Chapter 896: Sword Grave Past Events
In the bamboo forest, a gentle breeze drifted in, scattering the emerald bamboo leaves in all directions.
Li Min secretly glanced at Zhang Ruochen, bit her lip, and appeared slightly nervous. "Discussing the young patriarch is a major taboo. If outsiders hear it, we will face severe punishment."
Zhang Ruochen released his Space Domain, covering an area of ten zhang, enveloping Li Min within it, before saying, "Now, no one can hear our conversation. Tell me, what exactly happened?"
Li Min didn't know what method Zhang Ruochen had used, but since he was a Half-Saint, and he said no one could hear them, then outsiders definitely couldn't.
"It's not exactly a secret. Actually, two hundred years ago, the patriarch of the Zhenyu Ancient Clan wasn't the current one. It was Shi Ren's grandfather, Shi Mingyuan, whom we also called the old patriarch."
Zhang Ruochen committed the name "Shi Mingyuan" to memory. To become the patriarch of an ancient clan was no ordinary feat.
Li Min spoke with vivid detail, "At that time, Patriarch Shi entered the fifteenth layer of the Nether Prison for a death-seclusion, striving to break through to the Saint King realm. If all went smoothly, he should have succeeded within three years at most."
"However, Patriarch Shi remained in seclusion in the fifteenth layer for thirty years without emerging. Many then speculated that he had failed and died within."
"The Zhenyu Ancient Clan naturally couldn't remain without a patriarch for long. So, Wang Beilie, the head of the Wang family, with his profound cultivation and forceful methods, quickly became the new patriarch."
"On the day of his succession, Wang Beilie personally promised that once Patriarch Shi emerged from seclusion, he would immediately step down. He also appointed Patriarch Shi's eldest son as the young patriarch, vowing to abdicate once the young patriarch's cultivation reached the Saint realm."
Zhang Ruochen nodded slightly. "So, the young patriarch at that time was Shi Ren's father?"
"Correct," Li Min said.
Zhang Ruochen asked, "Did Shi Ren's father ever reach the Saint realm?"
Li Min's eyes darted around, still worried about being overheard, but after confirming no one could hear, she continued, "Shi Ren's father was just short of the Saint realm. But at the critical moment, he suffered a Qi deviation and turned into a blood-red-furred murderous monster."
"On a full moon night, he charged into the clan's gathering place, killing many innocent people. The current patriarch finally subdued him and imprisoned him in the Nether Prison."
"This matter has been forbidden to discuss within the clan. I only learned of it by eavesdropping on two elders' conversation."
Zhang Ruochen found it suspicious. "Was Shi Ren's father truly suffering from Qi deviation?"
"I find it odd too. The Shi family specializes in spiritual power and talisman dao. Even those who achieve sainthood through martial dao possess strong willpower, let alone Shi Ren's father, who achieved sainthood through spiritual power. Qi deviation is far less likely."
Li Min blinked her large, beautiful eyes and whispered, "Zhang Ruochen, do you think Wang Beilie used some underhanded method to cause this? After all, he was the biggest beneficiary of the whole affair."
"You're quite bold, little girl, to dare speak the patriarch's name directly," Zhang Ruochen said with a smile.
Li Min's almond-shaped eyes widened, clearly displeased with being called "little girl." She puffed out her chest slightly and lifted her chin. "I'm already sixteen! How am I still little? You're not much older than me. Why do you call me that?"
Zhang Ruochen looked her over from head to toe, then shook his head with a smile. "Do you know how powerful a Saint's senses are? Even within the Space Domain, if we were outside, someone uttering a Saint's name from thousands of li away would be heard."
"Hmph!"
Li Min crossed her arms over her chest and pursed her lips. "You asked me to tell you the clan's secrets, and now you're scolding me. I shouldn't have told you so much."
Earlier, this girl had pretended to be reserved, like a learned and refined young lady. But since accompanying Zhang Ruochen to Wanxiang Commandery, she had dropped the pretense and revealed her proud side.
Zhang Ruochen wasn't trying to reprimand her, only to warn her.
If she accidentally offended the Zhenyu Ancient Clan's patriarch, he could kill her silently with a single thought.
Based on what Li Min had said, Zhang Ruochen suspected that the current patriarch, Wang Beilie, might not be a benevolent figure.
To be precise, how many in high positions weren't stained with blood?
Even the Great Virtue and Great Power Female Saint Emperor had killed her own fiancé and countless others to secure her position.
Zhang Ruochen rubbed his chin, his gaze sharpening. "After Shi Ren's father was imprisoned in the Nether Prison, Shi Ren became the new young patriarch?"
"Correct."
Li Min hesitated, then added, "But... when the young patriarch was breaking through to the Half-Saint realm, he nearly died too."
"What happened?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
"I'm not entirely sure. It's said that shortly after the young patriarch reached the Half-Saint realm, he was ambushed by the Undying Blood Clan. The young patriarch's wife sacrificed her life to block a fatal blow, saving him."
Shi Ren had gone to the Underworld with a death wish, seeking a resurrection medicine to save his wife. Their bond must have been deep.
If Wang Beilie was behind these events, then Shi Ren and the Wang family were indeed locked in a blood feud. Shi Ren's current situation was likely precarious, with danger at every turn.
Xiao Hei lay on the ground, holding a jade-white thousand-year-old shouwu in his claws, nibbling on it lazily. "The waters in the Zhenyu Ancient Clan run deep, Zhang Ruochen. I think it's best to leave this place of trouble quickly. With your current cultivation, how can you contend with those old fellows?"
Zhang Ruochen shook his head. "Even if we want to leave now, we probably can't."
Just then, Zhang Ruochen sensed something and looked down toward the base of Bamboo Knot Mountain.
A mass of white mist had appeared, shrouding most of the mountain.
"Why is there suddenly fog?" Li Min walked to the cliff's edge and looked down, surprised.
Zhang Ruochen said, "That's a Saint using their Saint Soul to gather heaven and earth spiritual energy, converging on Bamboo Knot Mountain."
Even with Zhang Ruochen's current realm, he had to activate his Heavenly Eye to see the dozen or so figures within the mist.
Those figures were ascending toward the mountain's peak.
At the same time, the cultivators in the mist sensed Zhang Ruochen's gaze and locked onto him with their spiritual power.
Then, a thunderous roar erupted from the white mist: "Zhang Ruochen! I never thought you'd hide in the Underworld King's Sword Grave. Let's see where you can flee this time!"
A crimson figure burst from the mist, piercing through layers of formation barriers, and quickly reached the mountaintop, appearing opposite Zhang Ruochen.
The figure was massive, three meters tall, clad in ancient battle armor, exposing his abdomen, arms, and legs. A thick chain coiled around his waist, and silver-scaled war boots covered his feet.
It was none other than the Giant Scorpion King, Feng Qin, from the Ministry of War.
When Zhang Ruochen had broken through to the tenth transformation of the Fish-Dragon realm on the border of Qingli Commandery, he had been besieged by seven Ministry of War experts. Feng Qin was one of them.
Without a word, Feng Qin moved like a gale, closing the distance in an instant. He clenched his fist and struck at Zhang Ruochen's chest.
The distance was too close, and Feng Qin's speed was terrifying.
Zhang Ruochen had no choice but to meet the attack head-on.
"Dragon's Tribulation."
Zhang Ruochen's hand was covered in dense golden dragon scales, erupting with crimson flames as it collided with Feng Qin's fist.
Feng Qin's fist was infused with Fist Dao rules and Wind Dao rules, making it not only immensely powerful but also capable of shattering the Sacred Dao rules between heaven and earth, amplifying its power layer by layer.
Zhang Ruochen's palm technique was a supreme skill, incorporating Palm Dao rules and Fire Dao rules.
The clash of fist and palm generated a tremendous opposing force, shattering all the green bamboo within ten zhang into powder.
Fortunately, Bamboo Knot Mountain was protected by numerous defensive formations, so the power of the two Half-Saints' clash was contained within a limited area.
Zhang Ruochen retreated ten zhang before neutralizing Feng Qin's fist force and steadying himself.
Feng Qin stood motionless, eyeing Zhang Ruochen with slight surprise. "At the first-order Half-Saint realm, you can block my Hundred Battle Bull Demon Fist. Even without the Purifying Divine Flame's enhancement, your strength is still formidable. No wonder you dared to attack Zi Yong Pass. But how many more punches can you withstand?"
Zhang Ruochen flexed his fingers, channeling Saint Qi into the meridians of his arm to dispel the pain.
Just as Feng Qin prepared to strike again, Li Min shouted from the side, "Stop! This... this is the Underworld King's Sword Grave! Even the Ministry of War cannot break the rules here. Whoever breaks the rules becomes an enemy of the Zhenyu Ancient Clan."
At first, Li Min was intimidated by Feng Qin's identity and cultivation, but as she spoke, her fear inexplicably faded, and she straightened her slender waist. (To be continued.)