Chapter 743: Chapter 743: The Grim-faced Daoist
The moment the purple-haired man recognized Zhong Shan, his initial jealousy vanished, replaced by a bone-chilling fear. The only thought that consumed him was to escape! But could he flee from Zhong Shan?
"Hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!"
Zhong Shan's aura locked onto him, an overwhelming pressure bearing down. It was too easy for someone at the Sky Extreme Realm to suppress someone at the Emperor Extreme Realm.
The purple-haired man found himself unable to move.
"What do you want to do with him?" Zhong Shan gently touched Nian Youyou's neck.
The bruises from the purple-haired man's grip slowly faded. Zhong Shan then placed a finger on Nian Youyou's forehead, dispelling Ye Qingcheng's seal with a single touch.
Nian Youyou's body relaxed as her power surged back into her. Yet, she seemed oblivious, staring dazedly at Zhong Shan.
It was only when Zhong Shan asked again that Nian Youyou began to regain her senses.
"Am I dreaming?" Nian Youyou asked, her voice trembling.
"Xiaoqing has been with you for so many years. You should know whether this is a dream or not," Zhong Shan said with a gentle smile.
"It's not a dream. It's not a dream, I know it's not a dream!" Tears of joy streamed from Nian Youyou's eyes.
"What do you want to do with him?" Zhong Shan asked again.
At that moment, Nian Youyou seemed reluctant to leave Zhong Shan's embrace. She took one more longing look at him before finally stepping out of his arms and approaching the purple-haired man. With a swift motion, she grabbed a white token from his robes.
The purple-haired man's eyes were filled with terror.
Nian Youyou's gaze turned cold, her black pupils shrinking before her golden pupils reappeared.
The purple-haired man's face turned ashen, but he couldn't move.
"Hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!"
This time, it happened much faster. In just an instant, the purple-haired man was turned into a golden statue. With her powers restored, Nian Youyou's Pupil Technique was unstoppable.
In a blink of an eye, the Emperor Extreme Realm expert was dead, turned into a golden statue by Nian Youyou's powerful technique.
"What is this?" Zhong Shan asked, looking at the white token in Nian Youyou's hand.
"It's the token to enter the Ageless Sacred Prison. Don't you have one?" Nian Youyou asked, puzzled.
Zhong Shan frowned slightly but didn't say much.
"Let's go. We need to leave!" Zhong Shan said directly.
"Okay!" Nian Youyou nodded.
As they made their way out, they passed numerous guards lying unconscious on the ground, evidently dealt with by Zhong Shan earlier.
Once they left the petal-like mountain, the white token emitted a soft white light, enveloping Nian Youyou in a protective glow.
"What about you?" Nian Youyou asked, slightly worried.
"I don't need it," Zhong Shan said with a faint smile, pulling Nian Youyou along as they moved towards the outside.
Nian Youyou felt a surge of anxiety. She knew the formidable power of the formations surrounding the Ageless Sacred Prison, formidable enough to deter even those at the Sky Extreme Realm. The formations represented millennia of accumulation in the Ageless Realm. A single token could only allow one person to pass through. What about Zhong Shan?
"Whoosh!"
Zhong Shan led Nian Youyou as they soared through the air.
From initial worry about Zhong Shan, Nian Youyou's concern turned to astonishment as she watched in disbelief. How could this be possible?
Even with the token, passing through the formation caused a slight ripple. However, when Zhong Shan passed through, the formation remained completely undisturbed, as if it hadn't detected him at all. How was this possible?
In no time, the two exited the Ageless Sacred Prison.
They reached the peak of a distant mountain.
"Zhong Shan, how are you here? Why did you come?" Nian Youyou asked, her face filled with confusion.
"I'm here to destroy the Ageless Realm," Zhong Shan replied.
"Destroy? Destroy the Ageless Realm? How is that possible? Destr—" Nian Youyou's voice suddenly stopped.
From their vantage point, they could see another sacred mountain in the distance. The ground and sky around it were swarming with an endless horde of zombies. Whoever was bitten by a zombie became a zombie themselves, and the numbers were growing exponentially, closing in on the sacred mountain.
The scene was grand and horrifying—an epic battle between humans and zombies, with blood raining from the sky and scattered corpses everywhere. This was a true battlefield.
Moreover, a colossal creature was battling an elder of the Ageless Realm. The creature was hideous and pitch black.
"A Heaven Ghost?" Nian Youyou exclaimed.
"Now do you believe me?" Zhong Shan said with a smile.
Hearing Zhong Shan's words, Nian Youyou looked at him, her expression filled with astonishment.
"Wait here for me. Don't go anywhere, stay right here!" Zhong Shan instructed.
"Huh? Okay," Nian Youyou nodded, still puzzled but obedient.
Zhong Shan's figure flickered as he swiftly headed back towards the Ageless Sacred Prison.
Watching his movements, Nian Youyou frowned, her eyes full of confusion.
Zhong Shan moved at lightning speed, returning to the Ageless Sacred Prison in no time. He glanced at the formation before darting inside.
This was his shadow body. Formations were ineffective against his shadow form. So far, no formation had been able to trap him.
Inside, Zhong Shan didn't hesitate. He headed straight for the summit of the sacred mountain, aiming for the golden 'Merit Rose' beneath the small patch of merit.
"Ah~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!"
In the distance, Nian Youyou realized what Zhong Shan intended to do. Seeing him rush towards the rose, she almost screamed, covering her mouth with her hands.
A rose?—
"What do you want me to give you?"
"Flowers. I like roses. There are three thousand types of roses in the world. I want you to pick one of each kind and give it to me personally, and with each one, say a romantic line to me. How about that?"
"How long do I have?"
"Complete it within a hundred years."
"Alright!"—
Memories of that past conversation flooded Nian Youyou's mind. He remembered? He still remembered? Tears of gratitude and happiness welled up in her eyes. An indescribable joy filled her heart.
Laughing and crying simultaneously, Nian Youyou's emotions were extremely unstable.
Suddenly, her laughter and tears stopped, replaced by an expression of extreme fear. A rose? The Merit Rose? And there was a Sky Extreme Realm expert guarding it, the Grim-faced Daoist.
What should she do? What should she do?
Nian Youyou became extremely anxious and began to tremble. She was about to rush over when she recalled Zhong Shan's words: "Don't leave, stay right here."
At the same time, Nian Youyou suddenly realized that Zhong Shan's current strength was far beyond hers. He was now at the Sky Extreme Realm, and even if she went, she wouldn't be able to help!
In the distance, Zhong Shan had already reached the base of the sacred mountain and was quickly ascending.
"Boom~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!"
A thunderous roar erupted from the sky. The previously dark clouds suddenly transformed into a pale 'heaven,' a color like ashes, exuding a lifeless, grim aura.
"You insolent thief, how dare you cause trouble in the Ageless Realm!" a voice thundered from the sky.
Zhong Shan's rapid ascent had clearly drawn the attention of a supreme expert on the sacred mountain.
Unfazed, Zhong Shan continued his swift ascent.
"Scoundrel~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!"
With a furious roar, the great formations surrounding the sacred mountain activated, their operations bursting forth in a myriad of colors, dazzling yet filled with immense power.
However, none of this affected Zhong Shan. His shadow body was completely undeterred, and in no time, he reached the summit of the mountain.
Outside the palace on the mountain stood a man in a gray robe. His face was paralyzed, and a large, ugly birthmark covered his left eye, making him look grotesque. His eyes glared fiercely at Zhong Shan. It was clear that this man, who had been commanding the formations, was the Grim-faced Daoist, the master of this sacred mountain.
As Zhong Shan ascended, he glanced at the Grim-faced Daoist halfway up the mountain. Seeing this grotesque figure, Zhong Shan was momentarily speechless.
"No wonder he's called the Grim-faced Daoist. With a face like that, the name suits him perfectly!" Zhong Shan muttered to himself, noting that this was the most unattractive Sky Extreme Realm expert he had ever seen. Even the notoriously ugly Tianlao would look handsome in comparison.
Seeing the disdain in Zhong Shan's eyes, the Grim-faced Daoist's anger flared. He had always hated being looked down upon because of his appearance. This intruder not only trespassed into the Ageless Realm but also dared to scorn him. How could he let such an insult stand?
Thinking that Zhong Shan must have obtained a token to bypass the formations, the Grim-faced Daoist was not overly surprised. He flipped his hand, and a large black net appeared, which he cast towards Zhong Shan.
"Whoosh!"
Zhong Shan slipped through the gaps in the net effortlessly.
"How is this possible?" The Grim-faced Daoist was astonished.
In that brief moment, Zhong Shan had already reached the summit, where the Merit Rose grew.
Standing before the Merit Rose, Zhong Shan ignored the grotesque figure and carefully began to pluck the rose.
From a distance, Nian Youyou watched anxiously.
"Scoundrel, take your filthy hands off that!" the Grim-faced Daoist roared in fury.
With a swift movement, he charged towards Zhong Shan, brandishing a black blade and slashing down with immense force. The powerful blade aura shook the very space around them.
Zhong Shan, now holding the plucked rose, calmly evaded the strike, moving with an uncanny agility that made it seem as though he was disappearing and reappearing somewhere else, defying all logic.
The Grim-faced Daoist was stunned by this strange maneuver. However, there was no time to ponder Zhong Shan's seemingly illogical movement. He quickly launched another attack with his other hand, aiming directly at Zhong Shan.
Zhong Shan continued to move with an eerie fluidity, dodging the attacks with ease while holding the Merit Rose delicately. His movements were precise and effortless, displaying a mastery that left the Grim-faced Daoist both enraged and bewildered.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone