Twenty-four days had passed in the outside world, but more than two months had passed in the inner space of the Time Crystal Stone.
The cultivation of the False God’s Body was unprecedentedly smooth, more perfect than even Zhang Ruochen expected.
In his previous life, Zhang Ruochen hadn’t cultivated the False God’s Body, after all, with his status in his previous life, he wanted any cultivation resources at his fingertips, and there was absolutely no need to plunder the power of the sacrifice.
Being so successful in his first cultivation made Zhang Ruochen overjoyed.
In order to cultivate the False God’s Body, Zhang Ruochen’s martial soul had fused a total of sixty-three drops of Half-Saint blood and three Divine Amphibian Grasses, and with the strength of his current martial soul, it had already surpassed that of a Heavenly Extreme Realm Great Perfection martial artist.
As long as he released his martial soul, everything in the entire royal palace surfaced in his mind, as if he was seeing it with his own eyes.
“There are actually four Heavenly Extreme Realm Martial Myths in the entire royal palace. The royal clan’s heritage is really not as simple as it seems.”
Zhang Ruochen sensed four powerful auras in the royal palace, the most powerful of which came from the Heavenly Son Mountain deep within the royal palace. That aura was much more powerful than even the Yunwu County King.
Zhang Ruochen retracted his Martial Spirit, not daring to hastily startle those four Heavenly Extreme Realm Martial Myths. After all, Heavenly Extreme Realm Martial Myths all had spiritual power past the twentieth rank and had strong perception, if Zhang Ruochen’s Martial Soul was too close to them, it would definitely be discovered.
“If I use my martial soul to manipulate the spiritual Qi of the heavens and earth again now, and execute the “Thunderbolt’s Go”, I should be able to kill that one Demon Sect Demoness from back then with just one strike.”
Zhang Ruochen was still sitting on the ground, his body emitting a powerful aura, and above his head, a huge golden halo even appeared, almost like a teenage deity sitting at the centre of the world.
It must be known that the martial soul was the soul of a martial artist, since Zhang Ruochen’s martial soul had become stronger, the invisible spiritual will radiating from his body would also follow suit.
In other words, as long as Zhang Ruochen used the power of his Martial Soul, even just a single stare over. It would also be able to subdue an average Earth Realm martial arts expert.
In fact, the False God’s Body referred to Zhang Ruochen’s martial soul, not Zhang Ruochen’s physical body.
“Wow!”
Zhang Ruochen withdrew his Martial Soul, and the powerful aura that had originally escaped outside of his body immediately converged into his body like a tidal wave and disappeared into nothingness.
The current Zhang Ruochen looked completely introverted and no longer had that powerful aura from earlier.
As long as he did not deliberately release his Martial Soul. Outsiders would not be able to detect the change in him at all.
“My martial cultivation has really improved some more, but I need to break through to the late stage of the Earth Extreme Realm. It’s still necessary to borrow the power of the sacrifice.”
Zhang Ruochen stood up and walked out of the inner space of the Space-Time Crystal Stone, travelling towards the Jade Gargoyle Palace.
“The Ninth Prince’s seclusion is over!”
The two young palace maids scrambled to deliver the news, to Princess Lin.
Almost around the same time, Zhang Ruochen walked into the Palace Wannabe and saluted Consort Lin, “Greetings, Mother.”
It wasn’t just Consort Lin, Huang Yichen was actually sitting right beside Consort Lin and was making tea for her. She sat idly on the ground. The movements were very elegant and beautiful like a painting.
Zhang Ruochen tsked in wonder, the usually fiery-tempered Senior Sister Huang actually had such quiet moments, revealing the aura of a noble royal county princess to the fullest.
“Wow!”
Seeing Zhang Ruochen walk in, Huang Yichen stretched out her two jade fingers and twisted a teacup. Pouring a cup full of steaming tea, she offered it to Zhang Ruochen with both hands.
When Zhang Ruochen saw Huang Yichen’s warm and gentle appearance, he was first slightly stunned, then he was still receiving the teacup and gently took a sip.
As the hot tea entered his body, it was as if the meridians and blood veins in his body opened up completely. The pores stretched, and the whole body was indescribably refreshed, as if every cell was breathing.
“Good tea!”
Zhang Ruochen closed his eyes and felt his brain clear and the flow of true qi within increased a few points faster.
For a martial artist, the effect of this tea was not too good.
However, for ordinary people like Concubine Lin. The effect of this cup of tea was more beneficial than those ganoderma lucidum and ginseng.
Moreover, the tea’s medicinal power was mild, and for ordinary people to come, it was simply agar jelly. If consumed over a long period of time, it would definitely be able to prolong one’s life and bring the physical strength of an ordinary person to the level of a Yellow Extreme Realm martial artist.
Huang Yichen wore a smile on his face and his voice was as melodious as heavenly music as he said, “The name of this tea is White River Leaf, it was sent by me to specially send it from the Thousand Waters County Kingdom, and I brought a total of thirty catties, which is enough for Your Highness to drink for ten years.”
Zhang Ruochen put down his teacup and laughed, “Senior Sister Huang is actually still an expert in the tea ceremony, before …… but I didn’t see it.”
Concubine Lin was a bit displeased and said, “Since you guys are already engaged, how can you still call yourselves senior sister? Smokey County Lord is a good woman who is virtuous and gentle, not only is she beautiful, but her family lineage is also illustrious. You don’t know what kind of luck you’ve struck to be able to obtain the favour of the Smoky Dust County Mistress. In the future, you must treat her well, or else, I will never let you off.”
Concubine Lin was becoming more and more fond of Huang Yichen, feeling that Huang Yichen was the fairy daughter of heaven, perfect like a diamond, without a single flaw. Even when falling asleep, Consort Lin could not help but wake up with a smile when she thought of having such a beautiful and elegant daughter-in-law.
Zhang Ruochen said, “Don’t worry, Mother, I’ve always been on extremely good terms with County Head Smokey.”
Huang Yichen’s eyes gently glanced at Zhang Ruochen and softly said, “Mother, I’ll take my leave first.”
“Duan’er, why don’t you go send off County Mistress Yisong.” Concubine Lin glared at Zhang Ruochen fiercely with a look of hatred.
Zhang Ruochen smiled, stood up, and made an inviting gesture towards Huang Yichen, saying, “Your Highness, County Lord, please!”
Huang Yichen’s eyebrows slightly raised, staring at Zhang Ruochen with some complacency as he walked out.
It was only after walking out of the Jade Rinse Palace that Zhang Ruochen said with a serious expression on his face, “Senior Sister Huang, you can’t be serious, right?”
Huang Yichen was wearing a snow-white silk tunic with a date-red hooded cloak on the outside, standing pavilion-like in the snow. Her originally fair face became even more crystal clear under the ice and snow reflection.
Huang Yichen’s pair of big, treasure-blue eyes stared at Zhang Ruochen as she coldly said, “Of course it’s serious.”
Zhang Ruochen shook his head and said, “But we agreed in the beginning that it was only a fake engagement ……”
Huang Yichen also became serious and said, “Zhang Ruochen, are you kidding? I’m the county princess of the Thousand Water County Kingdom, and you’re also the prince of the Yunwu County Kingdom, how can our own engagement be a child’s play? Where is there such a thing as a fake engagement?”
Zhang Ruochen was somewhat speechless. Carefully sizing up Huang Yichen, he said, “Senior sister, you’re just being a bit unreasonable, you can disown what you’ve said?”
Huang Yichen tilted her chin, revealing her snow-white neck, and said, “Are you in love with Duanmu Xingling. That’s why you’re in a hurry to want to withdraw from my marriage?”
Zhang Ruochen shook his head and said, “Why did you bring up Senior Sister Duanmu again?”
Huang Yichen stared with a pair of beautiful eyes. Saying, “If you don’t like her, why did you admit that you are her boyfriend?”
“Are you referring to Chen Ruo’s identity?” Zhang Ruochen said.
Huang Yichen bit her lips tightly and coldly said, “I really looked away before, I really didn’t expect that she hid so Avray that she would even try to steal her best sister’s fiancé. Sisters can’t be made anymore, in the future, we can only be enemies. Yes, enemies!”
Zhang Ruochen sighed as he looked at Huang Yichen’s serious appearance. It was simply not expected that things would come to this point.
He had the intention to explain, but thinking about Huang Yichen’s character, he reckoned that the more he explained, the more she would think about it.
Once again, he proved that he really didn’t understand women.
The fact that he would die at the hands of Princess Chi Yao in his last life was by no means a coincidence, and it was probably because he had offended her somewhere. Therefore, she harboured a grudge and killed Zhang Ruochen with a sword.
However, Zhang Ruochen thought back carefully, but did not feel that he had offended Princess Chi Yao anywhere.
What was the point of thinking so much, why should he spend so much time but guessing what they were thinking?
“In the path of martial arts cultivation, remember not to get distracted.” Zhang Ruochen thought of what Emperor Ming had warned him back then. So he immediately withdrew his mind.
After sending Huang Yichen away, Zhang Ruochen didn’t return to Yushu Palace and headed to the Shrine of the Emperors.
Tomorrow’s Ritual Ceremony would take place at the Shrine of the Emperors.
If one wanted to seize the power of sacrifice at the Sacrificial Ceremony, one naturally had to come early to inspect it.
Although the Sacrificial Ceremony was only tomorrow, but half a month before. The Shrine of the Emperors had already begun to be set up.
Outside the shrine, on top of the ancient altar built with huge stones, tens of thousands of cow and sheep sacrifices had been bundled, among which there were also a large number of savage beasts.
The Yunwu County Kingdom was, after all, a county kingdom with a population of close to one hundred million, and the national festival was the fundamental of a county kingdom’s martial dao, so naturally, it was prepared in a rather grand manner.
Around the altar, there were martial artists, eunuchs, and palace maids, as many as thousands of them, all of them busy in front and behind.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen arrive at the Hall of the Shrine of the Emperors, they all saluted, not daring to be the slightest bit slow.
Zhang Tiangui’s voice sounded behind Zhang Ruochen.
“Ninth brother, the sacrificial ceremony is not until tomorrow, why did you come over tonight?”
Zhang Ruochen laughed, “Seventh Brother, aren’t you here too?”
Zhang Tiangui and Han Qiu walked side by side, coming over from the distance.
Lin Chenyu followed behind them, bending and bowing with the appearance of a lackey. Only his eyes were so gloomy that no one could guess what was going on in his mind.
The three of them were all top-notch martial arts powerhouses, walking through the snow without leaving a single footprint.
Zhang Tiangui said, ”I was ordered by my father to preside over this year’s sacrificial ceremony, so naturally I have to come over from time to time to take a look. You’re still young after all, when you’re a bit older, you’ll naturally have such opportunities as well.”
Han Qiu stared at Zhang Ruochen, a curious expression on his face as he laughed, “I’ve long heard that the Ninth Prince’s sword skill is exceptional, having reached the peak realm of the sword following the heart, and that even Half-Saint Disciple Qing Chibai lost to you above the sword strokes, so I wonder if I can get to see a glimpse of you today?”
Zhang Ruochen was still very famous in the younger generation, especially in his attainments in swordplay and spiritual power, he was known as one of the younger generation.
If it wasn’t for the fact that his martial arts cultivation wasn’t high enough, perhaps the name of Zhang Tiangui’s first genius would have already fallen to Zhang Ruochen.
Han Qiu was also a sword master, and had also cultivated his sword to the peak of Sword Follows Heart, and his attainments in swordplay were enough to be ranked in the top three of the younger generation of the 36 counties of the Heavenly Demon Ridge.
When she met Zhang Ruochen, a sword master, Han Qiu naturally wanted to fight with him.
If she was able to defeat Zhang Ruochen, wouldn’t it prove that her attainments in swordsmanship had also passed Qing Chi Bai?
In this regard, Zhang Tian Gui was a little bit worse, although he held the name of the first genius of the young generation, he mainly cultivated physical body and palm techniques, and in terms of sword techniques, he was not considered outstanding.
