Over the following three days, Zhang Ruochen set up a vast number of Marks of Time and Dimensional Trap.
There was a multiple-fold increase in not only defensive capability but also attack ability, especially the Dimensional Trap, where even a Nine-step Saint King of the Greater Precept World could not escape from if he fell into it.
Next, it was Awesome, the Little Taoist’s turn to set up the Ninth Stratum Array prototype. If successful and combined with the Dimensional Labyrinth and Time Array, Royal Mountain would become an impenetrable fortress.
News of Zhang Ruochen returning to the Yunwu Commandery had spread far and wide in the Kunlun Realm for the past few days.
News of the death of Yuan Che and Venerable Hiddenheart in Yunwu Commandery had struck a chord with many cultivators. It had not only shocked the outside world but also put a remote place like Yunwu Commandery on the crest of a wave.
Zhang Ruochen received a dozen communication talismans sent from Luo Shuihan, Kong Lanyou, Murong Yefeng, and others. They were all his old acquaintances.
Some of them were asking what had happened, and some asking if he needed any help. Kong Lanyou went a step forward: she asked to meet him at the Ming Hall as she could help him solve the problem with the Fane of Youshen.
Zhang Ruochen replied with communication talismans. He had learned that their situations were not looking too good, too.
The powerful warriors from the Celestial Court and Infernal Court had come to the Kunlun Realm. Of all the major forces in the Kunlun Realm, who could stay aloof from this situation?
Even a top-tier figure like Kong Lanyou, who dropped from the Supreme Sainthood to Saint Kinghood, had to go all out to deter the advance of the strong ones from the other realms to keep the Ming Hall safe.
The major forces of the Kunlun Realm appeared especially weak in the invasion’s wake. All they hoped now was to guard their territories and not to kowtow to anyone.
But during the communication, Zhang Ruochen finally heard news of the Godstones.
Kong Lanyou told him that there were eight Godstones in storage at the Ming Hall. She could give him four, and the remaining four were a backup for the Ming Hall.
There was a divine ancient artifact in the Ming Hall, which needed the Godstones to activate it.
Besides, refining Heavenly Divine Pill required the Godstone powder.
So giving four of the Godstones to Zhang Ruochen was the best she could do.
Zhang Ruochen was overjoyed nevertheless. These four Godstones might be instrumental in helping him achieve the Seven-step Saint Kinghood.
He recorded another communication talisman: The Ming Hall is the most powerful force in the Kunlun Realm. Why has it only stored eight Godstones?
The precepts of Heaven and Earth of the Kunlun Realm became incomplete and resources depleted a hundred thousand years ago. All the major veins could no longer nurture any Godstones. Kong Lanyou quickly replied.
The Godstones that the major forces of the un Realm had in possession are leftover from the ancient period. There are few left after a hundred thousand years.
Seeing Kong Lanyou’s message, Zhang Ruochen finally understood why a person of stature like Luo Xu could only buy two Godstones.
If that was the case, there might not be many Godstones left in the Martial Market Bank.
At last, Kong Lanyou told him that the Kunlun Realm had recovered and that those veins from the ancient period could restart nurturing Godstones.
Following immediately, Murong Yefeng replied, telling him he could buy four Godstones from the black market.
Ling Feiyu was a little late in reply. “If you want the Godstones, come to Mount Topless. I can give all the Godstone stock in the Demonic Sect of the Moons to you.”
Zhang Ruochen forced a smile at reading this communication talisman.
Feiyu, the Sword Saint, was still as bossy as ever.
Since Ling Feiyu was inviting him to Peekless Mountain and willing to see him, it meant that she had no more hard feelings toward him.
Zhang Ruochen knew he had hurt Ling Feiyu before. He wanted to go to Peekless Mountain to visit her.
For now, Royal Mountain’s defensive array had yet to be completed, and the strong ones from the Fane of Youshen could make a comeback anytime. He could not leave just like that.
The only thing he could do now was to wait.
So long as Kong Lanyou and Murong Yefeng gave him the Godstones, he could surely achieve a greater height in his cultivation base.
Following that, Zhang Ruochen took out the Heavenly Polars Geomantic Compass that he got from the Venerable Hiddenheart. Holding it in his hands, he walked around on Royal Mountain.
The Heavenly Polars denoted the “good” and the “bad”.
With the Heavenly Polars Geomantic Compass in hands, one could court good fortune and dispel bad luck.
Of course, the compass was just an inanimate object; it could not completely get a person out of trouble. Had it been, it would have given Venerable Hiddenheart an early warning that Zhang Ruochen would launch a surprise attack on him.
But courting good fortune-wise, it had been proven to work in Zhang Ruochen’s hand.
Every time when a sacred herb appeared, the needle on the compass would flick slightly and emit a faint glow.
Since Royal Mountain is a land of enlightenment, the birthplace of the sacred herbs with flowing sacred spring, could there be veins underground? Zhang Ruochen thought to himself and mobilized more Saint Qi into the compass to survey the ground underneath.
In the following days, he had combed the entire area surrounding Royal Mountain.
He found one vein, which was a big one. The thing was, it had only nurtured some spiritual crystals and saint stones, as well as a trace amount of Saint jades and exotic metals.
It looked like only the particular area where the ancient spirits had mined could produce Godstones. Zhang Ruochen sighed and was disappointed
There were no more than ten such veins in the entire Kunlun Realm.
In the other realms in the Celestial Court, none of them had such a vein. So no way they could produce the Godstones.
Those few ancient vines in the Kunlun Realm would be the main subject in the War of Merit this time. With Zhang Ruochen’s current cultivation base, his chances of getting a piece of the action from the battle were next to zero.
Most probably, the cultivators of the Kunlun Realm could do nothing but watch the other major realms take away the resources in the veins.
It was the reality that the weaker ones had to endure.
Right then, Ji Fanxi’s voice sounded in his mind. “You can let me out now, Zhang Ruochen. I have something important to discuss with you.”
A particle of light emerged from his brow and reformed into the beautiful body of Ji Fanxin.
“So how things were going? What have you got after consulting with the Divine Sky-connecting Tree?” asked Zhang Ruochen with a smile.
“By listening to his words, I have gained more in nine days than the nine hundred years of hardcore cultivation.”
She paused for a while, then continued, “He said his body is in a secret location somewhere. If I could find his body, it would greatly help in cultivating my immortal body. I supposed you know where the secret location is, don’t you?”
Zhang Ruochen nodded. “I do, but now is not the time.”
“Why?” asked Ji Fanxi.
“That place is too dangerous. I would have to attain the Seven-step Saint Kinghood before I could bring you there.”
Ji Fanxin’s brows were knitted together slightly. “You have just reached the Six-step Saint Kinghood not long ago. Even though this land of enlightenment has many sacred herbs that you could refine into divine pills, that would take at least several years before you could reach the Seven-step Saint Kinghood. I’m not ready to wait that long.”
“Why don’t you tell me where the secret location is, and I will go there by myself.”
Zhang Ruochen smiled and shook his head.
“I can give you additional three Godstones,” said Ji Fanxin.
Zhang Ruochen still shook his head. “The value of the Divine Sky-connecting Tree isn’t something like the Godstones could be compared with. Even if I bring you to take the Divine Sky-connecting Tree, I couldn’t possibly give it all to you.”
“If you don’t mind, Fairy, please wait for a few more days on Royal Mountain. You don’t have to wait for years. So long as the Godstones arrive, I will make it to the Seven-step Saint Kinghood in no time.”
Right then, a piercing scream was heard in the forest.
Zhang Ruochen and Ji Fanxin turned into two streams of light and hurried in the direction from where the scream came.
A skinny, gray-haired old man was lying on the ground, crying. “You are killing me, man! You broke my arms! Can’t you all be nice to an old man like me? Someone, anyone, please say something about this injustice!”
When Zhang Ruochen walked over, that old man was still crying aloud. A group of Saintesses surrounding the old man were gritting their teeth in anger.
When Zhang Ruochen saw that old man, he had no word for it.
Isn’t he the tomb robber coming out of the Zhang family’s tomb? How did he get here on Royal Mountain?
“What is going on?” Zhang Ruochen asked a saintess.
“I don’t know how this old man sneaked into Royal Mountain. All I know is, he came into our cultivation hall and tried to steal Sister Qianyue’s clothes. We were lucky to spot him and apprehend him in time,” said the saintess named Lanlian, forcing her words through her teeth.
Zhang Ruochen was even more struck dumb now.
“Pervert!” A shy, embarrassed-looking saintess scolded in a low voice.
“This pervert should be beaten to his death!”
“The thing is, no one has beaten him. Yet, he lies on the ground and cries like a baby as if we all have bullied him!”
…
Zhang Ruochen felt a bit angry now. He took out the Yi Huang Bone Scepter, rolled up his sleeves, and walked over to the skinny old man.
The old man sensed something amiss. “What are you doing, Zhang Ruochen?”
“What am I doing?”
Zhang Ruochen raised the Yi Huang Bone Scepter and struck it out.
The old man reacted as quickly as a civet. He bounced up at once and dodged the scepter.
With Zhang Ruochen’s cultivation base, not every ordinary cultivator could dodge his move.
This was just too strange.
Ji Fanxin stared at the old man from a distance with a weird look in her eyes. “Interesting!”
“I do this for the sake of you, Zhang Ruochen. Can’t you see?” said the old man as he dodged another attack of the scepter.
“For my sake? There is nothing between you and me, yet it is all for me? Is there anything more perverted than stealing women’s clothes?” Zhang Ruochen had never met such a shameless person before.
“It is not what you think! I would rather die than enduring such an insult at my age! I was just thinking of putting some drug in their clothes. Never have I thought of stealing them. Do I look that sleazy to you?”
Zhang Ruochen was a little stunned, then became angrier. “You were trying to drug them? Looks like I have underestimated you earlier.”
This old man would be the scourge of Royal Mountain if not gotten rid of immediately.
While they spoke, Zhang Ruochen and the old man had exchanged over a hundred moves. That old man cried and screamed, seemingly disorganized in his movement, yet Zhang Ruochen’s Yi Huang Bone Scepter could not even touch the fringe of the old man’s clothes no matter how hard he tried.
