The 100-day Celestial-Hunting battle had finally come to an end.
All the cultivators of the ten clans who participated in the battle were teleported back to Mount Destiny by the Mystic Eye of Myriad Realms. The battle was brutal with casualties among all the clans.
The surviving Celestial Captives were also teleported back. There were 3,456 of them. Most of them were Half-Saints or Saints. They were ones that slipped through the net and had very few points.
Only four of them who had killed the Immortal Vampires could survive and regain their freedom.
The remaining 3,000 Celestial Captives were killed on the spot. Their flesh and souls were devoured by the cultivators of all races. Their fate was worse than dying on the Celestial-Hunting battlefield.
The points on the diamond-shaped mirror had all disappeared. No one knew the result of the battle between Zhang Ruochen and Yan Wushen at the last moment. All the participating cultivators were waiting anxiously.
âThe tiger roars and the dragon roars rang out. The projection of the Mystic Eye of Myriad Realms shattered. I wonder what happened.â
âWhy are there tiger roars and the dragon roars on the Celestial-Hunting battlefield?â
âCould it be that a deity intervened in the Celestial-Hunting battle?â
âAt that time, I sensed an extremely powerful divine power. If the Mystic Eye of Myriad Realms did not teleport me away in time, I would have been shattered by the roar,â said a Ghost Clanâs Supreme Saint who had just entered the Neverwilt Realm. He still had some lingering fear.
âŠ
At that time, he had stayed behind to guard the home planet of Ghost Clan.
A Supreme Saint of the Fane of Barasingha asked Lan Ying in a low voice, âSenior, the Celestial-Hunting battle has ended. Why arenât Zhang Ruochen and Yan Wushen back yet?â
The corners of Lan Yingâs lips rose. âThere were indeed some accidents on the Celestial-Hunting battlefield. Iâm afraid they wonât be able to come back!â
Many cultivators heard this.
They all went forward to ask about the situation, but Lan Ying crossed his arms in front of his chest. He was cold and scornful. He ignored them. Other than the cultivators of the Fane of Barasingha, he only saw Zhang Ruochen, Que, Yan Wushen, and a few others in this era as someone on his par. Other cultivators were not qualified to talk to him.
The Supreme Saints of the Immortal Vampires gathered together. When they heard what Lan Ying had said, they all looked grave. They were more anxious than any other clan.
Only Moyin remained calm. It did not believe that anything bad would happen to Zhang Ruochen. After all, it would have been dead if Zhang Ruochen had not survived on the Celestial-Hunting battlefield.
Of course, it was not something a regular cultivator would know.
Most cultivators did not even know that Moyin was a parasitic plant cultivated by Zhang Ruochen.
Lian Xi, Gaunt, Zhou Zhen, and Shentu Yunkong, who had attended the Celestial-Hunting Banquet with Zhang Ruochen, were still at Destinyâs Creek. When they heard all kinds of news about Zhang Ruochen, they were distraught.
If they were not under Zhang Ruochenâs protection in Infernal Court, they might be reduced to livestock or food immediately.
At this moment, a cultivator of the Rakshasa clan walked past them with a Celestial Captiveâs leg in his hand.
They were all nervous. This was the first time they realized how important Zhang Ruochen was to them and how fragile they were.
âZhang Ruochen, please survive. If you are dead, what will happen to us?â Zhou Zhen said with a bitter face.
Lian Xi habitually raised her head and looked at the sky.
There was nothing in the sky.
However, during the 100 days of the Celestial-Hunting battle, she had seen with her own eyes from the projection in the sky that Zhang Ruochen had created miracles, again and again, taking one step after another to the peak of the Celestial-Hunting battle.
It seemed that there was an endless amount of combat power in that manâs body, and he would never fall.
âHe is likely to survive on the last day,â Lian Xi thought.
âŠ
It seemed that he had slept for a thousand years. Zhang Ruochenâs hot and painful body was nourished by a cool power. The pain disappeared and was replaced by a pleasant feeling.
Zhang Ruochen opened his eyes and found himself lying on a white beach.
Although the sun in the sky was bright, the light was not so dazzling. When it shone on his body, it felt warm, as if he was bathing in a divine spring. All his limbs and bones relaxed.
In the distance, the seawater was as blue as water. The waves rippled, and the seabirds swooped down to eat the fish. The scenery was beautiful and full of vitality. It was completely different from the Infernal Courtâs environment filled with darkness and death.
Beside him, a hundred-meter-tall giant tree grew green leaves. Dense branches hung down like a green umbrella. The leaves emitted sparkling light, like white rain.
Zhang Ruochen sat up. A hint of confusion appeared on his face. He muttered to himself, âWhere am I?â
âThis is the Divine Plane of Fukurokuju!â A voice rang out.
Zhang Ruochen turned his head and saw a white tiger about five meters long lying next to him. It had a huge head and a very fat butt.
Strangely, it did not have a single hair on its body. Its skin was as white as jade, and there was a golden word âBurialâ on its head.
Zhang Ruochenâs eyes narrowed. He immediately stood up and asked cautiously, âSenior, is that you?â
âItâs me. Of course itâs me.â
Intergold Tiger stood up and shook the sand off its body.
When Zhang Ruochen had first seen Intergold Tiger on Ghost Clanâs home planet, it had exuded a terrifying power. Its body was enormous, and one head could fill Zhang Ruochenâs field of vision.
Now, it was only slightly bigger than an ordinary tiger, and its aura was completely restrained.
The only thing special about it was that it was hairless.
Zhang Ruochen thought of something, and his expression changed. âIs This Divine Realm World of Fukurokuju?â
Then, he carefully observed his surroundings.
âThe place is somewhat far from what I had imagined?
âIt is no different from the real world.â
He released his spiritual power to investigate. He could not sense the edge of the world at all.
The more he investigated, the more shocked he became.
There were not just mountains and seas in this Divine Plane. There were also all kinds of creatures. Some powerful creatures had even reached the Neverwilt Supreme Sainthood.
As for whether there were more powerful creatures further away, it was unknown.
One could not tell whether these creatures had been captured by Fukurokuju or were born naturally. If it was the latter, Zhang Ruochen had to say that Fukurokuju must have cultivated to an unfathomable level.
He was a Macroworld himself,
the creator of this world.
âOh no. The deities can know everything in Divine Plane. Could Fukurokuju already know some of my memories or read my thoughts directly?â Zhang Ruochen became nervous.
It was difficult for Zhang Ruochen to remain calm in the face of a terrifying superior that he could not fathom.
The voice of Intergold Tiger sounded in Zhang Ruochenâs mind. âdonât worry. You have merged with my Apex Intergold Qi. With my protection, no deities can read your memories and thoughts, not even a Reverend canât.â
Zhang Ruochen stared at it, feeling even worse.
It was game over. With this tigerâs existence, he could not keep any secrets anymore.
Intergold Tiger added, âDonât worry. I wonât read your thoughts anytime, anywhere.â
âIt claimed it wouldnât yet it is still doing it now!â Zhang Ruocheng retorted in his mind.
Intergold Tiger continued, âSince you are not speaking, I can only read your thoughts.
âBesides, this is Fukurokujuâs Divine Plane, his divine realm. You donât seem to want to reveal any secrets. Since you canât speak, I can only read your thoughts and communicate with you.â
Zhang Ruochen was speechless. He really wanted to empty his mind.
The white tiger continued, âDonât be so nervous. You passed my test and are now my guide. Our fates are connected. You donât have to guard against me.â
âBut you are a deity in Infernal Court,â Zhang Ruochen thought.
The white tiger said, âNo, I donât belong to Infernal Court. I come from Godâs Ancient Nidus.â
Although Zhang Ruochen had already vaguely figured out its origin, he was still shocked to hear Intergold Tiger admit it.
Godâs Ancient Nidus was one of the most mysterious places in the universe. It was known as the relic of a primeval civilization.
Zhang Ruochen relaxed a little. He finally opened his mouth and asked, âYou just said that Iâm your guide. What do you mean?â
âSince youâre awake, letâs meet Fukurokuju. Heâll tell you what a guide is. Come on my back. Iâll take you to see him.â
Zhang Ruochen looked hesitant. âThis⊠isnât a good idea! Itâs better if you lead from the front. Iâll fly behind. Just follow.â
What a joke. This was a divine beast fromGodâs Ancient Nidus. It was on equal footing with the deities of the Infernal Court.
Even the deities did not dare to treat it as a mount.
How could Zhang Ruochen, a mere Supreme Saint, have the audacity to do so?
âWith your cultivation, you wonât be able to fly there even if you fly for ten years. Donât dawdle. Come,â Intergold Tiger said.
Zhang Ruochen saw that it seemed serious, so he took a deep breath. Without hesitation, he leaped and landed on its back.
It was too surreal. A Supreme Saint could actually fly on a divine beast.
Swoosh â
Intergold Tiger released a peaceful white light and turned into a ray of light. It flew toward a certain direction of the deity world and crashed into the void. Lines of Precepts appeared where the space was hit.
They flickered for a moment, then disappeared again.
âMy injuries seem to have healed,â Zhang Ruochen said.
Intergold Tiger guessed what Zhang Ruochen was thinking and said, âdonât worry. Half of your injuries were healed by me. Fukurokuju did not investigate you. He did not know that you have the Heart of Truth.â
Zhang Ruochen facepalmed. He really wanted to jump off Intergold Tiger.
There was no secret between him and Intergold Tiger.
After a long time, Zhang Ruochen calmed down. He thought to himself, âI must calm down. Iâve fused with Apex Intergold Qi. Thatâs why it can read my thoughts at any time. Other deities canât do that.â
âYouâre right. Thatâs true.
âIn a sense, our relationship is closer and more equal than that of a human couple. You should absolutely trust me,â said Intergold Tiger.
Zhang Ruochen smiled bitterly and said nothing. He thought to himself, âIf our relationship is so close and equal, why canât I read your thoughts and only you read my thoughts?â
âBecause your cultivation is not as high as mine, and your spiritual power is not as high as mine. If one day you surpass me, you will be able to reverse everything,â Intergold Tiger said.
There was no way to refute it.
Zhang Ruochen stopped thinking about this nonsense and asked, âYou said that half of my injuries were healed by you. What about the other half?â
âThe other half is, of course, yourself. Your self-healing ability is very powerful. I suspect that if I tear you into pieces, your body can be united again. However, it will take a long time,â Intergold Tiger said.
Zhang Ruochen stopped asking and began to think about how to empty himself and not think about anything.
Having his thoughts read by a tiger all the time was no different from stripping naked and running naked on the street.
âIf you feel that reading your memory makes you feel conflicted and uncomfortable, then from now on, I wonât read it anymore.â
After saying this, without waiting for Zhang Ruochen to reply with an âOkay,â Intergold Tiger said again, âBut I read your thoughts because I want to know more about you. Only in this way can we get along better in the future.â
âLetâs go to meet Fukurokuju first.â
Although he said this, Zhang Ruochen was thinking about how to reject his new identity as a âGuide.â.
Intergold Tiger seemed to be easy to get along with. It even helped him to heal his injuries and even became his mount. It was not malicious. However, Zhang Ruochen had too many secrets. He did not want others to know about them. He absolutely could not keep it with him.
The best thing was to let Blood Empress draw out the Apex Intergold Qi in his body and completely cut the connection with Intergold Tiger.
âŠ
Intergold Tiger brought Zhang Ruochen to a sea area in the Divine Plane.
Yan Wushen was standing on top of a green dragon. He had been waiting on the surface of the sea for a long time. When he saw Zhang Ruochen coming, he was surprised at first, but then he smiled knowingly.
Intergold Tiger landed on the surface of the sea. It stepped on the water as if it was walking on flat ground.
Zhang Ruochen looked carefully at Swastika Seiryu under Yan Wushen. He finally understood where the ten dragon souls in his body came from.
So he cupped his fists and said, âThank you, senior.â
âI helped you because I saw that you had merged with the Apex Intergold Qi. Itâs very likely that you were chosen by Intergold Tiger as a guide. In fact, with your physical quality and willpower, you might not be able to pass the trial,â said Swastika Seiryu.
Whooshâ
Clouds and fog churned in the sky.
Layers of white clouds pressed down on the surface of the sea, forming a majestic, gaseous face. The aura it exuded made Zhang Ruochen and Yan Wushen, two Supreme Saints, feel their bodies sink. They could not help but want to kneel and worship.
However, they were all extraordinary people. They held their bodies and did not kneel.
âGreetings, Reverend.â Yan Wushen took the lead to bow.
Zhang Ruochen cupped his fists and said, âGreetings, Reverend.â
Fukurokujuâs imposing face made a deafening sound. âVery good. Both of you are very good. You are qualified to represent Infernal Court and become the guides of the Primeval Divine Genus, which is the two Primeval Divine beasts from the Godâs Ancient Nidus.â
Zhang Ruochen immediately said, âCan I not be a guide?â
Yan Wushen was surprised and looked in Zhang Ruochenâs direction.
Yan Wushen knew that Zhang Ruochen was very arrogant, but not to the extent of paying no heed to the identity, âthe Guide of the Primeval Divine Genus.â
âZhang Ruochen canât be thinking too little of the Primeval Divine Genus, right?
âDid you know that many deities wanted to be the guide of Intergold Tiger, but they did not have the chance?â
Before Fukurokuju could ask, Intergold Tiger spoke to him first, âFukurokuju, I have a secret to report to you. It concerns the cultivator on my back.â
When Zhang Ruochen heard this, his face froze.
âNo way. This white tiger is going back on its words. Just because Iâm reluctant to be your guide, you are against me now?â
Zhang Ruochen only knew that Intergold Tiger could read his thoughts. As for whether it could read his memories, he had no idea.
If it could read his memories, it would be very troublesome. Many people would be affected.
Most likely, it could read the memory. After all, its spiritual power was much stronger than Zhang Ruochenâs. When Zhang Ruochen was asleep, his mental defense was very low. The tiger had probably done everything to him!
âWhat a b*stard.
âI thought you were silly and sweet. Little did I expect you to be a scheming b*stard.