After the manâs quiet sigh, someone beside him spoke up as well. âIâd honestly prefer if we never had reason to gather here again.â His tone carried regret and helplessness.
Indeed, unless a true threat to stability appeared, the Ten God-Clans and the Heavensward Tower would never convene together. âWhatâs the issue this time?â someone asked.
âHave none of you heard the rumors?â Supreme Ascendant asked. His golden mask flickered faintly with surging spirit energy. The mask was impossibly deep, impossible to see through.
âWhat rumors?â someone asked in confusion.
âIs the Heavenly Court plotting again? We shouldnât have any conflict with them,â another person said. None of them wished to become enemies with the Heavenly Court. Back then, during that incident, they had even given the Heavenly Court quite a few benefits.
At this point, there were very few things that could make the Ten God-Clans and the Heavensward Tower tense. Combined, their strength ranked near the top of the entire Nine Heavens.
âItâs not the Heavenly Court,â Supreme Ascendant said. âThink back to the last time we gathered.â
âThe True Martial Sacred Ground?â someone immediately recalled.
Last time, they had gathered to destroy the True Martial Sacred Ground. âDonât tell me theyâve risen from the ashes? That shouldnât be possible. We personally killed those people. There shouldnât be any loose ends.â
âWe havenât gathered much information yet,â Supreme Ascendant said. âBut thereâs no doubt about one thing. The True Martial Sacred Ground has started to move. I discovered a few traces, but someone hid themselves extremely well. In the end, I found nothing.â
âThe Ancient Dragon God-Empire was annihilated,â someone added.
âWhether it was an accident or the True Martial Sacred Ground returning, we should destroy them before they grow,â someone said coldly. He clearly hated the sect deeply.
âDaoist Gongshu, do you have any suggestions?â someone asked.
âWhat suggestions do we need? If we unite, even the True Martial Sacred Ground at its peak couldnât stand against us, let alone whatever weak remnant exists now,â Gongshu replied.
âThings arenât clear yet. Going to war blindly isnât wise,â someone else objected. âOur intelligence network spans the entire Absolute God Heaven. I think we should gather information first. No matter how cunning the fox, it shows its tail eventually.â
Many nodded. Once the situation became clear, they could make any decision confidently.
In the end, Supreme Ascendant made the final call. âSeven days. I want all information regarding the True Martial Sacred Ground within seven days. After that, weâll discuss our plan.â
His decision was final. Everyone trusted the Heavensward Tower. After all, the last time the True Martial Sacred Ground was destroyed, it was the Heavensward Tower that led the charge.
One by one, they left the tower. Across the entire Absolute God Heaven, countless spies began searching for information. The atmosphere grew tense everywhere.
âŠ
Inside the Ancient Dragon God-Empire, Xu Zimo had entered a strange state. Eyes closed, he was completely wrapped in a thick cocoon of gray mist. Within this cocoon, it was as if he were undergoing rebirth, shedding the old and forging the new.
The Sage Monarch stage was the final stage of the Saint Sovereign realm, and after that came the challenge of opening the eleventh meridian gate and stepping into the Infinite Dao realm.
Spirit energy flooded wildly around him, filling the entire void. Inside his body, just before the eleventh meridian gate, spirit energy gathered into a vast ocean. He wasnât impacting the meridian gate yet, but the sheer quantity of energy continued to expand endlessly.
Within that ocean, Primal Daos surged like a sea. Xu Zimo possessed countless Primal Daos, an endless variety. Thus, his Primal Dao Ocean glowed with many colors, unlike those with only a single Primal Dao whose sea appeared in one shade.
The Primal Dao Ocean was the defining mark of a Sage Monarch. It surged and transformed into streams of energy that drifted toward Xu Zimoâs body.
Inside the room where he was in seclusion, spirit energy could no longer be contained. It burst upward, streaming toward the sky. Before long, it formed a roaring river of light, hanging upside down across tens of billions of miles, blanketing the heavens.
A towering pillar of spirit energy connected Xu Zimo to the sky.
Outside the room, Willow Ancestor watched in awe. Only worship and reverence remained in his eyes.
âSo this is the old ancestorâs strength,â he murmured. âThis is far beyond an ordinary Saint Sovereign⊠this is already the peak of Sage Monarch.â
âMaster,â Wang Hengzhi arrived as well, his voice filled with excitement. âWith the ancestor this powerful, itâs a blessing for our True Martial Sacred Ground.â
âThatâs true,â Willow said with a laugh. âBut our old ancestor⊠heâs never been someone who sits quietly. But thatâs fine. Better to charge forward with him than stay cowering in the sect and let others walk all over us. Even if we die, it would be worth it.â
âA man should wield his blade and take back the land,â Wang Hengzhi said with a grin. âIf we die, so be it. Itâs the younger generation weâd feel sorry for.â
âThey wonât be fighting. Let them at least see the world,â Willow replied.
As the two chatted, the celestial river in the sky began to transform. A boundless pressure descended, and everyone in the Ancient Dragon God-Empire felt weighed down. The river was massive, oceanic, endless, vast, and unfathomable.
Outside the palace, Zhao Zhoutian and the others were still debating matters when they saw the sight overhead.
Zhao Zhoutian finally spoke. âIt seems I should pay a visit to this True Martial Sacred Ground.â
âSecond Grandfather, why should someone from the Ten God-Clans visit them? Yes, they destroyed the Ancient Dragon God-Empire, but that place was nothing but ants. Even if theyâve grown stronger, are they stronger than us?â Zhao Danyang asked, displeased.
âYouâre still young. You donât understand yet. My visit is also a test,â Zhao Zhoutian said.
âA test?â Danyang was confused. âBut Second Grandfather, didnât you say the True Martial Sacred Ground had a grudge with us?â
âNot just with us, the entire Ten God-Clans,â Zhao Zhoutian said. âBut this time weâre going as individuals, not representing the families. It shouldnât cause problems.â
âAlrightâŠâ Zhao Danyang nodded reluctantly.
He followed behind Zhao Zhoutian as they headed toward the Ancient Dragon God-Empireâs palace. To them, the palace looked plain and unimpressive, nothing compared to the Zhao God-Clanâs own estate.