Ch. 1408 - Advancing To Saint Sovereign, The Competition Begins

Thunder surged. The once calm heavens now seemed to rage with the fury of a thunder god. Xu Zimo was in a strange, transcendent state. A mysterious aura surged around him, identical to that of the blue figure nearby, as if the two were about to merge. His momentum grew heavier and more powerful by the moment. Above, the gathering thunder tribulation had reached its critical peak, ready to strike at any instant.

“What’s happening to the Master…?” asked Seven-Face, eyes wide.

“This is the tribulation, Master is about to advance to Saint Sovereign,” Paimon said excitedly. “He’s grasped enlightenment.”

“We must guard him,” he added solemnly. “At this time, no disturbance can be allowed.”

The other Infernal Archons nodded in agreement, surrounding Xu Zimo in a tight circle so not even a fly could get through.

Xu Zimo felt as if he were drifting between worlds, immersed in a realm of pure law. The first stage of the Saint Sovereign realm was known as Supreme Giant. Those who attained it stood at the peak, transcendent, sovereign, and supreme. He was now stepping into that domain.

Inside his body, spirit energy churned violently, and his tenth meridian gate began to tremble. It was as if an ocean’s worth of power was crashing against a dam, trying to burst through. Normally, cultivators used divine arts to impact their meridian gates, only comprehending Primal Dao after entering the Saint Sovereign realm. But Xu Zimo was different, his sea of Primal Dao itself was what hammered against the gate.

Boom, boom, boom!

Deafening sounds came from within his body. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. The force of this impact was immense, enough to injure his organs, but such damage was nothing new to him.

That blue figure beside him was born of pure Primal Dao power, and through its presence Xu Zimo had gained even deeper insight into the Primal Dao themselves. He remained calm and unhurried. Breaking into the Saint Sovereign realm was no easy feat, better to take it slow than to err. Time and again, he controlled the ocean of Primal Dao inside him, crashing it against the meridian gate.

Even as blood soaked his insides and his organs shattered, he persisted without hesitation. No one knew how long it took, perhaps hours, perhaps days. His mind grew numb, all thoughts fading away until only the instinct to break through remained.

A sharp crack echoed. Inside, the tenth meridian gate fractured like glass, covered in fissures and about to shatter completely.

Now was no time to stop. Xu Zimo poured all his strength into one final surge.

Thunder roared inside his body. The ocean of Primal Dao erupted in a flood, and with one last push, the meridian gate broke open completely. The sea of Primal Dao poured into it, filling and transforming it. Xu Zimo’s power rose sharply, his inner world expanded.

Within his sea of consciousness, his Life-Death Soul, condensed once before from the spirit of the Violet Mist Saint Sovereign, now glowed brilliantly. Having stepped into the Saint Sovereign realm, he could now form another Life-Death Soul. As the tenth gate opened, a second one began to take shape, radiant and divine.

Xu Zimo had no intention of hiding his soul. Many said that as long as one’s Life-Death Soul survived, a Saint Sovereign could never truly die, but he knew better. His enemies were far beyond that level. If someone truly wished to kill him, no hiding place would protect him. So instead, he decided, why not forge two? With twin souls, he could become an invincible Saint Sovereign. And with his countless trump cards, who could truly say who would fall in the end?

He slowly opened his eyes. A trace of saintly might flashed in them.

“Supreme Giant,” he murmured to himself. “I’ve finally reached this step.”

The power coursing through him was dozens of times stronger than before, and still climbing.

“Master, congratulations on reaching the Saint Sovereign realm,” Paimon and the others said with smiles.

“It’s nothing,” Xu Zimo replied calmly. “The road ahead is long. I’ll only feel secure when I reach Infinite Dao. By the way,” he asked suddenly, “how long was I in seclusion?”

“One and a half days,” Paimon replied. “Normally, others take three to seven days to break through. But this is the God World, everything bends to your will. With no heavenly tribulation and no cosmic interference, your success was guaranteed.”

“I wonder how far the tournament has progressed,” Xu Zimo muttered.

He left the God World and returned to his room in the inn. Morning light streamed through the window, the sky was already bright. Outside his door, Liu Huohuo and the others stood waiting anxiously. When Xu Zimo finally opened the door, they all sighed in relief.

“My ancestor, if you hadn’t come out any sooner, they’d have disqualified you!” Liu Huohuo exclaimed, grabbing his arm. “Come on, we have to hurry, you might still make it!”

“It’s already started?” Xu Zimo asked.

“It started long ago!” she said, nearly dragging him along. “You set up a barrier on your room, I couldn’t open it. I had no choice but to wait.”

Xu Zimo remembered setting the ward. He’d known he was on the verge of advancing, so he had sealed the room to avoid interruptions.

“Where’s Holy Lord Zhang?” he asked.

“He’s already there. His match was scheduled early,” Liu Huohuo replied. “You’re lucky, your turn is later, so it’s fine if you’re late.”

The two rushed toward the central arena of the Chaos Fire God Realm. Deep beneath the molten landscape, the arena was vast beyond measure, a world of blazing magma and hovering platforms.

“Where’s Xu Zimo?!” a voice shouted from the stage. “If he doesn’t appear now, he’ll be disqualified!”

Even from a distance, Xu Zimo and Liu Huohuo could hear the announcement.

“There he is!” Liu Huohuo called, waving. “Just in time!”

As Xu Zimo walked toward the platform, all eyes turned to him. In such an important tournament, every other competitor had arrived early. For someone to arrive late was unheard of.

“He’s putting on quite the act,” someone muttered. “His opponent is Yan Dao, right?”

“Just showing off,” another sneered. “Probably a one-round elimination.”

The referee’s expression darkened when Xu Zimo finally reached the stage.

“I’ll let it go this time,” he warned coldly. “But if you’re late again, you’ll be disqualified.”

Xu Zimo stepped onto the arena.

……

Meanwhile, in a vast palace floating in the void, a group of red-robed figures watched the match through a projection.

“So that’s the youth who killed Ba Xia?” one asked.

“Blade Tyrant destroyed the Bridge of Heartfire just to assassinate him?” another murmured.

“We’ll discuss Blade Tyrant’s case later, we don’t have proof,” said a third. “For now, the competition takes priority.”

“Let’s observe him first,” said the elder at the head. “If he shows no potential, then Blade Tyrant’s death is no great loss.”

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