As that index finger charged toward him with unstoppable force, Jiang Tianbai immediately reacted.
Unwilling to show weakness, he struck out with a fist of his own.
Spiritforce exploded all around.
With a loud boom, Jiang Tianbai’s body was sent flying backward, crashing hard into a massive boulder.
“Care to repeat what you just said?” Xu Zimo asked with a smile.
“You caught me off guard, cheap move,” Jiang Tianbai stood back up, sneering coldly.
“Fine. I’ll let you strike first this time,” Xu Zimo replied.
Jiang Tianbai eyed Xu Zimo warily. The man looked about the same age as him.
His fists trembled slightly. Though his earlier counterattack was rushed, he had used most of his strength, and yet it hadn’t even come close to matching his opponent.
“What, afraid?” Xu Zimo smiled.
“Ridiculous,” Jiang Tianbai snorted.
Dark light began to pulse around him. Spiritforce condensed heavily around his body.
That faint black glow intensified, eventually turning pitch-black.
A pure layer of black crystal coated his skin.
Behind him, five meridian gates opened wide, the aura of the Paragon Meridian Realm rippled outward.
"Amethyst Detonation!"
Jiang Tianbai roared. A brilliant violet light appeared on his right fist, coating the crystal layer.
The glow was so dazzling it lit up half of the pitch-black sky.
He threw his punch, enhanced by the full might of his Blackrock Battle Physique, and space itself began to shatter.
“You’re still far too weak,” Xu Zimo calmly clenched his fist, the Power of Creation gathering along his arm.
With one punch, his power clashed with the violet energy.
Under Jiang Tianbai’s shocked gaze, the black crystal armor covering his body shattered, piece by piece.
Then a massive force surged into his body, sending him flying once more.
The nearby disciples who had been watching the excitement were all dumbfounded.
“The Holy Son... just got his butt kicked.”
Xu Zimo hadn’t struck with full force, he hadn’t intended to seriously injure Jiang Tianbai.
Now, the black-robed youth got up, staring dazedly at his hands.
The Blackrock crystal from his forearms down had completely disintegrated.
His expression was one of disbelief.
"I... I actually lost. And so easily, to someone my age. All my pride, shattered."
Watching Jiang Tianbai’s reaction, Xu Zimo said coolly, “Your talent’s decent. But your Dao Heart is lacking. If you can recover from this defeat, it’ll count as growth. If not, you’ll never amount to much.”
The nearby elder chuckled and said, “The kid is tougher than he looks. I believe in him.”
Xu Zimo nodded. Just as they were about to leave,
Jiang Tianbai’s voice rang out behind them.
“Can you... tell me your name?”
Xu Zimo turned to see the youth’s eyes blazing, not with confusion, but with renewed resolve and fighting spirit.
“Xu Zimo,” he replied.
“Is everyone outside this strong?” Jiang Tianbai asked.
He had grown up in the Divine Gate. With poor talent, he’d started as a miner like the others.
After accidentally obtaining the Black Stone Battle Physique, he had dedicated himself to cultivation. But he’d never once left the Elden Lands.
“Not really,” Xu Zimo said, turning away.
“To me, they’re all ants.”
Jiang Tianbai watched him leave until his figure disappeared from sight.
Only then did he clench his fists, a fire burning in his pupils.
“A Grand Emperor... is he the one I’ll chase for the rest of my life?”
After wandering through the Divine Gate for a while, Xu Zimo got a general sense of the place.
Before leaving, he turned to the God Emperor and asked, “Will you stay in the Divine Gate or come with me?”
“I’ll remain here for now. When you find news of the Red Lotus, we can meet again,” the God Emperor replied.
Xu Zimo nodded slightly.
Exiting the Divine Gate required using a space teleportation array, there was no path out of the abyss, only teleportation jumps.
The God Emperor personally escorted him to the top of the abyss.
Looking around at the dark, endless expanse, Xu Zimo noted how the Elden Lands resembled a wasteland.
Crumbled ruins and shattered structures from the Legendary Era lay scattered across the land.
Even now, it still whispered of its ancient grandeur.
Just as Xu Zimo was bidding farewell and preparing to leave, a violent wind howled across the land.
Gales shrieked like ghosts, their screams echoing through the heavens.
It was chilling to the bone.
And then, the sun rose.
A blazing sun suddenly lit the sky, and light returned to the Elden Lands.
“What the...?” Xu Zimo was stunned by the scene.
“Looks like your luck’s not great,” the God Emperor said with a smirk.
“What is this?” Xu Zimo asked, frowning.
“The curse of the ancient remnants,” the God Emperor replied.
“So this... is the curse of the Elden Lands,” Xu Zimo muttered.
In the Primordial Heartlands, anyone who knew anything about the Elden Lands had heard of the so-called curse.
But few had ever witnessed it firsthand.
(Except for members of the Divine Gate, of course.)
What made the Elden Lands one of the Ten Forbidden Grounds wasn’t its ancient traps or the Divine Gate’s presence.
It was this terrifying curse that made even heaven retreat.
This curse was why the land was sealed off, feared by all.
Legend had it the Elden Lands was cursed for half of every year. During that time, all life avoided it, even the Divine Gate had to hide deep underground, not daring to emerge.
The other half of the year was what Xu Zimo had seen earlier:
Darkness. Stillness. Death.
“Best return to your lineage for now,” the God Emperor advised. “Wait until the curse ends before planning anything else.”
“What is this curse of the ancient remnants exactly?” Xu Zimo asked. “Even when you bore the Heaven’s Will, you couldn’t break it?”
“There’s the Dao of Time embedded in it,” the God Emperor replied. “Unless I open my tenth meridian gate, I’m powerless to counter it at this level.”
“Dao of Time…?” Xu Zimo blinked.
That reminded him of someone.