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Chapter 645: Conversing with the Immortal

"Master Shenxiu, what do you think?" Ye Qingcheng asked, worried.

Shenxiu shook his head and sighed. "The Wu clan has already taken the Earth Book and left. The internal essence of the yellow dragon has dissipated, and it can no longer form a dragon. Soon, the strong cultivators inside will awaken. We should retreat quickly!"

Shenxiu felt a deep sense of defeat, and Ye Qingcheng\'s eyes reflected the same. This time, the Undying Realm had paid a tremendous price, only to end in utter failure.

With a flick of his sleeve, Ye Qingcheng cast another cold glance at the purple-haired man.

"Disband the array and retreat!" Ye Qingcheng commanded sharply.

"Realm Master, it wasn\'t me, it was...!" the purple-haired man stammered, trying to explain, but his words were futile now.

Ye Qingcheng glared at him, suppressing his anger. "We\'ll discuss this back in the Undying Realm!"

The intense coldness from Ye Qingcheng made the purple-haired man shudder in fear. "Yes!"

The members of the Undying Realm began to retreat. Inside, as the yellow dragon exploded and countless cultivators scattered, they started to awaken.

Tian Xiao awoke from his daze, instantly alert. Recalling the previous events, he shuddered and quickly scanned his surroundings.

"Young Master, Young Master!" A nearby Tian family member ran over, clearly terrified by what had transpired.

"Find the others, quickly!" Tian Xiao ordered.

"Yes!" The Tian family member immediately complied.

With Tian Xiao as their pillar of support, the frightened group regained their composure and began searching for their family members. More and more people woke up, including Xing Taidou and Yin Luori.

The three Heavenly Extreme cultivators exchanged glances but said nothing to each other.

"Young Master, we\'ve found everyone. Aside from eight injured members who can\'t move, the rest are all capable of walking," a Tian family member reported respectfully.

Tian Xiao glanced at Yin Luori and then cast a cold look at Xing Taidou.

"Let\'s go home!" Tian Xiao ordered.

"Yes!" The Tian family members responded immediately.

None of the strong cultivators had the slightest interest in politeness. The earlier events haunted their minds like a nightmare. Now that they could escape, they all turned and fled, disappearing in an instant.

"Return to court!" Xing Taidou commanded.

"Yes!" The officials of the Dayan Heavenly Court responded immediately.

Yin Luori, silent, vanished from sight in the blink of an eye.

In a serene valley, flowers bloomed in abundance. At the center stood a pitch-black hall with its doors tightly shut. Outside, Gu Qianyou, Xianxian, Mr. Corpse, Jiu Laotou, Jing Tianci, and several wolf generals stood guard.

Inside the hall, Zhong Shan stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the giant coffin placed in the center. Inside lay the charred and severely injured body of Nangong Sheng. His forehead was affixed with a pitch-black talisman.

With the Mo Yu Talisman on his forehead, Nangong Sheng\'s breath was entirely gone, with not even a trace of soul fluctuation. He appeared no different from a corpse.

Zhong Shan smiled slightly as he stepped forward and pointed at the Mo Yu Talisman. The talisman emitted a blue light, then detached from Nangong Sheng\'s forehead and fell into Zhong Shan\'s hand.

"Whoosh."

Nangong Sheng\'s eyes snapped open!

"Nangong Sheng, we meet again!" Zhong Shan said with a faint smile.

Nangong Sheng slowly sat up, glanced at the coffin, and then looked at Zhong Shan.

"Zhong Shan?" Nangong Sheng raised an eyebrow.

"It seems I haven\'t made you forget me! Zhong Shan is honored!" Zhong Shan chuckled.

"How could I forget? The most prominent figure in Shenzhou, the one who tricked the Tai Chi Diagram out of the Underworld, Zhong Shan!" Nangong Sheng shook his head.

"Tricked? Heh, didn\'t you give it to me back then?" Zhong Shan smiled.

"You used it to descend to the underworld, didn\'t you?" Nangong Sheng stared at Zhong Shan.

"Oh? You know?" Zhong Shan was surprised.

"I know the origins of the Underworld\'s Tai Chi Diagram. But now that you\'re here, why did you save me?" Nangong Sheng asked, his eyes fixed on Zhong Shan.

"What do you think?"

"Zhong Shan is truly worthy of his reputation! I underestimated you," Nangong Sheng shook his head.

"Many have underestimated me; you\'re not the first," Zhong Shan laughed.

"I owe you a great debt for saving my life. I will repay it in the future," Nangong Sheng said calmly.

As the world\'s foremost formation master, Nangong Sheng\'s mental and spiritual cultivation was profound. Zhong Shan had saved him, but Nangong Sheng\'s pride wouldn\'t allow him to weep and pledge loyalty like some might.

"Hold on, Zhong Shan has a few questions and would like to seek your advice. As for the favor of saving your life, we can discuss that later," Zhong Shan said with a smile.

Zhong Shan was straightforward because he understood Nangong Sheng\'s character. Such a proud person wouldn\'t foolishly pledge allegiance simply because he was saved. Moreover, Zhong Shan had his own motives for saving him. There was no time for drawn-out strategies like the old Seven Captures and Seven Releases.

"Oh?" Nangong Sheng looked at Zhong Shan, surprised by his directness.

"I\'ve always wondered why most Heavenly Extreme cultivators in Shenzhou wait until their lifespan is nearly exhausted before undergoing the tribulation to become immortals. This way, their foundations are deeper, and their power is greater upon becoming immortals. Why did you, at only the tenth level of the Heavenly Extreme realm, rush to become a Profound Immortal? You still have a long life ahead. Why not wait until the eleventh or twelfth level? Could you enlighten me?" Zhong Shan asked.

On the path of cultivation, it\'s best to seek advice from those with experience rather than groping blindly.

"Heh, I\'m sure many are curious. You needn\'t follow my example; I\'m different from you all," Nangong Sheng shook his head.

"Oh?"

"I am a formation cultivator. There are no more formations in this world for me to learn from, no breakthroughs to be made through formations. My only path to greater strength lies in the Underworld or the Great Thousand World, where endless formations exist to make me infinitely powerful."

"Hmm, Zhong Shan respects that," Zhong Shan nodded, understanding Nangong Sheng\'s reasoning.

"Respect? Heh, unnecessary. You are the most similar to Gu Shentong I\'ve ever seen. Gu Shentong was once the greatest in the world. I wonder if you can replicate his glory," Nangong Sheng said, staring at Zhong Shan.

"Haha, you say I resemble Gu Shentong? You flatter me! Let\'s focus on the present," Zhong Shan shook his head.

"Oh?" Nangong Sheng frowned slightly.

"Just now, my people examined you. Your soul was shattered into dust, and your body was broken. Such injuries would be fatal for a mortal, yet you, due to your celestial life force, are not only surviving but slowly recovering. Am I correct?"

"Exactly!" Nangong Sheng admitted, watching Zhong Shan and waiting for his next words.

"What do you think of my Da An Empire?" Zhong Shan abruptly changed the subject.

"Hmm?"

"My Da An Empire stands in the southern region of Shenzhou, dominating the south. Our national beast is the wolf, and our state religion is Daming. We have many strong cultivators and are continuously expanding. In the underworld, we also have a significant territory. Though it\'s not as vast as a Heavenly Dynasty, it should be comparable after this return!" Zhong Shan said with a smile.

"An Empire? Gu Shentong once built something similar. I naturally believe in the strength of your Da An."

"Haha, I can tell that a mere empire might not catch your celestial eye. However, my purpose today is to persuade you to join Da An!" Zhong Shan said directly.

"Hahaha, join Da An? Zhong Shan, you want me to serve under you?" Nangong Sheng\'s expression darkened slightly.

"You saw the talisman I used to seal you. Right now, you are not my match. Moreover, that Wu clan member from earlier also fell by my hand!" Zhong Shan stated firmly.

Zhong Shan aimed to assert his dominance, knowing that Nangong Sheng, an immortal, would never lower himself to someone he deemed inferior. To gain his respect, Zhong Shan had to establish an equal footing.

"Oh? You killed that Wu clan member?" Nangong Sheng\'s eyes narrowed.

Zhong Shan pointed to the side, where Nangong Sheng noticed a Wu clan staff.

Seeing the staff, Nangong Sheng\'s eyes widened in astonishment. He finally believed Zhong Shan, recognizing that anyone who could defeat a Wu clan member was indeed his equal.

Taking a deep breath, Nangong Sheng looked at Zhong Shan seriously. "What do you want?"

"Haha, one of my generals specializes in corpses and souls. He informed me that your soul will not fully recover for a thousand years. During this time, your strength will be greatly diminished, and the Small Thousand World will not expel you. However, you won\'t be able to leave this world either, or your soul will be crushed in the void between worlds."

"Yes," Nangong Sheng nodded steadily.

"I want you to serve Da An for a thousand years, joining my empire!" Zhong Shan declared.

"Haha, you just want the contents of my \'Earth Book,\' don\'t you?" Nangong Sheng sneered.

"The \'Earth Book\'? I, Zhong Shan, do not covet the Earth Book!" Zhong Shan shook his head.

Seeing Zhong Shan\'s outright refusal, Nangong Sheng raised an eyebrow and looked intently at him.

"Not interested? Very well, you saved my life, and I owe you a debt. However, if you want me to join Da An, give me the talisman you used on my forehead!" Nangong Sheng said, a hint of mischief in his tone.

It was clear that Nangong Sheng had recognized the power of the Mo Yu Talisman. He believed Zhong Shan had used it to defeat the Wu clan member and suspected Zhong Shan would be reluctant to part with such a powerful item. This was his way of testing Zhong Shan.

"You mean the Mo Yu Talisman?" Zhong Shan looked directly at Nangong Sheng.