Chapter 1009: The Return of the Supreme Lord

"Old Lord, is this your Supreme Fate reuniting with your true self?" A sudden voice echoed throughout the area.

Zhong Shan and his group immediately turned to look.

Two figures stood in the void. Zhong Shan recognized both of them.

The Jade Emperor of the Haotian Palace and the Supreme Lord Laozi.

It was the Jade Emperor who had just spoken, but the Supreme Lord Laozi did not reply. Instead, his body radiated a blinding white light, as if resonating with the white fate within the black hole.

From all directions, an endless stream of mysterious power converged, relentlessly washing over the Supreme Fate.

The Supreme Lord Laozi suddenly closed his eyes and flew directly into the white fate, merging with it. The intense white light that ensued made it impossible to see anything inside. The black hole had long been filled with the white light, from which a vast, overwhelming aura erupted.

This terrifying aura spread out in all directions.

Although the Jade Emperor noticed Zhong Shan and his group, his primary concern was the Supreme Lord Laozi. Therefore, he did not approach Zhong Shan but instead stayed to protect the Supreme Lord Laozi.

Meanwhile, the star explosions continued, filling the entire Li Hentian with dazzling brilliance. Zhong Shan and his companions also focused on fending off the meteorites flying in from all sides.

Mr. Corpse suddenly opened his eyes after keeping them closed for some time.

"Sacred King! There's a massive surge of Xi Qi!" Mr. Corpse exclaimed with deep amazement.

"Xi Qi? The kind of energy that only saints can wield?" Zhong Shan asked.

"Yes, and it's incredibly pure. The entire Li Hentian is filled with it, emerging out of nowhere and then swiftly converging towards the Supreme Lord Laozi!" Mr. Corpse explained.

"Perhaps this was all part of the Supreme Lord's plan from the beginning," Zhong Shan said gravely.

Another day and night passed, and the magnificent star explosions throughout Li Hentian were completely overshadowed by the brilliance emanating from the Supreme Lord Laozi.

As the Supreme Fate of the Saint reformed, the light radiated out for billions of miles, making all of Li Hentian as bright as daylight. It was a spectacle beyond imagination.

At the edge of Li Hentian, Hao Meili and Xidu Emperor watched with growing anxiety.

"Why hasn't Zhong Shan come out yet?" Hao Meili asked with concern.

"Girl, Zhong Shan will be fine. It looks like the formation has already been broken, so Zhong Shan must be dealing with something else," Xidu Emperor reassured her.

"Hmm! But this white light is so bright, I can't see anything!" Hao Meili complained.

On the other side, where Zhong Shan was.

The massive blue star had been completely digested by Baji Tianwei. The energy from the digestion quickly replenished Baji Tianwei, with the surplus energy being transferred to Zhong Shan's body.

Another Grand Immortal Artifact-level existence. Zhong Shan's cultivation naturally surged once again.

"Boom!"

Grand Immortal Seventh Heaven!

Zhong Shan realized that perhaps the greatest gain from this journey eastward through Fengzhong Territory was his own advancement in cultivation.

He looked at the distant white light and continued to wait with his companions.

Two more days passed.

Suddenly, the light from all directions seemed to retract, as if it were being drawn back into the Supreme Lord Laozi at the center.

The Jade Emperor stood in the void, and not far from him, the Supreme Lord Laozi hovered in midair.

The Supreme Lord Laozi, who had once worn a robe adorned with the Taiji Eight Trigrams, now appeared in an entirely different garb—an immaculate white robe that radiated an otherworldly purity. His eyes remained slightly closed, but the aura around him had undergone a profound and earth-shattering transformation.

Slowly, the Supreme Lord Laozi opened his eyes. A terrifying pressure emanated from him, sweeping across the heavens. Even though Zhong Shan and his companions were separated by a vast starry expanse, they could still feel the overwhelming psychological pressure.

"Old Lord?" the Jade Emperor cautiously inquired.

The Supreme Lord Laozi glanced at the Jade Emperor but did not respond directly. Instead, he said in a calm, detached tone, "Jade Emperor, I have returned."

"I have returned?" This tone was clearly out of character for the Supreme Lord Laozi. I have returned? Who was speaking—was it the Saint Taishang?

"Taishang, you've returned!" The Jade Emperor's expression showed a hint of joy.

Nodding slightly, Taishang said, "I will first return to the Eight Sceneries Palace in the Thirty-Six Heavens. I'll find you again after I've settled matters."

"Very well!" The Jade Emperor immediately agreed.

With that, a white Dao of Heaven surged around the Supreme Lord Laozi. As soon as it appeared, he vanished in a flash.

"Was that the Saint Taishang just now?" Mr. Corpse asked with a frown.

"It should have been," Luo Xingchen replied after a moment of thought.

However, Zhong Shan shook his head, saying, "Something's not right. Something doesn't feel right."

Zhong Shan had noticed something peculiar—unlike before, when the Supreme Lord Taishang appeared, his face was clearly visible. It was still the face of the Supreme Lord Laozi, yet something was off.

When they had encountered the corpse of Tongtian and the figure of Sa, Sa's face had been completely obscured, impossible to discern.

Why could they now see the face of the Saint Taishang so clearly?

Of course, the figure they had just witnessed was undoubtedly the returning Saint Taishang. The aura, along with all the other signs, confirmed that this was indeed Taishang's return. But why could they see his face, while Sa's remained hidden?

As Zhong Shan pondered this, a figure suddenly flashed by in the distance.

The Jade Emperor flew over to the group.

"King Zhong, it's been a long time!" the Jade Emperor greeted with a cheerful demeanor.

"Jade Emperor, it's good to see you again," Zhong Shan replied, nodding in return.

At that moment, the Jade Emperor looked at Zhong Shan with a hint of surprise. The last time they met, Zhong Shan had just become an Immortal, yet now he had reached the Grand Immortal Seventh Heaven?

"You've traveled a long way, and I apologize for not greeting you sooner. Is there something important you wish to discuss?" the Jade Emperor asked with a smile.

Although he was surprised by Zhong Shan's rapid growth, the Jade Emperor maintained a polite exterior.

"On behalf of King Dizang, I've come to deliver a jade slip to you. I also wish to see Hao Meili," Zhong Shan explained straightforwardly.

Zhong Shan could see the Jade Emperor's capability, so he decided to cut to the chase instead of engaging in endless pleasantries. As for Erlang Shen's scheming, it was a minor issue that didn't warrant mention at this moment. However, Zhong Shan was certain that the matter wouldn't end there; once the Jade Emperor looked into it, he would likely offer an explanation.

"Dizang King?" The Jade Emperor's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Dizang King has passed away. This is what he left for you," Zhong Shan said.

"Dizang King is dead?" The Jade Emperor's expression turned serious as he immediately took the jade slip.

It seemed he already knew how to unlock the jade slip's seal.

The Jade Emperor tapped the jade slip, then sent his divine sense into it to carefully read its contents.

As he read, the Jade Emperor's expression grew increasingly grave. His eyes even flashed with a sharp, menacing light as he continued.

After finishing, the Jade Emperor put away the jade slip and said, "King Zhong, let us return to the Celestial Court first. Hao Meili has likely been waiting for some time. I need to take care of some private matters first."

"Alright!" Zhong Shan nodded.

From the expression on the Jade Emperor's face, Zhong Shan could tell that the matters mentioned in the jade slip were of great importance.

With a flick of his sleeve, the Jade Emperor led the group swiftly toward the distance.

"Zhong Shan!"

From afar, Hao Meili was already shouting excitedly as she caught sight of him.

As Zhong Shan landed, Hao Meili rushed over, bouncing with excitement.

"Thank goodness you're safe! If anything had happened to you, I would have made that scoundrel pay with his life. Zhong Shan, you're amazing! You even managed to break the Celestial Court's greatest formation!" Hao Meili chattered excitedly.

"Jade Emperor!" "King Zhong!"

Xidu Emperor greeted the two politely.

"Hmm, Hao Meili, Xidu Emperor!" The Jade Emperor acknowledged them.

"Huh?" Hao Meili looked at him in confusion.

"Whatever you saw just now, consider it as if you saw nothing. Li Hentian is just as it always was—nothing has changed!" The Jade Emperor emphasized.

Xidu Emperor's expression shifted slightly, but he eventually nodded and said, "Understood."

"How could it be the same after all that commotion?" Hao Meili protested.

"Hmm?" The Jade Emperor glared at her.

Perhaps due to the matters revealed in the jade slip, the Jade Emperor was in a foul mood, which made him snap at Hao Meili. However, Hao Meili, with her thick skin, didn't seem to mind at all.

Seeing that the Jade Emperor was about to lose his temper again, Zhong Shan intervened, "Let me talk to Hao Meili."

The Jade Emperor glanced at Zhong Shan and finally nodded.

Since Hao Meili had already arrived at Li Hentian, the passage from the Celestial Court to this place had not been closed. The group passed through the passage once more, returning to the grand hall of the Celestial Court.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!" Several officials outside the hall greeted them with bows.

"Seal the passage to Li Hentian and station heavy guards there. No one is allowed to enter!" The Jade Emperor ordered.

"Yes!" The officials immediately complied.

As they left the grand hall, they saw the Queen Mother standing outside with a group of ministers, all of them staring at the frozen statue of Yang Jian.

"Your Majesty, you're back?" The Queen Mother asked in surprise.

At the same time, everyone noticed Zhong Shan, but none of them believed that he had broken through the grand formation on his own. They assumed that the Jade Emperor had saved him.

The Plague God, clad in black robes, was still tirelessly working to lift the curse from Yang Jian.

"Plague God, let him die! Stop trying to lift the curse!" Hao Meili snapped angrily as soon as she saw Yang Jian.

If Zhong Shan hadn't broken the formation, he would have been the one dead now.

The Plague God smiled wryly and shook his head, continuing his work without saying anything.

Seeing Yang Jian's condition, the Jade Emperor quickly pieced together what had happened but chose not to plead for Yang Jian. He simply allowed the Plague God to continue lifting the curse.

"Sound the Heavenly Bell and summon all the gods to a court assembly in the Lingxiao Hall!" The Jade Emperor instructed an official nearby.

"Yes!" The official quickly retreated to carry out the order.

The Queen Mother looked surprised and asked, "The Heavenly Bell? Has something serious happened?"

"You'll find out at the assembly. Make sure you attend," the Jade Emperor replied.

"Very well!" The Queen Mother's eyes were filled with curiosity, but she did not press for details.

The Heavenly Bell? It had been a long time since the Celestial Court had sounded the Heavenly Bell. What significant event could have occurred?

Meanwhile, Hao Meili led Zhong Shan and his group directly to the residence of the Eighth Princess.

"Zhong Shan, tell me, what exactly happened after I left?" Hao Meili asked as they settled into the Eighth Princess's residence.

Zhong Shan gave a brief recount of the events in the Fengzhong Territory.

"Unified the Fengzhong Territory? Zhong Shan, you're truly incredible!" Hao Meili's eyes gleamed with excitement.

"Not bad," Zhong Shan responded with a modest smile, not downplaying his achievements.

At that moment, the sound of a bell rang out across the Celestial Court. It was clear that the Heavenly Bell had been struck.

"By the way, I have something here. Could you help me figure out what it is?" Zhong Shan said.

"What is it?" Hao Meili asked eagerly.

Zhong Shan took out the Book of Life and Death from his robe and handed it to Hao Meili. Xidu Emperor, who was seated nearby, couldn't help but change his expression when he saw the words "Book of Life and Death."

The Book of Life and Death? How did Zhong Shan get his hands on that?

"Is this genuine?" Hao Meili asked, her voice tinged with excitement.

"Yes."

"Haha! The treasure the Plague God has always wanted is now in my hands!" Hao Meili exclaimed with glee.

Zhong Shan opened the only accessible page, showing one side marked "Life" and the other "Death," where he had written the name "Zilu" under the "Death" section.

"I wrote this. Can you tell if it has any effect?" Zhong Shan asked.

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