Chapter 469: The Arrival of the Three Great Sages

Facing the first obstacle: the Great Ming Dynasty.

The might of an elite dynasty—if it had been ten years ago, Zhong Shan might have hesitated. However, considering his current status and capabilities, all he needs is a starting point to develop to a level where others can only look up to him. Even now, his Zhong Family Army alone is enough to handle the entire Great Ming Dynasty, not to mention the additional force of a million Dragon Serpents and three thousand experts from the Daming Temple.

"The experts from Daming Temple, hold your positions. Shui Wuhen, surround and intercept. Forty thousand Dragon Serpents, engage!" Zhong Shan commanded.

"Yes!" Shui Wuhen and Zhong Tian responded immediately.

Ao Chuang, the Dragon King, slightly frowned. Forty thousand Dragon Serpents? Were the remaining sixty thousand to rest?

Of course, it had been agreed beforehand that unless Ao Chuang interfered, the million Dragon Serpents would follow Zhong Shan's orders. Zhong Shan had appointed Lin Xiao as the commander of the Dragon Serpent forces, with Ao Chuang's approval.

As the battle commenced, the winds and clouds stirred. Shui Wuhen commanded the million Zhong Family soldiers, while Lin Xiao led forty thousand Dragon Serpents, officially charging into the battlefield.

Zhong Shan, along with his chief officers, observed the scene from the peak of a mountain.

The Zhong Family Army was the elite of the elite, excelling in both cultivation and coordination. Under Shui Wuhen's command, arrows rained down like harbingers of death, swiftly claiming the lives of their enemies.

As for Lin Xiao, he had already become familiar with the Dragon Serpents' nature despite it being his first time commanding them. By controlling the influential Dragon Serpents, he could effectively lead the entire million-strong force.

Orders were quickly dispatched. Numerous serpents burrowed into the ground, launching surprise attacks on the enemy's rear.

The Great Ming Dynasty's three hundred thousand soldiers charged ferociously. However, facing Zhong Shan's army, they seemed constrained at every turn. The Zhong Family Army operated as a single entity, moving, attacking, retreating, and advancing with lethal precision. The army was like a deadly weapon, invincible and relentless.

Adding to the chaos, countless Dragon Serpents suddenly erupted from the ground, their massive tails wreaking havoc. This sudden assault threw the Great Ming Dynasty's command into disarray, rendering their strategy ineffective.

"Your Majesty, I told you, this Zhong Shan is a demon, a true demon!" the advisor beside the emperor exclaimed in fear.

"Hold your ground! Kill them all!" the emperor shouted, his eyes bloodshot.

"Your Majesty, we should retreat. Zhong Shan is beyond our capabilities. Even two great dynasties couldn't handle him, and he recently humiliated the Guiyuan Buddha. We should leave now!" the advisor urged.

The emperor glared at the advisor, his gaze terrifying. The advisor trembled under the emperor's stare.

"If we can't defeat this small army, how can we talk about dominating the dynasty?" Ignoring the advisor's plea, the emperor continued to command the battle.

But does having resolve guarantee victory?

After a day, the Great Ming Dynasty's forces had suffered heavy losses, with over half their soldiers dead or injured. Reluctantly, they sounded the retreat.

Zhong Shan did not pursue them but instead surrounded the remaining troops in a valley, allowing a few to escape and report back, while ensuring the majority could not leave.

"Zhong Shan, what are you doing?" Ao Chuang frowned.

"Fighting a battle! Why, does the Dragon King think my tactics are lacking?" Zhong Shan smiled.

"Just wipe them out and move on to the Land of Ultimate Bliss," Ao Chuang said.

"I'm the vanguard, my main task is to eliminate the enemy. As for attacking the Land of Ultimate Bliss, it's not the right time yet," Zhong Shan replied.

"Why not?" Ao Chuang's eyes widened.

Why not? Rushing into the Land of Ultimate Bliss now would be suicidal. You may be at the Imperial Extreme Realm, but my million-strong army would be annihilated by a single strike from the Buddha.

"The holy decree is as such, Zhong Shan cannot defy it. If the Dragon King is interested, he may venture into the Land of Ultimate Bliss first," Zhong Shan said with a smile.

Ao Chuang frowned and, without further ado, turned and left rudely.

Zhong Shan paid him no mind. He continued to surround the Great Ming Dynasty's forces, reorganizing his troops in preparation for the next wave of reinforcements.

Indeed, reinforcements came. Within five days, two more dynasties and three sects arrived. The sects were naturally dealt with by the Daming Temple experts, while the dynastic armies didn't even require Zhong Shan's direct command; Lin Xiao and Shui Wuhen were more than capable of annihilating them.

After waiting another day with no additional reinforcements arriving, Zhong Shan waved his hand to his generals. They wiped out the remaining Great Ming Dynasty troops completely.

Meanwhile, outside the Ten Thousand Buddha Mountains, the sky grew dark and oppressive.

The three emperors of the heavenly dynasties had finally arrived.

To the south, Gu Shentong stood high above, with an endless number of powerful figures and countless troops and tigers below him.

To the southwest, Ying rode in a chariot pulled by nine dragons, accompanied by endless powerful figures and countless troops.

To the northwest, Nie Fancheng sat high in the sky, surrounded by countless powerful figures and phoenixes.

The three main armies halted outside the Ten Thousand Buddha Mountains, glaring coldly at the vast mountain range before them.

To the south, Gu Shentong's expression turned cold as he declared, "Tian Lao, Taigu Sacred Capital."

To the southwest, Ying, sitting in his nine-dragon chariot, commanded, "Guigu, Xianyang Sacred Capital."

To the northwest, Nie Fancheng, seated in the sky, coldly ordered, "Dishi, Lihuo Sacred Capital."

"Yes!" came the simultaneous response from the three main armies.

"Boom~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"

In three different directions, the surrounding environment underwent a massive transformation. Mountains and rivers vanished, as if the world was undergoing a metamorphosis. They slowly disappeared, replaced by three new environments.

To the south, the air was suddenly filled with surging energy. Numerous buildings appeared, and floating islands rose from the ground. The world transformed into the scene of the Taigu Sacred Capital. The Feng Shui array had created a derived world, birthing the Taigu Sacred Capital. Even the endless stars in the sky seemed different.

The Taigu Sacred Capital, with all its splendor and glory, had been transplanted here. Along with the heavenly momentum Gu Shentong had accumulated, the Taigu Sacred Capital became incredibly lifelike. With Gu Shentong personally controlling this 'derived Taigu Sacred Capital', it was even stronger than when Tian Lao had managed it.

Tian Lao's current role was merely to stabilize this derived world, leaving everything else under Gu Shentong's control.

Similarly, in the northwest, a Lihuo Sacred Capital emerged, completely transforming that part of the world. In the southwest, a massive city appeared, its grandeur rivaling or even surpassing that of the Taigu and Lihuo Sacred Capitals.

Once the three sacred capitals were established, they began advancing towards the Ten Thousand Buddha Mountains.

This was not just the advance of individuals, but the advance of entire worlds, expanding and moving forward. Everything in their path was flattened, leaving not even a blade of grass behind.

This was the power of the derived worlds, like giant heavenly wheels rolling forward.

Within the derived worlds, there was no longer any discomfort. The suppression that the Ten Thousand Buddha Mountains exerted on non-Buddhists had completely vanished.

From a distance, Zhong Shan could see the vastness of the approaching worlds. But now was not the time to charge forward.

The collision of these worlds could easily crush him to dust. Thus, Zhong Shan decided to follow the outskirts of this derived world towards the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

The derived world moved slowly, so Zhong Shan led his army forward at a measured pace.

"Come out, there's no need to hide any longer," the old blind monk, Mingtai Bodhisattva, suddenly spoke from behind Zhong Shan.

As soon as the old blind man spoke, Ao Chuang raised an eyebrow, then his pupils shrank, frowning slightly at Mingtai Bodhisattva. Although he sensed the anomaly after Mingtai's reminder, he was still a step behind him.

Zhong Shan was also slightly surprised. Someone was following us?

Looking in the direction Mingtai was facing, Zhong Shan saw a piece of dead wood in the distance suddenly transform into an alluring woman.

"You dared to sneak up on us. Zhong Shan, let me curse her to death," Hao Meili immediately shouted. Xidu Emperor also looked on coldly.

"Don't!" Zhong Shan quickly interrupted.

Everyone was puzzled.

"She's my friend!" Zhong Shan immediately said.

Friend? Hao Meili was slightly taken aback, then awkwardly refrained from cursing.

"Yuyou, what are you doing here?" Zhong Shan asked.

In the distance, Nian Yuyou's expression was slightly complex. In fact, she had found Zhong Shan a few days ago. Due to her bloodline inheritance ability, even an Imperial Extreme Realm expert couldn't detect her. It wasn't impossible for her to kill Zhong Shan. However, for some reason, she had been in a daze, merely watching Zhong Shan from afar, unable to make a move. Just as Zhong Shan led his army to depart, her emotions stirred, revealing a flaw that the old blind monk noticed.

Since she had been discovered, there was no point in trying to strike. Ao Chuang and the old blind monk's strengths were unknown, but she could sense they were stronger than herself, not to mention the presence of Xidu Emperor and other experts. Attempting to assassinate Zhong Shan now was nearly impossible. Instead of feeling frustrated by her failed plan, Nian Yuyou inexplicably let out a long sigh of relief, feeling an unexplainable sense of relaxation.

"The three great heavenly dynasties are besieging the Land of Ultimate Bliss. This has caused quite a stir in the Divine Continent, attracting countless onlookers. I'm just one of them," Nian Yuyou said.

Spectating? Zhong Shan smiled slightly. Indeed, the Ten Thousand Buddha Mountains must be hiding numerous experts now.

"Come with me, let's take a look together," Zhong Shan invited.

"Alright," Nian Yuyou nodded, somewhat silent, as if lost in thought.

Zhong Shan had no time to delve into Nian Yuyou's thoughts. A great battle was imminent, and time was of the essence.

Since Zhong Shan considered her a friend, the others didn't pay her much attention. Only Mingtai Bodhisattva frowned. Others might not know, but he was well aware that he only discovered Nian Yuyou because she inadvertently revealed a slight flaw. She had been here for at least a few days.

Hiding for days? Just to meet Zhong Shan? If that were the case, she could have revealed herself days ago. But since Zhong Shan called her a friend, it wasn't his place to say more.

Zhong Shan's trust in Nian Yuyou stemmed largely from seeing the ancestral divine beast on her shoulder. Memories of their years as a couple resonated in his heart. Thus, he unconsciously chose to trust her. After all, humans are emotional beings, and even the most rational person can be swayed by deep emotions. As long as safety was not compromised, what else was there to worry about?