In the early morning, the sun rose, its light illuminating the earth.
A thick layer of snow covered the three thousand stone steps.
The ancient Divine Platform City sat atop the cloud-shrouded mountain peak at the end of the steps, with red walls and white tiles, majestic and imposing.
Zhang Ruochen, Chi Kongle, and Moyin walked up the empty steps, leaving three sets of footprints as they entered the city. Little Black had left the previous night to seek Taishang and did not travel with them.
Though it was early morning, many shops in the city were already open. Disciples of the Liangyi Sect, dressed in white or blue Taoist robes, moved about, buying elixirs and trading recently acquired resources.
Although the three had concealed their appearances with spiritual power, the intangible vast aura they exuded still drew the attention of many cultivators.
However, everyone was accustomed to it and showed no great surprise.
Since the Flat Peach Tree had become a heavenly spiritual root and a thousand years had passed, the Kunlun Realm had fully revived.
Moreover, with the First Central Empire activating the spatial supreme treasure “Heavenly Wheel Seal” left by Saint Monk Xumi, the current Kunlun Realm teemed with powerhouses. Peerless geniuses emerged continually, and unparalleled figures rose from time to time.
In this era, there were simply too many powerhouses!
Zhang Ruochen knew that Chi Kongle had been deeply influenced by the killing will of Xiu Chen Heavenly God, making her half an Asura. Thus, he deliberately brought her to the mortal world to witness the bustle of human life and the myriad forms of worldly beings.
Smiling, Zhang Ruochen said, “This Divine Platform City was originally where the families of Liangyi Sect disciples gathered over generations, gradually developing into an ancient cultivation city. Now, judging by its prosperity, it is on the verge of transforming into a sacred city.”
Chi Kongle replied, “Sacred cities abound in the Hell Realm. Even the lords of those in the Blood Heaven Tribe would bow to me upon sight. A city like this, not even a sacred city, could be destroyed by me alone.”
When Chi Kongle was taken from the Kunlun Realm by Wan Xin, a disciple of Xiu Chen Heavenly God, she was still very young. Now, her memories of the Kunlun Realm were quite blurred.
She had spent far more time in the Blood Heaven Tribe.
Zhang Ruochen was very patient, not rushing to change her immediately. He continued to smile. “Look, those in white Taoist robes are outer sect disciples. Those in blue are inner sect disciples.”
“When I entered the Liangyi Sect to cultivate, outer sect disciples were all at the Earth Extremity Realm. Most inner sect disciples were at the Heaven Extremity Realm.”
“Now, the majority of outer sect disciples are at the Heaven Extremity Realm! Inner sect disciples not only include those at the Fish-Dragon Realm, but some have even reached the Half-Saint level.”
“Over these years, the overall strength of the Kunlun Realm has increased many times over.”
Zhang Ruochen sighed sincerely, a joy he could not fully express filling his heart.
After all, back then, he had contributed to protecting the Kunlun Realm.
The current prosperous scene was worth lingering over.
As for how the world evaluated him, it mattered not. He acted only with a clear conscience.
Moyin said, “Master, look. The city is draped with white silk mourning banners. It seems an important figure in the Liangyi Sect has fallen.”
“In this era, the fall of anyone is hardly surprising,” Zhang Ruochen replied.
Passing through Divine Platform City, they walked leisurely as if sightseeing, along shaded paths into the Liangyi Sect.
With Zhang Ruochen’s current cultivation, how could the arrays of the Liangyi Sect stop him?
The Liangyi Sect comprised three palaces and seventy-two courtyards, with spiritual mountains one after another.
Zhang Ruochen first visited Purple Cloud Spiritual Mountain of the Longevity Courtyard. There, purple qi surged vast, sacred radiance stretched thousands of zhang. Over a thousand inner sect disciples faced the sunrise, practising swordsmanship on the cliffs, full of youthful vigour and passionate striving.
He then went to the Plain Woman Courtyard, where young female disciples were all vibrant and beautiful. Some were stunningly gorgeous, earning the title of immortals.
Next, he visited the Demon Subduing Courtyard, the Empty Silence Courtyard…
Unfortunately, after traversing a thousand mountains, he saw not a single old acquaintance.
Some had exhausted their lifespan and were buried in the mountains, leaving only solitary tombstones. Others had died in battles, their bones lost forever.
On the path of cultivation, only the survivors reigned.
Among tens of trillions of cultivators, scarcely one became a god. Most ultimately perished on this path.
The Upper Purity Palace was one of the three palaces of the Liangyi Sect, overseeing thirty-six spiritual mountains.
Now, they could truly be called thirty-six sacred mountains.
Every hall, cloud tower, stone gate, and martial tower of the Upper Purity Palace was hung with white mourning banners. All entering and exiting disciples wore mourning garments over their Taoist robes.
Disciples coming to offer incense streamed endlessly.
On the square outside the palace stood a massive bronze cauldron, its surface blackened with rust, exuding ancient charm. It was protected at the centre by an array, unreachable by any cultivator.
This cauldron was used for heavenly sacrifices, preserving the sword intent of generations of sacred realm cultivators from the Liangyi Sect.
A thousand years ago, during the coronation ceremony for sacred transmission disciples, this Heaven-Sacrificing Bronze Cauldron would be employed. Each sacred transmission disciple could enter it to seek sword intent opportunities.
Back then, Zhang Ruochen had found a peerless opportunity within the Heaven-Sacrificing Bronze Cauldron, fusing the sword intents of the three ancestors of the Liangyi Sect: Upper Purity, Grand Purity, and Jade Purity.
Later, his sword path had progressed so smoothly, breaking through time and again, achieving third-grade sword dao sacred will. It was hard to say this was not aided by the Three Purities sword intents.
Now, having stepped into the divine realm, Zhang Ruochen stood once more beneath the Heaven-Sacrificing Bronze Cauldron. An indescribable sensation arose in his heart.
In his mind, for some reason, the scene of seeing the Nine Cauldrons in the Abyss of Darkness emerged.
The nine great witch ancestors cast nine cauldrons.
He who obtained the nine cauldrons commanded the world, with all clans obeying.
The Nine Cauldrons could be called the foremost divine artefact in the world.
Zhang Ruochen did not think this Heaven-Sacrificing Bronze Cauldron had any connection to the Nine Cauldrons. Perhaps he simply yearned too much for the Nine Cauldrons. Seeing any cauldron in the world involuntarily sparked associations.
“The form of this cauldron is somewhat similar to one of the Nine Cauldrons.”
Unknowingly, Zhang Ruochen entered the array, arriving beneath the cauldron. He reached out to touch it.
Even similarity was normal.
All cauldrons in the world were derived, copied, or imitated from the forms of the Nine Cauldrons.
“Who dares intrude the array and touch the Heaven-Sacrificing Bronze Cauldron?” An elder at the Saint King realm roared angrily.
A sword light flew straight toward Zhang Ruochen within the array.
Chi Kongle’s eyes turned cold. She waved her sleeve, sending a surge of murderous qi that shattered the incoming sacred sword inch by inch.
Even the Saint King realm elder was struck by the qi surge.
Just as his body was about to shatter into pieces.
Suddenly, from the Upper Purity Palace surged a river of intensely yang flames, enveloping the Saint King elder and pulling him to the square.
“Bang!”
The hall struck by Chi Kongle flashed with defensive array light, then collapsed entirely.
“Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Sounds of breaking wind rose densely.
In an instant, saints gathered outside the Upper Purity Palace, all wielding sacred swords, staring warily at the three beneath the Heaven-Sacrificing Bronze Cauldron.
A strikingly tall and beautiful woman emerged from the Upper Purity Palace, surrounded by the saints.
She wore a loose black Taoist robe, her long hair trailing to the ground, tied with a hair ribbon and adorned with a simple wooden hairpin. Her skin was fairer than frost or snow, her waist slender as a willow. Though her face was as beautiful as a banished immortal, it was exceptionally cold.
The river of flames that had saved the Saint King elder flew back to her palm, vanishing into her body.
Her starry eyes scanned the three, finally fixing on Chi Kongle. “Your murderous qi is remarkably strong. You make no effort to conceal the Hell Realm aura on you. Do you truly believe the Kunlun Realm has no one and you can act recklessly?”
“What? Hell Realm cultivators?”
“So arrogant. The Kunlun Realm now has multiple gods stationed here. Hell Realm cultivators still dare to cause trouble?”
…
The surrounding sacred realm powerhouses of the Liangyi Sect were shocked, angry, and hateful.
Chi Kongle met the black-robed woman’s gaze sharply. “Your cultivation is decent. Dare you fight me?”
The black-robed woman extended her slender jade hands from her cloud sleeves. “If you seek death, I shall send you on your way.”
The two women were about to clash.
Zhang Ruochen’s gaze withdrew from the Heaven-Sacrificing Bronze Cauldron. Hands behind his back, he turned to the black-robed woman and smiled. “Eldest Senior Sister, her temperament is impulsive. She has offended much. Please forgive her.”
Stepping out of the array, Zhang Ruochen passed Chi Kongle and Moyin, standing opposite the black-robed woman. Much of the spiritual power enveloping his body dissipated.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen’s face clearly, the black-robed woman’s brows furrowed slightly. She grumbled, “I thought, how could Hell Realm cultivators have the audacity to cause trouble in the Kunlun Realm? So it is you!”
“None other than me!”
Zhang Ruochen looked at Gai Tianjiao’s current appearance. How could he not be deeply shocked?
No matter how he looked, where was the former fierce demeanour?
She was simply an enchanting peerless beauty. The black Taoist robe added a touch of mystery.
Yet recalling her past appearance in his mind and comparing it to her current beauty, Zhang Ruochen found it hard to look directly. He shifted his gaze elsewhere.
“Everyone, withdraw!” Gai Tianjiao said.
“Yes, Sect Leader.”
Though the saints did not know the visitor’s identity, with the Sect Leader present, they dared not act rashly. They withdrew one by one.
Gai Tianjiao stepped forward. “This is Kongle? Utterly unrecognisable. Her aura and personality have undergone earth-shaking changes.”
“Has not Eldest Senior Sister as well?” Zhang Ruochen said half-jokingly.
Gai Tianjiao replied, “You know it. Back then, my appearance changed because I was plotted against, my yang qi unbalanced.”
“You said you cared not at all for appearance. Why then restore it now?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
Back then, the Liangyi Sect had four great beauties.
Gai Tianjiao ranked first, her beauty surpassing Han Qiu and Qi Feiyu.
Gai Tianjiao snorted lightly. “Restoring appearance is not so easy. If relying on transformation arts and being seen through, it would only invite ridicule.”
Pausing, she said, “Some secrets, I truly do not wish to reveal.”
“Everyone has secrets. If you do not wish to say, then do not,” Zhang Ruochen replied.
Gai Tianjiao said, “But with you, I want to speak. Perhaps you can provide clues to help me find that detestable eccentric.”
“What eccentric?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
Gai Tianjiao said, “It is shameful to admit. I was once captured by an eccentric who forcibly fed me medicine for three months. Then my appearance restored, and my cultivation advanced greatly. I know not if this was a great humiliation or an unexpected fortune!”
“Did this happen in the Kunlun Realm?”
“Indeed.”
“Few could capture Eldest Senior Sister! Was the other a god?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
Gai Tianjiao replied, “Aside from gods, I believe I would not fare so miserably against any cultivator. Those three months were the darkest period of my life. I sought death multiple times, all in vain!”
“Why does Eldest Senior Sister think I can provide clues?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
Gai Tianjiao stared intently at Zhang Ruochen. “Each time that eccentric fed me medicine, he would mutter, ‘What misfortune for the family. The Zhang clan is shamed. How could a descendant fall for one with such heavy tastes.'”
Zhang Ruochen feigned calm, but in his heart, he already understood who the eccentric Gai Tianjiao spoke of was.
It was all his fault.
He had spoken the wrong words back then!
Had he known that old undying took continuing the family line so seriously, he should never have mentioned Gai Tianjiao’s name.
Zhang Ruochen pretended to ponder deeply. “The Zhang clan… The Zhang clan… It is hard to speculate. After all, many in the Kunlun Realm bear the surname Zhang, and the other may not even be from the Kunlun Realm.”
“Eldest Senior Sister, do not overthink it. This is ultimately a good thing.”
“If that eccentric appears again, report to the gods. Some god will surely stop his misdeeds. I firmly believe that much injustice brings self-destruction. Such a person will sooner or later be claimed by heaven.”
