The Lost Ones are evidently those cultivators who ventured to explore the Dark Great Triangle Star Domain, only to become stranded in this expanse of void.
Since ancient times, the number of cultivators who have sought to probe the Dark Great Triangle Star Domain has been beyond counting. Many of them harboured the same notion as Zhang Ruochen, following the belts of spiritual energy and the veins of space in search of the Sword Realm, or simply a way out.
The so-called Paradise of the Lost Ones is a place where belts of spiritual energy and veins of space converge. Consequently, a considerable number of Lost Ones gathered here and gave rise to descendants.
According to that Rakshasa Saint King, the Paradise of the Lost Ones is an entire star domain containing more than a thousand life-bearing planets. At its very centre lies a continent of the gods.
It is a vast starry continent pieced together from the divine realms of gods who, since ancient times, became lost in the Dark Great Triangle Star Domain. It is broader than any ordinary great world.
Upon the Gods’ Continent, divine temples stand in great numbers, and there reside multiple true gods.
The most powerful among them is the Eternal Heavenly God, who arrived in the Paradise of the Lost Ones only a thousand years ago. His divine abilities are vast, and even if all the other gods upon the continent joined forces, they could not prevail against him.
Today, the Eternal Heavenly God rules over the entire Paradise of the Lost Ones.
These cultivators are merely peripheral forces under the Eternal Divine Hall, tasked with cultivating, guarding, and harvesting the Anluo Yue pear blossoms.
“Such arrogant words. Even the chief god of the Path of Time would not dare proclaim himself eternal.” Old Yellow Ox snorted, withdrew its hoof, and said, “Come, let us go at once to meet this Eternal Heavenly God.”
Zhang Ruochen waved a hand and said, “Off you go, then. I shall wait here.”
Old Yellow Ox’s bovine face froze for an instant before it laughed. “The fellow is a god, after all.”
Zhang Ruochen paid it no further heed. He withdrew his divine aura, turned his gaze toward the deepest heart of the Paradise of the Lost Ones, and faintly discerned the shadow of a continent no larger than a fist.
The distance was simply too great.
He did not employ mental force to probe, for Zhang Ruochen had already formed certain conjectures about the Eternal Heavenly God’s identity. If it truly was that individual, any mental probe would surely be detected.
Kong Lanyou, ever perceptive, asked, “Cousin, you seem rather wary of this Eternal Heavenly God.”
The gravity on Zhang Ruochen’s face eased. He smiled and said, “He must be a truly formidable figure, yet with my present strength I need not fear him. I must visit the Gods’ Continent regardless.”
The Rakshasa women still kneeling upon the ground looked at the young man in astonishment.
Who exactly was this person? Having learned of the Eternal Heavenly God’s might, he still dared to venture onto the Gods’ Continent.
Kong Lanyou said, “Cousin, is it for the sake of those two gods captured by the Eternal Heavenly God?”
Zhang Ruochen nodded lightly, somewhat concerned that the captives were Hades and Que.
After all, when the mental-force storm had erupted that day, both Hades and Que would certainly have been affected and swept in the same direction. Only, being farther away, they had endured far less impact.
Que’s survival or death was a matter of complete indifference to him.
But Hades, Zhang Ruochen was determined to rescue.
In the past, to aid Zhang Ruochen in saving Chi Kongle, Hades had joined the Blood Empress in wreaking havoc within the Sea of Time in the Asura Star Pillar Realm, confronting a divine-realm titan such as Xiu Chen Heavenly God directly.
One must realise that a mere lower god would not even withstand the press of a single finger from Xiu Chen Heavenly God.
Of course, Hades and the Blood Empress had dared enter the Sea of Time because they knew the Blood Jue War God stood behind them, leaving them without any qualms.
Fortunately, Xiu Chen Heavenly God had at that time been wounded by the Moon God’s Jade Emperor Cauldron and, at the critical moment of possession, suppressed by the power the Unmoving Ming King Great Venerable had left within the Yanzi Pendant. He had been utterly stifled.
Otherwise, that day would have been exceedingly perilous.
In short, on that day Zhang Ruochen had fully acknowledged Hades as his uncle.
Kong Lanyou said, “Powerful arrays must surely be deployed upon the Gods’ Continent. The Eternal Divine Domain where the Eternal Divine Hall stands is even less a place one may闯 with one’s true body. It would be best first to ascertain the identities of the two captured gods and plan carefully before acting.”
Zhang Ruochen smiled and said, “Am I, your cousin, truly so impulsive a person?”
“I only worry for your safety and wish no harm to befall you… Very well, I shall not say such things again…” Kong Lanyou’s voice was soft.
A warm current rose in Zhang Ruochen’s heart. Assuming a grave and solemn expression, he said, “Should I perish upon the Gods’ Continent, in my final moment I shall expend every last ounce of strength to send you away. In future, should you return to the Kunlun Realm, remember to visit the Zhang ancestral ground at Wang Mountain and erect a cenotaph for me. Burn some paper money for me each year…”
Before Zhang Ruochen could finish, Kong Lanyou’s face had already paled with terror. She believed he knew the Eternal Heavenly God’s identity, foresaw his own doom, and was giving final instructions.
“Do not go. Since it is so dangerous, let us simply bypass this place. Even if we wish to save someone, we must act within our means…”
Before Kong Lanyou could finish, Zhang Ruochen burst into laughter.
How could she fail to realise she had been teased? Somewhat vexed, she said, “You have already become a great god, yet you still delight in pranks as you did before. And I actually believed you.”
Zhang Ruochen had done this solely to dispel the anxiety in Kong Lanyou’s heart.
It had the desired effect. After this teasing, Kong Lanyou understood that Zhang Ruochen harboured no fear of the Eternal Heavenly God and that the Gods’ Continent was no dragon’s pool or tiger’s lair.
He gathered Kong Lanyou and Old Yellow Ox into the Six Patriarchs’ Zen Release Diagram. The smile vanished instantly from Zhang Ruochen’s face, replaced by profound gravity.
Paying no attention to the still-kneeling Rakshasa cultivators, he soared into the void, entered cosmic space, and flew straight toward the Gods’ Continent.
At the same time, he drew forth a portrait painted by the Fourth Confucian Ancestor and transformed himself into the likeness of Shu Qianchi.
Shu Qianchi had indeed caused great upheaval at the Red Dust Assembly, yet in the realm of gods few knew of such a person, and fewer still knew his appearance.
There was no risk of his identity being exposed.
The Gods’ Continent lay at the heart of the Paradise of the Lost Ones. It was indeed a great realm, enveloped in a thick atmospheric layer. Beyond that layer, billions of miles above, ten constant stars floated in suspension.
Like ten suns, they revolved in ceaseless cycles, illuminating the land below.
These constant stars were certainly not natural formations. They were most likely connected to the lost gods who had arrived here.
Halting millions of miles from the atmospheric layer of the Gods’ Continent, Zhang Ruochen stirred his mental force and immediately influenced one of the constant stars, three million miles in diameter, altering its trajectory to hurtle toward the continent.
Moments later, every god upon the continent was roused. Dozens of divine lights shot forth in rapid succession.
Six true gods emerged, the remainder pseudo-gods.
Gods of the Ghost clan, Rakshasa clan, Nether clan, human race, angels, demon clans, more than ten races in all appeared simultaneously and stood united against the outsider. Such a sight could likely be witnessed only within the Dark Great Triangle Star Domain.
“Who is it? Show yourself at once.”
“Cease at once your manipulation of the Duxu Divine Sun, or face mortal punishment.”
…
A mid-tier ghost-clan god acted, exhaling ghostly qi to clash against the constant star speeding toward the continent.
Yet it could not halt it.
The gods’ expressions changed in unison. They realised the hidden divinity’s cultivation must be profoundly deep.
An upper-tier demon-clan god roared in fury, “The Gods’ Continent is the domain of the Eternal Heavenly God. Dare to act wantonly here, and you shall find no grave for your corpse.”
Zhang Ruochen’s figure manifested. Hands clasped behind his back, he said, “If that is so, summon the Eternal Heavenly God. You are not yet qualified to converse with this seat.”
Great-god-level divine might erupted from Zhang Ruochen. Its divine radiance was so brilliant it eclipsed even the light of the constant stars.
Such overwhelming presence caused the myriad stars across the heavens to tremble.
“A great god!”
“Quickly, send word to the Eternal Divine Hall.”
“The Eternal Heavenly God must already have sensed it. No message is needed.”
…
The gods opposite him blanched one after another.
The pseudo-gods retreated at once, returning to the continent. Only the six true gods remained, hearts pounding yet sustained by powerful mental will, still confronting Zhang Ruochen.
A human true god bowed and said, “The great god must also be a Lost One, yes? Have you perchance heard the name of Xiu Chen Heavenly God?”
Zhang Ruochen raised a brow. “What if I have?”
The human true god’s eyes shone with reverence. “Xiu Chen Heavenly God is the Eternal Heavenly God.”
Zhang Ruochen had long harboured suspicions, so he showed no surprise. “So it is him. Merely a lone soul and wild ghost bereft of divine source and divine body, yet here in the Dark Great Triangle Star Domain he plays king and hegemon.”
When the Origin Divine Hall had appeared, Xiu Chen Heavenly God had entered the Dark Great Triangle Star Domain seeking profit. He had even attacked Zhang Ruochen, attempting possession.
It was the Dragon Lord assuming the guise of the Ice Emperor that had frightened him into flight.
Who would have thought he feared the Ice Emperor so greatly that he hid within the Dark Great Triangle Star Domain? Fortune favoured him, for he discovered the Paradise of the Lost Ones and became its overlord.
The human true god had intended to use Xiu Chen Heavenly God’s name to cow the opponent, never expecting the other not only to feel no fear but to dare insult Xiu Chen Heavenly God.
This was clearly no ordinary figure.
Boom.
From the Eternal Divine Domain at the continent’s deepest core, a dense surge of Asura battle qi erupted. It soared beyond the atmospheric layer and condensed into an eight-armed Asura ten thousand zhang in height.
Beneath the eight-armed Asura’s feet, an ocean of divine qi formed. Murderous aura soared skyward as it declared, “Which brat dares insult a heavenly god? State your name at once.”
The eight-armed Asura was the Asura divine war soul cultivated by Xiu Chen Heavenly God. The divine might it radiated surpassed even Zhang Ruochen’s.
Battle qi surged vast and boundless, killing intent icy and piercing.
“So it truly is Xiu Chen.”
Zhang Ruochen muttered to himself, then continued, “Since you are Xiu Chen’s Asura divine war soul, asking you will serve as well. Speak. Who are the two gods you have captured?”
“Who do you think you are, daring to address this seat in such a tone?”
The eight-armed Asura discerned Zhang Ruochen’s cultivation level and held him in no regard. Two battle axes flew from its hands like twin razor-sharp divine mountains, cleaving toward Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen employed mental force to condense a vast handprint hundreds of thousands of miles across and struck the constant star, three million miles in diameter, outward.
The star’s speed abruptly increased tenfold. Like a flaming meteor trailing a long tail, it collided with the two battle axes the eight-armed Asura had unleashed.
