Ch. 1345 - The Supreme Sacred Land, Strategies Before The Storm

Ancestral Warden was no fool. After thinking it over for a moment, he immediately understood what was going on.

Meng Lunhui’s death, while significant, the man had been the Holy Son of the Ancient Samsara God Realm, wasn’t enough to justify the Samsara Saint Sovereign’s personal intervention. That saint was no ordinary being; since the era of the progenitor Boundless Saint Sovereign, he had been the strongest existence within the Ancient Samsara God Realm.

How could someone of his stature descend in person, bringing along the sacred Samsara Mountain, merely to avenge a single fallen Holy Son?

Clearly, he must have caught wind of a far greater matter, the imminent resurrection of Violet Mist Saint Sovereign, and the fact that several Saint Sovereigns had been invited to serve as her protectors.

That in itself spoke volumes.

Just to invite Xu Zimo alone, Violet Mist Holy Lands had offered the inheritance of the Wind God.

So what benefits, then, had been promised to the other three Saint Sovereigns?

To dare stand against the Heavenly Court was to take a gamble against heaven itself. The risks were immense, but the potential rewards were surely enough to tempt even a Saint.

Thinking this, Ancestral Warden’s gaze sharpened slightly.

Violet Mist Holy Lands was far more mysterious than he had imagined.

He Changkong only smiled faintly, saying nothing.

As the group continued walking, Ancestral Warden noticed that although Violet Mist Holy Lands spanned a vast and seemingly boundless territory, there were surprisingly few disciples.

The roads were quiet, the halls deserted, many areas completely lifeless.

“The disciples and elders have all been evacuated,” He Changkong said, seeming to read Ancestral Warden’s thoughts. “When war breaks out, they’d only be in the way.”

As they talked, the three of them finally arrived at the place where Zi Yan was to be reborn.

It was a vast crater filled with birdsong and the fragrance of flowers.

From within that pit, waves of pure vitality emanated outward, thick with the sense that new life was about to be born.

Ancestral Warden stared in surprise.

He had earlier sensed the divine aura saturating this realm and had wondered where it originated. Now, seeing this pit, he realized, the source of that divinity was right before him.

“What a supreme treasure ground shaped by heaven and earth itself,” Xu Zimo said with a smile.

This was no man-made formation. It was a naturally bestowed land of life and power.

“With a treasure ground like this, Violet Mist Saint Sovereign’s chance of resurrection increases greatly,” Ancestral Warden said in admiration.

“You’re mistaken,” He Changkong replied with a chuckle. “This place wasn’t prepared for our ancestor, it was made for her guardians. The life energy here won’t help the Saint’s rebirth. Rebuilding her body is a matter of laws and divine rules. But when battle comes, this vitality will help you all recover from injury.”

They descended into the crater, walking through the lush, fragrant air.

The ground beneath their feet glowed a soft emerald green, pulsing faintly with the rhythm of life itself.

In the very center of the pit stood an enormous altar.

It was carved from flawless white jade, mist curling upward from its surface.

At its peak rose a triangular spire, clutched between which was a shining orb.

That orb seemed to swallow the heavens and earth, swirling with primordial chaos.

Upon the altar sat Zi Yan herself.

She wore a flowing violet robe that shimmered like clouds at dawn, radiant enough to make it hard to look directly at her.

Her long black hair cascaded like a waterfall down her back; her nose was straight, her eyes brilliant with divine light.

At this moment, she looked nothing like the Zi Yan they had once known. Her aura was transcendent, like that of a celestial being descended into the mortal realm.

Beside her stood three figures. Bright Mirror Saint Sovereign, the Demon-Refining Saint Sovereign, and the Moonlight Fairy.

“It seems we have more company,” one of them said with a grin.

He was an elderly man, his waist adorned with a gourd, wearing a coarse gray-brown robe. His face was deeply wrinkled, and when he smiled, there was something slightly lecherous about him.

This was the Demon-Refining Saint Sovereign.

“There’s demonic energy about you,” said the middle-aged man beside him, suddenly opening his eyes.

He wore a white robe that shimmered like burning embers, and around his neck hung an ancient mirror, simple, yet majestic. It was like a chestplate, yet somehow fused with his body itself.

The man’s aura was enigmatic and profound.

He was Bright Mirror Saint Sovereign, whose mirror reflected the past and present, illuminating all realms, even the depths of the Nine Hells.

Among the Saint Sovereigns, he was one of the most renowned.

“Violet Mist Saint Sovereign certainly has influence,” the Demon-Refining Saint Sovereign chuckled. “To even bring a member of the demon race to her side.”

“As far as I know,” said Bright Mirror Saint Sovereign, “the demon race only has two Saint Sovereigns. Which one might you be?”

Hellfire Asura and Celestial Devourer, these two names were like mountains pressing down on all of Demonkind.

For countless millennia, no one had dared provoke the demons.

The reason was simple, those two stood at the peak of the Saint Sovereign realm, true Sage Monarchs.

It was said they had once waged war against the heavens themselves, ruling over an entire era of demonic dominion.

Though that era had long since passed, buried beneath the dust of time, its echoes were proof enough of the demons’ might.

Bright Mirror Saint Sovereign’s gaze deepened; through his Heavenly Mirror, he knew more than most.

……

Zi Yan rose gracefully from the altar, smiling. “With Fellow Daoist Xu here, my confidence in this rebirth grows even stronger.”

“Don’t forget our agreement,” Xu Zimo said.

“I won’t,” Zi Yan replied with a nod.

“And how should I address you, friend?” asked Bright Mirror Saint Sovereign, stepping forward and fixing his gaze on Xu Zimo.

“Names are meaningless,” Xu Zimo said with a calm shake of his head. “I’m merely a traveler passing through.”

Seeing that Xu Zimo didn’t wish to reveal more, Bright Mirror Saint Sovereign didn’t press the issue, but his eyes never once left him.

Beside them stood the final protector, a woman of ethereal grace, untouched by worldly dust.

This was the Moonlight Fairy. Her very presence was pure and cool, like moonlight on snow, her brows faintly furrowed, her gaze icy and distant.

“Enough,” Zi Yan said at last. “Since everyone’s here, let’s discuss our plan.”

“My reincarnated body must merge with the Grand Dao and comprehend the flow of time. That process will take at least half an hour. I don’t expect you to defeat the Heavenly Court’s envoys, just delay them for that long.”

“Half an hour?” Bright Mirror Saint Sovereign frowned. “That’s a long time. What truly matters is the level of power the Heavenly Court sends. Only then can we gauge our chances.”

Though they were Saint Sovereigns, none among them were Sage Monarchs.

If several Sage Monarchs descended, even lasting ten minutes would be difficult, let alone thirty.

“That,” Zi Yan said with a teasing smile, “is something we should ask our demon ally.” Her gaze turned toward Xu Zimo.

After all, the Heavenly Court’s campaign to annihilate the Demon Realm and hunt its survivors had begun to spread in whispers.

Most of the world remained ignorant, but among the strong, the news had already circulated.

“The demon race, hm?” the Demon-Refining Saint Sovereign said, glancing at Xu Zimo with a sly grin. “No offense, friend, but I’ve heard the rumors.”

“The Demon Realm has fallen. The Heavenly Court is hunting your kind,” said the Moonlight Fairy softly, the first time she had spoken.

“I have no interest in the Heavenly Court,” Xu Zimo replied evenly. “Nor will I betray your whereabouts. But as for who they’ll send, I truly don’t know.”

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