His hand raised halfway, already in a virtual embrace, yet not quite reaching her slender waist.
To embrace or not, to withdraw or not.
Since she had already recovered and did not seem to need comfort or consolation.
Thus, Zhang Ruochen clenched his five fingers into a fist, withdrew his hand, and naturally placed it behind his back. He said, “War always brings sacrifices. You, Yu Ling God, have cultivated for four hundred thousand years. Surely you can see through life and death? As long as the Ye Cha clan is not exterminated, the future is worth looking forward to.”
“You are standing too close!” Yu Ling God’s eyes remained cold.
Zhang Ruochen ignored her. “I must go to Destiny Temple at once, seek Xu Tian’s support, resolve this war, or at least delay its outbreak. You must hold Hundred Clans King City together.”
Zhang Ruochen dared to meet Xu Tian?
Though Yu Ling God’s cultivation far surpassed Zhang Ruochen’s, at this moment she felt a powerful aura from him. A fearless spirit, an unstoppable momentum.
She, a great god of Grand Void realm, felt slightly weaker before this momentum.
“What about that Sixth Lord from Tian Nan?” Yu Ling God asked.
“Send him to Xing Huan Tian! When I return, I will take you to obtain divine medicine to help you cross the primordial tribulation.”
Leaving these words, Zhang Ruochen broke through the air and departed.
In truth, reneging on the promise of divine medicine to Yu Ling God would be simple. But Hundred Clans King City needed Yu Ling God to steady the various small clans.
If she fell, many complications would arise.
Yu Ling God gazed long in the direction Zhang Ruochen left, her delicate frame only then relaxing. She exhaled deeply. But soon forced herself to rally.
If Zhang Ruochen died in Destiny Temple, she needed a backup plan.
She could not place all hope in another’s hands.
…
From Hundred Clans King City to the Blood Sky clan’s Wing World, Ice King Star was a necessary stop.
Ice King Star was an eighth-level planet, located in the cosmic desert belt, thousands of light years from both the core of Yellow Spring Galaxy and Hundred Clans King City. Even divine spirits could not cross it.
The hell realm was vast beyond measure. The ten clans’ core spheres occupied only the richest central region, less than half the entire Yellow Spring Galaxy’s starry domain.
The other half of Yellow Spring Galaxy consisted mostly of starry deserts or barren regions like the one Hundred Clans King City occupied.
At the edges of the hell realm, there were actually several places similar to Hundred Clans King City, with over a thousand small clans. The domain of Hundred Clans King City lay merely at the intersection of the hell realm’s edge and the heaven court’s starry edge, south of the Dark Great Triangle starry domain, north of the Boundless Divine Sea.
Beyond the edges lay the cosmic frontier!
Zhang Ruochen travelled to Ice King Star via wormhole, very cautiously, fearing a divine war raging there, shattering the starry void.
Yet emerging from the wormhole, he found Ice King Star peaceful and serene.
“How can this be? Did I guess wrong?”
Zhang Ruochen looked at the vast white snow-covered land, releasing his spiritual power.
He had guessed the drunkard had taken Wu Bian God Venerable and brought him to Ice King Star. With the enmity between Ice Emperor and Wu Bian God Venerable, shattering not just Ice King Star but surrounding domains would be normal.
Two divine lights descended from the sky, landing before Zhang Ruochen, condensing into Little Black and Blood Slaughter’s figures.
“You two are truly carefree, hiding on Ice King Star to avoid trouble?” Zhang Ruochen said.
Blood Slaughter wore a bitter expression. “Injustice! To clear Master’s name, this emperor has run everywhere, fought Darkness Divine Hall divine spirits several times. My divine soul is wounded, still not healed.”
Little Black snorted lightly. “What exactly is going on between you and that old witch of Darkness Divine Hall? Because of this, Goddess Twelve Mansions and Blood Absolute family have paid a heavy price. Blood Absolute War God, seeing the situation spiralling out of control and enemies rampant, had this emperor return to Ice King Star first, lest I be assassinated.”
Zhang Ruochen saw Blood Slaughter’s divine soul was indeed injured. Thinking of Blood Empress, Prajna, Seven Arms, Yu Huang, Xue Qing Sheng all suffering calamity in succession, he naturally understood their predicament.
Zhang Ruochen’s voice turned ice-cold. “Since I have returned, I will personally resolve this matter. Those who destroyed Goddess Tower and harmed you must pay the price.”
Blood Slaughter and Little Black had heard of events at Hundred Clans King City. Knowing Zhang Ruochen’s current combat power was terrifying, slaying great gods in succession, their moods surged with excitement.
Not for revenge, but to seize the chance for great profit.
“Almost forgot the main matter!”
Blood Slaughter slapped his forehead, growing serious. “Master wishes to see you.”
“Feng Tian is on Ice King Star?” Zhang Ruochen’s expression shifted slightly.
…
Ice Emperor Palace lay among snow-capped mountains. Divine qi was majestic. The sky was blood-red. Sacred springs surged between peaks. Jiao dragons coiled mountains. Kun penguins spread wings. All vegetation bore spirituality.
With Ice Emperor, such a peerless divine spirit residing, ordinary land could become divine soil.
Ice Emperor and Feng Tian sat beneath a crimson divine tree. Rules around them were chaotic, space-time active. They discussed something important, unwilling to be overheard by other transcendent existences in the universe. Especially that drunkard!
Blood Slaughter and Little Black stood far off. Zhang Ruochen walked step by step, feeling faintly nervous.
To meet the legendary God Venerable sealed with “Death”, now one of hell realm’s top twenty giants. Not nervous would be strange. After all, a hundred thousand years ago, Death God Venerable had been among those besieging Sumeru Saint Monk.
Would Death God Venerable make a ruthless decision like Qing Tian, to eliminate future trouble?
“Greetings to Feng Tian and Ice Emperor!”
Zhang Ruochen took a deep breath, gradually calming.
Death God Venerable wore red robes, veiled face, figure hazy and graceful. From silhouette alone, she seemed not terrifying or ferocious. But she appeared completely blind to Zhang Ruochen, deaf to his voice, directly ignoring him!
Time passed unknown. Only then did Death God Venerable and Ice Emperor finish discussing.
Though he could not hear what they discussed, from appearances, it was not pleasant. Death God Venerable’s subsequent tone confirmed it.
“Zhang Ruochen, such audacity. Daring to kill a great god of Destiny Temple. Do you know this is a death crime?” Her voice was pleasant, yet piercingly cold.
Zhang Ruochen felt his bones freeze numb. “Feng Tian sees clearly. Huo Ze God Lord struck first to kill this Realm Venerable. Was this venerable supposed to let him kill me?”
“You dare call yourself venerable before two God Venerables?” Death God Venerable’s gaze fixed on him.
Zhang Ruochen met her eyes, but saw only endless darkness. Countless particles seemed to pass through his body. One gaze could kill him.
Zhang Ruochen remained calm. If Death God Venerable truly wished to kill him, she would not choose Ice King Star, nor speak an extra word.
While Zhang Ruochen pondered Death God Venerable’s true intent.
The chill in her tone vanished. Calm and indifferent, she said, “Your mentality is not weak. No wonder you reached this step today. Any other great god, scolded by this heaven like that, would already kneel admitting fault.”
Far off, Blood Slaughter and Little Black knelt neatly. Hearing this, they inwardly cursed.
Not because their mentality was weak, but Death God Venerable’s earlier reprimand contained “death” attribute mental intimidation, like a blade to the neck, gun to the heart.
Even great gods struggled to resist such mental intimidation.
Death God Venerable said, “Killing a great god of Destiny Temple, no matter your reasons, is certain death.凶骇 God Venerable will never spare you. Unless you join Destiny Temple, become one of us.”
“Then killing Huo Ze becomes an internal grudge of Destiny Temple. It does not trample the temple’s dignity.”
“This heaven intends to preserve your life. Zhang Ruochen, are you willing to join under Death Divine Palace? When you reach Grand Void realm in future, a War God title will not be lacking.”
Ice Emperor looked towards Zhang Ruochen.
How could Zhang Ruochen not know an outsider killing a Destiny Temple great god was heaven-piercing? Even with Ancient God of Learning willing to testify, it could not suppress the outcry from Destiny Temple gods.
Even if Huo Ze God Lord committed a capital crime, it should be handled by the Adjudication Division, not killed by an outsider.
Death God Venerable added, “Do not rush to refuse! You probably plan to seek Fortune God Venerable, yes? Useless. Fortune God Venerable favoured you earlier because of Blood Absolute War God, seeing you as one of his own.”
“But you became master of Xing Huan Tian and killed a Destiny Temple great god. This leaves no good impression with Fortune God Venerable.”
“Moreover, in Destiny Temple, those凶骇 God Venerable fears number only two or three. Fortune God Venerable is not among them.”
“If you submit to Death Divine Palace, not only will this heaven settle things with凶骇 God Venerable. Xu Tian’s wrath, this heaven can also bear. As for your father, his crimes are unforgivable, but this heaven can make his time in Destiny Temple easier.”
“This heaven is unlike Qing Tian. He sees you as a hidden danger, fearing future revenge for Sumeru Saint Monk, so he will not let you grow.”
“But this heaven believes Sumeru’s death was not entirely the hell realm’s doing. Moreover, having reached Buddha Ancestor realm, if he wished to leave, none could stop him. He died for Kunlun realm, for the righteousness in his heart, perhaps even to fulfil you.”
“Speaking these words holds little meaning. If in future you truly reach a height to kill this heaven, it proves Sumeru’s choice correct. You indeed have potential to stop the Quantity Tribulation. Then if this heaven dies by your hand, so be it?”
“But would this heaven place you in her eyes? If a junior could surpass this heaven, even reach a level to kill this heaven, what face would this heaven have to live in the world?”
Those who become figures among the heavens, who in youth was not a supreme genius between heaven and earth?
Having become one of the universe’s strongest, how could they take a genius seriously? Zhang Ruochen progressed, but so did she?
Zhang Ruochen would forever remain beneath her.
Without this confidence, Death God Venerable would hold no intent to recruit him.
