God Emperor
chapter-2103

Chapter 2103: Son of Darkness, The Dying Prodigy

The two of them flung themselves into self-cultivation for more than a year with the help of Sundial. They had refined all the divine force crystals that they had obtained, except for—of course—the two divine force crystals of Darkness.

The outcome of self-cultivation this time was fruitful. Zhang Ruochen had a total of 340,000 precepts of Dimension and 260,000 precepts of Time. More importantly, his insights on the Path of Time and the Path of Dimension had significantly deepened. As a result, he had gained enlightenment about many crucial things.

Now, Zhang Ruochen had cultivated the first level of the secret technique— Dimensional Annihilation—to grand completion. The destructive power of the technique had doubled. With this technique, he should be strong enough to fight a top cultivator at first-tier below the Supreme-Saint level. It could be his trump card.

“Divine force crystals are indeed good. It’s a pity that after refining too many pieces of them, the effect will become less significant gradually. They cannot increase the precepts as many as they were at the beginning,” the Maiden of a Thousand Stars sighed slightly.

Zhang Ruochen smiled. “Don’t be too greedy. The outcome is considered good enough. At the very least, it will help us get through the crisis for temporarily.”

Actually, their biggest gain was not the growth of precepts but their comprehension and understanding of the Paths of the Ancients. It was the key to enable them to resist the erosion from the four-colored divine lights.

“You’re right. The lifespan I lost has been replenished. Sundial is indeed a legendary treasure of the world,” the Maiden of a Thousand Stars looked up at Sundial with joy in her eyes.

The erosive divine force of Time had drained the Maiden’s lifeforce until her long black hair turned gray.

But now, the Maiden of a Thousand Stars was glowing. Her long hair had turned black again. There were no longer any signs of aging on her.

The reason was that when they were deepening their insights on the Paths of the Ancients, they had somehow triggered the more profound power of Sundial. Many light spots of Time Mark flew out of Sundial and merged with Zhang Ruochen’s precepts of Time. It was like when Zhang Ruochen first came into contact with Sundial.

Supposedly, It should have only increased Zhang Ruochen’s lifespan. The Maiden of a Thousand Stars also benefited because the stream of precepts under the Paths of the Ancients was flowing in them. Her lifespan, which was depleting previously, was almost completely restored.

With a wave of his hand, Zhang Ruochen tucked away Sundial.

“We are trapped in a divine-force monster’s stomach. It isn’t safe. We have to find a way out as soon as possible,” Zhang Ruochen said with a serious expression.

They were indeed no longer afraid of the four-colored divine lights. However, if the monster used other means to deal with them, it would be difficult to tell what would happen.

The Maiden of a Thousand Stars nodded thoughtfully and said, “The space within the monster is very big. Let’s explore it first. Maybe we will find something.”

Immediately, the two stood up and walked hand in hand.

As they needed to maintain the flowing stream of precepts in each other’s bodies, it was essential for them to maintain physical contact.

The space was extremely large. Its radius was over thousands of miles, but, unfortunately, it was empty and dead silent.

This was normal. A monster this powerful could not possibly allow anything to reside inside its body safe and sound.

The four-colored divine lights were so fearsome that they could even refine a regal weapon after a long period.

Suddenly, a heaven-shaking roar was heard.

Zhang Ruochen stopped walking. He seemed to have sensed something.

His profound attainment in the Path of Dimension enabled him to sense the subtle dimensional fluctuations within a radius of hundreds of feet. He could predict danger and some other things ahead of time.

There was no other way. In this space, his spiritual power was no longer useful, and his vision was limited. Hence, he could only resort to other means when he wanted to probe the surroundings.

“What’s wrong?” asked the Maiden of a Thousand Stars curiously.

Zhang Ruochen said, “I think there was someone else hundreds a feet ahead.”

When she heard him, the Maiden of a Thousand Stars’ face looked surprised. Even they could barely survive inside the body of the menacing divine-force monster, so how could someone else possibly stay alive here?

If Zhang Ruochen’s perception was correct, the person in front was definitely not an ordinary person.

They instinctively exerted their best efforts to conceal their presence and cautiously moved forward.

“Someone is there for real.” the Maiden of a Thousand Stars’ eyes focused at a point.

With Divine Eye of Origin, the Maiden of a Thousand Stars could clearly see a person sitting cross-legged 300 meters ahead.

Fortunately, her cultivation level in the Path of Origin had improved greatly, so Divine Eye of Origin had become more amazing. Otherwise, she could not even see anything 30 meters away from her clearly under such an environment.

There were many four-colored divine lights around that person’s body, and they almost flooded him.

The Maiden of a Thousand Stars could tell that this person was not dead, but his condition was horrible.

As he had been eroded by the force of Time, he became emaciated, his hair turning gray and his body emitting a rotten aura. From the looks of it, he was dying.

At the same time, as the force of Origin had eroded him, his physical body was on the verge of collapse. He was about to disintegrate into countless tiny particles that couldn’t be seen with the naked eye.

“What a strange dark aura. Could he be…” The Maiden of a Thousand Stars’s expression suddenly changed.

She had a very deep impression of this dark aura.

There were many cultivators from Infernal Court practicing the Path of Darkness. Among them, Son of Darkness was the most outstanding. Rumors said he had entered Abyss of Darkness and fused with a mutated power of Darkness.

Zhang Ruochen’s expression was solemn, “It’s Son of Darkness’ aura. I didn’t expect him to be in the monster’s stomach. If I’m not mistaken, he was swallowed by the monster earlier than us. To be able to survive until now despite being eroded by the four-colored divine lights, he is no doubt capable. He lives up to his reputation as someone with threat level of ‘Ultraten’.”

The information of many Infernal Court’s Saint-King-level powerhouses was recorded in The Maleficent Records of the Infernal Court’s Ten Clans. In general, there were 10 levels based on how dangerous they are, with Level 10 the most dangerous. The cultivator of this threat level was with top strength of Path’s Anterior.

However, in reality, top powerhouses like Yan Wushen and Son of Darkness were not listed in The Maleficent Records of the Infernal Court’s Ten Clans because they were too powerful. Instead, they were classified as Ultraten-level threats.

Rumors said that every Ultraten-level powerhouse was tremendously powerful enough to kill an ordinary Neverwither Supreme Saint. Their strength was truly at the pinnacle of the Saint Kinghood.

Nevertheless, even within the Infernal Court, there were very few powerhouses with the threat level of Ultraten.

“Son of Darkness is indeed very strong, but he is already on the verge of death. Who would have thought that the rare prodigy of Fane of Darkness would die in the stomach of a divine-force monster?” Maiden of a Thousand Stars shook her head and sighed.

Son of Darkness was so talented that many bigwigs of the Fane of Darkness thought that he would ascend to godhood in the future. But now, he was going to die early. The world was so unpredictable.

Zhang Ruochen looked calm and indifferent. The death of Son of Darkness would only benefit Kunlun. It would not cause any losses to Kunlun.

If possible, he actually wanted to kill all powerhouses of Infernal Court who had come to True Dragon Island. He believed that it would be a big blow to Infernal Court.

At this moment, Son of Darkness was very weak. It was an excellent opportunity to kill him. However, Zhang Ruochen didn’t do anything after giving some thoughts.

The reason was simple. Son of Darkness was profoundly mysterious. If Zhang Ruochen made a move rashly, he could get himself into trouble when this dying fellow retaliated with last strength before death. Anyway, those four-colored divine lights would completely refine this fellow soon. Hence, there was no need to take such a risk.

When Zhang Ruochen was thinking, Son of Darkness suddenly looked up. On his wrinkled face, his pair of eyes slowly opened. He looked straight at where the two were standing.

“We are busted. He is highly vigilant despite his fragile state.” A hint of surprise flashed in the Maiden of a Thousand Stars’ eyes.

Now that their presence was known, Zhang Ruochen and the Maiden of a Thousand Stars no longer hid. They continued moving forward.

Finally, they stopped 100 feet away from Son of Darkness.

Son of Darkness’ eyes were calm, his mind tranquil. His peerless luster no longer remained. He looked like an old man who had seen through vicissitudes in the world.

He stared at Zhang Ruochen and the Maiden of a Thousand Stars without any hostility. It was as if he was looking at two ordinary mortals. He spoke dully, “I didn’t expect to meet you at the end of my life. Perhaps this is the wondrous of life. We never know what’s coming in the future and the next moment.”

Zhang Ruochen snorted, “Infernal Court always seeks destruction, longing for the death of the entire universe. Don’t you think it’s ironic for you to talk about ‘life’?”

Son of Darkness was a proud scion who rarely deemed others worthy. He would not give a d*mn to any ordinary cultivators. Never would he speak a single word to them. However, in his eyes, Zhang Ruochen was apparently an outstanding cultivator. Therefore, he considered Zhang Ruochen qualified enough to talk to him or, more precisely, discuss Dao with him—the Dao of the end of life.

Son of Darkness’ withered face did not have the luster a young cultivator should have in the slightest. Yet, he forced a smile. “Aren’t there any killings in Celestial Court? Aren’t there any beings in Celestial Court who pursue death and destruction? If so, why can’t someone from Infernal Court pursue life?”

“If you pursue life, why did you come to Kunlun?” Zhang Ruochen asked.

Son of Darkness said, “What I’ve been seeking is endless evolution of life to achieve transcendence, sainthood, and even godhood. The fight between Celestial Court and Infernal Court is meaningless to me. I only want to seek a greater breakthrough in cultivation, so I can go further on my path as a powerful cultivator.”

“Kunlun is different from ordinary macroworlds. It is eternal and indestructible, and has given rise to countless marvels. There were too many outstanding figures born in its history—Lord Wentian of the Ten Tribulations, Saint Monk Xumi, Dragon Lord Jiwang and many more. All of them were the altitude of life I yearn for. Hence, I must come here and follow in their footsteps, perfecting my Dao. ”

As soon as Son of Darkness finished his words, his eyes shone with a brilliant luster.

At this moment, from the looks of it, Son of Darkness has seen through vicissitudes of life. It was as if he had let go of everything—conflicts, interests, Celestial Court, and Infernal Court—and become nothing else but a cultivator.

“What a pity. Your life is about to come to an end, and you no longer have the chance to pursue anything. Fate always plays tricks on people.”.

As far as she knew, Son of Darkness had never appeared on any Battlefield of Merits. He had always stayed at Infernal Court to self-cultivate, so many neglected his existence. Perhaps, he was indeed devoted to the Dao.

However, whether he was right or not, it didn’t really matter because his life was about to end.

Son of Darkness said, “I never believe in fate. Never have I been to the Fane of Destiny worshipped by all cultivators in Infernal Court.

“In fact, every course of events is man-made. From the moment a cultivator embarks on the path of cultivation, they are already defying destiny. The weak are at the mercy of fate, while the strong control fate. I meet my doom simply because I’m not strong enough.”

His words struck Zhang Ruochen. Many cultivators had lofty aspirations. They believed that their fate was in their hands. Nevertheless, how many of them could really hold onto this belief?

When they were in a desperate situation, most people would choose to accept their fate. They did not have the courage to fight anymore.

Buzz.

Suddenly, the space shook violently. An extremely intimidating aura enveloped Zhang Ruochen, the Maiden of a Thousand Stars and Son of Darkness.

Zhang Ruochen and the Maiden of a Thousand Stars looked up. Their eyes turned grim. A clear, visible River of Time emerged. Countless fragments of Time flew, causing chaos to the time and space here.

Zhang Ruochen could also summon the shadow of River of Time, but its power was far inferior to this one.

Just as they were about to attack, they saw Son of Darkness extend his withered arm and draw on the ground with his fingers. He quickly drew many profound inscriptions.

Countless light spots immediately appeared in the sky like billions of stars, showing grand momentum, making people feel like they were really in the universe.

Then, these light spots revolved like galaxy, causing the entire time and space to distort.

Even the terrifying River of Time was distorted. It shifted its direction and didn’t charge at Zhang Ruochen and the other two. It quickly disappeared into the darkness.

After doing this, Son of Darkness’ body became even more withered, and his aura was extremely weak.

A hint of surprise flashed in Zhang Ruochen’s eyes. He gave Son of Darkness a long gaze. ‘He could perform such a countermove. It seemed that he knew the tricks of the monster very well.’

“This isn’t good. This monster has many tricks up its sleeves. If we can’t find a way out quickly, we might get refined in the end.” Maiden of a Thousand Stars’ expression became solemn.

Son of Darkness said, “This monster has a very high level of intelligence. Although it can give us a quick death, it deliberately choose not to do so. It wants to torture us slowly and let us die in despair and fear. But this will give us a chance to escape.”

“Chance to escape?” Zhang Ruochen asked.

Son of Darkness said, “Everyone has a weakness. I believe this monster is no exception. As long as we find its weakness, we might be able to escape.”

“Its weakness?” The Maiden of a Thousand Stars was deep in her thought.

They were currently in the monster’s body, and there were many things that they could not figure out. Therefore, even if the monster really had a weakness, they might not be able to identify it.

Son of Darkness said, “This monster is formed from the combination of four types of divine forces. It is completely different from the other monsters outside. Its essence has already undergone a mutation. Perhaps it can be considered as a real life form.”

The eyes of the Maiden of a Thousand Stars suddenly lit up, and she said, “These four kinds of divine forces are very powerful. Moreover, they belonged to different deities. So, it is challenging to combine them perfectly. Perhaps, it is not even possible to do so. Hence, I think this monster has only kept the four kinds of divine forces in a balance instead of combining them.

“If we can break this balance, we may be able to severely injure it and get a chance to escape.”

Upon hearing her words, Zhang Ruochen had a deep thought for a moment. He said, “This may indeed be the monster’s weakness, but how can we break the balance between the divine forces?”

It’s not enough to merely identify the weakness. The key was to think of a feasible way.

“I have vaguely seen a very special divine-force vortex at the top of this space. It showed four different colors. The divine forces from the outside seemed to have gathered in that vortex,” Son of Darkness suddenly spoke.

Zhang Ruochen’s heart skipped a beat. He quickly asked, “Where is the divine-force vortex?”

Son of Darkness didn’t say anything. Instead, he used his finger to draw on the ground again.

Whoosh!

A streak of dark light shot into the sky. It broke through many obstacles and revealed something that was hidden very deeply.

Zhang Ruochen and the Maiden of a Thousand Stars looked up. Without any obstacles, they could see the sky from thousands of feet away.

Just as Son of Darkness had said, there was a huge divine-force vortex there. It spun slowly. They could vaguely feel the ominous aura emanated from it. It was so powerful that it could destroy everything.

After a short moment, the inscriptions on the ground dimmed. The dark light disappeared, and the divine-force vortex was out of sight.

Son of Darkness coughed intensely, his face ashen. He was on the verge of death.