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âThe Heavenly Court?â The woman frowned slightly, then gave a cold snort. âNo wonder they dared to act so brazenly. So, theyâve found themselves a new patron.â
âBut donât worry. The passage to the Inferno Crucible Heaven must remain in the hands of our Radiant Court. Weâll reclaim it at any cost. Even if the Heavenly Court interferes, so be it. Weâll stand against them if we must.â
âThatâs good enough,â Xu Zimo said with a smile, rising to his feet. âJudging by the time, it should be about right. Come on, letâs pay the Huo Heavenly Clan a visit.â
The three of them had been staying in the inn, and to the Huo Heavenly Clan, their whereabouts were no secret. Their identities werenât exactly hidden, either.
When Violet Mist Saint Sovereign rescued the woman, the Huo Heavenly Clan didnât seem overly concerned. After all, the Five-Elements God-Lotus had already been sealed, no one could leave through the Lotus Pathway.
The group stepped out of the inn.
The woman suddenly turned her gaze toward the direction of the Huo Heavenly Clan, her expression tightening.
A powerful aura surged from afar, one that seemed to bear the weight of heaven itself, shaking the world with each step.
As the figure approached, a vast river of spirit energy flowed behind him, arching upward into the sky and pressing down on the surrounding heavens and earth.
âThatâs one of the Huo Heavenly Clanâs ancestors, the Vermilion Bird Saint Sovereign,â the woman said. âItâs said that he once obtained the bloodline of the Vermilion Bird itself. Heâs naturally attuned to fire. Be careful.â
âWhat do you think?â Xu Zimo asked Violet Mist Saint Sovereign.
âHeâs just an Eternal Overlord. Watch me cut him down,â Violet Mist Saint Sovereign replied boldly.
His Sage Monarch realm had stabilized completely. Slaying an Eternal Overlord was not beyond his power.
Of course, once one reached the level of Saint Sovereign, even a single minor realm of difference could mean a vast gap in strength.
âWhere is the Inferno Crucible Envoy?â the Vermilion Bird Saint Sovereignâs voice boomed as he arrived, his fiery eyes blazing like twin suns.
His voice rippled across the entire Lotus Pathway, awakening sleeping residents.
People gathered and whispered in alarm, the night was destined to be sleepless. All eyes turned toward the inn.
A radiant glow shot into the sky, piercing the darkness.
The brilliance spread across the land, illuminating everything below.
A vast holy pressure rose to meet the Vermilion Bird Saint Sovereignâs might head-on.
âWhich Daoist has arrived? Please, come forth and meet me,â the Saint Sovereign said gravely, feeling the strength emanating from his unseen opponent.
Violet Mist Saint Sovereign stepped into the air, smiling faintly. âTonight, Iâm breaking into your Huo Heavenly Clan. Youâd best prepare yourselves... to die.â
âSo itâs you,â the Vermilion Bird Saint Sovereign sneered. âThe Heavenly Courtâs been hunting for you in vain, and here you are delivering yourself to my doorstep. Surrender now, and I might put in a good word for you with them. Otherwise, youâll suffer the consequences.â
âI heard your Huo Heavenly Clan once served the Radiant Court. When did you become the Heavenly Courtâs lapdogs?â Violet Mist Saint Sovereign shot back.
âA wise bird chooses the tallest tree,â the Saint Sovereign replied coolly. âThe Radiant Courtâs tree is too small, it canât shelter us anymore. Water flows to higher ground. Itâs only natural. Whatâs there to criticize?â
âIn that case,â Violet Mist Saint Sovereign said, âallow me to enlighten you.â
The purple glow surrounding him flared into a blazing violet sun.
In the darkness, it burned like a beacon, casting waves of purple light across the world.
As Violet Mist Saint Sovereign strode forward through the sky, a rainbow-colored road unfurled beneath his feet.
His aura surged, vast as the sea, overwhelming as a purgatory inferno.
The Vermilion Bird Saint Sovereign refused to back down. The flames of the Vermilion Bird blazed wildly around him, scorching the heavens and burning through the eight directions.
He stood like a god born from a sea of fire.
âLetâs go,â Xu Zimo said calmly. âWeâre heading to the Huo Heavenly Clan.â
Moonlight Fairy and the woman followed closely behind.
As for the battle between Violet Mist Saint Sovereign and the Vermilion Bird Saint Sovereign, they paid it no mind.
The Huo Heavenly Clan was already on full alert.
At the gates stood not the two guards from before, but two ancient elders, stooped with age yet radiating immense power.
The aura that flowed from them was suffocating.
âThe Two Elders of Heavenly Fire,â the woman murmured, her face tightening.
They had both been among those who had besieged her earlier.
âMy anger lies with Huo Tianxiong alone,â she said coldly. âWhen the Radiant Court learns of this, none of you will escape its wrath. Turn back now, and Iâll see that the Huo Heavenly Clan as a whole isnât implicated. Donât let one man drag your entire clan to ruin.â
âEnvoy,â one of the elders said, shaking his head, âwe know well what weâve done over the years. Thereâs no turning back for us.â
âIn the past, when envoys like you came, we could smooth things over with a few bribes. But you, you wouldnât bend, and now youâve forced our hand. Once the bow is drawn, thereâs no taking back the arrow.â
âMoonlight,â Xu Zimo said, âhold them off. Iâll take her inside.â
The woman was the only one who could contact the Radiant Court, and Xu Zimo had to keep her safe.
He didnât fear the Huo Heavenly Clan, but if the Heavenly Court intervened as well, dealing with both forces at once would be troublesome. Better to drag the Radiant Court into the chaos, after all, the murkier the water, the better for him.
âDonât worry,â Moonlight Fairy nodded.
The two elders were strong, but she was confident she could hold them off for a while.
The long moon hung high, cold as ice.
Moonlight Fairy soared into the air, her power freezing the land beneath her feet.
An icebound city rose around her as she clashed with the two elders in the sky.
Xu Zimo and the woman exchanged a glance, then quietly advanced into the Huo Heavenly Clanâs grounds.
The estate stretched endlessly before them, grand halls and towers standing tall like ancient citadels.
Even though it was the middle of the night, floating suns of fire hung in the skies, illuminating the entire compound in a flickering orange glow.
Yet the place felt eerily silent, lifeless, as though the clan itself were holding its breath.
âYou know where the passage is, right?â Xu Zimo asked.
âOf course,â the woman replied. âWhen I descended from the Inferno Crucible Heaven, I came through that very passage. But theyâll have fortified it heavily. The moment we approach, weâll walk straight into their trap. Just the two of us, are you sure you want to go?â
âAre you afraid?â Xu Zimo smiled.
âItâs not fear,â she said, shaking her head. âBut fighting without purpose is meaningless.â
âCome with me,â Xu Zimo said. âIâll see to it that your message reaches the passage. But if the Radiant Court doesnât have the courage to respond, then we may both be in trouble tonight.â
âDonât worry,â the woman said with absolute certainty. âTheyâll come.â
The two continued toward the passage.
After about ten minutes, the air around them grew heavy, the atmosphere thick with killing intent.
Xu Zimo suddenly halted.
âWhat is it?â the woman asked.
âThereâs a formation ahead,â Xu Zimo said. âStay close to me. Donât move on your own.â