Xu Zimo frowned slightly and glanced at Bai Tihe beside him.
Bai Tihe shrugged a little, indicating he didnât know either.
âWhatâs this about?â Xu Zimo asked.
He slowly drew Shadow Tyrant, looking toward the figure.
âI didnât come here to fight,â the lich said with a smile, waving his hand dismissively.
Seeing Xu Zimoâs furrowed brows, he chuckled. âIâm here to help you obtain the third medium, the beast bone.â
âWhy?â Xu Zimo asked.
The other was helping him for no apparent reason.
âIsnât that what you wanted?â the lich replied.
âYou want to leave this âNine Heavens Ten Earths Formation.ââ
âWe can manage on our own,â Xu Zimo said.
But the lich didnât answer. Instead, he raised his right hand and released a mass of black mist toward the mountainside ahead.
The next moment, bestial roars echoed one after another.
The mountain wall split and crumbled, the entire peak collapsing into rubble. From within, a gigantic beast burst forth, it was a Flame Lion, colossal in size. Compared to it, the people on the ground looked no bigger than ants.
Its roar carried a thick, bloody stench.
Spotting the three figures on the ground, the Flame Lion raised its massive right paw and slammed down.
With a thunderous boom, the paw froze midair.
The lich had struck forward with his right fist, shattering the surrounding void.
Claw and fist clashed, locked in the sky.
With a roar, the lichâs frail body unbelievably forced the enormous lion back.
Bai Tihe did not intervene but instead stepped beside Xu Zimo, asking, âWhatâs going on?â
âI donât know either,â Xu Zimo shook his head.
âThese liches⊠theyâre getting harder to see through,â Bai Tihe said. âI have a bad feeling about this trip.â
âYour Unified God Sect really is something,â Xu Zimo replied. âIf you wanted to destroy the liches, you shouldâve just sent your ancestors. What good is it for a young lord like you to come?â
âThe sect has its own reasons,â Bai Tihe said with a smile.
Xu Zimo didnât answer, his gaze fixed on the battle ahead.
The fight between the lich and the beast had already reached a fever pitch.
Though small in frame, the lich completely overwhelmed the Flame Lion.
Finally, with immense force, he struck the lionâs back.
The Flame Lion let out a mournful cry, collapsing to the ground.
Without giving it a chance to resist, the lich flashed forward, drove his hand into the beastâs belly, and wrenched out a glowing white beast bone.
The bone shone faintly, like fireflies.
With its beast bone ripped out, the Flame Lionâs eyes dimmed, life slipping away.
âGentlemen,â the lich turned, smiling as he tossed the bone to Xu Zimo and Bai Tihe. âOur king awaits you.â
Saying this, he vanished without giving them a chance to respond.
The two exchanged a look, then stared at the bone in hand.
âNo matter what schemes are at play, weâll know once we see for ourselves.â
They brought out the three medium items, preparing to fuse them when suddenly,
âHand them over, both of you.â
The sudden voice startled Bai Tihe, who looked up sharply.
A group of figures tore through the void and appeared.
The pressure they exuded was immense. Among them were Sword Immortal Jiang Yun, Gui Che of the Primal-Chaos Demon Tower, Yu Huang of the Golden Roc Immortal Realm, and Di Cangtian of the Three Thousand Dao Court.
The four descended from the storming void, gazing at Xu Zimo and Bai Tihe.
âBrother Bai, thatâs not very righteous of you,â Yu Huang stepped forward with a smile. âWe agreed to break this formation together, yet you secretly teamed up with others and deceived us.â
âAllâs fair in war,â Bai Tihe replied coolly. âWhat, do you mean to take them by force?â
âWe donât want to make things hard for you, Brother Bai,â Yu Huang said. âHand over the mediums, and you can walk away.â
âThatâs impossible,â Bai Tihe refused outright. âIf you fight us now, both sides will only suffer, leaving the liches to reap the benefit.â
âBrother Bai, donât play games with us,â Yu Huang sneered. âYou think we didnât see what just happened?â
âWhat do you mean?â Bai Tihe frowned, a bad premonition rising.
âYouâve already thrown your lot in with the liches, havenât you?â Di Cangtian said coldly. âLetting you leave was our bottom line. Refuse, and weâll cut you down as we would the liches.â
At those words, Xu Zimo and Bai Tihe exchanged glances.
âThese liches⊠what a scheme.â
âThey want us at each otherâs throats.â
In an instant, the lichâs ploy was clear.
They knew the Flame Lion couldnât stop Xu Zimo and Bai Tihe.
So the lich deliberately intervened, letting others witness the scene.
Whether true or not, Xu Zimo and Bai Tihe were now marked with suspicion.
The group would inevitably split into factions.
At best, theyâd separate. At worst, theyâd clash for the mediums.
And the liches? They could sit back and watch the tigers fight.
âWell? Have you decided?â Yu Huang asked.
While speaking, the four subtly shifted, sealing Xu Zimo and Bai Tiheâs escape routes.
âDonât expect me to hand them over willingly,â Bai Tihe said. âWe have no ties to the liches. If you wonât believe it, then fight, Iâve nothing more to say.â
âFight it is,â Di Cangtian said coldly. âYou think you two can leave here today?â
Power surged around him, three thousand Dao threads swirling.
âWait,â Jiang Yun suddenly stepped forward, stopping him.
He looked at Xu Zimo and asked, âYou seem familiar, Fellow Daoist, though I canât recall where weâve met. Would you remind me?â
âPrimordial Heartlands,â Xu Zimo smiled. âStrictly speaking, I havenât met you, but I did encounter the remnant soul you left in a small world.â
âI remember now,â Jiang Yun nodded slightly. âYou delivered my legacy back to the Jiang Clan. How fares it now?â
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âI think you already know your familyâs fate,â Xu Zimo replied.
Hearing this, Jiang Yun fell silent.
Ever since he accepted the Holy Progenitorâs gift, became a Sword Immortal, and guarded the Blood Rune Space, the Jiang Clanâs fate had long been sealed.
Though Xu Zimo had agreed with the Blood Rune Beasts not to commit atrocities, that only applied to the fragment of the Blood Rune Space tied to the Ancient Celestial Court.
As for the other spaces scattered across the Primordial Heartlands, their fates rested in the blood beastsâ hands.
ââŠRegardless, my thanks, Fellow Daoist,â Jiang Yun said softly. âSince youâve come to the Nine Heavens, then tell me, who is this eraâs Grand Emperor?â
He was curious. For someone to enter the Nine Heavens, they had to be either a current Grand Emperor or a top-tier powerhouse whoâd followed one into the passage.
But before Xu Zimo could answer, Di Cangtian suddenly let out a cold snort.