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Chapter 307: Conditions of Mr. Corpse

This place houses a mysterious figure, one whom the emperor has long sought to win over: Mr. Corpse.

The hall\'s doors are tightly shut, adorned with countless strange talismans. In fact, the walls, even the ceiling, are covered with these eerie symbols, their sinister glow adding to the foreboding atmosphere.

Inside the hall, a figure in black robes, his face as pale as death, sits cross-legged at the center. The floor beneath him resembles a ritual altar, pulsating with blood-red symbols that seem to dance in the dim light.

From Mr. Corpse\'s nostrils, two streams of white vapor rise, forming three delicate, smoky flowers above his head. He is clearly immersed in some mysterious, arcane practice.

Suddenly, his eyes snap open, and the vapor quickly retracts, spiraling back into his nostrils. His brow furrows slightly as he narrows his eyes, focusing on the space before him.

Beyond the blood-stained altar, a figure slowly emerges from the ground, as if the earth itself is giving birth to him. This figure, unlike the zombies surrounding the hall, is human—one whom Mr. Corpse recognizes. The man, dressed in a black robe, rises eerily from the ground, leaving no trace or disturbance in the earth.

"Earth escaping technique?" Mr. Corpse wondered silently.

The man, fully surfaced, offers a slight smile.

"Mr. Corpse, do you remember me?" the black-robed man asks, his smile widening.

"Great Zheng Dynasty, Zhong Shan!" Mr. Corpse rises lightly, a flicker of surprise crossing his usually stoic face.

"The Great Zheng Dynasty? Heh, it seems I\'m not the only one keeping tabs on Mr. Corpse. You\'ve been keeping an eye on me as well!" Zhong Shan replies, nodding with a smile.

Mr. Corpse squints, scrutinizing Zhong Shan. He is curious about Zhong Shan\'s sudden appearance via the earth escaping technique, yet refrains from questioning it directly.

"I have traveled a million miles to see you. Won\'t you at least offer me some tea?" Zhong Shan says, making himself comfortable in a guest chair.

"Serve tea!" Mr. Corpse orders softly.

A female zombie swiftly approaches, pouring tea for both Zhong Shan and Mr. Corpse before retreating into the shadows.

"Mr. Corpse, you\'ve made remarkable progress over the years. The control you\'ve achieved over this golden corpse is truly commendable," Zhong Shan remarks, taking a sip of tea.

Mr. Corpse remains silent, simply observing Zhong Shan.

"Heh, please don\'t take offense. I\'ve come to express my gratitude. Without your timely aid on several occasions, I would have long fallen victim to the Yin Moon Dynasty," Zhong Shan says sincerely.

"That had nothing to do with me. It was merely your good fortune," Mr. Corpse replies, shaking his head.

"Perhaps. Yet, had you given the slightest indication to the contrary, I would not be here today. I owe you a great debt, Mr. Corpse, and I will not forget it," Zhong Shan says earnestly.

"Tell me, what brings you here today?" Mr. Corpse asks, his gaze steady and unwavering.

"I wish to invite you to join the Great Zheng Dynasty," Zhong Shan states with genuine sincerity.

"Heh, don\'t you find that a bit amusing?" Mr. Corpse chuckles coldly, though he does not outright refuse.

"From our few encounters, despite only glimpsing bits of your dialogue, I am certain that your allegiance to the Yin Moon Dynasty is merely a repayment of a debt. You are not truly committed to them. Once your obligation is fulfilled, you will surely depart," Zhong Shan declares confidently.

"Look at Zhongshan," Mr. Shi fell silent for a moment, then gave a cold smirk. "So what if you\'re from the Great Gou Kingdom? Do you think that alone can make me risk my life?"

"Hehe, no matter how impressive the Great Gou Kingdom appears on the surface, I\'m sure Mr. Shi is well aware. As for whether it\'s worth it for Mr. Shi to join us, I believe you started considering that from the third time we met," Zhongshan said confidently.

Staring at Zhongshan, Mr. Shi narrowed his eyes. The phrase \'the third time Mr. Shi saw me\' was not \'the third time we met\'. What did Zhongshan emphasize? It meant that after their second meeting, Zhongshan had observed him, and Mr. Shi hadn\'t noticed?

"The Nine Dragon Heaven Jade, in your hands? That incident beneath the Dayu Mountain, was that you?" Mr. Shi\'s eyes glinted.

"Yes, I took something from you, Mr. Shi. Please forgive me," Zhongshan nodded.

"It turns out to be you. However, that wasn\'t mine, but the Sixth Emperor\'s of the Yin Yue Dynasty," Mr. Shi sighed deeply.

"Mr. Shi has already seen it. The Wolf Clan acknowledges that although the Great Gou Kingdom\'s current strength may not match the Yin Yue Dynasty\'s, our potential exceeds theirs. In no time, we will achieve the position of an empire, using Tianlang Island as our foundation, conquering the Divine Continent, and creating an unprecedented legacy. Zhongshan solemnly invites Mr. Shi to join us," Zhongshan earnestly declared.

"You know nothing of my origins, yet you invite me?" Mr. Shi stared at Zhongshan.

"Hehe, and how much does Mr. Shi know about my origins? What kind of people were my ancestors?" Zhongshan chuckled. Zhongshan\'s ancestors? Throughout the world, besides Zhongshan himself, no one knew. Because Zhongshan\'s ancestors were enshrined within the earth.

Indeed, upon hearing Zhongshan\'s inquiry, Mr. Shi raised an eyebrow. Over the years, he had investigated Zhongshan. Not only Mr. Shi, but many others had investigated him as well, yet Zhongshan seemed to have emerged from nowhere.

"I came here today because, on one hand, I knew Mr. Shi had always been studying me. On the other hand, I believe I now have the strength to invite Mr. Shi. That\'s why I dared to come forward," Zhongshan affirmed confidently.

"Indeed, I\'ve been studying you, as well as many others in the world. If you want me to join, you must earn my full approval. You are far from achieving that," Mr. Shi shook his head.

"Oh? And what conditions are those?" Zhongshan stared at Mr. Shi.

Looking at Zhongshan, Mr. Shi smiled faintly. "Firstly, you must have a strong will to survive. If your life isn\'t tough enough, how can you dominate the world? In this regard, you\'ve basically achieved it. Your luck is extraordinary. Even in several near-death situations, you\'ve emerged unscathed, gaining substantial rewards each time."

"Thank you, Mr. Shi!" Zhongshan nodded.

"Survival is one aspect; the other is, if you want me to submit, shouldn\'t you defeat me?" Mr. Shi said.

"Defeat you?" Zhongshan furrowed his brows, sensing Mr. Shi\'s hidden meaning.

"Yes, in my domain, you must defeat me. Can you surpass me in the realm of the undead?" Mr. Shi smiled as he looked at Zhongshan.

With a wave of his hand, five mummified figures suddenly emerged from the ground, surrounding Zhongshan.

Glancing at the five mummies, Zhongshan pondered for a moment. "To prove myself, do I need to defeat them?"

"How to prove it, that depends on you," Mr. Shi replied noncommittally.

Setting down his teacup gently, Zhongshan stood up and faced the five mummies with a slight smile. "Very well, as Mr. Shi said, I will defeat you in your domain. I just hope Mr. Shi won\'t go back on your word."

"The Great Gou Kingdom and the Yin Yue Dynasty will inevitably clash one day. At that time, I\'ll stand with the Yin Yue Dynasty, and you can prove yourself to me. In truth, I look forward to it," Mr. Shi said softly.

"Mr. Shi, rest assured," Zhongshan replied with utmost confidence.

"Hmm, but before that, I want to verify whether your luck still holds," Mr. Shi\'s face turned cold.

As soon as Mr. Shi finished speaking, the five mummified figures surrounding Zhongshan suddenly charged at him. Their momentum seemed intent on utterly destroying Zhongshan. It happened too fast.

"Farewell!" Zhongshan uttered only those words.

"Boom~~~" The five mummies simultaneously thrust their hands into Zhongshan\'s body.

"Bang~~~" Zhongshan seemed to disperse into the tiniest particles in an instant, then vanished completely.

Mr. Shi didn\'t show much surprise; he just furrowed his brows slightly. With a wave of his hand, the mummies sank back into the ground.

At the same time, outside the imperial city of the Yin Yue Dynasty, atop a mountain peak.

Zhongshan, clad in black robes, stood there with a wolf general by his side.

"Zhongshan, did you ask me to bring you here just to enjoy the breeze on this peak?" the wolf general frowned.

It had been nearly an hour; Zhongshan had been staring into the distance the whole time. What day was it today? Zhongshan\'s hundredth birthday! The entire Great Gou Kingdom was celebrating, yet Zhongshan had asked him to bring him here.

What was the point of coming here? Just to enjoy the breeze?

"I\'ve come to receive the best gift," Zhongshan chuckled softly.

"Receive a gift? Where are you receiving it from?" the wolf general asked, puzzled.

"I\'ve already received it," Zhongshan smiled.

"Received it?" The wolf general widened his eyes, looking utterly puzzled.

"Let\'s go back," Zhongshan said.

"Uh..." The wolf general was full of doubts. Was the purpose of this birthday visit just to take a look here?

Zhongshan naturally didn\'t explain further. The matter had been settled; the Heavenly Shadow Scroll had created a clone, and an agreement had been reached with Mr. Shi. As for how it would be completed, that was a matter for the future.

In the evening, Zhongshan and the wolf general hurried back to the Great Gou Kingdom.

The Emperor\'s hundredth birthday was being celebrated with great joy throughout the kingdom. At the outer square of the Eternal Life Hall, there were more banquet tables set up than during the Eightieth Birthday celebration. Generals and officials had already taken their seats, waiting for the Emperor to arrive. Inside the Imperial Capital, there were countless more banquet tables, celebrating the Emperor\'s centennial birthday.

Centennial birthday? A hundred years old is indeed a cause for celebration.

Zhongshan sat at the largest banquet table outside the Eternal Life Hall, receiving countless blessings from his subordinates, feeling deeply moved.

Lin Xiao, Ying Lan, Bao Er, and Wei Taizhong sat at this table. Among them, Little Wolf Immortal Xian Xian was also present, followed by four empty seats.

Two were for the princes who were away, and the other two, only Bao Er knew—one for Empress Tian Ling\'er and the other for Empress Kui\'er.