Undying Life

Chapter 802: Chapter 802: Zhong Shan's "Destiny"

After leaving Kong Lietian's study, Ren Zun maintained a calm expression, but in the earlier conversation, Wangchen had caught a fleeting look of joy on his face.

Joy, though fleeting, was enough for Wangchen. That brief expression revealed much to Wangchen. He realized that Ren Zun's ultimate goal might soon come to light.

In the following days, Wangchen occasionally discussed strategies to counter the Four Symbols Formation with Ren Zun, but most of the time, he remained covertly vigilant.

One month later, while leading a large group of cultivators toward the passage between the two realms, Ren Zun suddenly excused himself, and Wangchen discreetly followed him.

In an extremely secluded mountain forest, Wangchen hid in a small corner, observing.

In the distance, Ren Zun stood atop a peak.

"Boom!"

A thunderous roar filled the sky as dark clouds gathered instantly.

Wangchen's eyes widened.

"Undergoing tribulation? Earthly Immortal Tribulation? Why is Ren Zun undergoing tribulation now? Could it be that his long-awaited moment has finally arrived?" Wangchen frowned in thought.

"Five thousand years. Ren Zun has been lurking within the Taishui Heavenly Dynasty for nearly five thousand years. What could he be waiting for? And now, this thing is emerging?"

"Could it be?" Wangchen's expression changed.

Lingxiao Heavenly Court was flying northward.

This was one of the great advantages of Lingxiao Heavenly Court: the capital could move, allowing Zhong Shan to leverage the power of the Great Zhen Heavenly Dynasty wherever he went.

This time, Zhong Shan used himself as bait to lure Kong Xuan and Daojun Shen Ya into the final battle.

In his study, Zhong Shan reviewed some letters, with Bao'er by his side.

"Master, are these letters from Shijiu?" Bao'er asked.

"Yes. He has discerned my intention and is cooperating with my plan. He has provoked Kong Lietian into the final battle, and Kong Lietian will undoubtedly bring Kong Xuan and Daojun Shen Ya with him. This saves me a lot of preparation." Zhong Shan put down the letters and rubbed his temples.

Bao'er immediately moved behind Zhong Shan and began massaging his temples to help him relax.

"Why is Shijiu doing this? Does he, like Xuan'er, have some hidden agenda? By the way, all of Kong Lietian's subordinates have a 'Yao' divine mark. Could that be what's restraining him?" Bao'er speculated.

"Hard to say," Zhong Shan replied solemnly.

"Why?" Bao'er frowned.

"You don't understand how intelligent Zhong Shijiu is. Among all the ministers of Great Zhen, only Xiao Wang and Yi Yan can compare with him in understanding human nature. Therefore, all his actions are just appearances. Until I ascertain his true intentions, you must treat all his behavior as if you haven't seen it." Zhong Shan patted Bao'er's hand.

"Alright. I really hope he's like Xuan'er," Bao'er nodded.

"Let's hope so. Before the final battle, I need to make one more breakthrough. Please take care of the palace affairs in the meantime," Zhong Shan said.

"Understood."

In a secret chamber within Lingxiao Heavenly Court, Zhong Shan sat cross-legged, preparing for his final breakthrough before the war.

The only way to quickly break through was through devouring, devouring precious treasures. Now, even a ninth-grade treasure couldn't cause the Eight Extremities Heavenly Tail to break through. Last time, the Heaven Vein Sword only raised it by one level, and even a Heavenly Immortal artifact could only raise it by one level. What treasures did Zhong Shan have that surpassed a Heavenly Immortal artifact?

Reaching out, Zhong Shan placed the Fangtian Jade Seal before him. He then opened a jade box beside him, from which a flood of golden light filled the entire hall.

Inside the box was a golden light cluster—the "destiny" obtained from the annihilation of the Immortal Realm, and within it, a precious treasure. Zhong Shan's goal was this treasure.

As for the "destiny" of One Yuan, Zhong Shan narrowed his eyes and pressed the Fangtian Jade Seal onto the golden light cluster.

Under Zhong Shan's urging, the golden light seemed to be squeezed out, exploding and filling the hall with a dense golden mist that couldn't escape. This was because the red bead on the Fangtian Jade Seal emitted a rainbow-colored glow, bringing the nine jade dragons on the seal to life. They opened their mouths and voraciously absorbed the surrounding golden mist.

The nine dragons were devouring the destiny?

Zhong Shan controlled the process with extreme caution.

Simultaneously, an enormous commotion arose in the sky above Lingxiao Heavenly Court. The sea of fortune surged violently, as if filled with new energy. At the center of the sea of merit and fortune, a small, dazzling golden point of light suddenly appeared.

The golden points grew in number and intensity, drawing the sea of merit and the sea of fortune closer together until they touched.

Near the imperial city, nearly all officials looked up to the sky, marveling at this extraordinary spectacle.

The touching of the two seas seemed to ignite the golden points, causing brilliant light wherever the merit and fortune met.

Below:

"Destiny? His Majesty is actually able to manifest his own destiny?" Wang Ku exclaimed in surprise.

"Is that glowing light destiny?" Yi Yan asked beside him.

"Indeed, that is destiny, belonging to Great Zhen and His Majesty," Wang Ku replied in awe.

"What is destiny used for?" Yi Yan inquired.

"You'll know soon enough," Wang Ku responded.

"Huh?"

Di Xuanhua, Mud Buddha, and others emerged from their residences, gazing at the merging of merit and fortune in the sky.

There was significantly more fortune than merit, and when all the merit was exhausted, much fortune remained. This golden destiny converged at the center, surrounding the images of the Great Zhen officials.

In an instant, the images of the officials on the sea of fortune emitted a brilliant golden light. The most prominent, the image of Zhong Shan, not only radiated golden light but also a dazzling rainbow light from above his head. It was incredibly resplendent.

All the officials' faces changed, then lit up with joy.

Zhong Shan now possessed his own destiny. Although it was still sparse, Zhong Shan felt the immense change deeply.

With the merging of merit and fortune into destiny, Zhong Shan's cultivation speed, previously 250 times the normal rate, instantly increased to 400 times!

Four hundred times—a terrifying cultivation speed. This was a huge delight for the entire court. While Zhong Shan, as the supreme leader, enjoyed a 400-fold increase in cultivation speed, mid-level officials like Yi Yan and Di Xuanhua saw their speed increase to 40 times, a substantial and joyful surprise for all.

The sense of balance between merit and fortune vanished, replaced by a complementary relationship. Zhong Shan even sensed something mysterious through his grasp of destiny, an elusive feeling that would require future exploration.

The Fangtian Jade Seal, having absorbed the One Yuan destiny, now enabled Zhong Shan to comprehend the method of integrating destiny. The sky was filled with fortune, interspersed with a significant amount of destiny. Zhong Shan now possessed his own destiny, and the Fangtian Jade Seal emitted a colorful glow.

The Fangtian Jade Seal became even more precious.

Reaching out, Zhong Shan retrieved the Fangtian Jade Seal. Before him appeared a white fruit.

A fruit?

It was the size of a fist, as beautiful as a cat's eye stone, incredibly solid, and gem-like. It emitted a faint fragrance, reminiscent of an apple.

Grabbing the white fruit, Zhong Shan frowned slightly. What exactly was this? An immortal fruit from the Great Thousand World?

Perhaps this fruit had some extraordinary use, but Zhong Shan wasn't concerned about that. Memorizing its shape, he let the Eight Extremities Heavenly Tail devour it in one bite.

Indeed, it was a precious treasure. Zhong Shan felt a terrifying energy rapidly being transferred into him by the Eight Extremities Heavenly Tail.

"Boom!"

A muffled sound echoed within Zhong Shan's body. Two days later, Zhong Shan stepped out of the hall.

Could this white fruit be comparable to a Heavenly Immortal artifact? One fruit directly propelled Zhong Shan to the ninth level of the Heavenly Extreme Realm! Although it was only a single level increase, the energy required for cultivation increased exponentially as one advanced. Zhong Shan's personal strength surged once more.

The ninth level of the Heavenly Extreme Realm!

Two years later, not far from the passage between the two realms, Lingxiao Heavenly Court came to a stop.

The Great Zhen army quickly gathered from all directions, setting up camp in the east. In the west, the Taishui Heavenly Dynasty's army intensified their presence. Both sides formed formidable barricades, ready for the imminent decisive battle.

In a valley to the east of Lingxiao Heavenly Court.

Tian Chenzi, now unrecognizable with melted skin and blood-soaked flesh, wrapped in a black robe, gazed at Lingxiao Heavenly Court in the distance.

"The decisive battle? After all these years, it's finally about to begin! Cough, cough..." Tian Chenzi said, coughing twice.

To the west of Lingxiao Heavenly Court, at the frontline camp established by Ren Zun and Wangchen.

"Senior Ren Zun, how is the preparation of the formation?" Wangchen asked.

"My formation requires the sacrificial lives of a million cultivators to create a sea of blood, which aligns perfectly with your cultivation technique. Once the battle commences, and a million cultivators die, the formation will be complete. At that time, I will need you, General Wangchen, to lead the formation and charge at the forefront!" Ren Zun said calmly.

"I won't hesitate!" Wangchen replied with a smile.

"Good."

In a city at the rear.

Kong Lietian stood on the city wall, looking into the distance with confidence, alongside Daojun Shen Ya.

"When will Senior Kong Xuan arrive?" Kong Lietian asked.

"The Grandmaster will come; you don't need to worry!" Daojun Shen Ya replied sternly.

"I'm not worried about that. I'm concerned about repeating the same mistake. Last time, we left the Immortal Realm undefended and lost something. We won't lose it again this time, will we?" Kong Lietian asked with a smile.

"Last time, the Grandmaster was unprepared. This time, he will set up thousands of prohibitions. No one will be able to take anything!" Daojun Shen Ya said firmly.

"That's good. This is the final battle. Zhong Shan has already arrived. Once Zhong Shan dies, there will be no force left to obstruct me. It won't be long before I unify the world!" Kong Lietian said confidently.

"Yes, this time, Zhong Shan must die!" Daojun Shen Ya's eyes flashed with hostility.

If Zhong Shan wasn't eliminated, he would become a significant obstacle and heart demon in Daojun Shen Ya's future cultivation.