“Blood Nether Sacred Ground?” Xu Zimo frowned slightly.
He recalled the group he had encountered earlier, the man and woman they had mentioned were likely Little Gui and Yao Shengnan.
Xu Zimo reached out to examine Little Gui’s condition. He was gravely injured, with one foot already in the underworld.
External wounds aside, his internal organs were completely shattered. He was barely clinging to life with a single thread of true energy.
If that energy dissipated, he would truly die.
Even with Xu Zimo’s current power, once someone was dead, the only way to reverse it would be to use the Time Pearl given to him by the Time Emperor, to reverse space and time itself.
But that pearl was extremely rare. It could save one life, and to Xu Zimo, that was equivalent to a life of his own, he wouldn’t waste it.
He placed his right hand on Little Gui’s forehead and activated the Tree of Life within him. Endless life force flowed into Little Gui’s body.
Xu Zimo carefully controlled the flow of power.
Little Gui’s body was far too fragile now, any sudden movement could shatter that thread of life-sustaining true energy.
He first focused on healing Little Gui’s internal organs.
It took several hours before Xu Zimo finally pulled Little Gui back from death’s door.
Once his organs began to function again, Xu Zimo quickened his pace, helping restore external wounds and other damaged areas.
As time passed, Little Gui’s complexion gradually became rosy.
His color returned, and his breathing stabilized into a steady rhythm.
Xu Zimo took a deep breath. Though it hadn’t drained him physically, the prolonged mental focus had taken a toll.
He looked at Little Gui, now out of danger.
Yao Shengnan quickly asked, “Young Master Xu, is Guilin okay?”
“He’s stable for now. Let him rest. He needs time to regain strength,” Xu Zimo nodded.
He took out a healing pill from his storage ring and handed it to Yao Shengnan.
It was clear she was also wounded, just not as seriously as Little Gui.
After taking the pill, she sat down cross-legged to recover. Eventually, she exhaled a deep breath, and her complexion looked better.
“Thank you, Young Master Xu,” Yao Shengnan said gratefully.
“Now tell me, what happened?” Xu Zimo asked with a frown.
Little Gui had followed him for a long time. Aside from Lin Ruhu, he was one of Xu Zimo’s closest friends.
“Sigh, this is all my fault,” Yao Shengnan sighed, then began to explain.
“There’s a legend in the Eastern Continent about a peerless beauty named Immortal Fairy Fuyao.”
“You mean the wife of Grand Emperor Tai Yuan,” Xu Zimo replied.
Grand Emperor Tai Yuan had once risen from humble origins to become a Grand Emperor, a feat that shook the ancient world.
His journey was incredibly difficult.
But in the end, he achieved greatness, and his wife, Immortal Fairy Fuyao, was renowned as the most beautiful woman in the Eastern Continent.
“Yes. The legend says Grand Emperor Tai Yuan ascended to the Outer Heavens, but his wife, Fuyao, chose to remain on Primordial Heartlands,” Yao Shengnan said.
“Recently, the ruins of Immortal Fairy Fuyao were discovered, causing a major stir. It’s said she had a Beauty Crown, whoever wears it gains greatly enhanced cultivation efficiency and eternal youth.”
“That’s not so rare,” Xu Zimo muttered.
There were plenty of things that preserved youth, True Martial Sacred Ground had better.
“Let me finish. There’s also a rumor that whoever obtains the Beauty Crown inherits Fuyao’s legacy,” Yao Shengnan said sadly.
“I once casually mentioned that the crown was forged from the rarest celestial crystals in the world by Grand Emperor Tai Yuan, an unrivaled token of love. Guilin took it to heart and set out to find it.”
“So that’s what led to the conflict with Blood Nether Sacred Ground?” Xu Zimo asked.
“Those scum are despicable. We had already obtained the crown,” Yao Shengnan said angrily.
“But they ambushed us, and because Guilin is a core disciple of True Martial Sacred Ground, they tried to kill us to cover it up.”
“A minor lineage like Blood Nether dares such things?” Xu Zimo sneered.
“The mastermind is their holy son. He’s said to be infatuated with the Saintess of the Chi Imperial Clan. He wants to give her the crown as a token of affection,” Yao Shengnan added quickly.
“The holy son of Blood Nether Sacred Ground, he’s not exactly polite,” Xu Zimo said lightly.
“His name is Xue Zeyuan. Ruthless and cunning. They say he even surpasses his Sacred Lord,” Yao Shengnan explained.
“These past few years, his reputation in the Eastern Continent has grown from killing alone. No one dares provoke him.”
“Interesting,” Xu Zimo smiled.
“Bring Little Gui. Let’s go find him.”
“Should we ask the sect for help? This involves an imperial lineage,” Yao Shengnan said, worried.
“Imperial lineage? They’re nothing. Let’s go,” Xu Zimo waved her off and walked outside.
The heavy rain still poured down.
Thunder rumbled across the sky, echoing like the heavens were roaring in fury.
The entire valley was drenched in the rainy season.
Yao Shengnan carried Little Gui and hurried after Xu Zimo.
After walking a dozen meters, a group of people rushed toward them.
Judging by their uniforms, they were disciples of the Blood Nether Sacred Ground.
“There they are, just ahead!” someone shouted excitedly.
Before they could say more, Xu Zimo raised his right hand slightly.
Several bolts of lightning crashed from the sky, exploding on impact. Everyone except the leader was obliterated.
The leader gasped at the sight and swallowed hard.
He tried to run, but his legs trembled, he didn’t have the strength to flee.
“P-please spare me,” the leader said, voice trembling as Xu Zimo approached.
“Answer a few questions,” Xu Zimo said calmly.
“The holy son, it wasn’t my idea, I’m just a messenger,” the leader replied quickly.
“In Phoenix River City, not far from here,” the leader answered.
“How bold, to kill our disciples on True Martial Sacred Ground’s land. Who gave him the courage?” Xu Zimo snorted coldly.
With a cracking sound, he twisted the man’s head 360 degrees.
Then Xu Zimo walked out of the valley, heading toward Phoenix River City.
Rain poured down. The city’s tall walls loomed in the distance, hazy in the storm.
Step by step, Xu Zimo approached. With every step, his aura grew stronger.