Ch. 1779 - Patriarch Heaven-Seer

“You can understand my difficulties, Brother Xu?” Du Xiaozhuang said excitedly.

“Actually, I don’t want to live under a false identity either. But the Patriarch says that our Ancient Relicfolk aligns with the Heavenly Dao and can sense the future. That’s why the outside world is constantly hunting us.”

“The future?” Xu Zimo let out a soft laugh.

“I only believe that humans can prevail over heaven. If something hasn’t happened yet, how can it be called the future?”

“Brother Xu really understands reason. Unfortunately, many people truly believe in that kind of thing,” Du Xiaozhuang replied.

“That’s why we hide our identities and live here. We just want a quiet life. There’s no ill intent.”

“I understand. You don’t need to explain, Brother Du. I won’t reveal this matter. You can trust me,” Xu Zimo said.

Over the next few days, everything remained calm.

Sure enough, nothing about the Ancient Relicfolk was exposed, which put Du Xiaozhuang at ease.

He also became increasingly convinced that Xu Zimo was someone worth befriending.

A few days later, Xu Zimo and Du Xiaozhuang were eating together in the courtyard.

A cool breeze blew through the evening air. Summer courtyards were the best places to enjoy the night.

“Brother Du, has your Ancient Relicfolk never thought about changing its fate?” Xu Zimo asked.

Du Xiaozhuang smiled and filled both of their cups with wine.

“How could we not have thought about it? It’s easy to say, but unrealistic to act on.”

“Does the Ancient Relicfolk lack powerful cultivators?” Xu Zimo asked curiously.

“I won’t lie to you. Our Ancient Relicfolk’s ancestor is a Grand Emperor,” Du Xiaozhuang replied.

“He’s very strong, but above him are Saint Sovereigns. Those top-tier races have several Saint Sovereigns each. We still have to keep a low profile.”

“Do you know whether the power of your Ancient Relicfolk undergoes some kind of transformation after reaching a certain level?” Xu Zimo asked.

“What kind of transformation?” Du Xiaozhuang was startled.

“For example, fully aligning with heaven and earth and being able to see the world beyond the heavens,” Xu Zimo said with a smile.

They filled their cups again.

After several rounds, Du Xiaozhuang was already a little drunk.

The two of them had their arms around each other’s shoulders.

Du Xiaozhuang shook his head and said, “I don’t know about that. Someone like me doesn’t really have access to the clan’s deeper matters. When I was young, I wanted to become strong. Now I just want to support my family and let my wife and son live well.”

As he spoke, Du Xiaozhuang seemed to recall something.

“Oh, right. There’s something rather strange. Some time ago, the Patriarch issued an order for every member of the Ancient Relicfolk to contribute a drop of essence blood. Even children had to do it.”

“Essence blood?” Xu Zimo listened with interest.

“Under normal circumstances, we only use essence blood when calculating heavenly secrets,” Du Xiaozhuang said.

“But I’ve never seen so much essence blood collected at once. I have no idea what the Patriarch intends to divine.”

“If your Patriarch is only a Grand Emperor, then he doesn’t yet have the ability to do much,” Xu Zimo said with a smile.

“Unless someone among you breaks through to the Saint Sovereign realm and undergoes a talent evolution, attempting to steal the secrets of heaven and change fate. In that case, one person’s essence blood wouldn’t be enough.”

“Brother Xu, what are you talking about? That’s too profound. I don’t understand,” Du Xiaozhuang laughed.

Xu Zimo also smiled.

Then he suddenly asked, “If you were made Patriarch, what do you think?”

“Huh?” Du Xiaozhuang froze, then laughed foolishly.

“Brother Xu, you must be drunk. You can’t say things like that casually.”

“I’m not speaking casually. I’m asking you seriously,” Xu Zimo said with a smile.

Du Xiaozhuang thought for a moment.

Finally, he replied, “Honestly, I don’t have much ability. I’d probably keep things as they are. Find a secluded paradise and let our Ancient Relicfolk live on peacefully.”

“But right now, your Ancient Relicfolk has quite a bit of ambition,” Xu Zimo said with a faint smile.

He knew Du Xiaozhuang did not understand the deeper meaning behind his words.

Yet it was precisely Du Xiaozhuang who had inadvertently saved the Ancient Relicfolk.

Originally, Xu Zimo had planned to wipe out the entire Ancient Relicfolk.

This race was not particularly safe.

It was too easy for them to cause trouble behind the scenes.

But after meeting Du Xiaozhuang, Xu Zimo realized that there was no such thing as an inherently dangerous race.

The key was how that race was used.

If properly guided, the Ancient Relicfolk could also serve him well.

Moreover, when the time came, there would inevitably be a great battle between the God World and the Nine Heavens.

Perhaps the Ancient Relicfolk would play an even greater role then.

Xu Zimo changed his mind. He looked at Du Xiaozhuang and smiled.

“Do you want to become stronger?”

“Who doesn’t want to become stronger?” Du Xiaozhuang laughed loudly.

“I have a cultivation method here that might help you,” Xu Zimo said.

Du Xiaozhuang was startled and shook his head. “Brother Xu, you must have drunk too much. So what if you give me a supreme scripture? Without the talent, I still wouldn’t be able to cultivate it.”

“I’m not asking you to cultivate combat power,” Xu Zimo said with a smile.

“I’m asking you to cultivate your Ancient Relicfolk’s innate talent. Divining heavenly secrets. The Ancient Relicfolk are born aligned with the Heavenly Dao. If you were placed directly within the Heavenly Dao, wouldn’t your talent awaken faster?”

Du Xiaozhuang was left completely bewildered.

He laughed and said, “Jeez... Brother Xu, you’re really drunk.”

Xu Zimo did not say anything more.

This was a thought that had only just occurred to him.

The Ancient Relicfolk’s abilities were clearly not fully awakened yet.

If he helped them awaken, then with a race capable of divining heavenly secrets, the God World would never escape Xu Zimo’s control.

Moreover, the Ancient Relicfolk was a race born from the God World itself.

As its creator, these people were like his own children.

Unless absolutely necessary, he did not want to wipe out anyone.

Unless someone sought to slay the heavens.

Just like in the Nine Heavens, the Heavenly Dao did not interfere in the development of the world.

It only killed those who sought to slay heaven or those who obstructed the world’s development. Under normal circumstances, it did not concern itself with worldly affairs.

The Heavenly Dao was conscious.

It was like a precise machine, operating according to its own rules.

…

Early the next morning, the sky was bright.

Because of Xu Zimo’s relationship with Du Xiaozhuang, the latter directly introduced him to the Patriarch of the Ancient Relicfolk.

This Patriarch was named Heaven-Seer and was said to be able to sever all cause and effect in the world.

However, Heaven-Seer was extremely low-key.

He was also the only Grand Emperor of the Ancient Relicfolk known to the public.

Du Xiaozhuang led Xu Zimo to a thatched hut in Ancient Town.

An old blind man lived there.

The old man wore a coarse hemp robe. His eyes were clouded, and he sat at the doorway facing the setting sun.

He looked like an elderly man waiting for death.

“Brother Xu, this is our Ancient Relicfolk’s Patriarch,” Du Xiaozhuang introduced.

“Patriarch, I brought a friend to see you. Don’t worry, he has no ill intent. He’s a good person.”

The old man seemed not to hear him at all, sitting motionless at the door.

Du Xiaozhuang was startled.

He stepped forward to check and discovered that the old man was no longer breathing.

“The Patriarch… is dead?”

Du Xiaozhuang was shocked. “How is that possible? The Patriarch is a Grand Emperor.”

He could not make sense of it.

He prepared to go notify the other members of the Ancient Relicfolk.

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