Zhang Ruochen sat cross-legged in the Seven Stars Emperor Palace, with nine layers of heavenly cosmos manifesting above his head and a sea of chaotic light beneath his feet.
Countless saint dao rules within his body rushed towards the higher levels above the nine layers of heavenly cosmos, constructing the walls, pillars, and roof of the heavenly palace…, attempting to condense the tenth layer of heavenly cosmos.
“Boom!”
The tenth layer of heavenly cosmos had only condensed less than one third before it collapsed.
“Could it truly only be nine layers of heavenly cosmos?”
All fluctuations of power and wondrous phenomena completely retracted into Zhang Ruochen’s body.
His eyes opened, and he pondered deeply.
Zhang Ruochen had once heard the Tribulation Venerable say that the “Nine Heavens Bright Emperor Scripture” and the “Thirty-Three Heavens” were merely external names for the “Bright Emperor Scripture”.
Since the “Bright Emperor Scripture” had no constraints of nine heavens, then below the divine realm, why could he not condense the tenth layer of heavenly cosmos?
After multiple attempts, all ended in failure.
“Swish!”
The Burial Gold White Tiger manifested beside him, hairless all over, like a white jade divine body, saying, “Since you cannot break through to become a god, then now you have only two methods to make yourself stronger.”
“Which two?” Zhang Ruochen said.
The Burial Gold White Tiger said, “The first kind, exchange dao with me.”
“The more rule divine patterns in your body, the naturally stronger you become. As long as the rule divine patterns reach a certain level, plus your employment of sword dao mysteries. Not to mention pseudo-gods, even weaker true gods, you can contend with one or two.”
Zhang Ruochen nodded, naturally understanding the might of rule divine patterns.
That was the power of gods.
“Speaking of mysteries, I have not yet asked you, in the Origin Divine Hall, exactly how many origin mysteries did you take from my body?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
The Burial Gold White Tiger was quite frank, saying, “In the Origin Divine Hall, you, Bai Qing’er, and Ji Fanxin each obtained one tenth of the origin mysteries. This is the limit that a single living being’s flesh body can store.”
“Even God Venerables, under normal circumstances, can only master one tenth of the origin mysteries. Unless the God Venerable establishes an Origin Divine Hall, gathering the mysteries in the divine hall, can they master more origin mysteries.”
“The function of the divine hall is to gather mysteries.”
“Actually, cultivators below the divine realm can at most wield one percent of the origin mysteries. Once exceeded, the mysteries will overflow and dissipate into heaven and earth.”
“They could achieve it because they are origin controllers. Moreover, one has a special physique, and the other harbours a wondrous treasure that can store origin mysteries.”
“You could achieve it because you have me.”
“After dividing nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine parts to you, I here still have nine thousand and one parts of origin mysteries.”
Zhang Ruochen was greatly shocked in his heart. He had never imagined that he, Bai Qing’er, and Ji Fanxin had each taken so many origin mysteries.
Did that not mean that the three of them all had hope of becoming origin main gods in the future?
It must be known that the quantity of mysteries is both “one” and infinite and endless.
The share quantity of mysteries is not ten thousand.
Actually, one ten thousandth, one hundred thousandth…, even one billionth of origin mysteries can allow a god to erupt with extraordinary combat power.
In heaven and earth, more than half of the origin mysteries are gathered in the Origin Divine Hall.
Before the Origin Divine Hall emerged into the world, only extremely few origin mysteries were scattered in the universe. Gods cultivating the origin dao had to spend tens of thousands of years to gather one billionth or one ten millionth of origin mysteries.
They were like collecting tiny water vapour particles from the air.
Zhang Ruochen, Bai Qing’er, and Ji Fanxin directly took large amounts of water from the sea.
The difficulty of the two cannot be mentioned in the same breath.
If news of the three of them taking three tenths of origin mysteries leaked out, even God Venerable level existences would act against them.
Zhang Ruochen said, “This trip to the Abyss of Darkness will inevitably be extremely dangerous. I must master one percent of origin mysteries to become an origin envoy.”
“Good!”
The Burial Gold White Tiger divided out thirty-one parts of origin mysteries, surging into Zhang Ruochen’s body.
Indeed, after the origin mysteries reached one percent, it was as if a qualitative change occurred. Strands of mysteries surged towards the position between Zhang Ruochen’s brows, forming a light spot the size of a finger.
The light spot was even brighter than a star.
Zhang Ruochen hurriedly sealed the origin mysteries, not allowing the power aura to erupt.
It must be known that once mastering one percent of the mysteries of a certain saint dao and becoming an envoy, it is like becoming the heart of heaven and earth, the child of destiny. No matter where one goes, rules will madly converge towards him, inevitably causing heavenly phenomena.
Imagine, whenever Zhang Ruochen travels, there are phenomena filling the sky, illuminating the starry sky, visible from millions of li away.
How then to conceal his whereabouts?
Now he could only seal it first, and use it only when encountering a true great enemy.
Zhang Ruochen did not demand more origin mysteries from the Burial Gold White Tiger, because he temporarily did not need them and could not master them! With his current cultivation, whether one percent or one tenth of mysteries, the combat power he could unleash was the same in magnitude.
The Burial Gold White Tiger said, “Relying on the identity of origin envoy, you will be incomparably close to the origin rules in heaven and earth. They will view you as the envoy and lend you endless power continuously.”
“Of course, you have another method to elevate your strength. That is, cultivate the Absolute Flesh Body Dao Transformation.”
“You must have two preparations.”
“If in the Abyss of Darkness, you cannot find Yin Xue Tian’s corpse. You can rely on the massive rule divine patterns in your body and the Absolute Flesh Body Dao Transformation to forcibly impact the divine realm. The curse may not suppress you.”
Zhang Ruochen’s gaze was sombre, and he nodded, saying, “First, exchange dao.”
Currently, the saint dao rules Zhang Ruochen had cultivated numbered nearly sixty trillion. If he divided out half, he would certainly exchange with the Burial Gold White Tiger for a large number of Burial Gold rule divine patterns.
At that time, he was not a god, yet he could master power stronger than ordinary gods.
Because the Burial Gold White Tiger was not an ordinary god; its rule divine patterns far surpassed ordinary true gods.
…
After the dao exchange ended, Zhang Ruochen continued cultivating.
At the same time, he was also waiting for Gu She Huan Huan and Xue Tu.
To cover ears and eyes, Zhang Ruochen and Xue Tu had left the Three Lives Realm one after the other, agreeing to meet at the Life and Death Realm Star.
Gu She Huan Huan had gone to contact the ferry ship.
What they were to cross was the Three Ways River.
The Three Ways River basin was the boundary in the Hell Realm’s Yellow Springs Star River between living beings and dead spirits.
Further ahead was the cosmic starry sky of the Asura Clan, Undying Blood Clan, and Rakshasa Clan, just like the Heavenly Court’s myriad realms, still belonging to the domain of living beings.
Crossing the Three Ways River meant entering the domain of dead spirits.
Ghost Clan, Corpse Clan, Bone Clan, Death Clan, Nether Clan, Stone Clan.
Of course, the vast universe was boundless and endless; even merely the Yellow Springs Star River was not something manpower could cross. A single river was naturally not an absolute boundary line.
In fact, the Three Ways River was eerie and terrifying, harbouring the most inconceivable unsolved mysteries in the universe.
Because the tributaries of the Three Ways River could pierce space, traces of it could be found in every realm of the Undying Blood Clan, Rakshasa Clan, Asura Clan, including the Heavenly Court’s myriad realms.
In these tributaries floated the corpses of dead beings from each realm, continuously crossing space to rush to the Three Ways River basin. Buried in the basin’s underground, they formed one yin land and death star after another.
It had been so for billions of years.
Precisely because of this, the Ghost Clan, Corpse Clan, and Bone Clan could not reproduce offspring, yet they could continuously be born.
Because when they were alive, they were Undying Blood Clan, Rakshasa Clan, Asura Clan, humans, dragon clan, phoenix, barbaric beasts, snakes, insects, fish, birds…
The Death Clan and Nether Clan, in turn, were born from the Ghost Clan, Corpse Clan, and Bone Clan, gaining reproductive ability.
It could be said that the greatest secret of all dead spirits in the Hell Realm was hidden in the Three Ways River. This one river was the origin of the Hell Realm’s ability to birth dead spirits, the initial source.
Some segments of the river even gods could not cross.
To go to the Abyss of Darkness, the fastest method was to go through the Life and Death Realm Star, cross the Three Ways River from the Seven Grievances Ferry, and pass through the spatial wormhole of the Impermanent Ghost City.
Gu She Huan Huan returned and walked straight into the Seven Stars Emperor Palace.
“The ferry ship is already booked; we depart tomorrow.” She said.
Zhang Ruochen stopped cultivating and laughed.
“What are you laughing at?”
“I am laughing that in the past, I never dared imagine that one day a great god level figure would personally help me book a ship. Truly, this moment is different from that one.” Zhang Ruochen said.
Gu She Huan Huan said, “Do not call me great god. I have only just broken through to the divine realm; I am merely a lower position god. Only existences surpassing upper position gods can be called great gods. In the future, still call me Huan Huan!”
The realms of the divine realm: lower position god, middle position god, upper position god.
Only upon cultivating to the upper position god realm does a god have the chance to pass the first yuan hui realm tribulation.
But the vast majority of gods, even after cultivating for one hundred and twenty-nine thousand six hundred years, also cannot reach the upper position god level.
Those who reach realms surpassing upper position gods are without exception overlords of the divine realm, who can be called “great gods” or “divine realm giants”.
Further up is the level of sealing kings and claiming sovereignty.
Zhang Ruochen said, “We still cannot leave; we must wait for one person.”
“We must leave!”
Gu She Huan Huan’s gaze was grave as she said, “When going to book the ferry ship, I sensed some powerful auras descending onto the Life and Death Realm Star. After carefully investigating, I have already ascertained their identities.”
“Why are you so tense?” Zhang Ruochen said.
Gu She Jing said, “I am not tense for myself; I am tense for you, because they seem all to be targeting you.”
“Oh!”
Zhang Ruochen became interested and asked, “Who exactly has come?”
“Wu Jiang of the Dark Divine Hall, the Nine-Toothed Wolf Divine General and Jun Hai Divine General of the Nether Hall, Luo of the Earth Fiend Ghost City. As for whether there are other gods, that is unknown!” Gu She Huan Huan said.
Zhang Ruochen’s brows furrowed as he said, “Along the way, we have all changed appearances and concealed auras. How could they track here? Could it be that your whereabouts have been calculated by them?”
“What they calculated may not be me. You must know, although you are an uncalculable person, there are still many flaws. As long as they collect your blood lost during battle, or used artifacts, they can still calculate your approximate position.” Gu She Huan Huan said.
Zhang Ruochen said, “The middle three clans and upper three clans have vast forces on the Life and Death Realm Star. It seems we truly cannot stay here any longer! Wait one more day; if Xue Tu does not come… Eh…”
It was at this moment that Zhang Ruochen sensed Xiao Hei’s aura appearing on the Life and Death Realm Star.
Between him and Xiao Hei existed a special connection.
“I must go out once. Forget it; it is already coming towards me. Wait for it!” Zhang Ruochen said.
Xiao Hei’s arrival gave Zhang Ruochen another plan.
Rather than dodging these pursuers like Wu Jiang, better to set a trap, lure them in, and strike unexpectedly, first maiming them before speaking. To avoid them always following behind.
…
The Life and Death Realm Star was the largest planet by the Three Ways River, a ninth-level life star.
The Ice King Star was only an eighth-level star, already not small compared to a constant star, surpassing some large worlds.
A ninth-level star was more than ten times larger than an eighth-level star.
Such a star alone was more prosperous than ten strong realms, countless times stronger than Zhang Ruochen’s ten realms, with gods standing tall and saint realm cultivators as numerous as carp crossing the river.
Xiao Hei came to the Life and Death Realm Star precisely because it sensed Zhang Ruochen’s aura, thus crossing mountains, rivers, and seas to arrive at the Seven Grievances Holy City.
At this moment, it was in human form, wearing a loose dark robe and a black cloak, standing outside a building as resplendent as a palace.
Outside the palace, there were countless warbling orioles and swallows, all beauties chosen from ten thousand li.
Beside it stood a saint monument engraved with the three words “Divine Maiden Tower”.
The twelve divine maiden workshops, one hundred and eighty towers, spread throughout the Hell Realm.
How could a ninth-level star like the Life and Death Realm Star lack one of them?
“You, Zhang Ruochen, with eyebrows on fire, actually still come to patronise the business of the white demoness.”
Following the sensing, Xiao Hei soon found Zhang Ruochen in a certain elegant courtyard of the Divine Maiden Tower.
“Zhang Ruochen, do you even know what is urgent and what is secondary? Your greatest enemy has already come to the Hell Realm; hurry and escape!” Xiao Hei’s first words were thus.
Zhang Ruochen looked at the human-form Xiao Hei and his cold temperament, staring in a daze for a long time.
“What are you looking at? I am talking to you! Your lifelong enemy is about to descend on the Life and Death Realm Star; if you do not escape now, it will be too late! This emperor is taking great risk to come give you a tip-off.” Xiao Hei said caringly.
Zhang Ruochen was calm and composed, saying, “Who are you speaking of?”
“Empress Chi Yao.”
Zhang Ruochen glanced at the tightly closed room door and immediately released the Ten Thousand Ancients Return to One Dao Domain, saying, “What is she doing in the Hell Realm?”
“Of course to seize the Xing Tian Jar and rescue Great God Xing Tian. This emperor advised her, telling her not to be impulsive, to temporarily set aside hatred and join forces to deal with the Nether Hall. But she stubbornly refused to listen! Could not advise her at all; anyway, this emperor has done his utmost! Her hatred for you is not ordinary deep.”
Xiao Hei’s voice was cold and deep, pressing the black cloak lower, afraid that the approaching Zhang Ruochen would see his appearance.
Zhang Ruochen sighed, “The grievances and love-hate between me and her, how could you possibly resolve them?”
“Who calls us the best of friends? This emperor definitely stands on your side. There, I said all the good things about you. But what kind of person is Empress Chi Yao? You know better than this emperor. She is stubborn and arbitrary, looks down on everyone, emotionless. How can one reason with her?” Xiao Hei said very helplessly.
Zhang Ruochen said, “Xiao Hei, how did you cultivate into human form? Take off the cloak; let me see what you look like.”
Xiao Hei hurriedly retreated, divine power erupting from his body, saying, “Do not come closer! This emperor is now a god, with a great name and surname. Call me Xiao Hei again, and this emperor will definitely not be polite with you.”
“Back, retreat, stay further away. This emperor’s true appearance, how can a mere saint realm cultivator casually see it?”
Zhang Ruochen did not take it to heart, saying, “It is just looking once; is there need to be so tense? You are not some peerless beauty.”
