“Bang.”
Just as Little Black was about to remove the spatial ring, a white light flashed before its eyes, striking it and sending it flying backward.
Tumbling three times, Little Black staggered to its feet, dazed, its eyes darting around the room. “Who? Who ambushed this emperor?”
Confirming that no third cultivator was in the room besides Zhang Ruochen and Gu Shejing, Little Black breathed a slight sigh of relief, muttering, “White light… no, it was like a tail. What was that?”
Glancing left and right, Little Black cautiously approached Zhang Ruochen again.
This time, it was far more careful.
It released its Undying Divine Flame, its claw slowly reaching for the spatial ring on Zhang Ruochen’s finger.
Just as it was about to grasp the ring, Little Black paused deliberately, seeing no sign of the “white light” reappearing, and relaxed slightly.
“It must have been a protective treasure on Zhang Ruochen, likely a one-use item that’s now spent. This time… argh!”
Little Black chuckled, but before the laugh faded, it let out a scream.
The white light appeared again, striking its face, sending its body flying sideways, its cat-like face swelling up.
“Who? Show yourself! Hiding like a coward, what kind of hero are you? If you’ve got the guts, face me openly!”
Clutching its swollen face with a claw, Little Black roared with fury.
It was outrageous, being ambushed twice in a row.
As the Emperor of Slaughtering Heaven and Earth, it was always the one ambushing others. Who dared ambush it?
“Not coming out, huh? When this emperor gets angry, the heavens and earth will tremble!”
Flames flared in Little Black’s eyes, its claws clenched tightly, a powerful saintly aura erupting from its body. With bold strides, it marched towards Zhang Ruochen on the bed.
It suspected the ambusher was hiding somewhere on Zhang Ruochen’s body.
Three feet from the bed, the air shimmered, and the white light shot out again.
Little Black’s eyes widened, finally seeing clearly: the white light was indeed a tail, thick, long, snowy white, and smooth.
“Crack!”
Like a whip, the tail lashed at Little Black’s chest.
Prepared this time, Little Black dodged backward, retreating to the edge of the concealment formation, laughing loudly, “Come on, come on, try to hit this emperor! You can’t, you can’t…”
“Crack!”
The white tail appeared silently above Little Black’s head, striking down hard.
Little Black’s body shook, a handful of feathers knocked from its head. Its three souls and seven spirits felt scattered, and it collapsed softly to the ground.
“Fool.”
The Burial Gold White Tiger emerged from the void, striding forward with a dragon-like gait, and stomped hard on the back of Little Black’s head.
…
Some time later, Zhang Ruochen’s shattered saint soul reformed, and he awoke.
The moment he opened his eyes, he sat up abruptly on the bed, inspecting his hands and body.
His physical injuries had healed on their own.
Suddenly, a piercing pain shot through his head.
Clenching his teeth, Zhang Ruochen clutched his head. After a while, the twitching muscles on his face relaxed.
Panting heavily, he murmured, “The gap between me and a Supreme Realm Great Saint is so vast. Even borrowing a sword aura from Uncle Ming, the residual force from our clash nearly destroyed my half-divine body.”
“My saint soul, housed in the divine light sea of qi and protected by the saint source, was almost shattered.”
“The gap in realms is indeed hard to bridge. Wait, my sea of qi…”
Inspecting his sea of qi, Zhang Ruochen was shocked to find cracks in the divine light sea imprinted with divine marks.
Even the four saint sources within were fractured.
Zhang Ruochen gave a wry smile, unsure whether to feel fortunate or frustrated.
At least his sea of qi and saint sources remained, and his cultivation wasn’t ruined.
“You’re awake?”
Little Black’s large cat-like head cautiously leaned closer.
Zhang Ruochen glanced at it, noticing something odd. “What’s with the white cloth wrapped around your head?”
Little Black stared at Zhang Ruochen, weighing whether he was feigning ignorance or had just truly woken up.
“Oh, it’s nothing. Just a minor injury from the fight with Wuma. No big deal,” Little Black waved a claw dismissively.
“Oh.”
Zhang Ruochen sensed something strange about Little Black.
Little Black’s gaze drifted to Zhang Ruochen’s lower body, asking mysteriously, “Your body now, it’s a bit different from before, isn’t it?”
Zhang Ruochen replied, “Yeah. What are you getting at?”
“Does your new body have a tail?” Little Black asked seriously.
Zhang Ruochen’s face darkened. Looking at his bare body, he quickly took a saint robe from his spatial ring and put it on. “I was unconscious for so long, and you didn’t check yourself?”
“Who wants to look at your butt… I mean, tail?”
Having been struck by that tail multiple times, Little Black didn’t dare get too close to Zhang Ruochen.
But now that Zhang Ruochen was awake and the white tail hadn’t reappeared, Little Black grew bolder, circling behind him to stare at his lower back, muttering, “Doesn’t look like there’s room for a tail!”
It reached out a claw…
“What are you doing?”
Zhang Ruochen spun around, glaring.
Friendship was one thing, but boundaries had to be respected.
Little Black shook its head, then, as if struck by a thought, looked at Gu Shejing on the bed, pondering. “Could it be her? Zhang Ruochen, does she have a tail?”
“How would I know?” Zhang Ruochen said.
“I’ll check.”
After two steps, Little Black halted, wary.
Turning to Zhang Ruochen, it said, “You do it.”
Zhang Ruochen, curious, asked, “What exactly are you looking for?”
“A tail, obviously!”
“What tail?”
Little Black couldn’t reveal the truth. Its eyes darted, and it said gravely, “Do you trust this emperor?”
Zhang Ruochen knew that at the critical moment of his duel with Wuma Jiuxing, it was Little Black who saved him.
With their bond, trust was mutual.
Looking at Gu Shejing, Zhang Ruochen said, “She can’t have a tail. The only one here with a tail is you.”
“How do you know without checking? This witch is cunning. Don’t be fooled! I suspect she’s hiding her strength, deliberately getting injured to achieve some ulterior motive.”
In a mental transmission, Little Black added, “She’s the heir of Luo Zu Yunshan Realm, a once-in-ten-thousand-years talent, surely inheriting the true teachings of the Demon Ancestor. Her approaching you must be for the Heavenly Demon Stone Inscription.”
Zhang Ruochen’s heart stirred. “How do you know she’s after the Heavenly Demon Stone Inscription?”
Little Black puffed out its chest, smiling. “Do you know about the origin of the demonic path?”
“The demonic path stems from the Way of Darkness?” Zhang Ruochen said.
Little Black shook its head. “I’m not talking about that. While the demonic path originates from the Way of Darkness, one of the nine eternal paths, it has surpassed darkness itself in martial combat techniques.”
Zhang Ruochen understood.
It wasn’t that the demonic path was stronger than the Way of Darkness, but it had surpassed it in certain aspects.
Just as the Way of Life stems from the eternal Way of Light but surpasses it in healing.
Little Black continued, “The so-called origin of the demonic path refers to the three most formidable demonic figures in history. They elevated the demonic path, founding sects, creating unparalleled combat techniques, and spreading demonic cultivators across the cosmos.”
“Though there are many demonic factions and schools now, they all trace back to these three origins.”
“Which three?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
Little Black said, “The Demon Ancestor of Luo Zu Yunshan Realm, the Heavenly Demon of Kunlun Realm, and the Great Demon God of Pangu Realm. They are the three demonic origins!”
“Since Gu Shejing follows the Demon Ancestor’s lineage, how do you conclude she’s after the Heavenly Demon Stone Inscription?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
Little Black said solemnly, “Because the three demonic origins each took different paths. Though all are powerful, each has its shortcomings. The Demon Ancestor focuses on body and heart cultivation, forging an unrivalled demonic body to suppress eternity. Heart cultivation uses the demonic heart to sense heaven and earth while controlling the body’s power.”
“In short, the Demon Ancestor’s lineage excels in demonic body and heart intent.”
Zhang Ruochen smiled. “Her demonic body doesn’t seem that impressive. And she mostly uses demonic saint techniques, not much physical strength.”
“That’s exactly what worries me! What does it mean? It means she’s pretending, hiding something, with some unspeakable secret.”
“The Demon Ancestor’s lineage focuses on body cultivation, but that doesn’t mean they don’t practice demonic saint techniques or skills. Just as the Heavenly Demon’s lineage cultivates techniques and skills while also training the demonic body, each has its strengths.”
“This witch only uses the demonic saint techniques the Demon Ancestor’s lineage isn’t known for, not the physical strength they excel at. That’s very telling!”
Little Black continued, “So, while she was unconscious, I wanted to check her true strength, to see if she really cultivated a demonic body. But I was injured by a tail.”
Unwrapping the white cloth from its head, Little Black revealed a swollen, bald patch where feathers had fallen.
Zhang Ruochen suppressed a laugh, looking at Gu Shejing lying on the bed, his expression turning serious. “You’re saying she cultivated a demonic body, even a tail, and injured you?”
“Exactly.”
Little Black, holding a grudge, was determined to find the tail’s owner.
It wouldn’t rest until it had revenge.
Zhang Ruochen knew Little Black too well. He could tell when the owl was lying or telling the truth. It might fool others, but not him.
Earlier, Zhang Ruochen had communicated with the Burial Gold White Tiger and learned the truth.
The so-called tail belonged to the Burial Gold White Tiger.
However, Little Black’s suspicions about Gu Shejing made Zhang Ruochen wary.
If this witch truly inherited the Demon Ancestor’s teachings and cultivated an extraordinary demonic body, why didn’t she use it against Wuma Jiuxing?
“You’re right. We should check,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Gu Shejing was gravely injured, a blade wound stretching from her right shoulder to her abdomen. Her red dress was soaked with Great Saint blood, her body pale to the point of near transparency from blood loss.
She cultivated the Death Spirit Diagram, her demonic aura filled with the essence of death.
Zhang Ruochen’s fingers touched the wound on her chest.
Little Black, watching from a distance, growled anxiously, “Not the wound, the tail, the tail!”
“Shing!”
A burst of blade aura spilled from the wound, cutting Zhang Ruochen’s finger.
He quickly withdrew his hand, looking at the cut. “Such powerful blade aura, easily breaking my half-divine body’s defence. Gu Shejing was struck by a single slash, with blade aura and rules constantly eroding her body, cutting her saint path rules, yet she’s still alive. Truly remarkable.”
Little Black, impatient, said, “Stop muttering. Your half-divine body lacks rule support; it’s just stronger in blood and power. Others’ supreme bodies are forged from trillions of saint path rules, no weaker than yours. The tail, check for her tail first. It might be hidden by some secret technique. Search carefully.”
Zhang Ruochen ignored Little Black, holding his chin in thought.
If Gu Shejing deliberately got injured to trick him into giving up the Heavenly Demon Stone Inscription, it was far too risky.
After all, taking a direct hit from Wuma Jiuxing’s blade could easily cost her life.
Who would dare do that?
Yet her demonic body was indeed strong. Despite the blade aura invading her, it couldn’t break her body, and she still lived.
What was going on?
“For now, let’s not rush to save her. Let’s see if she’s pretending. If she is, when her injuries worsen enough, she won’t be able to keep up the act,” Zhang Ruochen thought.
Little Black couldn’t stand it anymore and stepped forward. “What are you waiting for? I told you to check her tail. Are you scared? You’re Zhang Ruochen! What beastly thing can’t you do? Lift her skirt, flip her over, and it’ll be clear as day.”
“No need. I’ve already used the Eye of Truth to check. She does have a tail, a white one,” Zhang Ruochen transmitted.
Little Black trembled with rage. “I knew it, I knew it! Zhang Ruochen, let’s team up and kill her. She’s bound to be trouble if we keep her.”
“No, keep her for now. She’s still useful.”
Zhang Ruochen’s initial plan was to use Gu Shejing to distract Bai Qing’er, preventing her from seeking the Origin Temple alone.
But the battle at the Sealed Machine Sacred Mansion raised many questions.
First, since Bai Qing’er was an Origin Controller and had stolen the supreme Origin Divine Crystal, why hadn’t she immediately sought the Origin Temple?
Second, Zhang Ruochen could understand her wanting the supreme Origin Divine Crystal. But why was she so insistent on capturing the Seven-Handed Elder?
Third, Bai Qing’er had no personal grudge against him. Why, since the Destiny Divine Domain, had she spared no effort to target him? Was it just to keep her plans secret?
No!
Zhang Ruochen had a suspicion: Bai Qing’er might not have the supreme Origin Divine Crystal at all.
If so, the Seven-Handed Elder must have lied!
His eyes turned cold, and he immediately tried to open the world gate of the Qiankun Realm to confront the Seven-Handed Elder.
But as the spatial power stirred in his sea of qi, the cracks in its walls rapidly widened.
A sharp pain shot through his brow, reaching deep into his brain.
“The damage to my sea of qi and saint sources is too severe. It seems I can only reopen the Qiankun Realm after healing.”
Pale-faced, Zhang Ruochen sat cross-legged on the ground. Suddenly, he thought of something and touched his brow lightly.
During his fight with Wuma Jiuxing, he sensed spatial mysteries flowing from the Divine Martial Mark on his brow.
Closing his eyes, he carefully probed the various forces in his body, searching for the mysteries’ aura.
Found it!
In his sea of qi, flowing alongside spatial rules through the Heavenly River, it was more abundant than the mysteries of truth.
“Ninety-nine ten-thousandths.”
Zhang Ruochen opened his eyes, a flash of wild joy in them.
But soon, he suppressed that joy, feeling puzzled.
“Why are there spatial mysteries in my Divine Martial Mark of Time and Space? And why exactly ninety-nine ten-thousandths?”
Zhang Ruochen knew that if the Way of Truth reached one percent, it would transform, allowing a cultivator to wield power against deities using mysteries alone.
If the mysteries fell short of one percent, they couldn’t directly wield power, only aiding in comprehending rules or amplifying saint techniques.
Whether spatial mysteries worked the same way, Zhang Ruochen wasn’t sure.
But for the Way of Truth, one percent was the dividing line.
The Divine Martial Mark of Time and Space releasing exactly ninety-nine ten-thousandths of spatial mysteries was, to Zhang Ruochen, no coincidence.
“Could my Divine Martial Mark of Time and Space not have come from the divine realm during a sacrifice, but rather been granted by someone, like Saint Monk Xumi?” Zhang Ruochen wondered.
Since beginning his cultivation, Zhang Ruochen had known of “martial authority divinely granted.”
Any being wishing to cultivate martial arts must, on the winter solstice, perform a sacrifice to connect with the so-called divine realm, receiving a Divine Martial Mark to embark on the path of cultivation.
Zhang Ruochen had always been skeptical.
The Divine Martial Marks of cultivators clearly weren’t granted by the deities of the Infernal Court or Celestial Court. Where did they come from? Was there truly a divine realm?
These questions, even deities might not answer.
Perhaps those Divine Martial Marks didn’t come from any divine realm but were merely a phenomenon of sacrifice, a way to commune with the Heavenly Way and unlock cultivation.
In Kunlun Realm, after the great calamity when all deities fell, cultivators spread the idea of “martial authority divinely granted” through misinformation.
This was the only reasonable explanation Zhang Ruochen could think of!
If a divine realm truly existed, with the strength of the Infernal Court and Celestial Court deities, they would have crushed it long ago. How could they allow it to dictate who could cultivate and who couldn’t?
If they could retract Divine Martial Marks, wouldn’t even deities be reduced to their original forms, unable to cultivate?
If restricted to such an extent, all beings, including deities, would be mere slaves to the divine realm, less than pigs or dogs. What would be the point of cultivation?
Zhang Ruochen shook his head, dismissing the thought.
For now, healing his injuries was the priority.
