2555

The spiritual power of Kai Luo was so strong that even gods could hardly make him yield.

Therefore, Handae brought him back to the Wulvers’ sacred land and prepared to use ancient higher knowledge to slowly destroy his will. As long as his will collapsed, it would be much easier to control or force him to spill out information during interrogation.

Kai Luo and Claflin making the move meant the traitor was one among Supreme Saint Kuntong, Mu Huang, and Jiushou Bailang. It was not difficult to find out who it was.

Of course, Zhang Ruochen did not need to worry about this.

Zhang Ruochen rushed back to Terra Demons’ sacred land as soon as possible. There was another urgent matter that needed to be done immediately.

…

Ever since he had seen Zhang Ruochen fighting against so many Banshi Isshou Supreme Saints from the Fane of Death, Yan Huangtu was emotionally disturbed. Therefore, he had been secluding himself in a cultivation cave in Terra Demons’ sacred land.

There was a powerful Time Array in that cultivation cave.

He had cultivated inside for two months, while only eight days had passed outside.

Such an array would consume saint stones, Godstones, and some time-related materials.

On this day, Yan Huangtu had successfully broken through to the mid-stage of Thousand-Koan Realm. His strength had significantly increased, and his confidence — severely damaged by Zhang Ruochen and Que — had recovered a little.

“Yan Huangtu, come out and fight.” A voice came from outside the cave.

It was Zhang Ruochen’s voice.

“What is Zhang Ruochen doing? Why is he asking me to fight him… Could I have offended him somehow, so he wants to humiliate me?” Yan Huangtu, sitting cross-legged in the cave, was bewildered and hesitant.

He did not want to acknowledge the distances between their combat strength, but at the same time, he had to admit that there was a big gap between them. Zhang Ruochen challenging a weakling did not seem to be his style. There must be something fishy about it.

‘Wait… Who is the weakling?’ Yan Huangtu immediately cleared his weak state of mind. A burning light appeared in his eyes, and his domineering aura gushed out.

Zhang Ruochen stood with his sword in his hand and shouted again, “Yan Huangtu, come out and fight me if you want your dignity intact!”

Xuan Zehai and Xuan Qingying were nearby. When they heard the commotion, they rushed over immediately.

Xuan Zehai was worried. He asked nervously, “Did Supreme Saint Ruochen encounter any trouble?”

“No.”

“Did a cultivator from Yanluo Clan offend you?”

“No.”

Zhang Ruochen said lightly, “You don’t have to be so nervous. I just want a fair fight with Yan Huangtu. There were too many external factors in the Battlefield of Celestial-Hunting. It’s a pity that we didn’t have a good fight.”

The more he said so, the more worried Xuan Zehai and Xuan Qingying became. They thought, ‘Something must have happened. Otherwise, why would Zhang Ruochen take it out on Yan Huangtu?’

They didn’t know that the fake Yan Huangtu had been seriously “injured” by Claflin. So it would be a flaw in Zhang Ruochen’s scheme if the real Yan Huangtu was safe and sound.

“Master Yan Yu isn’t in the sacred land. Hurry and inform our lord,” Xuan Zehai said to Xuan Qingying, telepathically.

Xuan Qingying was full of worry. She immediately sent the news to the lord. At the same time, she immediately went to investigate who in the scared land had offended Zhang Ruochen.

The stone door of the cultivation cave opened. Yan Huangtu walked out with a dignified appearance. He smiled and said, “Bro, what happened?”

Zhang Ruochen said, “Answer me. Did you go tell people around that I was your ‘nephew’¹?”

“That’s not true. Who told you that? I’ve been cultivating in seclusion these days. How could I say such things? Who was the one who spread rumors?” Yan Huangtu’s face turned serious while denying it.

Zhang Ruochen had recognized Yan Yu as his “Uncle.” Yan Huangtu had too thought of himself as Zhang Ruochen’s “Uncle.” He was secretly pleased, but he did not say this to anyone.

If Zhang Ruochen wanted to find trouble, he naturally needed a reason.

He needed a reason.

Zhang Ruochen said, “Forget it. Whether you have said it or not, we should have a good fight today. Do you dare to accept the challenge?”

Yan Huangtu disagreed immediately. He said, “I think we have to investigate this matter clearly. I’m afraid someone is scheming to destroy the relationship between brother Ruochen and Yanluo Clan. Well, the Fane of Death is a bit suspicious!”

Zhang Ruochen pretended to be angry, “I’m asking if you dare to accept the challenge. You’re in Thousand-Koan Realm, and I’m only in Hundred-Shackle Realm. Does the so-called Royal Divine Frame not even have this bit of courage? If you’re terrified, I won’t use my spiritual power. Let’s have a battle of physical strength and cultivation. If you don’t accept the challenge, I’m afraid I’ll look down on you!”

Yan Huangtu’s eyes darkened, and a dragon’s roar sounded from his body, “Okay, I’ll fight you. But let me justify myself, I will admit the things I’ve done only if I did it. I said that this wasn’t my doing, so it’s really not me.”

Zhang Ruochen’s eyes softened a bit. “At least you still a dignified man. Let’s go inside the cave and fight. Otherwise, everyone will look bad when things get ugly.”

The two entered the cultivation cave and closed the stone door. Immediately, there was a loud bang, and the ground shook slightly.

The spatial structure in a cultivation cave of a Supreme Saint was stable and would not be easily destroyed.

The Terra Demon Emperor and Yan Zhexian rushed over quickly.

Yan Zhexian growled, “What happened? What’s wrong with Zhang Ruochen? Why did he challenge Uncle Huangtu?”

Xuan Zehai laughed bitterly. “I’m afraid Zhang Ruochen can’t be blamed for this. It seems that Zhang Ruochen caught Yan Huangtu calling Zhang Ruochen nephew!”

Yan Zhexian was stunned.

Terra Demon Emperor was worried. “Yan Huangtu is a steady man. How could he say such things so casually? Zhang Ruochen and Master Yan Yu address each other as uncle and nephew because of the huge difference in cultivation. Thus, Master Yan Yu has the right to talk about seniority.”

Seniority in the cultivation world was not only based on age but also on strength.

Almost all cultivators in the world, as long as they hadn’t broken through to divinity, called Yan Yu “Master Yan Yu.” On the contrary, everyone mostly called Yan Huangtu “the fifth Young Master.”

Xuan Zehai said, “It’s also possible Yan Huangtu didn’t say that at all. Someone is trying to sow discord.”

“Who has the guts?” Yan Zhexian glared angrily.

Xuan Zehai said in a low voice, “Master Yan Yu and Zhang Ruochen address each other as uncle and nephew because he wants to promote the marriage between the two races. Who doesn’t want to see you and Zhang Ruochen get together?”

The Terra Demon Emperor said, “Yuan Qianmo.”

“I don’t think Yuan Qianmo would use such a dirty trick.” Yan Zhexian frowned. She was speechless. ‘Did I just bring trouble to Uncle Huangtu?’

The Terra Demon Emperorsaid, “It might not be Yuan Qianmo but his younger brother, Yuan Benji. He is an unscrupulous person.”

Yan Zhexian believed him a little. She stared at the stone door in front of him worriedly and heard the increasingly deafening collision sounds, “Is this a battle of life and death?”

Xuan Zehai was a little uncertain. He said, “I don’t think so! After all, Zhang Ruochen’s cultivation is much higher than Yan Huangtu’s…”

At this point, he suddenly realized that something was wrong.

Yan Huangtu’s cultivation was obviously much higher than Zhang Ruochen’s.

Bang!

After a long while, the stone door opened with a bang.

Zhang Ruochen’s entire body was burning with divine fire. His long hair was as red as blood. He walked out like a Wargod of flames. He let out a long breath. Then, he rubbed his hands and gradually withdrew his power.

Yan Zhexian approached. Feeling guilty, she said in a soft voice, “Uncle Huangtu is not the kind of person who doesn’t know what is the right thing to say. I believe that what you heard was most likely a rumor.”

Zhang Ruochen felt even more guilty. His eyes softened, “I’ve calmed down. I suddenly realized that I might have fallen into the Fane of Death’s plot to sow discord. Brother Huang Tu is definitely not the kind of cultivator who doesn’t dare to admit the things he does. Sigh, I was too impulsive!”

Zhang Ruochen took out a wooden jar and handed it to Yan Zhexian. “This is the Spring of Life. Take it and feed it to Huangtu. Tell him I’m sorry. I feel ashamed to see him.”

Yan Zhexian was stunned. He looked into the cultivation cave. ‘How badly has Zhang Ruochen injured Uncle Huangtu? Why did he need Spring of Life?’

She took the divine wooden jar and walked quickly into the stone door.

Zhang Ruochen walked toward Terra Demon Emperor, Xuan Zehai, and Xuan Qingying. He sighed again. “Guys, I’ve been too reckless. Please keep it a secret. Otherwise, I’ll be laughed at by all the cultivators. The mastermind of the Fane of Death is so abominable. If I find out that they’re really behind this, I won’t let them off easily.”

The three understood that this matter could go one of two ways, so they agreed to keep their mouths shut.

Staring at Zhang Ruochen’s back, the Terra Demon Emperor said, “I didn’t expect this guy to swallow his pride and admit his mistakes.”

Xuan Zehai nodded and sighed. “Everyone thinks that Zhang Ruochen is strong, full of killing intent, and will eventually break one day. However, who had seen this side of Zhang Ruochen?”

“One should give birth to a son like Zhang Ruochen.” The Terra Demon Emperor agreed.

In the cultivation cave, Yan Zhexian stared blankly at Yan Huangtu, which had almost turned into a golden skeleton. Fortunately, he had the Royal Divine Frame. Otherwise, his body would have exploded many times. Yan Zhexian thought, ‘Zhang Ruochen hit Uncle Huangtu too hard.’

Yan Zhexian quickly opened the divine wooden jar and sprinkled Spring of Life on the golden skeleton, “Uncle, Zhang Ruochen said he might have misunderstood you. Maybe the Fane of Death is trying to sow discord behind your back. This is the Spring of Life that he gave you!”

After absorbing Spring of Life, some flesh and blood gradually grew on the skeleton of Yan Huangtu.

Yan Huangtu trembled and struggled to hold up half of his body. He said intermittently, “X-Xian’er, I have figured it out. N-No matter what… you have to… you have to marry Zhang Ruochen. You have to make him my ‘nephew’!”

Yan Zhexian saw how pitiful Yan Huangtu was at the moment. She didn’t refute but comfort him to recuperate.

“Investigate… you have to find out. If the Fane of Death is behind my back… I will make them pay a painful price… Hack…Hack…”

The spiritual power of Kai Luo was so strong that even gods could hardly make him yield.

Therefore, Handae brought him back to the Wulvers’ sacred land and prepared to use ancient higher knowledge to slowly destroy his will. As long as his will collapsed, it would be much easier to control or force him to spill out information during interrogation.

Kai Luo and Claflin making the move meant the traitor was one among Supreme Saint Kuntong, Mu Huang, and Jiushou Bailang. It was not difficult to find out who it was.

Of course, Zhang Ruochen did not need to worry about this.

Zhang Ruochen rushed back to Terra Demons’ sacred land as soon as possible. There was another urgent matter that needed to be done immediately.

…

Ever since he had seen Zhang Ruochen fighting against so many Banshi Isshou Supreme Saints from the Fane of Death, Yan Huangtu was emotionally disturbed. Therefore, he had been secluding himself in a cultivation cave in Terra Demons’ sacred land.

There was a powerful Time Array in that cultivation cave.

He had cultivated inside for two months, while only eight days had passed outside.

Such an array would consume saint stones, Godstones, and some time-related materials.

On this day, Yan Huangtu had successfully broken through to the mid-stage of Thousand-Koan Realm. His strength had significantly increased, and his confidence — severely damaged by Zhang Ruochen and Que — had recovered a little.

“Yan Huangtu, come out and fight.” A voice came from outside the cave.

It was Zhang Ruochen’s voice.

“What is Zhang Ruochen doing? Why is he asking me to fight him… Could I have offended him somehow, so he wants to humiliate me?” Yan Huangtu, sitting cross-legged in the cave, was bewildered and hesitant.

He did not want to acknowledge the distances between their combat strength, but at the same time, he had to admit that there was a big gap between them. Zhang Ruochen challenging a weakling did not seem to be his style. There must be something fishy about it.

‘Wait… Who is the weakling?’ Yan Huangtu immediately cleared his weak state of mind. A burning light appeared in his eyes, and his domineering aura gushed out.

Zhang Ruochen stood with his sword in his hand and shouted again, “Yan Huangtu, come out and fight me if you want your dignity intact!”

Xuan Zehai and Xuan Qingying were nearby. When they heard the commotion, they rushed over immediately.

Xuan Zehai was worried. He asked nervously, “Did Supreme Saint Ruochen encounter any trouble?”

“No.”

“Did a cultivator from Yanluo Clan offend you?”

“No.”

Zhang Ruochen said lightly, “You don’t have to be so nervous. I just want a fair fight with Yan Huangtu. There were too many external factors in the Battlefield of Celestial-Hunting. It’s a pity that we didn’t have a good fight.”

The more he said so, the more worried Xuan Zehai and Xuan Qingying became. They thought, ‘Something must have happened. Otherwise, why would Zhang Ruochen take it out on Yan Huangtu?’

They didn’t know that the fake Yan Huangtu had been seriously “injured” by Claflin. So it would be a flaw in Zhang Ruochen’s scheme if the real Yan Huangtu was safe and sound.

“Master Yan Yu isn’t in the sacred land. Hurry and inform our lord,” Xuan Zehai said to Xuan Qingying, telepathically.

Xuan Qingying was full of worry. She immediately sent the news to the lord. At the same time, she immediately went to investigate who in the scared land had offended Zhang Ruochen.

The stone door of the cultivation cave opened. Yan Huangtu walked out with a dignified appearance. He smiled and said, “Bro, what happened?”

Zhang Ruochen said, “Answer me. Did you go tell people around that I was your ‘nephew’¹?”

“That’s not true. Who told you that? I’ve been cultivating in seclusion these days. How could I say such things? Who was the one who spread rumors?” Yan Huangtu’s face turned serious while denying it.

Zhang Ruochen had recognized Yan Yu as his “Uncle.” Yan Huangtu had too thought of himself as Zhang Ruochen’s “Uncle.” He was secretly pleased, but he did not say this to anyone.

If Zhang Ruochen wanted to find trouble, he naturally needed a reason.

He needed a reason.

Zhang Ruochen said, “Forget it. Whether you have said it or not, we should have a good fight today. Do you dare to accept the challenge?”

Yan Huangtu disagreed immediately. He said, “I think we have to investigate this matter clearly. I’m afraid someone is scheming to destroy the relationship between brother Ruochen and Yanluo Clan. Well, the Fane of Death is a bit suspicious!”

Zhang Ruochen pretended to be angry, “I’m asking if you dare to accept the challenge. You’re in Thousand-Koan Realm, and I’m only in Hundred-Shackle Realm. Does the so-called Royal Divine Frame not even have this bit of courage? If you’re terrified, I won’t use my spiritual power. Let’s have a battle of physical strength and cultivation. If you don’t accept the challenge, I’m afraid I’ll look down on you!”

Yan Huangtu’s eyes darkened, and a dragon’s roar sounded from his body, “Okay, I’ll fight you. But let me justify myself, I will admit the things I’ve done only if I did it. I said that this wasn’t my doing, so it’s really not me.”

Zhang Ruochen’s eyes softened a bit. “At least you still a dignified man. Let’s go inside the cave and fight. Otherwise, everyone will look bad when things get ugly.”

The two entered the cultivation cave and closed the stone door. Immediately, there was a loud bang, and the ground shook slightly.

The spatial structure in a cultivation cave of a Supreme Saint was stable and would not be easily destroyed.

The Terra Demon Emperor and Yan Zhexian rushed over quickly.

Yan Zhexian growled, “What happened? What’s wrong with Zhang Ruochen? Why did he challenge Uncle Huangtu?”

Xuan Zehai laughed bitterly. “I’m afraid Zhang Ruochen can’t be blamed for this. It seems that Zhang Ruochen caught Yan Huangtu calling Zhang Ruochen nephew!”

Yan Zhexian was stunned.

Terra Demon Emperor was worried. “Yan Huangtu is a steady man. How could he say such things so casually? Zhang Ruochen and Master Yan Yu address each other as uncle and nephew because of the huge difference in cultivation. Thus, Master Yan Yu has the right to talk about seniority.”

Seniority in the cultivation world was not only based on age but also on strength.

Almost all cultivators in the world, as long as they hadn’t broken through to divinity, called Yan Yu “Master Yan Yu.” On the contrary, everyone mostly called Yan Huangtu “the fifth Young Master.”

Xuan Zehai said, “It’s also possible Yan Huangtu didn’t say that at all. Someone is trying to sow discord.”

“Who has the guts?” Yan Zhexian glared angrily.

Xuan Zehai said in a low voice, “Master Yan Yu and Zhang Ruochen address each other as uncle and nephew because he wants to promote the marriage between the two races. Who doesn’t want to see you and Zhang Ruochen get together?”

The Terra Demon Emperor said, “Yuan Qianmo.”

“I don’t think Yuan Qianmo would use such a dirty trick.” Yan Zhexian frowned. She was speechless. ‘Did I just bring trouble to Uncle Huangtu?’

The Terra Demon Emperorsaid, “It might not be Yuan Qianmo but his younger brother, Yuan Benji. He is an unscrupulous person.”

Yan Zhexian believed him a little. She stared at the stone door in front of him worriedly and heard the increasingly deafening collision sounds, “Is this a battle of life and death?”

Xuan Zehai was a little uncertain. He said, “I don’t think so! After all, Zhang Ruochen’s cultivation is much higher than Yan Huangtu’s…”

At this point, he suddenly realized that something was wrong.

Yan Huangtu’s cultivation was obviously much higher than Zhang Ruochen’s.

Bang!

After a long while, the stone door opened with a bang.

Zhang Ruochen’s entire body was burning with divine fire. His long hair was as red as blood. He walked out like a Wargod of flames. He let out a long breath. Then, he rubbed his hands and gradually withdrew his power.

Yan Zhexian approached. Feeling guilty, she said in a soft voice, “Uncle Huangtu is not the kind of person who doesn’t know what is the right thing to say. I believe that what you heard was most likely a rumor.”

Zhang Ruochen felt even more guilty. His eyes softened, “I’ve calmed down. I suddenly realized that I might have fallen into the Fane of Death’s plot to sow discord. Brother Huang Tu is definitely not the kind of cultivator who doesn’t dare to admit the things he does. Sigh, I was too impulsive!”

Zhang Ruochen took out a wooden jar and handed it to Yan Zhexian. “This is the Spring of Life. Take it and feed it to Huangtu. Tell him I’m sorry. I feel ashamed to see him.”

Yan Zhexian was stunned. He looked into the cultivation cave. ‘How badly has Zhang Ruochen injured Uncle Huangtu? Why did he need Spring of Life?’

She took the divine wooden jar and walked quickly into the stone door.

Zhang Ruochen walked toward Terra Demon Emperor, Xuan Zehai, and Xuan Qingying. He sighed again. “Guys, I’ve been too reckless. Please keep it a secret. Otherwise, I’ll be laughed at by all the cultivators. The mastermind of the Fane of Death is so abominable. If I find out that they’re really behind this, I won’t let them off easily.”

The three understood that this matter could go one of two ways, so they agreed to keep their mouths shut.

Staring at Zhang Ruochen’s back, the Terra Demon Emperor said, “I didn’t expect this guy to swallow his pride and admit his mistakes.”

Xuan Zehai nodded and sighed. “Everyone thinks that Zhang Ruochen is strong, full of killing intent, and will eventually break one day. However, who had seen this side of Zhang Ruochen?”

“One should give birth to a son like Zhang Ruochen.” The Terra Demon Emperor agreed.

In the cultivation cave, Yan Zhexian stared blankly at Yan Huangtu, which had almost turned into a golden skeleton. Fortunately, he had the Royal Divine Frame. Otherwise, his body would have exploded many times. Yan Zhexian thought, ‘Zhang Ruochen hit Uncle Huangtu too hard.’

Yan Zhexian quickly opened the divine wooden jar and sprinkled Spring of Life on the golden skeleton, “Uncle, Zhang Ruochen said he might have misunderstood you. Maybe the Fane of Death is trying to sow discord behind your back. This is the Spring of Life that he gave you!”

After absorbing Spring of Life, some flesh and blood gradually grew on the skeleton of Yan Huangtu.

Yan Huangtu trembled and struggled to hold up half of his body. He said intermittently, “X-Xian’er, I have figured it out. N-No matter what… you have to… you have to marry Zhang Ruochen. You have to make him my ‘nephew’!”

Yan Zhexian saw how pitiful Yan Huangtu was at the moment. She didn’t refute but comfort him to recuperate.

“Investigate… you have to find out. If the Fane of Death is behind my back… I will make them pay a painful price… Hack…Hack…”