Two days had already passed since the clash between Huang Tian and War God Duo Tian.
Yet the aftershocks still lingered in the starry sky and had not fully dissipated.
The divine power emanating from the ancient Heavenly Venerable array enveloped the boundless lands of Xinghuan Heaven, warding off the residual waves of great-deity power surging from the void. Unless the deity controlling the array actively opened it, entering Xinghuan Heaven remained an exceedingly difficult task.
Fortunately, Qian Mo Sang and Mo Jie did not head straight to Xinghuan Heaven. Instead, accompanied by Empress Bai, they first went to the core region of the star field where War God Duo Tian had detonated his divine source.
Here, space had not yet recovered. Fissures criss-crossed everywhere.
Divine lightning coiled, thunder-fire raged.
Mo Jie possessed immense mental strength. Upon arriving, his expression grew solemn. He could not help drawing a sharp breath and turned to Qian Mo Sang, saying, “The one who detonated his divine source was War God Duo Tian.”
Despite his profound cultivation, ancient standing, and towering authority within the Temple of Destiny, Qian Mo Sang was momentarily stunned by this revelation.
He had indeed come to Xinghuan Heaven with the intention of dealing with Zhang Ruochen.
But if the one who self-detonated was truly War God Duo Tian, he would have to reassess the strength of War God Xue Jue and accordingly adjust his strategy against Zhang Ruochen.
Previously, he only needed to avoid acting openly.
Now, he also had to ensure that when he killed Zhang Ruochen, no one could harbour even the slightest suspicion toward him. Not even a trace!
What kind of temperament did War God Xue Jue have?
Even the tiniest suspicion would be enough for him to come knocking with fury.
A thousand years ago, Qinglu Divine Palace, Empress Bai, Huang Tian, and the Sword God Realm had all experienced this treatment.
The current situation differed somewhat from a thousand years ago.
Take Divine Venerable Fulu, for instance. The incident where Zhang Ruochen’s martial cultivation was crippled had genuinely enraged him. This deity, who always disliked involving himself in disputes, had already issued a proclamation: from now on, cultivators from Tian Nan and the Temple of Darkness were forbidden from attending the Grand Hunt Banquet, and the Star Sea World was prohibited from any commercial cooperation with these two powers.
These two divine edicts appeared trivial, yet they carried enormous weight.
The importance of the Grand Hunt Banquet needed no elaboration.
The Star Sea World was the largest commercial empire in the Infernal Court, the source of the Temple of Destiny’s wealth, and was known as the eleventh clan of the Infernal Court.
Although decoupling from Tian Nan and the Temple of Darkness would cause the Star Sea World itself considerable losses, the blow to those two powers would be far greater.
Of course, the greatest drawback was that it made the Infernal Court even more fractured.
Aside from Divine Venerable Fulu, Empress Tianchu posed an even more terrifying threat.
If War God Xue Jue managed to invite Empress Tianchu to act, who could withstand her?
“The Gate of Destiny!”
Threads of destiny-rule divine markings flowed from Qian Mo Sang’s body. Above his head, they condensed into a colossal Gate of Destiny that blazed with light in all directions, causing space to undulate like rippling water.
“Reverse space-time, peer into destiny.”
Qian Mo Sang formed seals with both hands, mobilising the power of destiny in an attempt to reverse time and space, project past images, and reconstruct the battle.
But the moment he began the technique,
an overwhelming force surged from the universe, pressing inward and striking Qian Mo Sang.
Boom!
The Gate of Destiny suspended in the starry sky exploded.
Qian Mo Sang was sent flying as though struck by a divine fist, tumbling into the shattered void.
Mo Jie and Empress Bai, standing nearby, were both startled.
Swish!
Qian Mo Sang leapt out from the broken space, stabilised himself in the void, and looked around with alarm and doubt. “An apex powerhouse has sealed the heavenly secrets here. Forcibly divining them triggers backlash. Who did this?”
His gaze fell upon Empress Bai, carrying clear accusation.
Empress Bai shook her head. “This empress truly knows nothing about it.”
“Is that so?”
Mo Jie’s voice dripped with sarcasm.
Empress Bai’s eyes turned icy. “To be called an apex powerhouse by War God Mo Sang, that person must be at the Immeasurable Realm. Can we presume to guess the actions of someone at that level?”
Qian Mo Sang’s gaze sharpened. “The actions of Immeasurable Realm powerhouses are indeed beyond our comprehension. However, may I ask City Lord Bai why War God Duo Tian appeared on Moyan Star? And why did Goddess Cai Yi appear in Xinghuan Heaven?”
“Their legs grow on their own bodies. If they wish to come, what can this empress stop them?” Empress Bai replied.
Mo Jie sneered. “Still trying to argue. The Twelve Goddess Booths have always maintained neutrality, which is why the Infernal Court has tolerated you. Now that the booths are secretly colluding with great deities of the Heavenly Court, you have crossed the bottom line. You had better confess honestly, City Lord, or beware the fate of utter destruction. It has been a long time since the God-Slaying Platform has tasted the blood of a great deity!”
Empress Bai’s expression remained unchanged. “Deities of the Temple of Darkness certainly have imposing manner, but do you truly believe the Twelve Goddess Booths are weak and easily bullied simply because they are filled with women? The booths have their own backers.”
Mo Jie gave a contemptuous laugh. “The Wuqing Sect? Or Emperor Luo Yan? Both obtained through your body, I presume? Once it is confirmed that the booths are closely tied to the Shang Clan, let us see how the Wuqing Sect and Emperor Luo Yan protect you.”
Empress Bai’s eyes turned frosty, yet in the next instant they became enchantingly seductive. She spoke in a soft, coquettish voice. “That is right. The Wuqing Sect has already been conferred as Divine Venerable, and Emperor Luo Yan is the supreme true emperor of the Luocha Clan. Can you afford to offend them? Without evidence, you had better not slander me. The consequences would be severe.”
Mo Jie suddenly felt Empress Bai’s delicate, fragrant allure overwhelm him. He almost wanted to pin her beneath him right then and there.
But the moment that thought arose, he jolted awake, realising his mind had just been pierced by her charm technique. Extremely dangerous.
In a life-and-death duel, that single instant would have been enough for Empress Bai to inflict serious injury upon him.
Qian Mo Sang said, “Evidence will not be hard to find. Deities from the Temple of Destiny are already investigating. If the Twelve Goddess Booths have close dealings with the Heavenly Court, traces will surely be found in the spatial arrays and wormholes connecting the star domains. Flaws will certainly appear within Xinghuan Heaven itself.”
“Of course, the greatest flaw lies with you, City Lord. Once we bring you back to Destiny Divine Mountain and the Honoured Lord personally searches your soul, the truth will be revealed.”
Though Empress Bai continued to smile, the smile had grown stiff. Her heart sank into an icy abyss.
This day had finally arrived.
“Let us go! To Moyan Star. To shatter an entire star of that size must have left traces.” Qian Mo Sang shot forward, turning into a meteor that pierced the darkness.
Mo Jie glanced at Empress Bai with playful malice. “City Lord Bai had best send word to the Wuqing Sect and Emperor Luo Yan right now. However, this deity recalls that a certain senior once decreed that powerhouses at the divine venerable level are forbidden from entering this star domain. Haha!”
Empress Bai’s enchanting beauty hung in the starry sky like a divine painting, yet her face was filled with sorrow. She gazed toward Xinghuan Heaven, hoping only that Zhang Ruochen had already taken Bai Qing’er away.
…
Within the ruins of Xinghuan Heavenly Venerable Palace, darkness reigned absolute. One could not see one’s outstretched hand.
As massive boulders were cleared away, array inscriptions gradually emerged on the ground, forming a circular pattern a hundred zhang in diameter, intricate and profound.
Bai Qing’er felt an intense sense of crisis. Origin divine light blossomed from her body.
White radiance transformed into motes of luminous rain that drifted from her jade-like skin, illuminating the darkness.
From within the black demonic mist came a shrill, piercing cackle. A child wearing a patterned mask flew out at terrifying speed, reaching Zhang Ruochen in an instant.
One must remember that this was the Heavenly Venerable Palace ruins. Dao locks were powerful, divine markings dense, and the suppression of cultivators’ combat strength was immense.
The speed alone revealed the extraordinary cultivation of the assailant.
“Careful!”
By the time Bai Qing’er cried out, she had already thrust a finger forward.
A wave of light shot from her fingertip.
Zhang Ruochen had long been on guard. The instant the masked child closed in, he pressed his palms together like an old monk in meditation.
Whoosh!
Ten thousand zhang of Buddhist light erupted from his body. Countless Sanskrit characters flowed across his skin.
The masked child’s claw struck him, producing a thunderous boom.
Ripples spread through the Buddhist light. Sanskrit characters flew backward like a tsunami, hurling the masked child away. Its body slammed into the stone wall, punching straight through the wall inscribed with Heavenly Venerable divine markings. Massive bolts of lightning exploded at that spot, creating a scene of utter destruction.
Bai Qing’er and Zhang Ruochen immediately retreated.
Bai Qing’er transmitted mentally, “You sensed it long ago?”
“It came for me.”
Zhang Ruochen stared fixedly at the region interwoven with lightning. “This Mo Ling is powerful. It is an extremely formidable puppet. Its body is as hard as a supreme sacred artefact.”
“Haha!”
An aged laugh echoed from the darkness. “Little brat, who would have thought that in a mere thousand years you would reach such heights? I truly should have eliminated you sooner.”
Zhang Ruochen flicked his sleeve. White light flashed.
Jade Dragon Immortal appeared in front of him and Bai Qing’er.
Bai Qing’er was exceptionally clever. She had already guessed the identity of the newcomer. Divine light bloomed beneath her feet. Countless rule divine markings surged forth, condensing into a divine realm world.
A bronze bell hovered within that world, spinning as it flew.
Zhang Ruochen said, “Lord of the Blackheart Demon Realm, you underestimate the heroes of this world if you think a single Mo Ling puppet is enough to finish me.”
Silence fell briefly in the darkness.
The Blackheart Demon Lord appeared atop the ruined stone wall. A pair of enormous ox horns crowned his head, and demonic might rolled off him in waves. Though he stood only two metres tall, he gave the illusion of being twenty thousand zhang high.
This was the demonic aura oppressing Zhang Ruochen’s and Bai Qing’er’s divine souls, creating the illusion.
“You actually guessed it was this seat?” the Blackheart Demon Lord said.
The one-metre-tall Mo Ling stood below the wall.
Zhang Ruochen replied, “Was it difficult to guess? You cultivate the Heavenly Demon Stone Carvings. No matter how profound your cultivation becomes, the aura you exude remains the same. In the world today, who else who cultivates the Heavenly Demon Stone Carvings has reached the great-deity level? Besides you, who could it be?”
“Chi Xingtian,” the Blackheart Demon Lord said.
Zhang Ruochen’s expression froze. He truly had not known that Chi Xingtian had already broken free.
But…
Are you a contrarian?
You, the Blackheart Demon Lord, are at least the master of an entire realm, a great deity. Could you not be a little more confident? A little more domineering?
Zhang Ruochen said, “Goddess Cai Yi is already dead, yet you still dare to linger in Xinghuan Heaven. Impressive courage.”
“If this seat had not hidden here, how could I have waited for such a perfect opportunity? Zhang Ruochen, hand over all the Heavenly Demon Stone Carvings you possess. This seat can spare both you and Bai Qing’er. You should understand that when a great deity speaks, his word is his bond,” the Blackheart Demon Lord said.
Bai Qing’er transmitted to Zhang Ruochen, “Do not believe him!”
