A confrontation among 159 Great Celestials reached a stalemate, with the scene becoming eerily silent!
This had far exceeded everyone's expectations. Various forces with differing interests had gathered, each with its own agenda, creating a complex situation where making any move seed impossible.
Zhong Shan surveyed the powerful beings around him.
The twenty-one rogue Celestials were of little consequence. If the Great Yan Sacred Court collapsed, they would surely kick him while he was down. If he repelled the enemies, they would scatter like the wind. They had no organization or discipline.
The six major factions of the Fengzhong Territory, the first four to arrive, had a clear purpose: to destroy the Great Yan Sacred Court. Offering surrender was rely a pretense. These four factions, though distinct, shared a common goal and were united.
The Taichu Sacred Court, being the closest to the Great Yan Sacred Court, had its Sacred King personally present. If Zhong Shan did not submit, they would undoubtedly aim to destroy the Great Yan Sacred Court as the first four factions did. However, the Taichu Sacred King seed genuinely interested in recruiting Zhong Shan, given that he had previously sent Sima Ce into the small world to persuade him.
The Purple Cloud Master was unpredictable. He had co alone and had not revealed his stance, which made him difficult to read. Zhong Shan, having just arrived in the Great Thousand World, was not yet clear on many aspects.
These were the hostile forces.
There were many allied factions—eight in total—but they were just as complex.
These eight factions were not entirely committed to the Great Yan Sacred Court. Many of them were only making a token appearance.
The Tianyin Dojo, Ice Goddess Palace, Phoenix Territory, Central Dojo, the Jade Emperor's Heavenly Court, Sacred Sky Sanctuary, and the Archaic Family!
These seven factions clearly only wanted to take away the people they were interested in. Fending off enemies was rely for show. Today, they might help repel the enemies, but what about tomorrow?
Once they left, and given the inevitable casualties on the opposing side, the Great Yan Sacred Court would face relentless attacks unless Zhong Shan decided to leave the Fengzhong Territory altogether.
The last ally was Wang Jian from Great Qin. Although this faction also planned to leave after this battle, they were entirely supportive of Zhong Shan during this period, even more so than the other seven factions.
Given the current situation, could negotiations drive everyone away? No, that would make the Great Yan Sacred Court seem too weak. As soon as the eight allied factions left, the Great Yan Sacred Court would be finished.
Zhong Shan looked at the stalemate. What should he do?
Fight? Impossible! Not fight? Not an option!
A dilemma.
"Gu Shentong, the ss you've left is truly complicated!" Zhong Shan sighed inwardly.
As Zhong Shan analyzed the various forces, the factions were also scrutinizing each other with furrowed brows.
Initially, the factions had planned to arrive one by one to address their individual concerns. Now, it had turned into a chaotic gathering of everyone at once.
Shuijing and the other ministers were sweating slightly. Shuijing could tell that these many powerful beings—159 Great Celestials—could destroy the Lingxiao Heavenly Court in an instant if they made a move.
Great Celestials and those even stronger—were these within the Holy King's expectations? Could the Holy King unravel this complex situation?
"Buzz!"
At that mont, a deep, resonant sound echoed, powerful and overwhelming like a great bell, shaking everyone's hearts.
Simultaneously, the sky suddenly changed color. Day turned to night? No, it was a night filled with countless swirling stars, forming a massive rotating ring of multicolored starlight.
Everyone turned towards the direction of the sound.
"Buzz!"
Another thunderous roar reverberated.
It was a monstrous beast, an eerily gigantic creature, spanning a thousand miles in size. Its body was grotesquely round with no visible facial features, its head sporting only a massive crack, filled with flickering lightning. It stood on six legs, appearing incredibly hideous.
The beast's head split open, swallowing a nearby small town. People fled in terror, but many couldn't escape the beast's gaping maw, being devoured into its massive belly.
"A mythical beast, 'Chaos'? The thirty-eighth ranked divine beast in the Great Thousand World?" Shuijing exclaid, his eyebrows raised.
The Chaos beast roared rampantly, wreaking havoc as it moved. With each step, the sky and earth changed, the heavens darkened, and colorful stars surrounded it, exuding terrifying power.
"Shuijing, where did this Chaos co from?" Zhong Shan imdiately inquired.
"There are no signs of Chaos arriving from any direction. It seems to have descended from the heavens, originating between the stars!" Shuijing quickly responded.
At this mont, the arrival of Chaos seed to capture the attention of all the powerful beings present. Almost everyone suddenly focused on Chaos. The eyes of the assembled Celestials glinted with excitent.
"Your Majesty, Chaos is a vanguard divine beast for large-scale wars. Possessing a Chaos beast is equivalent to commanding an army of a million immortals. I request permission to capture and subdue this Chaos!" the three-eyed man beside the Jade Emperor respectfully requested, his eyes shining with eagerness.
A vanguard divine beast, Chaos?
The Jade Emperor looked at the excited three-eyed man and shook his head.
Around the scene, not only the Jade Emperor's side but also the eyes of the representatives from various sacred courts and dojos were filled with excitent. Chaos? Why did a Chaos suddenly appear? Such a valuable creature!
At that mont, if it weren't for the complex relationships among the factions, many would have sward forward imdiately!
"Senior, what level of strength does this Chaos possess?" Emperor Xuan asked a senior from the Sacred Sky Sanctuary.
"It's still in its juvenile stage, likely at the peak of the Great Celestial realm. Moreover, it possesses the power of Chaos Swallowing Heaven. Capturing it won't be easy!" the elder from the Sacred Sky Sanctuary replied.
"Ancestor, how did this Chaos beast arrive here?" Bei Qingsi asked her ancestor.
"During the creation of a world, 'Hongng Chaos Qi' leaks out, which is the favorite scent of Chaos beasts. Perhaps a Chaos was passing between the stars and was attracted here. This vast territory has just undergone creation, and everything here is stained with Hongng Chaos Qi, which is what the Chaos beast most desires to devour!" Bei Qingsi's ancestor explained.
The various factions that had been entangled in the debate of whether to protect or destroy the Great Yan Sacred Court now shifted their focus to the Chaos beast.
The thirty-eighth ranked divine beast in the Great Thousand World? A peak Great Celestial-level beast?
All factions were eager. The Chaos beast devoured another small town in the distance, roaring as it moved towards a city.
To capture or not to capture? The factions were in a dilemma.
At this mont, Zhong Shan's eyes lit up.
"Shuijing!" Zhong Shan called out.
"Present!"
"Those who invade my Great Yan, harm my people, and disrupt my empire's order, what should be their punishnt?" Zhong Shan shouted sternly.
Zhong Shan's words, ostensibly directed at the Chaos Beast, seed equally aid at the gathered factions.
"Kill!" Shuijing replied firmly.
Everyone's brows furrowed in reaction.
"Alright. General Wang Jian, eliminate this fierce beast, kill without rcy!" Zhong Shan commanded, looking at Wang Jian.
As a dynasty known for its strict military discipline, the Qin dynasty followed orders to the letter. With the command from Ying and now Zhong Shan's directive, Wang Jian responded imdiately.
"Yes, sir!" Wang Jian bowed.
The ten powerful figures from Qin soared out of the Lingxiao Heavenly Court, their killing intent surging as they charged toward the Chaos Beast.
"Don't!"
"Stop!"
"Hold on!"
...voices from various factions cried out, but Wang Jian was deaf to them all. His loyalty lay with Ying alone, caring little for the opinions of others.
As Wang Jian rushed out, twenty Celestials from Taiji Sacred Court and Taiyi Sacred Court sward to intercept him.
The Chaos Beast, a premier vanguard in wars, was a rare find. Having suddenly appeared today, it couldn't be allowed to die so easily.
"Your Majesty, should we intervene? This is the Chaos Beast!" Sima Zongheng urged the Taichu Sacred King.
The Taichu Sacred King gestured for silence, and the others fell quiet.
At this mont, the twenty-one Celestials felt a sense of desolation. Despite their status, they couldn't even voice an opinion. It was a frustrating situation.
anwhile, the other factions seed to hesitate, wary of making a move.
The Great Yan Sacred Court's opening wasn't as fragile as it appeared.
Zhong Shan turned his gaze from the distant battlefield to Emperor Xuan.
"Emperor Xuan, congratulations!" Zhong Shan took a deep breath.
Emperor Xuan frowned, his expression complicated.
"Heading to the Sacred Sky Sanctuary, I won't and shouldn't stop you. I fully support your decision. I only want to say one thing," Zhong Shan said, looking at Emperor Xuan.
Everyone cast curious glances at Zhong Shan.
"The Great Yan will always be your ho. The Lingxiao Heavenly Court has another na: Tianlang Island. This fact will never change. Take care on your journey!" Zhong Shan said solemnly.
Emperor Xuan clenched his fist, deeply gazing at Zhong Shan and the Lingxiao Heavenly Court before nodding firmly.
"Yes!"
Emperor Xuan wasn't one for unnecessary sentintality. This acknowledgnt was enough.
Zhong Shan nodded, then looked at Zhong Tian.
"Tian'er!"
"Father!"
"As father and son, we need not say much. Rember our shared vision and the conversation we had that day in the Hall of Longevity," Zhong Shan reminded.
Zhong Tian recalled that day, their secret discussion about "defying fate."
"With my life, I challenge the heavens!"
This phrase was etched deeply in Zhong Tian's heart. He solemnly nodded, then suddenly knelt, bowing three tis to Zhong Shan.
"Father, I will never forget!" Zhong Tian vowed.
Zhong Shan gently helped Zhong Tian up, satisfied.
Turning to his four consorts, Zhong Shan spoke next.
"Dear," Bao'er clung to him.
"Zhong Shan!" Gu Qianyou, Bei Qingsi, and Tian Ling'er looked at him with reluctance.
"Don't look so sad. This isn't a big deal. You're just visiting your family. As n, we need to build our careers. You'll visit your families for a while, and when our work is successful, I'll co to bring you back ho. Because this is our real ho!" Zhong Shan tried to lighten the mood.
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