Chapter 833: Forcing the Court

Zhong Shan looked up at the Great Celestials in the sky.

"So, will you join the Great Yan Sacred Court, or will you retreat now?" Zhong Shan asked the twenty-one Great Celestials.

Hearing Zhong Shan's words, the Great Celestials' eyebrows twitched, their eyes filled with hesitation and regret. If they had acted decisively at the start, they wouldn't be in this mess. Now, how could they proceed?

The Great Yan Sacred Court clearly had the strength to contend with a Great Celestial. Additionally, there were the ten Great Buddhas, and what seemed like ten Great Celestials among the newcomers. On the surface, they were evenly matched with the twenty-one rogue Great Celestials.

However, the rogue cultivators knew better. These major factions usually had well-equipped members, unlike their own shabby gear. The difference between having a Great Celestial artifact and not having one was stark. The old man in the Eight Trigrams robe had demonstrated that difference clearly—Dong Jianfeng, the most respected among them, had been subdued just by responding to the old man.

Yet, the rogue cultivators were unwilling to retreat. They clearly awaited the arrival of other forces.

As the stalemate continued, the old man in the Eight Trigrams robe suddenly frowned.

"Eh?" The old man let out a curious sound.

Then, he reached out his hand.

"Whoosh!"

A flash of light came from the Yin Yang Hall of the Lingxiao Heavenly Court, and a circular drawing fell into the old man's hand.

"A fragment of the Taiji Diagram?" The old man's eyes lit up.

A fragment of the Taiji Diagram? Everyone's eyes turned to the old man holding the Taiji Diagram.

"A fragment of the Supreme Saint's treasure?" Almost everyone raised an eyebrow. But it was, after all, just a fragment.

The old man in the Eight Trigrams robe examined the Taiji Diagram with a mix of curiosity, nostalgia, and longing, his expression complex.

Zhong Shan watched the old man closely. The Taiji Diagram was useless to him now; the Mud Bodhisattva had once told him clearly that this treasure could no longer communicate between the Yin and Yang realms. As such, it was just an ordinary treasure to him.

But the Taiji Diagram had been heavily sealed by Zhong Shan. Outsiders shouldn't have been able to sense its presence, yet this old man in the Eight Trigrams robe had detected it. It seemed he had found it by intuition.

Everyone turned to Zhong Shan.

"Sacred King of Great Yan, how did you obtain this fragment of the Taiji Diagram?" the old man in the Eight Trigrams robe asked, puzzled.

"And whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?" Zhong Shan inquired.

"You can call me 'Laojun,'" the old man responded promptly.

As expected, it was the Supreme Old Lord.

"The Lord of the Netherworld gifted it to me," Zhong Shan replied solemnly.

"To think the legend of the Taiji Diagram in the Netherworld was true, even if it's just a fragment," the Jade Emperor remarked with some surprise.

Clearly, the Jade Emperor and the Plague God had heard of the Taiji Diagram during their time in the small world, but they had never encountered it. This fragment had been left by the first Lord of the Netherworld and had been hidden there all this time.

Laojun's face shifted, a deep longing in his eyes.

"Sacred King of Great Yan, this fragment of the Taiji Diagram may only be at the level of a Celestial artifact, but it is extremely important to me. Would you be willing to part with it? Of course, I won't let you go empty-handed. I'll give you this purple-gold gourd and ten Nine-Turn Golden Pills in exchange. What do you say?" Laojun asked, looking at Zhong Shan.

Truth be told, Laojun didn't need to speak so politely. He could have taken it by force, and who would dare stop him? But considering Zhong Shan's connection with the Ninth Princess, Laojun couldn't bring himself to act so ungraciously.

Zhong Shan weighed the offer in his mind. The Taiji Diagram was indeed a powerful artifact, but if it was only a fragment and not useful in its current state, trading it for the gourd and the pills could be beneficial. After all, the gourd had already demonstrated its incredible power.

"I understand the value of the Taiji Diagram fragment to you, Laojun. I am willing to make this exchange," Zhong Shan said, making his decision.

Laojun's face lit up with gratitude. "Thank you, Sacred King. This means a great deal to me."

As Laojun handed over the purple-gold gourd and the ten Nine-Turn Golden Pills, the tension in the air seemed to dissipate slightly. The other Great Celestials, however, were still restless, not willing to let go of the opportunity so easily.

The Jade Emperor and his ministers watched the exchange, noting Zhong Shan's calm and strategic approach. It was clear that Zhong Shan was a leader who knew how to turn situations to his advantage, even in the face of overwhelming odds.

As the scene unfolded, the rogue Great Celestials couldn't help but feel a growing sense of frustration. Every move Zhong Shan made seemed to strengthen his position and weaken their chances of success.

The Great Yan Sacred Court, now bolstered by powerful allies and strategic exchanges, stood firm against the pressure from all sides. Zhong Shan's foresight and diplomacy had once again proven to be invaluable assets in the treacherous landscape of the Great Thousand World.

Zhong Shan looked at the Supreme Old Lord and then at the Taiji Diagram, his expression fluctuating.

The surrounding Great Celestials, however, had their eyes fixed on the purple-gold gourd. A true name treasure of the highest tier, a Great Celestial artifact? How lucky could this Sacred King of Great Yan be? Trading a mere Celestial artifact for a Great Celestial artifact, and with ten Nine-Turn Golden Pills thrown in? Was this Supreme Old Lord out of his mind?

"Not satisfied? I can add more!" the Supreme Old Lord offered.

Hearing this, the Great Celestials almost fainted from shock. Today's events were indeed bizarre.

"No, it's not that I'm not satisfied. When I was in the small world, I heard about another treasure of yours, the Jade Purity Bottle," Zhong Shan said.

With a wave of his hand, the Supreme Old Lord produced a jade bottle. As for who mentioned it to Zhong Shan, that was irrelevant—someone must have known, at least Kong Xuan did.

"This purple-gold gourd is a top-tier Great Celestial artifact, while the Jade Purity Bottle barely qualifies as a Great Celestial artifact. Its power doesn't compare to the purple-gold gourd, as it only produces thirty-six types of water," the Supreme Old Lord explained.

"Right, I heard it can produce a different nectar each day. I love good wine, so I want it," Zhong Shan stated.

Good wine? Giving up a top-tier Great Celestial artifact for a weaker one just because it produced alcohol? People looked at Zhong Shan even more strangely. Was he really giving up the purple-gold gourd just for his love of wine?

The Great Celestials' expressions grew increasingly bizarre. This whole situation was getting weirder by the moment.

"You only want the Jade Purity Bottle?" the Supreme Old Lord asked, puzzled.

"It's not that simple," Zhong Shan shook his head.

Everyone nodded; this seemed more reasonable.

"You can have the Taiji Diagram, but I want the Jade Purity Bottle and a promise from you," Zhong Shan said.

"Oh?" The Supreme Old Lord looked at Zhong Shan, eyebrows furrowed. A promise?

"He just mentioned that he could revive the Western Poison Emperor. I want your promise to supervise the process, ensuring the Western Poison Emperor is fully restored with no control over his body or soul. I want him to be exactly as he was," Zhong Shan demanded.

Zhong Shan was wary that the Jade Emperor and his entourage might manipulate the revival to control the Western Poison Emperor and use him to influence Hao Meili.

"Thank you, Zhong Shan!" Hao Meili said, moved.

Even Hao Meili, despite her naivety, understood that Zhong Shan was doing this for her benefit.

The Supreme Old Lord glanced at the Jade Emperor and the Plague God. Seeing them nod, the Supreme Old Lord smiled gratefully.

"Very well, I agree," the Supreme Old Lord nodded.

With that, he handed over the Jade Purity Bottle.

The Great Celestials looked on with a mix of regret and helplessness. They couldn't intervene in this transaction; it was not their place. They could only curse Zhong Shan's seemingly foolish decision internally.

But was Zhong Shan foolish? Not in the slightest. The purple-gold gourd was too valuable for Zhong Shan to protect. Its extraordinary power would make it a target, and it would be taken from him before long.

As for the nectar, Zhong Shan sought the thirty-six types of water from the Jade Purity Bottle. Each type was incredibly rare. In Zhong Shan's hands, they would shine with even greater value.

At the Taichu Sacred Court's encampment, there was a long silence.

"This Celestial Sacred King has unbelievable luck! In an instant, his dire situation turned around? Ten Great Buddhas? The Great Hong Sacred Court?" An official's face twitched as he spoke.

"It's useless. This is just a stalemate. They won't hold out for long. There are so many powerful factions that want to see them destroyed," Sima Zongheng shook his head.

"Not necessarily," the Taichu Sacred King countered.

"Eh?" Everyone looked at the Taichu Sacred King.

"In a short time, he has already allied with two factions. There might be other familiar forces around here as well," the Taichu Sacred King mused.

"How is that possible? A closed small world, managing to connect with two Great Thousand World factions is already impressive. How could there be more?" Sima Zongheng doubted.

"Sacred King, the other two Sacred Courts and the three great dojos of our Fengzhong Territory have all entered," someone reported.

"Let's go. The other factions have entered as well. It's time for us to go in," the Taichu Sacred King commanded.

"Yes!" The ministers responded.

With that, they stepped forward, following the Taichu Sacred King towards the Immortal World.

Zhong Shan looked at the twenty-one Great Celestials above, frowning at their persistence.

"Sacred King, heroes from all factions are gathering, and various forces are entering our Great Yan," Shui Jing reported solemnly.

Heroes gathering? Everyone is coming?

The Jade Emperor glanced at Shui Jing in mild surprise. How did he know?

Before long, a fierce wind swept in from the east, and a group of ten men in white armor, exuding a murderous aura, appeared in the sky.

"Fengzhong Territory's Taiji Sacred Court?" a Great Celestial suddenly recognized them.

"Shui Jing, raise the banner of our court," Zhong Shan ordered.

He was tired of always announcing their name himself.

Shui Jing acted quickly, and in no time, a large banner formed by a spell was raised, displaying four characters:

Great Yan Sacred Court!

The ten men in white armor saw the raised banner, and one of them took out an imperial decree.

"Sacred King of Great Yan, receive the decree!" the leading man shouted.

Zhong Shan sneered, "Just say what you have to say!"

"The Taiji Sacred King of Fengzhong Territory decrees that the Sacred King of Great Yan can be a worthy vassal. You are hereby summoned to submit and join the Taiji Sacred Court. If you agree, fulfill the duties of vassalage. If you refuse, you will be considered an enemy of the Taiji Sacred Court and will be destroyed!" the leading man proclaimed loudly.

Submit? They wanted the Great Yan Sacred Court to become a vassal? If not, they would destroy it?

The ministers of the Lingxiao Heavenly Court were furious, glaring at the group.

"Whoosh!"

Another fierce wind blew, and ten men in golden armor appeared from the southeast.

"The Taiyi Sacred King of Fengzhong Territory decrees that the Sacred King of Great Yan can be a worthy vassal. You are hereby summoned to submit and join the Taiyi Sacred Court. If you agree, fulfill the duties of vassalage. If you refuse, you will be considered an enemy of the Taiyi Sacred Court and will be destroyed!"

Another ten?

Two Sacred Courts from Fengzhong Territory wanted to make the Great Yan Sacred Court a vassal? They expected Zhong Shan to bow and submit? Refusal meant destruction?

Before the surprise could settle, ten Great Buddhas arrived from the west.

"The Burning Lamp Master of Fengzhong Territory decrees that the Sacred King of Great Yan can be a worthy creation. You are hereby summoned to submit and join the Burning Lamp Dojo. If you agree, fulfill the duties of master and subordinate. If you refuse, you will be considered an enemy of the Burning Lamp Dojo and will be destroyed!"

As if on cue, ten men in Daoist robes approached from the northwest.

"The Snake Empress Master of Fengzhong Territory decrees that the Sacred King of Great Yan can be a worthy creation. You are hereby summoned to submit and join the Snake Empress Dojo. If you agree, fulfill the duties of master and subordinate. If you refuse, you will be considered an enemy of the Snake Empress Dojo and will be destroyed!"

Fengzhong Territory had now sent forces from four factions, totaling forty Great Celestial-level experts, all demanding submission or threatening destruction.

And it wasn't over yet. Another force was approaching from the south.