These people were none other than the rulers of the Eternal God Sect. Sect Master Gong Chuhe and all the elders were present. Among them were three Grand Empyreans, and countless other powerful cultivators at the Fusion Heaven Realm.
This was the strongest force in the Southern Region, the Eternal God Sect. They could dominate the world with a single hand and do as they pleased across the entire Southern Region.
“Young Master Lin, welcome to Eternal City,” Gong Chuhe said with a smile as he walked forward with the stride of a dragon and tiger.
In the time they waited for Xu Zimo to emerge, they had already investigated his identity thoroughly, Lin Qiu, disciple of the Nine Heavens Imperial Sect. Their intelligence network was incredibly powerful.
“Sect Master Gong, what do you want?” Xu Zimo asked as he looked around. Even Jiu You was being blocked by these people.
“This isn’t a place for conversation. Would Young Master Lin be willing to come back with us to the God Sect so we can discuss matters further?” Gong Chuhe asked with a smile.
Xu Zimo glanced around and chuckled. “With your show of force, does it even matter if I say no?”
“You jest, Young Master Lin,” Gong Chuhe replied, waving his hand.
A flying sedan was brought over. The sedan was light blue, its roof triangular, adorned with wind chimes. The fabric was decorated with the sect emblem of the Eternal God Sect.
“Please, step into the sedan,” Gong Chuhe said with a smile.
“Let my friend come too,” Xu Zimo said, pointing at Jiu You who was still being blocked outside.
The blue-robed disciples let Jiu You through, and the two of them sat in the sedan together. The carriers were four graceful women, who stepped into the air. Ribbons fluttered in the breeze, wrapping around the sedan as it flew into the distance.
Watching it depart, one of the elders behind Gong Chuhe hesitated, as if wanting to speak.
“Sect Master…” the burly man who looked like a fearsome beast began to speak, but Gong Chuhe waved his hand and said, “We’ll talk when we return.”
…
Three kilometers behind Eternal City stood a massive mountain shrouded in mist, towering like a pillar into the heavens. Compared to Eternal City, the significance and ancient history of Eternal God Mountain were even greater.
It was known as the number one divine mountain in the Southern Region.
To outsiders, it was a place of perpetual fog, mysterious and majestic. But those who had seen its true face knew that it was a paradise of eternal spring, with clear mountains and flowing waters, a place of rare feng shui.
Long ago, the Eternal Godly Monarch had founded the sect here, and the entire Eternal God Sect had risen and flourished around this mountain.
Xu Zimo could feel the sedan flying through the air, the ribbons blocking his vision. Beside him, Jiu You seemed a bit anxious.
“You really reached the top floor?”
Xu Zimo nodded.
“You saw the Eternal Godly Monarch?”
He nodded again.
“And you got his inheritance?” Jiu You asked. “What do we do now? The Eternal God Sect won’t let you go so easily.”
“If soldiers come, I’ll block them. If water comes, I’ll use earth to stop it,” Xu Zimo replied with a laugh.
“Easy for you to say. Even if you handed the inheritance back, they probably wouldn’t let us go,” Jiu You sighed. “It’s my fault, I shouldn’t have brought you to the God Ascension Staircase. Who knew you’d actually reach the top?”
Xu Zimo just smiled and said nothing.
“What kind of inheritance is it?” Jiu You asked curiously.
“A hot potato,” Xu Zimo chuckled.
As they spoke, the sedan slowly landed.
“Young Master, please disembark,” came a gentle female voice from outside, it was one of the sedan carriers.
“Let’s go,” Xu Zimo said, smiling at Jiu You’s worried face.
The two stepped down from the sedan. Xu Zimo was calm, but Jiu You was stunned by the sight before her.
They were standing at the gate of the Eternal God Sect.
The towering gate resembled a dragon’s gate, with a design of two dragons playing with a pearl. The dragons were intricately carved, lifelike and dynamic. They twisted and coiled together, forming an arched gate.
Through the gate, the vast sect sprawled endlessly. Countless buildings were arranged in tight formation, grand halls glittering with gold, towers wreathed in flame, and courtyards surrounded by yin-yang fish forming realms of separation.
Within the sect, ancient trees reached to the heavens, and sacred springs erupted skyward. All kinds of mystical visions appeared. Blue-robed disciples flew by on swords, while fearsome beasts stirred up storms of blood and roared across the land.
The Eternal God Sect was nothing like the tranquil mist-veiled exterior. It was more like a small world, each part evolving in its own way.
As Xu Zimo stepped down, a blue-robed elder approached.
“Young Master Lin, our sect master awaits you in the Eternal Hall. Please, follow me.”
Xu Zimo nodded slightly.
The two of them followed the elder, passing through various pavilions, halls, and scenic spots until they arrived at a grand, imposing hall.
The words “Eternal Hall” shone in the air above, bright like stars in the sky.
The hall itself was a dark iron-blue, with carvings of demonic beasts on its sides. It gave off an atmosphere of solemnity and weight.
As they approached, the elder raised his hand to stop Jiu You.
“Our sect master only wishes to ask Young Master Lin some questions, matters regarding the ancestor. Miss, please wait here,” he said with a smile.
Jiu You nodded and could only wait outside.
Xu Zimo walked in casually. Upon entering, he took in the scene.
The hall was vast beyond belief. Standing inside made one feel small and insignificant.
At the head of the hall, on a throne shaped like a dragon’s head, Gong Chuhe sat with an expression of dignity and authority.
Beside him sat an elderly man and woman, both white-haired and exuding a powerful aura. Xu Zimo could sense they had likely reached the Grand Empyrean Realm.
On either side stood the sect’s core elders, more than twenty people in total, each radiating immense pressure that seemed to seal off the very air inside the hall. Anyone entering would instantly feel the weight of their presence.
“Young Master Lin, you’ve arrived,” Gong Chuhe greeted with a mild smile.
“With this kind of grand welcome, what does Sect Master Gong want with me?” Xu Zimo asked.
“That God Ascension Staircase was left by our ancestor. Surely you know what that implies,” Gong Chuhe replied.
“I know what you want to ask,” Xu Zimo said. “I saw the Godly Monarch. I received his inheritance. That’s all you’re after, isn’t it?”
“Then why haven’t you handed it over?!” roared the burly man beside Gong Chuhe, the one who resembled a beast.
“Si Xiong, stand down,” Gong Chuhe said sternly, glancing at him.