(There’s no way to separate the chapters, so both must be updated together. This chapter, more than six thousand words.)
In the Qiankun Realm.
Zhang Ruochen and Huang Yichen were walking along the banks of a large river, following the course of the river, all the way downwards, and in that distance, the silhouette of the Heaven Receiving Divine Tree towered over the ground line, the image appearing divine and magnificent.
“This is the story of Ji Yao and I. At that time, she was only fifteen or sixteen years old as well, just the most innocent of times, who would have thought that one would be able to be so ruthless?”
Zhang Ruochen told all those past events with Chi Yao, spilling his heart out to Huang Yichen.
Huang Yichen knew very well that Zhang Ruochen’s willingness to tell these things was, in fact, already treating her as the closest person, opening up the last of his psychological defences and revealing them completely in front of her.
Only when one truly loves a person, trusts a person, and treats her completely as the other half of his life, can he achieve this step.
“So, the person you love the most is always Chi Yao. Yet she killed you, so the person you hate the most in your heart is also her? Perhaps, you still have a deep-seated doubt, why would she suddenly kill you when you were clearly the two people who loved each other the most?”Huang Yichen said.
Zhang Ruochen nodded and said, “I shouldn’t have told you this.”
Huang Yichen shook his head and said, “You should have told me about it earlier, otherwise, how would I have known that you had such deep pain buried in your heart? People are not grass and trees, inside everyone, there are places that are the most vulnerable. Although, I know that I am far inferior to Empress Chi Yao, I am willing to do my best to fill that fragile place in your heart. Even if you only see me as Chi Yao’s shadow.”
Zhang Ruochen stopped and held Huang Yichen’s hand as he looked out over the clouds and smoke on the water, saying, “In the past, I did see Chi Yao’s shadow in you. But we have gone through so much, and have even become a true couple, now, in my eyes, you are Huang Yichen, my wife, you are no one’s shadow, and no one can replace you.”
In Huang Yichen’s eyes, a sweet smile appeared, saying, “Since that’s the case, don’t think about those unhappy things anymore, and practice sword practice with me.”
“Wow–”
In Huang Yichen’s brow, drops of silver-coloured liquid flew out and condensed into the Mixed Sword.
Then, like a beautiful butterfly, she flew to the centre of the great river, stood on the water surface, and swung her long sword, instantly presenting nine identical silhouettes.
“Nine Swords of Yin Yi.”
Zhang Ruochen smiled faintly as he took out the Sinking Abyss Ancient Sword and also flew to the surface of the river, splitting his figure into nine and executing the Nine Swords of Yang Yi.
There were a total of eighteen figures, standing in different directions, arranged in a circle, their sword intent intertwined two by two, as if yin and yang were intertwined, and heaven and man were united.
The sword formation they were rehearsing was the most powerful two-man sword formation in the Kunlun Realm, the Yin Yang Two Yi Sword Formation.
There were not a few people who cultivated the Yin Yang Two-Yi Sword Formation, however, there were very few people who were able to make the sword formation exert its true power.
Because, only the two people who practice the sword array, the deeper the feelings, the deeper the attainment of the sword, the sword array will be more powerful, and can even mobilise the rules of heaven and earth as their own power, bursting out far beyond their own cultivation of the horror of the war.
The only way to be extremely powerful with the sword was to be extremely powerful with the emotions.
“The aura of the heavens and earth in a radius of a thousand miles has been mobilised over and incorporated into the sword formation, the Yin Yang Two Instruments Sword Formation that they have executed is surprisingly capable of erupting into such a powerful force.”
Ling Fei Yu stood at the bottom of the Heaven Receiving Divine Tree, looking out over the river in the distance, looking at Zhang Ruochen and Huang Yichen who were rehearsing their swordsmanship, a look of admiration flashing through his eyes.
It was unknown how long they had been rehearsing before Zhang Ruochen and Huang Yichen stopped.
Zhang Ruochen spotted Ling Feiyu standing below the Heaven Receiving Divine Wood, and with a movement in his heart, he rushed over with Huang Yichen.
Ling Fei Yu had long since withdrawn his gaze and with his hands behind his back, he stared at the Sun and Moon Crystal Coffin suspended in mid-air and said, “To be able to see the Ancient Sacred Artifacts of my Sect in the Qiankun Realm.”
Zhang Ruochen walked over and said, “I was about to ask you for advice, what kind of person is buried in the Sun Moon Crystal Coffin?”
Ling Fei Yu gently shook his head and said, “It’s too long ago, who knows? Perhaps the only way to find clues is to go back and consult the relevant texts from the Middle Ages. However, what is certain is that the woman in the coffin must have a rather astonishing identity, saying that it may not necessarily be a certain Sect Leader in the history of the Divine Sect, or it may even be ……”
Speaking here, Ling Fei Yu paused slightly.
Zhang Ruochen’s expression moved as he asked, “Possibly what?”
“The Moon God.”
As he uttered these two words, Ling Fei Yu’s eyes carried a sense of awe and adoration as he added, “The Moon Worshipping God Sect, the reason why it is called the Moon Worshipping God Sect, that is because it is the Moon God that our sect believes in. The Moon God, eternally immortal and beautiful. The Moon Worshipping Divine Sect was not founded by the Moon God, however, it is recorded above the canonical texts that the founding ancestor of my sect was instructed by the Moon God before he cultivated into a god.”
Zhang Ruochen’s heart could hardly calm down, recalling the terrifying power of the Sun and Moon Crystal Coffin, the woman in the coffin couldn’t really be the legendary Moon God, right?
Ling Fei Yu smiled and added, “You don’t really think that she is the Moon God? To tell you the truth, the possibility is slim to none.”
Zhang Ruochen asked, “Why?”
Ling Feiye said, “The Moon God doesn’t belong to our world, and isn’t a god of the Kunlun Realm at all, but lives above the moon.”
“Legend has it that the bright moon that can be seen in the Kunlun Realm is a world that is just as huge as the Kunlun Realm, called the Guanghan Realm. Only, that world is incomparably far away from the Kunlun Realm, located in the depths of the universe, so even a Saint would not be able to reach it in his entire life, that’s why it appears to be only as big as a plate.”
“Therefore, the Moon God is the God of the Guanghan Realm, and even if he once travelled the universe to the Kunlun Realm, he has long since left.”
The things that Ling Fei Yu spoke about were some mythological secrets of the Moon Worshipping Demon Sect that the outside world simply did not know about.
Of course, since they were mythological secrets, their authenticity could not be examined, and both the Moon God and the Broad Cold Realm were most likely just things compiled by the ancients.
“Since she is constantly absorbing the life qi of the Heaven Receiving Divine Wood, it also means that is not truly dead, saying that she will not necessarily awaken one day. At that time, won’t you know her identity?”Ling Fei Yu said.
Zhang Ruochen said, “I hope there really will be that day.”
Ling Fei Yu stared at Huang Yichen, who was standing with Zhang Ruochen, and fell into silence for a long time before he added, “Send me out, I should leave!”
Zhang Ruochen said, “The imperial court has blocked off the entire city and activated the Mirror of Returning Truth, and is searching for us everywhere. It’s not too late for you to stay in the Qiankun Realm first and wait until the wind has passed before you leave.”
“The Central Imperial City is the city where human cultivators gather the most, and there are more than ten million cultivators entering and leaving the city every day. How long can the imperial court blockade it? The blockade will definitely be lifted early tomorrow morning.”Ling Fei Yu said.
Zhang Ruochen was well aware of why Ling Fei Yu was in a hurry to leave, thus, he did not advise further.
Those that the two experienced in the Seven Lives and Seven Deaths Diagram were just a fate.
However, there were far too many people in the world who had a destiny, and there was no shortage of their pair. Perhaps being born out of love, but stopping at rituals, was the best ending.
Zhang Ruochen squeezed Huang Yichen’s hand a little tighter, and had already decided that he would no longer fuse the memories of his seventh life, so that it would be sealed in his mind forever, never to be touched again.
The next day, the blockade of the Central Imperial City was indeed lifted, and Zhang Ruochen sent Ling Feiyu out of the Qiankun Realm and watched her leave.
Zhang Ruochen glanced towards Huang Yichen, “Let’s leave the Central Imperial City as well!”
“Tonight is the New Year’s Eve, do you want to leave after the New Year?”Huang Yichen said.
New Year’s Eve was a day of reunion and the end of the year.
Zhang Ruochen thought of his mother, and on this special day, perhaps it really wasn’t appropriate to go hither and thither, and one should just spend time with their family and have a New Year’s Eve dinner.
“This proposal is not bad, let Qing Mo cook us a big meal tonight, and pick up Mother, the County King, and the Princess as well, we, a big family, should have a good New Year’s Eve as well.”Zhang Ruochen said.
Zhang Ruochen was unable to enter the Qiankun Realm in his real body, so he could only receive everyone to Yaochi.
Concubine Lin, Thousand Water County King, Liuli Half-Saint, Thirteen County Lords, Kong Xuan, Qing Mo, Potpourri, Devil Ape, Princess Baili, Shi Ren, all of them were picked up by Zhang Ruochen.
In Zhang Ruochen’s view, they were all his family, and to be able to gather together for the New Year was an incomparably happy and fulfilling event.
Qing Mo began to prepare the ingredients in a hurry, Pot Pot and Devil Ape were clearing the weeds in the Yao Pond, while the rest of the people were decorating and furnishing the deserted manor.
By the time night fell, the Yao Chi was no longer in disrepair and was decorated with lights and colours, full of festive celebrations.
Of course, with the formations set up by the two great emperors, the outside world couldn’t even see the earth-shattering changes that had taken place inside.
The New Year’s Eve dinner made by Qing Mo naturally didn’t disappoint, it was so delicious that people wanted to swallow their tongues. The ones who ate the most were still the pots and pans and the devil apes, as if someone was robbing from them, the plates were chewed up several times.
The festive atmosphere was cleanly ruined by them, giving the crowd a headache. In the end, Princess Baili stepped in and beat them up severely before the two beasts obediently sat on top of their seats, not daring to fight over the food anymore.
After the New Year’s Eve dinner, Zhang Ruochen sent the crowd back to the Qiankun Realm, and in the manor, only he and Huang Yichen were left.
The two of them sat on top of a hall, looking at the lights in the Central Imperial City, snuggling together, feeling the warmth of each other’s bodies, as if time had stood still.
Zhang Ruochen wrapped his arms around Huang Yichen’s delicate body and softly said, ”It’s been a long time since I was this happy. What is the point of cultivating hard, it’s not to become a god at all, in fact, being able to stay together with one’s loved ones and beloved all the time is already enough.”
“Wanting to live like this, yet it’s even harder than becoming a god. The Undying Blood Clan, the Netherworld, and the Death Clan, at any time, could cause the Kunlun Realm to erupt into a great turmoil, causing our family to be broken.”Huang Yichen said.
Zhang Ruochen laughed, “As long as I’m around, I won’t let you be half harmed. I will double my efforts to cultivate and make myself stronger, while you only need to be my wife without any worries.”
Hearing these words, Huang Yichen’s red lips slightly ticked, revealing an incomparably happy smile as she took the initiative to kiss Zhang Ruochen.
After a long time, Zhang Ruochen hugged Huang Yichen and flew down from the top of the temple, entering a room in the manor, placing Huang Yichen on top of the bed, and the two of them entwined together.
Outside the window, it was snowing again.
In the house, it was spring .Colours were boundless, accompanied by the sounds of a man and a woman panting, intertwining into a moving piece of music.
“Dang! Dang! Knock!”
In the Imperial City, a loud and clear bell rang out.
The new year had arrived!
Zhang Ruochen gradually woke up with a terrible headache, and it took him a great deal of effort to walk out of bed, his mind a blur.
In the room, he was the only one, and the figure of Huang Yichen was long gone.
“What exactly happened?”
Zhang Ruochen rubbed his temples and tried to recall, “Last night, New Year’s Eve, we all ate New Year’s Eve dinner together, then Smokey and I ……”
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen remembered all of it, his eyes shook, and he hurriedly stared at the top of the bed, and on top of the snow-white sheet, there was actually a drop of blood.
That was the woman’s virginal red.
“How could it be.”
Zhang Ruochen clenched his teeth, tightly pinching the ten fingers of his hands, closing his eyes once again, taking a deep breath, and then, he roared, “Who the hell are you?”
“Rumble.”
The power of the sound wave shook the entire room into pieces, turning it into grains of dust.
The entire manor was however silent, with no one responding to him.
Zhang Ruochen and Huang Yichen had already been married for a long time, so how could they possibly fall red again?
It could only mean that this Huang Yichen was not the same Huang Yichen.
However, Zhang Ruochen was able to affirm that she must be Huang Yichen.
A person’s figure could change, but the Holy Soul could not. Zhang Ruochen clearly sensed Huang Yichen’s Holy Soul aura on her body, so how could she not be Huang Yichen?
What on earth was going on?
What Zhang Ruochen hated the most was deception and betrayal, his eyes sprouted dense blood, and there was both a wave of hatred and anger in his heart.
“Surprisingly, she left the Yao Chi. In the Yao Chi, there are formations set up by two great emperors, how could she possibly get out?”
Zhang Ruochen searched all over the Yao Pond and did not find the fake Yellow Smoke Dust’s figure.
Zhang Ruochen thought of Qing Mo, who had appeared at the same time as the Fake Yellow Smoke Dust and definitely knew the Fake Yellow Smoke Dust’s true identity. However, Zhang Ruochen immersed his spiritual power into the Qiankun Realm, only to find that Qing Mo was surprisingly not inside.
Apart from her, the Thousand Water County King, the Liuli Half-Saint, and the Thirteen County Lords, surprisingly, had also disappeared without a trace.
Obviously, after Zhang Ruochen fainted, something must have happened and someone took them away from the Qian Kun Realm.
“Could it be that everything was illusory, all a dream?”
Zhang Ruochen’s gaze became dull as he stood in the manor, his entire being seemed to have lost his soul, it was as if he was the only one left in this world.
The sky, did not brighten.
The snow, still falling, landed on his hair, eyebrows, shoulders, and feet, as if it was going to engulf him.
In the sky above his head, a seven-coloured divine cloud appeared, with brilliant divine light pouring down, and as the divine cloud grew wider and wider, it enveloped the entire Central Imperial City, the entire First Central Empire, and the entire Kunlun Realm.
It was true divine light that shone on the ground, wrapping up the heavens and earth.
“Boom.”
In the entire Kunlun Realm, above the altars of all the temples, a new divine statue emerged from the ground, emitting seven-coloured divine light.
In the centre of the Central Imperial City, a god statue also rose up, incomparably huge, three thousand zhang high, as if it was a heavenly pontoon, and it kept rushing into the clouds, emitting a powerful aura.
At this moment, the entire living beings of the Kunlun Realm were shocked, among them, those who had reached the Saint realm, all of them recited a sentence in unison: “A new god is born, reflecting heaven and earth. The image of the god emerges, and all living beings worship it.”
Such an astonishing heaven and earth phenomenon was only recorded in ancient texts, and would only occur when a god was born.
It had been 100,000 years since the Middle Ages had passed, and the Kunlun Realm finally had another deity born?
Including the saints, all the living beings in the world, all of them knelt on the ground and bowed reverently to the idol.
“That is the …… Empress Lord, she has finally crossed the final step.”
In the Lianzhu Mansion, the Crown Prince Shiqi stared at the huge idol towering in the centre of the imperial city, trembling with excitement as he knelt on the ground and bowed to the idol.
Facing a deity, not to mention him, even a great emperor would have to kneel.
“The Empress has become a god, the Empress has returned!”
The heaven and earth aura in the Central Imperial City became thicker and thicker, quickly surpassing what it was before. Gradually, the heaven and earth aura transformed back into heaven and earth holy aura, and in the centre of the imperial city, there were even strands of seven-coloured divine aura gushing out.
All the cultivators who were irradiated by the divine light had their cultivation levels climbing rapidly, and many of them even directly broke through the realm. They were ecstatic and rushed outside the Violet Violet Palace, kneeling down in unison.
With the birth of a deity, the aura of heaven and earth in the entire Kunlun Realm became dense, and many barren places grew spiritual and holy medicines, giving birth to auspiciousness.
All cultivators knew that a brand new era had arrived!
In the Yao Pond, Zhang Ruochen was naturally irradiated by the divine light, and the Xuan Huang Qi in his body was rapidly transforming as his cultivation climbed dramatically, about to break through to the Xuan Huang Realm.
However, he couldn’t be happy at all, his entire body was trembling, the cold light in his eyes getting stronger and stronger, saying, “So that’s how it is, so that’s how it is …… Chi Yao, it’s really you, I should’ve known that it was you long ago.”
The fake Yellow Smoke Dust must be Chi Yao, perhaps Chi Yao approached him because she wanted to make up for the brokenness in her heart, and cross the final calamity of becoming a god, the love calamity.
Zhang Ruochen, on the other hand, was just a stepping stone on her path to godhood, a tool to help her make up for the flaw in her heart.
“Boom!”
Zhang Ruochen’s eyes turned completely blood-red, and within his body, there was a powerful holy qi surging out as he rushed out of the Yao Chi, draping his long hair as he walked step by step towards the Zi Wei Palace in the centre of the Imperial City.
The streets were filled with kneeling silhouettes, and Zhang Ruochen was the only one walking, appearing particularly abrupt.
“Who is this person? How dare he not kneel to worship the gods, instead, he is still holding a sword blade, this is disrespectful to the Empress.”
A Half-Saint realm cultivator chided, “How dare you, why don’t you immediately kneel on the ground and bow to the True God?”
“Pfft.”
Zhang Ruochen swung his sword over and directly decapitated his head, then continued on his way.
“Stop him, this person is an evil demon.”
“How dare you kill someone on the day the Empress became a god.”
……
More people struck out at Zhang Ruochen, but they were all chopped up by Zhang Ruochen, none of them survived.
By the time Zhang Ruochen reached the outside of the Zi Wei Palace, his body was dyed red with blood, and behind him, there was an 800-mile-long bloody road, with an unknown number of cultivators decapitated. Even the Saints, four of them had been beheaded.
Those cultivators all showed fear and didn’t dare to stop him anymore.
“Is this man a murderous fiend?”
“He is insane! The Empress becoming a god represents that the Kunlun Realm will usher in a new era, and he dares to kill so many people, he’s simply looking for death.”
“Look guys, why does he look a bit like Time and Space Transmitter Zhang Ruochen?”
“I’ve seen Zhang Ruochen’s portrait, it does look similar, it can’t really be him, right?”
……
Those human cultivators knelt on the ground, not daring to raise their voices, but they were all using sound waves to communicate.
Zhang Ruochen’s appearance caused everyone to be incredibly surprised.
Zhang Ruochen carried the bloody Sinking Abyss Ancient Sword as he stood below the towering city wall and roared, “Chi Yao, get out of here.”
The sound waves shook and spread throughout the Imperial City.
In the Zi Wei Palace, countless great figures were moved to anger, feeling that Zhang Ruochen was too unbridled and wanting to step in to subdue him. However, they then suddenly woke up and realised that something was wrong.
It was impossible for the Empress not to know that Zhang Ruochen was on a killing spree in the Imperial City, yet, she did not step in to stop him, why was that?
Those bigwigs in the court were all human, all of them calmed down and realised that this matter was by no means as simple as it appeared.
Just at this moment, the palace door opened.
A beautiful figure dressed in red was revealed, walking in the very centre of the palace door, taking one step at a time, standing opposite Zhang Ruochen.
It was none other than Huang Yichen.
Seeing Huang Yichen’s figure, Zhang Ruochen’s eyes became even redder as his murderous aura surged out of his body, erupting with the fastest haste possible as he stabbed out with his sword, striking at the centre of her brow.
Kill, kill, kill.
Huang Yichen held the Hybrid Sword and blocked it horizontally.
“Boom.”
She slid backwards tens of feet away, leaving a long trail in the snow.
The murderous aura on Zhang Ruochen’s body dissipated a bit, and a puzzled look came out of his eyes as he said, “You’re not her, you’re Smoky Dust?”
“Hmm.”
Huang Yichen recited softly, her expression appeared indifferent, and added: “Master asked me to tell you that today, she doesn’t want to kill you, so she’ll let you leave on your own. If you are more peaceful in the future, she can spare you from death.”
“Spare me from death… …… After she became a god, does she think that I’m already just a mole cricket, and no matter how much I cultivate, I can’t possibly threaten her?”
Zhang Ruochen stared at Huang Yichen’s eyes, his heart incomparably hateful and angry, not only towards Chi Yao, but also Huang Yichen’s attitude. Because, by addressing Chi Yao as Master, she was also stating that she was already on Chi Yao’s side.
Zhang Ruochen closed his eyes, his heart twitching, and finally asked, saying, “Are you coming with me?”
Huang Yichen shook his head.
Zhang Ruochen said, “Why? Did Chi Yao threaten you with your parents? There’s no need to be afraid of her, big deal, I’ll die with you.”
“Master has become a god, how could he threaten a mortal? I am …… I am staying by her side voluntarily.”Huang Yichen didn’t dare to look at Zhang Ruochen’s eyes, yet he still spoke the words out, his expression still cold.
Tears of blood flowed from Zhang Ruochen’s eyes as he asked one last question, saying, “The person who went with me to the Green Dragon Market Realm for training, who went through the perils of the Yin Yang Sea together, and who went through the life and death test of the Immortal Chance Mountain together, was it you or Chi Yao?”
“It was me, and it was also her.”
After a pause, Huang Yichen added, “I lent my holy soul, to her. Now you understand, don’t you?”
Zhang Ruochen felt as if he had lost his strength and even his life, yet he was still unwilling to do so and coldly roared, “She forced you?”
Huang Yichen’s gaze was a little dull, and in the end, shook his head.
“You even lied to me together with her, why? Why on earth? You should have known that she is my greatest enemy …… poof ……”
Zhang Ruochen’s heart ached and his throat was fishy sweet as he spat out a mouthful of blood, staining the snow on the ground.
If it wasn’t for the fact that Chi Yao had Huang Yicun’s Saint Soul inside her, how could Zhang Ruochen not recognise her? Originally, Zhang Ruochen had been suppressing his feelings, not wanting or daring to fall in love with anyone again.
Little by little, Huang Yichen pried open his heart, and Zhang Ruochen had thought that he had found true love and could give everything for her, but he had never thought that he would be deceived again, betrayed again, and used as a tool to break through to the Divine Realm.
Huang Yichen’s Saint Soul, which was inside Chi Yao’s body, also meant that she was the one who had gone through countless life and death trials with Zhang Ruochen, and was definitely aware of Zhang Ruochen’s affection for her.
In the end, however, she still chose Chi Yao.
Zhang Ruochen was willing to accompany her to die, but she …… was not.
Fake, everything is fake.
