Chapter 1578 - Sage Heaven God-Empire Arrives

Xu Zimo turned his head. In the distance, Wang Hengzhi was already shouting, “Ancestor! Ancestor!”

“What’s the panic? Has another enemy come to kill us?” Xu Zimo asked.

“No,” Wang Hengzhi said, shaking his head. “It’s the Sage Heaven God-Empire. They’ve sent people here.”

“What would the Sage Heaven God-Empire send people for?” Xu Zimo asked, puzzled.

“Ancestor, you may not know,” Wang Hengzhi explained. “Earlier, when Ocean Dragon Prince demanded a protection tribute from us, we considered using the Thousand Thought Tome to request aid from the Sage Heaven God-Empire. But after sending the message, they never responded.”

He continued, “Back when the True Martial Sacred Ground was at its peak, the Sage Heaven God-Empire was on good terms with us, practically our subordinate force. But over the years, they cut ties. So this time, I’m not sure if they come as allies or enemies.”

“If you’re unsure, just ask them,” Xu Zimo said with some irritation. “If you expect me to answer everything, what do we need a sect master for?”

“Ancestor, I didn’t mean it like that,” Wang Hengzhi said quickly. “It’s just… the Sage Heaven God-Empire sent more than ten people. Their leader is the Wheel-Sun National Preceptor. They say he’s at the peak of the God Meridian Realm, half a step into the Grand Emperor Realm. Without you at my side, I don’t dare raise my voice.”

“So what? Here in the True Martial Sacred Ground, what could they possibly do?” Xu Zimo asked.

“That’s not certain,” Wang Hengzhi said helplessly. “The prestige of our sect has long vanished. No one takes us seriously anymore.”

“Fine. I’ll go with you and take a look,” Xu Zimo said.

“With you there, even if you do nothing, I’ll at least have some confidence,” Wang Hengzhi said with relief. Being sect master had been humiliating. It felt like anyone could bully him. Worse, he hadn’t dared fight back. After all, he’d rebuilt the sect with great difficulty, he couldn’t bear to see it destroyed again. Weak as it was, it still existed. And as long as it existed, there was hope.

On the way, Xu Zimo asked, “An’an should’ve told you already, the sect is leaving this place. How are the arrangements coming along?”

“I’ve already informed everyone. We’re taking an attitude of voluntary participation. The sect has fifty-three thousand disciples in total. Three hundred are willing to come along. As for the seventeen Grand Elders, only six are willing to leave together.”

Hearing this, Xu Zimo was slightly surprised. There were more disciples than he expected, and only six elders willing to follow. But after a moment he understood. The current elders of the True Martial Sacred Ground were essentially here to retire. Only five or six truly cared about rebuilding the sect. Still, this was fine. It helped reveal who was loyal.

He wasn’t in a hurry. He let Xiao An’an push his wheelchair slowly. If the Sage Heaven envoys had to wait, they would simply wait.

After more than ten minutes, Xu Zimo asked, “Where are they?”

“In the main hall,” Wang Hengzhi answered.

“Find another hall,” Xu Zimo said. “Have them come to me. If they come to the True Martial Sacred Ground, there’s no reason I should go to them.”

Wang Hengzhi could tell Xu Zimo was putting on airs, but he was the ancestor, there was nothing to be done. He vacated the sect’s council hall, settled Xu Zimo there, and rushed off to summon the people from the Sage Heaven God-Empire.

“Young master, won’t this offend the Sage Heaven God-Empire?” Xiao An’an asked worriedly. In her understanding, the Sage Heaven God-Empire was one of the major powers of the Absolute God Heaven, on equal footing with the Ancient Dragon God-Empire. Meanwhile, the True Martial Sacred Ground was a tiny, half-ruined force struggling to survive long after its former glory.

“Don’t worry about so-called etiquette,” Xu Zimo replied. “Etiquette is for friends. With everyone else, what matters isn’t manners, it’s strength. When your fist is big enough, nothing is a problem. Look at the True Martial Sacred Ground. At its peak, it made the Sage Heaven God-Empire bend the knee, not because of propriety. And now, when others knead us however they like, is it because we lack etiquette?”

Xiao An’an nodded. It made sense. Power was the only real truth.

While they were talking, the group from the Sage Heaven God-Empire arrived. Before they even entered, complaints were already sounding.

“What ancestor? Your True Martial Sacred Ground still has an ancestor? What a joke.”

“When there’s no tiger in the mountain, the monkeys call themselves king. Anyone can claim to be an ancestor, apparently.”

“We came to support the True Martial Sacred Ground out of old friendship, and this is the attitude we get? Truly ungrateful.”

Judging by the voices, they were all from the younger generation.

When more than ten figures entered, Xiao An’an could see clearly. At the front stood the Wheel-Sun National Preceptor, and behind him were a group of well-dressed young men and women. The preceptor himself had remained quiet on the way in, but he had not stopped his followers’ ridicule, a clear indication of his displeasure.

The moment he entered the hall, the Wheel-Sun Preceptor’s gaze locked onto Xu Zimo, a young man seated in a wheelchair. His eyes suddenly blazed like two suns, radiating piercing light, as though trying to see through Xu Zimo entirely.

Xu Zimo lifted his head slightly. In his eyes, a faint blade-light flashed. In an instant, the twin suns shattered; the light collapsed. The Wheel-Sun Preceptor let out a cry, staggering so badly he nearly fell.

“Master, what happened?” the youths behind him asked in alarm.

“Silence!” he snapped, scolding his own group harshly. Then he turned around, forcing a smile. “May I ask if this is the True Martial Sacred Ground’s ancestor?”

His face was smiling, but inside he was chilled. His eyes still throbbed with pain from that blade strike. If the youth had harbored killing intent, his very soul might have been destroyed.

“Good. You feel pain, that means you understand fear,” Xu Zimo said. “I am the Imperial Ancestor of the True Martial Sacred Ground. It seems you people have some complaints about me?”

“No complaints at all,” the Wheel-Sun Preceptor said hastily, glaring at the disciples who still didn’t understand the situation and looked like they wanted to speak.

Xu Zimo smiled faintly. “I heard you came to support our True Martial Sacred Ground?”

“The True Martial Sacred Ground and the Sage Heaven God-Empire share old ties,” the preceptor said quickly. “So as soon as we received your request for help, we hurried here.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Zimo let out a cold laugh.