Zhang Ruochen showed no trace of intimidation from the other’s imposing momentum. Instead, he spoke with deep regret. “The one who killed Feng Qi and God Lord Jiayu was not me. It was you, God King.”
The eyes of the figure standing amid the divine mist blazed like the midday sun in midsummer, glaring fiercely at Zhang Ruochen.
Chi Yao flew to Zhang Ruochen’s side, standing shoulder to shoulder with him. She said, “The one orchestrating all this behind the scenes is actually you, Lord God King. Why?”
From the distant golden chariot, brilliant radiance erupted once more. Then golden light traces scattered, permeating the space.
Xuanyuan Lian’s voice rang out. “If God King wishes to silence witnesses, it would be best to kill this young master along with them.”
God King Yu suddenly shifted from anger to laughter. His laughter was filled with boundless bitterness and helplessness. He said wistfully, “Zhang Ruochen, how exactly did you discover it?”
Zhang Ruochen said, “It is only because God King was not ruthless enough. You killed God Lord Jiayu but spared us. Otherwise, I would not have dared to guess this way.”
“The biggest flaw is that so many things happened in Dousui City today, yet Lord God King, clearly in the city, acted as if completely unaware. Even if mobilising the boundary protection divine array and controlling the Nine Palaces Divine Seal, it should not have been to this extent, right?”
“It is just a pity for Feng Qi. He was utterly loyal to you. Even at the moment of death, he did not forget to divert our attention towards Granny Tianhu. Even dying under the Three Evils Corpse Poison, he wanted to bury the secret deeply.”
Hearing Feng Qi’s name, God King Yu’s emotions and aura fluctuated intensely.
He closed his eyes, his face full of sorrow. He said, “Yes, you are right. He died because of this seat. This seat is the one who caused his death… But this seat had no choice. I could only do this.”
From within the golden chariot, Xuanyuan Lian’s voice sounded. “So to speak, when Feng Qi told this young master that Zhang Ruochen could neutralise the Three Evils Corpse Poison, he actually wanted to use the detoxification to restrain Granny Tianhu?”
“In this way, no one would need to be harmed, right?” God King Yu gave a bitter laugh.
Zhang Ruochen said, “Actually, this was not your original plan!”
“God King’s most fundamental goal was to have the gods from the Hell Realm destroy the boundary protection divine array. Moreover, you yourself had to remain completely uninvolved, without letting the gods of the Heavenly Court detect any flaws.”
“But even if great changes occurred at the Fire Seed Conference, it could only draw you over. In the God King’s mansion, Granny Tianhu was still presiding. The gods from the Hell Realm could never succeed.”
“Granny Tianhu has an eccentric temperament and gets along with no one, but she has one granddaughter, the Nine-Tailed Heart Fox.”
“Thus, Lord God King dispatched Feng Qi to contact the Nine-Tailed Heart Fox in the Demon God Temple. What exactly happened in the Demon God Temple, I cannot guess.”
“But the Demon God Temple must have designs on the fire seed of the Tianchu Civilization. And Feng Qi happened to be Lord God King’s disciple. How could they let go of such an excellent bridge for communication?”
“As long as Feng Qi used the fire seed as bait, the Demon God Temple would surely agree to all his demands.”
“For example, Feng Qi said he knew the route by which the Wind Clan great saints transported resources and wanted to seize those resources. As the fire seed emissary of the Demon God Temple, how could True Lord Jiayu not satisfy this request?”
“But this fell precisely into Feng Qi’s scheme!”
“Feng Qi controlled an army of corpse clan, using the Yin Shang Corpse Poison. Travelling with him were the Nine-Tailed Heart Fox and God Lord Jiayu. As long as this matter was discovered, everyone would inevitably suspect the Nine-Tailed Heart Fox, thereby suspecting Granny Tianhu.”
“Then, even if I had not passed by there, Feng Qi would surely have delayed until Feng Xi arrived.”
“Once the Wind Clan suspected Granny Tianhu, how could she continue to stay in such an important place as the God King’s mansion? Your goal would then be easily achieved.”
“Unfortunately, Feng Qi was still too soft-hearted and did not want to harm the innocent Granny Tianhu.”
“So, seeing I could neutralise the Yin Shang Corpse Poison, he did everything possible to get me to help Granny Tianhu with the Three Evils Corpse Poison. In this way, he could also restrain Granny Tianhu.”
“But precisely because of this momentary softness, I grew suspicious of him. It was also I who guided Feng Xi and the Wind Clan gods to point the spearhead at Feng Qi. Your plan, at this point, had already fallen short of success.”
God King Yu looked deeply at Zhang Ruochen. He said, “In such a short time, you could see through the entire matter so thoroughly. It is indeed rare. No wonder Luo Ji holds you in such high regard. What you said, though somewhat different from the truth, guessed seven or eight parts correctly.”
“However, do you think we have truly fallen short?”
Zhang Ruochen’s expression grew grave.
God King Yu said, “Do you know why, after Jiayu learned of this seat’s plan and knew the Demon God Realm could not obtain the fire seed, he still helped this seat push it forward?”
“The only thing that could attract Jiayu is truth profound meanings,” Xuanyuan Lian’s voice rang from the golden chariot.
“Young Master Lian, you are wrong. For members of the Quantity Organization, what they want is destruction. They want the storm on the Starry Battlefield to rage even fiercer.”
God King Yu lifted the bone flute. Wisps of blood mist surged from it. God Lord Jiayu’s screams faintly echoed. His mental will had not yet been extinguished.
A “Quantity” character divine pattern mark, somewhat familiar to Zhang Ruochen, floated within the blood mist.
“What exactly is the Quantity Organization?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
God King Yu offered no explanation and put away the bone flute.
The golden chariot fell silent for a long while before a cold voice sounded again. “Then he truly deserved death!”
Seeing them treat the “Quantity Organization” with such taboo and refusal to discuss it, Zhang Ruochen realised these three words must be extraordinarily significant. Thus, he quietly noted them down.
God King Yu turned back to Zhang Ruochen. He said, “Do you know where you miscalculated?”
“The vanished Heavenly God Sacrificer,” Zhang Ruochen said.
God King Yu nodded. He said, “Actually, this seat did dispatch Feng Qi to contact the Death God Temple and express willingness to surrender. But this was merely a ploy to use them! When the boundary protection divine array is truly destroyed, this seat will, at the first moment, suppress all gods from the Hell Realm who have entered the Tianchu Civilization.”
Zhang Ruochen asked, “Is the Heavenly God Sacrificer in the divine realm world of the Nine-Tailed Heart Fox?”
“You are very clever!”
God King Yu said, “Granny Tianhu has a strange temperament. This is her flaw, yet it has paradoxically become the reason this seat cannot deal with her. Only the Nine-Tailed Heart Fox is her weak spot.”
“This seat told the Nine-Tailed Heart Fox that as long as she helped this seat accomplish this matter, this seat would ask the old Heavenly Lord to neutralise the Three Evils Corpse Poison for Granny Tianhu.”
Zhang Ruochen gave a cold laugh. “But the Nine-Tailed Heart Fox is a knowing party. After the deed is done, you would surely silence her.”
God King Yu gazed towards the direction of Dousui City, his eyes full of longing and expectation. He said, “This war cannot drag on any longer! If it drags on, all the divine qi, sacred qi, spiritual qi, even vital essence of life in the entire Tianchu Civilization will be drained dry. It will become wasteland, become one of those dead stars in the starry sky. Why should this happen?”
“It is almost time. The Hell Realm is about to act! As soon as the boundary protection divine array is destroyed, this seat can, in the name of protecting the gods and sacred border army of the Heavenly Court, take the entire great world of Tianchu Civilization into the divine sea and withdraw to the rear of the starry defence line. Then, no one needs to die. No one at all.”
“No. You must die.”
The three-zhang-tall golden chariot suddenly manifested numerous inscription patterns. It turned into a golden divine light, crashing towards the light wall of the Clear Sky Glazed Dome, attempting to escape.
Time mark light points condensed into an ocean, blocking in front of God King Yu.
God King Yu’s voice rang out melodiously. “Young Master Lian, before a boundless realm god, how could you possibly have a chance to escape?”
“Bang!”
The golden chariot was struck down from mid-air by a large handprint condensed from rules. It plunged into the sea, splashing up massive waves.
All time mark light points between heaven and earth were annihilated.
“Your attainment in the path of time seems quite good! This seat has some study in the path of time as well. Very well. I shall kill you with time!”
God King Yu stood in place, casually raising his palm overhead. Immediately, a vast river of time condensed, descending from the heavens like a galactic waterfall, continuously crashing upon the golden chariot.
The golden chariot was pinned immobile by the river of time. Time flowed rapidly, eroding Xuanyuan Lian’s lifespan.
Zhang Ruochen hurriedly spoke to stop him. “God King, do you truly believe that killing all who know will make it flawless, unknown to anyone? I can understand your heart to preserve the great world of Tianchu Civilization. But, sir, you have been blinded by this obsession. You lost your reason. Do you think these methods of yours can deceive the Twenty Heavens, can deceive Haotian?”
Zhang Ruochen did not wish to save Xuanyuan Lian. He wished to save God King Yu, to save the Tianchu Civilization.
From the moment Zhang Ruochen, at great personal risk, directly called out God King Yu’s identity, this had been his intention. He did not want him to continue down the wrong path, ending with the Tianchu Civilization unable even to preserve its fire seed.
“This seat has no path of retreat! The two of you… shall join the departed. I am sorry. Truly sorry.”
Tears in God King Yu’s eyes were evaporated by divine qi. He invoked another river of time, surging tumultuously towards Zhang Ruochen and Chi Yao.
“Hua la!”
The two were already locked by God King Yu’s divine sense. That domain, that momentum, was like ten thousand divine chains binding them. No matter what means they used, they could hardly move their feet.
This was the absolute gap in cultivation!
Zhang Ruochen looked at Chi Yao. He said, “It is my fault. This time, I truly meddled too much!”
Chi Yao said nothing. She merely struggled to extend her left hand, breaking through the divine sense domain, and clasped tightly with Zhang Ruochen’s palm. Together, they faced the surging river of time.
“Bang!”
The river of time suddenly scattered when three zhang from Zhang Ruochen and Chi Yao, brilliant like fireworks.
A withered, emaciated old man had somehow intruded, standing behind Zhang Ruochen and Chi Yao. It was the domain erupting from his body that dispersed the river of time.
The pressure on Zhang Ruochen lightened. He turned and looked, both shocked and delighted. He said, “Old fellow, how are you in the Tianchu Civilization?”
“No time to talk. Hurry to Tianzhu Mountain. Things there are too troublesome. I definitely cannot handle it. You say these girls, one after another, cannot conceive, yet they keep causing trouble. Leave this place to me. It is easier here.”
Venerable Jie waved his chicken-claw-like hand, urging Zhang Ruochen onward.
