âFirst of all, I would like to state that I agreed to help you because of the Empress,â said Blackie.
âEveryone on Hoth knows what you look like now. I think itâs better to turn into a cat so that people wonât notice,â said Zhang Ruochen.
âTurn into a cat? Are you trying to humiliate me? I am a noble Phoenix,â said Blackie.
âBut youâre just an owl now. Who would believe that youâre a Phoenix?â Zhang Ruochen asked.
Hearing this, Blackie was disheartened. He said unwillingly, âCan I not transform into a cat? I think itâs more powerful to transform into a tiger. Itâd be best if you were a Divine beast.â
Zhang Ruochen made a strange face and said, âOr a Primeval Divine Beast?â
âHey! Thatâs a good idea.â Blackie was delighted.
The voice of Intergold Tiger rang in Zhang Ruochenâs ears. âHow do you know such an idiot? If it turns into a tiger, Iâll eat it in one bite. Neither the tigers nor the Primeval Divine Beast can afford to lose face.â
Blackie was pleased with himself and was about to change.
Zhang Ruochen coughed dryly and said, âI think youâre still not suitable to turn into a tiger.â
âWhy not?â Blackie was stunned.
Zhang Ruochen said, âA tigerâs butt is too big. Itâs fat and round. Iâm afraid I canât help myself.â
Blackie took two steps back with a guarded look. He thought to himself, âZhang Ruochen is a scumbag. After fusing with the Immortal Vampire bloodline, he has become a lot more perverted. He actually had thoughts on my butt.
âItâs too scary!â
Without hesitation, Blackie turned into a black hedgehog and stared at Zhang Ruochen with a provocative look.
âCome on, letâs fight.â Blackie thought.
Zhang Ruochen smiled and flew away.
He was very confident in Blackieâs Shapeshifting technique.
It had followed the Empress and read a plethora of books. It had even taught Han Xue the Godâs Fall, one of Kunlunâs six mysterious books. Blackie had naturally mastered the enigmatic Shapeshifting technique. Without a god, no cultivator could see through its powerful spiritual power.
Zhang Ruochen changed his appearance and entered West One City with Blackie the hedgehog.
There were 17 cities on Hoth, one in each district.
West One City was majestic and built on a vast ice field. The city walls were as tall as mountains, and the whole city was like an ice and snow Divine Beast.
Zhang Ruochen had found West One City based on the aura of the Communication talisman.
Using the AvÄ«ci Pavilionâs token, Zhang Ruochen quickly found out where Yan Hanyi lived. To be more precise, he found out that the Divine Prince of Devala had come to Hoth and the location of the Divine Princeâs temporary residence.
It was obvious that Yan Hanyi must have come with the Divine Prince.
âHow did Luo Shengtian come to Hoth? It seems that Yan Hanyi didnât come to Hoth to send a letter to Luo Sha. There must be something else important.â
Zhang Ruochen came to the temporary residence of the Divine Prince and saw the door open. Three figures walked out.
In addition to Luo Shengtian and Yan Hanyi, there was a cold-looking woman. It was Feng Qingli, whom Zhang Ruochen had met at the engagement party. This woman was Luo Shaâs best friend and also Amaneâs disciple.
Luo Shengtian was extraordinary. He walked side by side with Feng Qingli.
He changed from his usual rigid and cold appearance. He smiled as he walked as if he was talking about something. The two of them were very close.
A delicate and elegant carriage was pulled by two white dragons. It drove in front of the three people.
Luo Shengtian came to the carriage and helped Feng Qingli to board it first.
Zhang Ruochen stood far away and saw all this. He smiled and said, âIt seems that this Divine Prince is not an unromantic man.â
Then, Zhang Ruochen secretly transmitted his voice to Yan Hanyi.
Yan Hanyiâs ears twitched. He looked around without leaving any trace. He looked at Luo Shengtian, who was about to board the carriage, he said, âI still have to continue investigating the matter of the superior-grade Divine Crystal of Origin. I wonât accompany Your Highness and Miss Qingli to the banquet!â
Luo Shengtian did not expect Yan Hanyi to be so tactful. He was even satisfied, but his expression was very serious, he said, âDevala did not pay much attention to Hoth in the past. There were too few cultivators here. Now, I can only trouble teacher to handle it personally!â
âI donât feel at ease leaving such a secret matter to the cultivators below,â Yan Hanyi said.
After the carriage left, Zhang Ruochen walked toward Yan Hanyi and asked, âWhere should we talk?â
âIn the mansion!â said Yan Hanyi.
Yan Hanyi carefully observed Zhang Ruochen. He was quite surprised. With his cultivation, he couldnât see through the flaws in Zhang Ruochenâs Shapeshifting technique. Was this something a Hundred-Shackle Realm Supreme Saint could do?
After entering the mansion, Yan Hanyi activated the array.
He said, âActually, you donât have to avoid the Divine Prince. He has no ill intentions towards you. In the Divine Domain of Destiny, when the Adjudication Division surrounded the Vastsea Manor, Divine Prince sent all the cultivators of Devala out to look for Cang Baizi and Xing Qian. He wanted to help you get away with your crime.â
Zhang Ruochen sat straight on the chair and changed his appearance, he smiled and said, âIn the Fane of Destiny, I promised that I would meet him. Unfortunately, something happened later and I had to leave first. With his temper, how could he not be angry? If he saw me, the first thing he would do would be to fight me. On Hoth, I donât dare to fight easily, and I donât dare to expose my whereabouts.â
Yan Hanyi showed an understanding look and said, âThe Divine Prince is indeed a little angry about the matters regarding the House of Enchanteurs.â
Zhang Ruochen stopped smiling and said, âElder Yan should understand why I came to see you, right?â
The relaxed atmosphere just now was gone. The space in the room seemed to have frozen.
Yan Hanyi said, âYou should know how the Princess feels about you. She wonât do anything to disappoint you. Lady Lingxi will definitely not be wronged when she goes to the Royal Palace of Devala.
âBack then, at the engagement banquet, a cultivator wanted to embarrass you, so he deliberately added human flesh and blood into the dishes. It was the Princess who sent people to immediately remove the dishes. From these actions, it can be seen that the Princess cares about your feelings.
âEver since she was young, the Princess has been doted on by thousands of people. Everyone, including the Emperor, has to take into account her feelings and accommodate her in every way. This is the first time Iâve seen her take another personâs feelings into consideration and accommodate him in every way.
âYou may not know this, but when you were arrested by the Adjudication Division, the Princess personally went to the Emperor to save you and got a priceless Emperor Grade Sacred Pill. And she gave the Emperor Grade Sacred Pill to Lord Wu Yue of the Destiny Division.â
Zhang Ruochen was stunned. He sighed and said, âI see.â
It was not a coincidence that the Destiny Division and Lord Wu Yue had interfered in the matter.
Zhang Ruochen recalled all the things he had done since he had met Luo Sha. He felt a little guilty.
There were a few times when he had been too cruel to her.
She did not seem to hold a grudge.
Everyone thought that Luo Sha was extremely intelligent. However, when she met Zhang Ruochen and treated him, she seems to have lost her intellect.
If it was just because of a prophecy from the âRight Person,â how could it be so?
She was so smart. How could she not see that Zhang Ruochen had no feelings for her?
She had sent someone to take Mu Lingxi away. Perhaps she just wanted to see what was so good about this woman that Zhang Ruochen fell in love with that she could not compare to?
Or perhaps she was just feeling a sense of crisis, worried about gains and losses, afraid that Zhang Ruochen would break off the engagement or even leave the Infernal Court.
After a long time, Zhang Ruochen asked, âIs Luo Sha in seclusion?â
Yan Hanyi said, âAfter the Princess reaches the Supreme Saint Realm, she can break the seal in her body and control the divine power she was born with. Sheâll need to seclude herself for a long time to understand and integrate.â
Zhang Ruochen asked again, âWhy did you come to Hoth?â
A strange look flashed in Yan Hanyiâs eyes. He wanted to say something but stopped. Then he said, âActually, many powerful figures came to Hoth for a big matter. However, this is a big matter. I canât reveal it.â
Zhang Ruochenâs heart moved. He already had a guess.
âI want to go to Devala. Can you help me?â asked Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen was still worried. He planned to go personally. He wanted to see Mu Lingxi as well as Luo Sha.
Seeing the two women at the same time gave Zhang Ruochen a headache. However, no matter how much it gave him a headache, he had to go. He had to face them sooner or later.
âThatâs good too. The Princess really wants to see you,â Yan Hanyi said.
Zhang Ruochen left the mansion. When he left, Yan Hanyi gave him a token. He could freely pass through the various dimensional teleportation arrays and wormholes of Devalaâs palace without exposing his identity.
Not long after he left the mansion, Zhang Ruochen sensed something. He looked up at the second floor on the right side of the street with a strange expression.
He saw Guye Jing, dressed in a blue robe, sitting by the window upstairs. She stared at him and moved her lips.
Her voice only rang in Zhang Ruochenâs ears. âHow about a cup of tea? We have something important to discuss.â
Guye Jing had a drop of his blood. Zhang Ruochen was not surprised that she could find him and see through him.
Since he had already met her, how could he hide?
Besides, Zhang Ruochen also had a question in his heart and was about to ask her to solve it.
Blackie snorted. âAnother woman, and a very powerful one at that. Zhang Ruochen, you are worse than I thought.â
âCut the crap. Just one question. Can you beat her?â Zhang Ruochen transmitted his voice.
Blackie opened and closed his eyes and looked arrogant. He said, âNo matter how powerful she is, she is not as powerful as me. I can beat ten of her once I attack.â
âReally? She is the most outstanding genius of the current generation in the RÄhu Mountains. She is only one step away from the divinity,â Zhang Ruochen said.
âFrom the RÄhu Mountains?â said Blackie.
Blackieâs eyes showed surprise and he muttered.
âAre you sure you can do it? Are you scared?â asked Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen was very angry. Blackie liked to brag too much and would drop the ball at the critical moment.
Zhang Ruochen was cautious about Guye Jing.
This woman was unfathomable.
Blackieâs tone was not as arrogant as before, he said, âThe RÄhu Mountains are no small matter. It is a world formed by the body of the legendary Demon Patriarch, Rahu. This woman is very likely to have received the true inheritance of the Demon Patriarch. She can not be underestimated.â
âWhat is the Demon Patriarchâs lineage?â Zhang Ruochen asked.
âIt will take a while. I canât explain it to you. Letâs go and meet her first. Now that my cultivation has recovered, I want to find a top-notch powerhouse to fight with. I want to make the name of the Emperor who Slaughtered the Heavens and Earth resound in Celestial Court and Infernal Court again. I want to make all the living beings who see me tremble in fear,â Blackie said coldly.
Zhang Ruochen frowned. He finally felt that Blackie was a little arrogant and a little blindly confident. He said, âYou should restrain yourself. Now is not the time to expose your strength.â
He climbed up the tower and came to the opposite side of Guye Jing. Zhang Ruochen suddenly felt that the precepts of heaven and earth around him had changed. It was as if he had stepped into a small independent space.
However, he did not notice anything strange before approaching her.
Of course, it was also because Zhang Ruochen did not use the Heart of Truth to deliberately investigate.
âWhy did you come to Hoth?â Zhang Ruochen asked.
Guye Jing held a teacup in her hand and carefully looked into Zhang Ruochenâs eyes. She said, âThe five superior-grade Divine Crystals of Origin that were originally stored in the House of Enchanteurs were stolen! When they were stolen, the thief even killed Tan Fei.â
âWhat? How did this happen?â Zhang Ruochen asked.
Guye Jing said, âDo you want to know who stole the superior-grade Divine Crystals of Origin?â
âWhy are you looking at me like that? Do you think I stole the superior-grade Divine Crystal of Origin?â Zhang Ruochen asked.
Guye Jing continued to stare at him as if she wanted to see through his reality and falsehood, âThatâs the truth!â she said! âThe five superior-grade Divine Crystals of Origin had been taken away by someone using spatial means through 17 layers of the barrier. Who else had such high spatial attainments other than you? Moreover, the five superior-grade Divine Crystals of Origin were held in Tan Feiâs hands. When he self-detonated his Sainthood Source, he shouted out that it was you who killed him.â
âConspiracy, itâs definitely a conspiracy. Someone wants to frame me,â said Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen didnât dare to take the blame. The five superior-grade Divine Crystals of Origin would implicate more than a dozen big forces. Once this matter was confirmed, countless powerhouses would come looking for him.
For the sake of the Fane of Origin, those people would do anything.
Zhang Ruochen said, âAlthough Iâm a Master of Space, there are countless cultivators with high spatial attainments in the Infernal Court. Itâs not strange for a god to personally take action for superior-grade Divine Crystals of Origin, right?â
âThe god from the RÄhu Mountains went to the House of Enchanteurs to investigate. Itâs confirmed that it wasnât a god,â Guye Jing said.
Zhang Ruochen said, âI know. Itâs Seven-Armed Elder. The Adjudication Division and the Destiny Division found the South-Haven Pollen at the place where Tan Fei self-detonated. That means it must be Seven-Armed Elder.â
âSeven-Armed Elder is missing. Even the Destiny Division hasnât figured out his location. The Adjudication Division and the Destiny Division mobilized the power of the entire Fane of Destiny, but they couldnât find any traces of Seven-Armed Elder leaving. Many cultivators guessed that Seven-Armed Elder might have been killed. But someone deliberately used the South-Haven Pollen to divert everyoneâs attention to him, a dead man,â Guye Jing said.
Zhang Ruochen finally realized that Guye Jing did not believe that he had stolen the superior-grade Divine Crystals of Origin from the beginning. She had asked him that just to test him.
Zhang Ruochen asked, âIf Seven-Armed Elder is really dead, wonât the clue be lost?â
Guye Jing nodded and said, âThe clue is lost, so we can only start from the source. The first place where the five superior-grade Divine Crystals of Origin appeared was the House of Enchanteurs on Hoth.â
âIs that why you came to Hoth?â Zhang Ruochen asked.
Guye Jing said, âYes! Actually, there is another clue.â
âWhat clue?â asked Zhang Ruochen.
âYou!â said Guye Jing.
âMe? Why me?â Zhang Ruochen asked innocently.
Guye Jing said, âMany cultivators think that you couldnât steal five superior-grade Divine Crystals of Origin and kill Tan Fei. However, you did use the Violet Gourd in the area near the House of Enchanteurs. You had something to do with the death of Xing Qian, the disappearance of Cang Baizi, and the disappearance of Seven-Armed Elder. Even if it was a frame-up, why would others frame you instead of another cultivator?
âTell me, Master Ruochen, What are you hiding?â
Zhang Ruochen did have a superior-grade Divine Crystal of Origin, so he felt uncomfortable and guilty under the gaze of Guye Jing. However, at this moment, he thought of a plan to kill two birds with one stone.
Perhaps he could use Guye Jingâs power to deal with Bai Qingâer.
A demoness and a wicked woman. He could only escape if they fought with each other.