Ch. 1369 - Tearing Off The Mask, An Unlikely Alliance

He wore a crimson robe, dyed as red as fresh blood. His steps were steady and proud, his posture upright and imposing.

But he was not the main figure here, for beside him, the woman known as the Inferno Crucible Envoy walked in front. He and several others merely followed in attendance.

“Patriarch Huo, since this person came for you, you should handle it,” the woman said calmly.

Huo Tianxiong gave a small nod.

He stepped forward, looked at Violet Mist Saint Sovereign, and asked, “May I know who you are?”

“What, do you need to investigate my background just to travel to the Inferno Crucible Heaven? I’m just an ordinary person,” Violet Mist Saint Sovereign said evenly.

“The passage between the two realms may be open to all,” Huo Tianxiong replied, “but it is unstable, filled with spatial turbulence and unpredictable danger. Many have lost their lives there. The Inferno Crucible Heaven has invested great effort and resources to repair it. If you wish to enter, that’s fine, but you’ll have to pay for the maintenance costs. Surely that’s not too much to ask?”

“That’s acceptable,” Violet Mist Saint Sovereign nodded. “List out the required payment. I’ll bring it all tomorrow morning.”

At his level, ordinary resources meant little to him. Unless something involved a divine artifact of the Grand Dao itself, he had little need for material wealth. Thus, he agreed easily.

Immediately, a member of the Huo Heavenly Clan handed him a detailed list.

Violet Mist Saint Sovereign glanced at it. Everything on the list seemed reasonable, nothing excessive. He accepted it and turned to leave, intending to return to the inn and report to Xu Zimo.

As he departed, a dark glint flickered in Huo Tianxiong’s eyes. Then he turned toward the woman beside him and smiled. “I wonder, what does the Envoy think of how I handled that?”

“Quite well,” she replied. “But remember, the Inferno Crucible Heaven allows your Huo Heavenly Clan to exist for one purpose only: to safeguard the passage. You are not here to rule this place or act as you please.”

Back at the inn, after hearing Violet Mist Saint Sovereign’s report, Xu Zimo tapped his fingers on the table and smiled. “Get ready for battle.”

“Battle?” Violet Mist Saint Sovereign said in surprise. “Surely the Huo Heavenly Clan wouldn’t be that reckless.”

“If it were an ordinary time, fighting us would be one thing,” Moonlight Fairy said, nodding. “But now, with the Inferno Crucible Envoy present and the assessment underway, starting a war would be suicide.”

“Exactly,” Xu Zimo said. “That means the Huo Heavenly Clan has only two choices. Either they behave, help us enter the Inferno Crucible Heaven, and keep their dignity intact, or they tear off their masks completely. Not just with us, but even against the Envoy herself. Whether they dare depends on how deep their cooperation with the Heavenly Court goes.”

“I nearly forgot about the Heavenly Court,” Violet Mist Saint Sovereign muttered, frowning. “If they’re determined to serve as the Court’s lackeys, then with its protection, even the Inferno Crucible Heaven might not be able to touch them.”

Across the Nine Heavens, countless forces steered clear of the Heavenly Court.

Even Infinite Dao cultivators, figures of myth and power, avoided provoking it.

Though the Inferno Crucible Heaven was mighty, without an order from the being within the Radiant Court, they would never risk direct conflict with the Heavenly Court. The politics there were far too tangled.

“It seems we truly must prepare for a fight,” Violet Mist Saint Sovereign sighed.

He knew the Heavenly Court would never let the Infernal Lord go.

If it were just him, a small figure, the Court wouldn’t bother. But the Infernal Lord? He was their greatest enemy.

Everyone knew, the Heavenly Court had existed since the Primordial Era.

Through endless ages, as empires rose and fell, as countless titans perished and new powers rose to glory, the Heavenly Court had remained unshaken, like a pine clinging to a cliff, eternally standing atop the world.

Xu Zimo was silent for a while, then turned to Violet Mist Saint Sovereign.

“There’s something I need you to do for me,” he said.

“Name it, Daoist Xu,” Violet Mist Saint Sovereign replied, nodding.

Xu Zimo leaned closer and whispered a few words.

That night, the stars glittered above.

Xu Zimo sat cross-legged on his bed, meditating and absorbing his recent gains, the memories inherited from the Infernal Lord, the fragments of ancient divine lore.

There was much to digest, but every bit of it deepened his understanding of his own path. The way of the Ancient Gods offered profound insight, a perfect mirror to refine his own Dao.

Time slipped by. Night deepened.

Then hurried footsteps echoed through the inn’s hallway.

The door opened, and Violet Mist Saint Sovereign entered, with another figure at his side.

“Daoist Xu, you were right,” Violet Mist Saint Sovereign said gravely. “The Huo Heavenly Clan made their move tonight.”

Xu Zimo lit the lamp.

In the flickering light, he saw who had come with Violet Mist Saint Sovereign, it was the Inferno Crucible Envoy.

But she no longer carried the proud, commanding air she had shown that afternoon. Her face was pale, her expression weary, her body exuding a faint but heavy scent of blood.

Clearly, she had just escaped a fierce battle.

“From the moment afternoon came, I was keeping watch near the Huo Heavenly Clan’s estate,” Violet Mist Saint Sovereign explained. “By dusk, fighting had broken out. The woman was ambushed, I pulled her out.”

“I didn’t need saving,” the woman said coldly. “I could have cut my way out myself.”

Despite her exhaustion, pride still shone in her eyes.

“A fallen phoenix is still not a chicken,” Xu Zimo said with a half-smile. “But you might want to understand your situation first.”

“Who are you people?” the woman demanded, her sharp gaze turning to Xu Zimo. She could tell he was the one in charge.

“Our identities don’t matter,” Xu Zimo replied. “We only wish to reach the Inferno Crucible Heaven. Saving you was incidental, but I do have some questions about the situation there.”

“I didn’t need you to save me,” she said stiffly. “I’ll report everything truthfully to the Radiant Court. Once my report reaches them, the Lord will send someone to deal with the Huo Heavenly Clan.”

“The passage to the Inferno Crucible Heaven is currently under their full control,” Xu Zimo said lightly. “How exactly do you plan to send your report?”

Her eyes hardened at that, because he had struck right at the heart of her concern.

“I already said we can cooperate,” Xu Zimo continued. “If you’re not interested, then Violet Mist Saint Sovereign, see our guest out.”

He waved his hand dismissively, unwilling to waste more time.

The woman was silent for a long moment before finally asking, “How do you propose we cooperate?”

“I want to know how you contact the Radiant Court,” Xu Zimo said. “We can help you establish that connection. In return, you take us to the Inferno Crucible Heaven.”

“As long as we reach the Huo Heavenly Clan’s gateway to the Inferno Crucible Heaven, I can transmit the message,” the woman replied. “But the clan is now on full alert. The only way through is to force it. Are you sure you have the strength for that?”

“Our strength isn’t your concern,” Xu Zimo said with a faint smile. “But tell me, this involves the Heavenly Court. Do you think your Radiant Court is willing to make an enemy of them?”

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