After casting the remains of Heishi Sha into the void, Bai Qing’er, disguised as Ji Fanxin, led Zhang Ruochen, Fei Zhong, and Gong Nanfeng, commanding the Seven Star Emperor Palace, boldly heading toward the Oyin Asteroid Belt.
The appearance of the Seven Star Emperor Palace signalled Zhang Ruochen’s presence, attracting a steady stream of powerful figures.
Of course, this was not Zhang Ruochen’s desire, it was all Bai Qing’er’s ploy to fish for challengers.
Her audacity was astonishing, transforming into the angler, using Zhang Ruochen as bait to lure the world’s strongest.
Soon, a fish took the bait.
“Zhang Ruochen, you were clearly struck by the Heavenly Arrow, why are you not dead? Since you survived, hand over the Supreme Source Divine Crystal and my clan’s supreme sacred artefact, the Ten Thousand Curses Heavenly Pearl, immediately.”
A great saint from the Nether Clan, with three black horns on his head, stood in the void. His domain unfolded, revealing an endless range of mountains, with waves of deathly energy spreading a hundred thousand miles.
From afar, it resembled an underworld suspended in the cosmos, locking down space to prevent Zhang Ruochen’s escape.
He was Qi Lan Nether Emperor, from the Nether Clan’s Empty Boundary City, one of the seventeen major forces aware of the Supreme Source Divine Crystal’s emergence. His cultivation had reached the Supreme Realm, a monstrous figure who had practised for over ten thousand years.
Behind Qi Lan Nether Emperor stood seven great saints from Empty Boundary City, each radiating immense power, their cultivation levels all above the Thousand Questions Realm.
Clearly, for the Supreme Source Divine Crystal, Empty Boundary City had sent its full force.
Zhang Ruochen stood before the gates of the Seven Star Emperor Palace, stroking Huang Tian’s long fur, his eyes filled with deep helplessness, about to speak and urge them to leave quickly.
Unfortunately, Bai Qing’er was not one for idle talk and had already acted.
It was her signature move, Red Dust Flying Snow.
In an instant, snow fell across a hundred thousand miles in the dark cosmos, whitening the underworld mountains in Qi Lan Nether Emperor’s domain. Except for Qi Lan himself, the other seven top great saints from Empty Boundary City were all frozen solid.
“Who are you, daring to oppose Empty Boundary City?”
Qi Lan Nether Emperor was gripped by fear, never expecting such a peerless powerhouse by Zhang Ruochen’s side, capable of piercing his domain and silently freezing seven great saints.
The strongest of those seven had reached the Life-Death Realm, yet all had fallen silent, their sacred fluctuations gone.
Even more terrifying for Qi Lan was that his own sacred rules showed signs of freezing, becoming difficult to control, no longer bending to his will.
“Escape!”
Qi Lan Nether Emperor burst into rapid flight, fleeing into the distance.
With a thud, Fei Zhong leapt from the void, cleaving Qi Lan’s head with a single axe.
Though Qi Lan was not as powerful as Fei Zhong, he should not have been so easily defeated. The main reason was the suppression from Red Dust Flying Snow, which drastically reduced his combat strength.
His corpse and head were swiftly encased in ice and snow.
Bai Qing’er pointed a finger from afar, collapsing space within a radius of dozens of miles, swallowing all eight of Empty Boundary City’s top great saints.
As the space closed, Zhang Ruochen saw all the frozen corpses turn to nothingness, leaving no trace.
Over the next half-month, the Seven Star Emperor Palace flew at a steady pace.
Along the way, they encountered seven or eight waves of cultivators, including the Destiny Emperor from the Temple of Destiny, leaders of the ten dark forces, and top great saints from some of Hell’s ten major clans.
Without exception, all who blocked their path were slain.
Zhang Ruochen witnessed dozens of world-shaking great saints, their immortal bodies shattered, reduced to blood mist.
The Ancestral Spirit Destiny Emperor, one of the ten Destiny Emperors of the Destiny Division, was refined to ashes by divine flames.
The abbot of the Great Sorrow Temple, one of the ten dark forces, Master Sad Difficulty, debated Zen with Bai Qing’er, only to succumb to his inner demons and kill himself with a single palm.
Often, Bai Qing’er did not even need to act, Fei Zhong handled it all.
As for Zhang Ruochen and Gong Nanfeng, they could only stand by and watch.
Though no one was left alive, many Supreme Realm great saints managed to send out transmission talismans before dying, spreading the news.
It was easy to imagine that the silent disappearance of so many top great saints had already caused a massive uproar.
The Seven Star Emperor Palace was fully revealed, magnificent and radiant, emitting a holy glow at all times, faintly visible even from ten thousand miles away.
Another slaughter ended, this time against a force from the Yama Clan. With no Supreme Realm great saints among them, Fei Zhong took action.
All the corpses were cast into the void.
Fei Zhong, carrying a blood-drenched battle axe, turned into a bolt of lightning and landed on the steps of the Seven Star Emperor Palace. Seeing Zhang Ruochen and Gong Nanfeng, he hesitated for a moment before approaching.
“Young Master Ruochen.”
Fei Zhong, his tongue cut out, could only communicate with Zhang Ruochen via mental power.
His mental power had indeed been drained by Bai Qing’er, but with his cultivation level, in just half a month, he had restored it from nothing to the forty-fifth tier.
Fei Zhong harboured deep resentment toward Zhang Ruochen.
But he could not retaliate, as Zhang Ruochen was highly valued by Bai Qing’er, while he was merely her servant.
Zhang Ruochen said, “What guidance does Lord Fei have?”
Fei Zhong hid all his hatred and smiled, “I have a question I’ve been pondering, hoping to seek your insight, Young Master.”
“Speak freely,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Fei Zhong glanced into the Seven Star Emperor Palace and said, “Why does Lady Bai not take the weapons and treasures from the great saints she kills? I find this baffling, especially since some of those items are nearly supreme sacred artefacts.”
“Ask her yourself, why ask me?” Zhang Ruochen said.
Fei Zhong shook his head, “I wouldn’t dare question Lady Bai’s actions. But Young Master, with your brilliance, surely you can discern her intentions.”
Gong Nanfeng chimed in, “I’m puzzled too. Logically, other cultivators avoid taking spoils for fear that the aura on them could be traced by elders, leading to pursuit and revenge. But Bai Qing’er’s goal is to draw out various forces for her to slaughter, so she has no such concerns.”
“Can’t you deduce it?” Zhang Ruochen said.
Gong Nanfeng looked embarrassed, “It’s hard to deduce a person’s heart, especially a woman like her, impossible to fathom. But Brother Ruochen, you always converse so well with her, you must know the reason, right?”
“She doesn’t care for them,” Zhang Ruochen said.
“Doesn’t care for them?”
Fei Zhong said, “How could that be? The combined value of those treasures would tempt even gods. Besides, the people are already dead, the treasures are there for the taking. Why not take them?”
“There were supreme sacred artefacts placed before her, and she didn’t take them either,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Fei Zhong was left speechless.
In truth, Zhang Ruochen did not fully understand Bai Qing’er, only grasping a certain principle.
Top cultivators each have their own path.
Extreme geniuses also have extreme restraint.
Like Que, who never relies on weapons, even when using a sword, it is formed from his own sacred rules. Even a supreme sacred artefact before him is something he could take or leave.
Or like Zhang Ruochen, if he chose to drink blood, his cultivation would surely advance faster, his demigod body growing stronger.
But he constantly restrained himself, never daring to try blood-drinking for the first time.
Just as Que dared not try using a supreme sacred artefact, once the temptation is indulged, the resolve of one’s path collapses instantly, greatly limiting future achievements.
Zhang Ruochen did not know Bai Qing’er well, so he could only guess that she must have her own path and her own form of restraint.
Because, without any restraint, with her wild mindset and methods, she would likely have died long ago, unable to survive to this point.
Fei Zhong said, “If Lady Bai doesn’t care for them, would she mind if I took them?”
“Next time you kill, take their treasures and find out,” Zhang Ruochen said, then walked into the Seven Star Emperor Palace.
A glint of excitement flashed in Fei Zhong’s eyes, but after glancing at Zhang Ruochen’s back, he shook his head, suspecting it was a trap set by Zhang Ruochen.
Lady Bai was unpredictable, better to be cautious and not act against her wishes.
Bai Qing’er, disguised as Ji Fanxin, sat cross-legged at the centre of the palace, her long skirt spread like flower petals. Not only her appearance but her aura was strikingly similar to the Hundred Flowers Fairy, ethereal and pure.
Ten zhang away, Zhang Ruochen stopped.
Over the past half-month, he sensed Bai Qing’er’s cultivation had made tremendous progress.
It was not that he could see through her, but a strange feeling, a sense of threat.
A greater threat than before.
What shocked Zhang Ruochen even more was that she was deriving the Yin-Yang Five Elements Sacred Will. Above her head, the Yin-Yang Taiji diagram grew clearer, with yin and yang rotating in a cycle.
Zhang Ruochen had only used his Sacred Will once in her presence, yet she could analyse it to such an extent through her own comprehension, truly astonishing.
Bai Qing’er withdrew the Yin-Yang Taiji diagram into her body, opened her eyes, and said, “Your Sacred Will is very strong, surpassing most second-grade Sacred Wills in history, very helpful to me.”
“I never intended to help you,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Bai Qing’er said, “You want to pursue a first-grade Sacred Will?”
Zhang Ruochen remained silent.
“Since ancient times, many brilliant figures have tried to condense a first-grade Sacred Will, but without exception, none succeeded. Many even ended up dead,” Bai Qing’er said.
Zhang Ruochen said, “A woman as wild as you didn’t choose to pursue a first-grade Sacred Will, which surprises me.”
“Because I know restraint, I curb my unrealistic desires,” Bai Qing’er said.
Zhang Ruochen said, “You dared to seize the Heavenly Pivot Needle, and you call that restraint?”
“Seizing the Heavenly Pivot Needle was not unrealistic. Besides, I took it to protect the Twelve Goddess Towers, otherwise the true identity of the Hundred Flowers Fairy would already be known to the Temple of Destiny. Without the Heavenly Pivot Needle, they are blind, and I hold the greatest advantage,” Bai Qing’er said.
Zhang Ruochen pondered for a moment and said, “Why are you so obsessed with surpassing Blood Absolute War God and Huang Tian? With the Supreme Source Divine Crystal, wouldn’t it be better to quietly find the Source Temple and claim it for yourself?”
“By making such a grand spectacle, you’ve surely caused a massive uproar. By the time you reach the Source Temple, countless cultivators, maybe even gods, will follow. Can you really obtain the treasures in the Source Temple? Perhaps it will all be for nothing.”
Bai Qing’er stared at Zhang Ruochen for a long while, gently shaking her head, “I thought we were alike, but your mindset is so far behind. Even compared to Que from the Temple of Destiny, you fall short.”
“You’ve met Que?” Zhang Ruochen said.
Bai Qing’er said, “I saw him once on Ice King Star, a peerless prodigy, a dragon among men. He may surpass you in the future, becoming the leader of your generation. And you, because of your mindset, will perish on the path to a first-grade Sacred Will.”
“Who can say what the future holds?” Zhang Ruochen said.
Bai Qing’er said, “I know you’re unconvinced, so let me tell you where you fall short. The Source Temple is indeed a place I want to go, but compared to seizing its treasures, I care more about the journey to get there.”
“Treasures can be taken or lost at any time, but unforgettable experiences can never be taken away, they belong to you forever.”
“Of course, I’m not entirely indifferent, at least the Source Mysteries that may exist in the Source Temple are something I must obtain.”
“As for why I must surpass Blood Absolute War God and Huang Tian? You’re wrong, I only want to surpass Huang Tian, just as you want to defeat Chi Yao, crush her glory and dignity, make her pay for what she did.”
Zhang Ruochen’s teeth clenched, “You’ve investigated me thoroughly.”
“You should be pleased to be so valued by me.”
Bai Qing’er stood, walked out of the Seven Star Emperor Palace, stood on the white jade steps, gazed at the cosmic star sea, and called out, “Starfall Godson, you’ve followed us all this way, have you brought the Temple of Destiny’s forces? Why not show yourself?”
In the distance, stars trembled, space shook violently.
The cosmos grew brighter, a dazzling star sea appeared before the Seven Star Emperor Palace, with misty star fog and suspended star rivers, creating wondrous cosmic phenomena.
Starfall stood at the centre of the star sea, wearing a ghost-god mask, holding the Blade of Extreme Ferocity, and laughed, “I was only waiting to see who could force you to reveal your true self. Unfortunately, they’re all dead, which disappoints me.”
Bai Qing’er said, “It seems Godson殿下 doesn’t believe in my, Ji Fanxin’s, strength. The wonders of the Nether Ancient Illumination Lotus, how could mere mortals like you comprehend?”
Starfall’s eyes showed doubt, “Whether I believe or not, you’ve stirred a bloody storm in Hell Realm. Today, I kill you, and the truth will be clear.”
Bai Qing’er said, “Just you?”
“Not alone,” Starfall said.
A meteor streaked across the starry sky, landing to Starfall’s right, forming Wu Yue Destiny Emperor, holding the Heavenly Destiny Halberd, exuding domineering strength.
Tian Xu Sha, leader of the Ten Undead Shas, flew from a star river, holding a shuttle-shaped weapon, landing to Wu Yue’s left. An ancient, vast continent appeared beneath his feet, floating in the star sea.
At the same time, ten Gates of Destiny appeared in ten directions around the Seven Star Emperor Palace. Each gate held a Supreme Realm great saint.
“Is this enough to kill you now?” Starfall asked coldly.
Bai Qing’er said calmly, “Not enough.”
