“Zhang Ruochen?”
Yan Zheixian clenched her fists tightly, her beautiful, jade-like face darkening considerably, her pearly teeth grinding softly.
Yan Huangtu looked the Rakshasa Clan Great Saint up and down, his face full of astonishment.
Before they could press for answers or confirm, Zhang Ruochen pulled Gong Nanfeng aside, flying some distance away, and called out, “You two wait there for a moment, I need to speak with him alone.”
Yan Zheixian and Yan Huangtu, clearly unsure how to process the fact that Zhang Ruochen was their saviour, did not pursue.
“Brother Ruochen, we’re open and honest, what can’t you say directly?” Gong Nanfeng asked, puzzled.
Zhang Ruochen led Gong Nanfeng a hundred miles away, enveloping them in a spatial domain, his expression grave as he said, “Yun Huan Ironblood King is already dead.”
“I know, I’ve deduced it. Did you kill him?” Gong Nanfeng asked.
Zhang Ruochen shook his head, “It was a Great Saint from the Celestial Realm.”
“That I didn’t deduce.”
“Great Saints from the Celestial Realm came to the Hell Realm to seize the Tian Shu Needle. There must be powerful figures concealing their fates, so naturally, you couldn’t deduce it.”
Gong Nanfeng said earnestly, “From what I know, the Celestial Realm came to the Hell Realm to kill you.”
Zhang Ruochen’s mouth twitched, finding it less than pleasant to discuss matters with Gong Nanfeng, and said, “Killing me is secondary, my life is worth little compared to the Tian Shu Needle.”
Gong Nanfeng nodded, then asked, perplexed, “Why would the Celestial Realm’s Great Saints kill Yun Huan Ironblood King?”
“Because the Celestial Realm and the Twelve Goddess Pavilions were cooperating, but now they’ve fallen out, and Yun Huan Ironblood King was one of the Twelve Goddess Pavilions’ people. Understand now?” Zhang Ruochen said.
Gong Nanfeng was shocked, “The Celestial Realm and the Twelve Goddess Pavilions were cooperating? How did Yun Huan Ironblood King become one of their people? Why, as a Sikong, was I unaware of this? And why couldn’t I deduce it?”
“Those details aren’t important. What matters is that Yan Huangtu and Yan Zheixian must not know the Tian Shu Needle is with me.”
Zhang Ruochen finally got to the point, glancing at Yan Zheixian and Yan Huangtu in the distance. The two were also quietly discussing something.
Gong Nanfeng asked, “Why not?”
“First, the Yanluo Clan and our Temple of Destiny aren’t fully aligned. What if they seize the chance to take the Tian Shu Needle?” Zhang Ruochen said.
He emphasised “our Temple of Destiny” heavily.
Gong Nanfeng said, “But their cultivation doesn’t seem to pose a threat to you.”
Zhang Ruochen ignored him, continuing, “Second, the situation on Ice King Star is extremely chaotic. Bai Qing’er of the Twelve Goddess Pavilions controls many top-tier Great Saints, which you should know. They were all involved in seizing the divine artifact. What if Yan Huangtu or Yan Zheixian have already been controlled by Bai Qing’er?”
Gong Nanfeng was stunned, “Impossible! Would Bai Qing’er dare to control Yan Huangtu and Yan Zheixian?”
“Why wouldn’t she? To be honest, Duan Lingfeng’s attempt to seize the Tian Shu Needle was orchestrated by Bai Qing’er. If she dares to target the Tian Shu Needle, what wouldn’t she do?” Zhang Ruochen said.
Gong Nanfeng’s expression grew cold, “The Temple of Destiny will thoroughly investigate this. If it’s true, the Twelve Goddess Pavilions and Bai Qing’er will pay a heavy price.”
Zhang Ruochen nodded with satisfaction, patted his shoulder, and said, “The current situation is chaotic, we can’t trust any cultivator. Staying alive is our top priority.”
Gong Nanfeng sighed in anguish, “I claim to know everything under the heavens, yet coming to Ice King Star, I’ve been unable to see through anything, used by others without even realising it.”
Zhang Ruochen’s face darkened, feeling Gong Nanfeng was indirectly criticising him.
Pretending not to care, he said, “The cultivators of the Celestial Realm, Kunlun Realm, including Bai Qing’er, aren’t simple. They have heaven-defying figures backing them, so it’s normal that they’re hard to deduce. You’re already impressive, catching up to me again, aren’t you?”
Gong Nanfeng looked at Zhang Ruochen, lowering his voice, “Brother Ruochen, I was just about to tell you something.”
Zhang Ruochen perked up, ready to listen closely.
Gong Nanfeng said, “This secret is known only to the core members of the Temple of Destiny.”
“I hold the Destiny Heaven Command, so I count as a core member,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Gong Nanfeng continued, “The reason I could track you here is because the Tian Shu Needle is with you. And I am the artifact spirit of the Tian Shu Needle.”
This was indeed a staggering secret.
Even though Zhang Ruochen was mentally prepared, he was still shocked by these words.
“The artifact spirit of a divine artifact? No, I saw with my own eyes that the Tian Shu Needle’s spirit was suppressed by Duan Lingfeng using the Xuanwu Heaven-Swallowing Array,” Zhang Ruochen said, unconvinced, still suspecting Gong Nanfeng was scheming to trap him.
Gong Nanfeng was hard to deduce.
And Zhang Ruochen, using the Heart of Truth to sense Gong Nanfeng, could only get a vague impression.
Gong Nanfeng said, “Actually, I am the physical body of the artifact spirit.”
“What does that mean?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
Gong Nanfeng explained, “Brother Ruochen, you should know that every 129,600 years, all spirits in the world face a Yuan Epoch Tribulation, and these tribulations grow stronger each time, ultimately leading to their death. Artifact spirits, being among the myriad spirits, must also face the Yuan Epoch Tribulation.”
Zhang Ruochen fell into thought.
Gong Nanfeng continued, “Different spirits face varying difficulties in their tribulations. The closer a spirit is to the natural order of heaven and earth, the easier the tribulation, like plant-based spirits. Conversely, the more ferocious or contrary to the natural order a spirit is, the harder the tribulation. This applies to humans, the Immortal Blood Clan, and artifact spirits alike.”
“The tribulation difficulty for a divine artifact’s spirit is no less than that of an Immortal Blood Clan cultivator. Yet many divine artifact spirits can exist for ten Yuan Epochs, dozens, or even longer.”
“Because the spirit of a divine artifact can separate over ninety percent of its spirit, cultivating a physical body to face the Yuan Epoch Tribulation in its place. The remaining spirit falls below the divine realm, sleeping within the artifact to evade the tribulation’s detection. After the tribulation passes, it can cultivate back to the divine realm.”
Zhang Ruochen questioned, “If the Yuan Epoch Tribulation were so easily deceived, wouldn’t all spirits in the world use this substitute death method to survive one tribulation after another?”
Gong Nanfeng shook his head, “If you were to separate over ninety percent of your saint soul to cultivate a physical body, becoming another you, could you accept it?”
Zhang Ruochen thought deeply, then shook his head.
Losing over ninety percent of one’s saint soul would likely turn even the most powerful human cultivator into a simpleton.
Moreover, a missing saint soul would severely impact cultivation, potentially causing a drastic drop in power or halting progress entirely. For any divine being, as long as there was even a slight chance of passing the Yuan Epoch Tribulation, they would not choose this path.
When Gu Shejing had absorbed Zhang Ruochen’s soul power, it was only soul energy, not the saint soul itself.
The idea of cultivating an identical version of oneself was terrifying to contemplate.
Gong Nanfeng continued, “Most divine beings wouldn’t do this. Unlike artifacts, divine beings rely on themselves, and their divine soul must remain intact. Artifacts are different; the spirit is both crucial and inconsequential. The power of a divine artifact comes from its master.”
Zhang Ruochen was starting to believe him, “So, no divine being has ever done this?”
“There are some,” Gong Nanfeng said. “The Buddhist Path found a secret method to evade the Yuan Epoch Tribulation, but it cannot preserve the divine physical body, only less than ten percent of the divine soul. With less than ten percent of the soul, it must absorb over ninety percent new soul, effectively becoming a new person. This is called reincarnation and recultivation.”
Zhang Ruochen gave a bitter smile, “Indeed, even if one evades the Yuan Epoch Tribulation, it’s no different from death. It’s a completely new person.”
“I’ll let you in on another secret. In the Temple of Destiny, some divine beings speculated that you are the reincarnation of Saint Monk Xumi,” Gong Nanfeng said.
“What?”
Zhang Ruochen was stunned, “Nonsense. If I were Saint Monk Xumi’s reincarnation, even with less than ten percent of his divine soul, I’d be a powerhouse roaming freely by now.”
“Don’t worry, you’re definitely not Saint Monk Xumi’s reincarnation, or you wouldn’t have left Destiny Divine Mountain,” Gong Nanfeng laughed.
Zhang Ruochen said, “So, you found me not because you could track me, but because you could sense the Tian Shu Needle?”
Gong Nanfeng folded his arms and nodded, “Exactly. Just like your saint soul, even from millions of miles away, it can return to your physical body. Even Duan Lingfeng’s black cloth bag couldn’t block my connection to the Tian Shu Needle.”
Zhang Ruochen, now believing much of Gong Nanfeng’s words, felt a headache coming on, “So, what’s your cultivation level now?”
“I’ve only recently cultivated this physical body, I’m very weak.”
“You’re lying to me, aren’t you? If you’re truly weak, how can you roam the cosmos, and how could your speed keep up with mine?” Zhang Ruochen probed.
Gong Nanfeng said, “Brother Ruochen, I’m not deceiving you, I’m truly weak. It’s just that my physical body is special, stronger than a mortal’s, able to adapt to harsh environments. As for speed, it’s entirely due to the artifact spirit within me being drawn to the Tian Shu Needle. I can’t freely control the artifact spirit’s power.”
Zhang Ruochen stood with his hands behind his back, his thoughts tangled, unsure of what to do.
Fortunately, he hadn’t claimed the Tian Shu Needle was taken by the Celestial Realm’s Great Saints, or he’d have exposed himself.
What now?
Kill Gong Nanfeng to eliminate future trouble?
He felt he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
Moreover, Zhang Ruochen didn’t fully trust Gong Nanfeng. What if Gong Nanfeng was a deeply cunning powerhouse, spinning this story to lull him into a false sense of security? That was possible.
The Temple of Destiny would need a solid reason to kill Zhang Ruochen.
Gong Nanfeng could very well be here for that, setting a trap for him.
But if he spared Gong Nanfeng, how could he hide the Tian Shu Needle?
When Blood Spirit Immortal and Granny Haitang appeared on Ice King Star, Zhang Ruochen realised the plan to rescue the Fallen God Island Lord had begun. Their attempt to seize the Tian Shu Needle was likely tied to the rescue plan.
Otherwise, the Kunlun Realm wouldn’t have exposed the secret that Blood Spirit Immortal was still alive.
Such a great cost must have a great reason.
Deep down, Zhang Ruochen wanted to help the Kunlun Realm rescue the Fallen God Island Lord, hoping the countless beings of the Kunlun Realm could be spared from war.
This was why he hadn’t handed the Tian Shu Needle to Gong Nanfeng.
As the Eastern Domain King, the leader of the Blood God Sect, and the Crown Prince of the Sacred Central Empire, it was his duty to protect the beings of the Eastern Domain, the disciples of the Blood God Sect, and the descendants of the Sacred Central Empire.
Gong Nanfeng said, “Brother Ruochen, you believe me now, don’t you?”
“Mm.”
Zhang Ruochen responded instinctively.
Gong Nanfeng, delighted, said, “Then can you return the Tian Shu Needle to me?”
“Hm?”
Zhang Ruochen gave a dry laugh, shaking his head, “No.”
“Why not?”
Gong Nanfeng couldn’t understand.
“You’re too weak. The Tian Shu Needle is safer with me,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Gong Nanfeng wilted like a frost-bitten eggplant, sighing, “Yes, I’m too weak. The Tian Shu Needle with me would indeed be easily lost.”
“No worries, you’ve got me,” Zhang Ruochen said.
…
Yan Zheixian’s beautiful face showed both frustration and helplessness. Thinking back on her past encounters with Zhang Ruochen, she felt they were fated to clash.
Why did it have to be this infuriating man who saved them?
Yan Huangtu, seeing her distressed expression, chuckled, “Actually, Zhang Ruochen’s not bad. Grandpa speaks highly of him.”
“Great-grandfather only admires his talent as a Yuan Epoch genius, but he hasn’t seen through his character,” Yan Zhexian said.
Yan Huangtu replied, “I think his character’s decent. At least toward you, his sincerity is undeniable. In the Goddess Tower of the Destiny Divine Domain, he disguised himself as the Slaughter Heaven and Earth Emperor to bail you out. Otherwise, in that bet, how many divine stones would you have lost?”
Yan Huangtu knew the secret of the child in Yan Zheixian’s womb, so he held no hostility toward Zhang Ruochen.
The battles on the Hunting Heaven Battlefield were for the interests of their respective factions, a fair and just competition, not personal grudges or vendettas.
Yan Huangtu added, “With Zhang Ruochen’s personality, he’d already faked his death and hidden in the shadows, unlikely to meddle. Yet he stepped in to save us, stirring up trouble and exposing himself. I don’t think he did it for me.”
Yan Zheixian’s eyes showed a flicker of change, but she pursed her lips stubbornly, “So what? I’m not going to owe him anything.”
“He never intended for you to owe him. Earlier, if Gong Nanfeng hadn’t shown up, he’d have left without revealing his identity. And in the Goddess Tower, he helped you as the Slaughter Heaven and Earth Emperor, not wanting you to know it was him,” Yan Huangtu said.
Yan Zheixian’s eyes held a pleading look, “Fifth Uncle, why are you siding with an outsider? You’re not hoping I’ll marry him, are you? He’s already engaged to Princess Luo Ji, a marriage ordained by the Divine Lord. If I married him, what would I be? His concubine?”
“Absolutely not,” Yan Huangtu said.
Yan Zheixian asked, “So, Fifth Uncle, you’re on my side? I don’t have to listen to Great-grandfather and marry Zhang Ruochen?”
“I mean, you’re the pearl of the Yan family. If you marry, you’d at least be on equal footing with Luo Ji,” Yan Huangtu said, his gaze sharp and serious.
“Fifth Uncle, stop joking. They’re coming over, what should I say? Ugh, why did it have to be Zhang Ruochen? Should I thank him or glare at him and tell him to stop pestering me and give up?” Yan Zhexian was torn between laughter and tears, feeling fate was playing tricks, and quietly sought advice.
“I’m badly injured and need to heal first.”
With that, Yan Huangtu sat cross-legged and began tending to his wounds.
Zhang Ruochen, back to his true appearance, approached with Gong Nanfeng.
He glanced at Yan Huangtu, who was sitting with his back turned, then shifted his gaze to Yan Zheixian, landing on her slightly protruding belly, “You should stay with the Yanluo Clan to nurture your pregnancy.”
Yan Zheixian wanted to retort haughtily, “That’s none of your business,” but since Zhang Ruochen had just saved her, it felt too cold. Deep down, Zhang Ruochen’s heart wasn’t entirely bad, not utterly deplorable.
She said lightly, “I came out to gain experience and see the world, not expecting to encounter danger.”
“Since it’s training, danger is inevitable. I know you don’t like me, that’s fine, I don’t like you either. But for the sake of the child in your womb, I can escort you back to Ice King Star. You should return to the Yanluo Clan quickly. With your cultivation, it’s best not to get involved in this matter,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Yan Zheixian had intended to speak civilly with Zhang Ruochen, but his words sparked irritation, her cheeks puffing up as she let out a cold, mocking laugh.
“If you don’t need my escort, just say so. I don’t want to invite trouble,” Zhang Ruochen said bluntly.
Gong Nanfeng interjected, “I’m afraid that won’t do.”
“Why are you butting in?” Zhang Ruochen said.
Gong Nanfeng’s expression grew serious, “I mean, Fei Zhong is on his way here. He’ll arrive in no more than half a quarter-hour.”
“You deduced that?” Zhang Ruochen’s face shifted slightly.
“Yes.”
“His true body or a puppet clone?”
Gong Nanfeng gave a bitter smile, “I’m afraid it’s his true body.”
Zhang Ruochen immediately channelled the Rules of Truth into his eyes, looking in the direction Gong Nanfeng indicated.
Yan Huangtu, no longer in the mood to heal, stood abruptly.
Gong Nanfeng, however, remained calm, even soothing Yan Huangtu and Yan Zheixian, “With Young Master Ruochen here, you two can rest assured, no need to panic.”
“Fei Zhong is coming in his true body. We should split up and flee, maybe we’ll have a chance to escape,” Yan Huangtu looked at Zhang Ruochen, hoping to entrust Yan Zheixian to him.
Gong Nanfeng said, “You two really don’t need to panic. Young Master Ruochen is righteous beyond measure, he’ll surely face Fei Zhong alone to draw him away. Earlier, when we faced Yun Huan Ironblood King, he acted with such nobility, it truly moved me.”
A trace of surprise flashed in Yan Zheixian’s eyes. If those words hadn’t come from the mouth of the Sikong of the Destiny Division, she wouldn’t have believed Zhang Ruochen was so righteous.
Zhang Ruochen nearly spat blood, wanting to punch Gong Nanfeng.
Gong Nanfeng continued, “Let’s go first. Brother Ruochen will surely stay here to hold off Fei Zhong, buying us time to escape.”
“Leave? Fei Zhong is no ordinary figure. Leaving him here alone is too dangerous, he’s only a Hundred-Shackle Realm Great Saint. If we go, we go together, if we fight, we fight together.”
Zhang Ruochen turned, surprised that Yan Zheixian would say such a thing.
“What are you looking at? I may not like you, but when disaster strikes, I’m not about to abandon you and flee alone!” Yan Zheixian glared, letting out a delicate huff.
Zhang Ruochen smiled, “In that case, I have a plan that might break this crisis.”
