Slowly, Zhang Ruochen withdrew his palm, exhaling deeply. He sat cross-legged, holding a divine stone, absorbing its divine qi to restore his severely depleted strength.
Emperor Yu remained seated, her cyan feather celestial robe soaked with sweat, tears still wet on her refined, alabaster face, her delicate frame trembling slightly.
Guilt, self-blame, and resentment—various tormenting emotions still flooded her heart.
Zhang Ruochen had cruelly torn open the memory she least wanted to recall, presenting it raw and bleeding before her, as if it had just happened.
Great Saint Yixuan and Guzhenzi were anxious, desperate to know if he had succeeded or failed.
But seeing Emperor Yu so fragile and sorrowful, they dared not approach to ask.
The silence persisted until Zhang Ruochen’s saint qi recovered, and he stood again. His gaze fixed on the silent Emperor Yu, saying, “I’ve found your Desire Shackle. Why are you still sitting there?”
Emperor Yu raised her pale face, looking at Zhang Ruochen’s tall figure. For a moment, his silhouette overlapped with that of her late brother.
Seeing her stare, Zhang Ruochen continued, “Your hatred, self-blame, and guilt are too intense. The Desire Shackle was this difficult. In the future, reaching the Life-Death Realm will be extremely perilous. I advise you, when it’s time to let go, do so. Don’t keep yourself trapped…”
His voice trailed off, his eyes growing distant.
In Emperor Yu, he saw himself.
If finding her Desire Shackle was this hard, how much harder would his be? Would his path be even more dangerous?
Like Chi Yao in the past, unable to become a god—was it the same?
Emperor Yu gathered her emotions, her tall, beautiful figure rising. She tied up her long hair with the purple-gold phoenix hairpin, her cold, noble aura returning.
She stared at Zhang Ruochen, saying, “How do I let go? How do I escape my inner turmoil?”
Zhang Ruochen replied, “Some things you should view from another angle. Your parents, brother, and divine ancestor died tragically at the hands of Heavenly Court cultivators. But how many beings have died by their hands? How many have suffered loss and ruin like you?”
“The fault lies not with you or the Heavenly Court’s cultivators, but with war and slaughter.”
Emperor Yu said coldly, “Don’t say such things again. If other Hell Realm cultivators hear, you’ll be in trouble. I’m grateful you found my Desire Shackle, but you’ve seen my heart, my secrets. Keep your mouth shut. If a word gets out, we’re enemies for life.”
She took a Divine Wandering Pill and left.
Zhang Ruochen’s face showed no emotion as he said, “After the Hunting Heaven Feast, if there’s a chance, join me on the Merit Battlefield. I’ll show you the other side of war. It might ease your inner bias and aid your future cultivation.”
“Zhang Ruochen, you meddle too much. Stop fawning over me, doing things beyond your role. I’m not that Shadowless Fairy. If you think to bring me into your Seven-Star Imperial Palace harem, I advise you to abandon that notion to avoid trouble.”
Emperor Yu didn’t turn back, leaving the palace to cultivate under the Sundial.
“She misunderstands me. Being slightly kind, and she thinks I’m after her?” Zhang Ruochen said, looking at Great Saint Yixuan and Guzhenzi.
Great Saint Yixuan said, “Beautiful women often have that flaw. You’re kind to Xueqi too. Surely you’re not after him?”
Guzhenzi said, “But women often say the opposite. If I were Emperor Yu, choosing a husband, you’d be a top pick. Marrying you would give her clan the Blood Absolute Clan’s backing, improving their situation.”
“So, she’s hinting you should be more forward?” Great Saint Yixuan said.
Zhang Ruochen shook his head, smiling, but inwardly grew cautious.
Recruiting Emperor Yu as an ally in the Hell Realm was fine.
But he mustn’t let her think he had romantic intentions.
Having been through much, Zhang Ruochen could be ruthless to achieve his goals, unconcerned with being seen as evil or brutal. Good and evil had no clear boundaries.
The world held no absolute good or evil.
But using emotions to achieve ends often backfired, and he preferred to avoid it.
After helping Great Saint Yixuan and Guzhenzi find their shackles, Zhang Ruochen split five saint souls to study saint path rules. His true self opened the paper note from Prajna, analyzing the Water Path Mysteries imprint.
A year later, he fully deciphered the Water Path Mysteries, condensing a fourth-grade Heavenly River Saint Will.
But he didn’t immediately merge it with the Blood Sun Ten Shocks Saint Will.
Per the Heaven-Connecting Divine Tree, his understanding of the Blood Sun Ten Shocks Saint Will was too shallow. Merging with the Heavenly River Saint Will risked danger and had low success odds.
Deeper understanding eased fusion.
With Zhang Ruochen’s help finding shackles, Divine Wandering Pills to break them, and ample divine blood to boost cultivation and stabilize the Immortal Saint Body, Great Saint Xueqi, Yixuan, and Guzhenzi’s realms advanced rapidly.
Great Saint Xueqi broke a shackle every six months.
Great Saint Yixuan and Guzhenzi took a year per shackle.
This wasn’t because Xueqi’s talent surpassed theirs. They had broken eighty shackles, and the further along, the harder and slower it became.
Three years later, Emperor Yu broke her hundredth shackle, releasing a surge of blood fiend qi, with nearly ten billion saint path rules weaving through the world.
“Swish—”
Eight silver wings burst from her back.
Electric light flowed on them, growing enormous, like eight silver clouds.
At their centre, a new pair of silver wings formed, half-real, half-mist, like chaotic light.
“She broke it so fast, with such momentum.”
Zhang Ruochen, roused from cultivation, stepped out of the Seven-Star Imperial Palace, standing on the steps, pointing at Emperor Yu.
“Swish.”
The space around her stretched and twisted.
Zhang Ruochen pulled her into a hundreds-of-miles-wide spatial bubble, calming Hanhai Manor.
He looked at the cultivating cultivators, saying, “Stop staring. Keep practicing.”
Xue Chen, Xue Ningxiao, and others didn’t resume, standing to gaze at the spatial bubble, faces filled with awe.
Emperor Yu’s breakthrough to Perfect Hundred Shackles was a major event. No matter how important their cultivation, they didn’t want to miss witnessing it.
Zhang Ruochen ignored them, focusing on Emperor Yu, nodding unconsciously.
“A Great Saint with ninety-nine shackles broken versus one hundred is worlds apart. Her cultivation doubled instantly and keeps rising. Her ninth and tenth silver wings are condensing rapidly.”
He calculated silently: without supreme saint artifacts, could he defeat her now?
At the Ascension Banquet, beating her had taken great effort.
Everyone’s cultivation was rising, but she’d crossed a critical threshold, possibly surpassing him.
The Blood Sky Tribe’s gods sensed it immediately, overjoyed.
Though Emperor Yu had long broken ninety-nine shackles, just one step from Perfect Hundred Shackles, the gods knew her situation and thought she’d never break through, perhaps stagnating forever.
Her breakthrough before the Hunting Heaven Feast was a delightful surprise.
The Blood Absolute War God sent a message to Great Saint Qingsheng, “Once she stabilizes Perfect Hundred Shackles, send a Thousand Questions Realm initial-stage Great Saint to test her combat strength.”
…
Soon, Emperor Yu stabilized her cultivation.
Despite her icy demeanor, a touched smile appeared, her joy uncontainable.
Zhang Ruochen entered the spatial bubble, hovering, saying, “Congratulations on breaking through to Perfect Hundred Shackles.”
“Perfect?”
Emperor Yu shook her head, “I’ve just broken the hundredth shackle. I’m far from true perfection. Beyond the hundred main shackles, there are thousands of minor ones. Only breaking them all counts as perfection. Then, my cultivation will at least double again.”
“Those minor shackles, though many, won’t stop me. Give me three more years, and I’ll break them all. Of course, you’ll need to provide enough fresh divine blood.”
Zhang Ruochen frowned, “Why should I provide divine blood?”
“Don’t you love fawning over me? I’m giving you a chance, and you don’t cherish it?” Emperor Yu said.
He could see her mood was genuinely good, her hostility and rejection gone. Before, she’d never have spoken to him like this.
Her words carried a hint of flirtation.
She quickly realized her words were inappropriate, her smile fading as she said coldly, “Just joking. Don’t look reluctant. I’ll buy the divine blood with divine stones, not take it for free.”
“Oh, as expected of Emperor Yu, such grandeur. This princess has never seen such an attitude when asking for help.”
Luo Ji’s stunning figure entered the spatial bubble, lotus flowers blooming under her steps. She reached Zhang Ruochen’s side, glaring discontentedly, saying, “Zhang Ruochen, why do others cultivate under the Sundial without paying divine stones, but I must? And you give them divine blood for free. Why don’t I get that treatment?”
Inhaling her enchanting fragrance, Zhang Ruochen said calmly, “They’re Blood Sky Tribe cultivators. You’re not.”
“You…”
Luo Ji grew angrier, cheeks puffed, eyes wide, saying, “You’re clearly bullying this princess. And why does the Sundial consume so many divine stones? At least six per day. Do you think I’m just yours to exploit?”
Zhang Ruochen said, “If Your Highness is dissatisfied, you may leave Hanhai Manor anytime.”
Luo Ji crossed her arms behind her back, stepping on void-born lotuses, eyeing Emperor Yu with a smile, “Of course I’m dissatisfied, but I won’t leave.”
“Emperor Yu cultivates here and gets divine blood. I want the same treatment. Don’t tell me it’s because she’s from the Blood Sky Tribe. Why don’t other tribe cultivators get this? You just fancy her, don’t you?”
“Zhang Ruochen, is your masculine energy so rampant that one Shadowless Fairy isn’t enough? Shall this princess send you ten Rakshasa Clan female saints?”
Emperor Yu’s body flared with cold Nine Nether Soul-Devouring Flames, her voice icy, “He may be unrestrained, but I keep myself pure. Your Highness better watch your words, lest you invite trouble.”
“Henceforth, I’ll provide the divine stones for the Sundial’s operation.”
With that, Emperor Yu left the spatial bubble.
Luo Ji squinted her phoenix eyes, smiling slyly, “See, Zhang Ruochen? A woman like Emperor Yu can be won with a little effort.”
“Don’t talk nonsense. I helped her only to win the Hunting Heaven Feast, not for what you think,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Luo Ji rolled her eyes, scoffing, “And the Shadowless Fairy? Don’t tell me she’s still pure? She’s changed since leaving the Seven-Star Imperial Palace!”
Zhang Ruochen’s gaze darkened, his voice cold, “Mind your own business.”
As he returned to the Seven-Star Imperial Palace, Luo Ji’s glossy lips curled wickedly, “Your schemes may fool those arrogant gods who see all as ants, but not this princess.”
“This guy’s got all the luck, and he’s getting more reckless. Can’t let him have it too easy.”
“If the Heavenly Court’s cultivators learned two of the Nine Fairies from the ‘Nine Immortals Beauty Scroll’ are no longer pure, both ruined by the Hell Realm’s villain Zhang Ruochen, would they come to kill him? Heh. Zhang Ruochen, you’ve been so harsh to this princess. I’ll have to teach you a lesson.”
