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Chapter 1014: Chapter 1014: Meeting Kong Xuan Again

The grand doors of Haotian Hall were tightly shut, and an array of protective formations surrounded it.

Inside, the décor mirrored that of Lingxiao Hall exactly. The Jade Emperor sat on the dragon throne, his eyes closed, fingers tapping lightly on the armrest as if deep in thought.

Standing before him were four figures: Emperor Gou Chen, Emperor Zi Wei, Emperor Zhen Wu, and the Plague God.

The four stood silently, their expressions serious. It had been an hour since they arrived, and none of them knew why the Jade Emperor had summoned them. This place was known only to five people—even Tai Shang was unaware of it—so the Jade Emperor must have something important to announce.

Why had he called them here, away from the gods of the Celestial Court, away from the Queen Mother, away from Tai Shang?

"It needs to be moved up," the Jade Emperor finally said, opening his eyes.

"Moved up?" The four looked at the Jade Emperor in confusion, but then, almost simultaneously, their pupils constricted as realization dawned.

"That\'s also why I didn\'t have you intervene against Reng, Mei, and Liang earlier," the Jade Emperor added calmly.

"Understood," the four responded solemnly.

"The Celestial Court can be lost, but as long as you remain, it will return. Here, I\'m making some arrangements. Soon, I may appear in a different form, unable to handle certain matters. You will have to take care of them," the Jade Emperor said with an air of finality.

"Yes, Your Majesty," they replied.

"As for Hao Meili, you needn\'t concern yourselves with her for now. I\'ll make arrangements for her. My plan must not fail. Also, focus on locating the Zixiao Palace—that is our top priority going forward. But remember, act within your means. All the saints are searching for the Zixiao Palace, for it holds the sealed power of Hongjun. Securing the Zixiao Palace means securing Hongjun\'s power. But if resistance is too great, abandon the search immediately. It is not the entirety of our plan," the Jade Emperor instructed his most trusted subordinates.

Another five days later.

Zhong Shan and his group had left the Celestial Court. The party now included Zhong Shan, Corpse Lord, Nangong Sheng, Luo Xingchen, as well as Hao Meili and Xidu Emperor.

"It feels so good to be out! Zhong Shan, you\'re amazing. You have no idea how suffocating it was inside the Celestial Court," Hao Meili exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement.

"I didn\'t expect the Jade Emperor to agree so easily to let you come out. All the arguments I prepared were unnecessary!" Zhong Shan said with a smile.

"The Jade Emperor is worried about your safety," Xidu Emperor interjected.

"Hmph, easy for you to say, old man. You can come and go from the Celestial Court as you please, and so can Xiaojin. You two have so much fun while I\'m stuck in the Celestial Court, doing embroidery and weaving with those women who call themselves \'sisters.\' It\'s so boring! I\'m not interested in that at all. I want excitement, I want grand battles," Hao Meili said, wrinkling her nose in disdain.

Clearly, Hao Meili\'s temperament was ill-suited to the quiet pastimes of the Seven Fairies.

"Alright, you\'re always right," Xidu Emperor said, his tone full of affection.

"Of course I am!" Hao Meili responded confidently.

"But remember, you\'re not just out here to have fun," Zhong Shan reminded her.

"Oh, right. I\'m on an important mission this time. I\'m representing the entire Celestial Court to deliver birthday greetings to Ying Zheng. That guy bullied me back in the Small Thousand World—ugh, I\'m not sure how I\'m going to deal with him when the time comes," Hao Meili said, frowning slightly.

As the group continued their journey, they remained vigilant, aware that their mission was more than just a ceremonial visit. The tension in the Four Continents was palpable, and with the recent events involving the saints, they knew that the path ahead would be fraught with challenges. Yet, they moved forward with resolve, prepared to face whatever lay ahead.

"Small Thousand World? Did Ying really bully you? That time in the Dragon Palace of the Small Thousand World, he just reclaimed the Dragon Clan\'s contract rights. He didn\'t do anything to you, and you even cursed him!" Xidu Emperor gently reminded.

"I couldn\'t even curse him properly!" Hao Meili said, a bit embarrassed.

"Don\'t worry about it. When the time comes, just be confident and forget about what happened in the Small Thousand World," Zhong Shan advised with a smile.

"Alright!" Hao Meili nodded in agreement.

"Ying\'s grand birthday celebration is approaching. It\'s likely that many guests have already arrived in Great Qin by now," Zhong Shan mused.

"Yes, since we\'re passing by the Eastern Sea, we\'ll pick up Xiaojin and then head to Great Qin!" Hao Meili agreed with a nod.

"Xiaojin? Why did you let her go to the Eastern Sea alone?" Zhong Shan asked, puzzled.

"It\'s all because of that old Dragon King of the Eastern Sea. He tricked Xiaojin with some story about the Eastern Sea\'s Dragon Pearl. Xiaojin kept talking to me about it for a long time, and seeing how pitiful she was, I let her go," Hao Meili grumbled, still annoyed with the Eastern Sea Dragon King.

A month later, Zhong Shan and his group were flying over the Eastern Sea, which lay to the east of the Four Continents.

As they approached, Hao Meili muttered something under her breath, seemingly using some secret method to communicate with the Golden Dragon.

After about an hour of waiting—

"Boom!"

The surface of the Eastern Sea suddenly split open, and a massive golden dragon shot into the sky, followed closely by four other dragons of various colors, trailing behind the golden dragon like attendants.

"Roar!"

The golden dragon let out a joyous roar as it soared toward Zhong Shan.

"Xiaojin!" Hao Meili called out excitedly.

In a flash, Xiaojin shrank down and perched on Hao Meili\'s shoulder. The other dragons transformed into four elegant young men.

"Xiaojin, who are these people?" asked one of the young men, who wore a green crown on his head.

The other three also eyed Zhong Shan and his group with mild hostility.

"Xiaojin, are these your friends?" Hao Meili asked.

"They are the Dragon Princes of the Four Seas, sent by the old Dragon Kings to be my attendants!" Xiaojin said proudly.

The Dragon Princes of the Four Seas? Attendants?

Though the four young men looked displeased, none of them voiced any objections.

"Zhong Shan, you really came? I thought it would take you longer to get here. If I had known, I wouldn\'t have come to the Eastern Sea," Xiaojin suddenly said to Zhong Shan.

If I had known, I wouldn\'t have come to the Eastern Sea? The four Dragon Princes were left speechless. Is the Eastern Sea really that bad?

"Yes, Xiaojin, you should have listened to me. You missed out on a lot of excitement!" Hao Meili teased.

"Oh, right, tell me all about it later. Right now, there\'s something exciting happening in the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace. If you hadn\'t summoned me, I\'d still be watching the show. It\'s incredible—a battle between Grand Immortals!" Xiaojin said excitedly.

"Grand Immortals?" Hao Meili\'s expression showed a hint of disdain, though it was clear from the excitement in her eyes that she was eager to see it. After all, she\'d witnessed battles between saints in the Celestial Court, so Grand Immortal fights seemed less impressive—at least on the surface.

"Are there Grand Immortals in the Dragon Palace?" Zhong Shan asked, surprised.

"I\'m not sure. It started with a man named Zigong, who I think is one of Confucius\'s disciples. He barged into the Dragon Palace, acting all high and mighty, trying to coerce Ao Guang and the others. But then Ao Guang brought out a powerful man in a green robe from deep within the Dragon Palace, and they started fighting right away. It seems like there\'s some bad blood between them!" Xiaojin explained.

Zhong Shan\'s eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of Zigong. "A disciple of Confucius and a Grand Immortal from the Dragon Palace... This is worth investigating," he thought to himself, considering the potential implications of such a conflict.

"A Grand Immortal who holds a grudge against Zigong?" Zhong Shan frowned slightly, his thoughts racing. Is there a force near Lu Territory that dares to challenge Confucius?

"Do any of you four know who that man in the green robe is?" Xiaojin quickly asked the Four Dragon Princes.

"We don\'t know. We\'ve never seen him before," three of them shook their heads.

The Eastern Sea Dragon Prince, however, added, "That man appeared in the Dragon Palace a few hundred years ago. When he arrived, our father treated him with great respect and even gave him the best palace in the Dragon Palace, the one connected to the Earth\'s primal energy. That was where our father used to cultivate, but after this man arrived, our father vacated it for him and ordered us not to disturb him. I don\'t know who he is."

"Let\'s go take a look. The battle might be over by now!" Xiaojin said excitedly.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, a deafening explosion echoed through the air. The sea before them erupted in towering waves as a massive cyan Heavenly Dao shot skyward. The sheer force of it caused the waters of the Eastern Sea to part, revealing the Dragon Palace in the distance without even needing to dive below.

The towering palace, surrounded by peaks, showed signs of destruction, with parts flattened. In a deep-sea valley, a massive five-colored monument pressed down on a figure, while the cyan Heavenly Dao stood nearby, towering into the sky.

"Seal~~~!"

From within the cyan Heavenly Dao, a thunderous voice boomed, causing the five-colored monument to emit a dazzling light before it expanded tenfold and descended with even greater force, sealing the person beneath it completely.

"The man in the green robe won! Zigong has been sealed!" Xiaojin exclaimed.

The Four Dragon Princes let out a collective sigh of relief.

But Zhong Shan did not. Instead, he grew more vigilant, recognizing the voice. That voice—he would never forget it.

In the distance, the man in the green robe within the Heavenly Dao seemed to notice Zhong Shan and his group. With a flicker, he flew into the air, and the Heavenly Dao dissipated.

The man in the green robe gazed at Zhong Shan.

Luo Xingchen, Nangong Sheng, and Corpse Lord immediately sensed the tension and prepared for a potential confrontation.

"What\'s going on?" Hao Meili asked, still not understanding the situation.

"Kong Xuan, it\'s been a long time," Zhong Shan said in a deep voice.

"Kong Xuan?" Hao Meili blinked in confusion, taking a moment to process the name.

It wasn\'t until the man in the green robe slowly pulled back his hood, revealing his true face, that the realization hit her.

Gone were the fractured lines that had once marred Kong Xuan\'s face, indicating that his injuries had healed, or at least were not as severe as before. His features were sharp and elegant, with eyes that gleamed with a strange, otherworldly intensity.

"You\'re Kong Xuan? That ancient monster from the Longevity World?" Hao Meili finally remembered, her expression shifting from confusion to recognition.

Kong Xuan? The Four Dragon Princes finally understood who this was. No wonder the Eastern Sea Dragon King treated him with such reverence, even giving up his own cultivation ground for him. Kong Xuan was a Grand Immortal of immense power, so overwhelming that it bordered on the monstrous.

"Indeed, it\'s been a while, Zhong Shan," Kong Xuan replied, his voice carrying a calm yet menacing undertone as he hovered in the air, his gaze fixed on Zhong Shan. The tension in the air thickened as the two old foes stood face to face once more, the atmosphere charged with unresolved conflict and the weight of their past encounters.

To read the manga version, please click the YouTube link https://youtu.be/GnU613H6xm8