The Blood Empress was severely injured when she summoned Zhang Ruochen’s soul.
At the moment, she was holding the shining Heart of the Divine Tree with her fair hands to absorb the power inside it.
There was exuberant vitality within the Heart of the Divine Tree comparable to the life force belonging to the billions of plants in Kunlun together.
After absorbing only one-thousandth of it, the cracks on the Divinity Source of the Blood Empress healed at a noticeable speed.
What filled in the cracks was the Path of Life.
“One Yuanhui period equals to 129,600 years. The Divine Sky-connecting Tree is indeed powerful, and it is undoubtedly a deity that could cultivate the Path of Life to its limits. The insights on cultivational Paths in which I have received by absorbing 100 years of its cultivation have greatly benefited me.”
Moreover, the Heart of the Divine Tree contained not only the power of Life.
It was actually the Path of Life, knowledge, and wisdom belonging to the Divine Sky-connecting Tree.
Absorbing one-thousandth of the total 129,600 years would mean 100 years that the Divine Sky-connecting Tree had comprehended the Path of Life. A Saint could not attain the same level as the divine tree even if they spent 10,000 years comprehending it.
If the Blood Empress completely absorbed the Heart of the Divine Tree, her state of mind would be on par with that of a deity who had survived one or few Yuanhui Tribulations, even though she had just attained Godhood recently.
Moreover, her severely damaged soul would grow several times, reaching a level that many deities would only dream of.
One could say that the Heart of the Divine Tree was so rare and precious that it could trigger a war among deities.
Whoosh!
The instant her Divinity Source was completely restored, a ray of light shot out from the Blood Empress’ body, as if a divine lamp had been lit.
Where the divine light shone, tender green shoots grew out from the ground.
They took root, sprouted, and grew rapidly.
In the end, they turned into three hundred million towering trees, which were lush and full of vitality.
These 300 million towering trees were generated by just the life force contained within the divine lightBlood Empress had emitted.
Lord Ming clicked his tongue in annoyance. Turning around, he squinted his eyes and looked Zhang Ruochen, who stood beside him. “The Heart of Divine Tree is a divine treasure. It would be a waste on you, why don’t you give one to your uncle instead?”
Zhang Ruochen retorted, “Didn’t you snatch the hilt of the Stellar Sword and the Toten Sword away from me?”
Lord Ming shook his head and said, “How can that be called snatching? That sounds too unpleasant! The merging of the Stellar Sword together is a fate that nobody can change it.”
“A fate?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
Lord Ming said, “That’s right, the moment I got the Stellar Sword under control, its fate had already been decided. It’s time for the sword to be reborn and suppress all worlds with its unparalleled sharpness.”
Zhang Ruochen frowned. He suddenly felt that the legendary ferocious Lord Ming had the potential to be a trickster, because he had a smooth way of talking.
If he had stolen something, he even could shift the blame away to the heavens.
“Did fate also arrange for me to give you a Heart of the Divine Tree?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
Lord Ming stared maliciously at Zhang Ruochen. He nodded slightly and gave him an affirmative look.
“Hahaha.”
Zhang Ruochen laughed in disbelief.
Lord Ming shook his head slightly. He was disappointed by Zhang Ruochen’s attitude. “I’ll attain Godhood soon,” he said. “When the time comes, I’ll become an elite among deities. Now is a good chance for you to ask a favour from me.”
“What do I need to ask you for?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
Lord Ming said patiently, “You will go to Infernal Court to rescue your daughter. With another deity helping you, your chance of success will be greater. Give me one Heart of the Divine Tree and I’ll help you.”
Zhang Ruochen said, “I have been thinking…”
“What is it?” Lord Ming asked.
Zhang Ruochen said, “If I ask my mother to help me take back the sword hilt and the Toten Sword, I think my mother will agree. Since you have not become a deity yet, are you sure you’re a match for my mother?”
Lord Ming’s forehead knitted into a tight frown.
He realized that it wouldn’t be easy to trick Zhang Ruochen.
Standing at the top of the Blood Mountain, the Blood Empress naturally heard the conversation between Zhang Ruochen and Lord Ming.
She was extremely moved by hearing Zhang Ruochen referring to her as his mother, and tenderness surfaced in her dazzling eyes.
However, she understood that Zhang Ruochen had said the word “Mother” because he wanted to use his identity to negotiate with Lord Ming.
Perhaps the gap between mother and son might have been mended.
However, Zhang Ruochen’s hatred for the Immortal Vampires was still there.
“Tell me your conditions. How can I get you to give me a Heart of the Divine Tree?” said Lord Ming.
“Help me save someone first. If you succeed, the hilt and the Toten Sword will be my gift to you as my uncle,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Lord Ming’s expression became solemn. “It’s not against the rules to save someone, but you have to understand one thing. When you go to Infernal Court, it’s best to do things according to the rules there. If you have any intentions of breaching the rules, I will have to kill you despite that you are my nephew.”
Although Lord Ming said it calmly, Zhang Ruochen felt his heart skip a beat. Lord Ming would certainly kill him.
Zhang Ruochen’s gaze met Lord Ming’s eyes calmly.
Lord Ming had not expected Zhang Ruochen to remain composed and not show any fear despite being intimidated by his murderous intent. He was impressed by Zhang Ruochen.
“The Xue Jue Family needs more elites like you. If your actions are outstanding enough, you could far exceed your current self after obtaining resources and glory in Infernal Court.”
Lord Ming continued, “You’d better maintain your current temperament and determination. Only then can you get the approval of Wargod Bloodximius. He’ll help you with all the grudges between you and the big shots in Infernal Court.”
“Your identity is controversial. If you want to survive in Infernal Court, gaining Wargod Bloodximius’ approval would be the first step. Remember this in your heart.”
Zhang Ruochen was deep in thought for a while. Suddenly, he took out a Heart of the Divine Tree and handed it to Lord Ming. “Uncle’s words of advice are worth more far more than this.”
Lord Ming was stunned for a moment, and he laughed afterward. “Interesting, very interesting. A smart person like you will definitely survive in Infernal Court unharmed, it seems that what I have said was unnecessary.”
Taking the Heart of the Divine Tree, Lord Ming pressed it between his brows and turned it into a glowing green speck. It was like a tiny gemstone embedded on his forehead.
Zhang Ruochen and Lord Ming were both extremely intelligent people, so some words need not be spoken aloud.
If he had given the Heart of the Divine Tree to Lord Ming earlier, he would only help Zhang Ruochen save others.
However, giving the Heart of the Divine Tree to Lord Ming now meant that he had to protect Zhang Ruochen’s life with his might in the Infernal Court.
If Zhang Ruochen didn’t give Lord Ming a Heart of the Divine Tree, Lord Ming wouldn’t do his best to save Chi Kongyue even if he agreed to do so.
At that moment, Zhang Ruochen might have to take out a Heart of the Divine Tree to persuade him. But even if he did, Zhang Ruochen would still owe him a favor.
Zhang Ruochen could give away a treasure, but it must be at the right ime.
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen sensed something and looked toward the horizon.
On the horizon, a rainbow ray of light emerged.
In the center of the rainbow, a beautiful divine silhouette walked over slowly. She had long snow-white hair and a graceful figure. With every step, a lotus flower grew under her feet.
Lotus flowers grew in the wake of her footsteps.
A pair of peacock wings adorned her back.
The light from the rainbow was coming the peacock wings. It was beautiful and overflowing with Saint Qi which accentuated her perfect appearance and temperament with an ethereal and mysterious aura.
Zhang Ruochen was overjoyed. “Lanyou, you’ve finally rebuilt an immortal body and returned to Supreme Sainthood.”
Recently, Zhang Ruochen had been struggling in adversity and experienced much sorrow. Now that he had something good happened to him, he was naturally excited.
He leaped up, wanting to fly in front of Kong Lanyou.
However, just as he jumped, his body sank into the ground, leaving only his head exposed.
Kong lanyou walked to Zhang Ruochen’s side. Her beautiful eyes were filled with confusion. She couldn’t help but laugh. “Cousin, what are you doing?”
Zhang Ruochen was a Supreme Saint and also the high-ranking Prince of the Eastern Region. He was also the ruler of Central Shengming Empire. He would certainly care about his face.
After losing so much face, his expression was a little unnatural. He coughed dryly and said, “Help me up first. I’m afraid that the higher I climb, the deeper I’ll fall.”
Kong Lanyou leaned over and reached out a jade-white hand. She caressed Zhang Ruochen’s face, which was the only part visible on the surface and smiled sweetly at him. “I think you’re fine now, why don’t you stay underground for a while?”
When Kong Lanyou leaned over, a snow-white ravine could be clearly between her bosom. It was rounded beautifully as a couple of jade bowls, giving off an alluring attractiveness.
Zhang Ruochen was a little embarrassed and purposefully closed his eyes, “Lanyou,” he said. “I’m going to the Infernal Court immediately. We don’t have much time left to spend together, and I don’t know how long it would be till we can meet again. Goodbye, I don’t know if we would be friends or foe in the future…”
Whoosh
Zhang Ruochen felt his body lighten and returned to above ground.
Kong Lanyou frowned slightly. She looked bewildered and seemed worried that he would leave immediately, so she grabbed his hands tightly.
It would take some time for the Blood Empress to fully recover to her peak state. Thus, Zhang Ruochen and Kong Lanyou walked together and talked about things that had happened recently.
They had both attained Supreme Sainthood and were at the top of the Paths. However, they were like teenagers with their fingers tightly interlocked and standing close together.
Perhaps it was because they had merged their previous flesh bodies, Zhang Ruochen’s feelings for Kong Lanyou had became closer. It was as if everything was the same as it was 800 years ago.
Kong Lanyou stopped and looked at him closely. “Cousin, it’ll be hard to turn back after going to the Infernal Court. There won’t be any place for you in the Celestial Court, Kunlun, and the Guanghan.”
“I understand,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Kong Lanyou’s had a captivating smile on her exquisite face that could make anyone swoon over, and she said. “If there really is a day when there’s no place for you in the Celestial and Infernal Courts, I would be willing to stay by your side. The universe is vast with boundless swathes of land. There’s always a place to call home.”
With that, Kong Lanyou gently tiptoed and planted a kiss on Zhang Ruochen’s face with her ruby red lips unexpectedly.
Then she hugged Zhang Ruochen tightly and whispered in his ear, “Cousin, you’ve suffered too much. It’s a pity that I wasn’t by your side when you were at your most challenging time.”
Kong Lanyou’s actions were really out of ordinary.
Zhang Ruochen didn’t react for a long time as he was taken aback. Then he gathered up his feelings and placed one hand on her head and the other around her slim waist, and looked gravely at her, saying, “Help me take care of my mother, and wait for me. I will definitely be back.”
Lin Lan had long been sent to the Endless Abyss by the Blood Empress, and Zhang Ruochen had gone to see her not long ago.
When the War of Merit broke out in Kunlun, it was actually the clone of the Blood Empress who had found Lin Lan first. She wanted to meet the woman whom Zhang Ruochen had called his mother, in order to learn from her how to become a mother and win back Zhang Ruochen’s trust.
It was for this reason that when Zhang Ruochen first came to the Endless Abyss, the Blood Empress cooked a big table of delicacies for him like a hospitable woman welcoming guests.
And thats the reason she did not force Zhang Ruochen against his will to acknowledge her as his mother as a deity herself.
Later, when Mu Lingxi went to pick up Lin Lan, she had already been sent to the Endless Abyss by Qiu Yichi. The clone of the Blood Empress transformed into Lin Lan as she wanted to get close to Zhang Ruochen and understand his personality as well as his temperament.
“Stop flirting. We should go now!”
In the distance, Lord Ming called out in a rather unpleasant way, ruining the moment between Zhang Ruochen and Kong Lanyou.
Zhang Ruochen and Kong Lanyou, who were hugging each other tightly, immediately separated.
Blood Empress had her hands clasped behind her back, and her eyes looked disdainfully at the sky, displaying the peerless might of a deity. Her cultivation had completely recovered, and so she spoke, “It’s been 800 years which means the time to leave has come. Lanyou, remember what you promised your aunt. You’ll take care of everything in the second level for now.”
After saying this, Blood Empress extended a snow-white slender finger and pointed.
Crash
A hidden passage appeared above the second level.
Zhang Ruochen looked at the other end of the passage and saw a starry sky, and he did not know where in the universe it was connected to.
“What did mother mean by what she said to Lanyou just now? What does the second level of the Endless Abyss has that need to take care of, those Bloodbeasts?”
Zhang Ruochen always felt that there must be some unknown secrets hidden here.
However, Kong Lanyou was very principled and stubborn. Since she had promised the Blood Empress, it must not be a bad thing.
Wrapped in the divine light of the Blood Empress, Zhang Ruochen, Xue Tu, Xuemo, Qi Tian, and Ying Huo passed through the hidden passage. After spinning around briefly, they came to a dark and cold space.
Zhang Ruochen looked back and saw Kunlun in the distance.
The distance between them and Kunlun was very far, and all that he could see was a glowing atmospheric mass ten times bigger than the moon.
Although he was still in the nearby starry sky, he was already thousands of miles away from Kunlun.
“I can’t continue to suppress it. I have been sensed by the heavenly and earthly precepts and I have to undergo the divine Tribulation immediately. My Divine Tribulation is the Heart tribulation.”
Lord Ming landed on a yellowish-brown planet with a diameter of 30,000 miles, he landed heavily on the planet and shook it violently. And then he sat cross-legged and assumed the “lotus” position.
The next moment, divine light emitted from his body enveloped the entire planet. Following that, it spread to the surrounding starry sky and turned into a sea of blood-colored divine light.
“What strength Lord Ming possesses, he’s only a demigod but his divine light can illuminate a starry sky and dye thousands of planets blood-colored. I also have the body of a demigod but why can’t I do it?” Zhang Ruochen thought to himself.
