“Old Monk Xumi was an odd one, choosing a kid with Undying Blood Clan blood as his successor. I wonder what he saw in you,” Xiao Hei muttered, pursing its lips.
Zhang Ruochen turned, fixing Xiao Hei with a piercing stare, his voice low. “Xiao Hei, you’ve been hiding a lot from me. It’s time to come clean.”
“Uh… this emperor just remembered something urgent. Gotta go!” Xiao Hei’s eyes darted, wings flapping as it tried to slip away.
It mentally kicked itself for running its mouth—nothing but trouble.
Zhang Ruochen was ready, waving a hand to freeze the space around Xiao Hei, trapping it midair.
“Don’t try that with me. You’re not going anywhere until you explain everything,” Zhang Ruochen said sternly.
After the Moon Goddess Mountain divine battle, Zhang Ruochen had wanted to question Xiao Hei, but it had slipped away, clearly dodging his inquiries.
One thing was certain: Xiao Hei was hiding plenty, and Zhang Ruochen wasn’t sure how much of its past claims were trustworthy.
Unable to move, Xiao Hei squawked, “Let’s talk this out! What do you want to know? I’ll tell you—I haven’t hidden anything!”
“If you don’t start talking, I’ll pluck every feather off your body,” Zhang Ruochen threatened, glaring.
At that, Xiao Hei caved. “Zhang Ruochen, don’t get crazy! I’ll spill, okay? Just let me go first.”
Zhang Ruochen shot it a fierce look before releasing the spatial freeze, restoring Xiao Hei’s freedom.
If Xiao Hei didn’t clear things up this time, Zhang Ruochen wouldn’t let it off.
Xiao Hei darted behind Han Xue, eyeing Zhang Ruochen warily, as if genuinely afraid he’d follow through on the feather-plucking threat.
“What do you want to know?” Xiao Hei peeked out.
Zhang Ruochen exhaled and asked, “Why was your body sealed in the Yin-Yang Sea? And why was your holy soul sealed in the Universe Divine Wood Diagram by Saint Monk Xumi?”
“I’ve told you before—it’s because I made a big mistake, so Old Monk Xumi suppressed me. My body was sealed in the Yin-Yang Sea, and my soul was refined into the spirit of the Universe Divine Wood Diagram,” Xiao Hei said, rolling its eyes.
Zhang Ruochen pressed, “What exactly did you do to make Saint Monk Xumi personally suppress you? And why make you the spirit of the Universe Divine Wood Diagram?”
For Xumi to go to such lengths, separating and sealing Xiao Hei’s body and soul, there had to be more to the story, and Zhang Ruochen wasn’t buying the vague excuses.
Xiao Hei kept rolling its eyes. “I’ve said this already. You think I’m joking? I’m the Slaughterer of Heavens and Earth! I caused too much bloodshed, and Old Monk Xumi, always meddling, stepped in to suppress me.”
“You saw it in the Yin-Yang Sea—those cages held heinous criminals, all guarded by the Dragon Clan. I was one of them.”
“But Old Monk Xumi, with his merciful streak, gave me a chance to redeem myself, even with my heavy sins. He sealed my soul in the Universe Divine Wood Diagram to guide the successor of time and space. When my merits are fulfilled, I’ll regain my freedom.”
Being sealed in the Diagram for 100,000 years was harsh punishment. No matter how ferocious Xiao Hei once was, time had mellowed it.
Zhang Ruochen stared at Xiao Hei for a moment before asking, “Who was the one who awakened in the Yin-Yang Sea?”
The golden-haired young man from the Yin-Yang Sea left an indelible impression on Zhang Ruochen. Facing him felt like confronting a supreme divine emperor—utterly terrifying.
He recalled how the man claimed the Divine Dragon Sun-Moon Chaos Tower, sealing the Yin-Yang Sea into an absolute forbidden zone, inaccessible to all.
At the mention of that figure, Xiao Hei’s eyes flashed with deep dread, its expression turning grave. “That’s a taboo figure, the last and most powerful of the Divine Dragon Clan, revered by all tribes in the Barbaric Secret Realm. Back then, I slaughtered Divine Dragons and devoured their gallbladders. If not for Old Monk Xumi’s intervention, I’d have been long dead.”
“Don’t ask more about him, and I won’t say more. Even Great Saints can’t casually discuss such a taboo figure.”
Xiao Hei’s fear was palpable, barely daring to speak of the figure.
Zhang Ruochen frowned, his mind racing. It was said that Kunlun Realm’s gods all perished 100,000 years ago, leading to its decline.
Now, it seemed that wasn’t entirely true. At least this Divine Dragon Clan taboo figure survived, and perhaps other titans lurked in the shadows.
What was the purpose of this figure sealing themselves in the Yin-Yang Sea for 100,000 years?
Connecting this to awakened beings like Jiang Yunchong, Yan Ruo, Hong Xuanji, and the Devouring Spirit King, plus the returning spirits of Supreme Sacred Artifacts, Zhang Ruochen’s doubts deepened. Kunlun Realm’s waters were far murkier than he could fathom.
“What’s your connection to the Thousand-Bones Empress? And what’s the deal with the Blackheart Demon Lord?” Zhang Ruochen continued.
Xiao Hei’s emotions flared instantly. “Don’t mention that treacherous, despicable scoundrel in front of me! Back then, the Black Demon Realm was weak, with no gods. Kunlun Realm kindly supported them, letting their prodigies train here.”
“The Blackheart Demon Lord was one of those prodigies, the most gifted. He befriended the Empress, who saw him as a close confidant, even letting him hear the Heaven-Connecting Divine Tree’s teachings.”
“But the Blackheart Demon Lord, obsessed with pursuing the Empress, was rejected—her standards were too high for him. Resentful, he betrayed us, colluding with a peerless fiend to cut down the Heaven-Connecting Divine Tree, draining Kunlun Realm’s holy qi and severing its path to godhood.”
“I was framed by him, nearly falling to demonic possession, leading to my massive killing spree and eventual sealing.”
Speaking of the Blackheart Demon Lord, Xiao Hei’s words burned with rage, flames unconsciously flaring from its body, as if it wanted to grind the Demon Lord to dust.
Zhang Ruochen felt a surge of anger too. The Blackheart Demon Lord’s betrayal, causing the Heaven-Connecting Divine Tree’s fall, was utterly despicable.
He loathed betrayal above all. If he had the strength, he’d slay the Demon Lord’s true body, not just his divine will.
The Demon Lord’s ascent to godhood likely stemmed from that betrayal, reaping immense benefits by selling out Kunlun Realm.
It was ironic—Kunlun Realm had nurtured the Black Demon Realm, helping it grow, only for the Demon Lord to betray them for personal gain.
Only now did Zhang Ruochen understand Xiao Hei’s hatred for the Blackheart Demon Lord, tied to its own sealing.
A thought struck him: if the Heaven-Connecting Divine Tree hadn’t been felled, the Thousand-Bones Empress, with her unparalleled talent, could have easily become a god.
Where was the Empress now? Was she still alive?
