Chapter 2283: The Food from The Fanes
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
It was a high price to exchange a microworld of woodlands for five Ampliofruits, but Zhang Ruochen thought it was worth it.
He took the five Ampliofruits in front of him and put them on the jade table with the previous five. He smiled with satisfaction.
Looking at the ten s.h.i.+ning Saint fruits, all the cultivators at the feast had eyes burning with greed, envy, and jealousy.
‘If only they were mine.’ Many cultivators had this thought in their minds.
Ten Ampliofruits represented one billion rules and 30,000 years of life.
Some thought that Zhang Ruochen had won too easily. It was only two rounds, and he had the most Ampliofruits among attendees in the Celestial-Hunting Festival.
However, more cultivators recognized Zhang Ruochen from these two battles and regarded him as a strong opponent of the Celestial-Hunting battlefield.
It could be said that Zhang Ruochen was lucky and opportunistic to win against Lord Sinluo.
However, who would dare to look down on Zhang Ruochen who had defeated Xu, whose cultivation strength was outstanding?
Lady Wind stared at Zhang Ruochen with her s.h.i.+mmering eyes. She couldn’t help but smile. She finally understood why WarG.o.d Bloodximius had made him the leader of Bloodsky Clan in the festival and supported him fully in taking control of the Supreme Artifact.
After the two battles, Lady Wind had a strange feeling. She felt that Zhang Ruochen’s strength, despite him being at Neverwilt Realm, had become unfathomable.
“Even if I fail to be Scioness and end up marrying him, with his talent and my help, this era will belong to the two of us. We may even overshadow the Scioness of Destiny.
“I hope to see more miracles he can achieve on the Celestial-Hunting ground.” Lady Wind’s recognition of Zhang Ruochen’s strength increased greatly.
When Yellowsky Clan’s deities intended to marry her to Zhang Ruochen, Lady Wind had resisted.
But now, she felt that it might be a good alternative.
Seeing that Zhang Ruochen had won again, Xue Tu could not be happy. He was depressed and hesitated. In the end, he gritted his teeth and walked upstream.
“I don’t want anything, but I must eat this Ampliofruit. If Zhang Ruochen doesn’t return it, I’ll fight him to the death.” Xue Tu clenched his hands. His eyes were fierce. He was ready to fight to the death.
Pan Ruo didn’t stay. She didn’t look at Zhang Ruochen or Xu. She turned and left. Her demeanor was as cold as ice.
Zhang Ruochen didn’t look at her either. He looked at Xu on the other side of Destiny’s Creek. More accurately, he looked at the huge sword. “Is he still alive?”
Xu knew who Zhang Ruochen was referring to. He stood up and held the huge sword in his hand. “He’s alive! And you’ll see him soon. He’s on the Celestial-Hunting ground.”
Zhang Ruochen’s expression didn’t change, but his heart was filled with all kinds of negative emotions.
There was killing intent, anger, pain, and helplessness.
Once Supreme Saint Manjian was sent to the Celestial-Hunting ground, he would become the prey of Infernal Court cultivators. He and Zhang Ruochen would become life and death enemies on the battlefield.
Xu’s state of mind was clearly far superior to Lord Sinluo’s. A smile appeared on his face. “I’m very curious. Would you be able to kill him when you meet him on the Celestial-Hunting ground?”
Zhang Ruochen stared at Xu and said nothing.
“The festival has just begun,” Xu said. “And yet I’ve lost two rounds in a row at your hands.
“However, I am not angry.
“Instead, I’m grateful for these two defeats. After all, what I lost is not my life but my face and five Ampliofruits.
“These two losses show me my weakness. They remind me that I shouldn’t underestimate my enemy. Even a lion needs to use all of its strength to kill a rabbit.
“When countering you and Lord Xia Yu, I only thought about how to humiliate you guys, but I forgot that my ultimate goal was to defeat you.
“I used to enjoy the process of crus.h.i.+ng my opponents. The lesson you taught me made me realize that I need to change. The outcome is more important than the process
“So, in order to express my grat.i.tude, I have to remind you that if you meet the owner of this sword, it’s best to kill him with one strike.
“If your determination is not strong and you can’t bring yourself to cut ties with Celestial Court cultivators, you won’t be able to integrate into Infernal Court.
“A person who lacks determination won’t achieve greatness.
“Zhang Ruochen, you’re a very powerful opponent. I look forward to a real fight against you on the Celestial-Hunting Battlefield.”
Zhang Ruochen’s fingers tapped lightly on the jade table. He restrained himself and let out a breath. “Okay, I’ll see you at the hunting ground.”
“Take this. It’s yours now!”
Xu threw out the giant sword. The tip of the sword was in front, and the hilt was behind. It turned into a ray of sword light and flew toward Zhang Ruochen.
It was extremely fast.
Apparently, Xu threw it with all his might.
Zhang Ruochen turned, and the giant sword flew close to his face.
Zhang Ruochen’s face was reflected on the body of the sword. His eyes were piercing.
Swoos.h.!.+
A large number of Marks of Time appeared, slowing down the flow of time in this s.p.a.ce. Zhang Ruochen reached out his hand to grab the hilt of the giant sword and pressed his wrist down.
The body of the sword tilted downward and stabbed into the ground with a swoosh.
Even so, the impact force contained in the sword caused the sword to draw a distance of dozens of feet backward, forming a deep sword path.
Fortunately, Mount Destiny here had a strong geological structure and was densely covered with Divine Marks.
Otherwise, the impact force of this sword could have spread thousands of miles away.
Zhang Ruochen pulled the huge sword out of the ground and held it in his hand. He looked at it carefully and couldn’t help but recall the days when he practiced in the heaven. He said, “A Regal Artifact cla.s.s battle sword. It’s indeed a big gift.”
Xu had already turned around and left. He waved his hand and said, “I’ve given away all five Ampliofruits. It’s not a big deal to give you a sword.”
Gu Chenzi transmitted his voice to Zhang Ruochen. “Xu gave you the sword to stir your state of mind.”
Zhang Ruochen knew what Xu was thinking. Nevertheless, from the moment he saw the sword, his unwavering resolution was shaken a bit.
He had decided to ignore all subjects and to turn the world upside down.
But now..
Sigh!
“Senior!”
Xue Tu’s voice sounded behind him.
Zhang Ruochen was in a bad mood. If it were not for the rules of the Celestial-Hunting Festival, he would have already attacked Xu. At this moment, he suddenly turned around and said, “What’s the matter? What do you want?”
Zhang Ruochen’s eyes emitted a cold light and contained killing intent.
How could Xue Tu know that Zhang Ruochen’s killing intent was directed at Xu?
Being stared at by his eyes, Xue Tu felt a chill all over his body. His throat seemed to be frozen. He stuttered, “Se-Se-Senior, I-I-I con-congratulate you. Congratulations on defeating Xu and winning the second duel.”
Zhang Ruochen completely restrained his emotions. He nodded slightly and said, “Okay. Go!”
Xue Tu’s heart skipped a beat. He turned around and left. However, after taking two steps, he stopped. ‘I came to ask for the Ampliofruit. Why did I leave just like that?’
Mustering his courage, Xue Tu walked over again. He said in a low voice, “Senior, you’ve borrowed my Ampliofruit as a bet. Could you please… Please return it to me now?”
“We must always return what we borrow, right?” Zhang Ruochen said.
Xue Tu nodded. “That’s right.”
“But why didn’t you return Seamless Purgatory Tower you borrowed from me? So use this Ampliofruit to pay off your debt!” Zhang Ruochen said.
Xue Tu was speechless. He wasn’t willing to accept this, “I can pay off my debt slowly in the future. Could you give me this Ampliofruit first? After I eat it, my cultivation will rise rapidly. It’ll be good for Bloodsky Clan’s performance on the Celestial-Hunting ground.”
Zhang Ruochen stretched out a finger. The Precepts of Dimension started to gather at his fingertip.
Xue Tu’s expression changed when he thought about how he’d been flicked away by Zhang Ruochen’s finger. He quickly retreated and walked downstream. He muttered, “D*mn Asurendra Samay, why did he capture Zhang Ruochen’s daughter. If he didn’t capture her, Zhang Ruochen wouldn’t have come to Infernal Court.
“If Zhang Ruochen didn’t come to Infernal Court, with my talent, I would definitely be famous in this era. How could I be suppressed by him?
“Now I have to live without dignity. No! I can’t take this anymore. I must resist.”
Zhang Ruochen stared at Xue Tu’s back. He thought for a moment and called out, “Xue Tu, I can lend you a Ampliofruit, but…”
Xue Tu was overjoyed. He rushed back and grabbed Zhang Ruochen’s arm excitedly. “Senior, if you need anything, just tell me. I, Xue Tu, will definitely do it for you. I won’t say no.”
“Uh… forget it! Remember, you owe me a huge debt again.” Zhang Ruochen handed him a saint flower that contained an Ampliofruit.
Xue Tu held the saint flower tightly. He was so moved that his eyes turned red. He nodded heavily.
Zhang Ruochen couldn’t stand Xue Tu’s puppy eyes anymore. He waved his hand, asking Xue Tu to leave.
After Xu’s defeat, more cultivators came to challenge Zhang Ruochen. However, Zhang Ruochen declined them all. He didn’t want to continue.
Winning two duels in a row had raised the morale of Bloodsky Clan to the peak.
Zhang Ruochen didn’t have the confidence to win another duel. Secondly, if he lost, the morale he raised with hard efforts would collapse.
5,000 Altofruits flowed down from the upper reaches of Destiny’s Creek to the hands of 5,000 top Saint Kings.
The duels became more frequent. They were everywhere.
Zhang Ruochen glanced at Lian Xi, who was still kneeling beside him, and said, “Get up!”
Lian Xi’s eyes were empty, and she stood up like a puppet.
Seeing her appearance, many cultivators felt heartache. They had wanted to embrace her in their arms and protect her from harm.
At the same time, many cultivators wanted to teach Zhang Ruochen a lesson. They saw him as a b*stard who didn’t know how to be gentle with women.
Especially the Celestial Court cultivators who were watching the projection. They shouted on all the Battlefields of Merits, “Charge into Infernal Court, kill Zhang Ruochen with a sword, and save King Daxi.”
“Let’s gather saint stones to hire the Terrestrial a.s.sa.s.sins to cut off Zhang Ruochen’s head at Infernal Court.”
“Zhang Ruochen is now an Immortal Vampire and a Supreme Saint. He has strong vitality. Even if he is beheaded, he won’t die. He has to be cut into pieces.”
Zhang Ruochen didn’t know that the Celestial Court cultivators had formed an They regarded him as the biggest traitor of this Yuanhui.
Whoos.h.!.+ Whoos.h.!.+
He poured a cup of Divine Jade Dew from the pot and handed it to Lian Xi. “You’ve helped me win an Ampliofruit. This cup of Divine Jade Dew is for you.”
All the Fanes provided the food for the feast.
The Fane of Rakshasa provided “Divine Meat.”
The Fane of Asura provided “Dragon Liver and Phoenix Gall.”
The immortal Fane provided “Immortal Blood Marrow.”
…
Zhang Ruochen’s jade table was filled with all kinds of dishes, each of which could tempt even the deities. Some could advance cultivation, some could strengthen the soul, some could increase spiritual power… and so on.
The Divine Jade Dew was provided by the Fane of WineG.o.d. It took 900 years to brew by mixing the essence of the Divine Jade with Divine blood and rare ingredients from all clans. After drinking one cup, one could enter a state of enlightenment.
Each Supreme Saint was only ent.i.tled to one pot.
Lian Xi didn’t take the three-legged cup. She remained silent and motionless. No one knew what she was thinking. It was as if she was silently resisting.
“You don’t know how to appreciate favors.”
Zhang Ruochen snorted and drank all the Divine Jade Dew in one gulp.
However, when he raised his head to drink, a deep and sorrowful self-mocking smile appeared in his eyes.
In Infernal Court, free will did not exist for Zhang Ruochen despite him being a G.o.ddess’ son, let alone a captive like Lian Xi.
Zhang Ruochen did not have any feelings for Lian Xi at the beginning. All he had was hostility and exploitation.
Even now, he remained the same. But something else grew in his heart.
No matter what motive Zhang Ruochen had in the beginning, Lian Xi had become his woman in the end. Zhang Ruochen was very clear that his action would lead to some inevitable consequences. No matter how bad the consequences were, he had to bear them; he had to face them.
Lian Xi had said that she wanted to go back, and Zhang Ruochen did promise to let her go.
However, if she went back like that, she would not end up well.
All the cultivators guessed that Zhang Ruochen deliberately humiliated Lian Xi and forced her to kneel. By doing so, he indirectly insulted Celestial Court and pleaded his loyalty to Infernal Court. However, Zhang Ruochen just wanted to play a villain’s role more thoroughly. He wanted to let Celestial Court cultivators know that Lian Xi did not really submit to him. She was just a victim and a poor lady.
This way, there was still a place she could go back.
And when she escaped later, Infernal Court wouldn’t think that Zhang Ruochen’d let her go on purpose.
After all, she was just a maidservant.
Lian Xi should be on her own when walking her own path.
“Drinking Divine Jade Dew can help me in the enlightenment of the cultivation Paths. Swallowing an Ampliofruit can help me practice high-level Saint Techniques. I wonder if their effects are really that amazing.”
Zhang Ruochen swallowed an Ampliofruit and prepared to practice a high-level Thousand-Koan level Saint Technique.
It must be known that many people at the Great Perfection stage of Hundred-Shackle Realm had practiced high-level Thousand-Koan level Saint Techniques. If someone used it, Zhang Ruochen could not resist it without using the Supreme Artifact.
However, the main purpose for a clan leader to wield a Supreme Saint Artifact was to intimidate others.
In the early stage of Celestial-Hunting, each clan would not expose the Supreme Artifact. In this way, no one knew who had the Supreme Artifact, so they would not simply attack an enemy.
That was why it was very important to practice a high-level Saint Technique of the Thousand-Koan Realm.
Without the dragon and elephant souls of Thousand-Koan Realm, Zhang Ruochen could not advance Dragon-Elephant Prajna Palm Strike to Thousand-Koan level for the time being. Therefore, he chose to practice the fifth level of Incarceration of Divine Demon.
In his plan, he wanted to achieve the fifth level for his Incarceration of Divine Demon. He also wanted to combine this Saint Technique with the Saint Aspect of the Immovable Wisdom King as well as the five elements of yin and yang to become a real killer move.. It would become a weapon specifically used to counter Hundred-Shackle Realm cultivators at the Great Perfection stage.