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Chapter 385: Chapter 385: The Madman Zhong Shan

Thunderclouds blanketed the entire island, indicating that the intruder had taken action. Yet, when he arrived, the powerful individual had already vanished. What was going on?

"Qing Yun, come here!" Di Xuan Sha commanded softly.

Standing on a bronze warship in the distance, Qing Yun looked down at the swiftly advancing army, his pupils contracting as he surveyed the surroundings. Without another word, he turned and quickly departed. The others remained filled with bewilderment.

To the west of Jinling City, Zhong Shan and Liudao were locked in a fierce battle, their relentless attacks reducing every stone mountain and pillar in the rock forest to rubble.

Liudao, having amplified his power through secret techniques, was ferocious. Now, he was no longer at a disadvantage against Zhong Shan and even seemed to have the upper hand.

With each powerful clash, the stones around them were shattered and sent flying by the reverberations of their strikes, only to be further pulverized by the aftershocks.

Both men's upper garments were in tatters; if not for Zhong Shan's glass heart-protecting armor, he would likely have been gravely injured by now.

Zhong Shan couldn't overcome Liudao, and Liudao couldn't defeat Zhong Shan quickly either. Their weapons had long been knocked away, and they resorted to pummeling each other with fists charged with violent energy.

Zhong Shan knew he couldn't afford to drag this out any longer. The berserk pill's effects and the duration of the Heavenly Demon Body Tempering Art would both last for just one hour. A flicker of urgency crossed Zhong Shan's eyes.

At that moment, the sky suddenly darkened, filling with roiling clouds. Countless thunderclouds gathered in a frenzy, covering the sky as if heralding the end of the world.

Seeing this, a gleam of hope lit up in Zhong Shan's heart.

Ignoring the searing pain from Liudao's heavy blow to his chest, Zhong Shan grabbed Liudao's arm and, with a swift movement, hurled him upwards towards the sky.

Liudao, barely regaining his balance in mid-air, looked down just in time to see Zhong Shan charging upwards like a battering ram, crashing into him and driving him into the cloud cover.

Thunderbolt Body Art! Ten Thousand Lightning Strikes!

Zhong Shan's body suddenly generated a magnetic field, turning him into a living lightning rod, drawing the thunderclouds' immense electrical power towards him. The sky lit up as endless bolts of lightning surged towards Zhong Shan.

"Boom～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～!"

A deluge of lightning rained down upon Zhong Shan, who clung tightly to Liudao.

In this instant, Liudao's initial ferocity turned into abject terror. The madman, Zhong Shan, was truly insane.

"You madman～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～!"

With a cry of alarm from Liudao, the two were enveloped in a storm of lightning, their forms disappearing within a massive, glowing sphere of electrical energy that shone like a sun in the sky.

Madman, Zhong Shan was indeed a madman. At the Nascent Soul stage, even though he had practiced the Thunderbolt Body Art, no one had ever dared to challenge heavenly lightning with their body. Yet, Zhong Shan did, relentlessly absorbing the endless lightning to temper his own body.

"Ah～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～!"

The thunderous sphere resonated with the screams of both Zhong Shan and Liudao as they were consumed by the chaotic storm of lightning.

Liudao was overwhelmed by fear and pain. Meanwhile, Zhong Shan's voice, though filled with agony, also carried a hint of exhilaration through gritted teeth.

"Rumble～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～!"

The thunder fireball blazed furiously for almost the duration of an incense stick, before plummeting from the sky.

"Boom～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～!"

Upon impact, the ground was scorched, forming a blackened crater. A series of crackling sounds followed, signaling the end of the lightning within the hole.

Inside the crater, two charred figures lay grievously injured by the heavenly thunderfire.

Zhong Shan struggled to his feet, and immediately, a surge of golden fortune rushed from all directions toward his body. This wasn't the fortune of the Great Zheng Dynasty; it was the fortune of the Yin Moon Dynasty, converging on Zhong Shan, signifying his total victory.

With wisps of smoke rising from his mouth, Zhong Shan grinned with excitement. The tempering by heavenly lightning had unexpectedly propelled his Thunderbolt Body Art to the second stage, Nascent Soul stage two!

As the abundant fortune washed over him, Zhong Shan's fatigue seemed to dissipate significantly within moments.

He rose laboriously. The effects of the berserk pill had worn off, and the Heavenly Demon Body Tempering Art had ended. However, the infusion of fortune had alleviated much of his post-battle injuries.

Nascent Soul stage two? Looking up at the suddenly vanished thunderclouds, Zhong Shan felt a pang of fear. Though his body had broken through, he was absolutely unwilling to endure the insanity of heavenly lightning tempering again.

It was terrifying, nearly costing him his life.

With a wave of his hand, he summoned a large amount of water vapor, condensing it into water to swiftly cleanse his body. His body was intact, though his hair had been completely burned off. It didn't matter; it would grow back soon enough. After washing, he retrieved a fresh set of clothes from his storage bracelet and looked toward Liudao.

Liudao was on the brink of death. His entire skeleton was shattered, and his primordial spirit was almost dispersed by the heavenly lightning, leaving him with only a sliver of life.

Gazing at Liudao, Zhong Shan took a deep breath and said, "You were a heroic ruler, but unfortunately, you encountered me."

Indeed, Liudao had done everything well. Had he not met Zhong Shan, he would surely have become a dominant ruler in the future. Even though he had used Bao'er to threaten Zhong Shan, it was simply a matter of differing stances.

"Pl-please, p-please..." Liudao's voice was extremely strained.

Zhong Shan looked at him with a frown. Pleading?

"Let me see the Grand Empress one last time," Liudao struggled to speak, his eyes barely open.

The Grand Empress? At the brink of death, he thought not of survival or his dynasty's dominance, but of a woman.

Zhong Shan looked at Liudao with a frown. Although Liudao was destined to die, Zhong Shan was willing to fulfill this wish because he was the same kind of person.

With a wave of his hand, a cloud of white mist supported Liudao as they flew towards Jinling City.

"Th-thank you," Liudao said with difficulty, on the verge of death.

When Zhong Shan arrived outside Jinling City with Liudao, he found the area in complete disarray, littered with countless corpses. However, Jinling City had already been taken.

Soldiers were sweeping through the city, eliminating remnants. Outside, soldiers were collecting the dead.

The Yin Moon Dynasty had fallen!

Slightly surprised, Zhong Shan flew into the city, heading straight for the imperial palace, as the bronze warship hovered above the palace grounds.

"Long live the Emperor, long live, long live!"

Wherever Zhong Shan went, everyone knelt and bowed in reverence.

Finally, he landed in the palace square.

"Uncle Grand!" Yinglan was the first to spot Zhong Shan, and she excitedly shouted out.

Seeing Yinglan freed from the curse, Zhong Shan exhaled a sigh of relief. The Great Empress's Curse Word Technique had been broken by Hao Meili.

"Master," Bao'er stepped forward, her face showing a hint of excitement as she looked at Zhong Shan.

"Zhong Shan, Yinglan helped you rescue her," Hao Meili quickly chimed in, eager to take credit.

"Where is the Great Empress of the Yin Moon Dynasty?" Zhong Shan asked.

"Over there," Hao Meili replied with a puzzled expression.

Everyone then noticed Liudao at Zhong Shan's feet, and they were all slightly confused.

In the distance, the Great Empress, dressed in a black robe, lay there. Zhong Shan walked over and placed the severely injured Liudao beside her.

"Mingming," Liudao struggled to hold the Great Empress in his arms.

"Your Majesty!" the Great Empress, Mingming, responded with difficulty, as if she was on the brink of death herself.

With great effort, Liudao lifted the hood from Mingming's head. As the hood was removed, the sight of her face left the women present gasping, covering their mouths in shock. Her face was ghastly pale and emaciated, like a dried corpse. Her eyes bulged grotesquely, and she had lost all her eyebrows and teeth. Only a small tuft of long hair remained, making her look incredibly hideous and terrifying. It was no wonder Liudao had avoided her in the past.

"No, please," Mingming said in pain.

Liudao, struggling, lifted her hood and gently caressed her ghastly, terrifying face. "You became like this for my sake. Ever since you began practicing the Curse Word Technique for me three hundred years ago, I have never held you or told you that I love you. Am I terrible?"

"No," Mingming shook her head with difficulty.

"Having you accompany me to the underworld is my greatest fulfillment. Mingming, I love you!" Liudao said deeply. After speaking, Liudao tightly embraced Mingming, bringing his mouth close to hers. As tears streamed down her disfigured face, he kissed her deeply.

The couple clung to each other in a tight embrace, kissing deeply, their final moments marked by a faint smile. Together, they closed their eyes and died.

Everyone around felt an overwhelming sense of heaviness. In life, could you also find a partner with whom you could die in love?

Bao'er and Qianyou moved beside Zhong Shan, holding onto his sleeves, their eyes filled with sorrow. Although they had been enemies, the couple's love moved them deeply.

"Give them a proper burial!" Zhong Shan said, taking a deep breath.

"Yes!" the guards responded immediately.

"Let them be buried together, just as they are, embracing each other," Zhong Shan added.

"Understood!" the guards affirmed without delay.

At that moment, everyone suddenly bowed to Zhong Shan.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor!" they all chanted.

"Long live the Emperor!"

The chants echoed outward, spreading further and further. In no time, the entire city of Jinling was filled with cries of "Long live Zhong Shan!" With this, Zhong Shan had unified Tianlang Island, destroying the three major dynasties and the Yin Moon Dynasty, and was poised to gather the fortune necessary to elevate the Great Zheng Dynasty to its final stage.

(To be continued)