Zhang Ruochen’s emotions became very complicated and heavy. He did not know what to do. Could he kill a cultivator from Celestial Court?
Among the cultivators from Celestial Court, there might be cultivators from Kunlun and Guanghan. They had fought together as comrades before, but now they had to kill each other.
“You haven’t thought about it yet? Do you want me to help you plan a strategy?” Empress Xiyan asked.
Lord Zhiyuan drank a cup of wine, and he said domineeringly, “Why is it so complicated? In my opinion, as long as there’s a chance, we can attack them in secret and snatch all their spoils of war. As long as we don’t kill them, it’s not against the rules.”
“That makes sense. We should do it this way. In the previous few Celestial-Hunting Festivals, the other clans have attacked us many times, especially the Ghosts. They have repeatedly targeted our Bloodysky Clan. Otherwise, why would we end up at bottom of the list in a row?” said Supreme Saint Yi Xuan.
Lord Zhiyuan snorted coldly, “It’s all because Ghost Master suffered a loss at the hands of our Wargod. It could not do anything to our Wargod, so it could only target us at the Celestial-Hunting Festival. This time, the seventh son of Ghost Master, Xue, will probably participate too.”
“You lot are useless. Bloodysky Clan finally found an extraordinary unexplored region in the universe and sent you guys in to explore it. Yet, in the end, not only did Xue got there first and snatched away the most valuable item, Bloodysky Clan suffered heavy losses in his hand.”
Speaking of the seventh son of Ghost Master, Lord Zhiyuan was furious. He wanted to teach him a lesson personally.
“Don’t mention that scum in front of me. He schemed behind my back and stole what I deserved. It was an insult to Bloodysky Clan. If I have a chance, I will smash him with all my might!” said Supreme Saint Yi Xuan angrily.
Ten years ago, he was schemed against in the unexplored region. It was a humiliation to Yi Xuan and the other Bloodysky Clan cultivators.
Although Bloodysky Clan had been the one who discovered that unexplored region, yet Xue got all the benefits, and Yi Xuan ended up being the one who suffered great losses.
This incident became a laughing stock among the other nine Immortal Vampires clans.
Supreme Saint Tu Yun shook his head. “If you want to smash him, I’m afraid it won’t be that easy. Not long ago, outside the Kunlun, Xu displayed his cultivation strength. He attained he stage of Great Perfection stage at Hundred-Shackle Realm and severely injured a Supreme Saint elite who was also at Hundred-Shackle Realm. He crushed that elite’s Saint source and captured him. Now, he’s in the limelight.”
“Back then, his cultivation level was not even as high as mine, but he reached the Great Perfection stage of Hundred-Shackle Realm so quickly. It must be because of the treasure he obtained in that unexplored region. How despicable.” Supreme Saint Yi Xuan was getting angrier.
If he could secure that treasure in that unexplored region, he would have reached the Great Perfection stage at Hundred-Shackle Realm by now. It would be easy for him to break through to Thousand-Koan Realm.
Zhang Ruochen was still thinking about Celestial-Hunting Festival. When he heard what the Supreme Saint Tu Yun said, he was slightly shocked.
He did not expect to hear news related to Guanghan in Infernal Court so quickly.
Unfortunately, it was bad news.
Guanghan was the weakest among the ten thousand Microworlds of Celestial Court. There were less than a hundred Supreme Saints. Now that Infernal Court had captured a Hundred-Shackle Realm Supreme Saint, it would be a huge blow. for Guanghan.
This was war. No one could predict what would happen next?
Zhang Ruochen wanted to change everything, but he could not. He was already a Supreme Saint, but he still felt his strength was very limited. There were too few things he could do.
Soon, Zhang Ruochen’s thoughts were pulled back to Celestial-Hunting Festival.
It was a once-in-a-thousand-years festival, but he felt that Infernal Court was testing him on purpose. It was as if fate had arranged everything.
When Zhang Ruochen knew the truth of Celestial-Hunting Festival, his heart sank. He did not want to hear what Lord Mu Yang and the others were talking about.
“Everyone, I have something important to do. I’ll take my leave first.”
Zhang Ruochen’s expression was grave. He stood up from his seat and walked out.
“Huh?”
Seeing this, Lord Mu Yang and the others could not help but look surprised. They did not understand Zhang Ruochen’s actions.
Lord Zhiyuan frowned slightly. He looked displeased. They had invited Zhang Ruochen over with good intentions, but he left without saying anything. It was too arrogant.
“Zhang—”
Lord Zhiyuan wanted to call Zhang Ruochen, but was stopped by Lord Mu Yang.
Lord Mu Yang could see that there was a weight on Zhang Ruochen’s mind. Zhang Ruochen did not want to talk to them, so it was meaningless for them to keep him here. This was not out of expectation. After all, Zhang Ruochen had once been a cultivator in Celestial Court. It was likely that he was still thinking about his friendship with his ex-comrades
Before this, he probably did not know that the preys in Celestial-Hunting Festival were the captives from different Macroworlds of Celestial Court.
It must have had a huge psychological impact on him.
Whether Zhang Ruochen could face all of this bravely depended on his courage.
Walking out of the courtyard, Zhang Ruochen stood under a tree that was emitting an unusual fragrance.
It was a Sanguis Tree. It was grown with a large amount of blood. It was very fragrant, and it emitted a terrifying murderous aura. Hence, cultivators with cultivation rank below Saint-level did not dare to approach it.
Zhang Ruochen stared at the tree. After a long silence, he asked in a low voice, “Mother, do I have to join Celestial-Hunting Festival?”
As soon as he finished speaking, a leaf fell from the Sanguis Tree and landed on his hand.
Zhang Ruochen stared at the leaf in his palm. There was a blood-red word on the leaf: “Yes.”
It was the simplest answer.
Blood Empress did not even want to meet him via an avatar.
Because of that, Zhang Ruochen knew how important this matter was.
“Understood! ”
Zhang Ruochen nodded silently. The leaf in his palm turned into blood mist and dissipated.
Just as he was about to leave, strands of red light fell from the Sanguis Tree, condensing into a heroic figure.
It was Lord Ming.
Lord Ming looked at Zhang Ruochen with his hands behind his back, “If you think you cannot do it, you can choose not to go,” he said. “But if you do so, from now on, you would face difficulty in Infernal Court.
“Perhaps your mother can protect you in Xue Jue Family. but you will never be able to leave Xue Jue Family.
“Do you understand what I mean?”
Zhang Ruochen fell into deep thought.
He had already thought about what Lord Ming had said, and he knew what kind of situation he was in.
Whether he was willing to admit it or not, from the moment he had decided to enter Infernal Court, he could not go back to Celestial Court. If he could not gain a foothold in Infernal Court, perhaps there would be no place for him in the world.
In fact, Zhang Ruochen had already made up his mind before he asked that question.
No matter what, he would go to Celestial-Hunting Festival.
However, although he had made up his mind, Zhang Ruochen still felt very depressed. It was so depressing that he almost could not breathe.
Entering Infernal Court and becoming a member of Infernal Court were two completely different things.
“I know what to do,” Zhang Ruochen replied calmly.
Hearing this answer, Lord Ming could not help but come forward. He patted Zhang Ruochen’s shoulder and said with a smile, “You are a smart man. Don’t let me down. You have made swordsmanship your main cultivation path, right?”
Zhang Ruochen did not know why Lord Ming suddenly asked such a question, but he still answered it seriously, “It’s one of my main cultivation paths.”
“Okay! Look at this. What do you think of my sword technique?”
Lord Ming condensed a bloody-red sword with his divine force of Blood. He held the sword with one hand. The sword was level with the ground and slowly moved sideways. It was very slow, but the sword momentum was getting stronger and stronger. It was as if it could flatten mountains and slash across the galaxy.
There was only one sword technique. It seemed very simple, but it contained infinite changes. Its profoundness could not be described with words.
Lord Ming did not mobilize any Precepts or divine power. He simply showcased the sword technique. It seemed slow, but it was actually fast. Zhang Ruochen’s gaze was completely attracted.
“This is the sword technique on Wordless Sword Manual.”
Zhang Ruochen had practiced Wordless Sword Manual to Sword Ten. He was very familiar with the sword techniques on the manual.
Zhang Ruochen could see that the move Lord Ming had performed was more profound than Sword Ten, but there was come connection.
It should be a sword move that extended from Sword Ten.
If he wasn’t mistaken, it should be… Sword Eleven.
Wordless Sword Manual was deep and profound. It had been left behind by Ancestral Swordmaster. No one else had fully comprehended it, so no one knew what realm Ancestral Swordmaster had reached.
After the Middle Ages, in the eyes of the cultivators of Kunlun, Sword Ten was almost the pinnacle of practicing Wordless Sword Manual. The lack of records show very few swordsters had made further progress, let alone achieving another level.
Lord Ming put away his sword and asked, “Have you seen it clearly?”
Zhang Ruochen nodded slightly.
The sword move was very simple. It was a horizontal slash. Any cultivator should be able to see it clearly.
“Out of 10 points. how much have you comprehended?” Lord Ming asked again.
Zhang Ruochen said, “Half a point.”
“Great! You can comprehend half a point after just one practice. You are talented. With this half a point, you’ve entered the threshold. You should have a rough idea about the direction you shoud take. Next, it depends on your own comprehension ability.
“After you’ve mastered this move, you can come to me again.”
Lord Ming’s figure disappeared as if he had never appeared after he finished talking.
Zhang Ruochen stood there for a long time. He took a deep breath and then turned around to leave.
He did not return to Vastsea Garden. He wasn’t in the mood to ask about what happened there.
Zhang Ruochen arrived at his villa. When he was about to enter, he suddenly found a strange mark on the ground in front of the door.
It was a Sword Seal.
It was four feet long and three inches wide. The body of the sword was irregular and rectangular.
“Who left the Sword Seal of Toten Sword here?”
Zhang Ruochen’s eyes showed a hint of surprise.
In Infernal Court, only cultivators of Kunlun could draw Toten Sword.
Zhang Ruochen knew that there were very few cultivators of Kunlun in Infernal Court. It was Pan Ruo? Sword Saint Xuanji? Or someone else?
What did the person mean by leaving the Sword Seal of Toten Sword?
“Toten Sword..”
Zhang Ruochen carefully observed the Sword Seal on the ground and soon found that the tip of the sword was neither vertical nor parallel to the gate of the villa. Instead, it was angled, as if it was intentional.
After thinking for a while, Zhang Ruochen released his spirit. It turned into a spiritual power avatar, flying toward the direction pointed by the sword tip.
Zhang Ruochen’s spiritual power avatar was very fast. It flew out of the Xue Jue family and arrived at Ancient City Skylin.
The next moment, Zhang Ruochen appeared on a very wide street.
This street was level with the direction pointed by the sword tip.
There were many pavilions on both sides of the street. It was very prosperous. There was an endless stream of cultivators from Infernal Court coming and going.
Zhang Ruochen walked along the street. He had a subtle feeling that he was being watched.
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen raised his head. He saw a charming woman standing in the middle of the street. She was walking slowly against the crowd.
Before this, he had not noticed the charming woman. It was as if she had appeared out of thin air.
In the blink of an eye, the charming woman walked in front of Zhang Ruochen. She did not say anything, but she showed a charming smile. She flipped her hand and took out a pearl with a faint divine light. She twirled it between her fingers and put it into his hand.
At this moment, Zhang Ruochen felt that the entire world had changed. All the cultivators on the street had disappeared, leaving him alone.
He was still standing on the street, but he felt like he was in a void where he could not sense the existence of Precepts and Saint Qi of heaven and earth. This location was completely isolated. Everything there was sealed off, kept under wraps.
Under such circumstances, the connection between Zhang Ruochen’s spirit and his true body was cut off.
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen felt someone reach out and pat his shoulder.
The street where Zhang Ruochen stood suddenly disappeared and a pitch-black abyss appeared. He lost control and plunged.
He was able to regain his footing after a long time.
However, he was no longer on the street, but in a simple and elegant room.
When he looked up, Zhang Ruochen saw an outstanding figure with his hands behind his back and a gentle smile on his face.
“Master!”
Zhang Ruochen was stunned. His heart seemed to have stopped beating. Then, he looked excited.
Not long ago, Zhang Ruochen had asked Xue Tu to find Sword Saint Xuanji. Who would have thought that he would see Sword Saint Xuanji in the territory of Bloodysky Clan so soon?
Sword Saint Xuanji smiled. “Ruochen, it’s not easy to meet you in Infernal Court. There is a total of three truegods in Xue Jue Family. I wouldn’t have come if I were not bold enough.”
“Master is bold. Or else, you would not have gone against the world to save me from Wan Zhaoyi.”
Zhang Ruochen quickly walked forward and bowed to Sword Saint Xuanji. “Greetings, Master.”
No matter what realm his cultivation had reached, Zhang Ruochen dared not forget his teacher’s kindness.
“There’s no need for such formalities between us.” Sword Saint Xuanji reached out and helped Zhang Ruochen up.
Zhang Ruochen straightened his body and asked, “Did you come to Bloodysky Clan’s territory to meet me?”
Sword Saint Xuanji nodded. “When I heard that you had come to Infernal Court, I immediately rushed over. I wanted to meet you, but I could not find the right opportunity.
“Today, the Bloodsky Clan held a God-ascension Ceremony. I transformed into an Immortal Vampire to infiltrated Bloodsky clan. I left a Sword Seal of Toten outside your residence
“Your identity is special now, so I don’t dare to make contact with you in Bloodsky clan rashly. I can only lure you to Ancient City Skylin to avoid detection from other deities.”
Zhang Ruochen understood that if Sword Saint Xuanji did not act cautious, Xuanji would have been exposed long ago.
After all, Sword Saint Xuanji was different from him. He had the identity of an Immortal Vampire and could live openly in Infernal Court.
On the other hand, if Sword Saint Xuanji got busted, he would be in a very dangerous situation. Infernal Court would never allow Kunlun cultivators to lurk their territory.
“Master, how have you been in Infernal Court all these years?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
Sword Saint Xuanji was silent for a moment. He shook his head and smiled, “Well, what to expect?” he said.
“It’s good to be still alive. Forget it, let’s not talk about this. You, on the other hand, must have had a hard time these years. I already know about it. It’s been hard on you!”
Although he was in Infernal Court, Sword Saint Xuanji had been paying attention to the news about Zhang Ruochen. From the start of the merit battlefield in the ancestral spirit world, Sword Saint Xuanji knew almost everything that had happened to Zhang Ruochen.
“Master, I’m sorry. I could not save second Senior, third Senior, and fifth senior sister apprentice. I watched them die tragically in front of me.”
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen lowered his head. His eyes were filled with endless guilt. He had put this matter behind him a long time ago, but when he saw Sword Saint Xuanji, he could not help but think of it again.
The scenes from before seemed to be right in front of him.
At this moment, Zhang Ruochen’s heart became bitter and bitter.
The deaths of Zhu Hongtao, Wan Ke, and the others were an eternal pain to him.
Sword Saint Xuanji sighed lightly and patted his shoulder. “It’s not your fault. You Don’t have to blame yourself. I’ve never blamed you, and no one will blame you. Haven’t you already avenged them?”
Including Huang Yanchen, Sword Saint Xuanji had only taken in seven disciples in his life.
But now..
It was impossible not to be sad.
Sword Saint Xuanji’s eyes were red, but he forced a smile and looked at him carefully, he smiled and said, “After so many years, you’ve become a Supreme Saint. Things have changed. Back then, I thought the best of all disciples was you. You did not disappoint me.”
Sword Saint Xuanji did not have any children. In his eyes, Zhang Ruochen was like his child.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen’s achievements, he could only be filled with joy.
“Master took such a big risk to contact me. Is there something important?”Zhang Ruochen asked.
Sword Saint Xuanji stayed in Infernal Court and did not return to Kunlun with Han Xue. This was something Zhang Ruochen could not understand. Why did he stay in such a dangerous place for so long?
