Ch. 1383 - Journey To Inferno Crucible Heaven
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Lord of Heavenâs figure gradually faded away, and the immense pressure that had loomed over everyoneâs heads finally began to dissipate.
As he vanished, Situ Yun turned toward the Sky-Burial Buddha and smiled. âSky-Burial, do you need me to see you off?â
The tone made the Sky-Burial Buddhaâs face darken. His eyes burned like torches as he cast a deep look at Xu Zimo.
âBenefactor,â he said solemnly, âturn back before itâs too late.â
âBuddha, are you trying to enlighten me?â Xu Zimo asked with a faint smile.
âIâm not enlightening you,â the monk replied, shaking his head. âI am enlightening evil.â
âSome things,â he said quietly, âare doomed before they even begin.â
Xu Zimo chuckled. âYouâre quite the joker, Buddha. How can you talk about endings when the beginning hasnât even started?â
âThatâs because you donât know what youâre truly facing,â the Sky-Burial Buddha said, unwilling to continue further.
âI know,â Xu Zimo said, his tone calm, âand I know far better than you. After all, I have once waged war against the heavens themselves. You, on the other hand, are but an ant crawling beneath the sky. Do you really think youâre qualified to lecture me?â
The Sky-Burial Buddha said nothing more. He turned the rosary around his neck, and a red glow enveloped his body before he slowly faded into the void.
The Holy Temple lifted off once more, departing with the Holy Elder.
Thus, the feud between the Radiant Court and the Heavenly Court was sealed.
Everyone knew that with these two colossal powers, there would never be small skirmishes, when they fought, one side would surely be destroyed.
But that was no longer Xu Zimoâs concern.
After the Sky-Burial Buddha left, Situ Yun lay back into his coffin again, uninterested in the rest.
Soon, the Light Lord Sage Monarch descended from the void.
He first bowed to Murong Qing. âGreetings, Saintess.â
Though he was the lord of a branch of the Radiant Court, the Saintessâs status was technically higher, for Murong Qing was destined to inherit leadership of the entire Radiant Court one day.
âThereâs no need to be so formal, Sage Monarch,â Murong Qing said with a wave of her hand.
Turning to Xu Zimo, the Sage Monarch smiled. âSo youâre Young Master Xu. Truly, a hero in his youth.â
âI thought your Radiant Court would back down,â Xu Zimo said bluntly.
The Sage Monarch smiled awkwardly. âThis was the ancestorâs will. To be honest, if it were up to me, I wouldnât have opposed the Heavenly Court.â
He meant every word. Had it been his choice, he would have yielded. But when the Grand Ancestor gave an order, no one in the entire Radiant Court dared to disobey.
As they spoke, Emperor Chang Kong also descended from the heavens.
âYouâre from the Primordial Heartlands?â Emperor Chang Kong asked, his gaze fixed on Xu Zimo. He seemed to know a bit about him already.
âJust so you know, I destroyed the Baili Imperial Clan,â Xu Zimo said plainly.
Emperor Chang Kong was silent for a moment.
Finally, he said quietly, âI see. That is unfortunate. Descendants have their own fate. I stopped concerning myself with such matters long ago.â
âOh. I thought youâd come seeking revenge,â Xu Zimo said with a smile.
âIf I came for revenge,â Emperor Chang Kong replied, âI wouldnât be here carrying out the ancestorâs command to ask for your help.â
At the level of a Sage Monarch, such sentiments as family hatred or affection faded into insignificance.
All that mattered was pursuing the Infinite Dao realm, climbing ever higher toward the ultimate peak.
âYoung Master Xu,â the Sage Monarch asked, âwould you consider coming to the Radiant Court?â
âDonât dance around it,â Xu Zimo said, waving his hand. âWhat message did your ancestor send for me?â
The Sage Monarch gave a sheepish smile. âAs expected, nothing escapes you, Young Master Xu. The ancestor said, this time, you owe him a favor. Youâll have to repay it someday.â
âTell him itâs a small favor,â Xu Zimo said evenly. âIf itâs within my power, Iâll do it. But if itâs too much, I wonât force myself.â
He didnât speak harshly, but the meaning was clear.
The Radiant Court had indeed helped relieve some of the pressure from the Heavenly Court. But this wasnât a life-saving favor, at best, it was a timely assist, not a rescue in crisis.
The previous generationâs Infernal Lord had been cunning indeed, hiding his inheritance in a forsaken land where no one could find it. That secrecy had kept the Heavenly Court from uncovering Xu Zimoâs true hand.
âHey,â Murong Qingâs voice interrupted his thoughts.
Looking at Xu Zimo, she said, âYou helped me this time, I owe you one. When we reach the Inferno Crucible Heaven, Iâll look out for you.â
Xu Zimo chuckled. âSure. Then if I get into trouble, Iâll just use your name.â
âOur Saintess is joking,â the Light Lord Sage Monarch said quickly, wearing a strained smile before Murong Qing could reply.
If anyone else had said that, it might have been fine. But Xu Zimoâs troubles were not something Murong Qing could handle.
âIn any case,â Murong Qing said, undeterred, âyouâre not bad at all. But the Inferno Crucible Heaven isnât like the Godfiend Abyss Heaven. Itâs filled with far more powerful beings. Some of them donât even take our Radiant Court seriously. Youâd best be careful.â
âSaintess, itâs time to leave,â the Sage Monarch reminded her.
He clearly didnât want her entangled with Xu Zimo any further. Xu Zimo was like a massive sun, and their Radiant Court, a small planet. If they got tied to him, they might be dragged into storms far beyond their reach.
He preferred stability.
âRelax Light Lord, donât be so nervous,â Xu Zimo said with a grin. âTo be honest, aside from your ancestor, thereâs no one in your Radiant Court I really care to know. My ship isnât one just anyone can board.â
âYes, yes, of course,â the Sage Monarch replied with a polite smile, offering no argument, though his thoughts were his own.
âIâll be going then,â Murong Qing said, bidding Xu Zimo farewell.
She had hoped to form some connection with him, but Xu Zimo didnât seem interested, and the Radiant Court didnât approve anyway.
The Radiant Courtâs group departed together, but Xu Zimo didnât follow. He was headed for the Inferno Crucible Heaven, not the Radiant Court.
Murong Qing left with the Light God Temple, while Xu Zimo watched them disappear into the distance.
Then he instructed Paimon and the others to return to the God World.
Now only Violet Mist Saint Sovereign and Moonlight Fairy remained at his side.
âTo the Inferno Crucible Heaven, then?â Violet Mist Saint Sovereign asked.
âWhat will you two do once we get there?â Xu Zimo asked in return.
âWeâll explore and see more of this vast world,â Violet Mist said with a smile. âNothing wrong with broadening oneâs horizons.â
âAnd you, Young Master Xu?â
âSeek out the other Ancient God inheritances,â Xu Zimo replied lightly. âAnd maybe⊠find a few old acquaintances.â
His main goal was to gather all the Ancient Godsâ inheritances, and perhaps find whether the Grand Emperors of the True Martial Sacred Ground were here.
Once they reached the Inferno Crucible Heaven, it was likely they would go their separate ways.
âIâll go with you,â Moonlight Fairy suddenly said.
Her words startled even Xu Zimo.
âYou want to follow me?â he asked.
She nodded calmly.
âWhy?â
âThe Heavenly Court wants you dead,â she said. âThat means they fear you. The Radiant Court chose to protect you, that means they value you. Isnât that reason enough?â
âYouâd better think carefully,â Xu Zimo said with a faint smile. âFollowing me means living on the edge of death. And as for the future⊠truthfully, I take it one step at a time.â
