Capítulo 1032: Chapter 1032: Ying’s Objective
Above Xianyang Holy City.
The appearance of the second Sage, Mitian, further complicated the situation. Although Zhunti was powerful, having lost his Sage position meant that he could no longer wield the forces of heaven and earth as effortlessly as a true Sage. Originally, with Zhunti's arrival, even if they couldn't defeat Confucius, they could at least force him to retreat. The combined strength of Kong Xuan and Zhunti, especially if they fought recklessly, would inevitably injure even a Sage. And with countless eyes in the Great Thousand World fixed on Confucius' Sage position, he was unlikely to take such a risk.
However, with the arrival of another Sage, the situation had taken a sudden turn.
The balance was now decisively tipped! Zhunti had no chance of victory left.
"Zhunti, my Mitian Palace could use a gatekeeper. Would you be interested? You're a bit old, but I wouldn't mind having you as a servant of my Mitian Palace!" Sage Mitian mocked with a sneer.
In the distance, Hao Meili, lying in Zhong Shan's arms, suddenly burst out laughing.
At such a tense moment, with nearly everyone's nerves on edge, completely focused on the scene, Hao Meili's laughter caught everyone by surprise.
"And what, may I ask, is so amusing, young friend?" Tathagata asked as he looked at Hao Meili.
Lan also glanced at Hao Meili, puzzled by what could possibly be funny in this situation. Even Zhong Shan turned to her in surprise.
"What's so funny?" Zhong Shan asked, confused.
"I'm laughing at Sage Mitian's dwelling!" Hao Meili chuckled again.
"His dwelling?"
"The Mitian Palace?"
As the thought sank in, many people's expressions changed subtly. It was as if they wanted to laugh but couldn't, leaving them with strange, contorted faces.
Some people, however, didn't get it and began asking those around them.
"What's wrong with the Mitian Palace? Why are you making that face? What's wrong with Mitian Palace? Mi… Tiangong… Oh! Mi-Tian-Gong!" one person suddenly exclaimed in realization.
Tathagata chanted a Buddha's name, while Lan burst into hearty laughter, "Indeed, living in something like Mi-Tian-Gong must require an incredible amount of courage!"
Lan's loud laughter instantly eased the tension among the crowd, and soon, many others joined in the laughter.
Far off in the sky, Mitian was in the middle of ridiculing Zhunti when he suddenly sensed something off about the atmosphere. Laughter was echoing from Chongtian Hall.
Laughter?
Not only Mitian, but Zhunti, Kong Xuan, and Confucius also glanced over in curiosity. What could possibly make these people laugh at such a critical moment? It didn't make sense!
Just as they turned their heads, they heard Lan's booming laughter: "Indeed, living in Mi-Tian-Gong must require an incredible amount of courage!"
Upon hearing this, the four powerful figures who had been facing off against each other fell into an abrupt silence.
Complete silence, as the conversation happening in Chongtian Hall was so out of sync with the deadly serious conflict between them that it left even the Sages momentarily dumbfounded.
Mitian Palace, Mi-Tian-Gong?
Kong Xuan, Zhunti, and Confucius all instinctively shifted their gaze to Sage Mitian.
The space around Sage Mitian suddenly began to ripple slightly, clearly indicating that he was boiling with anger and shame.
"Courting death~~~~~~~~~~~!" Sage Mitian's voice dripped with icy malice as he unleashed a fierce killing intent towards Chongtian Hall.
"Boom~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!" Instantly, powerful spatial ripples erupted outside the hall.
Unbeknownst to anyone, Lan had already stepped forward, standing in front of everyone.
With his head held high and eyes blazing with anger, Lan blocked the tangible killing intent emanating from Sage Mitian. Lan, who had been one of Ying's honored guests, alongside Zhunti, had always kept a low profile, never showing his full strength. But now, though he hadn't directly confronted Sage Mitian, his overwhelming presence was evident.
Even in the face of a Sage, Lan chose not to flee but to confront him head-on.
"What's this? Sage Mitian dares to establish Mitian Palace but doesn't allow others to speak about it?" Lan retorted coldly.
"Who are you?" Sage Mitian demanded, his tone stern.
"Who am I? You can figure that out yourself. If you want trouble with me, come to my Chaodu anytime—I'll be waiting. But for now, you should focus on the matter at hand," Lan replied arrogantly.
As Lan finished speaking, Sage Mitian quickly calculated Lan's origins, his expression becoming more serious. What did Lan mean by that?
"Namaste Amitabha!"
"Namaste Amitabha!"
"Namaste Amitabha!"
Suddenly, the sky above Xianyang Holy City resounded with Buddhist chants. A golden radiance burst forth in all directions, and countless floating '卍' symbols appeared in the air.
The immense aura that filled the heavens seemed to diminish even the Sage's presence.
The citizens of Xianyang, hearing the Buddha's chant, felt a deep sense of peace within their hearts. The oppressive atmosphere that had weighed on them moments ago vanished, and they even dared to lift their heads and look towards the sky.
In the sky, both Confucius and Sage Mitian paused momentarily.
Beside Zhunti, a golden figure suddenly appeared, revealing a slightly chubby young man. The man's face was serene, evoking a sense of timeless memory in those who saw him.
Kong Xuan frowned as he watched, while Zhunti offered a slight bow to the young man beside him, "Dao Brother!"
The chubby youth nodded to Zhunti and replied, "Dao Brother!"
"Jieyin~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!" Sage Mitian seemed to grit his teeth as he spat out the name.
"Sage Mitian, we meet again!" The chubby youth continued to smile kindly.
Seeing Sage Mitian's clenched fists, it was clear he had no desire to encounter this Jieyin.
Ying's grand birthday celebration had drawn so many ancient figures—why had so many old-timers shown up?
In the distance, the guests at Chongtian Hall were first stunned, then a look of joy spread across their faces.
Jieyin? Another former Sage, another former Sage? Today's events were truly a once-in-ten-thousand-years gathering. With Jieyin and Zhunti greeting each other, and with the rumors of their close friendship during their time as Sages, perhaps they were saved after all!
Nearly everyone let out a sigh of relief.
But Zhong Shan wore an expression of disbelief. Was this… Jieyin? He was Jieyin? Wasn't he Su Afo?
As he stared at the face identical to Su Afo's, even down to the slightly chubby build, Zhong Shan found himself lost in thought.
In the distance, the battle situation had once again undergone a drastic shift. A strange twist of fate had occurred.
Jieyin was a being even more formidable than Zhunti. Even if he wasn't a Sage anymore, he was likely as close as one could get. Though it was said that Zhuangzi was the closest to achieving Sagehood, in front of these former Sages, Zhuangzi paled in comparison.
Confucius never anticipated that the situation would turn so bizarre—not only had Zhunti been reborn, but even Jieyin had arrived as well. This...?
A wave of frustration surged within Confucius, and he glanced towards Chongtian Hall in the distance. As he turned his head, his heart tightened. Two pairs of eyes, two pairs of eyes had been fixed on him all along, as if they had never shifted. For some reason, this made Confucius feel a sudden unease.
The two pairs of eyes belonged to his ultimate target, Ying, and Ying's mysterious subordinate, Guiguzi, whose true face had never been revealed. Had they been watching him the entire time?
Confucius found nothing out of the ordinary and refocused on Jieyin.
"Please leave, both of you," Jieyin said calmly.
Confucius and Mitian exchanged a glance. They both understood that there was nothing to gain today. If they were to go all out, they might be able to kill Jieyin, Zhunti, and Kong Xuan, but they would certainly have to pay a heavy price. Moreover, there were still powerful Ancestral Immortals within Chongtian Hall. Taking such a risk today was not worth it.
Sage Mitian, seemingly somewhat intimidated by Jieyin, took one last look at him before his figure blurred and shot skyward, disappearing from Xianyang.
Confucius, unable to hold the line alone, had no choice but to retreat as well, transforming into a beam of white light that soared into the heavens.
"Ooooooooooooooooooooooo!"
The citizens of Xianyang Holy City erupted into thunderous cheers. The Sages had been driven away! Driven away from Xianyang—two Sages, no less!
The guests in the plaza of Chongtian Hall were equally elated. They wouldn't die today—they were safe!
Inside Chongtian Hall, joy spread rapidly. Tathagata smiled, and Lan's smile reappeared as well.
Sun Shen, in particular, was ecstatic. His master was Zhunti, which meant his own status had risen dramatically. His confidence swelled, and some thoughts that had been buried deep in his heart began to surface.
He cast a provocative glance at Zhong Shan.
So what if you're Zhong Shan? Just a grassroots emperor! What if Ying favors you? My master is Zhunti! There will be a day when I crush you.
As Sun Shen was harboring these malicious thoughts, Kong Xuan, Zhunti, and Jieyin flew over.
It was clear that Jieyin was the strongest of the three. As they approached, everyone naturally showed them the utmost respect.
"Zhong Shan, so you are here after all!" Jieyin suddenly exclaimed with a hint of joy.
His earlier composure shifted as if he had returned to his youthful self, his eyes lighting up at the sight of Zhong Shan.
This scene left everyone stunned. Almost simultaneously, they began speculating about Zhong Shan's identity once more. This was too outrageous—what kind of attitude was that from Jieyin? The attitude of an old friend?
Sun Shen, who had just been hatching venomous plans against Zhong Shan, suddenly heard Jieyin's greeting and his face froze. It felt as though his heart was about to collapse.
Sun Shen thought to himself, "What the @%...! This can't be happening!"
Sun Shen's face nearly fell apart. This Zhong Shan was too strange—how had he befriended so many powerful figures?
"You are...?" Zhong Shan looked at Jieyin with a hint of uncertainty.
"It's me!" Jieyin said with a playful smile, even winking to give a hint.
Could it really be Su Afo? Zhong Shan was filled with shock. Was it really Su Afo? How had he become Jieyin? This was too outrageous—transforming like that!
"You... you're still alive!" Zhong Shan said with deep emotion.
"Of course I'm still alive. You have no idea what I'm up to now... Hehe, you know what I mean!" Su Afo replied with a trace of excitement.
Seeing the look on Su Afo's face, Zhong Shan knew exactly what he meant. Su Afo had two great ambitions in life: the first, to be a flamboyant man; the second, to win over the Saintess of a Daoist sect.
Now that Ying had become Jieyin, wasn't this just a natural progression of events?
Zhong Shan couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed as he recalled the previous image of Jieyin, sitting in meditation, discussing how to flirt with saintesses. It was hard to reconcile this with the current situation.
"Uh-huh," Zhong Shan nodded awkwardly.
Sun Shen, observing the interaction between the two, felt a deep sense of despair. It seemed that his grudge would never be avenged!
Just then, a sudden roar echoed through the air.
"Rooaaarrrrr~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!"
The Golden Dragon of Great Qin's fortune bellowed, its cry piercing the skies.
The roar pulled everyone out of their momentary joy, drawing their attention to Ying, who was seated on the Nine Dragons Heavenly Throne.
Ying's face was slightly pale, as if he had expended a great deal of energy. Meanwhile, Guiguzi stepped forward, his hand reaching into the air. Instantly, Xianyang Holy City was bathed in a radiant glow of thirteen colors.
The brilliant light swirled for a moment before condensing into an object resembling a mirror, which then fell into Guiguzi's hand.
Without making a show of it, Guiguzi swiftly concealed the temporal treasure within his sleeve.
Ying slowly rose to his feet.
"Zhunti, Lan, Zhong Shan, Tathagata, Jieyin, Kong Xuan, and Guiguzi, follow me into Chongtian Hall," Ying said with a deep breath.
Everyone nodded, clearly understanding that Ying had something important to discuss.
The other guests were left to the care of Li Si and others.
Inside Chongtian Hall, there was no one else present. The group followed Ying into the grand hall. Ying did not ascend the dragon throne but instead turned to face the group.
"Bang!" The doors of the hall slammed shut.
Curious onlookers like Sun Shen and Hao Meili were left completely in the dark about what was happening inside.
"Thank you all for your help in this battle!" Ying began, expressing his gratitude.
Given that Ying hadn't personally intervened throughout the entire ordeal, merely observing, his thanks were genuine and heartfelt.
"You've been sitting there all this time—did you achieve anything?" Lan asked, clearly curious about Ying's motives. It seemed even Lan was unaware of Ying's true intentions, though Jieyin and Zhunti appeared to have some suspicions. The group turned their attention to Ying.
Ying glanced at Guiguzi, who nodded in affirmation, giving Ying a signal of confidence.
With a slight smile, Ying said, "You must all be wondering why I remained seated and unmoving earlier."
The group remained silent, listening intently.
"Just now, with the help of this temporal treasure that protects Xianyang, I, along with Mr. Guiguzi, have been searching for a flaw in Confucius!" Ying stated solemnly.
"A flaw in Confucius?" Tathagata asked gravely.
"Indeed. Given that you all defended Xianyang, it would be dishonorable of me to withhold this information. Yes, we were looking for a flaw in Confucius—a Sage's flaw. And just moments ago, I finally found it!" Ying's voice was filled with pride, exuding an air of overwhelming confidence.
The group nodded in understanding, not pressing the matter further, as it was clear what Ying intended to do.
Even Zhong Shan was struck by a wave of realization. What was Ying planning? Finding a flaw in Confucius—what could that mean? It wasn't hard to guess.
He intended to slay a Sage!
What audacity! Great Qin had truly reached such heights of power!
Zhong Shan, who was adept at analysis and reflection, saw in Great Qin the potential future of his own empire, Da Ling. Da Ling still had much to develop, and it needed to grow quickly.
With the rebirth of the Sages, the resurgence of Great Zhou, and the rise of the Divine Emperor, and now with Ying aiming to slay a Sage, the world was about to descend into chaos!
Rapid development was crucial; otherwise, they would risk becoming mere dust in the annals of history.
"I hope you all will join me in this endeavor," Ying said, looking at everyone present.
The group exchanged glances. While they were impressed by the boldness of the plan, joining it was another matter entirely. At this moment, Zhong Shan, at least, was reluctant to participate. Although the plan was grand and ambitious, the risks involved were enormous.
If the attempt to slay a Sage failed, Zhong Shan would be relentlessly hunted by Confucius, and Da Ling would face total destruction.
Even if the plan succeeded, Da Ling would then attract the suspicion and hostility of the other eight Sages in the mortal world. Given Da Ling's current state, it was not yet equipped to handle such a formidable challenge.
To read the manga version, please click the YouTube link https://youtu.be/GnU613H6xm8
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