Chapter 227 - 227 Zhong Shan carries a sword with his sword
Chapter 227: Zhong Shan carries a sword with his sword
The Arhat of Wisdom made the first move. This was to prevent the Deer King from dragging things out any longer. Besides seeking vengeance for past grievances, the Arhat was also concerned about the formidable power of the Dragon Buddha of the Stormy Sea. They had to resolve this quickly and return, hoping that in case of any mishap, they could still offer some assistance.
With a swift palm strike, the Arhat conjured a massive golden palm in the void, hurtling straight towards Princess Qianyou.
Ahead, Ada stepped up, fists raised towards the sky.
This time, Ada didn't hold back at all. With fists thrust forward, a resplendent tiger phantom charged towards the heavens.
"Roar~~~~~~~~"
"Boom~~~~~~~~"
The tiger clashed with the giant palm, unleashing a surging airflow in all directions. The sea below sank by over ten meters, and beyond a kilometer in diameter, a massive circular wave surged out.
The soldiers rushing in from all sides were blown away by this forceful gust. However, Princess Qianyou protected Zhongshan, swiftly darting downwards.
The generals surrounding Zhongshan, led by Yujiang, gestured to their subordinates, and a large number of soldiers quickly retreated towards the distance. Here were only powerhouses, the strongest of the strong; they had no place in this fight.
In the split second when the Arhat made his move, the Deer King's eyes flashed with anger. But in the next moment, they lit up with cunning. If E Yan said they couldn't harm Princess Qianyou, what about the Arhat? If the Arhat killed Princess Qianyou, wouldn't that incur the wrath of the Holy Land and the Celestial Empire? That would still be a significant accomplishment for him.
With this thought, a wicked smile crept onto the Deer King's lips. "Wu'an, stop A'er!"
"Yes," Wu'an, a subordinate brought by the Deer King, immediately responded.
Seeing the Deer King's move, the Arhat narrowed his eyes. Though he was a bit impatient, he could still see through the Deer King's petty tricks. Unlike E Yan, the Deer King's intelligence wasn't as inscrutable, making his schemes relatively easy to discern.
The Arhat likewise revealed a sly smile, unperturbed, and continued his pursuit of Princess Qianyou.
As the Arhat dashed downwards, Ada stood in his path, but suddenly, another figure appeared before Ada: the Deer King.
Similarly, before A'er, another of the Deer King's subordinates, Wu'an, suddenly appeared.
"Bang~~~~~~~~"
Princess Qianyou descended into the sea along with Zhongshan.
Underwater, Zhongshan saw a radiant glow above. Ada, A'er, the Deer King, and Wu'an were all unleashing their attacks on the sea's surface. It seemed as if a thousand waves were rolling on the ocean's surface. Even as Zhongshan and Princess Qianyou descended rapidly, they could feel the underwater turbulence caused by the fierce battle above.
They felt the towering waves rushing upwards, while they descended against the current. Simultaneously, a vast amount of seawater from all directions surged towards their location.
The four formidable warriors confronted each other on the sea's surface, while beneath the sea, apart from Princess Qianyou and Zhongshan, two others pursued them: the vengeful Arhat of Wisdom and the Fish General in the early stages of fusion.
With a cold smirk, the Arhat descended straight down, while the Fish General opted for a more leisurely approach, waiting to reap the rewards.
As they sank to the seabed, Zhongshan's heart was filled with worry, not just for himself but also for Princess Qianyou. If they failed, what would happen?
Zhongshan remained unusually calm. He had already considered everything that needed to be considered. The Red Phoenix Mist? No good. Dealing with these people would require them to be extremely careless, and with the Arhat leading the charge and the Fish General waiting to take advantage, how could they afford to be careless?
"Arhat of Wisdom, we've already dispatched people to the Stormy Sea. The Dragon Buddha of the Great Mighty Waves will surely be unharmed. If the princess dies, you'll be the cause of enmity between the Holy Land and the Celestial Empire," Zhongshan shouted.
"Unharmed?" The Arhat of Wisdom narrowed his eyes. His momentum faltered.
If what Zhongshan said was true, he didn't want to become a sinner in the Pure Land of Bliss.
Seeing the Arhat falter, Zhongshan felt a surge of joy. Just moments ago, as the Arhat charged down, the pressure forced Princess Qianyou and himself into the depths of the sea, rendering them immobile. If he, under such circumstances, could not move, then the pressure the Arhat exerted on Princess Qianyou could well be imagined.
The surrounding seawater had already been forced back by the Arhat's momentum.
The Arhat hesitated. Good, hesitation was good.
Just as Zhongshan was about to say something more, the Arhat waved his hand, and suddenly, a dark golden mist emerged from his palm. Within the mist, a shadowy silhouette resembling a silkworm faintly appeared.
The Arhat's eyes narrowed, and with a flick of his hand...
"Bang~~~~~~~~"
A surge of air pushed Zhongshan away, exposing Princess Qianyou directly in front of the Arhat. The dark golden mist surged towards her.
"Wisdom, you're courting death!" Zhongshan shouted.
Under the tremendous pressure, Princess Qianyou couldn't move. The dark golden mist swiftly invaded her body at the Arhat's behest.
"Spurt~~~~~~~~"
Princess Qianyou spat out a mouthful of blood, her face suddenly darkening. At this moment, Zhongshan, who had been blown away, suddenly regained mobility, as if the Arhat's momentum had completely dissipated.
The seawater surged forth, and Zhongshan quickly rushed towards Princess Qianyou.
Under the overwhelming pressure, Princess Qianyou swayed as if about to be knocked over by the rushing seawater.
Without time for further thought, Zhongshan caught the swaying Princess Qianyou.
"Princess~~~~~~~~"
Suddenly, Ada's voice rang out from above the sea. Though the four were engaged in battle on the surface, their consciousnesses were still focused below.
The waves grew even stronger, and the underwater battle intensified.
Zhongshan held the Princess, whose face was now tinged with black. He looked at the Arhat with suspicion.
At this moment, Zhongshan once again realized the absolute power disparity. In the face of absolute power, intelligence seemed so feeble. The Arhat of Wisdom could now decide life and death.
Zhongshan shielded himself and Princess Qianyou with his Qi. Princess Qianyou's mouth oozed with blood, her eyes fixed coldly on the Arhat, brimming with hatred.
"The Buddha said I couldn't kill you, but I can use your own methods against you, Princess Qianyou. Last time, you injected me with the Great Luo Mist. This time, let's taste the 'Polluted Divine Silkworm' of the Pure Land of Bliss. The Polluted Divine Silkworm is also one of the world's most toxic substances. Unless purified with the Snow Lotus of the Pure World or cultivated to the level of the Buddha, it will either require vast amounts of Qi to dispel or result in death. Regardless of whether you send someone to save the Buddha or not, you're the cause of poisoning me, so there will inevitably be consequences," the Arhat said coldly.
Princess Qianyou suddenly seemed extremely weak, but her eyes remained coldly fixed on the Arhat, filled with fury.
The Arhat gave a cold smile. "I forgot to mention, there are only three Snow Lotuses in the world now. No, the one belonging to the Buddha was swallowed by the Ghost King not long ago, so there are only two left."
With that, the Arhat turned and flew away, quickly soaring out of the sea, casting a cold glance at the Deer King.
Trying to frame me? The Arhat felt a sense of satisfaction as he shot off into the distance.
As the Arhat departed, the Deer King chuckled. The Arhat was truly clever.
"Fish General, capture Princess Qianyou and take her to the Sky City. Let everyone know that the Arhat of Wisdom poisoned Princess Qianyou to death," the Deer King ordered, while simultaneously preventing Ada from diving into the sea.
Surely enough, the fisherman always laughs last.
With a hint of excitement, the Fish General shot downwards.
At this moment, Princess Qianyou, poisoned and seemingly weakened, was no match for Zhongshan.
However, the most triumphant moments were often the most dangerous.
Princess Qianyou fell into Zhongshan's arms, and he pushed his palm upwards.
A blue light sphere shot up, and the Fish General's heart skipped a beat. He swung his large sword towards the blue light sphere.
"Whoosh"
The blue light sphere split in half—or so it seemed. In reality, it hadn't even been touched. Like a phantom, it passed through the large sword and, oddly, expanded rapidly, enveloping the Fish General inside like a fish bubble.
The Fish General was trapped.
Frustration filled the Fish General's heart. He swung his large sword wildly at the blue bubble, but the sphere trembled incessantly, as if on the verge of breaking at any moment.
"The Forbidden God Sphere? The Fish General is already in the Fusion Period; it won't hold him for long," the Deer King exclaimed excitedly from the sea surface.
"Master, you should leave," Princess Qianyou said with a bitter smile.
Looking at Princess Qianyou, Zhongshan clenched his fists. Leave? Could Zhongshan leave now?
"No, Princess, it's my fault you're in this state. I must take you away," Zhongshan said firmly.
"No, it's my own stubbornness. I didn't want to lose you. It's not your fault. Heaven may forgive sinners, but self-inflicted suffering is intolerable. Master, please leave quickly. I can summon a tiger in the Fusion Period as a last resort. Even if I die, I won't become a pawn in their conspiracy," Princess Qianyou said with a bitter smile.
Summon? Zhongshan's eyes lit up. Yes, when he signed the Wolf Pact, it was said that ten generations of descendants could be summoned. Could Princess Qianyou be summoned too?
"Summon? After summoning, will your poisoning worsen?" Zhongshan immediately asked.
"It's too late. At most, I can last ten days, but I won't make it back to Daluo to find someone to dispel the poison. I can only use thirty percent of my former strength, and it's constantly being corrupted. If I don't summon now, I won't even have a chance to die. I never thought I, Qianyou, would come to this," Princess Qianyou said with a bitter smile.
Above, the Fish General was about to break through the Forbidden God Sphere. Princess Qianyou extended her hand, preparing to summon the tiger.
At that moment, Zhongshan, holding Princess Qianyou, grabbed her right hand about to cast the spell.
"Princess, can you trust me?" Zhongshan stared at Princess Qianyou with utmost seriousness.
Looking into Zhongshan's eyes, for some reason, Princess Qianyou forgot her earlier sorrow. Instinctively, she nodded at Zhongshan.
"Good, take out your weapon. I'll hold your hand and swing it," Zhongshan said firmly.
Princess Qianyou was somewhat incredulous, but she still took out a long sword and placed her right hand, which Zhongshan held, on the hilt. Zhongshan was extremely focused, staring at the sky, at the Forbidden God Sphere where the Fish General was.
"I'll swing, and you activate the sword with all your might. Success or failure lies in this one move," Zhongshan said with determination. Zhongshan was going to wield his sword with his life on the line.
"It's useless. My Qi is now only at the Infant Transformation Period, and I can't harm the Fish General at all, let alone break the Forbidden God Sphere," Princess Qianyou shook her head, her eyes filled with sadness.
"Trust me!" Zhongshan whispered gently in Princess Qianyou's ear.
Seeing Zhongshan's resolute eyes and hearing the voice that stayed by her side even in death, Princess Qianyou, for some reason, suddenly smiled and nodded gently.