The Dark Temple floated in a cosmic secret realm of eternal darkness, devoid of any light. For most cultivators of the temple, eyes had long lost their importance. They trained mental power and sacred souls, using these to sense the world.
Their world required no light.
They loved darkness, as plants love sunlight, birds love the sky, and fish love water.
Without darkness, they felt uneasy.
Boundless Venerable sat upon his grand throne, a supreme fury burning in his heart. That emotion formed a force that caused the vast secret realm, billions of li wide, to boil. Lightning flashed, thunder roared endlessly.
Cultivators training in the realm were all terrified. They knelt to the ground, bowing towards the temple.
“One plays the good cop, one the bad. Destiny Temple has played this hand beautifully, very beautifully indeed.” Boundless Venerable’s voice was hoarse and ravenous, as if devouring the beings of an entire realm could quell his rage.
On Ice King Star, it had indeed been Feng Tian who intervened, averting a death battle between him and Ice Emperor.
Otherwise, had Ice Emperor emerged then, it would have worsened Dark Temple’s plight. If Ice Emperor returned to Undying Temple and seized the hall master position, he would become an even tougher obstacle for Dark Temple and the war faction.
Thus, Boundless Venerable felt genuine gratitude towards Feng Tian.
Yet who could have foreseen that, upon his return to Dark Temple, Destiny Temple would strike them so viciously.
A cruel blow that ruined all Dark Temple’s plans. All prior investment and losses flowed away like water.
Wu Yue stood at the temple’s northwest side. There grew a divine tree with golden branches and jade leaves. Beneath it, her graceful figure appeared and vanished faintly. She said softly. “This only shows how deeply fractured Destiny Temple is inside. The three divisions and twelve divine palaces each harbour their own ambitions. Though Feng Caiyi dreams of sweeping Heavenly Court, her cultivation cannot yet overpower Xu Fengjin. She cannot yet speak and make it law. What a pity, what a pity!”
In the darkness, a voice like clashing metal rang out. No one knew who spoke. “Since the war began, that old monster Xu Fengjin has rarely appeared. Cultivators across the worlds thought he was immersed in cultivation, indifferent to affairs. Yet after ten thousand years of silence, he finally emerges to stir storms!”
“Is Xu Fengjin truly that strong? His Great Tribulation Palace has so few people?” A gloomy voice rose from the northeast. Faintly visible was a cluster of bone fire flickering.
A scholarly man in the temple lit a lamp and began reading from a book. “Ten thousand years ago, his mental power reached the ninetieth order. With mental power alone, he could roam heaven and earth unchallenged. As for martial cultivation, it is unfathomably deep. Rumour says he mastered Sword Twenty-Three. When the sword formed, the entire Wugui Forest rang with sword cries like tides. That very day, Emperor Fengdu left Fengdu Ghost City for the cosmic frontier. Destiny Temple divinities all say Emperor Fengdu was avoiding the edge of Sword Twenty-Three.”
As the lamp lit, eight figures in the temple gradually appeared.
“Utter nonsense. If Sword Twenty-Three could truly defeat Emperor Fengdu, Xu Fengjin would have challenged him long ago!” A six-eared stone ape uttered a metallic voice, like gold and stone striking.
Wu Yue said. “Whatever the truth, Xu Fengjin is Destiny Temple’s foremost expert, one of the few in the universe whom even Master must treat with caution. Leave Yu Ding to him!”
The peerless figures in the temple were all stirred. They looked towards her.
The six-eared stone ape snorted. “We have already lost the Dark Divine Sword. Shall we lose Yu Ding too? Never mind Yu Ding’s own value. To hand it over simply because Xu Fengjin demands it, what is that? How would cultivators across the worlds view Dark Temple?”
Boundless Venerable’s gaze grew heavy. “Wu Yue, though you seized Yu Ding, it now belongs to Dark Temple. If we do not deliver it to Destiny Temple within three days, does Xu Fengjin truly dare assault Dark Temple?”
Wu Yue said. “He will surely come! For these were words he spoke before all divinities.”
“He dares! Even if he is heaven itself, what of it in Dark Temple?” The cold voice rose from the bone fire.
Wu Yue said. “He will not come alone! You all said his Great Tribulation Palace has few members. He fears no retaliation. Yet Dark Temple has many divinities abroad. If he captures ten or eight and threatens us before our faces, we would lose even greater face. Xu Fengjin cares nothing for reputation. What would he not do?”
The scholar said. “One with great cultivation and no ties can act without restraint. Dealing with Xu Fengjin is ten times harder than dealing with that one from Star Cliff.”
“He has no ties, yet is Destiny Temple’s foremost. Does he care for the lives of Destiny Temple cultivators below him? Truly care? If naming the hardest person in the worlds to handle, it must be him!” A sigh sounded.
“Xu Fengjin gives no face even to heavenly venerables, let alone others. Unless an ancestral-level existence emerges, better abandon thoughts of opposing him.”
Wu Yue added. “Of course, my suggestion to give Yu Ding to him is not purely from fear. After all, even without it, could Xu Fengjin truly kill all Dark Temple divinities? No need to reach that point. He would become the common enemy of hell realm.”
“Then why do it?” The voice from the bone fire asked.
Wu Yue said. “Follow their plan, show weakness to the enemy.”
“Now cultivators across the worlds know Dark Temple has suffered heavy losses. Not only great divinities falling one after another, but even a venerable perished. If we now voluntarily hand over Yu Ding, outsiders will think Dark Temple truly crippled! Heavenly Court will surely underestimate us, even believe conflict between Dark Temple and Destiny Temple has worsened.”
A sinister laugh rose from the bone fire. “Heavenly Court’s hidden agents will surely leap out eagerly. Perfect chance to net them all.”
“They are mere clowns, insignificant.” Wu Yue’s gaze turned icy. “The true scheme lies at the starry battlefield. When action begins, you must all hurry there. A useless Yu Ding, how can it compare to matters there? Dark Temple lost a venerable. Heavenly Court must pay with the entire starry defence line.”
The scholar said. “I agree with Wu Yue! With Yu Ding in Dark Temple, we become everyone’s target. If it were usable, fine! Since it is not, why not give it to Xu Fengjin and push him into the spotlight?”
“The starry defence line is indeed paramount. Yu Ding can go to Xu Fengjin, but his bestowed marriage must never be accepted.” Boundless Venerable said.
Wu Yue said. “No, I wish to accept.”
“You think this is still showing weakness? He is outright humiliating you, humiliating Dark Temple. If you accept, even Master will never agree.” Boundless Venerable said.
“It is neither showing weakness nor submitting to Xu Fengjin. I believe it necessary to keep Zhang Ruochen in hand. This man is no longer what he was. Without preparation now, he will become a grave threat.”
Wu Yue continued. “Besides, are you not curious if he found Sword Realm? Curious whose shadows stand behind him? Why did Dark Temple suffer such a loss this time? Why did Shi Di and the human-skin lantern die miserably, yet we know not who killed them?”
“All because Dark Temple lacks a mental power heavenly round flawless expert. Without such an expert, in conflict with a power that has one, we are blind and deaf. We can only suffer.”
“Break the starry defence line, next must be taking Hundred Races King City, Xing Huan Tian, Star Cliff. The entry point is Zhang Ruochen.”
“This time, I will not only marry Zhang Ruochen, but as Realm Venerable’s wife, lead Spirit God Hall divinities to Xing Huan Tian. Then, I will seize all forces under Zhang Ruochen into Spirit God Hall’s grasp, to serve as eyes and ears. Let us see if those great figures behind Zhang Ruochen will kill me.”
Wu Yue was certain that, as long as she grasped their bottom line, she would face no danger.
…
News that Wu Yue brought Yu Ding up Destiny Divine Mountain to pay respects to Xu Tian spread swiftly through hell realm, crossed Wuding Divine Sea and the starry defence line, and reached Heavenly Court.
“Wu Yue not only presented Yu Ding to Xu Tian, but gratefully accepted his bestowed marriage. Xu Tian was delighted and laughingly scolded that if Realm Venerable Ruochen dared mistreat her, he would surely give him a thorough thrashing.”
A divinity returning from Destiny Divine Domain told the gathered divinities in Hundred Races King City, then smiled. “Tell me, how is Realm Venerable Ruochen’s fortune so thick? First favoured by Tian Lao, named divine envoy. Then regarded by Xu Tian as kin, bestowed such an envy-inducing marriage across the worlds. Even a heavenly venerable’s son could not compare, could he?”
This divinity naturally missed the subtext in Xu Tian’s words.
Xu Tian was clearly telling Wu Yue. Since you know when to yield, this heaven will protect you fully. Said as warning to Zhang Ruochen, but truly warning the supreme experts behind him.
This marriage represented Xu Tian’s face.
In the end, Xu Tian had gained what he wanted. His prestige soared in the shortest time to hell realm’s peak, suppressing even Dark Temple, second only to Emperor Fengdu.
Now was the time to pull back, align his position with hell realm’s interests, declare clearly he backed Wu Yue, not Xing Huan Tian’s Zhang Ruochen.
If he sent the wrong signal to Destiny Temple and hell realm cultivators, making them think he stood with Xing Huan Tian, it would ruin great matters.
“Wu Yue actually accepted the marriage. Has she truly lost her memory?”
Jade Spirit God found it hard to believe.
That was Wu Yue, a woman of such pride and arrogance. She refused even to be Tian Ji, yet would marry Zhang Ruochen?
Xuan? clan head smiled. “With Xu Tian stepping in, Dark Temple has fully yielded! Dust settles at last. Crisis passed. On the wedding day, every race in Hundred Races King City must prepare generous gifts for Destiny Divine Mountain.”
…
Xing Huan Tian.
The six great figures knelt before the drunkard, eyes filled with guilt. “Eldest senior brother, for the sake of our shared master and brotherhood, spare junior brother this once! Junior brother’s hatred is for Xue Jue and Zhang Ruochen. Towards eldest senior brother and Xing Huan Tian, he harbours no enmity at all.”
“That Xue Jue rampaged and murdered across Tian Nan, arrogant and overbearing. Yet with protection from the Undying Blood Clan head and Emperor Luo Yan, he left swaggering. If eldest senior brother were still in Tian Nan, how dare he act so brazenly?”
“Broken Army War God is imprisoned in the Xue Jue family, turned into human-shaped blood medicine, mocked by Heavenly Court and hell realm divinities. Xue Jue is utterly trampling Tian Nan’s face. How could junior brother not hate?”
The drunkard stared coldly at him. “If not for lingering master-disciple ties, would you even have a chance to speak? Hmph, as Tian Nan’s direct disciple, your mental power not even reaching eightieth order, ending up captured alive. You say you haven’t shamed Tian Nan?”
“Get out. Go back and cultivate properly. Don’t come out to embarrass yourself. Remember, as long as I live one more day, if you dare step into this starry sky again, you won’t be so lucky next time! Pass that to second brother and the others too.”
The six great figures wept with gratitude, performing full kowtows.
Then he decisively left Xing Huan Tian. Only in the starry sky did his eyes gradually sharpen.
Yu Yao approached gracefully. “When Master left Tian Nan, didn’t he say master-disciple ties end from that day? Master is not heartless after all!”
“Qing Cang could have killed me back then, but didn’t. Consider it repaying the last master-disciple bond!” the drunkard said faintly.
Yu Yao said. “Wu Yue has accepted the bestowed marriage, personally presenting Yu Ding to Xu Tian. This shocks the worlds!”
The depth in the drunkard’s eyes vanished. He chuckled. “Does old Xu truly have such deterrence, forcing Dark Temple to yield this far? His face rivals a heavenly venerable’s!”
Yu Yao said. “There must be a plot here!”
“Indeed. That is Yu Ding. Even I, if I had it, would not hand it over. Has Nine Deaths Heterodox Emperor truly disdained Yu Ding? Heh heh, this old monster is notoriously hard to provoke. Who knows what he schemes.” The drunkard’s smile grew more subtle.
Yu Yao said. “Wu Yue could have used presenting Yu Ding to refuse the marriage. Why accept?”
“This Wu Yue is no ordinary person. Vast forces tie to her. Ignore her for now. She cannot yet stir waves.” The drunkard pondered, then said. “Zhang Ruochen is after all Xing Huan Tian’s master. For his wedding, we must prepare a grand gift. When the time comes, go to Destiny Divine Mountain in my stead!”
…
Starry defence line, Tian Chu civilisation.
Chi Yao, Burial Gold White Tiger, Xuan Yuan Qing, Feng Yan, and many top new-generation divinities of Heavenly Court gathered. With news of Wu Yue accepting Xu Tian’s bestowed marriage, the atmosphere instantly boiled.
Many divinities’ gazes turned to Chi Yao.
They knew Zhang Ruochen and Chi Yao’s relationship was not as hostile as rumoured. Chi Yao’s current cultivation very likely came from Zhang Ruochen willingly imparting it.
This emergence of the Divine Ancient Nest master had some connection to Chi Yao and Burial Gold White Tiger. Of course, the main cause was another.
Chi Yao’s gaze remained calm. “It seems Destiny Temple’s Xu Tian has become hell realm’s existence second only to Emperor Fengdu. One word sets worldly law! Are all here pursuing such power and authority?”
Xuan Yuan Qing said. “Zhang Ruochen growing so close to hell realm is no good.”
“This is not his wish. How dare he defy Xu Tian’s command? To resolve crises on Xing Huan Tian, Hundred Races King City, Xue Jue family, even himself, he can only compromise with Xu Tian. Moreover, his father remains imprisoned in Destiny Temple.” Feng Yan’s eyes filled with coldness. Wu Yue was someone he must kill personally.
Feng Yan did not blame Zhang Ruochen. After all, when his father lived, he had seen Zhang Ruochen as a traitor, nearly killing him in the Dark Big Triangle Star Domain.
He was not one blinded by hatred!
Xuan Yuan Qing said. “Xu Tian surely intends to ease tensions between Dark Temple and Xing Huan Tian through marriage. Also to fully mark Zhang Ruochen with Destiny Temple and Dark Temple’s brand.”
“A mere nominal marriage to bind Zhang Ruochen?” Chi Yao’s gaze sharpened like a sword. Her bearing was no weaker than a heavenly venerable’s daughter.
Xuan Yuan Qing said. “What if Wu Yue truly lost her memory? Zhang Ruochen was once Moon God’s divine envoy. Their bond was profound. Wu Yue resembles Moon God too much. And she and Zhang Ruochen would not be merely nominal!”
Clearly, Xuan Yuan Qing worried Wu Yue’s mental power was too high. She could exploit Zhang Ruochen’s feelings for Moon God, shaking his heart.
The gathered divinities nodded inwardly.
For Moon God, what man in the worlds would not be moved?
Unable to marry Moon God, marrying a woman so like her could still count as life’s beauty.
Heroes struggle with beauty’s pass, and this was far more than that.
To see Wu Yue merely as a beauty was to underestimate her greatly!
“If only we could ruin this wedding. Pity, it is on Destiny Divine Mountain. Unless Emperor Fengdu returns…” Xuan Yuan Qing sighed.
…
Cultivating in the Five Realms Heaven, Zhang Ruochen already knew Wu Yue had accepted the bestowed marriage. He could guess the universe’s great powers were abuzz.
Wu Yue and Zhang Ruochen were both top figures, tied to vast forces.
This wedding was destined to draw worldwide attention.
Zhang Ruochen’s mood remained calm, neither joy nor sorrow. Merely a formal wedding. He would attend and go through the motions.
In a flash, a century passed in the sundial.
A century of cultivation fully consolidated Zhang Ruochen’s seventy-eighth order mental power. But even with mental power divine pills aiding, breaking from early to mid seventy-eighth order was impossible.
In martial cultivation, Zhang Ruochen preliminarily reached peak Taiyi realm.
Preliminarily meant the number of rule divine patterns in his body reached ten times mid-stage. But even with dozens of times mid-stage quantity, it remained peak Taiyi realm.
The road ahead was long.
He needed vast time to accumulate.
Currently, Zhang Ruochen sensed no sign of deriving the four images. He could only continue cultivating rule divine patterns, increasing quantity for quantitative to qualitative change.
In divine abilities, Zhang Ruochen refined daily. Time Swordsmanship seventh layer was now introductory. His study of time and space paths was incomparable to before.
Time, space, swordsmanship were his three main paths, naturally receiving most effort.
But challenging that person in Future Divine Palace now would be self-humiliation. Patience was needed. At least master Time Swordsmanship seventh layer to great accomplishment.
Then, Future Divine Palace’s doors opened. Divine radiance poured out. Vast time rules surged.
Zhang Ruochen stopped cultivating. His gaze turned curiously.
What sacred being was inside the palace?
Know yourself and the enemy to better defeat them.
From the doors emerged a girl appearing nine years old. Features exquisite, eyes bright, nose finely carved. She wore white robes like clouds, bare crystal-jade feet, holding a slender purple bamboo taller than herself by several times.
Zhang Ruochen approached. “Little girl, I am Zhang Ruochen. May I pay respects to the senior in the palace?”
The girl glanced coldly at him, closed the doors, and walked past to the time long river’s edge.
She sat cross-legged, raised the rod to fish.
The line was condensed from time rule divine patterns, extending from her hand along the purple bamboo into the time long river.
Only then did Zhang Ruochen realise he had misjudged. She was no little girl, clearly a powerful divinity. Could she be Future Divine Hall’s master?
The one who wounded him with a time divine dragon?
In the divine world, judging by appearance led to great losses.
She looked a little girl, but might have cultivated hundreds of thousands of years.
Zhang Ruochen did not use Truth Eye to peer. “Senior, what are you fishing for?”
The girl closed eyes calmly, ignoring him.
Zhang Ruochen said. “The time long river spans heaven and earth. Not only time power gathers here, but cosmic space converges too. The river holds all worldly things, correct? But with senior’s cultivation, I fear breaking space-time to steal all things is impossible.”
Zhang Ruochen could not fathom her depth, but guessed her cultivation level.
Seeing her still serene as orchid, treating him as nothing, Zhang Ruochen smiled. He reached into void, grasping Shen Yuan ancient sword. “Junior challenges again. Senior, take care!”
Boom!
Divine light flared from Zhang Ruochen, like a singularity explosion. A starry sea released, forming dazzling truth radiance.
Sword straight as one, like light, like lightning.
Bang!
The girl sat on the ground. A white light shield appeared around her, clashing with Zhang Ruochen’s full-power sword.
The sword tip stopped three feet from her. But Zhang Ruochen felt as if stabbing into chaotic swamp. All force dissolved instantly.
The sword could advance no further, nor retreat.
“Absolute Self Virtual Time Domain.” Zhang Ruochen showed shock.
The girl maintained her fishing pose. The white shield expanded, devouring truth light, spreading before Zhang Ruochen, forcing him to abandon the sword and retreat. He stepped divine spirit steps, each seeming to cross 129,600 li. Yet always within inches.
Taiji circle spun around Zhang Ruochen. Hands joined, condensing a space-time divine lotus.
Bang!
The space-time divine lotus shattered. Zhang Ruochen used the brief moment to retreat to the Five Realms Heaven area beyond the time long river.
Shen Yuan ancient sword flew back, embedding deeply at his feet.
“This move of yours has some merit. You actually retreated whole.” The girl spoke, then closed eyes to fish again.
