“Let’s deal with Frost City Demon first. If I can seize his Dark Divine Sword and all his profound mysteries, my strength will surely increase greatly.” Qian Heng Yi Si thought of something, then said, “Xiu Chen Heavenly God’s time supreme treasure goes to you, the Dark Divine Sword to me. You have no objections, do you?”
Zhang Ruochen said, “My martial dao is ruined. What would I need the Dark Divine Sword for? If you want it, take it.”
How could Zhang Ruochen not be interested in a divine artefact?
Yet now that two of the nine cauldrons were already in his hands, Zhang Ruochen did not particularly care about the Dark Divine Sword.
If he could use the Dark Divine Sword to nurture an opponent for Xuan Yi, it would be a good thing for Zhang Ruochen.
Moreover, for the moment, he did indeed need to cooperate with Qian Heng Yi Si if he was to have any chance of entering the Eternal Divine Hall.
The two concealed their auras and sped towards the Continent of Gods.
“Xiu Chen’s divine soul is powerful and his perception astonishing, but the Continent of Gods is vast. With our cultivation, as long as we do not approach the Eternal Divine Domain and do not erupt with powerful divine force or mental strength, we should not be discovered,” Qian Heng Yi Si said.
Zhang Ruochen said, “Frost City Demon is hiding on the Continent of Gods?”
“Indeed.”
Soon afterwards, Zhang Ruochen and Qian Heng Yi Si descended onto the Continent of Gods, landing atop a vast snowy mountain range.
Snow fell from the heavens, the cold wind biting.
Zhang Ruochen still wore the appearance of Shu Qian Chi, dressed in Confucian robes, extraordinarily handsome, holding a mass of Frost City Demon’s blood in his hands. He closed his eyes and began to sense.
“Go!”
Zhang Ruochen and Qian Heng Yi Si, who had activated Myriad Transformations Without Trace, suppressed their cultivation below the divine realm and sped through snowy mountains and across rivers, covering thousands of miles in a single thought.
Half a day later, they arrived outside a black ancient city.
Zhang Ruochen once more raised the blood, nodded, and said, “He is inside the city.”
Qian Heng Yi Si’s figure could not be seen, only his voice rang out: “It is merely an ordinary city, without even a Saint realm cultivator. Frost City Demon certainly knows how to choose a hiding place.”
“What do you plan to do?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
The voice replied, “Frighten him a little, force him out of the Continent of Gods so we can act more easily. You guard the outside. This time we must be swift, or if Xiu Chen Heavenly God gets involved, we will be in serious trouble.”
Zhang Ruochen flew out of the Continent of Gods, vanishing into the void, yet his gaze remained fixed on the city below.
After a while, a vast and majestic wave of Asura murderous qi appeared above the city.
Within the Asura murderous qi sounded the cold, stern voice of Xiu Chen Heavenly God: “Frost City Demon, you have come to this Heavenly God’s territory yet dare not pay your respects. Quickly leave behind the Dark Divine Sword, and this Heavenly God may spare your life.”
Zhang Ruochen was stunned. He had not expected Qian Heng Yi Si to use such a reckless method to scare Frost City Demon on Xiu Chen Heavenly God’s own ground.
Nevertheless, he felt a slight goodwill towards Qian Heng Yi Si.
If it had been any other god, they probably would not have bothered with such niceties and would simply have struck down with a sword, destroying the entire city and forcing Frost City Demon out regardless.
Though an assassin, he seemed to have some principles after all.
“Whoosh!”
Frost City Demon, hidden within the city, did not even check whether the newcomer was truly Xiu Chen Heavenly God. He transformed into a streak of black sword light, broke through the sky, and rushed out of the atmosphere.
Even though both were gods of the hell realm, in a place like the Dark Great Triangle Star Domain, what factions remained?
Having taken the Dark Divine Sword, Xiu Chen Heavenly God would certainly kill him to silence him.
In the heartland of the Continent of Gods, a peerlessly beautiful and graceful figure emerged from the Eternal Divine Hall, gazing coldly into the distance at Frost City Demon and Qian Heng Yi Si. “Why have so many great god-level powerhouses suddenly appeared? It seems I must hurry to refine the Eternal Heart into a divine source.”
Xiu Chen Heavenly God could not be bothered with Frost City Demon and Qian Heng Yi Si, fearing that the hidden master of the way of time might take advantage of any absence.
At this critical juncture, no mishaps could be allowed.
“Come to the Eternal Divine Hall to see me.”
Xiu Chen Heavenly God’s divine sense transmitted outward, summoning all the gods on the Continent of Gods.
…
Frost City Demon rushed out of the atmosphere, his great god divine force shaking the stars across the sky as he fled at maximum speed into the dark depths.
By now he had realised that the pursuer behind him was not Xiu Chen Heavenly God but Qian Heng Yi Si. Shock and fury filled him, along with a powerful sense of foreboding.
He truly could not understand how Qian Heng Yi Si had found him.
“Frost City Demon!”
A roar echoed through the darkness.
To his horror, Frost City Demon discovered that space had almost solidified, rendering his body immobile.
Then he saw a Confucian-robed man holding a bronze cauldron descend from above and smash down.
“Boom!”
Frost City Demon’s divine body exploded, turning into a cloud of flickering divine source particles, drifting like countless fireflies in the dark void.
By the time Qian Heng Yi Si arrived, Zhang Ruochen had already stored the Universe Cauldron and Earth Cauldron, and was holding the Dark Divine Sword, suppressing its sword spirit while inscribing sealing inscriptions.
Qian Heng Yi Si felt chills run down his spine. Shocked, he stared at Zhang Ruochen opposite him and said, “You killed Frost City Demon?”
“Is it not obvious? I beat his divine body into source particles. He is dead without even ashes left,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Qian Heng Yi Si said, “What of his divine soul and divine source?”
“They too became source particles. Can you not see?” Zhang Ruochen said.
Deep wariness appeared in Qian Heng Yi Si’s perpetually profound and icy eyes. He even began to wonder whether the Shu Qian Chi before him was truly Zhang Ruochen.
To kill Frost City Demon in so short a time, and moreover shatter both divine source and soul into particles, erasing all traces of life, even a great god of the Immensity realm could not achieve it.
Unless he wielded a supreme god-slaying artefact.
Was it the Reverse God Stele?
But that could not be. His martial dao cultivation had been crippled.
Earlier, Zhang Ruochen had first used the Universe Cauldron to solidify a vast expanse of space, immobilising Frost City Demon, so Qian Heng Yi Si, still far away, had not known what had truly happened within that space.
“If you do not collect the profound mysteries soon, those left by Frost City Demon will dissipate,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Though extremely wary of Zhang Ruochen, Qian Heng Yi Si immediately released his divine realm world and absorbed the dark profound mysteries and sword dao profound mysteries that had scattered into the surrounding heaven and earth.
It was not only hell realm cultivators who practised the path of darkness.
Han Qiu, for example.
Qian Heng Yi Si’s attainment in the path of darkness was no less than that of the great gods of the Temple of Darkness, or he would not have coveted the Dark Divine Sword.
Once the absorption was complete, Qian Heng Yi Si stared deeply at Zhang Ruochen, keeping his distance, and said, “It seems choosing to cooperate with you rather than become your enemy was the correct decision.”
“We are allies. Why keep so far away?” Zhang Ruochen said.
Qian Heng Yi Si said, “Better to stay distant, lest I too inexplicably turn into source particles.”
Zhang Ruochen smiled. “What treasure do you carry that would be worth my effort? Do you still want the Dark Divine Sword?”
Qian Heng Yi Si glanced at the sword in Zhang Ruochen’s hand and said, “Forget it. You killed him, so the sword is yours. But you are truly dishonest. We agreed you would only locate him, and I would handle the killing.”
To restrain his greed was commendable.
Zhang Ruochen said, “I feared a prolonged stalemate would draw Xiu Chen and ruin everything. You yourself said we must be swift. The Dark Divine Sword was promised to you, and I shall not go back on my word. But it will wait until you have helped me lure Xiu Chen away and I have obtained that time supreme treasure.”
“Do not think I am deceiving or using you. To be frank, I could have taken those dark and sword profound mysteries myself. Even without promising you the Dark Divine Sword, you would still assist me. Am I wrong?”
Qian Heng Yi Si’s sharp lips curved slightly upwards. “I had long heard that you, Zhang Ruochen, are a wealth-scattering lad. Only meeting you in person have I truly witnessed it. Yet Xiu Chen Heavenly God’s cultivated Eight-Armed Asura battle form is formidable. Luring both away at once will not be easy.”
“Secondly, Xiu Chen Heavenly God will surely have taken precautions and may not have left the time supreme treasure in the Eternal Divine Hall.”
“Thirdly, even if Xiu Chen Heavenly God and the Eight-Armed Asura are both drawn away, with the defensive strength of the Eternal Divine Hall, a single true god activating it would be beyond your ability to breach.”
Zhang Ruochen said, “In my view, even if Xiu Chen carries the time supreme treasure on his person, he will certainly need the power of the Eternal Divine Hall to refine a divine source. As long as the Eternal Divine Hall is destroyed and the refining of the divine source prevented, my goal will be achieved.”
“I can find another helper,” Qian Heng Yi Si said.
Zhang Ruochen said, “You mean Xuan Yuan Lian?”
Qian Heng Yi Si’s gaze sharpened, then turned thoughtful.
Zhang Ruochen realised he had spoken carelessly and revealed too much. He hurriedly added, “It seems my guess was correct. Although Zhao Gongming stands behind you, he could not possibly support you in forming the Di Sha organisation. It is Xuan Yuan Lian who backs you, to counterbalance Xuan Yi and the Tian Sha organisation.”
“Xuan Yi acts without restraint or底线, a sharp blade for slaying enemies yet one that can easily wound its wielder. The Heavenly Palace cannot deal with Xuan Yi openly, and though it knows a great figure from the paradise realm backs the Tian Sha organisation, it does not wish that organisation to run unchecked. Naturally it would foster a rival for him.”
“Have you met Xuan Yuan Lian?” Qian Heng Yi Si asked.
Zhang Ruochen said, “I have seen his carriage. The son of a Heavenly Venerable. Wherever he passes, gods bow in reverence. Truly noble beyond measure.”
Qian Heng Yi Si said, “In the previous cosmic cycle, the cultivators who earned my heartfelt admiration numbered no more than ten. Xue Jue, Huang Tian, Empress Qian Gu, the seventh of Tian Nan, the golden ape of the Demon God Hall, yet the one I admired most was Xuan Yuan Lian.”
“He truly possesses a heart broad enough to embrace others, truly labours throughout the Heavenly Court, clearing corruption, resolving enmities, devoted wholly to the public good without private ambition. Yet he is neither pedantic nor weak. He understands flexibility, and when ruthlessness is required he strikes like a swift wind cutting through tangled weeds. Had he not been delayed by so many worldly matters, his present cultivation would certainly not be inferior to Xuan Yi’s.”
“I confess I could never be such a person, yet I admire those who are. If the Heavenly Court had more like him, it would not have been beaten back step by step by the hell realm.”
Zhang Ruochen said, “You wish to persuade me to meet him?”
“You are now lord of Xing Huan Heaven, of the neutral faction. Why could you not meet him? If he is willing to act, we might even have the chance to kill Xiu Chen in one stroke and eliminate the threat forever,” Qian Heng Yi Si said.
Zhang Ruochen said, “Can you contact him? Come to think of it, I never asked how you and Frost City Demon came to the Paradise of the Lost…”
“Boom!”
Suddenly, a powerful divine light erupted in the distance, accompanied by a familiar fluctuation of mental force.
Zhang Ruochen immediately turned to look, his eyes narrowing in secret surprise. “That is Wu Yue’s aura. She has come too. How has she ended up fighting Xiu Chen?”
