Chapter 869: The Extermination of the Sea Shark Clan

"Ren Zun? Who is he?" Princess Nine-Tails asked, puzzled.

Everyone turned to Zhong Shan.

"A powerful geomancer, and the depths of his background are profound," Zhong Shan said, taking a deep breath.

"The depths of his background? How deep could it be?" Princess Nine-Tails scoffed.

"If Ren Zun is here, he must have a purpose. I hope it doesn't conflict with ours," Zhong Shan said calmly.

"Is he really that terrifying?" Su Afo wondered. In his view, Zhong Shan feared nothing, yet mentioning "Ren Zun" seemed to make him hesitant.

"I'm not afraid of him. I just don't want to disturb the deep waters behind him right now. The time isn't right," Zhong Shan said seriously.

The three of them only partially understood.

"Which one is Zhong Shan? Come out—!" Suddenly, a loud voice boomed from the sky above the island.

Everyone frowned and stepped out of the hall.

In the sky above the island, four men stood in a line, their faces full of anger. Many guards on the island prepared for battle, their eyes fixed on the four men.

As Zhong Shan stepped out, the four men's eyes locked onto him.

"Who are you?" Zhong Shan raised an eyebrow.

"Are you the one who killed the young prince and Sixteenth Elder?" the leading man in black robes asked coldly.

"Who are you?" Zhong Shan asked sternly.

"They are the second, sixth, eighth, and ninth elders of the sea shark clan," Hongxiao said.

"If you are Zhong Shan, then it's settled. You killed our young prince and Sixteenth Elder. By the king's command, we are here to take your head!" the second elder declared.

"Take my head? Such arrogance. Do you know who I am? Do you know what the consequences of your offense today will be?" Zhong Shan's eyes flashed with a fierce glint, intimidating the four elders.

"Who do you think you are? The Sacred King of Great Yi? A court not even as strong as a heavenly dynasty?" the second elder sneered.

"Fools! Do you know where you are?" Princess Nine-Tails shouted.

The second elder glanced at her indifferently. "Princess Nine-Tails of Taichu? Don't worry. We won't touch any of you. We only want Zhong Shan dead!"

"Zhong Shan is under Taichu's protection. Killing him means declaring war on Taichu. Have you thought this through?" Hongxiao warned.

The second elder frowned, then replied, "General Hongxiao, we have considered the consequences. Please do not interfere. Our determination is clear with the presence of four Great Celestials. If you obstruct us, we cannot guarantee what might happen."

"Hahaha, Great Celestials? You think you are worthy of the title?" Zhong Shan laughed scornfully.

The four elders' eyes widened in anger.

"Afraid to even draw your weapons? I guess I overestimated you! Show me your weapons. If you dare to come here, you must have brought celestial weapons," Zhong Shan mocked.

As he spoke, the sky turned purple, with lightning and thunder roaring. The surroundings changed, the island scene disappearing, replaced by Zhong Shan's Divine Realm.

In the Divine Realm, there were only five people: the four elders and Zhong Shan. Su Afo and the others were not included.

Inside Zhong Shan's Divine Realm, the four elders stood facing Zhong Shan, their expressions turning serious.

"This is your Divine Realm?" the second elder asked, his voice tinged with surprise.

"Indeed," Zhong Shan replied, his eyes sharp and focused.

The second elder sneered, "Do you think your Divine Realm can save you?"

"We'll see," Zhong Shan said coldly, his hand gripping his weapon tightly.

The second elder and the others summoned their celestial weapons, the air around them crackling with intense energy.

Zhong Shan's eyes flashed with determination. "Come, let's end this!"

With a fierce battle cry, the five of them clashed, the power of their celestial weapons shaking the very fabric of the Divine Realm. The fight was intense, each strike resounding like thunder, the air thick with the clash of their immense energies.

Zhong Shan moved with precision and strength, countering each of the elders' attacks. His Divine Realm provided him with an edge, the environment bending to his will, amplifying his power.

The four elders, despite their combined might, found themselves struggling against Zhong Shan's relentless assault. His mastery of his realm and his combat skills were overwhelming.

"You underestimate me," Zhong Shan said, his voice echoing with confidence. "This is your end!"

With a final, devastating strike, Zhong Shan unleashed the full power of his Divine Realm, engulfing the elders in a torrent of energy. The air vibrated with the intensity of the attack, and the four elders were obliterated, their celestial weapons shattered, their bodies disintegrating into nothingness.

As the last echoes of the battle faded, Zhong Shan stood alone, victorious. The Divine Realm returned to normal, the island reappearing around him.

Outside the Divine Realm, Su Afo, Princess Nine-Tails, and Hongxiao watched in awe. The sheer display of power and the swift conclusion of the battle left them speechless.

Zhong Shan stepped out of his realm, his expression calm and composed.

"It's over," he said quietly.

The others could only nod, still processing the incredible display they had just witnessed. Zhong Shan's strength and determination had proven once again that he was a force to be reckoned with.

The four elders stared at Zhong Shan, and the second elder, surprised, said, "Impressive courage, challenging us four Great Celestials with just a Celestial body. You are indeed a remarkable Sacred King. Regardless, your spirit is unmatched, and we will try to leave half of your body intact."

"Half a body?" Zhong Shan sneered.

As he spoke, each of the four elders retrieved a treasure: a blade, two swords, and a divine orb.

"Four celestial weapons?" Zhong Shan squinted, and at the same time, his Eight Extremes Heavenly Tail shrank to palm size and climbed onto his shoulder.

The Eight Extremes Heavenly Tail's eight tails swayed slightly, its black eyes gleaming with intense greed as it stared at the four celestial weapons and the four Great Celestials.

"Yiya yiya yiya!" The Eight Extremes Heavenly Tail kept chirping, seemingly eager to pounce.

The four elders were slightly taken aback. A pet? What is this? They exchanged glances, not taking it seriously, and prepared to eliminate Zhong Shan immediately.

Outside, on the island.

The sky was filled with a faint purple light as Zhong Shan and the four elders suddenly vanished.

The unexpected change startled everyone.

"No way, Zhong Shan is going to fight four Great Celestials alone? A Celestial against four Great Celestials, is that even possible?" Su Afo exclaimed in shock.

"Why not? Zhong Shan is my retainer!" Princess Nine-Tails said matter-of-factly.

"But, Your Highness, even if Sacred King Zhong is extraordinary, he's still just a Celestial. Could he be in danger? Should we help?" Hongxiao asked, frowning.

"No need to worry. Can't you see? This is Zhong Shan's 'world.' If he is in danger, he can easily escape. Then we can intervene. They're just four sea sharks in human form," Princess Nine-Tails said dismissively.

"Alright," Hongxiao agreed, but he couldn't help feeling worried for Zhong Shan.

Princess Nine-Tails watched the purple light in the sky intently, her previous playful demeanor replaced by a grave and serious expression.

Su Afo glanced at Princess Nine-Tails, a strange look in his eyes, but he patiently waited as well.

And so, they waited for an entire day.

"Zhong Shan better be alright; I still need him to teach me how to charm a saintess," Su Afo said worriedly.

"He should be fine. This is still Sacred King Zhong's 'world,'" Hongxiao reassured.

As they waited, a streak of light shot from a distance, heading straight for the island.

In an instant, it arrived—a man in a red robe, covered in blood, looking utterly disheveled and terrified.

"The fourth elder of the sea shark clan?" Hongxiao squinted his eyes.

"Second brother? Second brother?" The red-robed man wailed.

It seemed he could sense the presence of the other sea shark clan elders. As soon as he arrived, he started shouting.

"Boom!"

A loud explosion resounded in the void, and a blue light ball suddenly shot out, or rather, it escaped from Zhong Shan's Divine Realm.

The blue light revealed a disheveled man, the second elder, his celestial weapon gone, his face full of panic.

At this moment, Zhong Shan's figure slowly emerged, but the other three elders were nowhere to be seen.

"You, you devil!" the second elder screamed in terror.

"You're already a Great Celestial, and you're afraid of a devil?" Zhong Shan mocked.

As Zhong Shan spoke, his right hand emitted a faint silver light, as if he was about to unleash the Opening Heaven Palm again. However, just as the silver light flickered, Zhong Shan's pupils contracted, and the light dissipated.

"Second brother, I finally found you!" the fourth elder suddenly rushed towards the second elder.

"Old Fourth, why are you here?" the second elder asked in surprise, keeping a wary eye on Zhong Shan.

"They're all dead, all of them. Our Sea Shark Clan has been exterminated. The king and all the other elders are dead!" the fourth elder wailed in anguish.

"What?!" the second elder shouted in disbelief.

"It was Cheng Baiyi of the Purple Heaven Daoist Temple. He personally acted. No one could escape. The eldest brother died to let me escape and inform you all to flee!" the fourth elder said mournfully.

"Exterminated?" The second elder staggered, finding it hard to accept the blow.

"Second brother, where are the others?" the fourth elder asked.

At this question, the second elder shuddered, looking at Zhong Shan in terror.

At this moment, Zhong Shan did not make another move. For some reason, he descended onto the island, landing among Princess Nine-Tails and the others.

"They're all dead. Let's go, let's leave this place, leave this place!" the second elder said in panic.

"Leave? Do you think you can leave?" A shout echoed from the void.

This was the reason Zhong Shan had stopped his pursuit earlier. He had sensed the presence of a powerful individual, so he didn't continue with the Opening Heaven Palm.

Everyone looked up to see a white-robed man standing in mid-air, his eyes filled with extreme coldness.

"It's him? Is that Cheng Baiyi?" Zhong Shan frowned.

He had seen this man before. The last time, at Su Daji's tomb, this man had accompanied the Purple Heaven Daoist Temple's leader.

"Cheng Baiyi? Is it really you? Weren't you at the Sea Shark Islands? Have you been following me?" the fourth elder cried out in alarm.

"If I hadn't followed you, how would I have found the remnants? Those who dare to desecrate the saintess of Purple Heaven must die. I vowed to exterminate your clan, and I keep my word!" Cheng Baiyi said coldly.

As he spoke, Cheng Baiyi extended his hand, and a white palm formed in the void, reaching for the second and fourth elders.

Both were already severely injured. In the face of the powerful Cheng Baiyi, they seemed unable to move and were swiftly enveloped by the white palm.

"Boom!" A loud explosion resounded as the white palm slowly dissipated, revealing the crushed remains of the two Sea Shark Clan elders.

Cheng Baiyi had crushed the two elders with a single hand. He then looked deeply at Zhong Shan, as if challenging him. That palm seemed to be a direct response to Zhong Shan's Opening Heaven Palm from a month ago.

Zhong Shan didn't say anything, only stared at Cheng Baiyi.

Cheng Baiyi seemed satisfied with his actions, his figure flickering before disappearing from everyone's sight.

"Cheng Baiyi Daoist Lord? Such a strong killing intent, he exterminated the Sea Shark Clan?" Hongxiao frowned.

"Let's go," Zhong Shan said, stepping back into the hall.

The three celestial-ranked Sea Shark Clan beasts and four celestial weapons were all devoured by the Eight Extremes Heavenly Tail, raising Zhong Shan's cultivation to the fifth level of the Celestial Realm. The Boundless Sea truly was a treasure trove!

Half a month later, on an island in the Boundless Sea, Sima Qing stood on the beach, looking out over the ocean with his hands behind his back, while Sima Qianjun stood behind him.

"Little Prince, the Sea Shark Clan has been exterminated. Cheng Baiyi acted personally," Sima Qianjun reported.

"Exterminated? So be it. It's a pity they couldn't kill the saintess of the Purple Heaven Daoist Temple. Useless!" Sima Qing said coldly.

"But..." Sima Qianjun hesitated.

"Don't worry about it. I didn't plan to use the Sea Shark Clan for long. It's just unfortunate they couldn't kill the saintess. We'll have to devise a new plan," Sima Qing sighed slightly.