Chapter 2612: Choice

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation     Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Outside Kunlun, there were many Ruins Realms and planets.

100,000 years ago, these Ruins Realms and planets were all dependent on Kunlun. At the same time, they were also the hub of Kunlun’s protective array and the war fortress against the Infernal Court.

Unfortunately, after Saint Monk Xumi’s divine power sealed Kunlun off, entering and exiting Kunlun became difficult. These Ruins Realms and planets became desolate or chaotic places.

It was not until a thousand years ago that Saint Monk Xumi’s divine power was greatly weakened, and it became much easier to get in and out of Kunlun.

It was precisely because of this that 500 years ago, after the first Central

Empire was established, Empress Chi Yao found the Chaotic Myriad-Realm Ridge outside the realm. She led the cultivators of Kunlun to wage a war of unification against the various Ruins Realms and planets.

One was to sharpen the new generation of cultivators of Kunlun.

Second, she wanted to exterminate the descendants of the Infernal Court who had remained in these Ruins Realms and planets 100,000 years ago.

The third point was the most important. It was to clear the surroundings of Kunlun and prepare for the reactivation of the Great Protector Array and the Ancient Divine Sigil. After all, the array bases of many arrays were in these Ruins Realms and planets.

At this moment, the dragon lord and Zhang Ruochen flew to the Chaotic Myriad-Realm Ridge.

The Chaotic Myriad-Realm Ridge was a mountain ridge suspended in the space of the universe, stretching over 1,000 miles long.

When Zhang Ruochen came here and saw the rubble, broken walls, and broken pillars on the ground, he could not help but feel a little emotional.

When he first came to the battlefield of Ruins Realms and came to the Chaotic Myriad-Realm Ridge, it was vivacious here. There were military camps and war chariots. Warriors from various regions were both good and evil. There were also secular and monks.

The Black Market Excellence Hall, the Martial Market Bank, the imperial court were the places where young and handsome people from all walks of life gathered. They were full of vigor and vitality, young and hot-blooded, confident and hopeful for the future.

At that time, everyone was young and full of fighting spirit.

But now, the 2,867-feet-tall stone statue of Empress Chi Yao, which had once stood here, had collapsed, turning into rubble and filling half of the square.

The white stone tablet representing the Heaven Board had also been broken into two.

Zhang Ruochen stood in front of the broken tablet and looked at the names on it, his emotions complicated.

Once upon a time, his name was also on it.

At that time, the vessel spirit of the Heaven Board was a powerhouse that he needed to look up to. Now, it had been destroyed, along with the stone tablet.

Zhang Ruochen turned and walked in another direction. He came to the side of a vast ruin. Looking at the coliseum in the center of the ruins, the figures of the cultivators appeared in front of his eyes.

There was Huang Yanchen, Mu Lingxi, who was under the assumed name of

Duanmu Xingling; the ever-pure Luo Shuihan; and Diyi of the Black Market

Excellence Hall. There was also Murong Yue, the Orange Star Emissary, and Huang Shenyi, the number one on the Heaven Board, whom he killed in the coliseum.

There seemed to be many people there. It was vivacious. Everything seemed to have happened yesterday.

Unfortunately, the people in front of him had all disappeared, leaving only ruins.

Some people had died completely, and some people no longer looked the same.

Perhaps he really was a nostalgic person.

Empress of Thousand Bones’ voice sounded behind Zhang Ruochen. “What are you thinking about?”

He did not turn around, but came out of his thoughts. “Where do you think the time that has passed has gone, Empress? Is everything really unable to return to what it used to be?”

As he spoke, Zhang Ruochen had already turned around and stared at Empress of Thousand Bones.

This was the first time he had truly seen the empress’s true appearance. She was no longer as illusory as before. She was more stunning and beautiful than he had imagined. But he was calm.

“You have the Canon of Time. Tell me, can we return to the past, to the age where we don’t have to make a choice?” asked Zhang Ruochen.

An old voice sounded. It seemed to be full of nostalgia and reminiscence. “At least you have a choice now. We didn’t have a second choice back then.”

The Lord of Nephilim Island stood on a cliff in the Chaotic Myriad-Realm Ridge, looking at Kunlun in the distant starry sky. His posture was not as straight as when he was on the Apeiron Sea, full of vigor. Instead, he seemed to be wasted, old, and coughing lightly from time to time.

Zhang Ruochen could guess the elder’s identity. He was the most legendary figure in Kunlun, as famous as Lord Wentian of the Ten Tribulations, Saint Monk Xumi, and the dragon lords.

The empress, Emperor Ming, Sword Saint Xuanji, and the others had sacrificed everything to save the people of Kunlun.

But he was just an ordinary old man, frail with gray hair. He did not have the aura of a powerhouse.

At first, Zhang Ruochen thought he would be excited and teary-eyed when he saw Emperor Ming, but when he saw him, he was calmer than ever.

He looked around and did not see Emperor Ming. He collected his thoughts, walked over, bowed. “Greetings, Emperor Ming.”

“You’re Zhang Ling’s child, right?”

“Yes.”

The Lord of Nephilim Island turned around, looking and nodding at Zhang Ruochen. “Actually, your father is my disciple. You can call me grand master.” And then he coughed.

Zhang Ruochen did not know why his father was the Lord of Nephilim Island.

It must have happened in the Fane of Destiny. One who was practicing in the Fane of Destiny, and the other was imprisoned in the Fane of Destiny. It was not strange for them to have some contact.

“Grand Master, where is my father?” asked Zhang Ruochen.

The Lord of Nephilim Island’s eyes dimmed, and Empress of Thousand Bones said not a word.

Zhang Ruochen was anxious at last, and he asked again, “Grand Master, where is my father?”

The dragon lord walked over. “The rescue plan was more difficult than we thought. Your father didn’t escape from the Fane of Destiny. Even I coudn’t bring him out alive.”

While speaking, the dragon lord took off his robe and revealed his chest. Beneath the robe, his chest was bloody, full of broken organs. There were cracks on the edges, and he could only keep his divine body intact with the help of his powerful divine power.

“Your father wants you to return to Kunlun,” said the lord of Nephilim Island.

Zhang Ruochen felt extremely said, but he did not blame the dragon lord or the Lord of Nephilim Island. Rescuing people from the Fane of Destiny was not child’s play. Even divine kings and reverends would most likely die if they went.

Emperor Ming had probably been to the place where the Lord of Nephilim Island was locked up. He might even have guarded it and knew the price to pay if he succeeded. That was why he had gone to the Royal City of Hundred Clans to see him one last time. He could blame no one, as Emperor Ming had made this choice a long time ago.

But he still felt terrible and could not suppress his emotions. Zhang Ruochen asked with difficulty, “Is my father dead?”

“No. But it’s more painful for a god of Kunlun to be trapped in the Fane of Destiny than to die. I’ve tasted this feeling for 100,000 years,” said the Lord of Nephilim Island as he coughed yet again.

Empress of Thousand Bones stepped forward to support the trembling Lord of Nephilim Island.

Zhang Ruochen used Swordsmanship Saintwill to cut away from the depressed feelings, and his eyes became sharp. “In that case, I won’t go back to Kunlun.”

“You want to go back to the Infernal Court to save your father?” asked Empress of Thousand Bones.

Zhang Ruochen said nothing.

Empress of Thousand Bones said, “You know that the Fane of Destiny will find out Zhang Ling’s identity and that you are his son. It will be very difficult for you to return to the Infernal Court.”

The Lord of Nephilim Island spoke again. “You can trust the Grand Master. As long as your father is still alive, the Grand Master will find a way to save him.

But now we need to wait and be patient.”

Zhang Ruochen asked, “If Grand Master and the dragon lord join hands to capture the gods of the Infernal Court, can we exchange father for them with the Fane of Destiny?”

Empress of Thousand Bones shook her head. “Impossible. If the Fane of Destiny wants to command the Infernal Court, it will never compromise with any side of the Celestial Court. It was impossible 100,000 years ago, and it will be even more impossible to compromise with the Infernal Court so powerful. If we capture the gods of the Infernal Court, there will only be one consequence. The Fane of Destiny will declare war on Kunlun and completely destroy Kunlun again. ”

Zhang Ruochen asked again, “Grand Master has been trapped in the Fane of Destiny for 100,000 years. How much of his spiritual power has deteriorated, how many years will it take for his injuries to recover, and if he fully recovers, can we break into the Fane of Destiny and save my father?”

Empress of Thousand Bones shook her head. “Impossible. If the Fane of Destiny wants to command the Infernal Court, it will never compromise with any side of the Celestial Court. It was impossible 100,000 years ago, and it will be even more impossible to compromise with the Infernal Court so powerful. If we capture the gods of the Infernal Court, there will only be one consequence. The Fane of Destiny will declare war on Kunlun and completely destroy Kunlun again.”

“I promised your father that I would take good care of you. But you insist on going back to the Infernal Court. Even if I stopped you today, you would still go tomorrow. If I force you to go back, you will hate me instead. Ruochen, tell me, what should I do?”

If someone could barge into the Fane of Destiny and come and go as they pleased, the Infernal Court would have long ceased to exist.

This time, the dragon lord and the others could save the Lord of Nephilim

Island because countless factors combined to succeed.

Such an opportunity only came once every 100 ,ooo years.

To be exact, this opportunity was not something they had been waiting for. It was something countless cultivators had worked hard for over 100,000 years.

Empress of Thousand Bones said, “Zhang Ruochen, you have to think carefully. If you go back with us now, you can wash away everything that happened to you. Grandfather will tell all the cultivators in the Celestial Court that you and your father were the biggest contributors to the rescue. You joined the Infernal Court and endured humiliation as part of an important mission. You can even become the emperor of Kunlun. But if you miss this opportunity, it will be very difficult for you to go back in the future. It will be very difficult for you to go back with an identity that everyone can accept.”

Zhang Ruochen bowed to the Lord of Nephilim Island, the dragon lord, and Empress of Thousand Bones. “The three of you are all peerless gods, yet you are gathered here for me, a little Supreme Saint. I really appreciate it. But my mother is in the Infernal Court, and I can’t be the hero. My father is still trapped in the Fane of Destiny, and I can’t be the hero. My son and daughter are both in the Infernal Court, and I can’t be the hero. I have to go back. I don’t care what the world thinks of me. Be it a traitor or anything else. I’m born in the lifeless Infernal Court, but I yearn for life. I walk in the darkness, but my heart has always been toward the light. One day, I will find a path that belongs to me. No matter how dangerous this path is, I will continue without hesitation.” Zhang Ruochen said these words calmly and full of emotions.

Even with the dragon lord’s Empress of Thousand Bones’s experience, they looked at Zhang Ruochen with admiration and could no longer continue to persuade him.

The Lord of Nephilim Island was silent for a long time before he said, “Xumi was right about you; you are indeed qualified to be his successor. Since you are so calm and rational, I won’t stop you. How about this—I will take you to Xumi’s place of death and help you form the Grade One Saintwill? Only if you are outstanding enough, will you have a greater chance of surviving in the Infernal Court. You have to choose your own path in the end, and you will be more determined to walk it.”

With the spiritual power of the Lord of Nephilim Island, he could naturally see through all the mysteries of Zhang Ruochen’s cultivation at once..