Ch. 1196 - White Emperor Mountain

“Chancellor, let’s find a place for your people to settle first,” Xie Changliu said.

It was best to arrange lodging for Jiang Mozhi and his group quickly, after all, they were little more than baggage at the moment.

Jiang Mozhi nodded in agreement without objection.

The Ghost God Collegium stood atop a solitary mountain peak, with no real path leading in or out. To enter or leave, one had to walk through the air itself.

The group stood at the edge of the cliff, looking down. A thick blanket of mist obscured everything below, stretching endlessly in all directions.

The swirling fog made them feel as if they were standing above the clouds, gazing down from the heavens themselves, a breathtaking sight.

Just as they prepared to leave, a voice called out from behind them.

“Everyone, long time no see.”

Xu Zimo turned around to see a group of white-robed figures approaching, led by Feng Buxiu of the Seven Gods Collegium.

“Who are they?” Xie Changliu asked warily.

“Not sure yet,” Xu Zimo replied. “Could be friend, could be foe.”

After all, he had just killed one of their own, Hong Yu, and that made things complicated.

“Young Master Xu, there’s no need to be on edge,” Feng Buxiu said with a warm smile.

“I’m not,” Xu Zimo replied flatly.

“I believe you’re a straightforward man,” Feng Buxiu continued. “So I’ll speak plainly. I’ve been waiting here especially for you, with one goal, to invite you to join our Seven Gods Collegium.”

Xu Zimo raised an eyebrow, but before he could answer, Feng Buxiu went on with a grin.

“Don’t rush to refuse. I’ll admit, I do have a selfish reason for this invitation. Half a month from now, White Emperor Mountain will open. Three great academies and five powerful sects will all compete for it. I want you to fight on behalf of the Seven Gods Collegium.”

“You’re not joking, are you, Chancellor Feng?” Xu Zimo asked with a smile.

“I’ve never been more serious,” Feng Buxiu said. “Originally, our representative was to be Hong Yu. But now that Hong Yu is dead, if our Seven Gods Collegium wants to make an impression in the White Emperor Mountain contest, you’re the only choice left.”

He continued, “If you agree, any condition you name, we’ll meet it.”

“What exactly is White Emperor Mountain?” Xu Zimo asked.

Hearing the question, Feng Buxiu smiled knowingly. “So Young Master Xu isn’t from the Ghost God Heaven, is he?”

“What makes you say that?” Xu Zimo asked.

“Because almost everyone from the Ghost God Heaven knows of White Emperor Mountain,” Feng Buxiu replied.

“The White Emperor called himself an emperor, but in truth, his power far exceeded that title. No one knows the true height of his cultivation. White Emperor Mountain was once his residence.”

“I’m not too familiar with him,” Xu Zimo admitted.

“That’s fine. It doesn’t matter whether you know him or not,” Feng Buxiu said with a laugh. “The White Emperor has long since disappeared anyway.”

“Disappeared?” Xu Zimo asked. “Did he go to another of the Nine Heavens?”

“Not quite. Rumor has it that he followed the Grand Empress into the Ultimate Battle, and never returned,” Feng Buxiu explained.

“Everyone who went to that battle met only one end, death. Otherwise, we wouldn’t dare compete for his former dwelling.”

Xu Zimo nodded slightly but said nothing.

“So, what do you think, Young Master Xu?” Feng Buxiu asked.

“I can fight for you,” Xu Zimo said slowly, “but I have three conditions. First, I want access to your academy’s library. Second, these people from the Celestial Sage Academy need a place of protection. And third, when White Emperor Mountain opens, I want two entry slots.”

Feng Buxiu frowned, clearly troubled.

“No need to force yourself,” Xu Zimo said calmly. “If you can’t agree, then forget it.”

“Not at all!” Feng Buxiu said quickly. “You may read whatever you like in the library. As for the people from the Celestial Sage Academy, they can simply join our Seven Gods Collegium, we’ll take them in. As for the slots… that’s trickier. Even the first-place team only gets three.”

“That’s your problem, not mine,” Xu Zimo said flatly. “There’ll still be one slot left, won’t there? My conditions won’t change.”

Feng Buxiu hesitated for a long moment before finally nodding. “Very well. I agree, but you must promise me you’ll take first place.”

Xu Zimo gave a small nod.

“The competition will be in half a month,” Feng Buxiu said. “Let’s return to the Seven Gods Collegium and make preparations. I’ll brief you on the opponents.”

“No need,” Xu Zimo waved him off. “Unless someone among them has reached the Saint Sovereign Realm, there’s nothing to discuss.”

He knew that was virtually impossible. Reaching the Saint Sovereign Realm among peers of the same generation was nearly unheard of. Those who became Grand Emperors were already the pinnacle of their era, and even among the Ghost God Collegium’s elite, only the strongest of the Nine Ghost Princes had reached that height.

“Still, it never hurts to be cautious,” Feng Buxiu said with a faint smile.

He waved his right hand, and a strange glow surrounded him. Spatial energy rippled outward, forming a web of luminous coordinates shaped like five-pointed stars.

The points shimmered like constellations, rotating rhythmically around them.

Feng Buxiu extended his hand and tapped one of the glowing coordinates.

Instantly, the surrounding space rippled with intense energy, and that point expanded countless times over, revealing a scene of a massive gate, upon which the words Seven Gods were carved.

“Let’s go,” Feng Buxiu said, turning back with a gesture. “Having portable space coordinates makes travel far more convenient.”

“First time I’ve seen this,” Xu Zimo remarked.

The glowing coordinates pulsed softly as the group of white-robed cultivators stepped inside first.

Feng Buxiu smiled and gestured politely. “Please, Young Master Xu.”

Xu Zimo nodded and led his people into the light.

These spatial coordinates functioned much like teleportation arrays, except they weren’t fixed, far more flexible and convenient. The underlying spatial laws, however, were the same.

This was clearly a Saint Sovereign–level technique.

Even that brief display revealed the depth of the Seven Gods Collegium’s foundation, it was at least a power guarded by a Saint Sovereign.

“Chancellor Feng,” Xu Zimo asked as they traveled through the light, “you mentioned that three great academies and five major sects would compete for White Emperor Mountain. Which ones?”

“The three academies, you’ve already seen two,” Feng Buxiu explained. “The Ghost God Collegium, our Seven Gods Collegium, and the last one is the Martial Blade Collegium. As for the five holy lands, they’re the universally acknowledged powers of the Ghost God Heaven. They’re spread across its five regions, Desolate Temple, Sinful Abyss God Realm, Primal Monastery, Northern Mountain, and the Dragon Demon God Realm.”

“Sounds interesting enough,” Xu Zimo said with a faint smile.

“You may rest for a while,” Feng Buxiu said with a nod. “Even with these space coordinates, it’s still quite a distance from the Demi-God Region to the No-Sea Region. It’ll take about three days to reach the Seven Gods Collegium.”

Xu Zimo nodded again, sitting cross-legged.

It was the perfect time to deal with matters within the God World, to finally resolve the issue of Shadow Tyrant’s need for faith power.

Without that divine energy, Shadow Tyrant would never be able to unleash its full strength.

As his consciousness entered the God World, Xu Zimo immediately sensed the situation.

The chaotic forces had nearly conquered the entire realm.

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