Ch. 127 - Daoist Sorrow

Just as Xu Zimo stepped out of the Wind Region, he saw Daoist Sorrow standing nearby, waiting for him.

As Xu Zimo emerged, Daoist Sorrow frowned slightly and said coldly, "Kid, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Stay away from our young lady from now on."

"Since when do I need you to tell me how to live my life?" Xu Zimo replied indifferently.

"Don’t get cocky just because you have some talent. Do you even know who we are?" Daoist Sorrow scoffed.

"And do you know who I am?" Xu Zimo shot back.

Daoist Sorrow was taken aback, truthfully, he didn’t know Xu Zimo’s background.

He had watched Lan Ke’er grow up. While the Lan Clan never interfered with their children’s relationships, he personally had a poor impression of Xu Zimo and had taken it upon himself to intervene.

"My father is Xu Qingshan, Vice-Lord of True Martial Sacred Ground, and currently the one holding real power in the sect," Xu Zimo said with a faint smile.

Daoist Sorrow’s expression stiffened.

True Martial Sacred Ground, the sect founded by the number one human emperor, Grand Emperor Zhen Wu himself, had produced four Grand Emperors across its history. Its heritage rivaled, if not exceeded, that of the Lan Clan.

Daoist Sorrow paused for a moment, then muttered, "True Martial Sacred Ground is strong, but-"

"No ‘but.’ Even in your Middle Continent, True Martial Sacred Ground would be seen as a superpower," Xu Zimo interrupted coldly. "Don’t think too highly of yourself. You're just a dog. You really think I couldn’t kill you and walk away clean? The Lan Clan wouldn't dare touch me."

Daoist Sorrow’s face darkened. He snorted and turned to leave, flying off into the sky.

He knew staying any longer would only lead to more humiliation.

Watching Daoist Sorrow leave, Xu Zimo chuckled and shook his head.

In truth, both Daoist Joy and Daoist Sorrow were among the finest of Imperial Meridian Realm cultivators.

Their lives were full of drama and contrast.

Daoist Joy was born into a wealthy noble clan. From the moment he was born, he lacked for nothing.

When his martial potential was tested, he was found to have first-tier talent and was taken in as a personal disciple by a local sect leader.

Thus began a smooth and blessed cultivation path.

He reached the Meridian Forging Realm at 20, the Desolate Meridian Realm by 50.

At 200 years old, he entered the Paragon Meridian Realm, and after 700 years of cultivation, he had reached the Imperial Meridian Realm.

This speed wouldn’t be remarkable for someone in an Imperial Lineage, but keep in mind, he had started as a rogue cultivator, and even the first sect he joined was small and insignificant.

In contrast, Daoist Sorrow’s life was one of tragedy.

His mother died in childbirth. His father was later butchered by bandits.

He wandered homeless as a child and survived for years as a beggar, at one point, he even lost his sanity.

During this madness, he accidentally consumed a divine herb, which changed his fate entirely.

Eventually, fate brought Daoist Sorrow and Daoist Joy together. They shared their life stories with each other:

One had endured the full weight of human suffering. The other had lived a smooth, blessed life.

From their shared reflections, they both gained enlightenment, comprehending the Dao of Sorrow and Joy, and eventually joined the Lan Clan.

...

Not long after Daoist Sorrow left, Ren Pingsheng flew in to meet Xu Zimo.

"Young Master, the entire Myriad Beasts Sect is now hunting you down," he said with a helpless expression. "I heard they’re offering an Earth-Grade weapon to anyone who reports your whereabouts."

"Do they know who I am?" Xu Zimo asked.

"Probably not," Ren Pingsheng shook his head.

"Want to do something crazy with me?" Xu Zimo grinned.

"Like what?" Ren asked, confused.

"Destroy the Myriad Beasts Sect," Xu Zimo said calmly, word by word.

Ren Pingsheng was stunned. He quickly said, "Young Master, we’re not at that level of conflict with them yet. If you reveal your identity and offer a sincere apology, they wouldn’t dare touch you."

"I’m not interested in apologizing. So, the only option is to eliminate them," Xu Zimo said plainly.

Ren Pingsheng went silent, then sighed, "But the two of us alone can’t destroy such a powerful sect."

"That’s why I need your Emperor’s weapon," Xu Zimo replied.

He brought Ren Pingsheng to the vacuum zone between the Wind and Fire Regions.

In the center of this space was a thin black membrane, a powerful barrier.

Xu Zimo knew this was a formation, and inside it lay the very heart of the Pure Moon God Domain, the location of the Pure Moon Altar.

This formation was Level Eight. Anyone below the Empyrean Meridian Realm couldn’t break it by force.

Xu Zimo’s goal was to enter quietly without alerting anyone.

He said to Ren Pingsheng, "Have your Sun-Devouring Axe find one of the formation's nodes, swallow it, then take its place, just enough to open a gap and let us in."

Ren looked confused but obeyed. He summoned the spirit of the axe from within the Emperor’s weapon.

Dark energy coiled around the axe as a booming voice echoed from within: "Boy, why have you awakened me?"

Ren quickly relayed Xu Zimo’s plan.

The weapon spirit scanned the formation and then said proudly: "A grade-eight formation? Even most Grand Emperor True Treasures can’t pass through it quietly. But my devouring attribute counteracts this perfectly. Boy, this will be the second task I’ve done for you."

Ren nodded. He knew that after ten completed tasks, the spirit would be granted freedom, per its agreement with the original Emperor.

The Sun-Devouring Axe released a shroud of black mist. Dark energy cloaked part of the formation.

Wisps of devouring force swirled outward.

After some time, a one-meter-tall opening appeared in the black membrane.

Xu Zimo and Ren Pingsheng quickly stepped inside.

The axe spirit had simply devoured one node. After the two entered, it replaced the node and sealed the entrance behind them.

...

Now inside the core of the Pure Moon God Domain, they found themselves in a vast space.

By Xu Zimo’s estimate, it was even larger than the other four elemental regions combined.

He led Ren eastward for half a day until they finally saw a barrier up ahead.

This barrier sealed off a 100-mile radius, covering the true heart of the Pure Moon Domain.

At its gate sat an old man in green Daoist robes, calmly guarding the entrance.

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