office mobile

Chapter 695: Further Advancement

"Is this real? Is this still an empire?" one observer cursed in disbelief.

"Four Celestial Realm experts attempted to kill Zhong Shan, an Emperor Realm cultivator, and they failed?"

"The Great Zong Empire? The number one empire in Shenzhou!"

"No, this empire can rival a celestial dynasty! It\'s doing what only a celestial dynasty can!"

"If this is the empire, what kind of greatness will it achieve when it ascends to a celestial dynasty?"

"The imperial examination is coming soon, the Great Zong\'s imperial examination is coming! I need to start preparing!"

The sentiments of countless experts spread throughout the Lingxiao Heavenly Court. There was more admiration than ever before for the empire. Today\'s battle will undoubtedly be heard across the land! The story of Zhong Shan standing against four Celestial Realm experts alone will be legendary!

The battle ended, yet countless spectators lingered, unwilling to leave.

Looking at the brilliant Lingxiao Heavenly Court in the sky, everyone showed expressions of longing.

In a secluded valley.

Taizong King of Dayong, King of Battle, and Old Tian stood in silence.

"The Great Zong?" the King of Battle\'s voice was tinged with jealousy.

The scenes of the battle had left a deep impression on the King of Battle.

"Zhong Shan, truly impressive," Taizong King sighed.

"Impressive? He only leveraged the power of the Great Zong and fought on his home turf against strong enemies. Anyone else in his place could have done the same!" the King of Battle retorted jealously.

"No, it\'s not about the strength. Someone else could indeed exert the same force, but they would undoubtedly die," Taizong King shook his head.

"Oh?"

"In this battle, Zhong Shan was definitely no match for Daoist Crow or the Immortal Binding Sword, yet he managed to hold them off. Didn\'t you see? The first combined assault caught the four Celestial Realm experts off guard, and the second was even more brilliant. He used the beast to intimidate the Immortal Binding Sword, gambling on psychological resilience. Facing two Celestial Slayer Flying Blades, he exposed his vital points to the weaker one and attacked with all his might. This forced the multicolored blade to aim for less critical areas. In such a dire situation, he managed to strategize to this extent. Zhong Shan is terrifyingly formidable!" Taizong King took a deep breath in admiration.

"So what? In the face of absolute power, no amount of strategy can save you. If they attacked again, Zhong Shan would undoubtedly die!" the King of Battle retorted.

"Undoubtedly die? Do you think Zhong Shan\'s capabilities end here?" Taizong King shook his head.

"Does he have more hidden aces? Why did he fight so desperately the second time then?" the King of Battle asked, incredulous.

"Why? Because of his calculations. He had already factored in Emperor Xuan Sha\'s arrival, so he didn\'t reveal his remaining trump cards!" Taizong King explained with a deep breath.

"Hiss~~!"

The King of Battle gasped.

"Is he even human?" the King of Battle asked in disbelief.

"That\'s where you and I fall short compared to him. In Dayong, perhaps only the emperor can surpass Zhong Shan. Our emperor is the one who hides the deepest. Even now, I can\'t see through him," Taizong King sighed.

The three men fell into a prolonged silence.

"Let\'s go back to the court," Old Tian said calmly.

"Agreed," the other two nodded.

In another valley, Zi Xun had been observing the breathtaking battle the entire time.

Several times, she had the urge to rush out and join the fray, but the level of combat was so high that even Zi Xun, with her advanced Emperor Realm cultivation, couldn\'t intervene. Only after Daoist Crow retreated did Zi Xun breathe a sigh of relief. Yet, she didn\'t leave; she stayed to watch over the valley, seemingly waiting for Zhong Shan to recover.

The next day, the surroundings of the Lingxiao Heavenly Court returned to normal. The massive nineteen-clawed fortune dragon once again soared into the sea of clouds, frolicking in the increasingly potent fortune before coiling back and pointing its majestic horns towards the sky.

The robust fortune dragon announced to the world that the Great Zong Emperor was nearly recovered.

Seeing this, the surrounding spectators were taken aback. Was this real? Had he truly recovered so quickly?

The Celestial Slayer Flying Blade was said to be inescapable, a weapon that could kill anyone whose body it touched, as it injured not only the body but the soul as well. Recovering from such a wound, even for an emperor with the protection of a true dragon, should take at least a month.

But here he was, seemingly fine the very next day.

Everyone was bewildered, their hearts filled with confusion and doubt.

Outside the Hall of Longevity, officials waited quietly. Emperor Xuan Sha escorted Nü Qinghui into the hall. She was restrained by a special technique that rendered her as powerless as an ordinary person.

Inside the hall, only Emperor Xuan Sha and Nü Qinghui were present.

Nü Qinghui glanced around the hall, showing no signs of distress, which made Emperor Xuan Sha frown slightly.

"Aren\'t you worried about how Zhong Shan will deal with you?" Emperor Xuan Sha asked, puzzled.

"I\'ve done all I could. What more do I have to worry about?" Nü Qinghui replied calmly.

"Oh?"

"You arrived just in time yesterday. Another combined assault, and Zhong Shan would have surely died," Nü Qinghui sighed.

"Heh!" Emperor Xuan Sha let out a cold laugh.

"What?"

"An emperor is not someone you can easily understand. You couldn\'t comprehend the ancient magical powers, and you can\'t comprehend Zhong Shan either. If Zhong Shan can withstand one combined assault from you, he can withstand ten," Emperor Xuan Sha asserted confidently.

"Impossible!" Nü Qinghui exclaimed.

"There are many things you don\'t know," Emperor Xuan Sha shook his head, sighing.

Indeed, Zhong Shan had hidden some tricks. Emperor Xuan Sha was aware of some, but there were still unknowns. Over the years, he had watched Zhong Shan grow, yet he found that Zhong Shan\'s depth only increased. Was this the way of an emperor? While others might hide their tricks from your sight, Zhong Shan did so right under his nose, becoming more and more elusive.

Emperor Xuan Sha grew increasingly unable to see through Zhong Shan, and he couldn\'t help but marvel at his past decision. Perhaps he had truly found a chance for the wolf clan to rise, even in the vast world.

Meanwhile, in the secret chamber where Zhong Shan was recovering, his body gradually healed. Despite his severe injuries, Zhong Shan had the eight-tailed beast, which could convert energy into the most suitable form for his recovery. The eight-tailed beast had swallowed two Celestial Slayer Flying Blades and a Celestial Realm expert, aiding Zhong Shan\'s healing.

The immense energy overflowed, and a small portion of it was directed towards Zhong Shan.

In less than half a day, Zhong Shan had completely recovered. The excess energy even allowed his cultivation to advance once more, reaching the seventh level of the Emperor Realm!

Though it was just one level, it gave Zhong Shan enough hope. The Celestial Slayer Flying Blade, even the white one, surpassed a ninth-grade magical treasure. Though not quite an immortal artifact, the multicolored one certainly reached that level, not to mention the enormous gourd.

Zhong Shan\'s eyes gleamed slightly. How wonderful it would be to swallow the Celestial Slayer Gourd whole!

Of course, the most coveted treasures were the Four Immortal Execution Swords, which Zhong Shan desired the most. Those four swords were undoubtedly more powerful than ordinary immortal artifacts.

Unfortunately, a peerless expert had reclaimed them in the end. The Immortal Execution Sword and the Absolute Immortal Sword had been in Emperor Xuan Sha\'s hands. Who in the world could take them? Yet, the truth was before him—an unparalleled expert had summoned the three divine swords from a great distance!

Who was it? Who possessed such power?

A denizen of the Longevity Realm? What hidden depths did the Longevity Realm hold? Had the Clay Buddha and King Skeleton discovered anything?

With these heavy thoughts, Zhong Shan\'s vigilance towards the Longevity Realm increased.

And then there was Nü Qinghui! Zhong Shan\'s eyes narrowed as he recalled her shooting a blue light towards the golden dragon\'s head, which he had felt enter his body. What was it?

Zhong Shan closed his eyes and quickly tried to sense it. However, he couldn\'t find anything. Even with the eight-tailed beast searching, there was no sign of it. A sense of unease flashed through his mind. He enveloped himself in the Red Luan Mist, but still found nothing. What could it be?

Zhong Shan was highly resistant to any unknown entities within his body. He absolutely could not allow anything uncontrollable inside him.

He searched through the night but found nothing. It seemed he would have to interrogate Nü Qinghui.

Suppressing his discomfort, Zhong Shan took out some of the world\'s most precious materials.

The Nightmare Greatsword had been shattered and needed to be reforged. The sword, embodying a spirit of fierce determination, symbolized the arduous journey of his empire and was indispensable.

For the Great Zong Empire to endure, it could never lose its fighting spirit. The war sword served as a constant reminder of this mission.

This time, Zhong Shan decided to forge the sword using the same method as the Mountains and Rivers Society Seal, imbuing it with his heart, mind, will, and law. As he forged the sword, he infused it with his indomitable spirit, making it as formidable and imposing as himself.

Forging the sword wasn\'t difficult; in three days, Zhong Shan had completed it.

The greatsword looked the same as before and retained the name "Nightmare," for its mission was not yet fulfilled. It was destined to be the lifelong nightmare of "Li Tian Crown Prince."

Certain principles, Zhong Shan never forgot.

Lifting his head, Zhong Shan looked at the empty hall and said, "Huan Ji, thank you for your help this time."

The hall seemed empty, but Zhong Shan could see her—a peerless beauty standing before him. It was Huan Ji, the core of the Hundred Worlds Cave, once known as the source of all evil.

"Yes, but can you fulfill a wish for me?" Huan Ji thought for a moment and asked.

"A wish? As long as it doesn\'t go against my principles, I have no problem with it," Zhong Shan nodded with a smile.

"Great!" Huan Ji said excitedly.

The source of all evil now appeared as innocent as a blank sheet of paper.

"Then tell me your wish," Zhong Shan said.

Huan Ji thought for a moment, "Uh, uh, I don\'t think I\'ve thought of a wish yet!"

Zhong Shan: "..."

"Can I tell you later?" Huan Ji asked hopefully.

Zhong Shan: "..."