Before heading to the Temple of Truth, Zhang Ruochen met with the Tianchu Fairy.
The two met in a maple forest located thirty thousand miles away from the Temple of Truth. It was late autumn, and the crimson maple leaves were as vibrant as flowers, creating an exceptionally beautiful scene.
The Tianchu Fairy, dressed in spotless white robes, stood amidst the maple leaves like a divine maiden from a painting, radiating an extraordinary purity.
Zhang Ruochen handed her one hundred thousand drops of divine spring water and a scroll, saying, “This is my promise to you, and I have fulfilled it!”
Without even glancing at the scroll, the Tianchu Fairy destroyed it immediately. After accepting the one hundred thousand drops of divine spring water, her clear, water-like eyes fixed deeply on Zhang Ruochen.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
The Tianchu Fairy replied, “If you were to propose to me now, I might agree.”
To her surprise, Zhang Ruochen shook his head with a smile and said, “Why would you agree? Because of your oath? Or because of the serendipitous bond between us?”
“Does the reason matter?”
“Of course, it matters.”
After a pause, Zhang Ruochen continued, “The bond between us isn’t strong enough. Even if I proposed to you now, it wouldn’t reflect my true feelings. I don’t want to go against my heart.”
The Tianchu Fairy suddenly felt that she couldn’t understand the man before her.
One hundred thousand drops of divine spring water were incredibly precious. He could have used them himself or traded them with other cultivators for resources. Yet, because of a promise, he had truly handed them over to her.
Moreover, countless men in the world wished to marry the Tianchu Fairy, not only for her peerless beauty but also for her formidable strength and the backing of the Tianchu Civilization.
However, he didn’t seize this opportunity to make her fulfill her oath and marry him.
“What kind of person is he?”
The Tianchu Fairy pondered this in her heart.
Zhang Ruochen left in silence, never revealing his true identity to her.
The expression on Zhen Miao Daoist’s face was one of utter pain. Along the way, he kept muttering, “One hundred thousand drops of divine spring water! That’s one hundred thousand drops! Just given away like that! Zhang Ruochen, doesn’t your heart ache? If you had given those one hundred thousand drops to me, I might have had a chance to transform into a divine herb.”
Zhang Ruochen smiled indifferently. “The Tianchu Fairy made an oath before all the cultivators in the world: whoever could help her obtain one hundred thousand drops of divine spring water, she would marry. If someone else brought her the one hundred thousand drops, she might truly marry them. No matter what, she is, after all, my woman. If she married someone else, I would surely regret it.”
Then, Zhang Ruochen asked, “Zhen Miao, we’ve already left the Divine Ascension Platform. Why haven’t you left yet?”
Zhen Miao Daoist sighed deeply. “The world is so vast, and I don’t know where to go. Besides, I am a hundred-thousand-year-old ancient saint herb. Once my true form is recognized, countless people will come to capture me. What should I do now?”
“I can introduce you to a powerful figure who might be able to help you,” Zhang Ruochen said.
“What powerful figure?”
Zhen Miao Daoist’s eyes lit up. “Could it be that True God who manifested earlier?”
“Not exactly… but I’ve already sent a message to it. I believe it will come to meet me soon,” Zhang Ruochen replied.
Zhang Ruochen took Zhen Miao Daoist to Kongling Island, the cultivation ground of the Divine Transmission Disciple Feng Xi. Feng Yan had already returned to the island, and Xiang Chu Nan and Mu Lingxi were also there.
“Haha! Third Brother, you’ve finally arrived. Hurry up and call me Second Brother,” Xiang Chu Nan laughed heartily.
Zhang Ruochen smiled. “How did you become Second Brother?”
Xiang Chu Nan’s expression turned serious. “Before entering the Divine Ascension Platform, the three of us agreed that the ranking would be determined by the value of the treasures we obtained. Are you trying to go back on your word?”
Zhang Ruochen asked, “So, you and Brother Feng have already compared?”
Feng Yan, sitting in the pavilion with a smile on his face, said, “Indeed, we have. That’s why he calls himself Second Brother. Otherwise, he would definitely claim to be the eldest.”
“At least I’m not the last,” Xiang Chu Nan laughed.
Zhang Ruochen coughed lightly. “Do you really think the treasures I obtained are fewer and less valuable than yours?”
Xiang Chu Nan said with a hint of pride, “Your cultivation has already broken through to the Four-Step Saint King Realm. Clearly, you’ve consumed a large number of saint fruits and saint herbs. The saint fruits and herbs you have left on you must be quite limited now, right? Hehe.”
Mu Lingxi walked over to Zhang Ruochen and handed him all the treasures she had obtained from the Divine Ascension Platform.
Seeing this, Xiang Chu Nan became anxious. “No, no, no! Sister-in-law, this is a fair and just competition among the three of us. How can you give him the treasures you collected?”
Mu Lingxi replied, “What’s mine is his. Why can’t I give them to him?”
“Exactly, why not?” Feng Yan chimed in.
Xiang Chu Nan, feeling exasperated, finally relented. “Fine, even with Sister-in-law’s share, you still can’t surpass me.”
Zhang Ruochen, with a smile, gently shook his head at Mu Lingxi. Then, he brought out Zhen Miao Daoist and placed him in front of Xiang Chu Nan. “With this hundred-thousand-year-old ancient saint herb, I should surpass you, right?”
Xiang Chu Nan’s expression changed. “This old fellow Zhen Miao counts?”
Zhen Miao Daoist, sitting cross-legged in Zhang Ruochen’s palm, shot a disdainful glance at Xiang Chu Nan. “Why shouldn’t I count?”
Mu Lingxi giggled. “Brother Xiang, you’re not a sore loser, are you?”
“I…”
Xiang Chu Nan gritted his teeth, his hair standing on end, but ultimately let out a long sigh. “Fine, the treasures I have indeed can’t compare to yours.”
Zhang Ruochen, holding Zhen Miao Daoist, turned to Feng Yan. “Can I be the eldest brother now?”
“If it’s just based on a hundred-thousand-year-old ancient saint herb, it’s not enough,” Feng Yan shook his head.
“It seems Brother Feng has obtained quite a few good things in the Divine Ascension Platform.”
Zhang Ruochen took out the Purple Gold Eight Trigrams Mirror and asked, “Is this enough now?”
Feng Yan abruptly stood up from the stone bench, took the Purple Gold Eight Trigrams Mirror, and carefully ran his fingers over it, his eyes wide with astonishment. “This is… the Purple Gold Eight Trigrams Mirror of the True Lord Luo Tian…”
“Brother Feng recognizes it?” Zhang Ruochen was somewhat surprised.
Feng Yan said, “A Divine Transmission Disciple once saw it in the Divine Ascension Platform and drew a picture of it. Many Divine Transmission Disciples have been searching for the Purple Gold Eight Trigrams Mirror in the Divine Ascension Platform, but to no avail. I never expected your luck to be so good, Brother, that you actually found it.”
With Zhang Ruochen bringing out a Supreme Saint Artifact, he naturally became the eldest among the three.
That night, Zhang Ruochen, Feng Yan, and Xiang Chu Nan drank until they were thoroughly drunk.
The next day, under Feng Yan’s arrangements, Xiang Chu Nan and Mu Lingxi entered the Temple of Truth to begin their closed-door cultivation. Zhang Ruochen, however, continued to wait.
It wasn’t until the fourth day that Xiao Hei finally arrived at Kongling Island to meet up with Zhang Ruochen.
As soon as he arrived, Xiao Hei began to complain incessantly. “The Divine Ascension Platform Assembly is such an important event, and you didn’t even call me? What’s the meaning of this? What treasures did you manage to get? Hurry up and show them to me so I can take a look.”
Zhang Ruochen summoned Zhen Miao Daoist and introduced him to Xiao Hei. “This Daoist is named Zhen Miao, and his cultivation is quite profound. Daoist Zhen Miao has hit a bottleneck in his cultivation and needs to experience the mortal world. While I’m away, you’ll be responsible for helping him with this.”
Xiao Hei’s copper bell-sized eyes scrutinized Zhen Miao Daoist for a long time, then secretly transmitted a message to Zhang Ruochen. “Are you giving this hundred-thousand-year-old ancient saint herb to me to eat? If I consume it, I might be able to fully restore my cultivation.”
Zhang Ruochen rolled his eyes and said sternly, “This old Daoist is not simple. He can control a Supreme Saint Artifact.”
Zhang Ruochen had examined the Purple Gold Eight Trigrams Mirror and discovered something quite frustrating: no matter how much saint energy he infused into the mirror, he couldn’t activate its Supreme Saint power.
It seemed that only Zhen Miao Daoist, through some special method, could unleash the power of the Supreme Saint Artifact.
“A Supreme Saint Artifact!”
Xiao Hei was extremely excited. He quickly extended his two claws and grabbed Zhen Miao Daoist. “You have a Supreme Saint Artifact? Why didn’t you say so earlier? Hurry up and take it out so I can verify if it’s genuine!”
Zhen Miao Daoist felt that the way this owl was looking at him was very suspicious, as if he wanted to eat him.
“Zhang Ruochen, you’re not really asking me to follow this owl for my training, are you?” Zhen Miao Daoist’s eyes showed a hint of disdain.
Xiao Hei slapped Zhen Miao Daoist on the head with his claw and scolded, “Little guy, what’s with that look? Don’t think that just because you have a Supreme Saint Artifact, you’re so great. I could devour you in an instant.”
Zhen Miao Daoist’s temper flared. “You dare to eat me? Do you believe that I can use the Supreme Saint Artifact to beat you until even your mother wouldn’t recognize you?”
In an instant, Xiao Hei and Zhen Miao Daoist were locked in a fierce struggle, rolling on the ground.
“Stop!”
Zhang Ruochen tried to intervene, but it had no effect. Instead, they fought even more fiercely.
Xiao Hei’s cultivation had recovered significantly, and he quickly gained the upper hand, pinning Zhen Miao Daoist beneath him.
“I’ll use the Supreme Saint Artifact right now and beat you to death, you big-faced owl!” Zhen Miao Daoist pulled out the Purple Gold Eight Trigrams Mirror, preparing to activate its Supreme Saint power.
At that moment, Xiao Hei retreated, releasing an overwhelming aura of Great Saint power that completely intimidated Zhen Miao Daoist.
“G-Great Saint…”
Zhen Miao Daoist’s expression changed drastically, and he nearly dropped the Purple Gold Eight Trigrams Mirror.
Xiao Hei puffed out his chest and let out a domineering laugh. “Now you know my power! Zhang Ruochen asked you to follow me because my cultivation is strong, and I can teach you something. Why are you so不服气? Even if you have a Supreme Saint Artifact, I only need to utter a single word to reduce you to ashes.”
Zhen Miao Daoist put away the Purple Gold Eight Trigrams Mirror, his expression grave. He dared not act against a Great Saint.
Xiao Hei continued, “That’s more like it! As a Saint King, you should show proper respect in front of a Great Saint. The fact that I haven’t made you kneel and bow is already giving Zhang Ruochen face.”
Then, Xiao Hei secretly transmitted a message to Zhang Ruochen. “What exactly do you want me to do with him? Are you sure he’s not for eating? How about just eating one of his legs?”
Zhang Ruochen shot a cold glance at Xiao Hei. “For the next year or so, I’ll be entering the Temple of Truth for closed-door cultivation. You take him and conquer all the dojos in the Guanghan Realm. That should count as training, right?”
