All the gods present understood that Bian Zhuang, the War God, could use his clone to defeat Jia Tianxia, not only because he wielded the divine artifact, the Tianpeng Bell, but also because this was the Heavenly Court Realm.
The Heavenly River, spanning eighty thousand miles, encircled the entire Heavenly Court, so as long as he was in the Heavenly Court Realm, Bian Zhuang could harness the river’s momentum, transforming it into his own strength.
What appeared to be a mere clone actually contained the power of the Heavenly River.
Jia Tianxia was no weakling, but the master of a divine temple, in any other part of the universe, it would have been impossible for Bian Zhuang to defeat him with just a clone.
His greatest mistake was underestimating the momentum condensed by the Heavenly River and underestimating Bian Zhuang himself.
“Boom.”
Bian Zhuang, the War God, surveyed the surroundings with disdain, holding the Tianpeng Bell, descending once more to the side of the Blackheart Demon Lord, his formidable divine aura radiating naturally.
The Blackheart Demon Lord felt a chill in his heart, Jia Tianxia had already fled, gravely injured, who could stand up for him now?
Since embarking on the path of cultivation, he had always been meticulous in his calculations, advancing step by step, not only surviving a Yuanhui calamity but also elevating the Black Demon Realm to rank among the top thousand powerful realms in the Heavenly Court, free from the worry of becoming a merit battlefield.
Yet this time, he had miscalculated by a single move, intending to speak on behalf of the Paradise Realm, but in the end, he had brought immense trouble upon himself, even risking his life.
“Kneel and apologise to the Moon Goddess, and I may spare your life,” Bian Zhuang said coldly.
The Blackheart Demon Lord was instantly furious, “Bian Zhuang, my strength may not match yours, but I will never be humiliated by you, I am the master of the Black Demon Realm, even as a war god of the Heavenly Palace, you have no right to kill me.”
For one with a divine heart, unyielding in the face of adversity, kneeling to another was utterly impossible.
As a god, one could be killed, but never insulted.
“Master of the Black Demon Realm? That’s nothing, in my eyes, you’re just a卑微的蝼蚁, since you’re so eager to die, I’ll grant your wish,” Bian Zhuang’s eyes flashed with contempt, releasing a terrifying killing intent.
The Blackheart Demon Lord steeled himself, immediately summoning a demonic seal, even knowing he was no match, he could not sit idly by and await death.
Most of the gods present shook their heads secretly, with Bian Zhuang’s domineering strength, no one dared to intervene at this moment.
Just as Bian Zhuang was about to strike, a calm voice suddenly rang out, “Enough, Bian Zhuang, you know the rules of my Truth Domain.”
With those words, a beam of divine light shot out from the Mountain of Truth, transforming into a tall, imposing figure, exuding an aura as vast as an abyss.
The rules of the entire Truth Domain came alive, converging toward her, as if the whole domain was under her command.
The one who appeared was none other than the Master of the Truth Temple, at this critical moment, she chose to intervene, preventing Bian Zhuang from killing the Blackheart Demon Lord.
Zhang Ruochen also left the Mountain of Truth, standing behind the Master of the Truth Temple, unaffected by the divine pressure.
Facing the gathered gods, Zhang Ruochen remained remarkably calm, showing no trace of panic.
Back at the Moon Goddess Mountain, he had fought gods in person, though he held reverence for them, he harboured no fear.
In truth, Zhang Ruochen did not wish for the Master of the Truth Temple to intervene at this moment, letting the Blackheart Demon Lord die by Bian Zhuang’s hand would have been the best outcome.
With a flash, Zhang Ruochen appeared beside the Moon Goddess, saluting with clasped fists, “Greetings, Moon Goddess.”
“You’ve done well this time, I’ve publicly declared that henceforth, you shall be the fourth leader of the Guanghan Realm, second only to myself and the Tree God,” the Moon Goddess said.
At these words, Zhang Ruochen was momentarily stunned, not expecting the Moon Goddess to grant him such a high position, this was indeed favorable, at least in the Guanghan Realm, he would face few restrictions going forward.
This proved that partnering with the Moon Goddess was an extremely wise choice.
His thoughts shifting, Zhang Ruochen said, “Thank you, Moon Goddess.”
The Moon Goddess nodded slightly, then turned her gaze toward the Master of the Truth Temple.
At this moment, all the gods present fixed their eyes on the Master of the Truth Temple, including Bian Zhuang.
Few were surprised by her arrival, after all, this was the Truth Domain, if she didn’t show up when Bian Zhuang was about to kill the Blackheart Demon Lord, that would have been unusual.
The Master of the Truth Temple looked at Bian Zhuang and said, “You know that divine battles are forbidden in the Truth Domain, do you intend to slay a god in my territory?”
“I merely disciplined two ants, it hardly counts as a divine battle, since the Temple Master has personally intervened, I can refrain from killing him, but he must pay a price for blaspheming the Moon Goddess,” Bian Zhuang replied.
The Master of the Truth Temple said, “This is between you, I have no interest in meddling, but no further divine battles will be tolerated in the Truth Domain.”
As she spoke, an invisible aura emanated from her, enveloping the Sea of Truth, causing the faces of the many gods present to shift slightly.
Anyone could keenly feel the Master of the Truth Temple’s power, her pressure far surpassing that of Bian Zhuang’s clone.
Bian Zhuang’s eyes narrowed, after a brief pause, he said, “Rest assured, I know my limits.”
Then, he turned to the Blackheart Demon Lord and said, “Blackheart, offer a divine herb as compensation to the Moon Goddess, don’t claim you don’t have one, some things can’t be hidden from my ears.”
Not long ago, when the Blackheart Demon Lord left the Heavenly Court Realm and returned crossing the Heavenly River, Bian Zhuang had sensed the aura of a divine herb on him.
The Blackheart Demon Lord’s expression darkened, he hadn’t expected Bian Zhuang’s appetite to be so great, demanding a divine herb outright.
Divine herbs were immensely precious, even in an eternal great world, few could be produced, and they were of great use to gods.
For instance, when the Moon Goddess refined a single leaf of the Seven-Star Divine Ling, she recovered a significant amount of divine power.
The value of any divine herb was immeasurable.
The Blackheart Demon Lord did indeed possess a divine herb, one he had obtained with immense effort from an extremely dangerous cosmic secret realm.
Tens of thousands of years ago, he had discovered this divine herb, and only recently had it finally matured.
To keep its existence hidden from others, he had gone to great lengths, waiting patiently for tens of thousands of years, and during its harvest, he sustained severe injuries, nearly perishing in that cosmic secret realm.
To hand it over now, how could he be willing?
Seeing the Blackheart Demon Lord’s prolonged silence, Bian Zhuang said coldly, “What? Unwilling, are you? Then you’d better never leave the Truth Domain.”
At those words, the Blackheart Demon Lord’s heart sank to rock bottom, he understood that if he didn’t surrender the divine herb today, Bian Zhuang would never let the matter rest.
Perhaps, from the start, Bian Zhuang had been eyeing that divine herb.
Suppressing his fury, the Blackheart Demon Lord gave a grim smile, “The Moon Goddess’s return to the Heavenly Court Realm is a cause for celebration, this divine herb is a token of my goodwill.”
As he spoke, he produced a jade box made of sacred jade, held aloft by divine power, and presented it to the Moon Goddess.
The Moon Goddess glanced at him faintly, not refusing.
Who wouldn’t want a divine herb?
She reached out, took the box, and opened it.
Instantly, a seven-coloured divine light burst forth from the box, a rich aroma of the divine herb spreading in all directions.
“This is… the Tribulation Lotus!”
A god couldn’t help but exclaim in awe.
The gazes of the gods grew fervent, the Tribulation Lotus was a treasure even they coveted.
The reason lay in its unique nature, as its name suggested, the Tribulation Lotus could aid in surviving a Yuanhui calamity, greatly increasing the success rate.
Based on past experience, refining a Tribulation Lotus could boost the success rate of surviving a calamity by thirty percent.
The Yuanhui calamities gods faced grew more terrifying each time, let alone a thirty percent increase, even a ten percent boost would prompt some to pay a steep price.
The Blackheart Demon Lord’s heart bled, this Tribulation Lotus was prepared for his second Yuanhui calamity, its significance to him was immense.
Had it been any other type of divine herb, he wouldn’t have kept it, likely refining it upon acquisition to enhance his strength.
Tens of thousands of years of waiting, a divine herb won through desperate effort, now given away to another, it was truly tragic.
“Not bad, the Moon Goddess will soon face her fourth Yuanhui calamity, this Tribulation Lotus will come in handy,” Bian Zhuang said with a satisfied smile, casting a fawning glance at the Moon Goddess.
Such an expression on a figure of his stature left the gods present speechless, feeling he lacked the dignity befitting a powerhouse.
Zhang Ruochen’s heart stirred, a fourth Yuanhui calamity meant the Moon Goddess had lived for roughly five hundred thousand years, truly an ancient god.
In both the Heavenly Court and Hell Realms, gods as ancient as the Moon Goddess were likely rare.
After all, more than half of all gods failed to survive their first Yuanhui calamity, those who survived the second were even fewer, and such gods often wielded enough power to shake the heavens, nearly all mastering profound mysteries.
“With the Tribulation Lotus’s aid, the Moon Goddess will surely survive her fourth Yuanhui calamity, her cultivation and strength reaching new heights, a cause for celebration.”
Many gods couldn’t help but offer their congratulations to the Moon Goddess.
With her strength, once she survived the fourth Yuanhui calamity, few would dare provoke her.
Thus, the Guanghan Realm could rest easy for the next Yuanhui.
A faint smile appeared on the Moon Goddess’s icy face, this divine herb was indeed very useful to her, in fact, even if Bian Zhuang hadn’t acted earlier, she had planned to personally discipline the Blackheart Demon Lord.
This Tribulation Lotus was an unexpected gain.
Seeing the smile on the Moon Goddess’s face, Bian Zhuang was overjoyed, to earn her smile, no effort was too great.
No longer restrained by Bian Zhuang’s aura, the Blackheart Demon Lord didn’t linger, transforming into a beam of demonic light and fleeing swiftly.
Having lost all face, he couldn’t stay in the Truth Domain any longer.
Despite his immense anger, with his skills inferior, he could only endure for now.
“Blackheart Demon Lord, you’ve met your match today, letting you live is fine, one day, I’ll personally sever your head to honour the fallen heroes of the Kunlun Realm,” Zhang Ruochen thought to himself.
His gaze shifted to Empress Chi Yao nearby, his eyes filled with complex emotions, his mind swirling with thoughts.
At that moment, Empress Chi Yao also looked over, her phoenix-like eyes like two cold stars in the cosmos, devoid of any emotion.
“You’ve improved, keep it up, I’ll wait for you in the Divine Realm.”
With that, Empress Chi Yao returned to the Truth Temple.
Zhang Ruochen had wanted to ask her face-to-face why she treated Chi Kunlun and Chi Kongle so, but she gave him no chance to speak.
“Chi Yao, I won’t keep you waiting long.”
Zhang Ruochen calmed his thoughts, to face Chi Yao directly, he needed to grow far stronger.
Surrounded by gods, though unafraid, Zhang Ruochen felt somewhat uneasy, so he bid farewell to the Moon Goddess and the Master of the Truth Temple, then left alone.
Though many gods were intrigued by the reward Zhang Ruochen had received, with the Moon Goddess and Bian Zhuang present, none dared to act.
“Congratulations, Big Brother, for crossing ten seas and ascending the Mountain of Truth.”
Feng Yan, Xiang Chunan, and others immediately greeted him.
Xiang Chunan said excitedly, “Big Brother, how did you end up appearing with my Master’s wife?”
“I was surprised too, your Master’s wife is the Master of the Truth Temple, I’m growing more curious about your Master,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Feng Yan looked shocked, “The wife of Third Brother’s Master is the Master of our Truth Temple?”
Not just him, Xiang Chunan and Feng Xi were also astonished.
Only Qing Sixue remained calm, as if she had known all along.
That made sense, given her cultivation and strength, her parents likely didn’t hide much from her.
“Only the Temple Master could teach a prodigy with such astonishing talent in the Way of Truth,” Feng Xi said with sudden realisation.
Xiang Chunan laughed heartily, “Let’s talk later, first, let’s find a place to drink and celebrate.”
“Third Brother’s right, Big Brother’s ascent of the Mountain of Truth calls for a celebration, plenty of fine wine, my treat,” Feng Yan said with a smile.
As Zhang Ruochen was about to speak, his gaze caught a graceful figure, and he said, “You go find a place first, I have something to handle, I’ll join you soon.”
With that, Zhang Ruochen used spatial teleportation, vanishing from the spot.
“What’s Big Brother off to do?” Xiang Chunan asked, puzzled.
Feng Yan said, “It must be something important, let’s head to the tavern and wait for him.”
The group set off for the finest tavern in the Truth Domain, since it was to celebrate Zhang Ruochen, Feng Yan wouldn’t skimp.
Meanwhile, a figure darted swiftly, moving away from the Sea of Truth, aiming for the Truth Temple.
“Fairy Lianxi, long time no see, all well?”
Zhang Ruochen’s voice sounded, and he appeared out of thin air, blocking her path.
This was none other than the revered goddess of the Soul Realm, the Great Xi King.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen, the Great Xi King’s brows furrowed slightly, since Shang Zi’e died by his hand, she had left the Kunlun Realm, cultivating in the Soul Realm until recently arriving in the Truth Domain.
She had tried to avoid him, but hadn’t expected to be found by Zhang Ruochen.
The Great Xi King said, “Zhang Ruochen, this is the Truth Domain, what do you want?”
“No need to be so tense, I’m not here to deal with you, I just have a few questions to ask,” Zhang Ruochen said calmly.
The Great Xi King said indifferently, “I see no reason to answer any of your questions.”
With that, she moved to leave, unwilling to spend a moment alone with Zhang Ruochen.
“Is that so? I have a mirror scroll here, recording you killing a large number of Paradise Realm cultivators,” Zhang Ruochen said, producing a mirror scroll.
Originally, he had also planted a terrifying flame insect in her body, but now he could no longer sense it.
Clearly, after returning to the Soul Realm, she had sought help from its powerhouses to purge the flame insect.
But this mirror scroll alone was enough to make the Great Xi King yield.
Moreover, Zhang Ruochen held a treasure of great importance to her, ensuring her compliance.
Against enemies, necessary measures were required, he couldn’t expect them to reveal all their secrets willingly.
The Great Xi King was a hidden piece he had placed long ago, and now was the time for her to play her role.
