know the truth.
Feng Han had just left. Although he had hidden his aura extremely well, leaving no trace, Zhang Ruochen fully released his Spiritual Power and still detected a faint residue of aura in the air.
Zhang Ruochen immediately put on the Meteor Invisibility Cloak, pushed his movement speed to the limit, vanished from the spot, and chased after him into the night.
If Master had truly been murdered, no matter who the culprit was, Zhang Ruochen would make sure to kill them.
Huang Yanchen was also extremely anxious and immediately headed back toward Ancient God Mountain.
Because he wore the Meteor Invisibility Cloak, Zhang Ruochen's speed was incredibly fast. Ordinary cultivators couldn't even see his shadow. Soon, Zhang Ruochen had chased out of Liangyi Sect and into the vast Falling God Mountain Range.
The residual aura of Feng Han in the air was becoming more and more distinct. Clearly, Zhang Ruochen was not far from him.
"How did Feng Han know the secret of the Skyward Sword?"
This question kept nagging at Zhang Ruochen's mind.
Master would never have told him, so there must be a third party involved.
Thinking this, Zhang Ruochen became even more cautious. He slowed down, activated the cloaking power of the Meteor Invisibility Cloak, and completely concealed his aura within the garment.
Before long, Zhang Ruochen spotted Feng Han's figure.
Zhang Ruochen immediately stopped, landed on the ground, and stood a hundred zhang away, quietly observing Feng Han's direction. He was very curious about what Feng Han intended to do.
Feng Han was extremely cautious. He looked around and, seeing no one following, placed Xuanji Sword Saint's remains on the ground.
Then, he took out a black xun, put it to his lips, and blew out a very strange sound wave.
"Shua shua!"
In an instant, five huge black bats flew out from the jungle and landed before him, transforming into human forms.
No, to be precise, they weren't bats, but five humans with fleshy wings. Their bodies were completely wrapped in black robes, so when they flew, they looked like giant bats.
"Undying Blood Clan."
Zhang Ruochen's eyes darkened. He was now certain that Master's death was connected to Feng Han.
Slowly, Zhang Ruochen drew the Abyssal Ancient Sword and held it in his hand.
"Greetings, Sixth Prince."
The five Half-Saints of the Undying Blood Clan simultaneously bowed to Feng Han.
Among them, the one standing at the front was an old man with a head of fiery red hair, named Taixi Half-Saint. He stood two and a half meters tall, with a very robust build.
Moreover, his cultivation was far stronger than the other four Half-Saints, clearly holding a high status.
Taixi Half-Saint laughed. "Sixth Prince personally took action—truly extraordinary. Even someone as formidable as Xuanji Sword Saint could only end up dead."
Feng Han said, "Everyone has weaknesses, and Xuanji Sword Saint is no exception. The old man's greatest flaw was trusting his disciples too much. Otherwise, I would never have had the chance to make him drink the Nether King Blood Poison."
Taixi Half-Saint sneered mockingly. "The Nether King Blood Poison was refined by Lord Nether King himself from his own blood. It's colorless and odorless, no different from plain water. Not even Xuanji Sword Saint could detect anything wrong, and even that Empress might not be able to identify it."
Feng Han glanced at Taixi Half-Saint, took out the Skyward Sword, and tossed it to him. "Take the Skyward Sword back and personally hand it to Father Emperor."
"Now that we have the second Sacred Sword, as long as we seize the other four Sacred Swords, we can go to the Nether King Sword Grave, destroy the Prison-Suppressing Clan, and open the Blood Prison Gate. Then, Lord Nether King will return."
"Once Lord Nether King descends upon Kunlun Realm again, even that Empress Chi Yao will be doomed. The entire Kunlun Realm will be ruled by us, the Undying Blood Clan. Those lowly humans will be nothing but our blood food."
Taixi Half-Saint held the Skyward Sword, excited by Feng Han's words. "Sixth Prince has rendered such a great service, surpassing all the other princes. You will surely receive a generous reward from the Clan Leader."
Feng Han's expression turned serious. "There's another matter. When you return, tell Father Emperor to investigate a book called the 'Blood Clan Secret Records.' That book could be a huge threat to our Undying Blood Clan."
"Understood."
Taixi Half-Saint nodded, then asked, "Isn't the Sixth Prince returning with me to see the Clan Leader?"
Feng Han shook his head, looking at Xuanji Sword Saint's remains on the ground with a half-smile. "This prince is going into seclusion to cultivate and won't be returning for now. Xuanji Sword Saint's blood is a precious treasure. If I fully absorb and refine it, my cultivation will rise by at least three realms..."
In the darkness, a cold voice rang out, filled with hatred. "I'm afraid you won't have the fortune to enjoy it."
Feng Han's face darkened. He immediately released his Saint Soul Domain and warily prepared for battle.
At the same time, his pupils turned blood-red as he activated his "Heavenly Blood Pupils" to scan the surroundings. "Who's there?"
"Shua."
A sound of wind arose.
Feng Han was startled to find that someone had entered his Saint Soul Domain and appeared behind him. He immediately condensed a palm seal and struck backward.
His palm strike was incredibly fast, but it hit nothing.
"Boom!" The powerful palm wind flattened the nearby jungle. Ancient trees as thick as water buckets were all snapped in half, with leaves and wood chips flying everywhere. Even the ground's soil was scraped away in a thick layer.
Not good.
Feng Han sensed something was wrong and immediately looked at the ground, only to find that Xuanji Sword Saint's remains had vanished.
Another sound of wind arose.
A ghostly shadow appeared thirty zhang away. All the shadows overlapped and condensed into a young man. In his arms, he held Xuanji Sword Saint's remains, and a chilling murderous aura radiated from him.
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