Undying Life

Chapter 879: Zhong Shan's Discovery

"Since my master passed away, I only bow to Heaven and Earth! I appreciate your kindness, Elder, but this matter should not be mentioned again!" Zhong Shan stated firmly, seeming ungrateful to the onlookers.

At this moment, nearly everyone thought Zhong Shan had lost his mind. After all, cultivation became increasingly difficult the further one progressed. For some, Celestial Immortal was a lifetime plateau.

The same was true for Grand Immortal.

Everyone knew of Zhuangzi's strength, known as the closest to becoming a Sage. His power was astonishing, and countless strong cultivators had yearned to be under his tutelage but never succeeded.

But what was with Zhong Shan? He repeatedly refused, even as Zhuangzi continued to persuade him.

Envy was expected, but jealousy was overwhelming. Many stared at Zhong Shan with red eyes, wishing they could switch places with him.

Cheng Baiyi and Sima Qing looked at Zhong Shan with dark expressions.

The Leader of the Purple Heaven Sect frowned deeply, while the Holy King of the Primordial Era's expression was hidden behind his mask.

Princess Nine-Tails, standing nearby, looked anxious. "Agree! Why aren't you agreeing?"

After a deep look at Zhong Shan, Zhuangzi smiled faintly and said, "Everyone has their own aspirations. Since you are unwilling, I will not force it."

"Thank you for your kindness, Elder," Zhong Shan nodded.

Zhong Shan didn't know why Zhuangzi suddenly wanted to take him as a disciple, but he instinctively refused. Setting aside his pride as an emperor, Zhong Shan didn't believe Zhuangzi would take him as a disciple without a reason.

The passage of time in the small thousand-world had taught Zhong Shan to see through the world's complexities. There is no unprovoked hatred, nor is there unprovoked love. Why did Zhuangzi want him as a disciple?

Was it merely because of Yilan Que's praise? From Zhuangzi's evaluation of the "Heavenly Son Sword," Zhong Shan could tell that Zhuangzi had a profound understanding of the Emperor's Way, indicating he was a man of great wisdom.

A man of such wisdom and ability wouldn't seek relationships without purpose.

A vast potential, the last head of the Tian family, Tian Shenzi, had also mentioned it. Though Tian Shenzi was astonished, he hadn't tried to take Zhong Shan as a disciple like Zhuangzi.

To have reached his current status, Zhuangzi couldn't be a shallow person. Zhong Shan was more inclined to believe Zhuangzi had some ulterior motive.

A motive that was significant and unspoken.

If Zhong Shan were already at the Ancient Immortal realm, he might have considered playing along with Zhuangzi. He wasn't afraid of trouble, as his accomplishments were all achieved amid challenges. But at his current Celestial Immortal level, Zhong Shan knew he couldn't escape Zhuangzi's grasp, so it was best to keep his distance.

After giving Zhong Shan another look, Zhuangzi seemed to understand Zhong Shan's resistance and nodded, saying, "Since that is the case, meeting is destiny. If you ever need anything, come to me."

"Thank you!" Zhong Shan nodded.

Zhuangzi looked around, finally resting his gaze on the Holy King of the Primordial Era. He nodded to him before a white light shot up from his body. The man whose body Zhuangzi had possessed fell headfirst into the sea below.

After Zhuangzi left, Princess Nine-Tails rushed over.

"Zhong Shan, are you crazy? Such a great opportunity!" Princess Nine-Tails exclaimed.

"If I went with him, who would be your retainer?" Zhong Shan replied with a smile.

"Oh, right!" Princess Nine-Tails nodded, realizing the issue.

The others, however, looked at Zhong Shan strangely.

Why was Zhuangzi so keen on Zhong Shan?

The Leader of the Purple Heaven Sect's face darkened slightly. He had been planning to eliminate Zhong Shan before he could grow, but Zhuangzi's attitude made him hesitate.

After a cold glance at Zhong Shan, the Leader of the Purple Heaven Sect flicked his sleeve and vanished with Cheng Baiyi.

"Mr. Li, did you hear what Elder Zhuangzi said earlier?" the Holy King of the Primordial Era asked.

"Yes!"

"Withdraw the Primordial Army and announce to the world that Elder Zhuangzi has taken the Five-Colored Divine Stone!" the Holy King commanded.

"Understood!"

Then, the Holy King of the Primordial Era left with his group. As Sima Qing departed, he gave Zhong Shan a long, meaningful look.

"Holy King Zhong, until we meet again," Chess Sage Chimei said, nodding.

"Until we meet again," Zhong Shan replied, nodding back.

Chess Sage Chimei's figure flickered and disappeared from sight.

People started leaving one after another, and the spectators dispersed, having seen enough. The events surrounding the Five-Colored Divine Stone, the Yuxu Kunlun Grand Formation, the Zhuxian Sword Formation, the fierce demon Ghost Carriage, the descent of the three Sages, and Zhuangzi's sword evaluation were more than enough to leave a lasting impression on everyone.

At this moment, people needed to find a place to process everything they had witnessed.

With Ghost Island gone, the sea area quickly emptied, leaving only four people: Zhong Shan, Su Afo, Princess Nine-Tails, and Hong Xiao.

"Alright, let's go. The Five-Colored Divine Stone is gone. Let's head back to Qingqiu," Princess Nine-Tails said, feeling a bit dejected.

"Yes, Zhong Shan, what are you still looking at?" Su Afo called out.

Zhong Shan, however, was frowning deeply and shaking his head.

"What's wrong?" Princess Nine-Tails asked, puzzled.

"The Five-Colored Divine Stone is not Lady Nüwa's relic. The true relic is still hidden somewhere in Ao Lai Sea," Zhong Shan said with conviction.

"How can that be? How can the Five-Colored Divine Stone not be the relic?" Su Afo exclaimed.

Princess Nine-Tails, who had been disappointed earlier, now looked excited.

"You're not smart enough, so keep quiet!" Princess Nine-Tails said excitedly.

Hong Xiao also looked at Zhong Shan with confusion.

"How can you be so sure that Lady Nüwa's relic is still in Ao Lai Sea?" Princess Nine-Tails asked.

"Senior Su Daji mentioned that the relic is related to the fox clan. Is the Five-Colored Divine Stone related to the fox clan? No, it isn't. Moreover, the Five-Colored Divine Stone has been used to seal Ghost Carriage since before the Seven Sages' plot. The timing doesn't add up. Lastly, there's what Zhuangzi said," Zhong Shan explained.

"What did Zhuangzi say?" Princess Nine-Tails asked, puzzled.

"Zhuangzi said, 'Fortunately, no major disaster has occurred.' What does this imply? At the very least, it suggests that there is still a significant secret hidden in Ao Lai Sea," Zhong Shan said confidently.

"Zhong Shan, you are amazing! Indeed, Lady Nüwa's relic is definitely not the Five-Colored Divine Stone; it must still be in Ao Lai Sea. Let's keep searching. Only we should look for it!" Princess Nine-Tails said excitedly.

Zhong Shan shook his head and said, "We're not the only ones who can deduce this. We don't know who else might be looking for it. If we continue to investigate, we must be cautious!"

"Understood!"

Seeing Princess Nine-Tails' expression, Zhong Shan didn't reveal everything he knew. He could tell that Princess Nine-Tails also realized the Five-Colored Divine Stone was not Lady Nüwa's relic and was just pretending not to know.

Meanwhile, the Leader of the Purple Heaven Sect left with Cheng Baiyi.

"Master, since Zhuangzi is protecting Zhong Shan, we can't kill him openly, but we can do it secretly," Cheng Baiyi suggested.

The Leader of the Purple Heaven Sect looked at Cheng Baiyi and shook his head. "I no longer wish to kill Zhong Shan."

Hearing this, Cheng Baiyi raised an eyebrow. "Alright."

"Yes."

"Master, you go back first. I have something to attend to," Cheng Baiyi said.

"Be careful," the Leader of the Purple Heaven Sect said with concern.

"Thank you, Master!" Cheng Baiyi nodded.

Cheng Baiyi then stepped away, quickly disappearing from the Leader of the Purple Heaven Sect's sight.

Watching Cheng Baiyi's departing figure, the Leader's concerned expression faded, replaced by a slightly sinister look as he glanced in the direction Cheng Baiyi had gone, a faint smile of disdain appearing on his lips.

Sima Qing followed the Holy King of the Primordial Era as they left. Along the way:

"Holy King, although Sima Qianjun brought it upon himself, he was still my cousin. I wish to give him a proper farewell," Sima Qing said.

"Holy King, Sima Qianjun was my nephew. I also wish to give him a proper farewell," Sima Zongheng added.

"Very well, go ahead," the Holy King nodded.

Sima Qing and Sima Zongheng bowed slightly to the Holy King and then stepped away.

Watching their departing figures, the Holy King said softly, "Mr. Li!"

"I am here!"

"The decree I asked you to announce earlier needs to be properly enforced. You will stay and oversee its execution," the Holy King instructed.

"Understood!"

Mr. Li understood the Holy King's intentions and knew that the matter of the Sage's relic in Ao Lai Sea was not yet over.

Zhong Shan returned to the island he had been on earlier.

"Zhong Shan, have you found the location of Lady Nüwa's relic?" Princess Nine-Tails asked.

"Almost," Zhong Shan said thoughtfully.

"Almost? Have you found it? That's impossible! People have been searching for it for hundreds of thousands of years and haven't found it. How could you find it so quickly?" Su Afo exclaimed.

"No, for hundreds of thousands of years, people have been searching for the fall of the Supreme Sage, not specifically for Lady Nüwa's relic. The information about Lady Nüwa's relic only surfaced in the past six months," Zhong Shan said seriously.

"So what? You found it first, didn't you?" Su Afo said oddly.

"No, I haven't found it yet, but I know how to look for it," Zhong Shan shook his head.

"Isn't that the same thing? No one else thought of it, but you did."

"Who said I was the only one who thought of it?" Zhong Shan shook his head.

"Then where is Lady Nüwa's relic? We need to get it before anyone else does," Princess Nine-Tails said, frowning.

"It's unreachable for now; the time isn't right," Zhong Shan shook his head.

"What do you mean?"

"The waters of Ao Lai Sea have already been searched countless times by numerous powerful beings, including Sages, and nothing unusual was found. This indicates that Lady Nüwa's relic is not in Ao Lai Sea," Zhong Shan said with certainty.

"What? Not in Ao Lai Sea? Then where is it?"

"It's in the sky! High above Ao Lai Sea!" Zhong Shan confirmed.

"The sky?"

"And it will only appear at noon on the seventh day of the sixth month," Zhong Shan said with conviction.

"I understand," Princess Nine-Tails said, suddenly enlightened.

"What do you understand?" Su Afo asked, frowning.

"The stars, the movement of the stars in the sky. It follows a yearly cycle, and only at noon on the seventh day of the sixth month do the stars align in a specific position, creating a temporal force that reveals Lady Nüwa's relic. At that moment, the blinding sunlight makes it impossible to see the treasure high in the sky. That's why it has remained undiscovered for hundreds of thousands of years without deliberate searching!" Princess Nine-Tails explained excitedly.