Chapter 315 - Trouble Begins

“It’s Sacred Lord Xiao!” someone below shouted.

Everyone looked up to see Sacred Lord Xiao standing in front of the group, though no one knew when he had arrived.

He waved his right hand, and boundless spiritforce gathered, forming a blue shield that enveloped everyone.

Then Xu Zimo’s attack landed with a loud “boom” in the sky.

The entire world seemed to sink into the void.

Xu Zimo clasped his hands and watched the scene in the void with interest.

As the attack ended, the shield around Sacred Lord Xiao began to crack and shatter.

The others escaped without serious harm, all floating in midair, gasping for breath.

“Alright, this match is over,” Sacred Lord Xiao said calmly.

He looked down at his right hand, it was slightly numb.

Though he wasn't injured, for an attack from someone in the Imperial Meridian Realm to make a God Meridian Realm cultivator feel that, especially when Xu Zimo hadn’t even activated his First Battle Physique, was astonishing.

“Hopefully this era can produce a Grand Emperor,” he muttered softly.

“That’s not enough,” Xu Zimo shook his head.

“The Sacred Lord interfering... that breaks the rules, doesn’t it?”

“The rules don’t allow you to kill them during a match either,” Sacred Lord Xiao said flatly.

“People make mistakes sometimes,” Xu Zimo smiled. “But since they offended me, they should pay a price.”

“What do you mean?” Sacred Lord Xiao asked with a frown.

“Simple. My request isn’t excessive, each of them takes one punch from me,” Xu Zimo said.

“That’s the price.”

“The match is already over. There’s no need for more fighting,” the Sacred Lord replied. “You’ve won.”

“This isn’t about winning or losing,” Xu Zimo said, shaking his head. “I’m upholding the dignity of the Holy Son. They should revere me, not dismiss me.”

Sacred Lord Xiao went silent. He had no argument against the dignity of the Holy Son.

Before the Holy Son matured, these core disciples never cared.

No one had enforced this before, but now that it was being brought up, he couldn’t refuse outright.

He glanced down at Xu Qingshan, hoping for help.

But Xu Qingshan kept his head down, ignoring the glance.

This was about his son’s authority in the Sacred Ground, of course he would support him.

...

“Alright. It’s just a lesson,” Sacred Lord Xiao finally sighed and stepped back.

Xu Zimo smiled and began walking toward the core disciples.

None of them flinched, raising their heads to meet his gaze.

“You should be grateful this is within the True Martial Sacred Ground,” Xu Zimo said with a smile.

He kicked Xiang Qianheng off with one foot.

The others received the same treatment, like kicking balls, he booted each one of them away.

Only Jiang Xi'er remained.

He grabbed her by the throat and lifted her up.

“I’ve actually been merciful. Originally, I should’ve sent you and your master to hell.”

With that, he tossed her away.

Her body slammed into the stage below, shattering half of it.

She lay in a pool of blood, her white dress stained red.

Xu Zimo raised his head, scanning every disciple present in the Sacred Ground.

None of them dared to meet his eyes.

“Glory to the Holy Son!”

Someone suddenly shouted, and the entire domain erupted into cheers.

Xu Zimo’s name had now spread throughout the True Martial Sacred Ground.

Even among the core disciples, his name brought fear.

He had nearly defeated all of them single-handedly.

If Sacred Lord Xiao hadn’t intervened, they might not have left alive.

...

After the martial tournament ended, many were left deep in thought.

It was supposed to be a chance to make a name for themselves.

But in the end, the only name anyone remembered was Xu Zimo’s.

It was as if everything before had been a prelude to that final battle.

And that final battle was completely one-sided.

There wasn’t even a chance to fight back.

“Is the Holy Son of this generation really this strong?” many asked themselves.

...

After the event, Xu Zimo returned to South Goose Mountain.

He planned to leave the True Martial Sacred Ground the next day, setting out alone.

Before leaving, he picked a few Life Leaves from the Tree of Life.

He gave them to his parents, Lin Ruhu, Little Gui and Yao Shengnan.

Xu Qingshan accepted them with a smile and didn’t ask questions.

Everyone has their own secrets.

He was proud of his son’s accomplishments.

Only his mother nagged him, reminding him about staying safe and about the family event in the Northern Continent next year.

Early the next morning, as the sky was still gray,

Xu Zimo rode the Darksky Tiger and left the True Martial Sacred Ground.

Light rain fell outside, and he quite enjoyed the mood of it.

...

As he traveled, the sky brightened, but the overcast weather still felt oppressive.

The Darksky Tiger trotted along the muddy road.

As they passed a small pavilion, Xu Zimo heard a melodious sound of a zither.

He looked up and saw an old man and a young woman sitting in the pavilion.

The woman was playing the zither, the notes as gentle as flowing water, cheerful in tone.

The old man held a long staff, carefully cleaning it.

When he saw Xu Zimo approach, the old man looked up and smiled, but said nothing.

“Interesting,” Xu Zimo said with an amused smile.

The Dark Sky Tiger kept walking forward.

Suddenly, sharp wind noises came from the side.

Several wind blades flew toward him.

The Darksky Tiger roared, swatting them aside with its claws.

It yelped in pain, though the blades were dispersed, they still left wounds on its paws.

Xu Zimo turned to the pavilion and said calmly, “Were you waiting for me?”

“You sure forget things easily, don’t you?” the old man laughed.

“Have you forgotten what you did in the Holyflower Region?”

“Holyflower Region?” Xu Zimo frowned, waiting for more.

“I’m from the Fan Clan,” the old man said.

“It’s about the Sacred Buddha, right?” Xu Zimo immediately understood.

Although the Sacred Buddha was a holy son of the Buddha Realm,

Before joining the Buddha Realm, he was a disciple of the Fan Clan.

The Fan Clan wasn’t that powerful, but due to their ties with the Buddha Realm they had grown strong in recent years, becoming a top-tier force.

“You’ve come for revenge?” Xu Zimo asked with a smile.

“I just didn’t expect you to be the current Holy Son of the True Martial Sacred Ground,” the old man said calmly, squinting slightly.