Chapter 2098: Maiden of a Thousand Stars, the Fiancée
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The short skinny old man trapped in a dimensional cage was rolling his small eyes around. As someone skillful in escape technique, he was shocked that Zhang Ruochen could capture him. Just how terrifying Zhang Ruochen’s dimensional technique was.
Unlike other places, True Dragon Island suppressed one’s power to the extreme. n.o.body could fly since the dimension was locked down. Any dimensional technique’s effect would be significantly reduced under such an environment.
“Old Man, you are capable. How dare you escape under my watch? I will beat you to death.” Blackie opened his mouth and spat out the regal-weapon seal.
The short skinny old man flinched the next second. He looked at Zhang Ruochen pitifully and begged, “I was scared. I know I was wrong. I won’t try to run away anymore. Please forgive me this time. No matter what you ask, I’ll answer honestly.”
Just like before, the moment the short skinny old man spoke, the precepts of heaven and earth around him became very active. They were like instrument strings plucked or circular ripples formed in a lake where a pebble was dropped.
Zhang Ruochen grabbed the dimensional chain with one hand and asked in a deep voice, “Hurry up and tell me who you are. Why did you appear on True Dragon Island so early?”
“Well— D-Don’t, I’ll tell you the truth…”
The short skinny old man put on a bitter face. “Actually, my name is Rock Saint. I was originally just a rock on True Dragon Island. Because of Divine Dragon Blood, I slowly gained intelligence and eventually took the human form through self-cultivation.”
“As expected, you didn’t tell us the truth earlier on. I knew you weren’t some rogue cultivator,” said Zhang Ruochen.
Blackie gave a strange look, trying to size up the short skinny old man. “This old guy actually transformed from a rock and could withstand the Divine Dragon Blood. It seems that he isn’t any ordinary rock. No wonder he is not afraid of my Eternal Fire.”
Zhang Ruochen looked at the short skinny old man with a deep gaze and said, “Since you have been living on True Dragon Island, you must know a lot about it. Where did all the treasures previously kept in Dragon Temple go?”
He had thought that the Dragon Temple ruins were full of treasures. However, ever since he stepped into this vast area, he did not find any treasures except that hidden s.p.a.ce. It was really strange.
“There were indeed many treasures in this ruin before, but they were all taken away by the overlords on the island. There might still be some treasures left on some secluded or extremely dangerous sites,” the short skinny old man said in a low voice.
Unlike last time, the precepts of heaven and earth seemed very calm as the short skinny old man spoke this time.
A glint of light flashed in Zhang Ruochen’s eyes. He immediately asked, “What do you mean by ‘overlords’?”
“After the end of War of G.o.ds during the late Middle Ages, five terrifying creatures with earth-shaking skills were born on the island. Each of them has occupied a site in Dragon Temple’s area. All the treasures scattered around were taken away by them.” There was fear in the short skinny old man’s eyes as he spoke.
Zhang Ruochen would not have believed what the short skinny old man said in the past. But now, as he was aware of the existence of a mysterious creature known as “Mojo” on the True Dragon Island, other creatures might exist on this island as well.
Zhang Ruochen continued his question, “Is Mojo among the five overlords?”
The short skinny old man looked at Zhang Ruochen in surprise and said, “You are aware of Mojo’s existence? Yes, Mojo is indeed one of the five overlords. It is the eeriest among them. I have never seen its true form. You’d better not provoke it. Otherwise, you will die.”
“True Dragon Island’s environment is so harsh, and the island is filled with all kinds of ominous energy. The creatures born under such environment must be extraordinary,” Blackie said seriously.
As it spoke, it could not help but glance at the short skinny old man. ‘This old man is not powerful, but he has a very strong body. Moreover, his escape technique is considered incredible.’
Zhang Ruochen thought for a moment before he said, “Last question, do you know where the key to the World Gate is?”
Compared to other things, Zhang Ruochen was definitely more concerned about this matter. After all, this was the reason they took the risk to enter True Dragon Island.
Upon hearing “the key to the World Gate”, the short skinny old man was shocked. Even the precepts of heaven and earth around him became chaotic.
However, the old man acted as if he was puzzled, “I have no idea what is that? Is it a key?”
“You really don’t know? The key to the World Gate has only emerged recently. Have you seen any strange phenomena on the island?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
The short skinny old man replied, “I really don’t know. As for the strange phenomena, I think I have seen it.”
“Where is it? Take us there immediately,” Blackie was anxious.
Although they were uncertain that the key to the World Gate would show up in a place where strange phenomena occurred, they certainly knew that the possibility was high.
At this stage, no one knew the exact location of the key to the World Gate. They did not even know what the key to the World Gate looked like. They could only look around.
The short skinny old man rolled his eyes and asked tentatively, “I can lead the way, but after that, could you let me go?”
“As long as you don’t play any tricks, I can let you go,” Zhang Ruochen said.
The short skinny old man immediately smiled and said, “I don’t dare to play any tricks. Let’s go now.”
At this time, the short skinny old man seemed to be more proactive than Zhang Ruochen and Blackie since he wanted his freedom as soon as possible.
Zhang Ruochen unlocked the dimensional cage, but he still tied the short skinny old man tight with the dimensional chain. At the same time, he performed a technique to seal the old man’s power to prevent the old man from escaping.
There was no other way. The short skinny old man was very skillful in his escape technique, so Zhang Ruochen could not let his guard down.
After the short skinny old man pointed the approximate direction to the destination, Zhang Ruochen picked him up and quickly darted. Blackie followed them closely.
On the hill covered by the illusion, the Maiden of a Thousand Stars stood gracefully. A glint of light flashed in her almond-shaped eyes as if she had noticed something.
“Something is wrong with the old man that Zhang Ruochen captured. He harmonized with the surrounding Origin of Heaven and Earth; it is almost as if he is the center of the Origin.”
“Let’s follow them and s.n.a.t.c.h that old man from him if necessary.”
“Your Highness, both Zhang Ruochen and the sacred owl are so powerful that they have even made Suns.h.i.+ne Civilization suffer a great loss. If we clash with them, we might not be able to defeat them. It’s too risky to follow them now. Why don’t we inform the three Imperial Scions first?” An elder of Thousand-Star Civilization said seriously.
Thousand-Star Civilization was one of the most powerful ancient civilizations. It had a thousand Stars of Life. This was also the origin of its name.
Rumors said that those thousand Stars of Life owned by Thousand-Star Civilization were actually Divine Planets. As they contained incredible power, Thousand-Star Civilization was able to produce many talents in every generation. A large number of powerhouses was born on each Star of Life.
The strongest powerhouses below Supreme-Saint level on each Divine Planet were awarded the t.i.tle Imperial Scion. In other words, there was a total of one thousand Imperial Scions of Thousand-Star Civilization, and all of them were extraordinary.
Of course, there was a big gap in strength among these Imperial Scions. Not all of their cultivation base was of the top level.
However, the Imperial Scions made into the top ten were definitely extremely powerful. Each of them had the potential to become a top Supreme Saint or even a deity.
Seizing the key to the World Gate was of great importance. In addition to the team led by the Maiden of a Thousand Stars, Thousand-Star Civilization had also deployed three Imperial Scions who ranked top ten for this mission. They were the top, third and sixth strongest Imperial Scions; all were top elites.
The Maiden of a Thousand Stars shook her head and said, “If we have to wait every time, we will gain nothing. If we look for them on True Dragon Island only after losing their tracks, it’ll be like looking for a needle in haystack.”
“But—”
The elder wanted to say something else but was interrupted by the Maiden of a Thousand Stars. “We have the upper hand now. At least, Zhang Ruochen hasn’t discovered anything strange about that old man. Maybe we can s.n.a.t.c.h that old man from him without fighting.”
As she saw that Zhang Ruochen and the other two had already gone far away, the Maiden of a Thousand Stars could no longer hesitate. She immediately set off.
The Maiden of a Thousand Stars and her gang had concealed their aura very well. They had also used an Origin Bead to s.h.i.+eld themselves from spiritual power search. Moreover, they were hundreds of miles away. Therefore, even if Zhang Ruochen and Blackie were vigilant, they did not sense their presence.
Zhang Ruochen and the other two travelled at high speed, receding into afterimages and flashes at the ruins. In the blink of an eye, they were thousands of miles away.
While leading the way, the short skinny old man secretly deliberated over his next move.
He was thinking about where to take Zhang Ruochen and Blackie, and where would be most convenient for his escape.
Although Zhang Ruochen had promised to let him go later, he could not trust him because humans were cunning.
The most important thing was that Zhang Ruochen and Blackie were coming for the key to the World Gate; this made him instinctively wary.
In the blink of an eye, Zhang Ruochen and Blackie had entered a dimension’s Fracture Zone. The dimension in that zone was very unstable, and there was a strong remnant of divine power in it. Apparently, deities had fought a great battle here before.
‘This is my chance!’ The short skinny old man thought to himself.
As the thought flashed in his mind, bizarre energy burst out from the short skinny old man’s body. He shrank more than 10,000 times and eventually turned into a light spot. It took him only an instant to break free from Zhang Ruochen’s seal.
Before Zhang Ruochen could react, he had disappeared into thin air.
In fact, the short skinny old man had always had a way to break free from the seal. However, if he had done so in other places, his effort would have been futile as Zhang Ruochen could have captured him using dimensional techniques.
However, it was different here. The dimension here was fragmented. Even if Zhang Ruochen was a Master of s.p.a.ce, his movement was restricted. This would give the old man enough time to escape.
“He can still get away?” Blackie’s eyes widened in disbelief. ‘In addition to the seal, there was a dimensional chain. Even I would feel helpless if I were put under restraint this way. That old man’s ability to escape was too incredible! ‘
“This sly old man has no truth in his words.”
Zhang Ruochen snorted. He turned into a streak of light with an incredible explosive speed and chased after the short skinny old man.
Zhang Ruochen had long prepared a backup plan. He had left a Dimensional Mark on the short skinny old man. Hence, he could vaguely sense his location.
“Wait for me.”
Blackie shouted and wanted to chase after him.
However, after entering the dimension’s Fracture Zone, the structure of the dimension became strange and unpredictable. Blackie was following closely behind Zhang Ruochen, but it later found that it was getting farther and farther away from him. It was as if the two were chasing in the opposite direction.
After chasing for a while, Blackie found that it had completely lost track of Zhang Ruochen. It came above a Fragment of s.p.a.ce in a void.
“Oh no, we’re separated!”
Blackie stopped as it did not dare to wander around anymore. Using its formation techniques and spiritual power, it deduced the right exit route from the Fragment of s.p.a.ce.
“There is something wrong with that old man. We can’t let him escape.”
The Maiden of a Thousand Stars immediately took out a Saint-level talisman and activated it. When It turned into a ball of fire, she moved her arm, drawing a circle. Instantly, a ring of fire appeared on her, s.h.i.+ning dazzlingly.
Swoos.h.!.+
The Maiden of a Thousand Stars did not bother that it was a dimension’s Fracture Zone. She darted at explosive speed, turning into a streak of scarlet light, disappearing into the distance in an instant.
It was a talisman refined using the power of Origin.
“Your Highness…”
The six elders of Thousand-Star Civilization were shocked. It was too late to stop her.
“That old man is very strange. He escaped from Zhang Ruochen twice. If Her Highness pursues him rashly, she can be in danger. We must send a message to the three Imperial Scions immediately,” an elder said solemnly.
“Who is that old man? Why did Her Highness take such a big risk to pursue him in person?”
..
The six elders were very worried. They immediately shot out three Communication Talismans.
With the strength of the three Imperial Scions, they could protect the Maiden of a Thousand Stars as long as they arrived in time.
Zhang Ruochen’s cultivation base had advanced by leaps and bounds after refining the Wuyuan Royal Flower; he had attained the Path’s Anterior realm. Therefore, despite being in a dimension’s Fracture Zone, he could pull off Great Dimensional s.h.i.+ft even on True Dragon Island.
Zhang Ruochen performed dimensional technique to its limits. As fast as lightning, he leaped on the Fragments of s.p.a.ce as he chased after the short skinny old man persistently.
After chasing for nearly ten thousand miles, Zhang Ruochen didn’t know where he was. The short skinny old man kept changing directions and going in circles. He almost lost him many times.
During the chase, spiritual power was useless. He could only vaguely sense for him.
BUZZ
An invisible wave suddenly appeared, causing the dimension to shake violently.
Even with Zhang Ruochen’s current control of s.p.a.ce, he could no longer maintain a state of compatibility with the dimension. After being forced out, he landed on a dark land, creating a huge pit.
Creak!
A streak of fire approached from afar and stopped hundreds of feet away from Zhang Ruochen. It turned into a beautiful figure. Needless to say, it was the Maiden of a Thousand Stars.
Zhang Ruochen looked at the Maiden of a Thousand Stars, “I had sensed that someone was following me. I didn’t expect it to be you. Your Highness, why are you following me?”
“Who says I’m following you? I can go wherever I want. Mind your own business,” The Maiden of a Thousand Stars crossed her arms in front of her chest and smiled.
Zhang Ruochen smiled and said, “You’re my fiancée anyway. It’s normal for you to follow me. A fiancée would not kill her fiancé, right?”
“You…”
The Maiden of a Thousand Stars couldn’t maintain her calm disposition. She ground her teeth together because she hated Zhang Ruochen for bringing up that incident the most. It was a great humiliation for a n.o.ble girl like her.
However, the Maiden of a Thousand Stars quickly suppressed her anger. She smiled and said, “With your current reputation, Zhang Ruochen, you’re qualified to be my fiancé. I don’t mind.
“However, you have killed Suns.h.i.+ne Civilization’s scion and Dayang King; the elder Tianzu of Suns.h.i.+ne Civilization will definitely not let you go. I’m afraid you won’t even have the chance to marry me, my dear fiancé.”
“You can’t blame me as they were the ones who looked for death. There are too many deities who want to kill me. I don’t mind adding elder Tianzu of Suns.h.i.+ne Civilization to the list. Don’t worry about me, my dear fiancée. ”
Zhang Ruochen knew that the Maiden of a Thousand Stars had many tricks up her sleeve and could see through the Origin. She definitely would not follow him for no reason. ‘Did she discover something? ‘
The two didn’t continue bickering. They looked around and carefully observed their surroundings.
The short skinny old man had long disappeared. Zhang Ruochen couldn’t even sense the Dimensional Mark he had planted on the old guy anymore.
Of course, Zhang Ruochen wasn’t in the mood to care about the short skinny old man. Somehow with no reason, he felt a very strong uneasy feeling.
This place was dilapidated. There were many pits of different sizes on the ground. The small ones were only three feet in diameter, while the big ones were dozens of yards in diameter. They were extremely deep. No one knew where they led to. They looked like the mouths of devils, making people feel uneasy.
“The precepts of Dimension here are so dense. The dimension has become completely chaotic and disordered. No wonder I failed to harmonize with the dimension.” Zhang Ruochen immediately noticed the condition of the dimension after probing a little.
His intuition told him that this place was not simple. The short skinny old man clearly wanted to lure him here and take the opportunity to escape.
Under such circ.u.mstances, Zhang Ruochen did not dare to act rashly.
“What a complicated dimensional structure. This is—the Divine Force of Origin, and there is also the Divine Force of Dimension.”
The Maiden of a Thousand Stars’ expression drastically changed as she detected something with her Divine eye of Origin.
“What’s wrong, my fiancée?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
‘He’s getting used to addressing me in that way! ‘
The Maiden of a Thousand Stars gritted her teeth. She knew that Zhang Ruochen provoked her deliberately, trying to disrupt her state of mind. ‘In that case, let’s fight. ‘
The Maiden of a Thousand Stars squeezed out a smile on her exquisite and beautiful face, “We might be in big trouble, my dear fiancé. If I’m not wrong, the deities who practiced the Path of Origin and the Path of Dimension had fought here, and the remnant of divine power hasn’t dissipated yet.”
Although she could notice a few more subtle things through her Divine Eye of Origin, she didn’t say it as she didn’t want to tell Zhang Ruochen. However, she had an ominous feeling.
“Origin and Dimension”
Upon hearing this, Zhang Ruochen’s heart skipped a beat. He immediately thought of Saint Monk Xumi.
In the Middle Ages, Saint Monk Xumi seemed to be the only cultivator in Kunlun who had the highest attainment in the Path of Dimension. Of course, the deities who practiced the Path of Dimension could also be the cultivators from Infernal Court.
Cultivators from Celestial Court and Infernal Court had the opportunity to cultivate the nine major Paths of the Ancients. Even if they didn’t gain access to the major fanes, they could still accomplish outstanding achievements.
The Maiden of a Thousand Stars continued, “The dimensional structure here was so strange that even a true Supreme Saint couldn’t break free. As expected, there is nothing good about following you. My dear fiancé, you’re now a great master in Path’s Anterior. You must protect me.”
‘You came this far yourself. There is no way that you will need my protection, ‘ Zhang Ruochen spoke in his mind. He also kept a wary eye on the Maiden of a Thousand Stars.
‘G.o.d knows what she is up to?’
They were both holders of Canon of the Truth, so it was uncertain whether they were friends or foes. She might be targeting Zhang Ruochen.
..
The short skinny old man appeared five kilometers away. He stood on a huge rock and smiled at Zhang Ruochen and the Maiden of a Thousand Stars.
A cold light flashed in Zhang Ruochen’s eyes, but he didn’t strike out. The short skinny old man was standing just outside the strange dimension.
“All I wanted was to escape, but you guys chased after me persistently. So, you can’t blame me for this,” the short skinny old man put up an innocent face.
The Maiden of a Thousand Stars carefully examined the short skinny old man with her Divine Eye of Origin. She thought, ‘As expected, something is wrong with this old man. He has Kunlun’s Qi of Origin. Could it be that he has the key to the World Gate?”
As the short skinny old man noticed the deep gaze from the Maiden of a Thousand Stars, he felt an uneasy feeling, as if all his secrets had been seen through.
“It’s the Divine eye of Origin. This la.s.s is actually a Master of Origin. That kid is a Master of Dimension. It is interesting that the two of them have made their ways here.” After observing for a while, the short skinny old man could not help but have a thought.
“I’ll take my leave first. I wish you good luck. Farewell.”
The soon after he said so, the short skinny old man’s figure became more and more transparent and disappeared in an instant.
“Where are you going?”
Zhang Ruochen and the Maiden of a Thousand Stars wanted to chase after him immediately, but they were hit by the remnant ancient Divine Force of Origin in the air. They were sent flying in the reverse direction. As they hit the ground, dust flew into the air.
After breaking through to the Path’s Anterior realm, Zhang Ruochen had become one of the top elites below the Supreme-Saint level. He had rolled up his sleeves, ready to conquer the world. Unfortunately, before he could succeed, he was schemed by a sly old guy.
Zhang Ruochen held the Maiden of a Thousand Stars in his arms; his body sank into the bottom of the pit, and he could feel a sharp pain in his back.
“Let go of your dirty hands.”
She was furious. When she was. .h.i.t by the Divine Force of Origin just now, Zhang Ruochen, the scoundrel, darted behind her and used her as a s.h.i.+eld. Fortunately, she had the Origin Bead with her, which neutralized that Divine Force of Origin.
“Didn’t you ask me to protect you? I’m the one who fell before you did. I took the initiative to be your landing pad.” Zhang Ruochen smiled, but he did not cling to her soft body. He let go of his arms and pushed her out with his palms.
With a push, Zhang Ruochen imprinted a Dimensional Mark on her shoulder, just to be safe.
The Maiden of a Thousand Stars had once helped him when he needed it the most. Therefore, Zhang Ruochen hesitated for a moment. But in the end, he could not kill her to s.n.a.t.c.h her portion of Canon of Truth.