Chapter 1026: Zhong Shan's Scheme

The eighty-eight Righteous Energy Swords sliced through the air with such intensity that they caused powerful tremors in the void as they hurtled towards Tathagata's Heavenly Dao barrier.

With a deafening crash, the golden light and white light clashed, blinding everyone momentarily. It seemed as if Tathagata's Heavenly Dao had been shattered by the overwhelming force of the impact. The void itself quivered, a testament to the ferocity of the collision.

However, Tathagata's abilities were far from exhausted. Zhong Shan even suspected that Tathagata was deliberately holding back, concealing the true extent of his power.

Suddenly, a chanting of the Diamond Sutra filled the air, reverberating from all directions. It was as if countless monks were reciting in unison.

Tathagata's golden aura flared brilliantly, one hand pointing to the sky, the other to the earth, proclaiming, "In the heavens above and the earth below, I alone am honored!"

Golden clouds spread in all directions, and within these clouds, countless golden Arhats and Bodhisattvas appeared, seated in meditation. These were not real entities but rather Dharma manifestations created by Tathagata. The powerful Buddhist chants cleansed the hearts of those present, and the manifestation of Tathagata's domain seemed to form a Buddhist presence that stood in equal opposition to the Great Confucian Way.

To the south, an infinite expanse of Righteous Energy; to the north, a boundless sea of Buddhist Dharma manifestations!

Tathagata alone managed to hold back the onslaught of Righteous Energy.

Tathagata, now towering ten times his normal height, gleaming with golden light, looked into the distance and said, "Everyone, let's strike together!"

"Alright," Lan nodded.

Zhong Shan also nodded.

With a wave of his hand, Luo Xingchen stepped forward to stand beside Zhong Shan. Zhong Shan retrieved a blood-red long arrow and handed it to Luo Xingchen.

Luo Xingchen understood and nodded in return. He nocked the blood-red arrow onto his Xuanyuan Bow, pulling the string taut.

The first arrow—this marked the beginning of their collective assault.

As the blood-red arrow shot forth, it streaked towards one of the great Confucian sages in the distance.

The sage's eyes widened in shock as the Righteous Energy Sword reappeared, but Luo Xingchen's arrow, imbued with time manipulation, was no ordinary arrow.

It was too fast—so fast that the Confucian sage barely had time to react. He managed to lift his sword, but it was too late to block the arrow. Had he known of Luo Xingchen's time-based abilities, he might have had a chance, but in that moment, he was helpless.

The arrow was so swift that even an Ancestral Immortal might struggle to keep pace. The arrow's path left a streaking afterimage from Chongtian Hall all the way to the Great Confucian Way.

It was a stunning shot. Even Ying couldn't help but show a trace of admiration in his eyes.

"Perhaps only the legendary Hou Yi, at his level, could have shot such an arrow," came a voice of appreciation from beside Ying.

Unnoticed by most, the black-robed Guiguzi had reappeared at Ying's side.

Luo Xingchen's incredible arrow was so fast that it seemed destined to pierce the Confucian sage's throat. Everyone believed the sage was as good as dead.

But in that critical moment—

Bang!

The blood-red arrow suddenly stopped, the tail trembling violently. A pale hand had caught the arrow, stopping it just a hair's breadth from the sage's throat.

It was an incredibly close call. The Confucian sage could still feel the chilling cold at his throat.

The arrow was halted, and the Confucian sage swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing nervously. Even after the hand holding the blood-red arrow was withdrawn, the sage remained in a daze, stunned by his brush with death.

Life and death had been separated by a mere thread.

The guests at Chongtian Hall sighed in disappointment, but Zhong Shan was smiling in satisfaction.

It was none other than Zilu, the Ancestral Immortal, who had caught the arrow!

Zhong Shan's schemes never missed their mark. He had already informed Luo Xingchen of the intended target and handed him a specially prepared arrow infused with the Red Luan Mist—a potent substance with a unique effect. This arrow, blood-red in color, concealed the pink hue of the Red Luan Mist, making it almost impossible to detect.

Few knew of Luo Xingchen's time-manipulating abilities, and even fewer realized the extraordinary nature of this particular arrow. However, Zilu, who had experienced Luo Xingchen's terrifying power firsthand, recognized the danger. More importantly, the Confucian sage who had been targeted stood right beside Zilu.

Who else could save him if not Zilu?

But the true purpose of this arrow was not to kill the Confucian sage but to reintroduce the Red Luan Mist into Zilu's body. Only a blood-red arrow could mask the mist's true color.

And with that single shot, Zhong Shan succeeded. While others might have felt disappointment, Zhong Shan was secretly thrilled. The Red Luan Mist, once purified, was undeniably the world's most potent aphrodisiac, as demonstrated in the previous battle against Zilu in the Netherworld.

The Confucian sage, who had just narrowly escaped death, finally came to his senses, trembling with rage. The fear of being so close to death was something only those who had experienced it could understand.

Furious, the Confucian sage roared, "Righteous Energy Sword!" A massive Righteous Energy Sword, a million li in height, materialized and slashed down toward Zhong Shan with overwhelming force.

The sword's momentum was terrifying, but Tathagata did not intervene, for everyone believed Zhong Shan could handle it.

The white Righteous Energy Sword tore through the void, accompanied by an endless river of sword energy, all converging toward Zhong Shan.

Bodhi, Ying, and Guiguzi all turned their attention to Zhong Shan.

Zhong Shan raised his head slightly, and a vast surge of purple sword energy erupted around him, shooting into the sky.

With a flash of purple light, a long purple sword soared toward the Righteous Energy Sword.

The purple sword carried an overwhelming sword intent, and as it sliced through the void, the very space around it quivered.

"Boom!"

The two swords collided, producing a blinding flash of light. The void trembled as the Righteous Energy Sword shattered into pieces—a sword even stronger than the Righteous Energy Sword?

A sword? Zhong Shan used a sword? What kind of sword was that? The guests at Chongtian Hall were filled with curiosity.

"Zhuxian Sword?" Lan's pupils contracted slightly.

Zhuxian Sword? The guests at Chongtian Hall were astonished. Could it be true? Was it just a replica?

However, the high-ranking individuals present no longer believed it to be a mere imitation. If Lan had spoken, then Zhong Shan had indeed wielded the true Zhuxian Sword!

But wasn't the Zhuxian Sword supposed to be destroyed?

As people looked at Zhong Shan, they noticed a small pet flying in front of him. The sword that had just been swung was actually one of its purple tails—a tail shaped like a fox's. Could that really be the Zhuxian Sword?

Unbelievable!

"Zhuxian, Slaying Immortals, Trapping Immortals, and Extinguishing Immortals... Zhong Shan, you never cease to amaze me!" Lan exclaimed.

Lan was certain now—Zhong Shan indeed possessed the Zhuxian Sword, along with the Slaying Immortals Sword, Trapping Immortals Sword, and Extinguishing Immortals Sword. The Zhong Shan that Ying had endorsed was truly mysterious beyond measure.

"Attack!" Lan commanded two of his subordinates.

The two nodded, and as they stepped forward, a red and a brown Heavenly Dao enveloped them entirely, indicating that they were about to join the battle alongside Tathagata.

In the distance, the Confucian sage who had just unleashed the Righteous Energy Sword was momentarily stunned. He hadn't recognized the Zhuxian Sword, but he could clearly sense its overwhelming sword intent. How could it be so powerful?

Zilu's eyes widened in rage, and just as he was about to let out a furious roar, a voice suddenly rang out beside him.

"Zhong Shan, you—you're a despicable scoundrel!" Zilu bellowed, his eyes bloodshot with fury.

Zilu's outburst left many people baffled.

The citizens of Xianyang looked at Zilu in confusion, as did the guests in Chongtian Hall. If anyone should be shouting, it should have been the Confucian sage who had just been saved by Zilu. After all, Zilu had intercepted Zhong Shan's subordinate's arrow, so why was he acting so aggrieved?

Even the Confucian sage Zilu had saved was left in a daze, staring at Zilu in bewilderment. Why are you shouting? I haven't even reacted yet!

Zilu's anger was palpable as he glared at Zhong Shan. He could scarcely believe that Zhong Shan had plotted against him so insidiously. The level of cunning displayed by Zhong Shan was beyond anything Zilu could have anticipated.

"Brothers, I've been poisoned with the aphrodisiac again! Help me dispel it!" Zilu quickly explained to the other Confucian sages.

The Confucian sages exchanged glances, finally understanding the situation.

In the back, where Sekong had been pretending to chant scriptures, a cold smirk appeared on his lips. He thought to himself, Is this what you called an effortless victory over Zhong Shan? Zhong Shan hasn't even made a direct move, and you've already fallen into his trap. I told you Zhong Shan was a monster, but you wouldn't listen. You brought this on yourself!

Sekong felt a wave of relief wash over him.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, Zhong Shan handed a new bundle of blood-red arrows to Luo Xingchen.

"Keep shooting! Don't let Zilu succeed in purging the poison!" Zhong Shan ordered in a stern voice.

"Yes!" Luo Xingchen accepted the bundle of arrows, all infused with the Red Luan Mist, and resumed his relentless barrage.

"Kill!" Ying commanded calmly.

"Yes!" Bai Qi, Wang Jian, and Meng Tian responded in unison.

The renowned generals drew their weapons and charged into the fray, taking to the skies.

The battle was on the brink of erupting in full force.

Once again, numerous Righteous Energy Swords materialized, and the ferocious battle resumed. The sky trembled as countless clashes ensued, highlighting the epic scale of the Qin-Confucian conflict.

"Zhong Shan, is that man Zilu?" Hao Meili's expression turned icy as she asked.

"Yes," Zhong Shan confirmed with a nod.

"I'll curse him for you!" Hao Meili declared.

With that, Hao Meili extended her arms and began drawing circles in the air with her index fingers, as if casting some kind of curse.

"Uh, okay," Zhong Shan replied, a bit puzzled.

The other guests also looked at Hao Meili with bewilderment. Was she sick or something? Drawing circles in the air to curse Zilu? And she was actually doing it without any visible sign of magical power.

However, Ying, Bodhi, Guiguzi, and Lan all became noticeably more serious. They understood the terrifying nature of Hao Meili's curse, even if it seemed like child's play to others.

Zhong Shan's subordinates were indeed an extraordinary bunch!

In the distance, Zilu was seeking help from his fellow sages to purge the poison, but before they could even begin, a barrage of blood-red arrows filled with Red Luan Mist rained down upon them once again, thanks to Luo Xingchen.

As the arrows approached, they exploded in a shower of pink energy. Zilu, who was already wary of the mist, recoiled in fear. The other sages, aware of Zilu's vulnerability to the poison, quickly waved their hands to deflect the arrows.

Among the ninety-nine Confucian sages, Zhong Shan noticed that four of them remained utterly unaffected by the battle. These four had vertical lines of seven-colored light on their foreheads, and their expressions were emotionless, as if indifferent to the entire conflict between the Qin and Confucian factions.

At Zhong Shan's signal, Luo Xingchen aimed one of his arrows at one of these four individuals.

The arrow shot out at incredible speed, reaching its target in the blink of an eye.

But just as the arrow was about to strike, it abruptly halted, suspended in mid-air. The man's eyes flashed with a brilliant light, and the arrow rebounded at twice the speed it had been fired.

"Boom!"

The Zhuxian Sword intercepted the arrow just in time, slicing it in half.

Luo Xingchen broke into a cold sweat. The speed of the rebound had been twice as fast as the original shot. Who are these four with the colorful lines on their foreheads? Are they truly members of the Confucian Sect? They're terrifyingly powerful.

To read the manga version, please click the YouTube link https://youtu.be/GnU613H6xm8