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Chapter 393: Dominance

Moving like a force of nature, Zhong Shan carved a path directly toward the sinister leader, who seemed far more rational than the other savages. Holding a green crystal in one hand, absorbing the souls around him, the leader reached into his waist with the other hand, pulling out a small black pouch. With a flick of his wrist, the pouch opened, releasing countless black dots that quickly grew into a swarm of bats.

The bloodthirsty bats filled the sky, their wings creating a deafening roar as they swarmed, circling the black pouch before the leader directed them towards Zhong Shan.

Zhong Shan\'s protective aura kept the bats at bay, but their sheer numbers and ultrasonic waves disrupted his vision and spiritual senses.

"Hmph!" Zhong Shan let out a cold snort.

"Boom!"

Thunderclouds gathered above Zhong Shan, and with his snort, lightning flashed within them. Thunderbolts rained down around him, disintegrating the bats upon contact. The lightning was basic, but it was enough to deal with the low-level bats.

As the endless bolts of lightning struck, weaker savages were also obliterated, while stronger ones struggled against the electrical onslaught. Yet, Zhong Shan\'s blade continued its deadly dance, sending more blood and bodies flying.

Seeing the sky filled with lightning, Jian Ao smiled slightly and stepped forward.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

In several places on the battlefield, sword lotuses sprouted from the ground, opening to reap the lives of many savages. Though the savages showed no fear of death, the leader began to feel dread. His eyes widened in panic as he urged his Demon Nightmare to turn and flee.

But Zhong Shan was already too close. From within the thunderclouds, a massive lightning dragon descended.

"Roar!"

The colossal thunder dragon, under Zhong Shan\'s control, crashed down towards the leader.

"Boom!"

Amidst the blinding lightning, the leader barely evaded the dragon\'s full force, but his mount was gravely injured.

Seizing the moment, Zhong Shan closed in on the leader, his blade cutting through the air with lethal intent. The leader, now desperate, swung his weapon in a futile attempt to defend himself, but Zhong Shan\'s power was overwhelming.

With a final, powerful strike, Zhong Shan\'s blade cleaved through the leader\'s defenses, ending his life in a spray of blood. The green crystal fell from the leader\'s grasp, its sinister glow fading as it hit the ground.

As the leader fell, the remaining savages faltered, their previously unwavering resolve shaken. The presence of their fallen leader seemed to momentarily snap them out of their frenzied state, and they began to scatter.

Jian Ao, witnessing Zhong Shan\'s decisive victory, nodded in approval. Together, they had decimated the Demon Nightmare Legion, turning the tide of the battle with their sheer might.

Nian Youyou and the blue-haired man continued to observe from their vantage point. The blue-haired man, initially dismissive of Zhong Shan, now watched him with a newfound respect.

"Interesting," the blue-haired man murmured, his previous disdain replaced with a hint of intrigue.

"See, I told you he was worth watching," Nian Youyou said, a sly smile on her lips.

The blue-haired man nodded, acknowledging her point. "Indeed. Perhaps I underestimated him."

Nian Youyou\'s eyes twinkled with amusement. "He\'s much more than he appears to be. But don\'t worry, you\'ll have your chance to see just how formidable he really is."

As the dust settled on the battlefield, Zhong Shan stood victorious, his presence radiating dominance and strength. The once-thriving town was now a scene of chaos and destruction, but the threat of the Demon Nightmare Legion had been decisively eliminated.

"Roar!"

Zhong Shan flew forward, delivering a powerful vertical slash with his blade.

Heaven\'s Slash! Wind Splitter!

As Zhong Shan unleashed his ultimate move, all the thunderclouds in the sky converged into a massive lightning strike that followed his blade\'s path, crashing down on the leader.

"Boom!"

There was no suspense. Before the might of Zhong Shan, the leader didn\'t even have time to scream before being blasted into fragments.

The endless swarm of bloodthirsty bats, at the moment of the leader\'s death, seemed to receive a command and rushed back into the pouch.

With a swift movement, Zhong Shan grabbed both the pouch and the green crystal.

Not far away, Jian Ao noticed Zhong Shan ceasing his fight and smiled slightly. He thrust his sword into the ground.

"Boom!"

From the earth, thousands of massive sword energies erupted, cutting down the remaining hundreds of Demon Nightmare savages. They were all killed in an instant.

"What a powerful sword intent! Nascent Soul stage? Could such insight be achieved at the Nascent Soul stage?" the blue-haired man in the distance frowned.

"Truly dominant!" Nian Youyou commented softly.

"Dominant?" The blue-haired man looked at Nian Youyou strangely.

"That puppet bat was interesting," Nian Youyou ignored the blue-haired man and continued to frown.

With the Demon Nightmare Legion entirely eradicated, Zhong Shan took a deep breath, calming the rage within him and returning to his usual composed demeanor.

Jian Ao did not mention their competition again; neither of them cared about winning or losing at this point.

Zhong Shan examined the black pouch and the green crystal in his hands. Neither could be stored in a storage bracelet. What were they? Ninth-grade magical treasures? Unlikely—ninth-grade magical treasures wouldn\'t have such limited power.

"What kind of treasure is this? It can store living creatures? Were those real bats?" Chujie asked, astonished as he looked at the pouch in Zhong Shan\'s hand.

Chujie didn\'t recognize it, nor did Jian Ao, but Mr. Corpse\'s eyes narrowed as if he knew, yet he pretended not to.

Though the pouch didn\'t seem particularly powerful, Zhong Shan recognized its uniqueness and quickly stored both the pouch and the green crystal inside his robe.

The town was saved. Inside the central flag formation, the townspeople were still filled with fear. These four people seemed even more terrifying than the Demon Nightmare Legion. Would they kill us?

The townspeople trembled, except for a yellow-robed monk who stepped out of the building. With a wave of his hand, the protective flag formation dissolved into dozens of small flags, which the monk collected.

"Master...," the townspeople called out in fear.

The monk clasped his hands together in a gesture of calm and gratitude and approached Zhong Shan and his companions.

"Thank you for saving us. I am Sekong, and I am deeply grateful," the yellow-robed monk said, glancing briefly at Zhong Shan\'s chest.

"Nascent Soul stage? There\'s a Nascent Soul stage monk in this town?" Chujie frowned.

"I am a monk from Kongfeng Temple within the Buddha-Forbidden Ten Thousand Mountains. I happened to pass by this place and encountered the Demon Nightmare Legion. Without your intervention, I might have been killed and had my heart taken. Thank you again!" Sekong monk bowed deeply to Zhong Shan and the others.

"The Buddha-Forbidden Ten Thousand Mountains?" Zhong Shan\'s brow furrowed slightly.

Sekong nodded, "Yes, we monks often travel to offer aid where we can. Today, fate brought me here, and I owe my life to your valor."

Zhong Shan nodded in acknowledgment. "We are also heading towards the Buddha-Forbidden Ten Thousand Mountains. Can you guide us?"

Sekong looked at Zhong Shan, then at the others. "I would be honored to guide you. The mountains are vast and treacherous, but with your strength, I believe we can reach our destination safely."

Zhong Shan agreed, "Very well. Lead the way."

Sekong bowed again, "Follow me."

As they prepared to set off, Zhong Shan couldn\'t help but feel a lingering curiosity about the items he had collected. The mysteries of the black pouch and the green crystal would have to wait, for now, their journey continued towards the unknown dangers and secrets of the Buddha-Forbidden Ten Thousand Mountains.

"Indeed, are you all planning to enter the Buddha-Forbidden Ten Thousand Mountains?" Monk Sekong asked, looking at the four of them.

"Do you know the location of the Pure Land?" Jian Ao inquired.

"The Pure Land?" Monk Sekong was slightly surprised but quickly nodded. "Of course. My master was fortunate enough to be chosen by the Pure Land. Although I haven\'t entered it myself, I\'ve accompanied my master nearby and know the way."

"Great, he knows the way," Jian Ao said to Zhong Shan with a smile.

Sekong\'s expression brightened as he earnestly offered, "If you wish to go to the Pure Land, allow me to guide you. It would also give me a chance to repay the favor of saving my life."

"Zhong Shan, in that case, I won\'t be accompanying you further. Be careful on your journey," Jian Ao said to Zhong Shan.

"Thank you!" Zhong Shan replied sincerely.

"We won\'t be going further. You take them to the Pure Land," Jian Ao instructed Monk Sekong.

"Uh?" Sekong was momentarily confused, but seeing Jian Ao gesture towards Zhong Shan and Mr. Corpse, he quickly nodded and smiled.

"Until we meet again," Jian Ao said.

"We surely will!" Zhong Shan nodded and smiled.

With that, Jian Ao and Chujie soared into the sky and disappeared from Zhong Shan\'s sight.

In the distance, the townspeople still didn\'t dare to come out.

"Please, follow me," Sekong said with a smile.

"Please," Zhong Shan nodded. He and Mr. Corpse exchanged glances and then followed Sekong northward.

In a distant forest, Nian Youyou and the blue-haired man observed.

"Alright, we don\'t need to intervene anymore. You pursue yours, I\'ll pursue mine," Nian Youyou said, and the two quickly dispersed.

Zhong Shan and Mr. Corpse followed Sekong, with Nian Youyou trailing from a distance. Sekong led them through the clouds, heading towards the Buddha-Forbidden Ten Thousand Mountains. Along the way, Sekong appeared very enthusiastic, continuously asking about Zhong Shan\'s and Mr. Corpse\'s backgrounds. However, they only revealed their names and nothing more, and Sekong wisely refrained from pressing further.

After about two and a half days of travel, Zhong Shan and Mr. Corpse suddenly halted, their pupils contracting.

"Haha, we are now entering the Buddha-Forbidden Ten Thousand Mountains. Here, aside from Buddhist practitioners, everyone\'s cultivation is suppressed to about seventy percent of their full strength, while Buddhist practitioners receive a boost in power," Sekong explained with a smile.

Zhong Shan looked around curiously. There was nothing visibly different, yet an inexplicable force seemed to be suppressing him.

"Is it like this throughout the entire Buddha-Forbidden Ten Thousand Mountains?" Zhong Shan asked.

"It is," Sekong confirmed.

"Oh? Is there a height limit to this effect?" Zhong Shan looked up, recalling how the white fog surrounding the ghost palace once had a height limit.

"This power descends from the heavens. It naturally reaches the sky and is boundless," Sekong explained.

Zhong Shan closed his eyes, and the red lotus in the center of his forehead spun slightly. Suddenly, he entered a state of serenity, and the surroundings became extremely quiet. Then, Zhong Shan faintly heard a sound.

"Om Mani Padme Hum."

(To be continued)