Ch. 322 - Seeking The Baleful Miasma

As a powerful figure from the era of Grand Emperor San Dao, the Ancient Star God was undoubtedly exceptionally gifted.

He possessed one of the Hundred Battle Physiques, the Heaven-Derivation Ancient-Realm Physique.

This physique formed a world of its own.

Along with the complementary cultivation technique, the Star Realm Codex, he could record everything he saw and heard in an illusory form within the ancient realm.

Although it was illusionary, it often closely mirrored reality.

Eventually, by analyzing these illusionary recordings, he could deduce the real answers he sought.

Ever since he developed this ability, he spent his life preparing to deduce the bearer of the Heaven's Will.

He recorded as many real-world factors and opponents as he could into his ancient realm in illusionary form.

Then used all kinds of methods to simulate and deduce:

Who was most likely to bear the Heaven's Will?

Under what conditions could he maximize his own chances of claiming it?

...

"Please break the game," the black-robed man in the outside world looked at Xu Zimo and repeated.

Xu Zimo looked up at the sky and said softly, "You still can’t let it go, can you?"

The black-robed man’s pupils contracted, and he stood in silence for a long time.

Break what game?

How to break it?

This was essentially a question with no answer.

The two figures in the sky, one was Grand Emperor San Dao, and the other was the Ancient Star God.

Breaking the game meant helping the Ancient Star God simulate a path to bear the Heaven's Will.

But that was something impossible.

"You say break the game, but really, you just want an answer, don’t you?" Xu Zimo replied.

The black-robed man, who had been silent all along, slowly let out a sigh.

He waved his right hand, and the dark energy dispersed.

Xu Zimo’s vision shifted, and when he opened his eyes again, he was back sitting at the stone bench by the chessboard.

"Is there really no chance at all?" the black-robed man sighed.

"Very little, unless the one is me," Xu Zimo said.

"Why?"

"No reason. Just because my name is Xu Zimo."

"You’re right. It’s been several centuries, and I still can’t let it go. All just to answer the question that’s never had an answer," the black-robed man said slowly.

As he spoke, he took off the black hood over his head.

"Just as you guessed, Ancient Star God. Didn’t expect anyone would still remember me after all this time. Ancient Star God... that’s what everyone calls me. Even I’ve forgotten my real name."

Xu Zimo looked up at the man, it was indeed the Ancient Star God.

Although he had never seen him before, the man before him clearly had lost his former glory.

His eyes were sunken, his face was covered in deep lines,

His gaze lifeless, and his body was little more than skin and bones.

...

"You came to Silent Extinction Ridge to look for treasure too?" the Ancient Star God asked with a smile.

"Yes and no," Xu Zimo replied with a smile.

"So many years have passed. Talk with an old, fading soul like me for a while," the Ancient Star God said. "Before I go, I can give you some information about a treasure."

"What do you want to talk about?" Xu Zimo asked.

"Let me tell you about my unwilling past. Even after so many eras, I still can’t truly let go."

"Go ahead," Xu Zimo replied with interest.

...

He was considered a rogue cultivator.

Many people speculated about the Ancient Star God’s origins.

Some said he might have come from one of the mysterious Hundred Races, the Star God Race.

That era was filled with turbulent changes.

Called by the Heaven's Will, the Ancient Star God, like many other proud geniuses, just like how Grand Emperor San Dao once walked the flower-covered avenue and bid farewell to the True Martial Sacred Ground, he too set foot on the path to Silent Extinction Ridge, the path toward heaven, a road of no return.

Before that, he was full of confidence.

He had run countless simulations in the ancient realm and believed he was perfectly prepared.

He thought this journey to claim the Heaven's Will would be certain.

...

The Ancient Star God sighed as he spoke, his gaze distant as he looked at Xu Zimo.

He seemed lost in memories of his regrets and helplessness.

His eyes were sharp and bottomless.

"I knew fighting for the Heaven's Will would be dangerous and difficult. But I didn’t expect it to be that difficult. When the winds of fate stirred and the battle began, I realized all my perfect preparations meant nothing. I can’t forget that day. So many powerful beings, revered by the world, each one a living legend. Any one of them would have shaken the world. Yet they were all slaughtered by that man with the three swords."

"Grand Emperor San Dao?" Xu Zimo asked.

"You know, all the answers I spent my life deducing couldn’t match a single strike from his sword," the Ancient Star God said with a sad smile.

"Blood soaked the whole Silent Extinction Ridge. The ground you're standing on was once covered in corpses and rivers of blood."

Xu Zimo stayed silent for a moment. The war for the Heaven's Will truly was tragic.

Just as the Ancient Star God said, he had spent his entire life simulating outcomes, only to be defeated by a single strike.

Even now, he couldn’t let it go.

He wanted to find, through deduction, the answer to how he could have defeated Grand Emperor San Dao.

"What’s your current state?" Xu Zimo asked.

Though the Ancient Star God had awareness and could move,

He seemed no different from a living person, but Xu Zimo could tell,

He had no life force at all.

...

"I died in the great battle thousands of years ago," the Ancient Star God said with a calm smile. "But my obsession was too strong. Under the dark decay of this Silent Extinction Ridge, I awoke again. I won’t last much longer before I turn to dust."

"You were born in the wrong era," Xu Zimo said.

"No, that era was magnificent," the Ancient Star God smiled.

He looked down at the chessboard on the stone table, paused, then said, "To be able to express what’s in my heart before I vanish... it feels good. What treasure are you looking for? I know this place well, maybe I can help."

"Baleful Miasma," Xu Zimo said word by word.

"How do you know about that?" the Ancient Star God was slightly stunned.

He looked at Xu Zimo in surprise and asked, "Are you from the True Martial Sacred Sect? Or did you learn about it from San Dao’s records?"

"That’s not important," Xu Zimo replied.

"This thing isn’t something you should touch," the Ancient Star God said.

"Even San Dao couldn’t deal with it, he had to seal it away and use the power of light to slowly wear down that foul energy."

"If you haven’t tried, how would you know?" Xu Zimo smiled.

"It’s sealed in the center of Silent Extinction Ridge," the Ancient Star God said after a pause. "Keep heading north. If you survive, you’ll get there."

"Wish me luck," Xu Zimo smiled and stood up.

"Good luck," the Ancient Star God said softly, lowering his head slightly and mouthing the words silently as he watched Xu Zimo walk away.

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