บท 987: Chapter 987: Confucius vs. Sa
Thirty-five years later.
After enduring a monotonous journey for thirty-five years, Zhong Shan and his companions finally reached the boundaries of the Four Great Continents.
The four travelers—Zhong Shan, Nangong Sheng, Mr. Corpse, and Luo Xingchen—had split into two groups for the journey. Since Luo Xingchen was an ancient immortal, he traveled ahead to the Four Great Continents to gather information.
There were many notable locations in Xiniu Hezhou, so they agreed to meet near Huoyan Mountain.
After thirty-five years apart, the four of them reunited atop a peak near Huoyan Mountain.
"Holy King, you've finally arrived!" Luo Xingchen bowed to Zhong Shan.
"Yes, you've worked hard these years," Zhong Shan acknowledged.
"This was no hardship. Every few days, I'd fly around and occasionally capture a few demon kings to inquire about local news," Luo Xingchen replied, shaking his head.
"The information from Xiniu Hezhou matches what we've gathered, correct?" Zhong Shan asked.
"More or less, but something major has happened recently," Luo Xingchen responded after some thought.
"Oh?"
"In Beiju Luzhou, at the Holy Corpse Mountain—the original site of the Biyou Palace, which was the Daoist temple of the Tongtian Sage—'Sa' resides there. It's said that there's been some friction between him and Confucius. Confucius even sent people to test Sa, but they failed and had to retreat. Recently, there are rumors that Confucius himself is planning to make a move," Luo Xingchen explained.
"Confucius versus Sa?" Zhong Shan's eyes gleamed with interest.
"A current Sage against a former Sage—this could be quite intriguing," Mr. Corpse remarked with a strange expression.
"Sages always have their reasons. I wonder what they're fighting over," Nangong Sheng mused.
"Many powerful figures are heading to Beiju Luzhou," Luo Xingchen added.
"We still have plenty of time before Ying's grand birthday. Let's go and see for ourselves!" Zhong Shan decided.
"Yes!" The others nodded in agreement.
Just as the four were about to take to the sky, a voice suddenly called out from below the mountain.
"Who are you?" A sharp voice demanded.
Zhong Shan looked down in puzzlement and saw a small bull-headed demon that hadn't fully transformed.
"Intruders! There are intruders!" the bull-headed demon yelled, and immediately, a swarm of demons flew out from the vicinity of Huoyan Mountain.
Each demon brandished a weapon, ready to charge.
"Let's go," Zhong Shan paid them no heed.
Mr. Corpse and the others nodded; these minor demons were hardly worth their attention.
"Trying to flee? Do you even know where you are?" the bull-headed demon shouted, leading the charge.
The group of demons prepared to attack, but as Zhong Shan, Luo Xingchen, and Nangong Sheng flew ahead, Mr. Corpse trailed behind. Just as the demons were about to attack, Mr. Corpse glanced back and shot them a cold, chilling look.
With a single gaze—an eerily sinister gaze—Mr. Corpse sent a shiver through the demons, as if they had been plunged into an icy abyss. Cold sweat broke out on their backs, and none of them dared to advance.
By the time the demons regained their senses, the four had already disappeared from sight.
The small demons shuddered involuntarily.
"What just happened?" one demon asked, still trembling with fear.
"We must report this to the Great King immediately! Four powerful figures suddenly appeared at Huoyan Mountain!" the bull-headed demon urged.
"But the Great King is currently hosting one of Sun Wukong's disciples. Wouldn't barging in recklessly..." another demon hesitated, uncertain.
"Sun Shen?"
"Yes, that Sun Shen. I heard he had already died, but somehow he's come back to life, and his cultivation has advanced even further. He's now so powerful that even our Great King is no match for him."
"No matter how strong Sun Shen is, he still has to call the Great King 'Master Uncle.' Let's wait until the Great King finishes entertaining Sun Shen before we report this," the bull-headed demon suggested.
"Agreed!" the other demons nodded in agreement.
Beiju Luzhou, Holy Corpse Mountain
A vast, desolate expanse stretched across the land, the sky perpetually overcast, shrouded in thick, roiling clouds that seemed never to dissipate. Only occasional flashes of lightning pierced the gloom, casting brief, stark illumination.
Below, the land was engulfed in a miasma of black energy, a thick, oppressive corpse aura rising from the earth like an eternal exhalation, drifting into the sky in a sinister haze.
This corpse aura was highly peculiar; it resisted all attempts at spiritual probing. To understand what lay within, one would have to enter it personally. Yet, entering was easy—exiting was not. Few had ever emerged alive, with most who ventured in, even some Great Immortals, meeting their demise.
The impending battle between Confucius and Sa had been the subject of widespread speculation for a long time. As a result, waves of powerful beings had gathered near Holy Corpse Mountain.
Even if they couldn't gain anything from it, the chance to witness a Sage in action was a priceless opportunity.
Zhong Shan and his companions had arrived near Holy Corpse Mountain two months earlier. They had taken up residence in a secluded valley, protected by a formation set by Nangong Sheng, which kept others at bay. For two months, they had waited.
During this time, Zhong Shan had captured several cultivators to inquire about the situation across the Four Great Continents.
"Rumble!"
On this day, as Zhong Shan and his group waited in the valley, the sky suddenly resounded with thunderous booms.
Intense light descended from the heavens, crashing against the dark clouds, causing them to rumble loudly.
"It's happening! Confucius is finally making his move!" Luo Xingchen's eyes lit up.
"Let's go!"
The four of them quickly flew out of the valley, ascending to the peak of a nearby mountain.
From their vantage point, they were far from Holy Corpse Mountain, a distance kept deliberately because everyone knew the intensity of a Sage's battle—standing too close was a death wish.
As Zhong Shan emerged, his gaze immediately fixed on the distant sky.
A massive wave of white light, like a celestial river, surged downward, breaking through the black clouds. The light flooded the darkened land, scattering the thick corpse aura below.
Yet, the ground seemed to continually emit more corpse aura, the black mist and white light locked in a fierce struggle.
"That's the Sage of Great Confucianism! It's the Sage of Great Confucianism!" someone in the distance exclaimed in awe.
Indeed, where the overwhelming white light descended, a figure stood in the void—a man in white robes, his attire flowing like that of a scholar. He appeared to be in his forties or fifties, his face obscured, but the sheer force of his presence pressed outwards in all directions, compelling reverence from all who witnessed it.
"He's a Sage!" Luo Xingchen confirmed.
The aura was identical to that of the Sage they had encountered in the underworld long ago—only a Sage could possess such a commanding presence.
"Confucius?"
Zhong Shan's expression grew solemn as he stared at the distant sky.
The white light clashed with the corpse aura, neither side gaining the upper hand, but the corpse aura was gradually being pushed back. Through the thinning mist, a towering mountain began to emerge from the gloom.
On top of the towering mountain stood a massive green palace. In front of the palace, a man dressed in a luxurious black robe stood tall. His face was obscured, yet just by standing there, he emanated an aura so powerful that it made those who looked upon him feel a tremor in their very souls.
The man stood with his hands behind his back, looking up at the sky, directly confronting Confucius above.
Facing a Sage, this man showed not a trace of fear—could it be Sa?
Speculation surged among the onlookers—could Sa truly be that figure?
Sa glanced at Confucius, then extended his right hand, palm facing another nearby mountain.
"Boom!"
The mountain began to collapse with a deafening roar. Massive, solid rocks cracked and tumbled down in a cascade. Gradually, as the mountain crumbled, a massive green sword was revealed.
The sword stood a hundred zhang tall, its entire body radiating a green aura that shot skyward, sending endless streams of green sword energy piercing the heavens.
"The Qingping Sword! Sa is indeed the Tongtian Sage!" someone in the distance suddenly cried out.
Zhong Shan's eyes narrowed as he observed the scene. He hadn't been quick to assume that Sa was the embodiment of the Tongtian Sage's corpse, but now he couldn't help but wonder. The Qingping Sword, one of the five swords of the Tongtian Sage, had often been overshadowed by the more renowned Four Swords of Zhu Xian, which had led many to overlook it.
Could Sa really be Tongtian?
The hundred-zhang Qingping Sword shrank into a beam of green light and shot into Sa's hand.
Sa looked up at Confucius, who stared back at him.
The new and old Sages stood in silent confrontation.
After a moment, Sa glanced at Biyou Palace, then turned his gaze back to the sky. He suddenly slashed the Qingping Sword upward.
"Boom!"
A massive green river of energy surged skyward, shooting straight at Confucius.
The green river was so fierce that the space around it began to warp, with small black holes forming in its wake.
If the aftershocks alone were so powerful, what must the force of that green river be?
Sa had made his move.
And with that one move, the heavens and earth seemed to tremble as the green river shot towards Confucius.
Perhaps understanding Sa's intentions, Confucius's figure flickered and vanished.
The green river continued its path towards the distant sky.
Sa surveyed the area, gripping the Qingping Sword in one hand, and with a light pinch of his other hand, the surrounding corpse aura swelled once more, forming sword-shaped black energy in the four cardinal directions.
Then, holding the Qingping Sword, Sa disappeared in a flash.
"The Zhu Xian Sword Formation?" Zhong Shan's pupils contracted.
Sa had just performed a single hand seal, using corpse aura to form a Zhu Xian Sword Formation?
The dense black aura once again shrouded Holy Corpse Mountain, concealing everything within from view.
"Holy King, just now…!" Luo Xingchen said in shock, pointing towards the sky.
He pointed to the sky, saying, "There was a star up there just now, a massive star visible to the naked eye. But now it's gone!"
"That green sword river from Sa?" Nangong Sheng was equally astonished.
"To shatter a star with a single swing—how powerful!" Mr. Corpse marveled.
"Wait, look at the sky!" Luo Xingchen suddenly exclaimed in surprise.
In the sky, it seemed as though two stars—one green and one white—were moving. They moved as if colliding with each other, and wherever they passed, other stars disappeared, crumbling into nothingness.
"Those aren't stars; that's Confucius and Sa! They're fighting in the cosmos!" Luo Xingchen said gravely.
It wasn't just Zhong Shan and his group who were shocked. All the powerful beings gathered around were filled with terror. The power of Sages was beyond imagination. To think they had once believed they could observe such a battle safely from a distance—how naive they had been. Even from this far away, they could be obliterated by the aftermath of the battle between the two Sages.
But Zhong Shan's focus was on Holy Corpse Mountain.
There was a hint of seriousness in Zhong Shan's eyes.
He recalled that just before Sa had ascended, he had glanced at Biyou Palace. What was in there? And the fact that Sa had formed the Zhu Xian Sword Formation upon leaving only confirmed Zhong Shan's suspicions.
What was in Biyou Palace that made Sa so cautious?
Could it be the very thing Confucius had come for?
Zhong Shan wasn't the only one who had noticed this. Many other sharp-eyed observers had also picked up on the clue.
To read the manga version, please click the YouTube link https://youtu.be/GnU613H6xm8
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