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Shao Xingyu looked at Xu Zimo and shouted, âXu Zimo, calm down!â
âI am calm,â Xu Zimo replied with a smile.
âThe Ethereal Sect is a subsidiary of our True Martial Sacred Ground. If you kill their Holy Son, it will damage the relationship between the two sects,â Shao Xingyu said urgently.
âWhatâs the point of maintaining ties with a second-rate sect?â Xu Zimo said with a smirk. âYou really donât have the bearing of a true disciple from a major sect.â
Beside him, Zhang He had already turned pale with fear. All he wanted to do now was run, but Xu Zimoâs gaze remained fixed on him, he didnât dare move an inch.
âDonât even think about running. If you think you can escape under a level-six formation, go ahead and try,â Xu Zimo said coolly.
âYoung Master Xu, thatâs not what I meant. I absolutely wasnât trying to provoke you,â Zhang He said, shaking his head in panic.
âOh? Then what did you mean?â Xu Zimo asked as he walked toward him.
Zhang He instinctively backed up two steps, swallowing hard before forcing a smile. âI just heard some unfounded rumors and was afraid theyâd affect your heroic image, so I thought Iâd help clarify things for you. Please donât take it the wrong way. If I said anything wrong, I apologize.â
Xu Zimo walked right up to him, saw the cold sweat on Zhang Heâs forehead, and patted him on the shoulder with a smile.
âFool, as if Iâd mind!â
âThatâs good,â Zhang He said with a nervous smile.
But in the next instant, the curved blade flashed, and Zhang Heâs head was instantly separated from his body.
Even in death, his face still wore that same sycophantic smile.
âI literally called you a fool, did you really believe I wouldnât mind?â Xu Zimo sighed.
âYou⊠You really killed him,â Shao Xingyu said in alarm.
Xu Zimo chuckled, picked up Zhang Heâs severed head, and began walking toward Shao Xingyu.
âWhat are you doing?â Zhong Xin stepped in and drew his sword.
âIf you want to fight, Brother Zhong, Iâll spar with you,â Meng Kuo slammed the table, shattering it completely, as he stood, his aura surging.
âWeâre all from the same sect. Thereâs no need to fight to the death,â Zhong Xin said, frowning.
âRelax. I wonât kill him,â Xu Zimo said with a grin.
âI donât believe you. You just said you wouldnât kill Zhang He either!â Shao Xingyu shouted as he backed away.
âYouâre supposed to be one of the True Martial Sacred Groundâs elite, the First Grand Elderâs grandson, an Imperial-Grade Aptitude. And look at you now,â Xu Zimo said, shaking his head with a sneer. âDonât worry, the one leading this trip to Violet Sun City is your grandfather. If I kill you, I wonât come out of it well either.â
Hearing that, Zhong Xin considered for a moment and then stepped aside.
Xu Zimo walked up to Shao Xingyu, who gathered all his courage and said, âWhat are you trying to do? I had nothing to do with what just happened!â
Xu Zimo placed Zhang Heâs head on the table, then grabbed Shao Xingyu by the hair and pressed his face down until it was level with it.
Now staring directly into Zhang Heâs dead eyes, still frozen in that fawning smile, Shao Xingyu froze.
âRemember this smile. Remember this face. Because next time, the one on the table might be you,â Xu Zimo said coldly.
Then he let go and walked away.
Seeing Shao Xingyuâs pathetic state, Zhong Xin frowned but said nothing.
He thought Shao Xingyu was a disgrace. Even if Xu Zimo was reckless, he wouldnât be foolish enough to kill Shao Xingyu outright. After all, the First Grand Elder was in charge here, Xu Zimo wouldnât walk away unscathed.
Zhong Xin was a powerful Paragon Meridian cultivator, not Shao Xingyuâs bodyguard. If not for the First Grand Elder, he wouldnât even bother protecting him.
So much Imperial-Grade Aptitude, wasted.
âŠ
After the meal, Xu Zimo rented a room and returned to rest.
He began contemplating the layout of the Palace of Paintings from his past life. Though many years had passed, some memories remained vivid.
If he remembered correctly, in his previous life, Chu Yang was the one who obtained the World Pearl.
Whether Chu Yang would dare show up this time was uncertain, he was currently wanted across the entire Western Region.
And with Empyrean Meridian Realm elders from all three Imperial Lineages stationed in the city, if Chu Yang dared appear, the First Grand Elder would surely capture him instantly.
âŠ
At that moment, outside Violet Sun City, a young man with a sallow face stood at the city gates, gazing up at the towering, ancient city.
âOld Mo, weâve finally arrived,â the young man exhaled deeply.
It was Chu Yang. After learning the Lord of Samsaraâs disguise technique, he had changed his appearance.
As long as he avoided places crawling with powerful cultivators, he wasnât too worried about being exposed. After all, Imperial Meridian experts werenât exactly everywhere.
âBe careful, kid,â warned the Lord of Samsara. âThis city is full of experts.â
They had rushed here upon hearing of the Palace of Paintingsâ re-emergence. The elder believed Chu Yang was someone blessed with fate, this legacy might just belong to him.
Walking into Violet Sun City, Chu Yang immediately noticed how opulent it was. It far outclassed any other city heâd seen.
He kept a low profile as he made his way through the streets, encountering many young cultivators, most far more powerful than him.
Though recent cultivation had pushed him just past the True Meridian Realm, Chu Yang remained humble.
He knew his innate talent and resources paled in comparison to others his age.
What strength he had was earned through hard work and persistence, but it still wasnât enough to close the gap between him and disciples of major sects.
âŠ
After wandering the city for a while, Chu Yang gathered some information about the Palace of Paintings.
Not daring to linger in public for too long, he checked into several inns before finally finding a room.
Once inside, he began meditating.
Inside his body, a faint golden orb spun slowly.
This was the Yin Pearl of the Oblivion Bead.
Back in a mountain cave, Chu Yang had read a biography left behind by the mysterious âForgotten Daoist.â When he reached the character âForgetâ in the book, it transformed into golden light and entered his body.
At the time, Chu Yang assumed it was simply a technique transmission, he had learned a move called Endless Regret.
But over time, he noticed that with every cultivation session, the golden light would condense more and more, until finally, it formed into this orb.
Now, Chu Yang was growing worried.
He feared that, like the Forgotten Daoist, he might someday be erased by the world, forgotten by everything and everyone.