God Emperor

“Yes.”

There was no reason to hide it. Zhang Ruochen admitted directly.

The Moon-Burial Sword Saint didn’t find it unexpected and just nodded. “What plans do you have now? If you stay in the Yin and Yang Sect, we will definitely use all our resources to train you. You’ll become the next Sword Saint in the shortest amount of time.”

Zhang Ruochen touched his teacup lightly. “Stay in the Yin and Yang Sect? As Lin Yue or Zhang Ruochen?”

“Lin Yue.”

“I don’t want to be Lin Yue anymore, or Gu Linfeng. Right now, I just want to be Zhang Ruochen.”

His eyes were very calm, but there was determination deep within his irises. He hadn’t revealed his identity in Ancient Taiyin City because he was drunk. Deep down, he desired to revert to Zhang Ruochen.

He didn’t want to be anyone else anymore!

The Moon-Burial Sword Saint was silent for a moment. “You must know that Zhang Ruochen is a criminal wanted by the Empress. With the Yin and Yang Sect’s current force, we can’t go up against the Empress and imperial court. Since you’ve already become a Saint, there are many times where you have to compromise. Some large forces are able to destroy a Saint in a second.”

“In that case, why should I stay in the Yin and Yang Sect?” Zhang Ruochen stood up. Cupping his hands, he bowed to the Moon-Burial Sword Saint. “Thank you for saving me, and thanks to the Yin and Yang Sect for helping me grow. In the future, if the Yin and Yang Sect has trouble, I will do my best to help.”

With that, he turned to leave. Blackie transformed into a black shadow and rushed into Zhang Ruochen’s sleeve.

The Moon-Burial Sword Saint knew that the Yin and Yang Sect couldn’t keep Zhang Ruochen anymore. Zhang Ruochen was also becoming more experienced and no longer needed to rely on anyone else.

“Leave after you heal!” the Moon-Burial Sword Saint said.

“No, there’s something else I must do. I’m in a hurry. I’ll definitely visit the Yin and Yang Sect after I complete that. At that time, I hope to learn some knowledge about the Sword Way from you.”

Zhang Ruochen took nine steps. With each step, his sword intent strengthened.

Whoosh!

By the ninth step, his sword intent had risen to a culmination. His body transformed into a beam of sword light and he shot into the air, disappearing in the horizon.

Saint Qingfeng looked at the leaving Zhang Ruochen with envy. “With his attainments in the Sword Way,” he muttered to himself, “he’ll become a Sword Saint very soon. He’s still so young. Will he become the newest Sword Emperor?”

An old cultivator with white whiskers and hair walked out of the forest behind Saint Qingfeng.

The old man wore a white monk robe. It had the Taichi print on the front and the Eight Trigrams on the back. He gave off a spiritual feeling.

Even the Moon-Burial Sword Saint got up from sitting and bowed with Saint Qingfeng. “Greetings, Patriarch Taiyi.”

Patriarch Taiyi had actually come to Ancient Taiyin with the Moon-Burial Sword Saint. He’d wanted to test Zhang Ruochen, so he didn’t let the Moon-Burial Sword Saint help Zhang Ruochen defeat the Death Knight.

The things that the Moon-Burial Sword Saint had said earlier were mostly exaggerations. The Death Knight indeed had an offensive weapon that, when activated, could kill a true Saint. However, it couldn’t kill the Moon-Burial Sword Saint.

In other words, it wasn’t hard for him to kill a Death Knight.

After a short pause, the Moon-Burial Sword Saint said, “I have a question.”

“Ask!” Patriarch Taiyi said.

“Why did you stop me from killing the Death Knight and silver-robed elder of the Immortal Pavilion? Did you want to use them to keep challenging Zhang Ruochen?”

“Indeed,” Patriarch Taiyi said.

The Moon-Burial Sword Saint was very curious and confused. With Patriarch Taiyi’s status, why did he care so much about a young junior?

Zhang Ruochen was indeed talented with limitless potential. However, there were also geniuses in the Yin and Yang Sect that rivaled him. For example, Gai Tianjiao with the Innate Extreme Yang Body was a once-in-a-millennium talent.

However, Patriarch Taiyi didn’t seem to put so much attention on her. The Moon-Burial Sword Saint didn’t believe that Patriarch Taiyi didn’t have a deeper relationship with Zhang Ruochen.

Could it be that Zhang Ruochen really is the Sacred Crown Prince from 800 years ago?

The Moon-Burial Sword Saint knew that 800 years ago, Emperor Ming, one of the nine emperors, had once studied in the Yin and Yang Sect. Patriarch Taiyi was Emperor Ming’s junior brother. The two were both disciples of the Yin and Yang Sect’s legendary figure, Tao Master Yuanfa.

The Moon-Burial Sword Saint naturally didn’t say the guesses out loud. Instead, he said, “The Death Knight and silver-robed elder are both much stronger than Zhang Ruochen. What if something happened?”

“If they aren’t strong enough, they aren’t qualified to be Zhang Ruochen’s whetstone.”

Patriarch Taiyi spoke indifferently, but the Moon-Burial Sword Saint and Saint Qingfeng both could tell that he was confident in Zhang Ruochen. The confidence was at an incomprehensible level.

After leaving the Yin and Yang Sect, Zhang Ruochen flew above the Fallen-gods Mountain Range. He hurried westward toward Divine Dream Marsh, home of the Divine Dragon and Half-Human clan.

Perhaps all the cultivators in the world thought that Zhang Ruochen had died under the trial, but the Immortal Pavilion would definitely be able to figure out that he was still alive.

The Death Knight would probably hurry over soon. Thus, Zhang Ruochen had to be fast.

Blackie smiled. “The Yin and Yang Sect is really doing the opposite of helping. Zhang Ruochen, the Immortal Pavilion will figure out that you’re still alive. You can’t escape at all. How about you spread the news that you’re still alive? This way, people who care for you won’t shed so many tears.”

Zhang Ruochen coughed and blood trickled out of his mouth. He flew up in an arc and landed at the top of a mountain, stopping temporarily. He clutched his chest. Circulating Holy Qi, he pushed down his injuries.

“Don’t spread it for now.”

“Why?” Blackie asked.

“The Immortal Pavilion knows I’m still alive, but they won’t spread the news. I have a treasure that they want. If the world thinks that I’m already dead, they’ll be the only ones who’ll continue to try and kill me. Only they can take my treasure.”

Zhang Ruochen had too many enemies. Merely the Immortal Vampires was a bit too much to handle. If other forces also joined in to kill Zhang Ruochen, he wouldn’t have to search for the recipe for the Six Saints to the Sky Wine and Dragon Moon Sun Mix. All his energy would probably be used up on fleeing.

“You’re just going to keep hiding it?” Blackie asked. “The entire Kunlun’s Field is probably in an uproar now. News will definitely reach the ears of those who care for you.”

Zhang Ruochen pulled out four communication runes. He carved down words and then sent them out. He notified the four most important people that he was still alive.

Then he said, “Let’s go! Let us continue.”

“You’re badly hurt. Don’t keep pushing yourself. I’ll go tame a beast for your ride.”

Blackie entered the Fallen-gods Mountain Range. A moment later, he’d tamed a Level-5 upper beast: a four-winged silver crane.

The bird was more than 20 meters long and had silver feathers. It radiated with thick Spiritual Qi. Its speed of flying was enough to catch up to a lower-level Saint.

Zhang Ruochen went to the bird’s back. He sat down cross-legged and started healing himself with all his might.

While he was hurrying toward Divine Dream Marsh, news that “Zhang Ruochen has died” also spread to the area. It shocked the higher level of the Divine Dragon and Half-Human clan.

The current clan leader was Ao Yi. He wore a golden-scaled dragon robe. He looked to be around 50 years old and was filled with spirit.

When he received the information, he smiled and shook his head. “This is really an eventful autumn. Big events happen every day. A few days ago, I heard that Gu Linfeng became the newest Hierarch of the Blood God Sect. How many days has passed? Now there’s news that Gu Linfeng is Zhang Ruochen, the Time and Space Descendant, and he died in the Life-Death Trial.”

“Even if Zhang Ruochen died, he killed three upper-level Immortal Vampire Saints. He’s definitely the pride of the human race.”

The speaker was Ao Jing. He was Ao Yi’s eldest and the young chief of the Divine Dragon and Half-Human clan. He was the young chief, but he actually wasn’t very young. He was close to 200 years old and had reached the Saint Realm a while ago.

A beautiful and young girl stood behind Ao Jing.

Her skin was as white and translucent as saintly jade. She was tall and had two perky peaks on her chest. Glittery crystals dotted her hair. Just standing there, the water Qi in the air converged naturally toward her. She looked very saintly.

Ao Jing had become a Saint, but standing beside her, all the attention still went to her. She was Ao Jing’s eldest daughter and the most beautiful princess of the Divine Dragon and Half-Human clan—Ao Xinyan.

All the top figures of the clan in the room knew that Ao Xinyan was the true heir of the Divine Dragon and Half-Human clan. She was incredibly talented. She was known as the top talent of the past 100 hundred years in the clan.

After refining a divine dragon bone into her body, some claimed that no one in the clan would be as talented as her in the next 10,000 years. It could be said that the love of thousands was on her. She had so many halos around her and countless girls were jealous and envious.

But right now, her eyes were red. As if she’d lost her spirit, her eyes were very listless.

Ao Yi first sensed that Ao Xinyan’s mood was off. “Yan’er,” he asked caringly, “what’s wrong?”

All the top figures in the room looked toward her. They wanted to know why this usually spirited princess was now so down.

Ao Xinyan bit her lips. “Grand…Grandfather,” she said, voice trembling. “Did Zhang Ruochen…really…really die?”