Upon hearing Zhang Chen’s words, Mrs. Zhang remained silent and did not continue the conversation. She was a person who understood propriety and knew when to advance and retreat, otherwise, her father would never have taken a liking to her.
"Can you tell me about my father?" Zhang Chen’s foot stirred up a splash in the water, his eyes seemed to peer through time and space, with blood-red shadows flickering.
Through Gong Bai’s perspective, he saw the overwhelming demon beasts, now crossing the White Bone Great Wall mightily. He saw those blood-red shadows mixing into the demon army, constantly devouring demon beasts, leaving behind carcasses.
The demon army crossed the White Bone Great Wall and entered the pass!
Gong Bai was in slaughter, continually killing the demon beasts of the Demon Race.
Some powerful figure from the Demon Race controlled the water, directing floods underground, opening paths for the demon army.
Countless demon armies stormed the mountains, massacring the surviving people of the Northern Land.
"Your father was a gentleman, appearing never to be angry at any time, always wearing an expression of confidence, as if everything was within his grasp." Mrs. Zhang’s eyes revealed a trace of reminiscence: "Even when eating coarse grain, there was never a complaint from him. Before marrying your father, I thought he was just an ordinary citizen, never knowing he was actually a descendant of an exiled noble family. His knowledge was as vast as the sea; he seemed to understand and know everything."
Hearing this, Zhang Chen fell silent, steering the boat to a secluded valley, watching the floodwaters recede and after opening up a large cave, he settled Mrs. Zhang and the two little ones in the mountain.
Mrs. Zhang did not ask Zhang Chen how long he planned to stay in the Northern Land, she silently took the three little ones to hide in the cave, trying her best not to trouble Zhang Chen.
Zhang Chen sat inside the cave, his thoughts bringing Gong Bai’s figure nearby, secretly lurking to ensure their safety. If any demon beasts passed by, Gong Bai would devour them all, making them a feast.
In Zhang Chen’s hand was the Heaven and Earth Treasure Mirror, which he gently activated with magical power, and as the treasure mirror opened, the bronze surface flickered with brilliance, displaying a scene before his eyes.
In the picture was a man in a red robe, lying face down in the mud, his fate unknown, his body unmoving.
"Did Dugu Qiu lose, and suffer serious injuries? How much time has passed, and already the victor was determined, Hu Li the Immortal defeated Dugu Qiu?" Zhang Chen looked at the scene in the treasure mirror, his eyes cautious.
Hu Li the Immortal’s strength exceeded his expectations, even if the opponent suffered serious injuries and fell to the Tenth Tier, with Dugu Qiu holding a Twelfth Tier Divine Artifact, he should not have been so miserably defeated.
"Dugu Qiu started from the Empress Tomb, attacked Zhang Shicheng, and now confronted Hu Li the Immortal, buying time for the Inspection and Supervision Department, fighting battle after battle, continually burning his lifespan to wield Twelfth Tier Mysteries, he suffered repeated serious injuries. If not for the Tree of Life Coffin extending his lifespan, this old man would have already turned into bones," said the Great Freedom Celestial Demon Dao.
"This is my chance. If I approach Dugu Qiu, perhaps I can glimpse the whereabouts of the Tree of Life Coffin," Zhang Chen’s eyes showed a hint of intrigue.
Then Zhang Chen used the Heaven and Earth Treasure Mirror to sense Dugu Qiu’s location, and in the next moment, he disappeared from the spot using the Earth Escape Technique.
When Zhang Chen reappeared, he was in a cluttered forest, the floodwater had receded, leaving muddy grime, making it uncomfortable to tread on.
Zhang Chen endured the discomfort and slowly stepped through the mud, reaching the predetermined location, seeing the figure in a red robe laying on the ground.
"It is Dugu Qiu." Zhang Chen glanced, confirming it was Dugu Qiu, then his eyes flashed with Golden Light, the True God Golden Light observing the qi around the other, after a long time, he closed the Golden Light, muttering internally: "Unclear, this Chief Eunuch carries Twelfth Tier Mysteries concealing his aura, even my True God Golden Light cannot penetrate."
Muttering to this point, Zhang Chen opened the Devouring Dharma Eye, his gaze falling upon Dugu Qiu, under the Eye of Devouring, Zhang Chen finally saw some clues, he saw Dugu Qiu’s internal organs already shattered, a section of the Tree of Life’s branch in his chest, from which threads of life force flowed, maintaining his vitality.
On Dugu Qiu’s back, carried a spear one and a half meters long, the whole spear seemingly cast in bronze, rust-covered, with mysterious symbols circulating.
"Twelfth Tier Mysteries, Judgement! Or else it might be called the Celestial Punishment Spear!" Zhang Chen’s gaze fell on the spear, his breath paused in awe; a Twelfth Tier Mystery, Zhang Chen couldn’t help but be entranced, moreover, it was a mystery that emphasized attack and combat, highly skilled in battles, how could Zhang Chen not covet it?
However, in Zhang Chen’s perception, the aura of the Twelfth Tier Divine Artifact is linked with that of Dugu Qiu, and there is an indescribable connection between the two, which means it has already recognized its master.
"If Dugu Qiu were to die, the Judgement would surely fall silent, and then I might have a chance to steal the Judgement. Unfortunately, the Judgement is now connected to Dugu Qiu’s Qi Mechanism, leveraging Dugu Qiu’s aura to remain in a semi-awakened state, belonging to someone. I simply cannot steal it." Zhang Chen felt quite regretful in his heart.
As for Zhang Chen attacking Dugu Qiu at this time to eliminate him? That’s simply wishful thinking. I’m afraid what awaits him would be the Judgement’s fatal blow. Would you really think a Twelfth Tier Mysterious item is incapable of fighting back?
"If I could manage to make the Twelfth Tier Mysterious item drop some skills, it’s not impossible for me." Zhang Chen’s gaze swept over the Judgement and then walked up to observe closely for a moment, tentatively patting Dugu Qiu on the shoulder: "Hey brother, are you still alive? Are you okay?"
At this moment, Dugu Qiu’s aura was extremely weak. Zhang Chen knew that Dugu Qiu had already fainted, so he pulled him out of the mud, cautiously carried him on his back, and rushed to the distance.
Meanwhile, his Authority of Wood Element also detected the vibrant life force from the emerald green branch in Dugu Qiu’s chest, so rich it appeared as a small sun in his perception.
Zhang Chen’s thoughts flickered in his mind as he carried Dugu Qiu to a spot by the clear water stream, carefully placed him on the ground, and was about to reach out towards Dugu Qiu’s chest when suddenly the Judgement emitted a hum, seemingly sensing Zhang Chen’s malice. The Judgement Spear shot out a tiny arc of electricity, knocking Zhang Chen’s hand back.
"Hiss~" Zhang Chen shook his hand, wincing in pain, realizing that the Judgement was automatically protecting itself, merely giving him a warning since he hadn’t taken any overly aggressive action for the time being.
The branch from the Tree of Life is tied to Dugu Qiu’s life, and Dugu Qiu’s survival relies entirely on that branch. If this branch were taken away, Dugu Qiu would surely die without a place to be buried. Therefore, the Mysterious item does not allow Zhang Chen to approach the branch on Dugu Qiu’s chest.
"Such astonishing spirituality!" Zhang Chen secretly thought to himself, surveying Dugu Qiu from top to bottom, analyzing in his mind, "If I want to touch that branch, I first have to stabilize Dugu Qiu’s injury, get him out of life-threatening danger, then the Judgement would naturally not determine that I intend to harm Dugu Qiu."
After pondering for a moment, Zhang Chen took out a Golden Core from the Ba Snake Space, looking at Dugu Qiu with both eyes: "You lucky old man! If it weren’t for my urgent need to extend my lifespan right now, I would never have given you this Golden Core for cheap."
Of course, given Zhang Chen’s personality nowadays, he would certainly not engage in a losing trade. He intended to seize the opportunity to get close to Dugu Qiu and see if there was a chance to test the Judgement through Dugu Qiu, thereby making the Judgement drop skills.
The Golden Core was a Treasure Medicine refined by Xu Erniu. Zhang Chen inserted it into Dugu Qiu’s body, and as the medicinal power melted away, vigorous vitality spread through Dugu Qiu’s body, continuously repairing those damaged internal organs beneath its powerful life force.
"You’re really getting this for cheap, old man, but even without my assistance, this old man should probably survive anyway. But with my Golden Core help, this old fellow’s cultivation might make significant progress." Zhang Chen sensed the changes in Dugu Qiu’s body injuries, secretly muttering to himself.
Then he nonchalantly glanced at the Judgement behind him, secretly thinking: ’I have already secured Dugu Qiu’s life; you’re a clever Mysterious item and should perceive my goodwill. You won’t obstruct me anymore, right.’
Zhang Chen once more tentatively pulled off Dugu Qiu’s clothes, observing that a wrist-thick, more than ten centimeters long wooden stick fell from his arms.
Zhang Chen observed the Judgement’s reaction, finding no response, so he feigned ignorance of the branch, instead placing Dugu Qiu’s clothes in the water to wash, hanging them to dry on tree branches once clean.
The Judgement is a Twelfth Tier Mysterious item. Though it lacks wisdom, it possesses spirituality. Zhang Chen’s task is to deceive the Judgement’s spirituality, creating an unintended perception.
Then Zhang Chen stripped off all of Dugu Qiu’s clothes to wash them thoroughly clean, and after hanging them to dry, the Judgement also fell to the ground. Zhang Chen glanced at the Judgement, treating it as an ordinary spear, casually tossing it to the side, and then washed Dugu Qiu all over with clean water. Only after thoroughly washing off the mud did Zhang Chen clean himself and subtly hold onto that wooden branch.
As he grasped the branch, life force like the surging Yangtze River poured continuously into Zhang Chen’s body through his hundreds of orifices.
"This is the feeling!" Zhang Chen, holding the branch, revealed a trace of ecstatic joy in his eyes, his body like a dried sponge constantly absorbing the branch of the Tree of Life.
"Too slow!" After dozens of breaths, Zhang Chen was somewhat unsatisfied with the speed at which the branch of the Tree of Life’s life energy seeped into his body. Who knows when that old fellow Dugu Qiu might wake up?
So Zhang Chen thought quickly, secretly summoning the mouthparts of the Innate Mosquito, stabbing them into the branch of the Tree of Life. In merely ten breaths, the branch from the Tree of Life had turned into deadwood before disintegrating into the air.