Gu Lang Ocean is one of the seventy-nine great oceans of the Life and Death Realm Star. In the sea area near the east coast, the largest spatial teleportation array on the entire planet is built.
The diameter of the teleportation array must be three hundred li.
At this moment, the sea area spanning three hundred li in radius shook violently in space, erupting with brilliant light.
After the light dispersed, a graceful and sacred figure appeared in the centre of the array.
“We pay respects to Your Highness the Divine Maiden.”
The cultivators guarding the spatial teleportation array all knelt on one knee in unison.
The supreme realm great saint Liu Yao of the Ghost Clan did not kneel, but he also lowered his head. He was secretly shocked in his heart: what was going on recently? Why were great figures descending so frequently?
Prajna wore a long robe and held the Fate Deciding Staff, asking, “Where is Wu Jiang?”
“True God’s whereabouts are not something we can know.” Liu Yao said respectfully.
“Is there anything on the Life and Death Realm Star that the Star Palace does not know? Forget it, do not make it difficult. Take me to see the Star Palace’s Yu Shen.”
Liu Yao and Prajna, one in front and one behind, turned into two streaks of saint light and soared into the sky.
…
Yu Shen was the master of the Yin Yu Divine Hall.
When Prajna entered the Yin Yu Divine Hall, not only did she see Yu Shen wearing a suit of divine armour, but she also saw Wu Jiang, the Nine-Toothed Wolf Divine General, and the Jun Hai Divine General sitting below.
Wu Jiang laughed loudly, “How about it? This god said that the divine maiden is supremely intelligent and would surely be able to find the Yin Yu Divine Hall.”
Prajna walked into the divine hall, her feet stepping on liquid light patterns, ripples spreading in circles, saying, “Although Yu Shen has joined the Star Palace, he is ultimately a divine spirit of the Nether Clan. Fellow clan cultivators are always easier to talk to.”
Facing four divine spirits at the same time, Prajna showed no timidity at all, found a position, and sat down.
The Jun Hai Divine General asked curiously, “Has Prajna Divine Maiden not yet passed the divine tribulation?”
Prajna’s face became grave, her eyes carrying fatigue, and she sighed, “In the Infinite Divine Sea, I shattered my True Self Gate myself, suffering an incurable wound. If it cannot be mended, I am afraid I will follow in the footsteps of Divine Son Yu Qiu and Divine Son Xing Luo.”
In the divine hall, the four divine spirits were all moved.
Wu Jiang’s eyes turned slightly, asking, “Even with the God Venerable’s methods, it cannot be healed?”
Prajna gently shook her head, saying, “Unless using the dao of fate to reabsorb the power I dispersed.”
“The power the divine maiden dispersed was all refined by Zhang Ruochen… Haha!”
The Nine-Toothed Wolf Divine General suddenly burst into laughter, revealing nine sharp teeth, saying, “If the divine maiden has enough resolve, this time, not only can she absorb her own power back, but also gain even stronger power. It is just that the divine maiden is reluctant to strike ruthlessly!”
Wu Jiang had been staring at Prajna the whole time, wanting to see through her, whether her injury was truly incurable or feigned.
Prajna’s eyes flickered uncertainly, and finally, as if making a major decision, she said, “If people do not act for themselves, heaven and earth will punish them. In the Infinite Divine Sea, aiding Zhang Ruochen to impact his realm was because I saw his boundless potential and wanted him to owe a huge favour, to be of use in the future.”
“Now, it involves my own life and death, and the hope of becoming a god. Then I can only demand back what he owes me; this is a matter of course, right?”
“Of course it is a matter of course.” The Jun Hai Divine General echoed.
The Nine-Toothed Wolf Divine General said, “If we can also seize Zhang Ruochen’s first-grade Yin Yang Five Elements Saint Will and third-grade Sword Dao Saint Will, then in the future, the divine maiden will surely seal kings and claim sovereignty.”
The two divine generals’ gazes turned towards Wu Jiang, both revealing smiles.
Originally, they were worried that Prajna Divine Maiden and Zhang Ruochen had a close relationship and would not assist. Now it seemed that this divine maiden had long regretted helping Zhang Ruochen and harboured intentions to kill him.
This was truly wonderful!
Prajna said, “This divine maiden has already calculated that Zhang Ruochen is on the Life and Death Realm Star.”
“I have also calculated it!” Wu Jiang said.
Prajna was not surprised, saying, “I wonder how True God Wu Jiang calculated it?”
“Zhang Ruochen seized my Ten Thousand Curses Heavenly Bead, causing this god to lose great face. But the Ten Thousand Curses Heavenly Bead has precisely become his greatest flaw.”
Wu Jiang smiled faintly, saying, “How can a supreme saint artifact be so easily fully refined?”
In the Nine-Toothed Wolf Divine General’s eyes, a scorching lustre appeared, saying, “Since Zhang Ruochen is on the Life and Death Realm Star, the matter brooks no delay; let us act now.”
Prajna glanced at Yu Shen sitting above, saying, “Act on the Life and Death Realm Star?”
The Nine-Toothed Wolf Divine General and the Jun Hai Divine General thought of the Star Palace’s rules and immediately calmed down.
Yu Shen said, “Zhang Ruochen is travelling with Gu She Jing of the Luo Zu Yun Shan Realm. Once we act, it will surely erupt into a divine war. The Star Palace cannot sit idly by; this matter must be planned carefully.”
The Star Palace managed the entire Life and Death Realm Star and the surrounding starry sky.
Yu Shen was a divine spirit of the Star Palace and had considerable say.
But if a true divine war erupted on the planet, he could not bear the responsibility.
“I have a plan that may be usable.” Prajna said.
Wu Jiang said, “Divine Maiden, please speak.”
“Zhang Ruochen and Gu She Jing have come to the Life and Death Realm Star, inevitably to go through the Seven Grievances Ferry and cross the Three Ways River. On the Three Ways River, space is disordered, and death qi is abundant. Acting there can even deceive the three divine spirits of the Blood Absolute Family, letting Zhang Ruochen die without a burial place.” Prajna said.
Wu Jiang laughed, saying, “This method is excellent; let us proceed according to the divine maiden’s strategy.”
The Jun Hai Divine General was somewhat worried, saying, “But we do not know when Zhang Ruochen will cross the Three Ways River.”
“Zhang Ruochen owes me a tremendous favour and currently does not know I have formed killing intent towards him. Since that is so, why not let me go meet him, probe when he will cross the Three Ways River, and what he intends to do by crossing the Three Ways River?” Prajna said.
“The divine maiden going personally will surely ascertain the truth.”
Wu Jiang stood up and cupped his hands in salute towards Prajna.
Prajna left the Yin Yu Divine Hall.
The smile on Wu Jiang’s face gradually faded.
The Jun Hai Divine General’s eyes shone with cold sharpness, saying, “The divine maiden is probably not of one mind with us.”
“Oh! What do you mean by that?” Wu Jiang pretended not to know.
The Jun Hai Divine General said, “Since Prajna Divine Maiden can accurately find Zhang Ruochen’s position and has a deep relationship with Zhang Ruochen, then why bother probing when Zhang Ruochen will cross the Three Ways River?”
“Simply bring us along to act when Zhang Ruochen is utterly unprepared; the battle could end in an instant. Why go to such trouble?”
The Nine-Toothed Wolf Divine General found it hard to believe and said in shock, “It cannot be! Zhang Ruochen is doomed not to become a god, and Prajna Divine Maiden is not foolish; why would she help him and oppose us?”
The corners of Wu Jiang’s mouth curved slightly upwards, saying, “To know the answer, shall we not just follow her? This time, it may even be killing two birds with one stone!”
Wu Jiang sacrificed a dark array diagram, wrapping the Nine-Toothed Wolf Divine General and the Jun Hai Divine General inside.
The three’s divine bodies and auras then vanished completely.
…
In the Divine Maiden Tower.
The greatly named and surnamed “Xia Xiao Tian” Xiao Hei, after hearing Zhang Ruochen’s account, became excited, slapped the table, and shouted, “Good! Since the divine spirits of the Nether Hall have come to deliver themselves to death, let us first deal with them. But let us say in advance, their divine sources belong to me.”
“This emperor wants to use the divine sources to refine divine pills.”
Under Gu She Huan Huan’s red long skirt, two snow-white jade legs were crossed, saying, “Divine pills? Ordinary pill masters cannot refine divine pills.”
“Is this emperor an ordinary pill dao grandmaster?” Xia Xiao Tian snorted coldly.
After a thousand years without seeing each other, Xiao Hei had become even more arrogant.
Gu She Huan Huan did not argue with him, saying, “Then the divine sources to you, the divine corpses to me! Just right, I want to refine one or two guardian demon generals of my own.”
“Then the divine souls to me.” Zhang Ruochen said.
Zhang Ruochen planned to refine the divine souls, first cultivating his own saint soul to the divine soul level.
At that time, his employment of mysteries would surely advance to a higher level.
Of course, Zhang Ruochen was still uncertain whether the Severing Dao Curse would suppress his cultivation of a divine soul. After all, once a great saint cultivated a divine soul, he could also be called a pseudo-god.
Xia Xiao Tian said, “Speak! For this battle, how shall we fight?”
Gu She Huan Huan’s gaze turned towards Zhang Ruochen, waiting for him to make the decision.
“Eh! Why has she come?” Zhang Ruochen sensed Prajna’s aura.
The sensing between the two of them was mutual.
At this moment, Prajna had already entered the Seven Grievances Holy City.
Curiosity appeared in Gu She Huan Huan’s eyes, saying, “Who has come?”
“Has Chi Yao come so quickly?” Xia Xiao Tian was secretly startled in his heart.
Gu She Huan Huan put down her originally crossed beautiful legs, revealing a cautious expression. If it was truly that Empress Chi Yao of the Kunlun Realm who had come, would that not be most interesting?
“You wait here for me; I will go meet her.”
Prajna’s arrival made Zhang Ruochen realise it was no small matter. But this matter could not be known to Gu She Huan Huan, so he went alone to meet her in secret.
The east city of the Seven Grievances Holy City was the Seven Grievances Ferry.
The Three Ways River flowed past the Seven Grievances Ferry, its channel broad and boundless, connecting to unknown voids.
If viewed from the starry sky, one could see a turbid river wrapped in deathly yin qi flowing from the universe, passing through the enormously vast Life and Death Realm Star, flowing towards the dark beyond the heavens.
The place where the river channel met the planet was the ferry mouth.
Prajna’s figure was slender and graceful, standing by the Three Ways River.
The sky was dotted with stars.
On the river surface ahead floated countless corpses and white bones, with ghost fires dancing in the air. Moreover, winds filled with foul qi, death qi, and putrid stench blew from the dim river surface.
The water flow roared loudly, waves surging.
Behind her appeared a spatial fluctuation.
Zhang Ruochen walked out from circles of spatial ripples, taking slow steps to come beside her. Following her gaze, he looked towards a ferry ship sailing on the Three Ways River.
That ferry ship was a thousand zhang long, a ghost ship.
On the ghost ship’s flying eaves and railings hung ghost fire lanterns, yet mist shrouded everything, making the scenes on the ship indistinct.
Zhang Ruochen sensed an unknown peril on the ghost ship but did not take it to heart. His attention fell on Prajna, asking, “Has your cultivation recovered?”
Prajna did not answer. In her pair of deep eyes filled with complex emotions, she smiled bitterly, “Tell me, is fate truly deciding everything? No matter how hard one tries, the outcome cannot be changed?”
Zhang Ruochen’s long hair flew in the wind, saying, “The Fate Divine Maiden should not say such words.”
Prajna mocked herself, “I have already checked the classics; the Severing Dao Curse cannot be broken. The power of the Nether Hall is not something one person or one god can oppose.”
“Your state of mind is very chaotic! You feel that I cannot become a god?” Zhang Ruochen said.
“Your path is doomed to be difficult. Your path very likely has truly been severed!”
Perhaps because of despair in her heart, Prajna felt that nothing mattered anymore and suddenly opened her heart, saying, “Back then, I abandoned everything to come to the Hell Realm, precisely wanting to lend a hand. Even if I could only exert an infinitesimally small bit of power, it was still better than sitting and awaiting death.”
“Do you know what it feels like when a person is doomed to a tragic end?”
“When fate toys with one in the palm of its hand, struggling bitterly, advancing courageously, clearing all obstacles, thinking the outcome has been changed. But later, discovering that one still could not escape fate’s arrangement. What kind of feeling is that again?”
Zhang Ruochen’s heart trembled, his gaze desolate, asking, “What did you see in the Pool of Destiny?”
Prajna shook her head, tears falling from her eyes.
Her heart ached greatly, saying, “I was wrong! I should not have overreached to try changing fate. I did not expect that after shifting fate’s trajectory, what I got in exchange was even being unable to break through to the divine realm.”
“Your fate, because of my variable, has become even more tragic.”
“It was I who harmed you, my self-righteousness that harmed you.”
“Zhang Ruochen, listen to me. Do not think of impacting the divine realm anymore. Hurry and leave the Hell Realm, also leave the Heavenly Court. Do not meddle in any more struggles, do not care about the rights and wrongs of this world. What does the destruction of the Kunlun Realm have to do with you? In the war between the Heavenly Court and Hell, we are all mere soldiers; we decide nothing. Why join in?”
“You must go to a place where no cultivator can find you, cast off all burdens, and live the most leisurely life in the way you most desire.”
“At least you can still live ten thousand years, twenty thousand years, better than…”
Prajna could not bear to continue.
Zhang Ruochen understood that Prajna was like this because she knew he was cursed, doomed not to become a god, and might even be abandoned or killed, so her emotions had lost control.
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen laughed.
Prajna’s eyes were streaked with tears as she looked towards him, saying, “Why can you still laugh? Do you know that now, the divine spirits coming to the Life and Death Realm Star to kill you are innumerable. The Yan Luo Clan has abandoned you, the Tian Luo Divine Kingdom has also abandoned you, even the Undying Divine Hall will abandon you. You are already isolated and without aid!”
“I am not afraid of them.”
Zhang Ruochen looked at her, saying, “I laugh because you are finally willing to speak the truth to me, willing to open your heart, instead of always hiding yourself.”
“It was Chi Yao who took you to the Pool of Destiny and saw some future scenes, right? So you chose to believe her without reservation.”
Prajna looked up at the sky, widening her eyes to retract the tears into her eye sockets.
“Are you silly? The Sumeru Saint Monk is the future Buddha; he knows many future matters. If I truly had no future, how would he choose me as his successor? Fate may not necessarily be unbreakable.” Zhang Ruochen said.
“But…”
Suddenly.
Zhang Ruochen and Prajna both sensed it at the same time.
Only to see, by the Three Ways River, a dark array diagram appeared.
Wu Jiang, the Nine-Toothed Wolf Divine General, and the Jun Hai Divine General were all standing below the dark array diagram, only dozens of zhang away from Zhang Ruochen and Prajna.
“Clap! Clap! Clap…”
Wu Jiang clapped his hands in applause, laughing, “Splendid, truly splendid. I never expected that the esteemed Fate Divine Maiden would always want to oppose fate. Today has truly opened this god’s eyes.”
