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Chapter 399: The Golden Crow Prince

The spectators on the floating islands were dumbfounded. From the moment Zhong Shan had jumped in, nothing made sense. The fight was chaotic and confused, and now it had come to this emotional outburst.

Today was madness! What have we just witnessed?

"Father! Father!" Zhong Shan\'s son cried out worriedly from below. Mr. Corpse frowned as he looked up, while Nian Youyou watched with a mix of curiosity and surprise. Crying? She had never seen Zhong Shan cry before. How could this be happening?

"Roar!" Zhong Shan bellowed, swinging his blade fiercely at Zhiguang Arhat once more, his eyes wild with rage. He wanted him dead!

"Hmph."

"Boom!"

Zhiguang finally lost his temper. With a cold snort, he struck Zhong Shan hard in the chest.

Zhong Shan flew back five hundred meters but immediately charged forward again, blade in hand.

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Zhong Shan endured over a hundred blows but was no match for Zhiguang Arhat. Zhiguang had refrained from killing him, but Zhong Shan\'s persistence wore him down. If Zhiguang had struck a killing blow, the Black Jade Talisman would have protected Zhong Shan, making the outcome uncertain.

"Don\'t think I won\'t kill you!" Zhiguang Arhat\'s eyes flashed with murderous intent after Zhong Shan\'s relentless assault.

Zhong Shan\'s eyes were bloodshot, his face streaked with tears and filled with unwavering killing intent.

Again, he charged at Zhiguang Arhat, who, now enraged, drew a long sword. A cold blue light flickered at its tip.

"Snap!"

Before Zhong Shan could reach Zhiguang\'s sword, a long whip wrapped around him, pulling him back.

It was Nian Youyou!

Seeing Zhiguang\'s intent to kill, Nian Youyou had used her whip to drag Zhong Shan back to their courtyard. She pulled in Mr. Corpse and Zhong Shan\'s son as well, then slammed the door shut.

"Snap!"

The door closed, leaving the spectators outside disappointed, though some watched Nian Youyou\'s courtyard with caution, knowing her reputation as the disciple of a prominent figure from the Longevity Realm.

Zhiguang Arhat, whose killing intent had been thwarted, looked at the yellow-robed man\'s corpse and then at Nian Youyou\'s courtyard. His expression darkened before he turned and flew away.

Inside the courtyard\'s main hall, with the doors shut and all formations activated to isolate them from the outside, there were only four people: Nian Youyou, Mr. Corpse, Zhong Shan, and his son.

All three watched Zhong Shan, who was no longer bound by the whip. He held a cup of tea, struggling to bring it to his lips. Zhong Shan was fighting to control his rage, finding it incredibly difficult to drink the tea. Inch by inch, he brought it closer to his mouth.

Zhong Shan\'s son, still filled with concern, stepped forward. "Father, are you alright?"

Zhong Shan finally managed to sip some tea, taking a deep breath to steady himself. He looked at his son with a mixture of relief and lingering fury. "I\'m fine now. It\'s over."

Nian Youyou approached, her curiosity still piqued. "Zhong Shan, what happened out there? Why were you so determined to kill Zhiguang Arhat?"

Zhong Shan closed his eyes for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "There are some old grudges, things that you wouldn\'t understand. I lost control."

Mr. Corpse remained silent, observing Zhong Shan closely. He had never seen Zhong Shan this emotional before, and it worried him.

"Old grudges?" Nian Youyou echoed, still puzzled. "Whatever they are, you need to be careful. This place is full of powerful beings, and even you can\'t take on an arhat without consequences."

Zhong Shan nodded slowly, understanding the gravity of her words. "Thank you, Nian Youyou. Your intervention saved my life."

Nian Youyou smiled slightly. "Just don\'t make it a habit of throwing your life away. We have bigger things to worry about."

Zhong Shan sighed deeply, his rage slowly subsiding as he focused on the challenges ahead.

"Crack!"

The teacup shattered in Zhong Shan\'s grip. He took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure.

"Father, are you alright?" his son asked, worry evident in his voice.

Turning to look at his son, Zhong Shan exhaled slowly, a bit calmer. "I\'m fine, Tian\'er."

This was Zhong Tian, Zhong Shan\'s adopted son and the Crown Prince of the Great Zong Dynasty. Years ago, it was Zhong Tian who had prayed for and obtained a Forbidden Breaking Pill for Zhong Shan, allowing him to step into the innate stage and enter the world of cultivation.

"Father, what happened just now? Who was that man? Why were you so angry?" Zhong Tian asked with concern.

"Yes, are you mad? You\'re only at the Nascent Soul stage, yet you went head-to-head with Zhiguang Arhat? Do you have a death wish? If I hadn\'t saved you, you would have died today," Nian Youyou added.

"Thank you," Zhong Shan said, glancing at Nian Youyou.

"Just remember that," Nian Youyou responded quickly.

"Tian\'er, why did you want to kill that yellow-robed man?" Zhong Shan asked his son.

"Father, do you remember the person who gave us the Forbidden Breaking Pill in Dragon Gate Valley? That was my master," Zhong Tian explained.

"So?" Zhong Shan prompted.

"My master was killed by that man. His sect is hostile to mine at Daming Temple. No, they were incited by people from the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss to become enemies. He killed my master," Zhong Tian said, still filled with hatred.

"I see," Zhong Shan nodded.

"Father, what about you just now?" Zhong Tian asked.

"That man, Zhiguang? Ha, hahaha—" Zhong Shan laughed angrily, his laughter tinged with madness.

The others stared at Zhong Shan.

"Years ago, when the Crown Prince of Splitting Heaven killed your mother, I remembered everyone involved. He, Zhiguang, was one of the accomplices under the Crown Prince of Splitting Heaven," Zhong Shan said, his eyes flashing with intense hatred.

"Him?" Zhong Tian\'s eyes also filled with rage.

Unlike some of Zhong Shan\'s other adopted children, Zhong Tian remembered Kui\'er vividly. He had once been a beggar, on the brink of starvation, when a carriage stopped beside him. Two people got off: one was Zhong Shan, and the other was Wei Kui\'er.

"This poor little beggar, let\'s help him, sir."

"Come, drink this porridge. It will give you strength."

"Look at you, training so hard with your father. Don\'t push yourself too much. You\'re all covered in wounds. Hold still, I\'ll apply some medicine."

"Hiding here alone and crying again? You may not be progressing as fast as your brothers in cultivation, but that\'s alright. They have their own shortcomings too. Here, I made this sweet cake for you. Only you have it."

Memories flooded back, and Zhong Tian\'s eyes reddened. In his heart, Kui\'er had long been the most important person. As a child, it was her secret care that prevented him from falling into despair and gave him the courage to persevere.

After Wei Kui\'er died, both Zhong Shan and Zhong Tian were devastated. Zhong Shan was in a stupor for a long time, and Zhong Tian knelt before her spirit tablet without sleep or rest until he passed out.

"Father, I want to kill him!" Zhong Tian said, eyes red with tears.

"Snap." Zhong Shan grabbed Zhong Tian\'s hand, his expression stern.

Feeling his father\'s grip, Zhong Tian calmed down a bit, though tears still flowed from his eyes.

Zhong Tian understood his father\'s earlier madness. The thought of Wei Kui\'er, her gentle and loving demeanor, had long melted their hearts. How could Zhong Shan restrain himself when reminded of her?

"He\'s mine!" Zhong Shan said coldly.

"Father!" Zhong Tian protested.

"Other than the Crown Prince of Splitting Heaven, you are not to touch anyone else. There are about twenty others; I will give you their portraits. Between the two of us, whoever finds them first will take action," Zhong Shan said firmly.

"Alright!" Zhong Tian nodded quickly, wiping away his tears.

"The Crown Prince of Splitting Heaven? Your enemy is actually the prince of two dynasties?" Nian Youyou asked in surprise.

"Yes," Zhong Shan nodded. It was clear he had already investigated the background of the Crown Prince of Splitting Heaven.

"Huh, that\'s a tough grudge to settle! Almost impossible," Nian Youyou shook her head.

"Two dynasties? What do you mean?" Mr. Corpse asked.

"This Crown Prince of Splitting Heaven is extremely powerful, holding the title of prince in two dynasties: the Great Departure Dynasty and the Great Longevity Dynasty. Although he primarily belongs to the Great Longevity Dynasty, his mother is the great-granddaughter of the revered Nirvana family from the Great Departure Dynasty, so he was granted the title of prince in both dynasties, enjoying double the celestial privileges. Not to mention the power of the two dynasties backing him, his personal strength is formidable," Nian Youyou explained.

"Oh?" Zhong Tian looked at Nian Youyou.

"In the Great Departure Dynasty, he is one of six princes. Due to his Nirvana lineage, he can summon a Phoenix Prince, an emperor-level beast. Additionally, as the prince of the Great Longevity Dynasty, do you know what their national beast is?" Nian Youyou asked.

"The crow," Zhong Tian answered.

"Correct, the crow, but not just any crow. It\'s the three-legged Golden Crow, a being like the sun itself, with true solar fire that can incinerate anything. Each of the ten princes of the Great Longevity Dynasty can summon one of these Golden Crows. When they join forces, it is said that ten suns appear in the sky, creating a formidable force. The power is indescribable. If you are to oppose the Crown Prince of Splitting Heaven, you must first face his ability to summon these two emperor-level beasts, the Phoenix Prince and the three-legged Golden Crow. Additionally, you have to consider the stance of the two dynasties. Even if you disregard the Great Departure Dynasty, the ten suns of the Great Longevity Dynasty pose a colossal challenge," Nian Youyou sighed.

"A challenge? Hmph!" A fierce light flashed in Zhong Shan\'s eyes.

Zhong Shan and Zhong Tian fell silent, burying their hatred deep within their hearts, striving to calm and steady themselves.

"Mr. Corpse, you and Tian\'er should leave for now. Explain to him the nature of our relationship and matters regarding our household," Zhong Shan instructed.

"Understood," Mr. Corpse nodded.

"Tian\'er, go with him. I need to speak with Nian Youyou," Zhong Shan said.

"Yes, Father," Zhong Tian nodded and left.

Nian Youyou looked slightly puzzled. When the two men had exited the hall, Zhong Shan took a deep breath and sealed the hall once more, setting up his flag formation to create an isolation barrier.

"What do you want to talk about?" Nian Youyou asked curiously.

"You mentioned earlier that after we last parted, you came straight to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. You must be very familiar with this place. I need information about Zhiguang Arhat\'s residence, where he frequents, and potential locations he might visit. Also, tell me about the affiliations and uncertainties of these places," Zhong Shan said, looking at Nian Youyou.

"What? You\'re not planning to kill Zhiguang Arhat here in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, his own territory, are you?" Nian Youyou asked, wide-eyed in astonishment.

(To be continued)