I picked up skill fragments in the demon world.

Chapter 588 Huang Tiandao's Grand Plan
But Zhang Chen was a man with a conscience after all. Not to mention that there was no grudge between him and Liu Ji, even if Liu Ji had repeatedly reminded him in Huangli Temple, Zhang Chen would not have done something like killing to silence him.

What's more, Zhang Chen also sensed a trace of unique aura from Liu Ji: absolute defense.

Absolute Defense was the magic weapon of the Emperor's daughter, but it was obtained by Liu Ji by sheer luck. The Emperor's daughter had taught Zhang Chen the formula for controlling Absolute Defense, and told him to take back Absolute Defense if he had the chance in the future.

"Zhang Chen, why are you here?" Just as Zhang Chen was thinking, he saw Liu Ji coming up to him with a warm face and greeting him.

"I'm also wondering, why are you here?" Zhang Chen looked at Liu Ji with a hint of surprise in his eyes.

"Let's go to the restaurant and talk. There are too many people here and it's not a good place to talk." Liu Ji said to Zhang Chen.

Zhang Chen nodded upon hearing this, and went to a small restaurant with Liu Ji. Then he entered a private room, and Liu Ji said, "Why are you in Jinling? You'd better run away. The entire Huang Tiandao is looking for you. You've really stabbed Huang Tiandao in the lungs. It won't be long before a powerful person from Huang Tiandao comes to preside over a major event. If you don't escape in advance, once Huang Tiandao finds your whereabouts, you'll probably be dead soon."

Zhang Chen made a bowl of tea for Liu Ji, and then said slowly, "My escape is not urgent, but you, why are you here?"

Liu Ji smiled bitterly when he heard this: "I am a smooth person. Huang Tiandao sent me as a pioneer to investigate the situation in Jinling City."

"To find out about the situation in Jinling City?" Zhang Chen raised his eyebrows and pushed the tea in front of Liu Ji:

"Huang Tiandao has always been a man who never gets up early without profit and never does useless work. What does Huang Tiandao want to do?"

Liu Ji hesitated for a moment before saying:
"Given our relationship, it's okay to tell you. Huang Tiandao wants to use the power of water transport to guide the sea tribe into the country. This time, Huang Tiandao's target is the Jinling Shen family. He wants to destroy the entire Jinling Shen family and then seize the power of the world's water transport."

"Huang Tiandao is colluding with the demon clan?" Zhang Chen was stunned after hearing Liu Ji's words.

"Huang Tiandao can't fight against the imperial court's Censorate. In order to save himself, he can only collude with the demon clan." Liu Ji muttered.

Zhang Chen tapped his fingers on the table when he heard this, his eyes showing a serious look: "Once Huang Tiandao achieves his goal, the sea tribe's millions of troops will enter the pass, and then the human race will be in big trouble, and countless innocent lives will be destroyed."

"Only when all the people in the world are suffering will people believe in gods, making it easier for Huang Tiandao to gather believers." Liu Ji replied.

Zhang Chen fell silent upon hearing this. A solemn look appeared in his eyes. He stared at the steaming tea without saying a word.

"Is there any way to stop it?" Zhang Chen asked.

"How to stop it? Who can stop it? You? Or me? We are all just pawns in the general trend. The only thing we can do is to try our best to get enough food for ourselves in this rolling trend." Liu Ji said to Zhang Chen, "You should take care of yourself. You kidnapped Cheng Yu from Huang Tiandao. Cheng Yu is related to the future of Huang Tiandao. Now the whole Huang Tiandao is looking for you like crazy. Once they find you, you will probably be dead soon. The only ending waiting for you is soul extraction and spirit refinement."

Zhang Chen blew on the boiling hot tea, took a sip, and then said, "Hasn't it been found yet?"

"If you don't leave now, we will find you soon. The one who is presiding over the important events in Jinling this time is Shuide Xingjun, one of the seven star gods of Huang Tiandao. He is a star god appointed by Huang Tiandao. He is born with the authority and power of the water god. He went down the mountain this time to suppress the Shen family, bring the world's water transport under his command, and then gather enough incense and faith to enter the eleventh level. You stay in Jinling City. Once Jinling City falls and becomes the territory of Shuide Xingjun, you won't be able to leave even if you want to." Liu Ji said to Zhang Chen very seriously.

"Water Deity? I heard people say before that Huang Tiandao wanted to confer titles on the six stars of the Southern Dipper and the seven stars of the Northern Dipper. How come another Water Deity has popped up?" Zhang Chen had a confused look in his eyes.

Liu Ji said: "Jiuyao is the auxiliary two stars of the Big Dipper. It is not contradictory for someone to obtain two star god positions."

"The throne is so precious. Isn't it a waste for one person to hold multiple positions?" Zhang Chen said.

"It's a waste, but who can blame him for being so special?" Liu Ji showed a hint of sour envy in his eyes.

Zhang Chen looked at Liu Ji in surprise. Liu Ji did not keep him in suspense: "You know that Water Deity Star Lord. He is Zhang Xiaohua, the prince of Pingbian. According to reason, the Huangtian Dao headquarters prepared the Beidou Pojun deity position for him, but his grandfather transformed into a dragon twice and died twice, which gave him great water luck. When he ascended to the position of Pojun Star Lord, he unexpectedly received an inexplicable blessing and was induced by the auxiliary star, and took control of the position of Water Deity Star Lord. Because he controls two deity positions, his status in the sect is infinitely elevated, so he was sent to preside over the matter of plundering the water luck of the land of Shenzhou."

"Zhang Xiaohua? Pojun Star Lord? Shuide Star Lord?" Zhang Chen took a breath of cold air when he heard that.

Beidou Tianguan Pojun Star Lord: Also known as Yaoguang Star, he is the master of the six divisions, the God of heaven, and the master of the fortunes of heaven and earth, such as the length of the four seasons, the fortunes of heaven and earth, and the disasters of heaven and earth. Therefore, Pojun Emperor has great power and authority.

"What level of god has Zhang Xiaohua reached now?" Zhang Chen asked.

“Originally, he returned to his position as the star lord of Pojun and had already entered the ninth-rank deity. However, as the water deity star lord gained the recognition of Mercury, he actually stepped into the tenth rank on the basis of the ninth rank, and became the first person under the command of the great sage Huang Tiandao.” Liu Ji’s eyes were full of envy at this time.

Zhang Chen drummed his fingers on the table, thinking through countless thoughts in his mind: "Zhang Xiaohua was able to gain the recognition of Mercury and ascend to the position of Water Virtue Star Lord, becoming the only deity to enter the tenth level besides the Great Sage Master in the Yellow Heavenly Dao. Zhang Shicheng must have been behind this. Zhang Shicheng has reached the tenth level of dragon transformation and obtained the Northland Water Transport. It is not impossible for him to give Zhang Xiaohua a push before he dies."

"Now that the Great Sage Master is in seclusion, Zhang Xiaohua has become the person with the highest cultivation in Huang Tiandao. Even the Twelve True Immortals are suppressed by him. He has vaguely got the title of deputy headmaster. This guy has taken the lead and is ahead of everyone else. It is possible that in the future, Python Swallowing Dragon will completely master Huang Tiandao and use Huang Tiandao to support King Pingbian. I heard that you and Zhang Xiaohua have a life-and-death feud, so you must be careful." Liu Ji said.

Zhang Chen looked Liu Ji up and down and asked, "Zhang Xiaohua and I are both from the same village. Why do you prefer me?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Ji picked up the teacup and took a sip, then gave Zhang Chen an unexpected answer: "Because I like you!"

Zhang Chen was stunned. This answer was beyond his expectations, but he did not believe it.

Liu Ji put down the teacup and said, "In three months, Zhang Xiaohua will be here, so run as far as you can."

Liu Ji stood up and was about to leave, but was stopped by Zhang Chen: "Village Chief, please stay. I have something else to ask you."

Liu Ji looked at Zhang Chen, and Zhang Chen said, "Can you tell me about the major forces in Jinling City? Since you have started to lay out your plans in Jinling City, you should have already understood Jinling City thoroughly, right?"

Liu Ji looked at Zhang Chen in surprise and said, "You are about to leave Jinling City, why are you still asking about the major forces in Jinling City?"

"Who said I'm leaving?" Zhang Chen asked back.

This time it was Liu Ji's turn to remain silent. He stared at Zhang Chen with a serious expression on his face: "Aren't you afraid of being liquidated by Zhang Xiaohua?"

"There are tenth-order gods in Jinling City, and Zhang Xiaohua is only at the tenth order. It's not easy for her to do whatever she wants in Jinling City." Zhang Chen said.

Liu Ji looked at Zhang Chen deeply and said, "There is a tenth-order god in Jinling City, and he is the ancestor of the Jinling Shen family. Apart from this, all other major forces rely on the Shen family for their livelihood. Those ninth-order gods are nothing to be afraid of. If you are concerned about the major forces in Jinling City, you only need to focus on the Shen family."

"The Shen family is the only tenth-rank god?" Zhang Chen was stunned when he heard this. He had sensed several auras in Jinling City, and they also seemed to be tenth-rank gods?

“There are a few who are close to the tenth level and have the aura of the tenth level. They can be called half-tenth level. Although they have the status of the tenth level, they have never condensed a tenth-level divine body, so they cannot be considered true tenth level.” Liu Ji did not seem to want to say more. He just explained a few words casually, and repeatedly urged Zhang Chen to leave Jinling City as soon as possible, then turned around and left in a hurry.

Looking at Liu Ji's receding back, Zhang Chen narrowed his eyes: "Liu Ji has mastered absolute defense. This treasure is a tenth-level mystery. To break it, at least eleventh-level power is required. In this Jinling City, there is no one who can break Liu Ji's defense."

"Uncle Liu, I have one more thing to ask of you." Zhang Chen saw Liu Ji about to walk into the crowd and hurriedly shouted.

Liu Ji paused when he heard this and turned to look at Zhang Chen. Zhang Chen ran down from the teahouse and came to Liu Ji. He said solemnly, "I would like to ask you to transfer the tenth-level spirit of the Shen family away. It will only take a quarter of an hour."

Zhang Chen wanted to find the secret treasure that his mother left in the Shen family. The only place where the secret treasure might be kept was the backyard. However, there was a tenth-level god guarding the ancestral temple in the backyard, so Zhang Chen couldn't get close at all. Liu Bang in front of him had a tenth-level absolute defense, which was an opportunity for Zhang Chen.

"You think too highly of me. How could I possibly delay a tenth-order god?" Upon hearing this, Liu Ji hurriedly shook his head like a rattle and rejected Zhang Chen's request without even thinking.

Seeing Liu Ji reject him, Zhang Chen sighed softly, but he was not disappointed, as this was within his expectations.

(End of this chapter)