Ch. 1709 - Life 2

The blade energy in Xu Zimo’s hand grew more and more violent.

He showed no restraint at all.

Slash after slash fell. Before long, the Golden One could no longer hold on and was nearly chopped into minced flesh.

“Still not willing to speak?” Xu Zimo kicked the Golden One away, sending him crashing heavily into the Golden Tree.

Crack.

A golden branch actually snapped.

“I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you,” the Golden One shouted. “Don’t harm my Golden Tree.”

“Answer my previous question,” Xu Zimo said.

“Yes, yes. A giant hand did descend from the sky and took away a bone,” the Golden One nodded.

“Where did the bone come from?” Xu Zimo asked again.

The Golden One hesitated.

Seeing Xu Zimo raise Shadow Tyrant once more, ready to strike, he hurriedly replied, “It was the foundation of the Golden Tree. The foundation of the Golden Tree is a severed arm. That bone was extracted from within the arm.”

This answer surprised Xu Zimo.

Such a massive Golden Tree had actually been nurtured by a single arm.

“Where is the arm?” Xu Zimo asked.

Although the Golden One did not answer verbally, his gaze fell toward the base of the Golden Tree.

“Don’t dig it up. The Golden Tree will wither and die.”

“I’m just taking a look,” Xu Zimo said. “How can a single arm possess the power of rebirth?”

Ignoring the Golden One’s objections, Xu Zimo began digging beneath the tree.

Shadow Tyrant was incomparably tough. Digging through the ground was effortless.

Very soon, he dug a thousand meters down.

At the roots of the Golden Tree lay an arm, mostly decayed.

This arm was extremely special.

It was covered in complete Dao Runes.

The sound of the Great Dao echoed around it, and visions continuously manifested. Even after countless years as a severed limb, it could still produce such phenomena. One could imagine how powerful this arm had once been.

Xu Zimo reached out to take the arm.

A rebound force erupted from it and repelled him.

“A masterless arm dares to resist me?” Xu Zimo said coldly.

The Edict of Annihilation roared endlessly.

Terrifying annihilation power spread across the blade of Shadow Tyrant, continuously shattering the arm’s resistance.

Finally, Xu Zimo’s right hand grasped the arm.

Before he could properly study or feel it, a surge of power suddenly welled up from the arm and rushed straight into his body.

Xu Zimo was startled.

It did not give him any chance to react.

After absorbing that power, Xu Zimo discovered that the arm no longer contained any trace of divinity.

He carefully sensed the energy within his body.

Only a vague feedback emerged.

“Life 2.”

A number. Two characters.

It felt strange. Somewhat familiar, yet also very unfamiliar.

Aboveground, the Golden One was still waiting.

Xu Zimo knew that although the arm still contained residual power, its true mystery had already been obtained by him.

He said nothing more and climbed out of the pit.

Xu Zimo thought to himself that the information he had obtained was still insufficient. It seemed he would need more power.

Since there was an arm, there must also be other body parts.

He could pay special attention to such things in the future.

“Do you know the origin of that giant hand?” Xu Zimo asked.

The Golden One shook his head.

Xu Zimo did not say anything else. He prepared to step into the void and leave.

Before departing, he turned back and glanced once more at the Golden City.

Xu Zimo seemed to understand something.

Among the myriad races of this world, there was actually no Goldfolk.

The so-called Goldfolk, whether the Golden One or the entire Golden City and its inhabitants, were most likely all evolved from that arm.

They were not truly living beings.

Yet they already possessed everything a living being should have.

“Is this some kind of experiment?” Xu Zimo muttered to himself.

…

This time, Xu Zimo did not linger.

Seven days later, he returned to the True Martial Sacred Ground.

Since being transformed into a cultivation paradise by the True Martial Progenitor, the sect’s spirit energy density and cultivation speed had increased countless times over.

During this period, the True Martial Sacred Ground had opened its gates wide and recruited billions of prodigies and cultivators from the Absolute God Heaven.

Of course, not just anyone could join the True Martial Sacred Ground.

The most important criterion was character.

After personally experiencing the near destruction of the sect, many within the sect had come to understand that having virtue without talent was not enough.

If the True Martial Sacred Ground fell into danger again, such people would not help. Instead, they would scatter like startled birds.

Such situations had to be prevented.

Therefore, when recruiting disciples, the True Martial Sacred Ground valued moral character even more than talent.

When Xu Zimo returned to the sect, it happened to be another recruitment day.

He grew curious.

So instead of flying through the air, he walked up from the mountain gate.

At this moment, he concealed his aura and looked just like an ordinary person.

Xu Zimo wanted to see what the True Martial Sacred Ground was like now.

After all, after the True Martial Progenitor’s campaign against the heavens, the sect had been handed over to him.

The area around the mountain gate was rather crowded.

People came in an endless stream to register.

Many were chatting animatedly.

“I heard this is the last time the True Martial Sacred Ground will recruit disciples. They’re preparing to ascend as an entire sect to the upper heavens, the core of our Nine Heavens.”

“Who doesn’t know that? It’s spread throughout the Nine Heavens. I have to get selected this time and see the prosperity of the upper heavens.”

“I’m a bit worried. In the Absolute God Heaven, the True Martial Sacred Ground is an absolute ruler. But in the upper heavens, people are so strong. Will they target us?”

The crowd buzzed with discussion.

Xu Zimo blended into the line without drawing attention, and no one paid him any mind.

Finally, the testing began.

The True Martial Sacred Ground’s examination had two parts.

The first tested aptitude.

The second tested courage.

This so-called courage was actually a measure of loyalty to the sect.

The sect understood that newly joined disciples lacked a sense of belonging, so the loyalty requirement was not high.

As long as they would not flee at critical moments, that was enough.

The second test of courage involved an illusion array.

As for what existed within the illusion, only those who experienced it would know.

During the first test, the True Martial Sacred Ground brought out a Dao Stone.

It was used specifically to test one’s foundation.

Among the crowd, one person stood out as particularly flamboyant.

He walked with his arms around two companions, while several lackeys followed behind him.

Among so many people, he was an eye-catching presence.

“Young Master Ming, if they knew your talent, they’d be begging you to join. Why would they even need a test?” one lackey said fawningly.

The young man waved his hand and smiled.

“That may be true, but formalities still matter. I possess the Ancient Buddha God-King Physique. Being able to join the True Martial Sacred Ground is a blessing they’ve waited many years for.”

As his words fell, a doubtful voice sounded nearby.

“Is the Ancient Buddha God-King Physique really that powerful?”

The speaker was none other than Xu Zimo.

As soon as he spoke, countless gazes turned toward him.

“Kid, what did you say?” one of the lackeys stepped forward aggressively.

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