The three Archangels are all extraordinary figures. After the Red Dust Conference, they will enter the Temple of Light and break through to become gods.
Once they reach the divine realm, they will be powerhouses among the true gods.
Any one of such figures is worth more than ten Supreme Realm cultivators.
One can imagine the tremendous shock that the fall of two Archangels will cause in the Heavenly Realm, or even throughout the Heavenly Court. Coupled with the previous tragic deaths of the Judge Divine Envoy, Michael, and Clara Flynn, tonight is undoubtedly a earth-shattering event for the Heavenly Realm.
“Do not devour it all. His corpse, I still have use for it.”
Zhang Ruochen said this to the Demonic Sound, then extended one hand towards the void, retrieving the corpse of the Black Archangel that was drifting into the distance and storing it in his spatial ring.
To return to the Infernal Realm, he naturally needed to prove his worth.
What thing could better prove his abilities and loyalty to the Infernal Realm than the corpse of a top powerhouse from the Heavenly Court?
The wounds on Zhang Ruochen’s body rapidly healed. He locked eyes with Shang Zian, who stood on the planet emanating five-coloured merit divine light, and raised his voice: “Brother Zian, do you think you can still kill me today?”
The Red Archangel had already turned into a dried corpse and was tossed aside by the Demonic Sound.
She stood shoulder to shoulder with Zhang Ruochen, her red lips slightly upturned, her voice soft and seductive as she said: “Shang Zian’s current body is the Five-Coloured Merit Divine Stele. If I can absorb him, I might very well break the curse that ferocious plants cannot survive the divine tribulation. Master, help me!”
Shang Zian’s gaze flickered uncertainly. He glanced at the White Archangel, who was currently surrounded and attacked by the swarm of God-Devouring Insects, and suddenly a smile appeared on his face: “Such an outcome now is indeed beyond my expectations. But my plan has already succeeded. You will ultimately not escape death.”
“Master, has this fellow gone mad?”
The Demonic Sound had no patience. She was extremely interested in the Five-Coloured Merit Divine Stele, seeing it as the key to her entering the divine realm. Therefore, she controlled the lightning vines and launched the first attack towards Shang Zian.
Shang Zian gave a light hum and reached out with an empty hand.
A piercing sword cry rang out as the Crimson Child Sword returned to his grasp.
In an instant, blood-red supreme power erupted from the Crimson Child Sword, transforming into a rainbow of sword qi that severed all the incoming vines, reducing them to dust.
The Demonic Sound’s cultivation was not necessarily weaker than Shang Zian’s, but she specialised more in group battles and confinements against multiple opponents. Facing a top powerhouse like Shang Zian, it was not so easy for her to cope.
“Master, lend me a supreme holy artefact.” The Demonic Sound said coldly.
Zhang Ruochen seemed not to hear the Demonic Sound’s voice and continued to lock eyes with Shang Zian. He had already understood the meaning in his earlier words and said: “It seems a god has come with you. Why not invite him to show himself!”
What Shang Zian meant by “my plan has already succeeded” was most likely forcing Zhang Ruochen to reveal his true colours.
As a cultivator from the Infernal Realm appearing in the Heavenly Court, and having killed a large number of Heavenly Court powerhouses, any god from the Heavenly Court could strike to kill him.
Back then, when Bai Qing’er had transformed into the appearance of Ji Fanchen and gone on a killing spree in the depths of the Fate Divine Domain in the Infernal Realm, she would have long drawn out the gods from the Temple of Fate.
Gods cannot interfere in the mortal world, but that does not mean that mortal powerhouses can act as they please in the enemy’s stronghold. Just like Yan Wushen, who dared not openly enter the Heavenly Court.
Seeing that Zhang Ruochen could still remain calm, Shang Zian felt slightly surprised in his heart and said: “You wouldn’t think that the Supreme Elder from the Kunlun Realm could sense what is happening here and come to save you, would you? To tell you the truth, at this moment, the great figures in the divine realm of the Heavenly Court are all at a critical juncture in their game. That Supreme Elder probably cannot attend to places outside the Heavenly Court.”
Zhang Ruochen sensed something and looked up towards the sky.
Above, what should have been the pitch-black and icy cosmic void was now ablaze with roaring divine flames, manifesting an endless sea of fire that emanated scorching heat.
A majestic divine shadow floated in the sea of fire, erupting with soul-shaking divine might.
The over a hundred million vines that the Demonic Sound had released all shattered completely. Her alluring face turned deathly pale in an instant, a miserable groan escaping her lips as her body curled up, unable to maintain human form, reverting to her plant state.
Zhang Ruochen was about to open the bronze coffin to retrieve the God-Devouring Insects.
But the bronze coffin vanished without a trace.
Zhang Ruochen’s eyes narrowed, a cold glint flashing as he looked up, discovering that the bronze coffin had appeared in the hand of that god in the sky.
“Greetings, Flame God.”
The White Archangel bowed towards the god in the sea of fire above.
The god who appeared in the sea of fire was none other than the Flame God of the Merit Divine Temple, also Shang Zian’s master, a very powerful true god.
The Flame God collected all the God-Devouring Insects into the bronze coffin.
These God-Devouring Insects held immense value even in the Flame God’s eyes. Given time, they could be nurtured into an insect army capable of devouring gods.
In short, their value was immeasurable.
The bronze coffin shrank to the size of a matchbox and was gripped in the Flame God’s single hand. He looked down below, his gaze utterly icy, and said: “Zhang Ruochen, by killing the Black Archangel and the Red Archangel, you have committed a heinous crime. Today, this god represents the Heavenly Court and will personally execute you.”
The Flame God’s desire to kill Zhang Ruochen was even stronger than Shang Zian’s.
Back then, the Moon Goddess had refined the divine leg severed from his body into Zhang Ruochen’s leg.
Even after a millennium, this matter remained a laughingstock in the divine realm world, causing the Flame God to lose all face.
Moreover, the Flame God knew that Zhang Ruochen possessed many treasures, even the mysteries of the Eternal Path. Killing him would yield rewards far exceeding that of slaying a true god from the Infernal Realm.
How could such a golden opportunity be missed?
Zhang Ruochen said: “If you kill me, you will surely pay a heavy price.”
The Flame God laughed long and loud: “Are you referring to the Blood Empress or the Blood Absolute War God? First, the Heavenly Court and the Infernal Realm are inherently enemies, so this god has no fear of them at all. Second, the matter of killing you today will not be known to too many people.”
A faint smile appeared on the White Archangel’s face. Since a true god had made his move, the outcome was decided, so she sheathed the war sword in her hand.
But at that very moment, she suddenly felt her body lighten, her vision go black as she plummeted into a vast, dark space. Her heart cried out in alarm as she realised that a god had been lurking nearby and had taken her into a divine realm world.
The White Archangel’s sudden disappearance put the Flame God on alert. He bellowed: “Who is it?”
“Bam!”
The Flame God felt a sharp pain in his buttocks as he was kicked hard, his centre of gravity unsteady as he lurched forward.
Rage surged in the Flame God’s heart, but before he could steady himself, his head was smacked, emitting a “bam” as his consciousness grew somewhat dazed, his skull aching as if it would split, divine blood flowing from his seven orifices.
And the bronze coffin in his hand had already vanished.
Shang Zian watched with his mouth agape, completely unable to comprehend what had happened.
Why had a powerful true god suddenly lurched forward, only to then fly obliquely away?
Who had attacked him?
Could it be that Supreme Elder from the Kunlun Realm?
Shang Zian looked towards the spot where Zhang Ruochen had stood moments ago and found that Zhang Ruochen had also vanished.
“Master!”
Shang Zian flew into the sky and supported the Flame God, whose mouth was streaming with divine blood.
After a long while, the Flame God recovered, his eyes gradually regaining their lustre.
“What just happened?” Shang Zian asked.
The Flame God’s eyes shot out two beams of light as he scanned the four directions of the cosmos in search of something, saying: “A powerhouse from the divine realm just attacked your master.”
“Who was the other party? Was it that Supreme Elder from the Kunlun Realm?”
To beat a true god so utterly without resistance, it had to be a super powerhouse in the divine realm.
The Flame God shook his head and said: “It cannot be the Fallen God Island Master. Did you not notice that the opponent not only took away Zhang Ruochen but also captured the White Archangel? With the Fallen God Island Master’s status, how could he do such a thing?”
Shang Zian pondered bitterly in his heart and said: “It couldn’t possibly be the Blood Absolute War God from the Infernal Realm, could it?”
“If it were a god from the Infernal Realm, why would they not capture both you and your master together, or simply kill us?” the Flame God said.
Shang Zian furrowed his brows tightly and said: “This matter is truly strange. Since the other party is a god with profound cultivation, why specifically capture the White Archangel?”
“The opponent’s cultivation is unfathomably deep, beyond what your master can handle. But this place is only a stone’s throw from the Heavenly River. We must summon the Bian Zhuang War God to deal with him.”
The Flame God led Shang Zian, employing divine steps, and in moments arrived at the banks of the Heavenly River.
At the Flame God’s call, a divine shadow of the Heavenly Palace’s first war god “Bian Zhuang” emerged from the Heavenly River, towering as high as a mountain range, his voice deep and resonant as he asked: “Flame God, what matter has summoned this seat?”
Thereupon, the Flame God recounted what had just occurred.
Of course, the process of the attack was glossed over in a single sentence, without detailed description.
“This matter, this seat was truly unaware of. Allow me to investigate briefly.”
Bian Zhuang’s divine shadow’s double pupils manifested light brighter than a star, gazing afar into the cosmos in search.
After a long while, he retracted his gaze and said: “No suspicious gods have been detected, nor any trace of this Zhang Ruochen. Flame God, are you certain you are not toying with this seat?”
The Flame God dared not offend Bian Zhuang and hurriedly said: “How would this god dare to do such a thing? That Zhang Ruochen truly did not die; he has reappeared! Just now, in the starry sky less than one hundred million li from the Heavenly River, a battle even erupted. He killed two great saints from the Paradise Realm…”
“Hmph!”
Bian Zhuang snorted explosively in anger: “Such trivial matters between great saints, and you dare to disturb this seat with them.”
“Splash!”
The divine shadow dispersed, turning into weak water that retreated into the Heavenly River.
“War God, please wait…”
The Flame God gritted his teeth, clenching his fists tightly.
Shang Zian gazed at the rolling, flowing Heavenly River, standing to the side with an icy expression, saying: “With General Bian Zhuang’s cultivation, how could it be possible…”
“Shut up!”
The Flame God glared at Shang Zian, stopping him from continuing, then his expression returned to calm as he instructed: “If you have anything to say, we will discuss it back at the Merit Divine Temple.”
To criticise the Bian Zhuang War God was something even the Flame God dared not do.
…
The Heavenly River was vast and boundless, majestic and grand.
At this moment, a crescent-shaped heavenly boat floated on the Heavenly River. This was the Moon God Heavenly Boat, refined by Bian Zhuang from the core essences of over ten thousand stars.
The elegant and ethereal Moon Goddess stood on the heavenly boat, gazing towards the starry skies on both banks of the Heavenly River.
Bian Zhuang approached from behind and stood beside her, following her gaze with a smile: “I have invited you multiple times to join me on this boat to tour the Heavenly River together, even making promises that as long as you agreed, I would do anything for you, including joining the Guanghan Realm or even abandoning the Heavenly River. Yet you have always refused.
Today, for you to agree, I am overjoyed beyond measure.
But I never imagined that the reason you did so was merely to have me spare that little imp. Is a mere saint realm cultivator worth such importance from you?”
The Moon Goddess’s countenance was coldly serene, her temperament pure and beautiful, as she said faintly: “He is my emissary, so naturally I must protect him.”
“It is strange indeed. This very boy actually alarmed Zhuang Tai’a. He personally sent me a message, instructing me to be sure to intercept and kill that boy after he leaves the Heavenly River.”
Of course, Bian Zhuang already knew Zhang Ruochen’s identity. But in his view, even if Zhang Ruochen was a cultivator from the Infernal Realm, he was only at the great saint realm, too insignificant. Since the Moon Goddess had personally pleaded, he naturally had to give her face.
