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Chapter 868: Chapter 868: The Return of the Human Sovereign

"He used vulgar language to insult the saintess. He deserves to die!" a man in front of Zi Xun shouted.

"Yes, he deserves to die! Kill him!" everyone echoed.

Zi Xun remained silent, biting her lip, clearly not wanting to speak.

Zhong Shan turned to the sea shark prince.

The prince, seeing the ferocity in everyone's eyes, finally felt fear. His previous arrogance had vanished, replaced by sheer terror. He looked at everyone in panic, as if he were about to die the next moment.

"Don't kill me! Don't kill me! My father will give you everything you want," the sea shark prince pleaded.

"The sea shark clan? Just a small clan. Do we covet your belongings? Do you know who we are? We are from the Purple Sky Dojo, and they are from the Taichu Sacred Court. Do you think we care about a sea shark clan?" the man from before shouted again.

The Purple Sky Dojo had initially sent dozens of people, but now only seven were left. The survivors were enraged, not only for their fallen comrades but also because they had been on the brink of death.

"Taichu Sacred Court? You're from the Taichu Sacred Court? You can't kill me. This wasn't my doing. It was Sima..." the sea shark prince stammered in fear.

But as soon as he uttered the name "Sima..."

"Thwip!"

A streak of green light shot through the air, piercing the sea shark prince's body in an instant. It was a green arrow.

Everyone was momentarily stunned by the speed of the arrow, which reached them almost instantly.

In that fleeting moment, Zhong Shan sensed the arrow. If it had been aimed at him, he could have blocked it. But aimed at someone else, it was too fast for Zhong Shan to intercept. The power Zhong Shan had shown so far wasn't sufficient to save him.

The arrow pierced through the sea shark prince, killing him instantly.

Zhong Shan turned to look but saw no trace of the archer in the distance.

Sima? Sima who? The Sima family? Was it someone from the Sima family trying to kill Zi Xun?

Zhong Shan took a deep breath.

The previously arrogant group broke out in a cold sweat, looking around in fear, realizing they were still not out of danger.

"Thank you," Zi Xun said to Zhong Shan, taking a deep breath.

"Does it have to be this way?" Zhong Shan asked, a hint of bitterness in his voice.

Zi Xun, sensing Zhong Shan's bitterness, flashed a gentle look in her eyes, which quickly turned to sadness. She shook her head, saying, "It was you who rejected me. What else could I do?"

The others didn't understand, but Zhong Shan did. Zi Xun had wanted to stay with Zhong Shan as his Dao companion, but Zhong Shan had refused. She wanted to be the only woman in his life, asking him to forsake all his other consorts, which Zhong Shan could not agree to.

In the distance, Su Afo, Princess Nine-Tails, and Hongxiao paused their battle, watching Zhong Shan and Zi Xun converse from afar. All three were puzzled.

"What is Zhong Shan doing?" Princess Nine-Tails frowned.

"I don't know. He's set up a soundproof barrier, so we can't hear their conversation," Hongxiao replied, shaking his head.

Su Afo stroked his chin, a glint of wisdom in his eyes. "Based on my years of experience, Zhong Shan is trying to woo the saintess of the Purple Sky Dojo!"

Inside the soundproof barrier, Zi Xun and Zhong Shan continued their conversation.

"Zi Xun, I..."

"Zhong Shan, I understand. You have your responsibilities and your people. I can't ask you to give up everything for me," Zi Xun interrupted, her voice filled with a mixture of sorrow and resignation.

Zhong Shan looked at her, his heart heavy. "Zi Xun, your safety is important to me. I will protect you, no matter what."

Zi Xun's eyes softened, but she quickly masked her emotions. "Thank you, Zhong Shan. But I must follow my own path. Let's not dwell on the past."

Zhong Shan nodded, knowing she was right. They had chosen different paths, and though their hearts still held affection, they couldn't change their destinies.

"Take care, Zi Xun," Zhong Shan said softly, stepping back to release the soundproof barrier.

"You too, Zhong Shan," Zi Xun replied, watching him with a wistful expression.

As the barrier dissolved, the sounds of the battlefield and the murmurs of the onlookers flooded back in, and the moment of their private conversation ended, leaving both with a sense of unresolved longing.

"Stop spouting nonsense!" Princess Nine-Tails scolded Su Afo.

Hongxiao, standing nearby, also shook his head in disbelief. Su Afo's wild thoughts were hard to keep up with.

"Yes, becoming a saintess of the Purple Sky Dojo and reaching the Celestial Realm means she must have an extremely steadfast heart. How could she develop feelings from just one act of assistance?" Hongxiao added, shaking his head.

"That's why I say Zhong Shan is trying to woo her! Don't you know? Wooing a saintess from a dojo is such a huge challenge. Only someone as charming as Zhong Shan could pull it off!" Su Afo's eyes sparkled with excitement.

Princess Nine-Tails and Hongxiao rolled their eyes.

In the distance, Zhong Shan and Zi Xun continued their conversation within the soundproof barrier. Although the faces of the Purple Sky Dojo disciples were somewhat displeased, they didn't say anything since Zhong Shan had saved them. They busied themselves with gathering the bodies of their fallen comrades.

"Why are you with the Purple Sky Dojo?" Zhong Shan frowned.

"Where I am is none of your business," Zi Xun replied stubbornly, biting her lip.

"But I worry about you," Zhong Shan said.

There was a long silence between them, both their expressions filled with complexity.

"Look at that, Zhong Shan and the saintess are starting to exchange longing looks. I was right. Only someone as suave as Zhong Shan could charm the Purple Sky saintess!" Su Afo said, his eyes gleaming.

Zhong Shan looked at Zi Xun for a while and gently suggested, "Leave the Purple Sky Dojo."

Zi Xun shook her head. "You don't understand. The Purple Sky Dojo has something I need."

"Leave, and I'll help you get whatever you need. Anything," Zhong Shan promised earnestly.

"Anything? Can you give it to me?"

Back to square one. Zi Xun's eyes reddened slightly, tears welling up. Without waiting for Zhong Shan's reply, she turned and flew away.

The disciples of the Purple Sky Dojo, seeing their saintess in tears, glared at Zhong Shan before chasing after her.

Zhong Shan watched Zi Xun leave, standing still as a sense of loss washed over him.

In the distance, Princess Nine-Tails, Hongxiao, and Su Afo were confused by what they saw.

"Why is the saintess crying?" Princess Nine-Tails wondered.

"Probably got sand in her eyes," Hongxiao said wryly.

Princess Nine-Tails: "..."

"Just a few words and he made the saintess cry? For her, he broke his heart! Zhong Shan is such a charmer," Su Afo exclaimed, slapping his thigh in excitement.

Princess Nine-Tails, Hongxiao: "..."

The sea shark clan had mostly been wiped out, with only a few skirmishes remaining.

As the three approached Zhong Shan, Su Afo spoke up, "Zhong Shan, let me be your disciple. You have to teach me how to woo a saintess! I've dreamed of charming a dojo saintess since I was a child, and my future depends on you."

Zhong Shan, whose mood had been somber, was suddenly interrupted by Su Afo's antics, and his sadness dissipated. He looked at Su Afo with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

"What are you talking about?" Zhong Shan frowned.

"Just now, you made a saintess cry with a few words. Isn't that it?"

Zhong Shan chuckled, shaking his head. He had no intention of sharing the details of his and Zi Xun's relationship with anyone.

A half-month later, on an island in Aolai Sea.

Zi Xun and seven disciples from the Purple Sky Dojo landed. At that moment, a white-robed man approached from the front.

The white-robed man, the same powerful figure who had accompanied the Purple Sky Dojo's leader to Su Daji's tomb, approached with a hint of joy in his eyes. This was Daoist Lord Cheng Baiyi, an exceptional powerhouse of the Purple Sky Dojo.

"Zi Xun? Have you found anything? Where are the others?" Cheng Baiyi asked, his eyes filled with an unusual attentiveness when looking at Zi Xun.

Zi Xun glanced at him coolly. "Daoist Lord Cheng, I'm not participating in the secrets of Aolai Sea anymore. I came to retrieve something and will return to the Purple Sky Dojo immediately."

"What happened?" Cheng Baiyi asked, puzzled.

"Daoist Lord, everyone else is dead. We barely made it back ourselves!" one of the disciples said.

"What?" Cheng Baiyi's eyes widened.

Zi Xun shook her head and walked towards a distant hall without further explanation.

Cheng Baiyi watched Zi Xun's retreating figure, a hopeful look in his eyes, but unsure of how to call her back. He turned to the remaining seven disciples.

"Explain everything to me from the beginning," Cheng Baiyi demanded, his face darkening.

"Daoist Lord, it was the sea shark clan. Their young prince attempted to desecrate the saintess..." the disciple began.

"What? He tried to desecrate Zi Xun?" Cheng Baiyi's eyes gleamed with a cold light.

"Yes, at that time..." the disciple continued to explain in detail.

Halfway through, Zi Xun emerged from the hall.

"I'll take my leave," Zi Xun said coolly.

"Zi Xun, you don't need to go. With me here, no one will harm you," Cheng Baiyi said.

Zi Xun shook her head, took a step, and flew away. Cheng Baiyi wanted to call her back but couldn't find the words. His face grew even more somber.

"Continue," Cheng Baiyi ordered.

"Yes, and then we returned," the disciple concluded.

"The person who saved you was Zhong Shan?" Cheng Baiyi asked, frowning.

"Yes."

"Does he know the saintess?"

"We don't know. They talked privately for a while. Afterward, the saintess shed a tear and then ignored Zhong Shan. We returned. Maybe they were discussing some elder from the Small Thousand World who passed away," the disciple speculated.

Cheng Baiyi's brows furrowed, his expression uncertain. Then he asked, "The sea shark prince? Did he say that the sea shark king and several elders were at Aolai Sea?"

"Yes, Daoist Lord."

"The sea shark clan dared to provoke the Purple Sky Dojo. Send orders to all Purple Sky Dojo members in Aolai Sea. Find this sea shark clan. I want them exterminated!" Cheng Baiyi's voice turned icy.

"Yes!"

Zhong Shan and his group returned to the previous island. Over the next month, under Zhong Shan's arrangements, Hongxiao's patrolling troops brought back a wealth of information.

On the table before Zhong Shan lay nearly a hundred memory crystals.

"Sacred King Zhong, we have gathered records of all major conflicts in Aolai Sea over the past four months. We've identified one peculiar individual who was present at nearly fifty of these large-scale battles," Hongxiao reported with a frown.

"Present? As in observing?" Su Afo asked, puzzled.

"Yes, it's not unusual for someone to appear at one or two or even ten major conflicts. But this person was present at nearly fifty out of a hundred battles, always on the periphery. He must be significant, but I couldn't figure out why," Hongxiao explained, frowning.

"Who is this person?" Princess Nine-Tails asked.

Hongxiao used a spell to project an image of the man: a figure in a dark yellow robe, standing with his hands behind his back, a satisfied glint in his eyes as if pleased with the chaos.

"Ren Zun?" Zhong Shan's pupils constricted.

This was Ren Zun? The Human Sovereign from the Small Thousand World's geomancers, the head of the Human vein among the Five Veins of Heaven, Earth, Human, God, and Ghost! The one who wielded the Chaos Clock? He was here at Aolai Sea too?