Seeing the mirror scroll in Zhang Ruochen’s hand, the Great Xi King’s expression shifted slightly, a flash of resentment and anger in her eyes, as if she wanted to snatch it away immediately.
Back in the Holy City of the Eastern Region, Zhang Ruochen had forced her to activate the Fire Tower, killing a large number of Paradise Realm cultivators, and deliberately recorded it, leaving her no choice but to comply.
“The so-called Moon Goddess’s envoy resorting to such tactics is truly despicable,” the Great Xi King said coldly.
Zhang Ruochen remained unfazed, saying, “Without some tactics, how could I contend with you lot? Do you think I’d charge in, hot-blooded like a brute, and wage war against the entire Paradise Realm faction? You overestimate me, and underestimate me.”
“Don’t think you can threaten me with just a mirror scroll, even if you make it public, it’s no big deal,” the Great Xi King said.
No matter what, she refused to be coerced by Zhang Ruochen, otherwise, one concession would lead to endless demands.
Killing a large number of Paradise Realm cultivators was indeed a significant liability, but not without solutions.
Zhang Ruochen was unperturbed, saying, “I have some other things here, I wonder if Fairy is interested?”
As he spoke, he flipped his hand, producing a crystalline necklace.
The moment she saw the necklace, the Great Xi King’s expression changed dramatically, and she immediately moved to seize it.
But no matter what techniques she employed, she couldn’t get close to Zhang Ruochen, as if they existed in different dimensions.
“Return my spatial necklace.”
This necklace had once been her personal treasure, containing a vast collection of valuables, including several items of utmost importance to her.
In particular, the special soul jade bestowed by the World Spirit of the Soul Realm was tied to her cultivation progress and future achievements, it was her destiny and opportunity.
With that soul jade, her future could be legendary, not mundane, it absolutely could not be lost.
There was also the crystal scepter, which held immense significance and value to her.
The Great Xi King never stopped wanting to reclaim these items, but the powerhouses of the Paradise Realm faction had failed to deal with Zhang Ruochen time and again, even Shang Zi’e had fallen to him.
“Since Fairy wants it, take it.”
Zhang Ruochen gave a faint smile, flicking his hand to toss the spatial necklace toward the Great Xi King.
She caught it in a daze, her heart filled with astonishment.
Immediately, she released her spiritual power to inspect the contents of the spatial necklace.
The next moment, a strange glint appeared in her eyes, all her treasures were inside, Zhang Ruochen had actually returned them all, leaving her puzzled about his true intentions.
“I’m giving it back to you now, but I can take it away anytime, unless you hide in the Soul Realm forever, in which case, I’d say it’s a pity, the Heavenly Court would lose a beautiful sight,” Zhang Ruochen said calmly.
Hearing this, the Great Xi King’s expression darkened, she keenly felt the strong confidence in his words.
Stay away from the Heavenly Court Realm, was that possible?
Though the Soul Realm was a powerful realm, how could its cultivation environment compare to the Heavenly Court Realm?
“Fairy, since we’ve met in the Truth Domain, how about sharing a few drinks?” Zhang Ruochen suddenly invited her.
His tone seemed gentle, but it carried an undeniable authority.
The Great Xi King was silent for a moment, but ultimately nodded, not refusing.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to refuse, she simply couldn’t.
Facing Zhang Ruochen, she felt an immense, intangible pressure.
At once, Zhang Ruochen took her along, using spatial teleportation to head toward the tavern where Feng Yan and the others were.
Drunk Breeze, the most famous tavern in the Truth Domain, with a history as long as the domain itself.
Before long, Zhang Ruochen and the Great Xi King entered an elegant private room in Drunk Breeze.
Seeing the Great Xi King, Feng Yan and the others showed surprise, caught off guard.
They all knew her identity, so they were curious why Zhang Ruochen had brought her.
“Big Brother, why’d you bring this ugly monster from the Soul Realm?” Xiang Chunan asked bluntly.
Always straightforward, he spoke his mind and showed no courtesy to those hostile to Zhang Ruochen.
Hearing “ugly monster,” the Great Xi King felt Xu Dayu was deliberately humiliating her, her eyes flashing with cold light. She was a beauty listed in the *Nine Immortal Beauties Chart*, her fame spread across the myriad realms, how could she be linked to ugliness?
“Third Brother, don’t be rude to Fairy Lianxi, I invited her specially.”
Then, Zhang Ruochen patted the Great Xi King’s shoulder, as if treating her like a close ally, saying, “My third brother is blunt, Fairy, don’t take offense, please sit.”
Overwhelmed by Zhang Ruochen’s aura, the Great Xi King suppressed her annoyance, sat down, and didn’t bother with Xiang Chunan.
Zhang Ruochen also sat, personally pouring her a cup of wine, displaying great poise, and said, “Fairy Lianxi, I have a question, I hope you can help me with.”
“What do you want to ask?” the Great Xi King asked.
Zhang Ruochen fixed his gaze on her beautiful eyes, saying, “I want to know what kind of plan the Paradise Realm has, Fairy should understand what I mean.”
Through Zhou Zhen, he had learned parts of the Paradise Realm’s plan, but it wasn’t detailed enough, he needed to understand it further.
Only then could he prepare countermeasures in advance.
“I can only say you’re asking the wrong person, I left the Kunlun Realm long ago, even if the Paradise Realm has plans, I wouldn’t know,” the Great Xi King said.
Zhang Ruochen said, “Fairy is the future lord of the Soul Realm, with the ties between the Soul and Paradise Realms, how could you know nothing? Such words are hardly convincing.”
“Believe it or not, I truly know nothing, but since you’re always opposing the Paradise Realm and now have the Truth Temple’s reward, you’d better be careful,” the Great Xi King said with a cold sneer.
She wasn’t concerned for Zhang Ruochen but wanted to put pressure on him.
These were obvious matters, she was merely stating them openly.
Zhang Ruochen pondered briefly, saying, “If you really don’t know, that’s fine, with your status, it should be easy to find out, I hope Fairy can do me this favor.”
“Why should I help you?” the Great Xi King said.
As the goddess of the Soul Realm, with her exalted status, who dared to order her around?
Moreover, Zhang Ruochen was asking her to spy on the Paradise Realm’s plans, tantamount to betraying them, if discovered, not only she but the entire Soul Realm could face great trouble.
Zhang Ruochen lifted his wine cup, took a sip, and said with a faint smile, “Since entering the Heavenly Court Realm, I’ve killed so many divine sons, yet the gods of the Paradise Realm faction can’t touch me. One more or one less doesn’t seem to matter. If I killed you now, do you think I’d be executed? Sister Sixue, the Temple Master would probably protect me, right?”
“Brother Ruochen ascended the Mountain of Truth, the Truth Temple will naturally protect him fully, besides, you’re my sworn brother, of course, Mother would side with you,” Qing Sixue said.
Xiang Chunan added, “Sister’s right, we’re family, Master’s wife would definitely protect us. Even if we killed her now, we could say she wandered into some perilous area of the Truth Domain and perished.”
“How dark,” Zhang Ruochen sighed.
Hearing their coordinated exchange, the Great Xi King’s heart sank to rock bottom.
How could she not understand Zhang Ruochen’s meaning? With his current special status, even if he killed her, as long as it was handled cleanly, there’d be no trouble, the Heavenly Palace likely wouldn’t pursue it.
The Master of the Truth Temple might even help conceal the truth, leaving the Soul Realm’s gods unable to discern what happened.
As Zhang Ruochen said, it was too dark!
Only the four dominant worlds used to act this way.
Strength and backing could truly overshadow the heavens.
“Fairy probably doesn’t know, just earlier, the Blackheart Demon Lord nearly died, he compensated the Moon Goddess with a Tribulation Lotus, and only then did Bian Zhuang spare him,” Zhang Ruochen said again.
Hearing “Bian Zhuang, the War God,” the Great Xi King’s heart sank further, this peerless titan was someone the Soul Realm couldn’t afford to provoke.
Zhang Ruochen once had only the Moon Goddess as his backer, but now he had the even more formidable Bian Zhuang and the Master of the Truth Temple, how many would dare openly oppose him?
The Great Xi King stared intently at Zhang Ruochen, her mind racing, unsure what to choose.
Zhang Ruochen didn’t avoid her gaze, instead raising his cup with a smile, saying, “Fairy, I toast to you, you won’t disappoint me, will you?”
She was silent for a moment, but finally lifted her cup, the situation was stronger than her, she had no means to resist.
So this was the taste of being weak.
“Then I’ll await Fairy’s good news.”
With that, Zhang Ruochen drained his cup.
The Great Xi King said nothing, silently drinking her wine, feeling deeply oppressed. With her status, she never imagined being coerced like this.
She didn’t linger, soon rising to leave, having nothing to say to Zhang Ruochen and his group.
As she left, Zhang Ruochen quietly followed, slipping out of Drunk Breeze.
This matter was critical, he couldn’t afford to be careless, he had to keep the Great Xi King in his sights.
As for Feng Yan and Xiang Chunan, he told them to head to the Central Imperial City, where they could meet later.
To Zhang Ruochen’s satisfaction, after leaving Drunk Breeze, the Great Xi King departed the Truth Domain, heading straight to the Merit Station.
“She must have guessed I’m nearby, ready to seize her life at any moment,” Zhang Ruochen thought.
The Great Xi King was highly efficient, upon reaching the Central Imperial City of the Kunlun Realm, she quickly found a powerhouse from the Paradise Realm.
Zhang Ruochen wasn’t unfamiliar with this figure, it was Hong, who had once aided Zhou Zhen, from the superclan of the Paradise Realm, the Giant-Eyed Tribulation Clan.
The two met in a manor in a bustling area.
Zhang Ruochen used spatial techniques to circle the manor, then entered a teahouse opposite. At a window seat, though clearly at a table, no one could detect his presence.
As he sat, he overheard many discussions.
“Zhang Ruochen is truly heaven-defying, crossing the tenth sea of the Sea of Truth as a Saint King, what reward did he get?”
“He was already invincible below the Great Saint, now with the Truth Temple’s reward, who knows how strong he’ll become.”
“After a hundred thousand years, Bian Zhuang strikes again, crushing the Blackheart Demon Lord and Jia Tianxia with a clone, the Heavenly Palace’s top war god still shines.”
“A furious strike for a beauty, Bian Zhuang is a peerless hero, unmatched.”
…
Zhang Ruochen’s ascent of the Mountain of Truth should have drawn all eyes, but Bian Zhuang’s actions had greatly reduced his attention.
This was actually good for Zhang Ruochen, sparing him much trouble.
It had been about a month and a half since leaving the Kunlun Realm, the Imperial City was temporarily safe, but the situation had grown tenser.
The Hell Realm had amassed over fifty million Saint Realm troops, with more top powerhouses gathering.
The Hell Realm even dispatched more array masters, aiming to dismantle the Imperial City’s array inscriptions swiftly.
Fortunately, the Heavenly Court had also mobilized many Saint Realm cultivators, ready for a major clash with the Hell Realm.
The Kunlun Realm’s native powerhouses, needless to say, were converging on the Imperial City.
“News spreads fast, it seems my every move is watched by those with intent,” Zhang Ruochen murmured.
After receiving the Heart of Truth, his hearing and sight far surpassed before, even with arrays in the opposite manor, nothing escaped his ears.
In the manor, the Great Xi King and Hong sat down, speaking secretly.
Hong had shrunk to human size, showing great courtesy to the Great Xi King.
After all, a private moment with a peerless beauty like her was rare.
This was clearly why the Great Xi King sought Hong, it was easier to glean desired information from him.
After some pleasantries, she asked, “In the Truth Domain, I met Archangel King Michael, he seemed in a hurry, rushing to the Kunlun Realm. Is some major plan underway?”
She had assumed Zhang Ruochen’s suspicions arose from noticing Archangel King Michael’s haste, so she naturally brought it up.
Hearing this, in the teahouse opposite, Zhang Ruochen’s brows lifted slightly, and he fell into thought.
Hong, slightly surprised, lowered his voice, “Fairy is a leading figure in the Soul Realm, you should be privy to this, how could…”
She interrupted, “I’ve been focused on cultivation lately, paying less attention to the Kunlun Realm’s merit battlefield. But I don’t want to miss anything important, so I’m asking you.”
Hong didn’t think much of it, but hesitated.
This was a serious matter, should he speak?
Such a rare chance to connect with Fairy Lianxi, would concealing it upset her?
She said, “Seems like something big is happening, don’t worry, I’ve set up a spiritual barrier, no one can overhear us.”
“There is indeed a major plan in motion, it’s to find the exact spatial coordinates of the Peach Tree,” Hong said.
The Great Xi King’s expression shifted, shocked, and asked, “Why find the Peach Tree’s coordinates? It’s a world spirit root, akin to a god, even if found, we can’t do anything.”
“Of course, we don’t need to act, once the coordinates are found, top gods will move, forcibly opening a passage for a thunderous strike to destroy the Peach Tree. In the past, the Heaven-Connecting Divine Tree was felled this way, catching the Kunlun Realm’s gods off guard,” Hong said with a smile.
Below the pavilion, Zhang Ruochen heard every word, his heart suddenly clear.
Back then, Gu Xin’ao had gravely injured Xue Wuye to obtain realm blood, extracting the Peach Tree’s aura to pinpoint its location, so this was their plan.
Without its world spirit root, the Kunlun Realm would fall into decline again, unable to resist the Hell Realm’s attacks.
The Paradise Realm’s intentions were vicious, aiming to crush the Kunlun Realm’s hopes at their root.
But it made sense, after the medieval catastrophe, with the Paradise Realm’s many unsavory deeds, how could they wait for the Kunlun Realm to settle scores?
Knowing Zhang Ruochen was nearby, the Great Xi King had no intention of hindering his eavesdropping.
After a brief pause, she said, “The space where the Peach Tree lies must be highly secretive, finding it won’t be easy.”
Hong quickly explained, “Empress Chi Yao had several chosen realm sons consume peaches to train them, through their saint blood, we can locate the Peach Tree. Earlier, Gu Xin’ao had obtained Xue Wuye’s saint blood, but it was lost for some reason.”
“But that’s not a big issue, besides those who ate peaches, there are people who know the Peach Tree’s exact location, capturing them would lead us to it.”
Hearing this, Zhang Ruochen’s heart stirred, catching a critical piece of information.
To his knowledge, before the Peach Tree grew into a world spirit root, Emperor Wen had guarded it silently, vanishing for eight hundred years.
Those who could access the Peach Tree must be very close to Emperor Wen and likely held high positions in the court.
In an instant, Zhang Ruochen thought of two people, one was Emperor Wen’s granddaughter, Nalan Danqing, the other was his disciple, Grand Tutor Wang Shiqi.
They were the closest to Emperor Wen, held high court positions, and were deeply trusted by Empress Chi Yao, making it highly likely they had accessed the Peach Tree.
This meant the Paradise Realm faction might target them next.
Or perhaps…
They already had.
Recalling Archangel King Michael’s urgent trip to the Kunlun Realm, Zhang Ruochen realized the situation was at a critical juncture, he could no longer sit still.
“Danqing is in the Ziwei Palace, guarded by the Blood-Dripping Sword and the Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady combined, she should be safe. Wang Shiqi is in the Lianzhu Mansion, though protected by arrays, the Paradise Realm has array masters who could break them.”
“The Paradise Realm’s target is likely Wang Shiqi.”
Zhang Ruochen’s thoughts raced, then he suddenly looked up, gazing toward the Nine-Star Lianzhu Mansion.
