Ch. 1473 - The Girl A’Li & The Past

“That was our Realm Lord Bai,” Lu Wuming explained. “She looks cold on the outside, but she’s warm hearted once you get to know her. She just doesn’t show emotion easily. And actually, when you fell onto our airship, many people wanted to throw you back out. It was Realm Lord Bai who insisted we keep you aboard.”

Hearing that, Xu Zimo shook his head with a small laugh. “All right, fine. As long as your Realm Lord doesn’t bother me, I won’t bother her.”

“Where are you from, Brother Xu?” Lu Wuming asked, curious.

“I’m just a wanderer, traveling wherever the wind takes me,” Xu Zimo said with a smile. “By the way, since the Fire God Race’s Ancestral Lands are opening, your Ancient Eternal God Realm has been invited as well?”

Normally, something like that should have been limited to the Fire God Race. Humans, after all, weren’t exactly welcomed in their lands. The fact that Ancient Eternal God Realm had been invited meant it wasn’t an ordinary power.

Lu Wuming smiled. “Not exactly. This time, when the Ancestral Lands open, it isn’t just us. In fact, all major races have received invitations.”

“What is the Fire God Race planning?” Xu Zimo asked, frowning slightly.

“We don’t know,” Lu Wuming said with a laugh. “But rumor has it that outsiders will be allowed to enter the Ancestral Lands as well. We’re just going to try our luck.”

Xu Zimo nodded slightly.

After chatting for a while, he gained a better understanding of the Ancient Eternal God Realm.

It had once been a very powerful human sect, its ancestors had produced several Saint Sovereigns. But after those forebears departed, the sect declined, not just slowly, but nearly to the brink of annihilation.

Only when the current Realm Lord Bai took over did the Ancient Eternal God Realm begin to show signs of revival.

Even so, it was still far from its former glory.

That was what Xu Zimo gathered about the sect.

When their conversation ended, Lu Wuming went off to handle his duties, leaving Xu Zimo to himself.

He was free to move around as he wished.

As night began to fall, the first day of their journey drew to a close.

Traveling by airship to the Radiant Lands would take at least seven days.

This expedition’s main force included Realm Lord Bai, several elders, and mostly young disciples. They all knew it would be extremely difficult to gain anything from the Fire God Race’s Ancestral Lands, so the trip was also an opportunity for their younger generation to broaden their horizons.

Compared to the elders, the younger disciples were friendlier toward Xu Zimo.

“Dinner’s ready, Brother Xu,” a plump young man called out with a cheerful grin as he walked over.

His name was Wang Wei, one of the new disciples traveling with Ancient Eternal God Realm. He was honest and good-natured, and the one most welcoming to Xu Zimo.

On the other side of the deck, the young disciples sat in a circle around a fire.

The air was filled with the aroma of roasting meat, making several of them drool in anticipation.

For true cultivators, eating was unnecessary, but the younger ones still needed food.

When Xu Zimo arrived, one of the boys joked, “Brother Xu, did you come aboard our Ancient Eternal God Realm’s ship just to freeload on our food? Why don’t you join our sect while you’re at it?”

“This Buddha is too big, and your temple’s too small to contain him,” Xu Zimo said with a smile.

“Hmph! Braggart,” a girl beside them snorted. “Dreaming big with a life as fragile as paper. You’d do better to keep your feet on the ground.”

The girl’s name was A’Li.

She clearly disliked Xu Zimo and often quarreled with him over the smallest things.

Xu Zimo didn’t bother to argue with her.

“Junior Sister, enough,” Wang Wei said softly, trying to keep the peace. He handed Xu Zimo a bowl of steaming hot soup and smiled warmly. “Here, have some.”

“Everyone’s eating, huh?” Lu Wuming walked over then, smiling.

“Senior Brother!” the group greeted in unison.

Lu Wuming’s position in the sect was unique. Though known as the “Senior Brother” of Ancient Eternal God Realm, his status was on par with the elders. It was said that a thousand years ago, he already held that title, and had long been qualified to become an elder himself.

But he’d chosen to remain as the guiding figure for the younger generation, and because of that, everyone in Ancient Eternal God Realm deeply respected him.

“Senior Brother,” A’Li spoke up suddenly, her tone sharp. “We’re heading to the Radiant Lands for something important. How can we bring along some random stranger?”

Her meaning was obvious, she was talking about Xu Zimo.

“A’Li, do you have some kind of grudge against Brother Xu?” Lu Wuming asked with a chuckle.

It was clear to everyone that the girl had a problem with him.

A’Li didn’t answer. She just huffed, turned around, and walked away.

“She’s still young, don’t mind her,” Lu Wuming said with a helpless smile.

“Where’s her family from?” Xu Zimo asked with a faint grin.

“She’s from Stone Flame City. She’s been with us for about three years now,” Lu Wuming replied.

Xu Zimo paused for a moment.

Now he understood why the girl seemed to hate him so much.

His past and Stone Flame City’s fate were deeply connected.

The previous city lord of Stone Flame City, Blade Tyrant, had died by Xu Zimo’s hand.

When Xu Zimo left, he had also destroyed the city’s million-mile wall, leaving Stone Flame City in ruins.

He hadn’t paid attention to it since, but it seemed the city had been rebuilt later, and news of what happened had spread.

After dinner, Xu Zimo noticed A’Li standing alone at the edge of the ship’s deck, gazing out at the vast heavens.

They were flying so high it felt as if the stars were within reach, though of course, that was only an illusion. The stars were still far beyond their world.

The girl’s black dress fluttered lightly in the wind.

“You know who I am?” Xu Zimo’s voice came from behind her.

A’Li turned her head slightly but didn’t answer.

After a brief silence, she moved as if to leave.

“You don’t have to talk to me,” Xu Zimo said with a faint smile. “I just wanted to tell you, the matter of Stone Flame City is over. Don’t provoke me again, or I won’t show mercy next time.”

“You’re just like what the notice said,” A’Li said angrily, turning back toward him.

“What notice?” Xu Zimo frowned.

“Our Stone Flame City’s public notice,” she said. “It said you destroyed our city over a small dispute.”

“A small dispute?” Xu Zimo gave a dry laugh. “That was a battle to the death. You think that’s a small quarrel?”

So that was it, she hadn’t even been there when it happened.

He had assumed she’d seen it with her own eyes, but it seemed she’d joined the sect afterward and only heard the story later.

“I don’t know the details,” A’Li said stubbornly. “But Stone Flame City was home to many people, it was their foundation, their livelihood. How could you destroy it? It was also the first line of defense against the Water Beasts.”

“First of all,” Xu Zimo smiled calmly, “Stone Flame City didn’t need to exist. If you’re looking for a home, Ocean Sage City would’ve been a far better place.”

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