Undying Life

Chapter 1030: Zhong Shan Takes Action

As Kong Xuan unleashed his Peacock Plume Dao, the sky filled with countless fierce peacock phantoms, all roaring violently toward Confucius. Standing firmly within his Dao, Kong Xuan glared coldly at his opponent.

Confucius, maintaining his calm demeanor, remarked, "No wonder you dare to challenge me. You've formed your own Dao? But you should know that the gap between an Ancestral Immortal and a Sage is insurmountable. You will never be my match."

Kong Xuan did not bother to respond. There was no point in engaging in further words with Confucius. His eyes narrowed as he commanded the endless peacock phantoms, alongside the force of his Peacock Plume Dao, to charge at the Great Confucian Way.

The two Daos collided!

"Boom!"

The clash of these two massive Daos created a supermassive black hole, as if tearing a giant rift in the very fabric of the heavens and earth. The surrounding area was engulfed in a terrifying shockwave. Beyond the protective bounds of Xianyang, vast swathes of land were reduced to dust—the impact of the Daos' collision was that powerful.

Inside Chongtian Hall, the gathered experts shielded the hall from the worst of the effects, but outside, the world was thrown into chaos. Everything became a blur, indistinguishable amidst the trembling and swirling darkness, with only faint glimpses of white and blue light cutting through the void.

The earth shook for an entire hour, and by the time the tremors subsided, the guests who had managed to endure were left trembling with fear. The might of a Sage was truly capable of destroying the world. The thought that they were on the opposing side of the Confucian Sect now filled them with dread.

When the tremors finally ceased, the black hole gradually filled in as the space healed.

The white Great Confucian Way stood tall and unshaken, radiating a blinding white light. The air was filled with the sound of Confucian scriptures and floating texts that spread in all directions. Meanwhile, the remnants of countless peacock plumes floated through the air.

Confucius remained calm, still hovering in the sky, while Kong Xuan stared at him, breathing heavily. It was clear that the previous hour of battle had tipped in Confucius's favor.

"It's useless. You can't even break through my Great Confucian Way, so how could you possibly harm me? I'm standing here, unmoving, and yet you can't touch me. You're no match for me. Return to the Kong family, and I'll make you an elder. Together, we can lead the Kong family to new heights," Confucius said, his tone smooth and persuasive.

"Hahahaha!"

Kong Xuan laughed loudly, his pride unshaken. The idea of being subordinate to anyone, especially Confucius, was unthinkable. Kong Xuan would never bow or compromise.

But from the way the battle was going, it was clear that Kong Xuan was at a disadvantage. How could he possibly defeat a Sage like Confucius?

The guests in Chongtian Hall grew increasingly anxious. If Kong Xuan were to lose easily, would Confucius then turn his attention to them?

Zhong Shan turned to look at Ying. Despite the fierce battle between Kong Xuan and Confucius, Ying remained the epitome of calm, even though he was at the center of this chaotic struggle. Was he not worried at all?

Indeed, Ying showed no signs of concern, at least not outwardly. He exuded a terrifying calmness, his eyes sharp and focused, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the armrest as if waiting for something, perhaps even calculating something.

Beside Ying, Guiguzi remained shrouded in his black robe, motionless as he watched the battle unfold, seemingly anticipating something as well.

From their demeanor, Zhong Shan deduced that there was a reason Ying was refraining from acting—it had to be related to the situation at hand. But what was Ying's goal? Was he planning to ally with Kong Xuan against Confucius? That didn't seem likely.

It was clear that Kong Xuan had already been in contact with Ying before, otherwise, Zhong Shan's departure from the East Sea wouldn't have gone so smoothly. Kong Xuan must have been near Xianyang Holy Capital all along, only revealing himself at the last moment. What were they waiting for?

In the distance, the battle continued. Kong Xuan's earlier attacks had failed to harm Confucius, and his expression grew increasingly serious.

Suddenly, on the other side of the Great Confucian Way, another Dao appeared. No, it was still the Peacock Plume Dao, but within it emerged another Kong Xuan.

Two Peacock Plume Daos, and two Kong Xuans?

Everyone was momentarily stunned. What kind of technique was this?

Suddenly, another two Peacock Plume Daos appeared around the Great Confucian Way.

Now, there were a total of four Peacock Plume Daos, each seemingly containing a version of Kong Xuan, all with the same cold expression, staring intently at Confucius in the center.

Confucius remained silent, his gaze sharp.

"Impressive technique," Confucius remarked coldly.

Kong Xuan continued to ignore Confucius, focusing entirely on the battle. The four identical Daos converged on the Great Confucian Way, crashing into it with relentless force.

"Boom!"

The impact was even more violent than before, with the collision creating a chaotic storm that obscured everything within. The violent shaking once again filled the guests with unease, and many now desperately wished to distance themselves from this conflict. However, at this point, escape was impossible. There was no way out.

Fortunately, this bout of shaking, though intense, lasted only half as long as before. After half an hour, the black hole began to close, and the battlefield was once again revealed.

Kong Xuan's four Daos had merged back into one, but his body was now slightly hunched, as if he had sustained serious injuries. Yet, his expression remained fiercely determined.

As for Confucius, he stood within his Great Confucian Way, his posture unwavering. However, a section of his sleeve had been torn.

The invincibility of a Sage? Though Confucius had not been injured, Kong Xuan's attack had managed to leave some effect, however small.

Kong Xuan's fierce resolve was evident.

He took several deep breaths, while Confucius, still within the Great Confucian Way, seemed to have been provoked.

"Hmph, stubborn fool!" Confucius snorted, his voice laced with contempt.

The terrifying aura of the Sage radiated outward, making it impossible for the citizens of Xianyang to look upon him. Under this oppressive aura, the Great Confucian Way trembled slightly, and suddenly, seven more Daos appeared behind it. Although these were not identical to the Great Confucian Way, they exuded an overwhelming and fearsome power.

Confucius had truly unleashed his wrath, summoning seven Daos with a mere gesture.

The colors of these seven Daos bore a resemblance to the seven-colored divine light seen earlier.

"So, you haven't forgotten the true power of the Kong family!" Kong Xuan sneered.

Confucius had truly been angered now. The seven Daos surged forward, encircling the Peacock Plume Dao just as they had previously surrounded Confucius. The collision of these Daos was bound to be catastrophic.

While the might of a Dao doesn't necessarily surpass that of a Heavenly Dao, the strength of the wielder of the Dao is paramount. A Dao belongs entirely to its master, who can fully wield its power. However, a Heavenly Dao is a universal principle, and even an Ancestral Immortal who has merged with a Heavenly Dao may not be able to fully control it, especially when two Ancestral Immortals clash using the same Dao.

For Kong Xuan, being surrounded by seven Daos was a disaster.

Seeing this, Kong Xuan's eyes narrowed. He suddenly made a sweeping gesture with his hand.

"Buzz!"

The void trembled as yet another Dao shot skyward. This one was a platinum-gold Dao, which immediately broke through two of Confucius's Daos.

Even Confucius's seven Daos hesitated for a moment.

Confucius regarded this platinum-gold Dao with a solemn expression. It exuded an eerie blend of Confucian, Buddhist, and Immortal energies, making it appear exceedingly strange.

At the center of this Dao floated a bizarre creature.

It was a golden deity with seventeen arms, each holding a different object, and three eyes on its head. However, one of its arms had been severed, as if it had been cut off in battle.

"Zhun Ti's Dharmakaya?" Confucius remarked with a serious tone.

The two Heavenly Daos that had previously been obstructing the path strangely parted ways under the influence of the platinum-gold Dao. It wasn't due to the overwhelming power of this Dao, but rather because it carried a distinct aura of Confucianism within it.

Could this be the Dao of Zhun Ti?

Zhun Ti, a once revered sage, was thought to have perished tens of thousands of years ago, yet his legacy remained well-known:

Half-Buddhist, half-Daoist, and also half-immortal, Master of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, the complete sage. He governed the Western Heavens with the Seven Lotus Petals and Nine Mystical Trees.

This was how the Sage Zhun Ti was described, which explained why his Dao carried traces of Confucian energy.

At that moment, Kong Xuan's expression shifted, for the 18-Armed Golden Dharmakaya, originally one of his treasures, had suddenly slipped from his control.

"How could this be?" Kong Xuan exclaimed in shock.

Everyone could see that something had gone wrong, but no one knew exactly what.

The platinum-gold Dao began to move slowly, and shockingly, it was headed towards Chongtian Hall.

"Whoosh!"

From the direction of Chongtian Hall, a white Heavenly Dao shot skyward. It was Bodhi Patriarch, who had suddenly stepped forward, spreading his arms as he positioned himself within his Heavenly Dao, drawing closer to the platinum-gold Dao.

What was Bodhi Patriarch planning?

Everyone watched in astonishment, while Tathagata simply smiled, as if he already knew the outcome.

Kong Xuan watched from a distance, his eyes fixated on Bodhi Patriarch and the 18-Armed Golden Dharmakaya as they drew nearer to each other. To his further surprise, Zhun Ti's Dao and Bodhi Patriarch's Heavenly Dao began to merge into one.

"Bodhi Patriarch?" Kong Xuan uttered in disbelief.

At this moment, Confucius made no move to intervene, allowing Bodhi Patriarch and the golden Dharmakaya to come into contact.

As they did, a strange phenomenon occurred.

"Buzz!"

The platinum-gold Dao trembled lightly, then suddenly vanished, leaving Bodhi Patriarch and the golden Dharmakaya seemingly fused into one entity.

"Zhun Ti, could it be you? Are you truly the old Zhun Ti?" Kong Xuan exclaimed with a mix of surprise and hope.

However, Bodhi Patriarch's face contorted in pain, and he did not respond to Kong Xuan. The golden Dharmakaya enveloped him like armor, but his expression was twisted, lacking the majestic bearing of the Sage Zhun Ti.

"It's useless!" Confucius suddenly interjected.

His words drew the attention of everyone present.

"Zhun Ti was indeed meticulous in his calculations," Confucius continued. "Bodhi Patriarch is nothing more than the 'evil corpse' that Zhun Ti cast away after washing away his own memories. He entrusted you with the golden Dharmakaya, intending to reunite it with the 'evil corpse' at the right moment, allowing Zhun Ti to return to the world. But alas, you damaged the 18-Armed Golden Dharmakaya, rendering it incomplete. Even the slightest imperfection prevents Zhun Ti from fully returning. He has truly become part of history now!" Confucius sneered.

"Kong Qiu, do you really think your schemes can surpass those of Zhun Ti?" Kong Xuan retorted coldly.

"Whether they surpass his or not is irrelevant. But long ago, I realized that your 18-Armed Golden Dharmakaya was problematic. I had often considered tracking you down to destroy it, but a calculation I made several centuries ago revealed that the Dharmakaya had already been damaged. It turns out that you were your own worst enemy!" Confucius remarked with a satisfied tone.

Kong Xuan's gaze shifted to the distant Bodhi Patriarch, who was clearly in agony.

The golden Dharmakaya, now missing one arm, was unable to fully merge with Bodhi Patriarch's body.

"Hmph, you should be more concerned about yourself!" Confucius declared as he prepared to strike again.

Confucius cast a cold glance at Chongtian Hall before sneering, "Chongtian Hall? Hmph!"

The powerful Heavenly Dao surged towards Kong Xuan, causing the world to shake violently once more. Tathagata quickly flew out to retrieve Bodhi Patriarch, bringing him back to safety. The outer world trembled, leaving many of the guests in Chongtian Hall trembling with fear. The chilling voice of Confucius still echoed in their minds—if Confucius defeated Kong Xuan, would he then turn on them?

Bodhi Patriarch, now encased in the golden Dharmakaya, was in visible pain.

"Master! Master, are you alright? Please, come out!" Sun Shen called out anxiously.

Meanwhile, the others in Chongtian Hall were growing increasingly worried.

Zhong Shan, however, wore a peculiar expression. The missing arm of the 18-Armed Golden Dharmakaya had been severed by him in the Small Thousand World, and it had even been consumed by his Eight Extremities Heavenly Tail. Could it be that the reason Zhun Ti couldn't return was because of him?

No one noticed Zhong Shan's strange expression, as everyone else was engaged in anxious conversation.

"Tathagata, can you reattach this arm? Could it restore Zhun Ti?" Lan inquired.

"It's impossible. The 18-Armed Golden Dharmakaya of Sage Zhun Ti is unique. Each part contains different essences of form and meaning. Even if one could remember its original shape, it wouldn't be possible to restore the essence and meaning within it. This is likely an aspect of Sage Zhun Ti's destiny, and it can't be replicated," Tathagata shook his head.

"Give it a try anyway. After all, he once stayed in the Great Thunder Sound Temple. You should have some memory of him," Lan urged.

"I'll do my best," Tathagata nodded, knowing that this was no time to refuse.

He clasped his hands together, gathering a vast amount of golden light to form a divine arm with an intricate and profound shape. Slowly, he attempted to attach it to the missing arm of the golden Dharmakaya.

"Rumble!" Bodhi Patriarch shook violently within the Dharmakaya, even spitting out blood.

Tathagata immediately removed the golden arm.

"It's no use. The 18-Armed Golden Dharmakaya of Sage Zhun Ti contains the essences of Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism, along with various divine rhythms. It's impossible to replicate. I've done all I can. If I continue, it might further harm Bodhi Patriarch," Tathagata sighed, shaking his head.

"Esteemed elders, I beg you, save my master! Even if he can't become Zhun Ti again, at least save him from this cursed Dharmakaya!" Sun Shen pleaded desperately.

Everyone wanted to help, but who among them had a solution? The situation seemed impossible.

"I... I can give it a try," a hesitant voice spoke from behind Tathagata.

Sun Shen's face lit up with hope, and the others turned to see who had spoken, only to realize it was Zhong Shan.

"Zhong Shan? Are you trying to harm my master? Get away from him!" Sun Shen shouted, immediately jumping to his feet.

But Zhong Shan ignored Sun Shen's outburst, as did the others. Despite their doubts, they found Zhong Shan more credible than Sun Shen.

"Zhong Shan, can you really do this?" Tathagata asked, his voice filled with uncertainty. If even he couldn't repair the arm, how could Zhong Shan?

"I'll give it a shot," Zhong Shan said, rubbing his nose with a wry smile. It seemed that the mistake he made in the past was now something he had to fix himself.

Sun Shen tried to rush forward, but Tathagata held him in place with a single gesture, rendering him immobile.

"Tathagata, let me go! He's trying to harm my master!" Sun Shen yelled frantically.

But Tathagata paid no attention to his cries.

Zhong Shan approached the spot where the arm had been severed, examining it closely. He extended his right hand, and energy began to gather in his palm.

What could Zhong Shan possibly do? He could only have the Eight Extremities Heavenly Tail regurgitate the golden arm that it had consumed in the past, using the recently devoured Zilu to replenish any lost energy.

Slowly, the shape of an arm began to materialize in Zhong Shan's palm. However, the arm looked incredibly crude, resembling two lumps of gold rather than a proper limb. It had no discernible shape, not even fingers—just two roughly hewn segments.

Everyone watched in stunned disbelief as Zhong Shan presented the strange, rudimentary "arm" he had created. Even Zhong Shan himself felt a bit embarrassed; the original arm had been so thoroughly consumed that what he managed to produce was a mere approximation—two segments resembling golden carrots, rather than anything close to the elegant form of the original limb. Yet, these golden segments still contained the vital energy, the "essence" and "form," that had once been part of the true arm.

The onlookers, including Tathagata and Lan, exchanged puzzled glances. Sun Shen, however, was outraged.

"Tathagata, stop him! He's a fool! He's doing this on purpose! This is even worse than what you made! How could this be an arm for the golden Dharmakaya? It's just two pieces of carrot! Stop him now!" Sun Shen shouted frantically.

On the other side, Zhong Shan noticed that Ying and Guiguzi seemed entirely uninterested in Zhun Ti's predicament, their focus remaining firmly on the distant battlefield. They paid no attention to the bizarre scene unfolding in front of them.

Zhong Shan's creation was so absurd that it left even the guests across the hall rolling their eyes. How could something as crude as this possibly serve as an arm for the Dharmakaya? Some even began to believe Sun Shen's accusations—that Zhong Shan was deliberately sabotaging the situation, perhaps as a form of revenge for the humiliation he had suffered at the hands of Bodhi Patriarch on Shengshi Mountain.

"Zhong Shan, are you sure this will work?" Even Hao Meili, who normally had great faith in Zhong Shan, couldn't help but voice her doubts.

She had seen the original arm during the battle between Zhong Shan and Kong Xuan; the intricately crafted limb that held the lotus mudra was far superior to these "carrots" Zhong Shan had produced.

"Zhong Shan, what exactly are you doing?" Tathagata asked, equally perplexed.

"Let's just give it a try," Zhong Shan replied with a resigned smile, acknowledging the absurdity of the situation.

"No! You can't let him try! He's trying to harm my master!" Sun Shen continued to protest, but his pleas fell on deaf ears. Tathagata did not release him, fully aware that Zhong Shan, despite the odd appearance of his creation, was not someone to be taken lightly.

The world outside the hall was still embroiled in a fierce battle, but no one was paying attention to it anymore. All eyes were on Zhong Shan and the golden "carrots" he held.

Carefully, Zhong Shan brought the crude golden segments closer to the severed limb of the Dharmakaya.

Sun Shen had already given up, his gaze filled with hatred as he watched Zhong Shan.

The others, too, braced themselves for what they assumed would be Bodhi Patriarch's inevitable demise. If Tathagata's carefully crafted arm had caused such severe damage, what would this rudimentary attempt do?

"Crack!"

A crisp sound echoed through the hall, freezing everyone in place. The crude golden segments had seamlessly fused with the Dharmakaya's severed limb.

The result was comically awkward—a pristine golden Dharmakaya now sported a bent, carrot-like arm. Yet, despite the bizarre appearance, the moment the arm connected, Bodhi Patriarch's complexion visibly improved. The massive golden Dharmakaya then began to shrink, merging back into Bodhi Patriarch's body.

It worked?

Sun Shen was at a loss for words, nearly choking on his own frustration. He could only mutter incoherently to himself.

Tathagata looked on in mild surprise, glancing back and forth between Zhong Shan and Bodhi Patriarch. Lan, on the other hand, had been watching Zhong Shan with a knowing smile, his eyes gleaming with understanding.

"Whoosh!"

An overwhelming wave of golden and white light began converging from all directions.

"Boom!"

The previously diminished platinum-gold Dao surged skyward once more, stabilizing the chaotic environment around Chongtian Hall.

The earth and heavens seemed to calm, settling into an eerie stillness.

In the distance, where the two Kongs had been locked in battle, their fight came to an abrupt and unnatural halt. All eyes turned towards the unexpected turn of events at Chongtian Hall, as a sense of foreboding loomed over everyone present.

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