“Meow!”
A deafening cat’s cry rang in the God-Demon Mouse’s ears.
The blurry figure opposite suddenly transformed into a giant black cat, then into a human-sized owl, its eyes like twin flames, staring at it.
The God-Demon Mouse’s face paled, and it stumbled back a step.
When it recovered, the blurry figure had already entered the domain’s mansion.
“That figure and aura… was it Lord Blackie? Lord Blackie’s back?” The God-Demon Mouse couldn’t tell if it was real or an illusion, its heart racing with excitement as it chased inside.
At the gate, Nine Nether Great Saint and Ye Honglei exchanged a glance.
Nine Nether Great Saint asked, “Just a look scared a Taigu relic like the God-Demon Mouse like that. Did you notice anything?”
“No illusion was used, just pure mental intimidation. What a formidable figure,” Ye Honglei said thoughtfully.
The arrival of the Nine Heavens Mysterious Ladies caused a stir inside.
Most cultivators crowded around Emperor Wen with the Nine Heavens Mysterious Ladies, only a few noticing Zhang Ruochen’s quiet entry.
In the mansion, Zhang Ruochen spotted many familiar faces.
Ling Xiu, with white hair and a wooden hairpin, stood with Ling Feiyu in her red martial robe, communicating mentally, seemingly in a dispute.
As a mental power god before the Kunlun Realm’s revival, Ling Xiu’s mental strength had reached tier sixty-eight after a millennium of cultivation, a speed that shocked the mortal world.
Compared to veteran Great Saints, often tens or twenty thousand years old, Ling Xiu and Emperor Wen were far too young, their ages a fraction of others’.
Mental power demands age and experience.
Zhang Ruochen’s tier sixty-nine mental power came from refining the Heart of the Divine Tree, absorbing a cosmic cycle’s worth of knowledge from the Heaven-Connecting Divine Tree.
With Ling Xiu’s prowess, it was no surprise he could hold a holy domain in the Wuji Heavenly Domain.
Zhang Ruochen also saw Senior Brother Jinyu, Senior Brother Luochen, Luo Xu, Dead Zen Ancestor, and awakened ones like Jiang Yunchong, Hong Tianji, and Spirit Devouring King, all Great Saints now.
Zhang Ruochen didn’t approach them to catch up, instead heading to Gai Tianjiao, frozen in cyan ice.
Her aura was weak, her vitality fading fast.
Zhang Ruochen held affection for Gai Tianjiao, the robust senior sister of the Liangyi Sect. Seeing her in such a pitiful state, a chill rose in his heart.
A Liangyi Sect Saint King noticed Zhang Ruochen and barked, “What are you doing? Who are you? Stay away from the sect leader.”
“I think I can save her,” Zhang Ruochen said.
The commotion caught Luo Xu’s attention. He approached, blocking Zhang Ruochen from Gai Tianjiao, and said courteously, “Friend, the sect leader is afflicted with Bai Qingcang’s Cyan Frost Sword Aura. It can’t be touched, or her immortal holy body might shatter instantly.”
If the Cyan Frost Sword Aura were easy to dispel, Ling Feiyu wouldn’t consider compromising with the Sword God Realm to save her, Emperor Wen, and Yushan Dragon Emperor.
Trading one life for three powerhouses.
More Great Saints noticed Zhang Ruochen.
Unable to see his true appearance, they grew wary and surrounded him.
“Calm down, there must be another way,” Ling Xiu advised Ling Feiyu, then approached Zhang Ruochen, “Your mental power is impressive. May I have your name?”
“Just a passerby,” Zhang Ruochen said.
“A passerby? You seem more like a Great Saint from the Paradise Realm faction. Who are you? Speak truthfully, or don’t blame us for acting,” Spirit Devouring King said coldly.
The God-Demon Mouse sidled up to Spirit Devouring King, whispering, “Father, he might be Lord Blackie.”
“Lord Blackie? Who’s that?” Spirit Devouring King asked.
The God-Demon Mouse said, “The one who followed Zhang Ruochen a thousand years ago.”
At the mention of Zhang Ruochen’s name, Spirit Devouring King stirred.
Ling Xiu and Luo Xu looked at the blurry figure with curious eyes.
The God-Demon Mouse added, “He came with the Nine Heavens Mysterious Ladies, so he’s definitely not from the Paradise Realm faction.”
Someone immediately asked the Nine Heavens Mysterious Ladies about Zhang Ruochen’s identity.
After checking Emperor Wen’s condition, Nalan Danqing steadied her emotions and said to the Saint Realm cultivators, “If you trust me, you can trust him just as much.”
She then asked, “Where’s Supreme? My grandfather’s holy soul injury can only be healed by him.”
“Over the past month, Supreme has exhausted his mental power healing Great Saints, barely sustaining his mental power divine avatar. He went to the Western Heaven Buddhist Realm to borrow pills,” a Confucian Great Saint said.
Supreme’s true body was healing in an unknown location.
In the Heavenly Court, only his mental power divine avatar, maintained at divine cultivation, was present. Recently, its mental power depletion had pushed it to the brink of collapse.
If the avatar collapsed, Supreme’s true body would need to divert mental power to sustain it, exposing its location.
Perhaps this was the Paradise Realm faction’s true aim.
Zhang Ruochen had examined Emperor Wen’s injuries.
His physical wounds were minor; for a tier sixty-nine and a half mental power Great Saint, a shattered body could be reformed.
But his holy soul’s injury was severe, wounded by a powerful sword soul still lingering in his body.
“May I try?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
Nalan Danqing, surprised, nodded but cautioned, “Be careful of the sword soul. It’s terrifying, and if provoked, it might completely sever Grandfather’s holy soul.”
She trusted Zhang Ruochen.
If he dared make the offer, he must have some confidence.
But other Confucian saint cultivators were worried.
One Confucian Great Saint said, “Danqing, don’t rush. Supreme might return soon. Emperor Wen, a tier sixty-nine and a half Great Saint, had his holy soul wounded. That sword soul must be extraordinarily powerful.”
The implication was that Zhang Ruochen couldn’t save him.
The tactful phrasing was to spare his feelings.
Nalan Danqing shook her head at him, then asked Zhang Ruochen, “How certain are you?”
“Completely,” Zhang Ruochen smiled.
Wan Canglan snorted, finding this boastful man increasingly distasteful.
But with Nalan Danqing’s consent and no other options, no one stopped Zhang Ruochen.
All Saint Realm cultivators’ eyes fixed on him, many tensing involuntarily.
Failure could mean Emperor Wen’s death.
Zhang Ruochen extended a palm above Emperor Wen’s head, channeling the power of his first-grade holy intent. A strange vortex formed in his palm, exerting a pulling force.
In moments, strands of sword soul energy were drawn out, gathering in the vortex in his palm.
“Done,” Zhang Ruochen said casually, stepping aside to study the sword soul strands in his hand.
Nalan Danqing’s face lit up. She approached Emperor Wen, grasped his wrist, and infused mental power into him.
Emperor Wen’s aged eyes opened, slowly awakening.
His holy soul was weak, but he could wield mental power, and soon his bloodied legs restored themselves.
The Confucian saint cultivators breathed a collective sigh of relief, their faces alight with joy.
Their gazes toward Zhang Ruochen carried newfound respect and gratitude.
“This guy actually has some skill,” Wan Canglan muttered.
Fairy Immortal smiled faintly, “Why such prejudice against him? I trust Danqing. How could she misjudge someone?”
“If you heard his grandiose claims, you wouldn’t think so,” Wan Canglan said, rolling her eyes, still unable to warm to Zhang Ruochen.
An Immortal Realm Dragon Clan Great Saint approached Zhang Ruochen, bowing, “Senior, can you save my father? Ancestral Dragon Mountain will be eternally grateful.”
The Liangyi Sect Saint King who had blocked Zhang Ruochen earlier hurried over to apologize, “Senior, I acted rashly earlier. Please overlook my mistake and save our sect leader.”
Zhang Ruochen, not one to let others die, crushed the sword soul in his hand, saying, “I’ll try.”
The Cyan Frost Sword Aura was indeed untouchable, but Zhang Ruochen’s first-grade holy intent, pervasive in every inch of the universe, could dispel it easily.
The Yushan Dragon Emperor’s gravest injury was his dragon pearl, invaded by Canghai Yishu’s holy intent, which Zhang Ruochen found even simpler to resolve.
Soon, Gai Tianjiao and Yushan Dragon Emperor awoke, able to heal their remaining injuries themselves.
Confucian saint cultivators, Liangyi Sect disciples, and Dragon Clan members crowded around, thanking Zhang Ruochen.
Ling Xiu sighed, “I don’t know where this man comes from. His methods are profound and astonishing, yet their mysteries elude us.”
Spirit Devouring King grabbed the God-Demon Mouse, asking, “Is he really your Lord Blackie?”
“Maybe… probably. Lord Blackie’s methods were always impressive,” the God-Demon Mouse said uncertainly.
As the mansion buzzed with joy, a Kunlun Realm Saint King rushed in, panicked, “The Sword God Realm’s Great Saints are coming for the Golden Tree Holy Domain!”
All looked skyward.
In the southern sky, inky clouds rolled in, accompanied by terrifying Great Saint auras.
Suddenly, fierce winds roared.
Each gust was a blade of air.
Jiang Yunchong snorted, “The Sword God Realm truly intends to drive us from the Wuji Heavenly Domain today. This is their final battle!”
Great Saint Jinyu said, “Those wanting to retreat to the Huali Heavenly Domain, leave now. Those willing to fight, stay with me. No matter how many powerhouses the Sword God Realm has, I’ll be the first to face them. Even if I must detonate my holy source and die with them, I’m ready.”
“They won’t give you a chance to detonate your holy source,” some Great Saints thought but held back, not wanting to dampen morale.
In truth, the Sword God Realm came prepared, leaving the Kunlun Realm little chance to resist.
In three thousand years, when the Kunlun Realm’s awakened ones matured, they might rival top realms like the Sword God Realm. In ten thousand years, with a new generation of Great Saints, they could surpass them.
To challenge the Paradise Realm, without a cosmic-cycle genius seizing an era’s fortune, it would take several cosmic cycles to catch up, if ever. More likely, they’d be cast into the abyss, never to rise.
Leading once means leading always.
A dominant world would never allow lesser worlds to challenge its cosmic rule. Even if the Kunlun Realm produced a cosmic-cycle genius, they’d be ruthlessly erased.
Every Kunlun Realm Great Saint knew these truths.
Awakened ones, realm heirs, the Nine Heavens Mysterious Ladies—many Great Saints present were young, few over three thousand years old, even with time array cultivation. They were the Kunlun Realm’s seeds, its foundation to reclaim a place among the universe’s strong realms.
They didn’t need ten thousand years; three thousand more would see many reach the Supreme Realm.
Now, they faced a hard choice: fight to the death or retreat to bide their time?
