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Chapter 1037: The Beginning of the Sage Slaughter

One month later...

Zhong Shan was in the middle of another conversation with Jieyin when Jieyin suddenly stood up and said, "Tathagata has returned!"

"Oh?" Zhong Shan also stood up.

Soon after, the doors of the hall were pushed open, and the towering figure of Tathagata Buddha slowly walked in.

"Jieyin Buddha!" Tathagata greeted with a slight bow.

"Tathagata Buddha!" Jieyin nodded in return.

"Saint King Zhong Shan is here as well?" Tathagata looked at Zhong Shan.

"Greetings, Tathagata Buddha!" Zhong Shan nodded.

"No need to worry about Zhong Shan. Go ahead, tell me what you've decided," Jieyin said.

"We've reached a conclusion. I will not participate in the Sage Slaughter," Tathagata shook his head.

"Understood."

"Lan won't participate either. He has already left the mortal realm and returned to his holy court," Tathagata said solemnly.

Zhong Shan was slightly surprised to hear that Lan wouldn't be participating either.

"And the Sage Slaughter has already begun," Tathagata continued.

"It has begun?" Zhong Shan asked, surprised.

"Yes," Tathagata confirmed with a nod.

Jieyin's face darkened slightly. It had already begun? So soon?

"This is a message from Zhunti for you," Tathagata said, taking out a jade slip and handing it to Jieyin.

Jieyin took the jade slip and scanned it with his divine sense. His expression changed slightly, and then he abruptly disappeared from the hall.

Tathagata and Zhong Shan exchanged a glance, with Tathagata offering a gentle smile.

"Hahahahaha!"

Fifteen minutes later, Jieyin's booming laughter echoed throughout Ling Mountain. The sound was immense but carried a tone of tragic determination. The entire mountain shook. Suddenly, with a loud crack, Ling Mountain split open, releasing an endless stream of golden light that filled the sky.

A massive nine-petal golden lotus suddenly emerged from the mountain, radiating blinding light as the mountain slowly sealed itself once more, though it now appeared significantly dimmer.

"Zhong Shan, I'm going to slaughter a Sage. Are you coming with me?" Jieyin reappeared beside Zhong Shan and asked.

"Yes!" Zhong Shan responded without hesitation.

In that moment, Zhong Shan had considered many things. At the Great Leiyin Temple, only Jieyin was an ally, while Jinpeng remained a lurking threat. This was not a place to stay.

Besides, witnessing the Sage Slaughter, even if he couldn't participate directly, would be an event worth experiencing.

"Very well," Jieyin nodded.

With a sweep of his sleeve, Jieyin took Zhong Shan and all the people he had brought with him, and they shot off into the sky.

As they flew, Zhong Shan noticed that Jieyin's brow remained furrowed. At the same time, Zhong Shan observed that the world around them seemed to be trembling, as if a fierce battle was raging somewhere.

"What happened?" Zhong Shan asked.

"Hongjun's heavenly meridian is causing the trouble!" Jieyin replied, his expression grim.

"Oh?"

"Confucius has made his move. He intends to seize the heavenly meridian of the heavenly court. You must understand, that meridian is one of the strongest Daos. Right now, no one can fully control it, but if Confucius succeeds in claiming the meridian, he will undoubtedly become a leader among the Sages, just as Hongjun once was," Jieyin said, his face reflecting the gravity of the situation.

"Hmm?"

"The most crucial part is that Confucius seizing the heavenly meridian is actually a trap set by the Jade Emperor and Ying—a trap designed to ensnare Sages," Jieyin said, his expression darkening.

"A trap set by the Jade Emperor and Ying?" Zhong Shan asked, surprised.

"Yes, everything has been carefully orchestrated to lure Sages into it. Ying and the Jade Emperor had planned this long ago. The last time you went to the Heavenly Court, it was simply a matter of timing—the heavenly meridian was always intended to be released to tempt the Sages! The Jade Emperor has remarkable audacity; by revealing the heavenly meridian, he intends to disrupt Hongjun's schemes," Jieyin said, clearly displeased.

"But is Confucius really that easy to fool?" Hao Meili asked, puzzled.

Even though Hao Meili didn't particularly revere Sages, she knew that every Sage had an incredible depth of calculation and intelligence to have reached such a position. How could Confucius be easily deceived?

"It's not that he's easy to fool—he's compelled to act. Confucius is losing his momentum, and some things are no longer within his control. Moreover, the nine Sages don't exactly get along harmoniously," Jieyin explained, shaking his head.

"If Confucius has fallen into the trap set by the Jade Emperor and Ying, and considering that figures like Taishang, Zhunti, and Ying are involved, do you really need to join in?" Zhong Shan asked.

Jieyin looked at Zhong Shan and shook his head. "Confucius isn't the only one caught in this trap."

"Oh?" Zhong Shan was startled.

"Confucius is a Sage—do you think he would walk into a trap without a plan? Along with him, Mitian has also entered the fray," Jieyin said with a sigh.

"Two Sages? Then this Sage Slaughter won't be easy," Zhong Shan remarked.

"Not just difficult—it's nearly impossible. With two Sages working together, even if we all join in, we may not succeed in slaying them. We have to rely on the weakness Ying has discovered in Confucius, and we must act quickly!" Jieyin said, shaking his head in frustration.

"Why the urgency?" Zhong Shan asked.

"Because with two Sages, they can use the heavenly meridian to invoke the heavenly mandate. Once the heavenly mandate is involved, we, the former Sages, will be in grave danger. This trap set by Ying and the Jade Emperor doesn't just force Confucius into the game—it also compels me, Zhunti, Taishang, and Sa to join in! Their strategy is incredibly deep," Jieyin said, his voice filled with a mix of frustration and grudging admiration.

Jieyin's tone was filled with complaints about Ying and the Jade Emperor, but despite his grievances, he had no choice but to step into the trap they had laid.

"This scheme is enormous—no wonder Lan refused to participate, and Tathagata withdrew to the Great Leiyin Temple," Zhong Shan said, taking a deep breath.

"Indeed. I never imagined Ying's ambition would be this vast," Jieyin replied, also taking a deep breath.

"Ying's ambition?"

"Ying isn't just trying to settle his grudge with Confucius. He wants to slay a Sage, establish the Heavenly Court, and crown himself as the Heavenly Emperor," Jieyin said, his tone grave.

"Establishing the Heavenly Court!" Zhong Shan's pupils contracted in shock.

Everything was happening too quickly—Zhong Shan felt as if the world's events were unfolding faster than he could keep up with. Clenching his fists, he silently reminded himself that he had to grow stronger, and quickly. Otherwise, he would be left behind as nothing more than a footnote in history.

"I just don't understand what the Jade Emperor is playing at. By using the Heavenly Court as the battlefield, his power will be completely dismantled by this battle, and even the backup plans left by Hongjun will be destroyed. What is he trying to achieve?" Jieyin said, perplexed.

"We'll have to wait until this trap is sprung and then ask him," Zhong Shan suggested.

"That's all we can do," Jieyin agreed with a nod.

Jieyin's speed was incredible. It didn't take long for them to reach the Heavenly Court from the Great Leiyin Temple.

As Zhong Shan and Jieyin arrived at the outskirts of the Heavenly Court, they suddenly stopped their advance. In the distance, forty-nine Dao pillars reached from the heavens to the earth, protecting the interior of the Heavenly Court. Beyond this barrier, nothing was visible—only the vast darkness of black holes that had torn the surrounding space apart.

No one dared to get too close, and it was clear that the intense battle within had been raging for a long time. The only spectators in the vicinity were supreme powerhouses; anyone weaker had long since been obliterated by the intense spatial turbulence.

Jieyin, along with Zhong Shan and his group, landed at a certain point on the outskirts, where they noticed an abandoned city. On the tallest building of this city stood a man dressed in green—Kong Xuan.

Jieyin approached Kong Xuan with Zhong Shan and the others.

"Jieyin?" Kong Xuan glanced over with curiosity.

"Kong Xuan, why aren't you entering the battle?" Jieyin asked.

"This conflict is too vast. Unless absolutely necessary, I won't get involved," Kong Xuan replied, shaking his head. It was clear that Kong Xuan understood the gravity of the situation.

"I have a favor to ask of you. Consider it a way to repay the debt you owe me," Jieyin said seriously.

"Oh?" Kong Xuan raised an eyebrow.

"While I'm inside, please protect them for me," Jieyin said, gesturing to Zhong Shan and his group.

"Is that all?" Kong Xuan asked, his tone grave.

"That's all," Jieyin confirmed with a nod.

"Very well," Kong Xuan agreed without hesitation.

Jieyin nodded in appreciation and then, with a blur of movement, he rushed toward the forty-nine Dao pillars.

Inside those pillars were two Sages, along with a host of Ancestral Immortals. As Jieyin vanished into the fray, Zhong Shan, who had been listening to the arrangements quietly, sighed. He knew well that the battle between Sages was far beyond his current capabilities.

Kong Xuan didn't pay much attention to Zhong Shan, his focus remaining on the distant battlefield. While Zhong Shan couldn't see what was happening, Kong Xuan, using his connection to the Dao, likely could. Yet, despite his pride, even Kong Xuan was cautious about entering such a perilous battle.

The aftermath of this conflict would undoubtedly bring about significant changes in the world's power structure.

Kong Xuan remained aloof, so Zhong Shan saw no reason to engage with him. After all, their relationship was not particularly amicable. Instead, Zhong Shan noted that many other powerful figures were also watching from this abandoned city.

In the distance, Zhong Shan spotted a figure with the head of a bull.

"Let's go," Zhong Shan said, leading his group toward the figure.

Kong Xuan noticed this but paid it no mind, his attention quickly returning to the battlefield.

As Zhong Shan approached, the bull-headed figure noticed him as well.

"Saint King Zhong!" the Bull Demon King greeted with a slight bow.

"Bull Demon King! Greetings," Zhong Shan responded with a slight bow of his own.

The Bull Demon King nodded.

"We've just arrived. Would you mind telling us what has happened here?" Zhong Shan asked.

"If Saint King Zhong is interested, I see no reason to withhold the information. After all, many others witnessed it as well," the Bull Demon King replied without pretense.

"Three days ago, Confucius suddenly came to the Heavenly Court. It seems he had his eye on the place and wanted to take it for himself—much like how I once took over Jilei Mountain because I fancied the land. I guess it's the same with Sages. After some discussion, Taishang appeared, followed by Zhunti, and they started fighting. The battle grew fiercer, and then Mitian Sage joined in from who knows where. After that, Ying of the Great Qin also jumped into the fray. They've been fighting ever since, making the sky and earth tremble. Just a while ago, that man you came with also joined the battle. If this goes on much longer, the Heavenly Court will be destroyed even if someone does manage to claim it," the Bull Demon King explained in his straightforward manner.

Though his words were rough, the Bull Demon King provided a clear overview of the situation: Ying, the Jade Emperor, Zhunti, Taishang, Jieyin, Confucius, and Mitian were all embroiled in this colossal battle.

But why was there no mention of Guiguzi? And where was Sa?

"What about the people of the Heavenly Court?" Hao Meili asked, curious.

"Where could they run to? They're all still inside, I reckon. Who knows if there's even anything left of them by now!" the Bull Demon King replied with a hint of regret, clearly mourning the loss of the beautiful celestial maidens who were likely caught in the chaos.

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