All the gods knew that, decades ago in the Abyss of Darkness, Zhang Ruochen and the Dark Divine Hall had forged a death feud.
When the Dark Divine Hall was involved, divinities from the various Hell Realm powers dared not interfere, so they simply stood aside and watched.
Behind Qing Xuan Spiritual God, apart from Taro, stood another pseudo-god, Mo Yuntu. Zhang Ruochen had met him once on Yunfan Star.
Qing Xuan Spiritual God felt no fear at Zhang Ruochen’s approach. A cosmic-cycle genius whose cultivation had been crippled was nothing more than a figure given face only because the Blood Absolute War God stood beside him.
True strength was what mattered most.
Without personal strength, the higher one leapt, the more one would be ridiculed.
Qing Xuan Spiritual God said, “What guidance does Angel Ruochen have for us?”
“I wish to slay one divinity from your Dark Divine Hall,” Zhang Ruochen replied calmly.
He spoke of killing a god as casually as slaughtering a pig.
Gasps of shock rose around them. The gods looked towards the Blood Absolute War God, yet saw no sign he intended to stop it.
Of course. Huang Tian and Zhang Ruochen had entered the city precisely to make a huge scene, to let the entire universe know that the Blood Absolute War God had come to Xinghuan Heaven.
Qing Xuan Spiritual God’s eyes darkened. He looked at the Blood Absolute War God. “Great Patriarch, forgive my bluntness, but the one who acted that year was the Hall Master himself. Debts must be paid by their true owners. If hatred is vented upon innocent juniors like us, that would be tantamount to the Blood Absolute family declaring war on the entire Dark Divine Hall. In that case, many innocent juniors of the Blood Absolute family would also die tragically, would they not?”
Clearly, Qing Xuan Spiritual God did not take Zhang Ruochen seriously at all. In his view, even if Zhang Ruochen wanted revenge, he could only ask the Blood Absolute War God to act.
A cripple could never kill a divinity of the Dark Divine Hall by himself.
Huang Tian did not respond to Qing Xuan. Such a trifling matter was beneath his notice.
It must be said that Qing Xuan Spiritual God’s strategy of yielding to advance was extremely clever.
Even if the real Blood Absolute War God were here, he could not act, because Qing Xuan had already made it perfectly clear: debts have owners. If you want revenge, go after the Hall Master of the Dark Divine Hall or his descendants. Do not elevate a personal grudge to a conflict between two great powers.
Unfortunately, he had misread the situation, thinking Zhang Ruochen bore a grudge over the Hall Master’s actions years ago and now sought payback.
Would Zhang Ruochen be so reckless?
He knew full well how powerful the Dark Divine Hall was. To clash with them head-on would be asking for trouble.
Zhang Ruochen pointed at Taro. “Step forward! I give you the chance to end yourself here.”
Qing Xuan Spiritual God glanced at the motionless Blood Absolute War God, who seemed uninvolved, then barked coldly, “Zhang Ruochen, Taro is this god’s divine general. Who are you to decide his life or death?”
“In the Yuhong Mountain Range, my son Kunlun nearly died by his hand. If I do not avenge this, what kind of father am I? Qing Xuan, you cannot protect him!”
With the final word “him”, spiritual power and sound waves surged forth together. The dao locks and divine inscriptions of the First Goddess City all lit up at once. The array-reinforced stone slabs on the ground shattered in unison.
Every divinity present felt their eardrums ache and their minds ring from Zhang Ruochen’s divine voice.
It was like a heaven-shaking heavenly note!
Bang!
Taro, the divine general standing behind Qing Xuan Spiritual God, his seven-metre-tall skeletal frame, exploded into fragments of white bone that scattered across the ground.
A pseudo-god had been killed outright by a single word from Zhang Ruochen.
Even someone as strong as Qing Xuan Spiritual God had no time to shield him. In truth, he himself had been stunned by Zhang Ruochen’s spiritual power; his sea of consciousness stung, and his divine soul felt as though it might be shaken loose from his body.
The other divine general, Mo Yuntu, though not directly struck by the spiritual sound wave, still fell backwards, divine soul gravely wounded, cracks appearing in many places across his divine body.
Qing Xuan Spiritual God recovered, filled with both rage and shock.
Who could have imagined that Zhang Ruochen, whose martial cultivation had been completely destroyed, possessed spiritual power this terrifying?
“Debts have owners. Today I kill only him,” Zhang Ruochen said, looking at Qing Xuan Spiritual God with provocative eyes.
Qing Xuan Spiritual God’s face was cold as frost, yet he did not strike.
If he attacked first, Zhang Ruochen would surely retaliate like thunder and kill him outright.
It was now perfectly clear: Zhang Ruochen was using the incident with Chi Kunlun to challenge the Dark Divine Hall and proclaim to the world that he had returned, and that he would have revenge.
Qing Xuan Spiritual God was no fool; he could only restrain himself.
Though he lost face, he preserved his life.
“Taro deserved death. Angel Ruochen did well to kill him.”
With those words, Qing Xuan Spiritual God could no longer bear to remain in Xinghuan Heaven. He seized Mo Yuntu and left the First Goddess City at once. He had to return immediately to the Dark Divine Hall, report that Zhang Ruochen still lived, and devise a response.
The gods of Heaven and Hell recovered from the spiritual sound wave and stared at Zhang Ruochen as though he were a monster.
As Qing Xuan Spiritual God had said, the Hell Realm gods had earlier flattered Zhang Ruochen purely out of respect for the Blood Absolute War God. In truth, no divinity would ever take a cripple seriously. At most, they would simply avoid provoking him because of his background.
But they would never show him genuine respect.
Now, the eyes of every divinity present had changed!
“A cosmic-cycle genius truly is the lord of an era. Even without martial cultivation, mastering spiritual power alone he can look down upon the world. Today this god has finally witnessed what a peerless hero is!” Shuo Qianhai of the Shura Clan spoke first, as if leading the applause.
Another divinity added, “How could Empress Tianlao be wrong? Heaven blesses our immortal vampire race. We have lost one war god, yet gained one who may become a Supreme.”
Many felt this immortal vampire divinity was exaggerating wildly, saying anything to curry favour with the Blood Absolute War God.
For spiritual-power cultivators, the highest goal was to become a Divine Master.
A Supreme was utterly unattainable.
It was like a mortal dreaming of climbing the world’s highest peak but never daring to imagine reaching the stars or the sun and moon.
Yet when they recalled that Zhang Ruochen had cultivated spiritual power to divinity for only a few decades, and that his spiritual strength already surpassed Qing Xuan Spiritual God’s, a terrifying thought arose.
Could Zhang Ruochen truly have a chance in the future to become a Supreme of the immortal vampire race?
Protected by Yu Taizhen’s domain, Yu Chenjing had not been harmed by Zhang Ruochen’s earlier spiritual sound wave.
Her starry eyes fixed upon the heroic Zhang Ruochen. She bit her lip, somewhat annoyed. “Tenth Uncle, it seems you were right! This fellow hid really deeply this time. Even I was fooled.”
“Qing Xuan Spiritual God’s spiritual power has reached the peak of the seventy-third order. Zhang Ruochen’s is at least seventy-fourth order. In terms of cultivation, he has caught up!” Yu Taizhen said.
Yu Chenjing asked, “What do we do now? If the Blood Absolute War God starts a massacre, Heaven will suffer disastrous losses.”
“This is the First Goddess City! On their own core territory, if Empress Bai cannot even stop the Blood Absolute War God, the Twelve Goddess Workshops would have been destroyed countless times already!”
Though Yu Taizhen was a battle maniac who had always idolised the Blood Absolute War God, he knew full well that without a God-Reverend present, no one could run amok in the First Goddess City.
Besides Empress Bai, there was also a Divine Master in the city!
Zhang Ruochen watched Qing Xuan Spiritual God depart, feeling rather dissatisfied. A true god had actually backed down like that? Was this still the same Qing Xuan Spiritual God who once declared that no one dared oppose the Dark Divine Hall?
Killing one pseudo-god was not enough to establish dominance.
He needed a different target.
Zhang Ruochen swept his gaze around, eyes sharp as blades, passing over each divinity.
In that instant, the divinities present seemed to guess his thoughts. Few dared meet his eyes. Those from factions with grudges against him retreated further, hiding from his sight.
Zhang Ruochen spotted Luo Shengtian. This divine prince’s eyes were even fiercer than his own. Several times he tried to charge forward, only to be dragged back by divinities of the Tianluo Divine Kingdom.
Zhang Ruochen’s gaze settled briefly on Shang Hong, lingered for a moment, then moved away.
Never mind, too strong!
The man had lived nearly a hundred thousand years. As a youngster not yet three thousand, he should stay calm. Even borrowing another’s might, one should not become too arrogant.
“That short one, the one barely five feet tall, yes you. Admit you’re short. Where are you hiding? From your aura, you’re a divinity from Tiannan?”
Zhang Ruochen pointed at a blue-skinned, diminutive divinity.
“Angel Ruochen misunderstands. This god is from the Nether Clan and has no connection to Tiannan,” the short divinity hurriedly replied.
Zhang Ruochen said, “In my life I most despise dishonest people! If you’re not from Tiannan, why were you retreating?”
“It was the divine prince charging forward. He pushed this god to the back!” the short divinity explained hastily. Neither father nor son was someone to trifle with. They bore deep enmity towards Tiannan. If misunderstood, the consequences would be dire.
Zhang Ruochen looked sceptical, then indignantly shifted his gaze. He spotted a ghost-clan divinity who appeared only seven or eight years old yet carried an aura akin to the heirs of the Ghost Master.
“You, little ghost! Yes, you, stop looking around. You’re from Disha Ghost City?”
“This god is Tian Tong, from Fengdu Ghost City. What guidance does Angel Ruochen have?” Though the ghost divinity looked young, his voice was ancient.
“Fine, fine, stand down. Can I not even find one decent enemy today?”
Zhang Ruochen looked towards Huang Tian, about to transmit that he had done his best. Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Lord Luan-Ying and Lord Blood Hou. His eyes instantly lit up.
How could Lord Luan-Ying and Lord Blood Hou not guess Zhang Ruochen’s thoughts? Their faces paled. Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, they turned into two streaks of divine light and fled.
They were not truly afraid of Zhang Ruochen himself.
But if Zhang Ruochen attacked, they could hardly stand still and not fight back, could they?
If they fought back, how could the Blood Absolute War God possibly remain idle?
They could not win, so they could only run.
In truth, when Zhang Ruochen’s gaze had lingered on Shang Hong for that half instant, Shang Hong himself had felt a twinge of nerves.
Lord Luan-Ying and Lord Blood Hou were incredibly fast. Before Zhang Ruochen could even think to pursue, they had vanished.
Huang Tian stood like a statue, unmoving, making no attempt to stop them.
“Great Patriarch, your esteemed presence honours the Heavenly Goddess Tower. I was remiss in not greeting you sooner. Please forgive me.”
At that moment, led by Empress Bai, nine figures radiating boundless divine light emerged from the Heavenly Goddess Tower. Each possessed formidable aura and breathtaking beauty. Some were cold as frost with ancient swords on their backs. Some had immortal bones and jade flesh veiled in gauze. Some were enchantingly seductive with skin fairer than frost and snow.
Each could overturn the mortal world.
Though divinities from every major power were gathered here, those who had seen Empress Bai’s true appearance could be counted on one hand.
For a time, all eyes were drawn to them.
Zhang Ruochen felt some concern that Empress Bai might see through Huang Tian’s true identity. He glanced over, only to find Huang Tian’s eyes still sharp and domineering, without the slightest fluctuation. Flawless!
