Zhang Ruochen wore a cold and sharp expression. “This seat has no need to explain so much to you, but you were once a titan of the Asura clan. How can you be unaware that the Qing Ping Sword was forged by my master? Truly ignorant and ill-informed.”
Xiu Chen Heavenly God fell into thought, then seemed to recall something and nodded lightly. “Now that you mention it, this god does remember. That old bastard Xu Feng Jin did indeed frequent Kunlun Realm back then. He was obsessed with cultivating sword dao to the point of madness. Wu Yue can be handed over to you, but the time divine liquid this god has refined must remain, along with that Yasha clan chief.”
Zhang Ruochen met her gaze. “You demand too much.”
Xiu Chen Heavenly God said, “You should know that this god seeks to refine a divine source. Without a divine source, this god cannot even survive the cosmic tribulation. What then is there to fear in death? This is this god’s bottom line. In attainment of the way of time, you are far inferior to this god. Do you wish to test whether, at this distance of ten steps, you can unleash the sword in your hand?”
Powerful divine might erupted from Xiu Chen Heavenly God’s body.
In sheer imposing presence alone, she far surpassed Immensity realm great gods.
“We are all gods of the hell realm. Must we truly reach the point of life and death? You cannot possibly think this seat fears you. If this sword strikes, you will undoubtedly die,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Xiu Chen Heavenly God replied, “It is you who bullies others intolerably. This god has yielded time and again. There is nowhere left to retreat.”
The two waves of divine might clashed in the underground world. Forces grew chaotic, the atmosphere murderous. Neither the demon race upper god nor Yu Shi dared speak a word. They held their breath completely.
Guided by the lord of Star Heaven Cliff, Zhang Ruochen knew well that no one was more suitable than Xiu Chen to serve as the vessel spirit for a sundial.
First, she had already lost her divine body and divine source. She was merely a soul form.
Second, in the battle ten thousand years ago, her original time divine jade had been shattered by the sundial. Even the essence of the divine jade had been absorbed by it. In other words, Xiu Chen would be highly compatible with the sundial.
Third, and most important, her former cultivation realm had been sufficiently exalted. She would not hinder the sundial but could instead elevate its power to a higher level.
Zhang Ruochen was currently urgent to fully restore the sundial, enabling it to support the cultivation of multiple great gods, even Immeasurable realm gods.
Only thus could he, in a short time, nurture a group of powerhouses capable of influencing the cosmic landscape and bring more powerhouses under his command.
Otherwise, for the harm Xiu Chen had inflicted upon Kong Le alone, Zhang Ruochen would long since have struck with this sword.
As for Xiu Chen’s desire to use the way of time to seize the Qing Ping Sword before Zhang Ruochen could unleash it, that was pure delusion. The sundial could restrain her way of time.
The atmosphere was exceedingly tense, yet Xiu Chen Heavenly God felt that the gaze of Xu Feng Jin’s disciple upon her grew increasingly strange. Irritation surged within her. Truly, like master, like disciple.
“Very well. Better to take the long view. Xiu Chen should be unable to refine a divine source in the short term. Moreover, the moment she attempts to refine it may present an even better opportunity to deal with her.”
Just as Zhang Ruochen prepared to compromise and negotiate with Xiu Chen, suddenly the surrounding space shuddered violently. His five viscera and six bowels seemed on the verge of shattering. His body flew backwards and slammed into the stone wall.
The Universe Cauldron concealed in his sleeve flew out and spun at the centre of the underground world.
“Pfft!”
“Pfft!”
Both Yu Shi and the demon race upper god spat blood from the spatial shockwave. Cracks appeared on their divine bodies as though they might explode.
Countless divine patterns and arrays in the underground world were destroyed. Vast quantities of shattered rock fell from above.
Xiu Chen Heavenly God was initially alarmed, thinking Zhang Ruochen had played another hidden card. However, when her gaze landed on the Universe Cauldron, wild joy instantly flooded her phoenix eyes. She cried out, “The Nine Cauldrons!”
“Boom!”
From the mouth of the Universe Cauldron, a blood-red pillar of light shot skyward.
Ninety-nine seals proved utterly ineffective. All shattered.
The pillar, brimming with boundless demonic might, pierced the ground, punched through the Eternal Divine Hall, and soared thousands of metres into the air before halting. It was a pink skeleton, its surface flowing with dense blood patterns.
Her long hair was crimson like flames. Then she inhaled deeply.
Heavenly spiritual qi, saint qi, and divine qi transformed into tens of thousands of streams converging upon her, forming a colossal energy vortex.
In an instant, the entire sky over the Continent of Gods turned pink.
The Universe Cauldron flew out from underground towards the energy vortex.
“Leave the Nine Cauldrons!”
Powerful divine force erupted from Xiu Chen Heavenly God’s body. She struck out a divine chain that wrapped around the Universe Cauldron as her body sped upwards.
Zhang Ruochen could spare no thought for anything else and immediately pursued her to the surface.
Looking up, he saw Xiu Chen Heavenly God already locked in combat with that Primordial Chaos demonic god. A sea of time collided fiercely with an ocean of demonic qi, instantly reducing a million-mile domain to scorched earth.
Zhang Ruochen hastily deployed the Nine Yin Evasion Arrays and Nine Yang Evasion Arrays, yet he was still hurled thousands of miles by the shockwaves. Frustration filled him. “Damn it. How has this demonic god suddenly become so powerful? She is fully the equal of an Immensity realm great god. Moreover… she is continuously absorbing energy from the Continent of Gods and growing ever stronger.”
What the Primordial Chaos demonic god absorbed was not merely spiritual qi, saint qi, and divine qi. It also included the blood qi of the vast swathes of living beings who had perished across the continent in the divine war.
Flesh and skin grew upon her bony frame. Her body became crystalline, radiating brilliant jade divine light. Her ears pointed like an elf’s, her eyes bright as gems.
Her demonic might surged once more, completely overshadowing Xiu Chen.
At this moment, tens of millions of miles of the Continent of Gods had become scorched earth. The dead numbered in the trillions.
All their blood qi poured into the Primordial Chaos demonic god’s body.
“Receiving the blood qi of all beings to aid this king in returning to the Immeasurable realm. Any who obstruct me shall die.”
The Primordial Chaos demonic god pressed down with a palm. Vast demonic qi condensed into a blood-coloured handprint three thousand miles long. It pierced the sea of time and struck Xiu Chen Heavenly God.
Xiu Chen Heavenly God flew backwards, smashing dozens of mountain ranges. Uncertainty flickered across her stunningly beautiful face. “This is Fei Ma King’s Devouring Demon Great Handprint. Could she… could she be Fei Ma King of the seventy-two pillar demonic gods? How is this possible? So many millions of years have passed since the Primordial Chaos era. How can she still be alive?”
Xiu Chen Heavenly God’s gaze locked onto the Universe Cauldron, burning with intensity. She transmitted to Zhang Ruochen, “Do you wish to lose the Universe Cauldron? Use Xu Feng Jin’s sword to slay her.”
Zhang Ruochen remained unmoved.
Joking aside, this sword was his foundation for survival. Even if he truly slew the Primordial Chaos demonic god with one strike, the Universe Cauldron would never return to him. Xiu Chen would seize it.
What Xiu Chen sought to seize was also his life.
Myriad unwilling emotions filled Zhang Ruochen, yet he still turned and fled rapidly, intending to escape the Continent of Gods and wait until Xiu Chen and the Primordial Chaos demonic god decided a victor before reclaiming the Universe Cauldron.
At that moment, the sky turned golden. A golden war chariot burst through the demonic qi filling the heavens. It passed Zhang Ruochen in mid-air and surged straight towards the Primordial Chaos demonic god.
As Zhang Ruochen registered silent shock, Feng Yan’s transmitted voice reached his ear. “Big brother, hurry to the Xu Feng Godship.”
Zhang Ruochen looked up. Beyond the clouds, a colossal vessel hovered, casting shadow over half the sky.
After a brief hesitation, Zhang Ruochen sheathed the Qing Ping Sword and flew towards the Xu Feng Godship.
The instant he boarded, Feng Xuan rushed forward and embraced him tightly. Laughing joyfully, he said, “Fortune upon fortune. It is truly a blessing to see you again, dao friend. Had misfortune befallen you and you fallen to the hands of great gods from the Temple of Darkness, I, Feng Xuan, would live the rest of my life in guilt.”
“How could that be? This poor daoist is not so easily felled. Those rats from the Temple of Darkness dare not oppose this poor daoist at all.”
Zhang Ruochen could not help glancing towards Feng Xi.
Because his current appearance was that of Shu Qian Chi. Only wielding the Qing Ping Sword had revealed his identity, causing Feng Xuan to mistake him for Qing Ping Zi.
Feng Xuan might be unaware of the details behind the identity of Shu Qian Chi, but Feng Xi certainly knew.
Indeed, after Zhang Ruochen’s gaze fell upon her, Feng Xi deliberately avoided looking at him. She pretended to watch the divine battle on the Continent of Gods, but her face was extremely pale and her delicate frame trembled faintly.
Xuan Yuan Qing wore an ambiguous smile, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
Standing beside Xuan Yuan Qing, Lian Xi gazed with affectionate eyes that also held a trace of similar amusement.
Feng Xuan said, “After you left the Xu Feng Godship that year, Shang Hong was also expelled. Dao friend, you need harbour no further grudge. Stay aboard the godship with peace of mind and do not leave again. The current Dark Great Triangle Star Domain is exceedingly dangerous. The Hundred Clans King City, the Asura clan, and the Undying Blood clan have all sent large numbers of experts. Even Blood Jue War God…”
“Seventh Uncle, dao friend Qing Ping Zi would never fear Blood Jue War God.”
Feng Xi could no longer continue pretending. She walked over, her lovely face somewhat pale. She stared intently at Zhang Ruochen with eyes holding three parts shame and anger, three parts resentment, and four parts complex, indescribable emotion. She added, “Since you have come aboard the Xu Feng Godship, dao friend, there is no need to continue wearing that face, is there? Will you not remove it and reveal your true appearance?”
Zhang Ruochen met Feng Xi’s plaintive gaze and felt a headache even greater than losing the Universe Cauldron.
Feng Xuan saw what seemed like tears in Feng Xi’s eyes and hurriedly sighed. “Dao friend may not know, but after you left, the one most heartbroken was Xi’er. She has always been of serene disposition. Few cultivators ever caught her eye. These past years, she has become entirely melancholic. She even ventured multiple times into the darkness to search for you…”
Feng Xuan wished to continue, but Feng Yan interrupted him.
Feng Yan naturally knew that the more Feng Xuan said now, the more distress Feng Xi would feel. “Seventh Uncle, perhaps you should not say such things.”
“Indeed. It is not fitting for me to speak of them.”
Feng Xuan laughed heartily and retreated tactfully, pulling Feng Yan away with him.
Zhang Ruochen avoided Feng Xi’s gaze and walked towards the edge of the ship. “Dao friend Qing, let us go lend Young Master Lian a hand. That Primordial Chaos demonic god’s cultivation continues to rise. She may well recover to the Immeasurable realm.”
How could Xuan Yuan Qing be unaware that Zhang Ruochen sought to escape Feng Xi by this means? “Clashes at the Immensity realm level are best left alone. I believe with my elder brother’s cultivation, he can certainly handle it. Miss Xi asks you to remove that face. You truly have no shame. At your advanced age, you deliberately assume such a youthful appearance. Which family’s lady do you intend to deceive?”
Laughter rang out across the godship.
