The seat contest ended swiftly.
The ten chief seats were, as expected, claimed by the top ten Great Sages on the Hundred-Shackle Realm Great Perfection list. The only surprise was Yu Huang taking the seat meant for Xi.
But that was only with Zhang Ruochen’s help.
This showed the high accuracy of the Star Sea World’s rankings. The top ten were noticeably a cut above the other Great Perfection Hundred-Shackle Realm Great Sages.
Zhang Ruochen sat at the highest chairman seat by Mingxi’s bank, before a jade table.
On the table were only a three-legged cup carved from divine bone and a plate polished from holy jade.
Ahead lay a major tributary of Mingxi, ten zhang wide, with rushing waters and misty vapours. Through the mist, Zhang Ruochen was surprised to see the cultivator opposite him was Da Senluo Huang.
At that moment, Da Senluo Huang’s gaze met his, icy to the extreme.
Zhang Ruochen ignored him, turning to the flowing Mingxi waters. Using the divine bone cup, he drew a cupful from the air.
The stream water, born from Destiny Mountain, was like blood-red amber, more fragrant than holy springs, one of the universe’s most miraculous and rare drinks. No amount of holy stones could buy it outside.
Drinking a cup, he savoured it.
The water was cool and sweet, instantly digested upon entering his stomach, spreading like threads to every part of his body, merging with blood, bones, holy soul, and mental power.
When passing through the Gate of Destiny, six hundred Rules of Destiny had appeared in Zhang Ruochen’s sea of qi and Tongtian River.
Now, one cup of stream water added over ten more.
Of course, a mere few hundred Rules of Destiny were negligible compared to those in attendance who had studied the Way of Destiny since childhood, let alone enough to condense a “Gate of Destiny.”
“The Mingxi water not only refines the body, holy soul, and mental power but must be even more beneficial to those cultivating the Way of Destiny,” Zhang Ruochen thought.
The Hunting Heaven Feast was entirely about nurturing the Hell Realm’s future elite forces.
In the Heavenly Realm, gifted cultivators had to study the Way of Truth.
In the Hell Realm, gifted cultivators had to study the Way of Destiny.
Almost every one of the ten thousand attendees from the ten clans had cultivated the Way of Destiny to a high level.
Otherwise, Heavenly Realm cultivators of the same realm, wielding the Way of Truth to unleash multiple times their attack power, would be unstoppable.
Of course, mastering the Way of Truth or Destiny didn’t guarantee invincibility.
Integrating these into one’s holy techniques took considerable time.
Their power was great, but slow to unleash.
In evenly matched battles, there might not be time to invoke the Way of Truth or Destiny. Only by forming a “Truth Realm Shape” or “Gate of Destiny” could one shorten the integration time, gaining a greater edge.
Even with a “Truth Realm Shape” or “Gate of Destiny,” time was still needed. A fast enough opponent could suppress you, leaving no chance to unleash their power.
The other seven Eternal Ways could counter them to some extent.
Space could tear through a “Truth Realm Shape” or “Gate of Destiny.”
Time could prevent their activation.
Darkness could swallow them.
…
Beyond the Eternal Ways, mastering the Flowing Light Holy Way among the seventy-two Supreme Holy Ways to a profound level, with sufficient speed, could also suppress them.
Thus, no single Way was absolutely invincible.
Space cultivated to “Infinite” or Time to “Eternal” could not be shaken by Destiny or Nothingness. But such extreme levels were beyond even the mightiest gods.
So, a cultivator’s strength ultimately depended on their realm.
A Darkness Controller, not cultivating Destiny or Truth but mastering Darkness profoundly, could still kill Destiny or Truth cultivators in the same realm.
A Saint King from the Stone Clan downstream drank heavily of the stream water. Light particles appeared behind him, forming a light gate.
Gradually, it became a Gate of Destiny.
“Success! I’ve finally condensed a Gate of Destiny, haha! My combat power will soar again. Worthy of Mingxi, worthy of the Destiny Temple’s foundational spring,” the Stone Clan cultivator laughed loudly.
Seeing this, all cultivators grew restless, absorbing the stream water faster.
The water could only be drunk at the feast, not taken away.
Zhang Ruochen glanced at Lan Xi beside him.
Her face was calm, but her eyes betrayed a flicker of longing and curiosity, occasionally glancing at Mingxi. As a mere maid, she had no right to take the water herself.
Zhang Ruochen beckoned her, saying, “Come here.”
Lan Xi glanced at the divine mirror above, then approached helplessly.
She knew her every move was watched by countless Heavenly Realm cultivators, but in her current role, she had to bow to Zhang Ruochen.
He tossed her the divine bone cup, saying, “Take the stream water and feed it to me.”
Lan Xi caught the cup, glaring coldly at him, unmoving.
This was too much.
In the Seven-Star Emperor Palace, she could endure some grievances, but this was the Hunting Heaven Feast.
Many Hell Realm cultivators noticed, smirking playfully, their eyes fixed on the scene.
“Zhang Ruochen sure knows how to enjoy himself, having the Shadowless Fairy feed him at the feast. Isn’t he afraid of the Heavenly Realm cultivators’ united wrath?”
“In the Heavenly Realm, the Shadowless Fairy has countless admirers. Zhang Ruochen is fearless.”
“The Soul Realm’s god must be watching the feast. Will they be fuming, haha!”
…
Luo Ji found Zhang Ruochen’s behaviour odd, pondering his reasons.
Was he forcing Lan Xi to fully defect, making it impossible for her to return to the Heavenly Realm?
Or was he signalling to the Hell Realm’s gods that he saw himself as one of them, no longer caring about the Heavenly Realm’s view?
Or was it merely revenge?
“Does this guy really not plan to return to the Heavenly Realm?” Luo Ji frowned, sensing Zhang Ruochen had ulterior motives in the Hell Realm, not truly joining.
Seeing Lan Xi stand still, glaring angrily, Zhang Ruochen’s face turned cold. In a firm tone, he said, “As a maid, you dare ignore your master’s orders? Lan Xi, you’ve got some nerve. Kneel.”
“A Great Sage cannot be humiliated,” Lan Xi retorted defiantly.
In truth, she was overwhelmed with grievance, tempted to end it all. But each time the thought arose, Zhang Ruochen’s words echoed in her mind: “Those with a divine heart never yield.”
Sometimes she wondered if he had said that deliberately to prevent her from taking her life.
“Seems I’ve been too lenient with you, not disciplined enough.”
Zhang Ruochen pointed a finger, and a powerful spatial force pressed on Lan Xi’s slender frame, making her tremble.
She resisted for a moment, but her long legs buckled, and she knelt.
She couldn’t resist.
Throughout, Zhang Ruochen’s gaze was sharp and emotionless.
The entire Mingxi buzzed with commotion.
“Zhang Ruochen’s deliberately provoking the Heavenly Realm and Soul Realm. Haha, how many cultivators will be spitting blood in rage?”
“Who says he’s a Heavenly Realm spy in the Hell Realm? With today’s antics, he’s a dead man if he returns. Will the Soul Realm’s god spare him? Can the Heavenly Realm’s titans not see he’s humiliating them? Even Moon God can’t save him.”
“I think Zhang Ruochen’s making a statement, showing the Hell Realm’s gods his resolve. Otherwise, he’d never enter their inner circle. The great god Huang Tian was less cunning, so despite his talent and godhood, he was always sidelined until he killed his master, Yuan Xu Ancient Buddha, to prove himself.”
…
Many clever attendees thought they saw through Zhang Ruochen’s intentions, discussing animatedly.
Yan Wushen, seated at the highest chairman seat of another major tributary, glanced at Zhang Ruochen from afar, a smile on his face. He lifted his three-legged cup and took another sip.
He had long guessed Zhang Ruochen would make a show at the feast to prove himself to the gods.
But he hadn’t expected Zhang Ruochen to ruin his reputation so basely.
Bullying a woman would earn the scorn of the entire Heavenly Realm, even his former friends.
“Base, but being a despised scoundrel reassures the gods. A rotten move, truly rotten,” Yan Wushen shook his head. Yet, on reflection, Zhang Ruochen seemed to have no other path but self-destruction.
Deceiving the gods was too hard.
But this path, even if the Hell Realm’s gods knew it was deliberate, they could accept him. He had no place left in the Heavenly Realm and could only stay obediently in the Hell Realm.
Da Senluo Huang, opposite Zhang Ruochen, sighed, “Shadowless Fairy, how did you end up with such a heartless master? Come to me, and I’ll never make you a slave or maid.”
Lan Xi glanced at him across the stream, silent, enduring Zhang Ruochen’s spatial suppression.
Zhang Ruochen coldly eyed Da Senluo Huang, saying, “Trying to steal my person? Courting death?”
Da Senluo Huang’s gaze grew colder but quickly softened, laughing, “Great Sage Ruochen, such grandeur. How dare I steal from you? But the feast has an interesting segment called the Gift Duel.”
“Gift Duel?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
Da Senluo Huang explained, “What’s the most precious treasure at the feast? The Yandao Saint Fruit.”
“But Yandao Saint Fruits are so rare, each Great Sage gets only one. Want more? Duel for them, winning others’ fruits.”
“The Gift Duel means winning brings great gifts, losing means giving gifts.”
“The gift is the Yandao Saint Fruit.”
“I know of a Great Sage who won eight Yandao Saint Fruits in past feasts, consuming nine, instantly gaining nine hundred million holy way rules and twenty-seven thousand years of lifespan.”
“A Saint King once won four Xuanshi Saint Fruits, consuming five, instantly perfecting five holy ways.”
“That’s the feast’s true fun. Would Great Sage Ruochen care to duel with me?”
Both Yandao and Xuanshi Saint Fruits were the feast’s main delicacies, far more precious than Mingxi’s water.
A Yandao Saint Fruit, beyond instantly adding one hundred million holy way rules, extended lifespan by three thousand years and aided in quickly mastering high-tier holy techniques.
It was a treasure all Great Sages below the Thousand-Question Realm craved.
Because of its value, no Great Sage dared wager it without certainty. Losing would make even a Great Sage weep.
Feng Hou’s voice reached Zhang Ruochen, saying, “Don’t duel him, it’s a trap. Usually, weaker cultivators challenge stronger ones in the Gift Duel.”
“First, to win Yandao Saint Fruits; second, to gain fame by defeating the strong.”
“Da Senluo Huang’s cultivation far surpasses yours, yet he challenges you, clearly exploiting your unfamiliarity with the rules. If you act rashly, you’ll play into his hands.”
“You must know, the challenger sets the duel’s terms. It’s not always combat—could be chess, painting, speed, or swordplay…”
“If you agree, he’ll choose his strongest skill to compete.”
“So, with ten thousand cultivators here, few accept a Gift Duel.”
“That Great Sage who won eight was the now universe-shaking Fengchen Sword God. A miraculous figure, the last millennium’s most perfect cultivator, flawless in every aspect, mastering anything instantly at its peak.”
As Zhang Ruochen listened to Feng Hou, Da Senluo Huang spoke again, teasing, “Great Sage Ruochen isn’t scared, is he? Don’t worry, I won’t take your Yandao Saint Fruit. If you lose, just give me the Shadowless Fairy.”
“So, you’ve got your eye on her.”
Zhang Ruochen lifted a finger, tilting Lan Xi’s snow-white chin, studying her jade-like face, saying, “Fine, I’ll duel you.”
Da Senluo Huang was overjoyed.
Lan Xi’s eyes flashed with fear.
Staying with Zhang Ruochen was tough, but falling into Da Senluo Huang’s hands would be far worse. Was this her fate?
Her heart burned with resentment and despair.
Resentment at Zhang Ruochen’s cruelty.
Despair that if Da Senluo Huang won her, she might not endure and would end herself. All that talk of resilience and divine heart was Zhang Ruochen’s calculated manipulation.
The feast venue buzzed again, all cultivators excited for the spectacle.
Zhang Ruochen’s tone shifted, “But betting one Yandao Saint Fruit is dull. Let’s bet three.”
“If the Shadowless Fairy were untouched, fine. But she’s already yours—worth three Yandao Saint Fruits?” Da Senluo Huang sneered.
Zhang Ruochen said, “She’s worth one. I have another.”
“That’s only two,” Da Senluo Huang said.
Zhang Ruochen looked downstream, locking onto Xue Tu, pointing, “Xue Tu’s my junior brother. He’ll back me with one.”
Xue Tu, enjoying the show and hoping Zhang Ruochen would suffer at Da Senluo Huang’s hands, was thunderstruck, his face paling. Calamity from nowhere.
