# Chapter 847: Returning to the Corpse River
Zhang Ruochen felt deeply reluctant in his heart. After all, Hanxue was still so young, yet she was about to embark on an extremely dangerous path.
No one knew whether that path led to life or death.
He walked over, tightly embracing Hanxue in his arms. After a long moment, he released his grip, then took out a leaf shaped like a Qilin, threaded it with a silk cord, and hung it around Hanxue's neck.
This leaf had been plucked from the Seven-Star Divine Ling. Its value was equal to that of the Phoenix leaf, which could bring the dead back to life.
It was said that wearing a Qilin leaf on one's body could change a person's fortune, allowing them to seek advantage and avoid harm. Whether the rumor was true or false, Zhang Ruochen chose to believe it.
Zhang Ruochen patted Hanxue's little head and said, "I hope that when we meet again, your cultivation has already surpassed your master's." He paused, then added, "You must come back alive."
Hanxue gently touched the Qilin leaf with her finger, blinked her eyes, and nodded very seriously.
"Zhang Ruochen, your master's journey ahead is uncertain, between life and death. Therefore, you are still the master of the Skyward Sword, and you should go to the Underworld King Sword Grave," Xuanji Sword Saint instructed.
His words seemed to carry a very deep meaning.
Even if Xuanji Sword Saint had not instructed him, Zhang Ruochen would still have gone to the Underworld King Sword Grave.
The Undying Blood Clan had been scheming to release the Underworld King. How could Zhang Ruochen let them succeed?
Xuanji Sword Saint led Hanxue away, disappearing into the layers upon layers of ghost mist, heading deeper into the Underworld.
Zhang Ruochen, Mu Lingxi, Xiao Hei, and the Demon God Rat turned toward the direction of the Kunlun Realm, embarking on two completely different paths.
After spending half a month, they finally reached the edge of the Corpse River.
The water in the Corpse River was extremely turbid, emitting a freezing deathly aura, with rotting corpses floating on the surface. On the river, countless undead spirits surged forward, charging toward the opposite bank.
At every moment, a large number of ghost soldiers and ghost generals were entering the Kunlun Realm.
"I wonder what the situation is like at Liangyi Sect and the Eastern Domain now?"
Zhang Ruochen furrowed his brow and let out a long sigh.
Mu Lingxi knew that Zhang Ruochen had a special emotional attachment to Liangyi Sect, so she said, "Liangyi Sect's heritage is extremely ancient. Even the great calamity at the end of the Middle Ages, it survived. Just those Ghost Kings on the outskirts of the Underworld definitely cannot destroy Liangyi Sect."
"I hope so."
Just then, Zhang Ruochen suddenly became alert. A sharp light flashed in his eyes. He quickly turned around, flexed his fingers, and shot out ten sword waves simultaneously.
"Whoosh!"
The ten sword qi formed ten circles of energy ripples, each a hundred zhang in diameter.
Behind him, a large hand seal was struck by the ten sword waves and shattered with a bang, dissolving into wisps of saint qi that scattered in all directions.
"Come out!"
Zhang Ruochen withdrew his hands and let out a cold shout.
"Who is it?"
"How dare you ambush Master Rat, you have some nerve!"
Mu Lingxi, Xiao Hei, and the Demon God Rat all assumed defensive postures. In particular, Mu Lingxi and Xiao Hei each summoned thirty-six battle corpses, forming two teams of corpse soldiers neatly arranged behind them.
By the Corpse River, a broken tomb door slowly opened.
Yin Xuanji rode a dragon corpse out from a tomb, his gaze extremely cold and dark. He looked down from his height and said, "Zhang Ruochen, I have been waiting for you for a long time."
The ghostly aura in the air twisted slightly.
A black shadowy figure materialized out of thin air. She wore a water-patterned black robe and a black veil, appearing both eerie and mysterious.
It was the princess of the Ghost-Raising Ancient Clan, Feng Yinchang.
Following her, six or seven half-saints from the Ghost-Raising Ancient Clan and the Corpse-Driving Ancient Clan emerged one after another, completely surrounding Zhang Ruochen and the others.
They could not cross the Corpse River, so they had been hiding in the shadows. Seeing that Xuanji Sword Saint was not traveling with Zhang Ruochen, they decided to act together to capture him.
Only by controlling Zhang Ruochen could they escape the Underworld.
Mu Lingxi let out a cold laugh: "Yin Xuanji, Feng Yinchang, your ancestors are already dead, yet you still dare to oppose Zhang Ruochen. If I were you, I would honestly kneel and beg for mercy. Perhaps Zhang Ruochen might even take you back to the Kunlun Realm."
Feng Yinchang stood opposite Mu Lingxi, within a mass of ghostly aura, her delicate figure appearing and disappearing. She said calmly, "If we capture you, won't we be able to leave the Underworld just the same?"
Yin Xuanji said harshly, "With the power of the Corpse-Driving Ancient Clan and the Ghost-Raising Ancient Clan, you have no way to escape."
The older half-saints of the Ghost-Raising Ancient Clan and the Corpse-Driving Ancient Clan were indeed formidable figures, with great strength and profound cultivation. Any one of them was a powerful ruler who could dominate a region. Compared to them, Zhang Ruochen and Mu Lingxi were too young and still somewhat lacking in strength.
However, Zhang Ruochen remained extremely calm, not even showing any intention to act.
He gently shook his head and smiled. "The ones with no way to escape should be you."
"Is that so?" Yin Xuanji said coldly.
He had repeatedly confirmed that Xuanji Sword Saint was not returning to the Kunlun Realm with Zhang Ruochen. In that case, what power did Zhang Ruochen have to contend with them?
An extremely seductive voice came from within the ghost mist: "You of the Ghost-Raising Ancient Clan and the Corpse-Driving Ancient Clan truly have audacious courage. Don't you know that opposing Zhang Ruochen means opposing me?"
Red Desire Star Envoy, wearing a sexy red robe, soared into the air and landed on top of a nearby tombstone. Her long, jade-like legs were completely exposed beneath her skirt, appearing exceptionally alluring.
The cultivators of the Black Market First Class Hall also all came out, appearing below the tombstone.
On the ground, the sound of barbarian beasts running could be heard, causing the earth to rumble.
Moments later, Bu Qianfan led the half-saints of the Ministry of War to the banks of the Corpse River. They wore battle armor and rode barbarian beasts, glaring fiercely as they surrounded Yin Xuanji and Feng Yinchang at the center.
Following that, other forces also emerged from the darkness. There were saintly clans, ancient sects, and even some forces whose names Zhang Ruochen had never heard of, with which he had no connection.
All the cultivators stood on Zhang Ruochen's side. If Zhang Ruochen said one word, they would immediately charge forward and blast the cultivators of the Ghost-Raising Ancient Clan and the Corpse-Driving Ancient Clan into ashes.
There was no choice. They were all trapped in the Underworld, and only Zhang Ruochen could save their lives and bring them back to the Kunlun Realm.
So, given such an opportunity, they naturally had to desperately show goodwill to Zhang Ruochen.
Whoever opposed Zhang Ruochen opposed them.
Although Feng Yinchang and Yin Xuanji's facial expressions could not be seen, it could be guessed that their faces were probably quite ugly at this moment.
Yin Xuanji gritted his teeth, stared at Red Desire Star Envoy, and said, "Your Black Market has an irreconcilable blood feud with Zhang Ruochen. Even if you help him, he won't take you out of the Underworld. Why don't we join forces, capture him together, and still force him to lead us out of the Underworld? What do you say?"
Red Desire Star Envoy's red lips curved upward, revealing two rows of snow-white teeth, but she was not swayed.
Because she knew Zhang Ruochen very well. He was a man who yielded to softness but not to hardness. Everyone who had tried to threaten him had ended up badly.
Feng Yinchang looked toward the Ministry of War crowd and said, "Zhang Ruochen is a major criminal wanted by the imperial court. If you help him, aren't you afraid of being punished by your superiors? Why don't the Ministry of War join forces with our two clans to capture Zhang Ruochen? When we return to the Kunlun Realm, Zhang Ruochen will be handed over to you for disposal. I believe that as long as you can escort Zhang Ruochen back to the Central Imperial City, it will certainly be a great merit."
It had to be said that Yin Xuanji and Feng Yinchang were both extremely clever people. They clearly saw that among those present, only the Black Market and the Ministry of War were the most powerful forces.
If they could ally with either side, they would seize the initiative, and the other forces would immediately switch sides and all turn against Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen was a person the Empress had ordered to be captured. If someone could apprehend him, it would certainly be a great achievement.