The news of Wuma Jiuxing mastering a divine blade technique and defeating Zhuo Yunong in seven strikes, orchestrated by those with ulterior motives, quickly spread across the Heavenly Court and the Hell Realm, causing a worldwide sensation.
“The Temple of Destiny has been defeated” was a phrase uttered by countless cultivators that day.
Wuma Jiuxing’s name, through this battle, resounded throughout the universe, becoming the pinnacle figure below the divine realm, awe-inspiring yet igniting a spark of challenge in the hearts of many.
The universe was vast, with countless powerhouses, and there were still cultivators eager to challenge Wuma Jiuxing.
In the Death God Palace, Yuan Shu, one of the most powerful female cultivators of the Death Clan, met with Yuan Qianmo, ranked first in the *Divine Storage Scroll*.
Before Wuma Jiuxing defeated Zhuo Yunong, Yuan Qianmo was undoubtedly the most renowned Great Sage below the divine realm in the Hell Realm, with an incomparably profound cultivation. A god once remarked that with a single thought, he could ascend to the divine realm, and even a divine tribulation could not hinder him.
The only reason he remained below the divine realm was to accumulate deeper foundations, so that upon breaking through, he could condense more divine seat planets.
Yuan Qianmo was a man of great talent, having played the zither with the Dust-Sealing Sword God and painted with the Divine Son Yuqiu.
At this moment, he was washing plum blossoms while listening to Yuan Shu recount the events.
With a pinch of his fingers, he washed the plum blossoms.
Each petal was washed to a vivid crimson, as if stained with divine blood.
At his level of cultivation, advancing even a small step was as difficult as climbing to the heavens, and secluded cultivation had become nearly ineffective. Thus, he had the leisure to delve into activities that ordinary people might find trivial.
This, in fact, was also a form of pursuing the path.
Seeking the ultimate perfection of the mind.
For someone of Yuan Qianmo’s calibre, few people or events could still pique his interest. The battle between Wuma Jiuxing and Zhuo Yunong finally stirred ripples in his long-calm heart.
“Zhuo Yunong is no weakling, and he wielded the supreme sacred artifact, the Axe of Judgment. Hmm, it seems Wuma Jiuxing has had a great opportunity these past two centuries. His blade path has likely reached the divine realm. His person has not yet entered the divine realm, but his path already has,” Yuan Qianmo said calmly.
Standing beneath the plum blossoms, Yuan Shu’s perfect figure was outlined by her golden attire, her crown adding a noble air. She said, “As far as I know, many pseudo-gods have not cultivated their paths to the divine realm.”
Yuan Qianmo replied, “Let alone pseudo-gods, even some true gods who have just broken through to the divine realm need considerable time to cultivate their paths to the divine realm. Generally, cultivators first enter the divine realm and then transform their cultivated paths into divine paths.”
“It seems the claim that Wuma Jiuxing is invincible in the secular world is not without reason,” Yuan Shu said.
Having washed the last plum blossom, Yuan Qianmo took a silk cloth from a servant to dry his wet fingers and said, “There are mountains beyond mountains, heavens beyond heavens. Whoever dares claim invincibility in the secular world becomes a target for all.”
Yuan Shu nodded slightly, a smile flashing in her phoenix-like eyes. “Since Senior Brother has no intention of facing Wuma Jiuxing, we shall sit back and watch the tigers fight. I believe the Temple of Destiny will take action.”
“No.”
Yuan Qianmo waved his hand, his gaze heavy, and said, “I sense that the opportunity for my ascension to godhood has arrived. Now is precisely the time to become the target of all, to temper myself repeatedly before the breakthrough. Wuma Jiuxing is the first furnace fire before my ascension.”
Yuan Shu’s expression showed surprise, finding it hard to comprehend.
To temper oneself as one would refine a tool.
Using Wuma Jiuxing as his furnace fire, a single misstep could lead to both tool and person being destroyed.
For a prodigy destined to become a god, wasn’t this too risky?
“I must go to Ice King Star.”
Yuan Qianmo looked up at the horizon, deep in thought.
Why did Zhuo Yunong and Wuma Jiuxing appear on Ice King Star at the same time? Something was amiss, and he had to go.
It was both his final tempering before godhood and a quest to resolve the doubts in his heart.
…
“The one to defeat Wuma Jiuxing from the Temple of Destiny is in the Void God Palace.”
Sikong Xuru, from the Division of Fate, transmitted this thought to the newly appointed Divine Daughter Prajna.
Prajna left the Goddess Hall and headed to the Void God Palace, one of the twelve divine palaces.
The Void God Palace was one of the most mysterious places in the Temple of Destiny, not built on Destiny Divine Mountain but in a void space, accessible only through a teleportation array within the temple.
“Swish—”
Prajna stepped out of the teleportation array, arriving outside the Void God Palace, just in time to see a sword light flash from the towering ancient palace ahead.
The sword light was blindingly sharp, cleaving a Heavenly Slave of the Ten Thousand Deaths and One Life Realm in two.
This Heavenly Slave, whose mental power was not sealed and who wielded the supreme sacred artifact, the Five-Coloured Stone Sword, had combat strength far surpassing that of Emperor Chi on the Hunting Heaven Battlefield.
Unfortunately, his opponent was even stronger.
“Bang!”
“Bang!”
The two severed halves fell to the ground, unable to reconnect.
Moreover, the flesh at the wound was rapidly dissipating into nothingness, gradually vanishing.
Prajna glanced at the Heavenly Slave on the ground, recognising him as a former Great Sage of the Temple of Destiny, with cultivation in the late stage of the Ten Thousand Deaths and One Life Realm, exceptionally powerful.
Yet he had been exposed as a spy from the Pangu Realm in the Hell Realm, reduced to a Heavenly Slave, and subjected to endless torment.
Who could cleave him in two with a single strike while he held a supreme sacred artifact?
Could it be a Supreme Realm Great Sage from the Void God Palace?
Prajna soon saw the figure of the swordsman.
He stepped out from the palace gates, holding the ethereal Shadow Elixir Sword, descending the steps to stand beside the Heavenly Slave.
It was Que.
Prajna had seen Que before, but the Que now was utterly different from the one on the Hunting Heaven Battlefield.
His aura was so overwhelming that it made her struggle to breathe.
His sword intent was so sharp, it was as if he embodied the very essence of the sword path.
“I said that if you could withstand three strikes, I would spare your life. Unfortunately, you couldn’t even take the first,” Que said indifferently, swinging the Shadow Elixir Sword. Instantly, the indestructible sacred body of the Ten Thousand Deaths and One Life Realm Great Sage turned to dust, scattering like ash.
In the end, even the dust dissipated into nothingness, leaving nothing behind, not even the sacred source.
Prajna summoned the Styx River to surround her body, countering the immense pressure from Que, and said, “Your current cultivation doesn’t seem like the early stage of the Thousand-Inquiry Realm.”
Que’s Shadow Elixir Sword vanished, and he picked up the Five-Coloured Stone Sword from the ground, saying, “My mind is flawless, my dao heart resolute. There’s nothing for me to question, so the Thousand-Inquiry Realm is not my barrier. After breaking through to the Thousand-Inquiry Realm, on my fifth step, I reached the mid-stage. On my fifteenth step, I reached the late stage.”
Fifteen steps, breaking through two realms.
Prajna was astonished, understanding why the Division of Fate predicted that the one to defeat Wuma Jiuxing was in the Void God Palace. Only a prodigy as extraordinary as Que could ascend to the pinnacle of the secular world and restore the Temple of Destiny’s honour.
In terms of mindset alone, Que, who devoted himself solely to the Void Sword Path without distraction, had reached an unmatched state.
One man, one sword, needing nothing else.
Other so-called geniuses or divine seeds appeared mediocre before him.
Que continued, “I thought I could reach the peak of the Thousand-Inquiry Realm in one go, so I kept moving forward. At the ninety-ninth step, as I was about to break through, Zhang Ruochen’s figure appeared in my mind, along with two questions.”
“What questions?” Prajna asked.
Que said, “In the same realm, can I defeat a Primordial Genius? If I hadn’t lost the Emperor-Grade Sacred Intent Pill, could I have condensed a tenth sacred intent? Both questions revolve around Zhang Ruochen.”
“So to break through, you must seek out Zhang Ruochen?” Prajna asked.
Que nodded deeply, saying, “Zhang Ruochen is the successor of Saint Monk Xumi. He and I are destined for a battle. I obtained this Five-Coloured Stone Sword from the Hunting Heaven Battlefield. It’s yours.”
“This is a supreme sacred artifact!”
Prajna was stunned, unable to remain calm about this.
Que said, “What is a supreme sacred artifact to me? It’s merely an obstacle, a hindrance to my cultivation. Besides, if Zhang Ruochen can casually give away a supreme sacred artifact, why can’t I?”
“You’re trying to surpass him in mindset as well, but in truth, his mindset is inferior to yours.”
Prajna took the Five-Coloured Stone Sword, her delicate fingers gliding over its surface. Instantly, it glowed with five-coloured brilliance, its sword hum resounding through the heavens, truly a peerless divine sword.
Que shook his head, saying, “I’m not trying to surpass him in every way. I just want to learn from my opponent, to do what he has done, to understand his psyche. Only by fully understanding an opponent can I have a greater chance of defeating him. Zhang Ruochen is my final obstacle to breaking through to the Ten Thousand Deaths and One Life Realm, and also an unprecedented challenge.”
“An unprecedented challenge? As far as I know, Zhang Ruochen hasn’t even reached the Great Perfection of the Hundred-Shackle Realm. He’s far from being your match now,” Prajna said.
Que said, “No. He is the greatest enemy I’ve faced since I began cultivating. I may underestimate anyone, but I will never underestimate him. I know you’re here about Wuma Jiuxing, but you don’t know that in my heart, Wuma Jiuxing carries far less weight than Zhang Ruochen.”
“For other Great Sages, the Thousand-Inquiry Realm is about perfecting their mindset, challenging themselves. But for me, I’ve already overcome myself. My only goal is to defeat Zhang Ruochen in the same realm.”
“If you’re fully prepared and still can’t defeat him?” Prajna asked.
Que said, “Even failing to defeat him is an answer. I seek an answer. For that answer, I will give my all, sparing no effort.”
Prajna faintly sensed that Zhang Ruochen’s greatest enemy in the Thousand-Inquiry Realm had emerged.
Zhuo Yunong’s defeat had indeed dealt a severe blow to the Temple of Destiny’s prestige.
The Death God Palace was the first to act, with the Death Black-Robed High Priest dispatching the ten strongest warriors, the “Ten Death Envoys,” to Ice King Star, solely to kill Wuma Jiuxing and eliminate this harbinger of chaos in the secular world.
To gods, Wuma Jiuxing might not yet be a concern, but he had indeed stirred up a thousand waves with a single stone, causing ripples in the hearts of all top powerhouses below the divine realm in the Hell Realm, their gazes converging on Ice King Star.
…
The Goddess Tower on Ice King Star was located in the Ice Emperor Domain but was not built within the Ice Emperor Holy City.
The Goddess Tower was about a thousand miles from the Ice Emperor Holy City. Due to its presence, more and more cultivators gathered around it, eventually forming a city.
Goddess City.
Goddess City could be considered the eighteenth holy city of Ice King Star, also covered with Great Sage inscriptions, divine patterns, and dao locks, though on a much smaller scale compared to true holy cities.
Those who could enter the city had at least reached the Fish-Dragon Realm in cultivation.
Zhang Ruochen ultimately couldn’t make it to the Tianluo Divine Kingdom, as Gu Shejing practically dragged him to Goddess City like a conscript.
Before entering the city, Zhang Ruochen told Gu Shejing, “With your current appearance and attire, you’ve been to too many places. How could someone as clever as Bai Qing’er not guess your identity? The moment you enter the city, you’ll surely be noticed.”
Thus, Gu Shejing shed her green-robed scholar attire and donned a flowing red immortal dress.
Originally disguised as a man, she let down her hair, allowing her black tresses to cascade freely. Her face became enchantingly seductive, her figure accentuated dramatically, exuding an alluring aura at all times.
Gu Shejing, with a flirtatious demeanour, tilted her fair chin in a provocative pose, her jade-like hands adjusting Zhang Ruochen’s collar as she smiled, “Young Master Ruochen, does this look alright?”
Little Black’s eyes widened, and it couldn’t help but exclaim, “This Emperor is stunned!”
Even Zhang Ruochen hadn’t expected such a drastic change in Gu Shejing. Every gesture and smile could drive men wild with uncontrollable desire.
Before, no man would have had a single improper thought upon seeing her.
Now, even a male hedgehog would be unable to resist her!
Zhang Ruochen recalled that at the engagement banquet, when Gu Shejing was with Luo Ji and her close friends, she had this same captivating and gentle appearance.
Inhaling the fragrance emanating from her, gazing closely at her smooth, fair face, his eyes inadvertently drifting to places they shouldn’t, Zhang Ruochen mentally urged himself to stay rational, as this woman was dangerous.
“Speak, I’m waiting for your answer. Staring at me like that, don’t tell me you’re smitten? And you said you had no ulterior motives?” Gu Shejing giggled, her chest rising and falling with the motion.
Zhang Ruochen took a deep breath and said, “Do you have two souls in your body? How can one person change so much?”
“Exactly. What you saw before was my sister, Gu Shejing. My name is Gu She Huanhuan,” Gu Shejing nodded, saying earnestly.
Zhang Ruochen exclaimed, “So that’s how it is.”
“You actually believed that? You’re too gullible! Luo Ji is so clever, how did she end up with such a foolish fiancé? Foolish and yet she treasures you. I really don’t see what’s so great about you. Let’s go, what are you standing there for? You claim you’re not foolish, yet here you are, proving otherwise.”
Gu Shejing gave Zhang Ruochen a charming smile, then, with her hands behind her back, she skipped into Goddess City with a bell-like laugh.
Zhang Ruochen turned to Little Black and said, “Am I foolish?”
“No, you’re not foolish. That woman is just too bewitching. I almost believed her just now! Fortunately, I’m just a tiny bit smarter than you and didn’t fully buy it,” Little Black said, equally earnest.
