Undying Life

Chapter 830: Twenty-Two Great Celestials

"Elder, this is the one I mentioned in my letter, Di Xuanxuan, a genius of the wolf clan. Are you satisfied?" the demon elder asked respectfully.

The purple-bearded man nodded in approval. "Indeed, he is even more exceptional than you were in your youth. He is qualified to enter the Shitian Sacred Realm."

"The requirements for the Shitian Sacred Realm are extremely stringent. It took me a long time to find someone like him," the demon elder sighed.

"The sins you committed in the past are further reduced. You are currently at the Earth Celestial level, correct?" the purple-bearded man asked.

"Yes! Before I clear my past sins, I dare not unlock my soul seal," the demon elder replied humbly.

"For finding this wolf genius, I will report your contribution to our superiors. You may now unseal another layer and advance to the Celestial level," the purple-bearded man stated.

"Thank you, Elder!" the demon elder responded gratefully.

A blue light flashed on the demon elder's body as if something had been unlocked. A surge of elemental energy rushed toward him, and in an instant, his appearance transformed significantly. It was clear that if the demon elder wished, his cultivation could quickly rise from Earth Celestial to Celestial!

"Congratulations, Elder!" Ten white-robed individuals behind him congratulated him respectfully.

The demon elder looked at them, a faint smile on his face as he accepted their congratulations. However, only he knew the bitterness in his heart.

At the Lingxiao Heavenly Court:

Di Xuanxuan, with the help of Hao Meili and Huan Ji, managed to kill a Great Celestial. Hao Meili's curse disrupted his focus, Huan Ji's Heavenly Demon disturbed his mind, and Zhong Shan's destruction of his root divine sense disoriented him.

One Great Celestial was killed in such an aggrieved manner!

"Zheng Fan? More like 'Annoying Fan'! His name is truly fitting," Hao Meili continued to mock.

Zheng Fan was just a warm-up, a mere probe. Zhong Shan knew that the real crisis was just beginning.

"Sacred King, six Great Celestials have broken through the Immortal World from the east and are heading this way!" Shui Jing reported with a frown.

Six Great Celestials?

While everyone was still processing this:

"Sacred King, five Great Celestials have broken through the Immortal World from the west and are coming this way!"

"This is bad, six Great Celestials are approaching from the south as well!"

"And five more from the north!"

Shui Jing continued to report.

With each announcement, everyone's brows furrowed deeper.

Great Celestials—how many were there? Twenty-two? It's said that Great Celestials are rare even in the Great Thousand World, yet suddenly twenty-two appeared?

Twenty-two? Even Di Xuanxuan's expression changed!

Di Xuanxuan knew the strength of Great Celestials better than anyone. Against Zheng Fan, without the help of Hao Meili and Huan Ji, and without Zhong Shan destroying his root divine sense, Di Xuanxuan wouldn't have been able to take down Zheng Fan.

Zheng Fan was only at the initial stage of the Great Celestial Realm. Dealing with one was already difficult, and now there were twenty-two? Moreover, these Great Celestials might possess Great Celestial artifacts, unlike Zheng Fan.

What now? Twenty-two Great Celestials?

At the Great Beginning Sacred Court's residence:

The officials were stunned as they looked into the distance.

"Sacred King, what should we do? Twenty-two Great Celestials are approaching!" one of the officials exclaimed in shock.

"Let's see how they handle this. The strength of their Sacred Court will soon be revealed," Sima Zongheng said with a sneer.

"But what if they manage to fend off these Great Celestials?" another official wondered.

"The strength to split Heaven and Earth isn't easy to annihilate. Besides, Zheng Fan was only a novice Great Celestial," the Sacred King of Great Beginning said calmly.

As the various forces watched, the situation at the Lingxiao Heavenly Court became increasingly tense. The arrival of twenty-two Great Celestials was a dire threat, and the court officials could only wait and see how their Sacred King would respond to this unprecedented challenge.

"Twenty-two Great Celestials? They're in such a hurry? Did they plan this together?"

"No, these people are all rogue cultivators. Or rather, the rogue Great Celestials who were watching have almost all charged in. Twenty-two of them. Even if this new Sacred Court had miraculous powers, it wouldn't survive."

"Should we go in now?"

"Is there any need? With this wave of attacks, can the weak Sacred Court before us still exist? They managed to defeat one Great Celestial, but against twenty-two, how could they possibly hold out?" Sima Zongheng sneered.

"Not necessarily," the Sacred King of Great Beginning shook his head.

"Uh?"

"This small world of the Fengzhong Territory's opening has attracted so many external forces. Their objectives must be different from ours. They won't just sit back and watch this Sacred Court be destroyed," the Sacred King said insightfully.

"Sacred King, you are wise. But given their objectives, why haven't they taken action at this critical moment?"

At the Haotian Bright Palace, where the Jade Emperor resided:

"Jade Emperor, the Eighth Princess has just made a move," Wen Shen said gravely.

"I saw it. Others think it was just a curse, not realizing it's the 'Wanxie Extreme Yin Body.' We can't expose more. Follow me into the Immortal World!" the Jade Emperor commanded.

"Yes!" the ministers replied.

The Jade Emperor took a step forward, leading his ministers as they soared into the sky. The powerful faction of the Haotian Bright Palace had mobilized.

Other major forces watched this unfold, each growing more serious.

"Sacred King, the Jade Emperor of the Haotian Bright Palace? The people of the Great Hong Sacred Court have mobilized!" Sima Zongheng noted.

"The Jade Emperor?" The Sacred King of Great Beginning seemed puzzled.

"This Great Hong Sacred Court is very peculiar. It rules over four large continents and calls itself the 'Heavenly Court.' It never expands outward, seeming very docile, but the internal workings are exceptionally deep. Invaders are mostly destroyed, but despite wiping out external threats, it doesn't expand beyond its four continents, as if merely guarding them is sufficient. A strange Sacred Court," another person explained.

"Does the Sacred King know much about the Great Hong Sacred Court?" Sima Zongheng asked, puzzled.

"The Great Hong Sacred Court is indeed deep. The Jade Emperor appears soft but is extremely patient," the Sacred King of Great Beginning said calmly.

"Patient? What does a Sacred Court ruler have to be patient about?" the ministers wondered.

"The Great Hong Sacred Court is very far from us. You don't need to worry too much about it," the Sacred King of Great Beginning shook his head, offering no further explanation.

"Yes!"

At the Lingxiao Heavenly Court:

Zhong Shan stood before the Longevity Hall, his ministers gathered behind him, unsure of the Sacred King's strategy. Twenty-two Great Celestials? How could they possibly break this encirclement?

Elder Tian glanced at Zhong Shan, then shifted his gaze to a nearby peak, the World Peak.

The Sacred King doesn't intend to call upon the powerful Tian family members in the World Peak, does he? But the ancestor himself had said that he shouldn't be awakened for three thousand years. Could the Sacred King intend to forcibly awaken the ancestor?

A hint of worry flashed in Elder Tian's eyes. He didn't want to disturb Tian Shenzi, but how else could this dire situation be resolved?

He looked from the World Peak back to the Sacred King, concern etched on his face.

This was an unprecedented disaster. Wave after wave of powerful beings from the Great Thousand World was something the Great Yan Sacred Court had never faced before. In another Sacred Court, the ministers would have already been in a state of panic.

Zhong Shan, however, remained calm and composed, which instilled a degree of confidence in his followers. They knew their Sacred King always had a plan, even in the face of overwhelming odds.

However, the Great Yan Sacred Court is different. The path to this point has been forged through wave after wave of trials. In the small world, countless storms were weathered, and each time, the Sacred King led everyone through the crisis. Now, everyone still believes that the Sacred King can lead them out of this predicament!

As everyone's eyes showed unwavering determination—

Whoosh Whoosh Whoosh...

One strong wind swept in, then another, and another, wave after wave. Powerful auras emerged one after another, causing the entire Lingxiao Heavenly Court to tremble.

Looking up into the sky, numerous figures hovered in midair.

There were swordsmen, burly men wielding sabers, elegantly dressed women, hunchbacked elders, Daoist-robed immortals, and a golden, radiating Buddha. Each of them was staring at Zhong Shan in the center of the Lingxiao Heavenly Court.

"Great Yan Sacred Court, Zhong Shan! What brings you all here?" Zhong Shan called out loudly.

"You are the Sacred King, Zhong Shan? I hear you are only at the second level of the Celestial Realm?" a purple-robed man suddenly spoke.

As the purple-robed man spoke, the other twenty-one Great Celestials remained silent, indicating that he was the most prominent among them.

"May I ask your name, Great Celestial?" Zhong Shan looked at the purple-robed man.

"Dong Jianfeng," the purple-robed man replied solemnly.

"Great Celestial Dong Jianfeng, may I ask what brings you all here?" Zhong Shan asked.

"We want all the Great Celestial artifacts of the Great Yan Sacred Court," Dong Jianfeng demanded.

"All the Great Celestial artifacts? I only have this blade, 'Longevity.' There are twenty-two of you. How should I give it to you? To whom?" Zhong Shan smiled faintly.

This was a tactic to sow discord, and sure enough, some of the Great Celestials frowned slightly.

"You are an impressive Sacred King. Ever since the heavens were opened, I've been watching you. You should be well aware of the many forces surrounding you. The highest cultivation in your court is at the Celestial level, yet you remain calm even when faced with so many Great Celestials. When we all arrived, you didn't even flinch. You are formidable; you are a true hero!" Dong Jianfeng said sternly.

His words made several Great Celestials frown. It was indeed unusual for Zhong Shan to be so composed. What confidence did he have? The highest cultivation in his court was only at the Celestial level. What made him so fearless?

"What are you trying to say?" Zhong Shan looked at Dong Jianfeng.

"I can see that this small world is extraordinary. In the past, a Celestial used a long sword to challenge the heavens. Later, a saint's corpse, the powerful Kong Xuan, the Chaos Bell, and the Blood Divine Scripture appeared. They attracted many forces. At its birth, there were already one hundred and eight Great Celestial artifacts guarding its borders. This is no ordinary small world. I don't care to understand your small world. Hand over the one hundred and eight stele-shaped Great Celestial artifacts and the blade in your hand, and we won't harm you," Dong Jianfeng declared.

"That's right, hand over all your Great Celestial artifacts, and we won't harm you."

"You have no choice!"

Looking at the divine beings and buddhas in the sky, Zhong Shan smiled faintly. They claimed they wouldn't harm him, meaning they wanted to avoid any karmic entanglements. The external forces were watching. If they destroyed the Lingxiao Heavenly Court, these forces wouldn't just stand by. They would inevitably get involved, and the rogue Great Celestials would get nothing. They simply wanted to intimidate and take advantage.

Do they think they can take something from me, Zhong Shan, with mere threats? How naive!

Zhong Shan sneered, "You think you can intimidate me into giving up my treasures? Who gave you the courage to threaten the Great Yan Sacred Court?"

"Oh? What do you intend to do?" Dong Jianfeng asked, raising an eyebrow.

Zhong Shan laughed, "You rogue cultivators are laughable, thinking you can take something from me. If you're so confident, let's see what you've got!"

As he spoke, the blade in Zhong Shan's hand, 'Longevity,' gleamed with a cold light.

"In that case, we won't be polite!" Dong Jianfeng snorted and swung his long sword, sending a powerful sword aura toward Zhong Shan.

Just then, Zhong Shan shouted, "World Peak, rise!"

At Zhong Shan's command, the World Peak near the Lingxiao Heavenly Court suddenly shone brightly, and an immense aura surged forth, shaking the surroundings!

"What?" Dong Jianfeng and the other Great Celestials' faces changed drastically as they sensed the aura from the World Peak—it was Tian Shenzi!

"Zhong Shan, you dare—"

"Indeed, today you will witness the true power of the Great Yan Sacred Court!" Zhong Shan roared.

At Zhong Shan's command, Tian Shenzi led numerous powerful members of the Tian family onto the battlefield. Instantly, the twenty-two Great Celestials surrounding the Lingxiao Heavenly Court felt immense pressure, and some even began to retreat.

"Zhong Shan, let's settle this another time—"

"No need to settle anything later. Since you've come, don't think about leaving!" Zhong Shan pointed the 'Longevity' blade at Dong Jianfeng and the others, his aura overwhelming.

At this moment, the sky above the Lingxiao Heavenly Court was tense, and a fierce battle was imminent.