The reason no one dared to confirm it earlier was because the Green Flood Dragon had already reached the Fusion Heaven Realm, while Xu Zimo was still so young.
To reach the Fusion Heaven Realm at that age, not even the Holy Son of the Empyrean Sect could do that. Probably only the God Child of the Eternal God Sect could.
“Mountain Lord Lin, may I ask what realm your son is currently in?” Mu Changge asked with a smile.
“That... I don't know either,” Lin Beisheng hesitated briefly before replying. “I usually don’t interfere with his cultivation.”
“He’s just hiding his strength. Do you really think he can compare to the Imperial Sons of our Nine Mountains?” Qi Hai, the master of Scenery Heaven Mountain, laughed dismissively. “He’s just putting on a show.”
“Don’t underestimate others, Mountain Lord Qi. I think he’s quite impressive,” Mu Changge said with a smile.
“Elder Mu, it’s not that I look down on him, but if he runs into Ye’er, he’ll learn what a true prodigy is,” Qi Hai said proudly.
“Let’s just keep watching,” said Mu Changge.
…………
After leaving the Demon Mist Forest, Xue Qingming and the others led Xu Zimo northward.
After sprinting for about half an hour, they spotted a few figures strolling ahead in the distance.
“Senior Brother Shen Lang, how should we look for the talismans?” a disciple asked.
“What’s the rush? Some things become harder to find the more you look. Aside from the Imperial Sons of the Nine Mountains, we can just steal the talismans from anyone else,” Shen Lang replied calmly.
He wore a yellow robe with a curved blade hanging at his waist, and the hair on his forehead swayed gently in the breeze.
“Senior Brother, looks like someone’s coming after us,” one of the disciples said, noticing Xu Zimo’s group approaching.
Shen Lang frowned slightly as he looked at the group behind them.
When he saw Xu Zimo, a smirk formed on his lips. “Guess it’s true that enemies are bound to cross paths.”
“Senior Brother Shen, looks like it's Xue Qingming and the others. We tricked them earlier, think they’re here for payback?” another disciple laughed.
“Let them try. The disciples of Grand Heaven Mountain are all just trash,” a third disciple chimed in.
As Xu Zimo and his group got closer, a Jade Heaven Mountain disciple raised an eyebrow and stepped forward with a mocking smile. “Yo, if it isn’t the Grand Heaven Mountain crew. Still alive, huh?”
“Shen Lang, you tricked us into the Demon Mist Forest. How do you plan to settle that score?” Xue Qingming glared at him.
“How do you want to settle it?” Shen Lang laughed and drew the curved blade from his waist.
Clang!
Blade intent swirled around him, surging in all directions.
“Do you want to die?” Xu Zimo looked at Shen Lang and said calmly.
“Die? From you?” Shen Lang snorted. “We haven’t even settled the matter with Qing’er yet.”
“Don’t worry, you’ll die. And when I leave these ruins, I’ll make sure she joins you soon,” Xu Zimo replied coolly.
“Arrogant fool,” Shen Lang snapped. Spiritforce burst from him, and blade aura gathered around his curved blade as he slashed toward Xu Zimo. “You can sleep forever in this place.”
As the blade aura fell, Jade Heaven Mountain’s disciples looked on with glee.
Meanwhile, Xue Qingming and the others had grave expressions. It was clear that Shen Lang wasn’t holding back, this strike was meant to kill Xu Zimo outright.
He knew that if he didn’t kill him in one strike, Xu Zimo could just use his spatial talisman to escape.
As the blade descended, Xu Zimo didn’t dodge. He let the blade strike him.
Clang!
Instead of a gory mess, the curved blade shattered like it had struck steel.
“What-” Shen Lang stared in shock at the broken hilt in his hand, completely stunned.
“Is it fun?” Xu Zimo asked calmly.
“How did you-” Shen Lang quickly came to his senses and leapt backward. “Looks like you trained your body, knowing you’re trash and can’t cultivate spiritforce.”
“You really think that?” Xu Zimo chuckled.
“Quit the act,” Shen Lang snorted and tossed aside the broken hilt.
His blade intent surged wildly, merging with spiritual energy and manifesting in the air.
It condensed into a small, blood-red curved blade.
It radiated bloodlust, as if forged in a sea of hellish carnage.
“That’s Jade Heaven Mountain’s signature technique, Asura Blade,” Xue Qingming said, narrowing his eyes.
“Shen Lang really lives up to the name ‘Jade Heaven’s First Blade.’ To master the Asura Blade at his age is no small feat.”
“Isn’t that dangerous for Senior Brother Lin?” a disciple asked worriedly.
“Keep watching. I can’t see through Senior Brother Lin,” Xue Qingming shook his head calmly.
The Asura Blade hovered above Xu Zimo, forming a vortex of spiritforce, pulling in the surrounding aura like a storm.
“This blade attacks more than just the body, it targets the soul. How will you block it?” Shen Lang shouted, hurling the Asura Blade forward.
“Do I even need to block it?” Xu Zimo looked up slightly and said with calm detachment.
As the curved blade, full of rage and bloodlust, flew toward him,
Xu Zimo slowly raised his right hand and gently caught the blade between his middle and index fingers.
The Asura Blade trembled violently, trying to tear through his fingers with its killing intent.
“Kids fighting, had enough fun yet?” Xu Zimo said with a light laugh.
With a flick of his hand, he threw the Asura Blade back at Shen Lang.
Shen Lang’s face turned pale. He instantly pulled out his spatial talisman and crushed it.
A wave of spatial energy wrapped around him, trying to remove him from the ruins.
“You’ll pay for this, Lin Qiu. This isn’t over!” he screamed venomously.
“Think you can escape?” Xu Zimo waved both hands, and the surrounding space instantly froze.
With the space locked, the power enveloping Shen Lang began to dissipate.
“What’s happening?” Shen Lang panicked, watching as the Asura Blade closed in.
At that moment, it wasn’t just Shen Lang, outside the ruins, the Nine Mountain Lords were also stunned.
“What’s going on? Shen Lang crushed the spatial talisman!” Wang Yuntian shouted.
“Did the talisman fail?”
Since they could only observe through an image, they couldn’t see everything clearly.
“What kind of trick is this brat pulling?” Elder Qin snorted.
“If he survives, we’ll bring him back and ask him directly.”
Mu Changge said nothing, but he alone knew, there was nothing wrong with the talisman.
The only explanation was that something had interfered with the space around Shen Lang.
………
The Asura Blade flew fast, like a flash of lightning, slicing straight toward Shen Lang.