Chapter 726: The Purple Heaven Illuminates the World

A purple sky? Above the Lingxiao Heavenly Court, countless people looked up, gazing at this unusual scene. The purple "heaven," filled with flashing lightning, was surrounded by an ethereal purple mist that inspired awe and fear in those who saw it.

"A purple sky? This purple 'heaven' is filled with imperial majesty and an overwhelming presence!" Wang Ku took a deep breath.

"Not only that, His Majesty's 'heaven' also carries an extraordinary thunderous power, unlike anything ordinary!" Ni Pusa said calmly.

"But why hasn't the heavenly merit descended?" Yin Luori frowned.

"Perhaps the merit was directly infused into the palace, which is why we can't see it," Ni Pusa explained, though there was a flicker of doubt in his eyes.

The others shared Ni Pusa's confusion. However, understanding the gravity of the situation, no one voiced their doubts further. Instead, they kept their speculations to themselves, waiting in silence for Zhong Shan to emerge.

Outside, the purple "heaven" expanded, soon covering the entire Lingxiao Heavenly Court. The knowledgeable individuals within the court recognized Zhong Shan's breakthrough, and nearly everyone paused their activities to look toward the palace, offering their respectful blessings.

Inside the secret chamber, Zhong Shan sat cross-legged, naked.

The breakthrough to the Heavenly Extreme Realm felt like a surge of power from the heavens, increasing his strength dramatically. Despite the absence of heavenly merit, Zhong Shan was unconcerned. There was more to be had above the Lingxiao Heavenly Court.

Upon reaching the Heavenly Extreme Realm, Zhong Shan immediately began to deal with the remnant consciousness within him.

He showed no mercy to this remnant. The moment the Eight Extremities Heavenly Tail regained its strength, it devoured the remnant.

Gu Shentong's remnant, trapped in a state of mental confusion, stood no chance against Zhong Shan, whose increased strength allowed him to finally rid himself of this lingering threat.

The Heavenly Extreme Realm was a significant threshold. Crossing it not only greatly enhanced Zhong Shan's cultivation but also exponentially increased the power of the Eight Extremities Heavenly Tail. Zhong Shan felt that the tail had undoubtedly broken through another barrier, dramatically increasing its speed and making it an even more formidable weapon.

With the influx of energy, combined with the benefits of the earlier dual cultivation, Zhong Shan's cultivation soared to the first level of the Heavenly Extreme Realm.

Unfortunately, the Red Luan Heavenly Scripture and the Heavenly Demon Body Refinement Technique did not upgrade.

Zhong Shan meditated with closed eyes, sensing himself and everything around him.

He sat in this state for an hour, while outside, the officials waited patiently for him.

After an hour, Zhong Shan opened his eyes. A purple lightning bolt shot out three inches from his eyes before disappearing.

Outside, the purple "heaven" suddenly retracted, signaling to everyone that Zhong Shan was about to come out.

Zhong Shan took a deep breath and stood up. The woman who had been in the hall was long gone.

Naked, his bronze-colored muscular body was exposed, with some bloodstains from the woman on his lower body. The hall was in disarray, his clothes crumpled on the floor.

The two "water droplets" left on his face by the woman slowly slid down to his mouth, their salty taste stimulating his senses.

Tears?

Zhong Shan frowned slightly.

Zhong Shan gently picked up his crumpled clothes, stored away the array diagram of the 'Great Luo Heavenly Star Array,' and cleaned himself before changing into a new set of clothes. He then slowly walked to the front of the hall.

"Boom!"

Zhong Shan opened the hall doors.

"Long live His Majesty, long live, long live forever!" The officials outside the hall shouted in unison.

Bao'er, Ling'er, Qing Si, Zhong Tian, Di Xuansha, Ni Pusa, and others looked at Zhong Shan with excitement and anticipation.

Seeing their expressions, Zhong Shan felt a warmth in his heart.

"Everyone, you may retire. We will meet in the morning court tomorrow," Zhong Shan announced.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The officials responded promptly.

Seeing Zhong Shan unharmed and successfully breaking through, Di Xuansha and the others felt relieved. They nodded to Zhong Shan and then left, leaving behind only a few attendants and the three empresses.

"Zhong Shan, you broke through?" Tian Ling'er asked excitedly, as if she herself had broken through.

"Yes, I have surpassed you by a lot. You need to speed up your cultivation," Zhong Shan joked.

"I'm already very fast!" Tian Ling'er pouted.

"Bao'er, Qing Si, and Ling'er, you should go back first. I have something to attend to," Zhong Shan said.

"Okay," the three women nodded.

After sending off the three empresses, Zhong Shan headed straight to the Great Zhen prison.

"Greetings, Your Majesty! Long live, long live forever!" The guards at the prison quickly knelt.

Liu Wushuang appeared in time and immediately said, "Your Majesty, why have you come to the prison?"

"Where is the first cell of Heaven?" Zhong Shan asked sternly.

"The prison is an inauspicious place, Your Majesty..." Liu Wushuang tried to dissuade him.

"Take me there!" Zhong Shan commanded firmly.

"Yes!" Liu Wushuang did not dare to argue.

Following Liu Wushuang, Zhong Shan stepped into the prison and quickly reached a secluded, spacious cell where the guards waited a hundred zhang (approximately 330 meters) away.

Seeing all the guards standing so far from the cell, Zhong Shan frowned slightly.

He walked to the cell.

"Wait outside," Zhong Shan ordered.

"Yes!" Liu Wushuang responded immediately.

Zhong Shan stepped into the cell.

The cell was very spacious, with plenty of sunlight streaming in. Inside, there was only one meditation cushion, placed in a corner.

Nu Qinghui was sitting calmly on the cushion, seemingly unaware of Zhong Shan's arrival. Behind her, two lines of words were written on the wall.

Approaching Nu Qinghui quickly, Zhong Shan reached out to touch her.

"Whoosh!"

Nu Qinghui's body suddenly melted, gradually turning into a puddle of sludge, like a snowman melting.

"A clay vessel body?" Zhong Shan muttered to himself.

A clay vessel, representing mud and marshes, indicated that Nu Qinghui had used a clay body to sit here, while her true self had long since left.

Could the woman in the secret hall earlier really have been her?

On the wall behind where Nu Qinghui had been sitting, two lines of writing read:

"True or false, false or true, my heart is dead, my heart is dead, my heart is dead, my heart is dead!"

Staring at the two lines of writing, Zhong Shan remained silent for a long moment.

"So, you already knew the remnant wasn't Gu Shentong. Why go through all this trouble?" Zhong Shan said softly.

With a slightly complicated expression, Zhong Shan waved his hand. The writing on the wall and the puddle of sludge on the ground disappeared.

Sighing slightly, Zhong Shan left the cell.

As Zhong Shan stepped out, Liu Wushuang approached and saw the remnants of Nu Qinghui disappearing from the cell.

"Your Majesty, I am at fault for not keeping Nu Qinghui secured!" Liu Wushuang said anxiously.

"Forget it! There's no need to bring this up again," Zhong Shan replied.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Liu Wushuang answered.

The next day, in the Great Zhen court.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty, on achieving the eternal body!" the officials congratulated.

"Mm," Zhong Shan nodded.

"Your Majesty, now that you have achieved the eternal body, can our Great Zhen Imperial Dynasty advance further?" Yi Yan asked.

To advance further meant to become a Heavenly Dynasty.

"We welcome Great Zhen's advancement!" the officials chanted.

Looking at the officials, Zhong Shan said, "Not for now."

The officials were taken aback.

"Why?" Shui Wuhen asked in confusion.

"It's not the right time yet!" Zhong Shan tapped his dragon throne.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Zhong Shan's decision was final, and the officials had to agree.

Three months later, in the Taishui Heavenly Dynasty.

Kong Lietian sat on the dragon throne, listening to a minister report on the affairs of Great Zhen.

"Your Majesty, Zhong Shan has broken through to the Heavenly Extreme Realm, and the purple sky illuminates the world! What does this signify?" Sekong asked.

"A purple sky? It is said that only those with extremely solid and profound foundations can have the purple sky illuminate the world. The stronger the foundation, the deeper the purple. But Zhong Shan has only been cultivating for a few hundred years?" Kong Lietian pondered.

"Does Zhong Shan have a profound foundation?" Sekong was surprised.

"Wangchen, what do you think?" Kong Lietian suddenly looked at Wangchen.

Wangchen, formerly Zhong Shan's adopted son Zhong Shijiu, had a complex history with Zhong Shan.

"I don't know!" Wangchen replied.

"What do you think?"

"I dare not speculate recklessly!" Zhong Shijiu said.

"I forgive you," Kong Lietian said gravely.

"Yes, Zhong Shan is an unpredictable anomaly. As Your Majesty said, his foundation is extremely profound!" Wangchen said.

Wangchen's words echoed Kong Lietian's sentiments but revealed little. Kong Lietian narrowed his eyes at Wangchen, who respectfully stepped back. This topic might not mean much to others, but it was sensitive for Wangchen, who had to respond carefully to maintain his loyalty.

In the Great Qin Heavenly Dynasty.

Ying, the ruler, listened to Li Si's report, tapping his dragon throne thoughtfully.

Zhong Shan had reached the Heavenly Extreme Realm but had chosen to remain an imperial dynasty rather than upgrading. This decision was largely influenced by considerations of the Underworld.

In the mortal realm, upgrading to a heavenly dynasty would be natural, but the Underworld was different. Upgrading to a heavenly dynasty would attract significant attention and expectations.

Zhong Shan's strategy was to "first accumulate grain, then slowly proclaim kingship," ensuring a solid foundation in the Underworld before upgrading both realms together.

Currently, the Underworld presented a great opportunity.

In the past, the Taishui Heavenly Dynasty and the Star Sect had colluded with the Great Thousand World's Wu Clan, leading to the Underworld's Tian Family destroying them. The southern heavenly dynasty of the Underworld collapsed, with many imperial dynasties vying for control.

Imperial dynasties were falling, royal dynasties were rising, and the battles in the Underworld were just as fierce as those in the mortal realm.

To this day, the south had not yet calmed from the wars.

This chaotic southern region presented Zhong Shan with a perfect opportunity for expansion in the Underworld.