Chapter 1497: Only the South Refuses to Submit

Those called rebels, driven by ideals.Those who maintain order, driven by life.Right and wrong, light or darkness, indeed hard to say.Only within each individual existence, there is a position one occupies. Where one is born, where one serves, closeness and distance, personal likes and dislikes…All thought has a fundamental stance, based on the “self”.Across myriad eons and ten directions, none are exempt.If a god has a "self," a god also has partiality.

Just as at this moment, the multitude on the Central Mountain, regardless of their inner feelings, must stand opposed to Chaos, and help Zhulong defend the Central Mountain. For this is the place of life and death, of existence and survival.Because Chaos seeks to kill them. While Zhulong, who abides by the rules of the Mountain and Sea Realm, must respect their lives.This is stance, the position of one's rear end, determining the thoughts of one's head.For those Mountain Gods and Sea Gods who descended with the power of the Divine Residences, it is likewise.They desire a stable life, unwilling to take risks, thus they stand unequivocally opposed to Chaos.But this opposition has limits; how willing are they to risk the collapse of the world compared to risking their lives against Chaos?Now Zhulong has played this hand.Linking their lives to the Divine Light Barrier of the Central Mountain, making it impossible for them to feign effort.

“Your so-called achievements are built on a pile of white bones! Your so-called world order is merely maintaining this monotonous cage. You willingly become a slave, yet you force us to become prisoners with you!” Chaos's lips did not move, but the roar condensed by the Dao was utterly mad: “Zhulong! You deserve death! You deserve a hundred deaths! Ten thousand deaths cannot atone!”Zhulong merely looked at it calmly: “Mere curses cannot kill anyone.”Chaos’s dog face turned crimson, and the frenzied roar abruptly ceased.

And the boundless black tide surrounding the Central Mountain suddenly and rapidly retreated, contracted, and converged! In the blink of an eye, all black waves were gathered, transforming into an incomparably gigantic, pitch-black, fearsome beetle.Its height was nearly level with the Central Mountain, its shell was flowing resentment, and its surface naturally formed frenzied patterns. In its blood-colored compound eyes, chaotic emotions churned a thousand times per second, malice boiling forth.The heavens and earth suddenly became vast as a result!The entire black tide contracted into one, this beetle formed of endless resentment and hatred, its power so immense it could barely be contained by space. It was impossible to distinguish whether the black threads scattering around were feelers or spatial裂隙. Its terrifying aura swept forth like a storm, causing even the confronting Mountain Gods and Sea Gods to fall silent like cicadas in winter.Undoubtedly, this black beetle was a hidden trump card Chaos had painstakingly prepared.But on Zhulong’s dignified human face, there was only an undisguised expression of mockery.It merely turned its head and glanced at the beetle from afar.The gigantic pitch-black beetle instantly collapsed. It then returned to the black tide, waves surging.Such a powerful final move had no effect whatsoever, as if nothing had happened.No…Something did happen after all.For example, the black tide retreated three hundred zhang, now a considerable distance from the Central Mountain.For example, those exotic beasts who followed Chaos in rebellion saw Zhulong’s power more directly.From its appearance until now, no matter what means Chaos employed, Zhulong seemed to be prepared in advance, consistently holding the upper hand.At this moment, it looked up at Chaos, and on its face, now transformed into that of an old woman, there was an expression of condescending pity: “In a drop of water, there are ten thousand eight thousand worms. Can you see the worms of resentment, but not others?”Within the boundless black tide, there was also Zhulong’s hidden hand. Now it was revealed, catching Chaos off guard.

The two strongest beings of the Mountain and Sea Realm on the high firmament engaged in a clash of magic.Everyone on the Central Mountain watched intently.Jiang Wang, however, had his own different concerns.The moment the black tide retreated, he immediately looked at San Cha's opponent, thinking of helping San Cha in some way.But after the black tide receded, the position facing San Cha was...Empty.Jiang Wang was momentarily speechless.San Cha indeed did not need his worry... It had been baring its teeth and growling for a long time, facing the air!The black tide contracted in an instant, converging into a terrifying black beetle. Its vision exposed, San Cha was also startled and quickly turned its direction, aiming at a chaotic exotic beast, assuming a menacing posture.It didn't even care that this exotic beast was already being targeted by two Divine Residence exotic beasts…Of course, its current state was not relaxed.Even as cunning as it was, under the bondage linked to life by Zhulong, it had to make a choice and display its power.The tide retreated three hundred zhang, and those swimming naked had nowhere to hide.The confrontation of nearly a hundred Divine Manifestation level exotic beasts was thus clearly displayed before everyone’s eyes.One side for life, one side for freedom.The qi surged into the heavens and seas, and even the raging natural disasters of the Mountain and Sea Realm could not approach.The instant annihilation of the black beetle did not cause Chaos to lose composure.Or perhaps, for something as mad as it, not losing composure was a kind of losing composure.At this moment, it remained seated, its voice sounding extremely calm, merely saying: “Then let us begin. Let us see how much resolve we each possess, and which side can better represent the future of the Mountain and Sea Realm!”This was undoubtedly the issuing of the final command.A cruel command.Zhulong and Chaos, as the leaders of the two sides, both chose close-quarters combat.Right outside this Divine Light Barrier, under the nervous gaze of the multitude.Nearly a hundred Divine Manifestation level exotic beasts clashed!With just a single collision, terrifying streams of primordial energy had already formed.Roars, howls, screams, the sound of colliding divine abilities and techniques, the sound of shattered limbs and splattered blood…Countless sounds instantly overlapped!

Zuo Guangshu exhaled a long breath: “Even though it is just a battle between a group of exotic beasts, it makes me somewhat unable to bear watching!”Yue Tiannu pressed his palms together and silently chanted scriptures.“Because the life and freedom they are fighting for are no different from what humanity has been striving for for millennia,” Jiang Wang said, while keeping his eyes fixed on San Cha.In the chaotic battlefield. San Cha was cunningly fighting with numerical superiority, attacking a winged tiger-like exotic beast together with two other Divine Residence exotic beasts. For the time being, it did not need help.“Do not be in a daze.” Zhulong’s majestic face suddenly looked down at the foot of the mountain: “You should also fight for your own safety, should you not?”The crowd squeezed onto the mountain path, though none had achieved Divine Manifestation, each possessed considerable killing power, and under the protection of the Divine Light Barrier, they were sufficient to intervene in the battle.As for their feelings… Zhulong did not care.Indeed, there was no need to care.No one would stake their own safety on defiance.Once the Mountain and Sea Realm collapsed, for these trial participants, it would not only mean that all their gains from this trip would be erased, but they would also face unforeseen dangers.So even with much dissatisfaction in their hearts, the crowd on the mountain path instantly scattered, each displaying their abilities, and began to intervene in the battle.Jiang Wang glanced at Chaos from afar, saying nothing. With a casual string of flame sparrows, he pressed them onto San Cha's opponent.

As this war progressed, everyone saw Chaos’s decline.Zhulong was unfathomable and remarkably steady.Each counterattack since its appearance struck precisely at Chaos's vital points.And it left Chaos no opportunity whatsoever.Even though it held the advantage on the battlefield, with the number of Divine Residence exotic beasts far exceeding that of the rebellious exotic beasts, it still chose to link the lives of the Divine Residence exotic beasts to the Divine Light Barrier, forcing them to fight to the death. It directly used the threat of life to confront the pursuit of freedom.Even though it instantly crushed the beetle Chaos had condensed by gathering the black tide, at this moment when the two sides were engaged in close combat, there were not a few instances of two-on-one and three-on-one situations among the Divine Residence exotic beasts, already gaining an absolute advantage on the battlefield. Zhulong still did not let these trial participants on the Central Mountain stand idle, urging them to join the battle.Its strategic style was very ruthless, disregarding the feelings of those it commanded. It simply presented an irresistible reason, forcing you to make a choice and compelling you to do it.Presumably, it was precisely because of this that Chaos hated it so much…However, ruthlessness also displayed the effects of ruthlessness.The entire war situation shifted very resolutely towards Zhulong, and there seemed to be no possibility of change.The armadillo’s surrounding locusts had been completely devoured, and one of its ears was directly bitten off.Jiufeng, with its nine heads, could no longer spare a single head to sing. Four Divine Residence exotic beasts circled around it.The Fei beast was constantly retreating under the continuous attacks of three Divine Residence exotic beasts…Under such circumstances, Zhulong, in the form of a majestic middle-aged man, spoke loudly: “This suppression of rebellion shall only punish the primary culprits. Those who accept a new divine name shall be pardoned for past offenses! I, in the name of Zhulong, pardon you all. This statement is witnessed by the mountains and seas, and shall not change!”

Outside the Divine Light Barrier, the black tide finally rolled back, the power of these resentful souls and hatred could greatly replenish the exotic beasts on Chaos’s side. Moreover, it could suppress the influence of the Divine Residences.But there were still quite a few rebellious exotic beasts whose eyes changed.“Is it pardon or is it to put on shackles again? Zhulong cannot explain it clearly, you must see it clearly!” Chaos's voice echoed in all directions: “Ask yourselves, do you want to struggle for yourselves, fight for freedom, or do you want to be like these slaves who have to fight to the death, whose life and death are manipulated by Zhulong?! We have been dormant for so many years, endured so much pain for so many years, and have come all this way, how can we be slaves!!”“Is that so!?” Zhulong’s face transformed into that of an androgynous child, smiling playfully: “Chaos, oh Chaos, though you are ugly and unbearable, brutal and unspeakable, you are extremely good at self-promotion! Though you are tyrannical, though you are mad, you are a great hero and champion, is that right?”It was coiled on the mountain peak, and suddenly twisted its head: “Huodou King, do you remember this scene!”The San Cha, which was engaged in a “difficult struggle,” looked up and saw a golden screen appearing in the air.Within the screen, a one-legged divine bird was spewing flames, ravaging a huge island. In the open space of the island, a pack of Huodou beasts gathered together, resisting the fierce fire with ghostly light.After spewing true fire, the one-legged divine bird merely swept past. It grabbed a small Huodou and flew far away, flapping its wings.The scene in the screen shifted, the one-legged divine bird stood in a dark cave, holding a small canine skull in its beak, seemingly dazed for a moment. A wisp of chaotic dark light drifted from behind its head and drilled into the cave wall.The one-legged divine bird spat out the skull from its mouth and flew out with some confusion.The golden screen disappeared at this point.The changing light and shadow were brief and rapid, from beginning to end, it only told a very simple story.“This is fake,” Chaos said directly: “You rule the day and night of this realm, light and shadow are naturally for you to fabricate.”Zhulong laughed in the voice of a child: “Whether it is real or fake, the Huodou King will judge for himself. He is not as easily deceived as young humans.”Chaos roared in anger: “That is not my divine light! You faked it!”Everyone else was completely bewildered.Jiang Wang, however, immediately looked at the Huodou King beast: “San Cha! No!”He even forcibly unleashed a sea of fire, wanting to intercept it.But it was already too late.San Cha, who had been slacking off, pretending to conserve energy, had red eyes and rushed towards Chaos like crazy!Its hatred was ignited in an instant, burning fiercely.“Roar!”It roared mournfully in anger, like a black arrow, instantly piercing through space, shooting towards Chaos, its body entwined with ghostly light, biting down!Chaos raised its bear paw and struck it down.Ghostly light was annihilated, divine power collapsed, long fur was flattened, flesh and blood turned to mud, bones shattered…All this happened at the moment of contact.With just one slap, Chaos had already flattened this powerful Huodou King beast into a meat patty in the air!“I told you it wasn’t me!” Chaos’s fierce appearance was fully revealed, and it shook its bear paw: “I gave you a way out, but you wouldn’t take it!”Jiang Wang stared blankly at that "meat patty", silent for a moment.What an ugly death, making it impossible to remember its imposing appearance.“Ouch!”He seemed to hear a voice calling out like that.Perhaps it was calling for a cook.Perhaps it was calling… friend.But the Sound Hearing Immortal State told him that no sound had been made.Above the high firmament, Zhulong’s face turned into that of an old woman: “You have committed countless evils, yet you regard yourself as a hero. You have destroyed countless lives, yet you claim to be fighting for their freedom. Chaos, if you do not die, this realm shall never have peace!”“Hehehehe.” Chaos was laughing.For a very long time, it had to follow the rules of this world and could not directly do anything.So it chose to secretly guide, allowing Bīfāng to eat San Cha’s child. Using such methods to incite battles in the Mountain and Sea Realm. Wearing away the foundation of this world, destroying the basis of its existence, and shaking the rules of this world.So Bīfāng died, Qiang Liang died, Zhu Yan died…Too many Mountain Gods and Sea Gods, successively perished.And Diaonan Abyss, which inherently carried the negative aspects of the world, had its negative energy accumulate even faster, already overflowing with resentment.Thus, today's black tide left the abyss, surrounding the Central Mountain.

Chaos’s laughter ceased, and it roared in anger: “You, a prisoner, are not qualified to judge everything I have done! In a thousand years, they will naturally know who was truly fighting for this world!”“Then now, I have a word to ask you.” Zhulong, in the appearance of a majestic middle-aged man, looked at Chaos, its voice carrying a sense of judgment: “The great supreme existence created you from nothingness, bestowed upon you life, bestowed upon you a divine name, gave you wisdom and authority, territory and the ocean. The future of this world was already clearly outlined, why did you betray the last will of the supreme god?”This question made Chaos fall silent.It was indeed a phantom creation, it was Huang Weizhen who gave it everything.No matter what, it could not say that the supreme being of the Mountain and Sea Realm was not qualified to judge it.But after a long silence, it merely said: “He should not have taught me freedom, allowed me to see freedom, and then not given me freedom.”That line on the Sea God Wall of Diaonan Abyss—“The mountains and seas extend south from here, among the four directions of the world, only the south does not submit!”That was the spirit of the Chu people, the spirit of Huang Weizhen.It was also the mark that Chaos had gazed upon for nine hundred years, never forgetting for a moment.Freedom!Chaos sat perched on the back of the Gu Diao’s feathers, its head slightly lowered, its bear paw resting on its opened belly.It was ugly, disheveled, and fearsome.But it was also powerful, brave, and self-possessed.At this moment, like a god, like a demon!

“Roar!” It roared in anger.Thus, people saw.At the very edge where the endless black tide swept.A huge shadow was flying above the black tide, sweeping across the high sky.It had black feathered wings, a noble figure, and a pair of eyes where soul fires leaped.It was born from nothingness, and flew from the abyss in the extreme south, soaring so vividly in the Mountain and Sea Realm—Corpse Phoenix Jià Xuán!