News of Zhang Ruochen taming Ruan Ling and humiliating Cang Long spread rapidly across the Kunlun Realm, reaching the Heavenly Court and various worlds.
In no time, Cang Long became a laughingstock, the topic of widespread discussion.
As a result, Zhang Ruochen’s fame surged again. Compared to his feat of slaying hundreds of thousands of Hell Realm troops, people seemed more intrigued by this scandal.
Zhang Ruochen paid no mind to the rumors’ spread, returning to Wuding Mountain with Shoushu at top speed.
Upon arrival, he parted ways with Shoushu and ascended Saint Water Peak alone.
At the Saintess Palace, Qi Feiyu greeted him, smiling, “Young Master Zhang, the Palace Master is in seclusion. You won’t be able to see her for now.”
“Seclusion?” Zhang Ruochen frowned slightly.
He’d only been gone half a day, and Ling Feiyu had already entered seclusion, catching him off guard.
However, with their matters clarified, there was no need to dwell on it.
After a quick thought, he said, “In that case, I’ll take my leave. Sister Qi, until we meet again.”
With matters at Wuding Mountain resolved and Ling Feiyu in seclusion, staying longer held little purpose.
“Until we meet again,” Qi Feiyu nodded.
Glancing at the closed palace gates, Zhang Ruochen turned, used spatial shift, and appeared at Wuding Mountain’s base.
Moments later, Shoushu emerged from the ground.
“Master Chen, heading to Phoenix Lake so soon?” Shoushu asked curiously.
They’d just returned, and he’d expected Zhang Ruochen to linger at Wuding Mountain for a few days.
Zhang Ruochen nodded, “Things here are settled. Let’s head to Phoenix Lake now.”
“No problem, your call, Master Chen,” Shoushu replied promptly.
Without delay, they set off for the Sixty-Sixth Merit Exchange Station.
Wuding Mountain was far from Phoenix Lake, and the station’s spatial teleportation array was the most convenient route.
Activating the Radiant Merit Armor, Zhang Ruochen sped across Copper Furnace Plain.
Suddenly, thick fog rose ahead, blanketing the area in white, an eerie aura spreading.
“Hm? Something’s off.”
Zhang Ruochen’s eyes narrowed, and he moved to retreat.
But before he could, the surroundings changed, and he and Shoushu found themselves in a bamboo grove.
The grove was dense, bamboo swaying in the breeze, a distinct bamboo fragrance filling the air.
“Master Chen, what’s going on?” Shoushu asked, hunching nervously.
Zhang Ruochen remained silent, scanning their surroundings.
Faintly, a gentle melody reached his ears, a harmonious blend of zither and xun, its source unclear.
He tried spatial shift to exit the grove but failed.
Exhaling slowly, he said, “Let’s go see who brought us here.”
“Master Chen, wait for me!”
Shoushu hurried after, fearing to be left alone.
Following the music, Zhang Ruochen walked through the grove for some time, finally spotting the musicians.
Two elderly men: one with curly red hair, clad in coarse cloth, tall and imposing, with a stern face and commanding eyes, playing the zither.
The other, in green robes, slightly hunched, with venomous eyes and a fierce, menacing aura, playing the xun.
Glancing at them, Zhang Ruochen’s eyes sharpened. Both exuded an unfathomable, dangerous presence.
The green-robed elder felt familiar, his menacing aura strikingly similar to the spirit consciousness in the Qingtian Pagoda, only far stronger.
Instantly, he guessed the green-robed elder’s identity.
“Greetings, Seniors,” Zhang Ruochen stepped forward, bowing respectfully.
Both elders stopped playing, turning their gaze to him.
A fierce glint flashed in the green-robed elder’s eyes as he suddenly struck with a light palm.
Zhang Ruochen’s face changed, sensing immense danger. He circulated his saint qi, countering with a full-force palm.
A dragon and elephant soared, filling the space with vivid phenomena.
“Boom.”
The dragon and elephant shattered, and a powerful palm force struck Zhang Ruochen squarely.
He staggered back several steps, dissipating the force.
Thanks to the Radiant Merit Armor absorbing most of the impact and his body tempered by the Life-Death Bronze Furnace, he was unharmed.
“Hm?”
Seeing Zhang Ruochen unscathed, the green-robed elder showed a hint of surprise.
As he prepared to strike again, the red-haired elder stood, “Brother Qing, don’t forget your purpose.”
“True.”
The green-robed elder nodded, reaching out to grab at Zhang Ruochen.
Instantly, the Qingtian Pagoda flew from Zhang Ruochen’s body, beyond his control.
The green-robed elder was none other than the Qingtian Pagoda’s spirit.
As its consciousness had warned, its true form would return, and no one could then control the pagoda.
Clearly, the elder’s strength was that of a genuine Great Saint, beyond the Immortal realm, likely using a secret technique to mask his aura and evade Heavenly Court and Hell Realm patrols.
Being cornered by the pagoda’s spirit was bad news.
The pagoda guarded the Chi family, and Zhang Ruochen’s slaughter of the Lingxiao Heavenly King Mansion had created a deep enmity.
“Zhang Ruochen, do you know your crime?” the green-robed elder demanded coldly.
Zhang Ruochen stood tall, unflinching, “What crime have I committed?”
“For your selfish desires, you destroyed the Lingxiao Heavenly King Mansion, yet claim innocence,” the elder sneered.
Unfazed by the elder’s terrifying aura, Zhang Ruochen retorted, “So the Lingxiao Heavenly King Mansion can slaughter my Zhang family, but I can’t destroy them?”
The elder’s eyes flashed coldly, “Twisting words. In my view, you’re possessed. Kneel now.”
A terrifying pressure erupted, crushing toward Zhang Ruochen like a divine mountain.
Resisting the immense force, Zhang Ruochen stood straight, gritting his teeth, “Think you can bully me because you’re a Great Saint? I don’t even fear Chi Yao, let alone a mere spirit like you.”
He knew yielding wouldn’t spare him.
And his nature wouldn’t allow him to beg, especially to the Chi family.
“Insolent, disrespecting me is a death sentence,” the elder roared, his killing intent surging as he pointed, a cyan light shooting toward Zhang Ruochen.
The attack was terrifying, and Zhang Ruochen, unable to move, thought death was certain.
But the red-haired elder suddenly stepped in, blocking the cyan light and the oppressive pressure, restoring Zhang Ruochen’s mobility.
“Brother Chi, what’s this?” the green-robed elder asked darkly.
The red-haired elder smiled faintly, “Brother Qing, why such fury? With the Kunlun Realm in crisis, Zhang Ruochen is vital to this war. You cannot touch him.”
“Brother Chi, you overestimate him. As the heir of time and space, how much can he hinder the Hell Realm with his strength? Compared to the ancient sleepers, he’s far inferior,” the elder said with disdain.
The red-haired elder shook his head, “Don’t doubt Saint Monk Xumi’s judgment. Time will tell.”
The green-robed elder frowned deeply, realizing the red-haired elder was set on protecting Zhang Ruochen, leaving him no room to act.
“Fine, for your sake, I’ll spare him this time. But if he crosses me again, don’t blame me for being merciless,” the elder said, retracting his killing intent.
Pausing, he added, “Having reclaimed the Qingtian Pagoda, I’ll return to the Central Imperial City. Farewell, Brother Chi.”
The red-haired elder nodded silently.
The green-robed elder shot Zhang Ruochen a cold glance, then vanished in a streak of cyan light.
As he left, Shoushu ran over, “Master Chen, you alright?”
Zhang Ruochen nodded, then bowed to the red-haired elder, “Thank you, Senior, for saving me.”
He’d realized the red-haired elder was likely the Life-Death Bronze Furnace’s spirit.
The elder’s aura felt familiar, matching what he’d sensed in the furnace.
The red-haired elder smiled, “No need for formalities. As Saint Monk Xumi’s heir and the Moon God’s envoy, how could I let harm befall you?”
Unlike the green-robed elder, he was friendly, showing no arrogance.
“I have questions. Can Senior enlighten me?” Zhang Ruochen asked solemnly.
The elder pointed, immobilizing Shoushu, then gestured for Zhang Ruochen to sit.
Putting away the zither, he smiled, “I know what you’re curious about. You want to know why we spirits vanished. Ten thousand years ago, all supreme holy artifact spirits in the Kunlun Realm disappeared for two reasons.”
“First, to avoid the Yuan Epoch Tribulation. Like gods, supreme holy artifact spirits and divine artifact spirits must face this tribulation. Passing it strengthens them; failing means annihilation.”
“Second, to evade a Hell Realm divine artifact, the Soul-Devouring Lamp. Without hiding, all supreme holy artifact spirits would likely have been consumed by it.”
Zhang Ruochen understood.
He’d long suspected the spirits hid to avoid the tribulation, but hadn’t known about the second reason.
The Soul-Devouring Lamp was clearly terrifying. If it consumed all supreme holy artifact spirits, the Kunlun Realm’s artifacts would be nearly useless.
A supreme holy artifact without a spirit was vastly inferior to one with a spirit.
“Where can one hide from the tribulation and the lamp?” Zhang Ruochen asked curiously.
The elder replied, “You’ve likely heard of the Soul Path Platform, one of the Kunlun Realm’s ten divine artifacts. We’ve been hiding within it.”
“Soul Path Platform.”
Zhang Ruochen’s expression shifted.
As a Kunlun Realm cultivator, he knew of the ten divine artifacts, each with earth-shaking power.
But today, they were legends. Some were said to be destroyed in catastrophic battles, others vanished since the Middle Ages.
He knew only the Imperial Divine Ruler remained with the Inscription Guild, and the Dragon-Sun-Moon Chaos Tower was held by a mysterious figure in the Yin-Yang Sea.
The rest were untraceable.
“Where is the Soul Path Platform?” he asked.
The elder shook his head, “It’s too significant for you to know now. What I can say is that its existence is tied to the Kunlun Realm’s survival, a key to resisting the Hell Realm.”
Zhang Ruochen’s heart surged with shock. He trusted the elder wasn’t exaggerating; the platform held immense secrets, a trump card for the realm.
This suggested that, despite its defeat ten thousand years ago, the Kunlun Realm had left contingencies for this era.
Suddenly, many seemingly unrelated events connected in his mind.
Many believed the Kunlun Realm was weak, with few notable figures. But was that true?
Even Zhang Ruochen now found the realm’s situation increasingly murky, its depths unfathomable.
“You needn’t overthink, Zhang Ruochen. Do what you must. In time, all will become clear, and you’ll know the mission you must bear,” the elder said meaningfully.
With that, he turned into a red streak, leaving the grove, likely heading to Wuding Mountain.
In the bamboo grove, Zhang Ruochen stood in deep thought, his mind unsettled for a long time.
