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Chapter 979: The Return of Se Kong

The underworld (yin realm) had temporarily settled into a semblance of stability, allowing the commanders of the Great Zhen (Da Zhen) empire to use the Emperor\'s Map to travel to the mortal realm (yang realm). Although the Great Zhen empire existed in both realms, the commanders understood that there was, in fact, only one Great Zhen. After all, the two Holy Kings were the same person, sharing identical thoughts and will, making the notion of two empires irrelevant.

"We are still in desperate need of talent," Zhongshan mused, his brow furrowing slightly.

For the ever-expanding Great Zhen, talent was the most crucial resource, a vital necessity for the empire\'s continued growth and stability.

"Shuijing has already done his best. Even if it were me, I couldn\'t match his achievements," Yi Yan shook his head, acknowledging the limits of their current capabilities.

"I know, but it\'s still not keeping pace with our expansion," Zhongshan sighed.

"Not keeping pace? I actually think we\'re doing fine. Once we conquer more territories, we can gradually gather more talents," Yi Yan responded, puzzled by Zhongshan\'s concern.

"No, most of those territories are already under our control," Zhongshan explained.

"Oh?" Yi Yan didn\'t quite understand.

"In the south, the former Taiyi Sacred Court has collapsed, splitting into four major celestial dynasties. Those four dynasties are just waiting to be absorbed into our Great Zhen," Zhongshan continued calmly.

"The south? When did the Holy King...? Could it be the mysterious Corpse Mister who\'s been absent all this time?" Yi Yan quickly deduced.

"Yes, the emperors of those four celestial dynasties are actually long dead, turned into corpses by Corpse Mister," Zhongshan confirmed with a nod.

"..."

After a moment of silence, Yi Yan sighed in admiration, "The Holy King is truly farsighted, and Corpse Mister is indeed unfathomably mysterious."

"Hmm. You are adept at grasping the bigger picture. Corpse Mister will return to Lingxiao Heavenly Court in a few days. You should draft a plan for how to deal with those four celestial dynasties," Zhongshan instructed.

An emperor need not manage everything personally, but must know how to delegate effectively; otherwise, what use would the ministers be?

"Understood," Yi Yan nodded.

"In the Lingxiao Heavenly Court, there\'s a Hall of Information No. 5, a restricted area specifically for communicating with Corpse Mister. You should consult with him there," Zhongshan added.

"Understood," Yi Yan agreed.

"Luo Xingchen has scattered the capital of the Taiji Sacred Court. Now, the Taiji Sacred Court is in complete disarray. The northwest is also in turmoil. Speed up the deployment and release the soldiers from the original Taichu Sacred Court. Send them to the battlefield," Zhongshan ordered once more.

Yi Yan let out a deep breath and smiled, "With the soldiers from the original Taichu Sacred Court, my pressure will be greatly relieved."

Zhongshan nodded. The soldiers of the Taichu Sacred Court needed time to acclimate, but time was a luxury Zhongshan could not afford. The Fengzhong Territory had to be seized immediately. Any delay would invite covetous eyes from other realms. The soldiers would have to acclimate in the crucible of war—Yi Yan knew how to handle it.

"Suoxiang, how is your cultivation progressing?" Zhongshan asked, turning to Zhao Suoxiang.

"I\'ve reached the peak of the Heavenly Immortal stage, but I still need a catalyst to break through. I\'m working on it," Zhao Suoxiang responded earnestly.

"The spear is indeed a rare path, with few who truly master it. But I believe in you—you will push the Way of the Spear to its pinnacle," Zhongshan encouraged.

"Thank you, Holy King," Zhao Suoxiang nodded gratefully.

As the three conversed, Zhongshan\'s pupils suddenly contracted, and his expression turned grave.

"Holy King, what\'s wrong?" Yi Yan noticed the change in Zhongshan\'s demeanor.

"Someone is trying to calculate my fate? And from the intensity, it should be a Grand Immortal... Perhaps even within the Fengzhong Territory?" Zhongshan\'s eyes narrowed in sharp focus.

"Grand Immortal?" Yi Yan furrowed his brow.

A Grand Immortal was the strongest being below a Sage. Could a Grand Immortal be targeting the Holy King?

"Don\'t worry. As long as I remain in Lingxiao Heavenly Court, even a Grand Immortal can\'t touch me," Zhongshan reassured them.

"Yes," the two nodded in agreement.

"We\'ve been talking for quite some time. You both should go rest," Zhongshan said.

"Understood, we shall take our leave," Yi Yan and Zhao Suoxiang replied, bowing as they exited the Tianyuan Pavilion.

Once outside, Zhao Suoxiang turned to Yi Yan, still puzzled. "Mr. Yi, who do you think is targeting the Holy King? Could there really be a Grand Immortal in the Fengzhong Territory?"

"No matter who it is, the Holy King\'s safety must be our top priority. I will immediately notify Corpse Mister and Luo Xingchen to return. Corpse Mister\'s secret techniques are mysterious and may prove useful to the Holy King," Yi Yan responded without hesitation.

Both men had noticed that while Zhongshan\'s tone seemed lighthearted, the mere presence of a Grand Immortal was no trivial matter. Zhongshan had likely downplayed the threat to keep them from worrying. After all, there was little they could do against a Grand Immortal.

But as loyal ministers, it was their duty to ease their sovereign\'s burdens. Yi Yan quickly decided to summon these powerful allies back to Lingxiao Heavenly Court.

Meanwhile, inside the Tianyuan Pavilion, Zhongshan was deep in thought.

Another Grand Immortal? Why has one appeared again? And from the sensation, this Grand Immortal doesn\'t seem any weaker than the Old Ancestor Xuemei from before.

At that moment, in the Fengzhong Territory, at the former site of the Snake Queen\'s Daoist grounds, two figures appeared along with a bizarre-looking beast.

The beast resembled a lizard, but it stood over a hundred zhang tall, its entire body encased in a silvery, metallic substance, making it look like a giant chunk of iron. The armored beast lay there, gazing at one of the figures.

One of the figures was a man in a white robe with a stern, weathered appearance, his temples streaked with gray, giving him an air of profound experience. He sat cross-legged, his hands moving as if calculating something, a look of deep concentration on his face.

Beside him stood a man in golden robes, who, if Zhongshan were present, would have been shocked to see. This man bore a striking resemblance to Kong Lietian, Zhongshan\'s sworn enemy from the Thousand Worlds, sharing seven or eight similar features.

But it wasn\'t just a resemblance—this was the divine beast Quchan, who had devoured Kong Lietian\'s soul. He was none other than Sekong, the monk who fled from Zhongshan every time they crossed paths in the Thousand Worlds.

Sekong glanced around, then turned his gaze to the cross-legged man in white, a frown creasing his brow as a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

The armored beast seemed to sense Sekong\'s icy stare and turned its head, letting out a series of low, threatening growls that resonated like sound waves against a massive stone.

"Crack, crack, crack!"

The massive stone began to fracture under the pressure, a testament to the beast\'s immense strength.

Sekong retracted his gaze from the white-robed man and instead looked at the armored beast with a hint of disdain in his eyes.

He then turned away, ignoring the armored beast entirely, and the beast, in turn, seemed to understand that it could not afford to provoke Sekong.

"Snap!"

The white-robed man\'s fingers suddenly made a crisp sound as the fingers he had been using for calculations snapped apart.

The white-robed man frowned and slowly opened his eyes.

"Granduncle Master, did you figure it out?" Sekong immediately asked.

The white-robed man didn\'t seem to notice Sekong\'s scheming thoughts. He slowly stood up and shook his head.

"Zhongshan has somehow managed to obscure the heavenly secrets. His methods seem similar to those of the Sage Mi Tian, making him difficult to calculate. However," the white-robed man paused, his expression turning cold.

"However, what?" Sekong asked eagerly, his tone laced with flattery.

In the Thousand Worlds, Sekong had been known for his cunning and ability to say the right things to the right people. He knew how to flatter those he could use to his advantage.

"But it has already been confirmed: your other Granduncle Master, Yan Hui, was indeed killed by Zhongshan," the white-robed man said coldly.

"The rumors are true then. Granduncle Master, you didn\'t bring me to the Fengzhong Territory just to avenge Master Yan, did you?" Sekong asked, frowning slightly.

"Your father, Kong Lietian, was killed by Zhongshan. Don\'t you want to avenge him?" the white-robed man responded, his voice icy.

"No, that\'s not what I meant. My father\'s death is an unpardonable crime—I\'d never shirk my duty for revenge. It\'s just that I know I\'m not yet a match for Zhongshan. I want to hone my skills first, so that when I strike, I can make him pay in full," Sekong quickly explained.

"There\'s no need to wait—you\'ll have your chance soon," the white-robed man said sternly.

"But, Granduncle Master, Zhongshan is very peculiar, extremely peculiar," Sekong quickly objected.

"With me, \'Zilu,\' by your side, no one can harm you. I will protect you," the white-robed man, Zilu, reassured.

"No, Granduncle Master, that\'s not what I meant. What I\'m saying is that it\'s not just Zhongshan\'s strength that concerns me—he\'s extraordinarily cunning. He always seems to turn misfortune into fortune, and every time I\'ve crossed paths with him, I end up suffering..." Sekong began to explain again, but Zilu interrupted him.

"Do you doubt my power?" Zilu\'s face darkened slightly.

"No, of course not. How could I doubt the strength of you, one of the top three Grand Immortals among the seventy-two disciples of our Great Ancestor? It\'s just that Zhongshan... well, alright, I\'ll follow your lead," Sekong conceded, feeling somewhat helpless.

Sekong thought it over. Despite all the exaggerated rumors about Zhongshan, he had indeed emerged from the Thousand Worlds. If Zilu, a Grand Immortal, wanted to challenge Zhongshan, so be it. At least this would give them a chance to test Zhongshan\'s true strength. If Zhongshan was defeated, it would be a great relief. If danger arose, Sekong was determined to flee at the first opportunity.

As for facing Zhongshan himself—Sekong wouldn\'t do it, not even if his life depended on it. When the time came, he\'d find any excuse, even feigning illness if necessary, to avoid the confrontation.

"Hmm," Zilu nodded in satisfaction.

"So, Granduncle Master, when will we make our move?" Sekong asked immediately.

"No need to rush. Yan Hui died here, so I\'ll first build a tomb for him and spend a few days with him," Zilu said solemnly.

Not only had Confucius cherished Yan Hui, but Zilu and Yan Hui had also shared a close bond. With Yan Hui\'s death, it was only natural for Zilu to honor him with a proper memorial.

Sekong, though his expression remained respectful, felt indifferent internally. Since it didn\'t directly concern him, he couldn\'t care less.

Over four months passed.

In the southern skies of Lingxiao Heavenly Court, more than a thousand figures flew through the air.

Leading them was a figure riding on wind and fire wheels, carrying a golden longbow on his back and wielding a fire-tipped spear—it was Nezha. The others were his subordinates.

"Third Prince, ahead is Lingxiao Heavenly Court," said a man in golden armor behind Nezha.

Nezha halted, and everyone else stopped as well. Staring at the resplendent Lingxiao Heavenly Court, a fierce anger flashed in Nezha\'s eyes. Meanwhile, the shadow on his forehead grew darker, even emitting wisps of black qi that seemed to influence his very soul.

To read the manga version, please click the YouTube link https://youtu.be/GnU613H6xm8