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Hearing Sacred Lord Xiao's words, Xu Zimo shook his head slightly.
He replied, “What if I said I have a hundred percent confidence?”
“I wouldn’t believe it. No one dares be that confident,” Sacred Lord Xiao said, shaking his head.
“You know about the Abyss of Life and Death the sect opened, right?”
“Just found out,” Xu Zimo nodded.
“Go give it a try,” said the Sacred Lord.
“I’m not really interested in that place,” Xu Zimo replied.
“This isn’t my idea, it’s the ancestor’s,” Sacred Lord Xiao said.
Hearing that, Xu Zimo paused in surprise.
It seemed the ancestors were quite attentive to him as the Holy Son.
Xu Zimo even suspected that the Abyss of Life and Death was opened specifically for him.
He nodded slightly and said, “I’ll go.”
Afterward, Sacred Lord Xiao asked a few more questions. Confirming there were no issues, he let Xu Zimo leave.
Just as Xu Zimo walked out of Heaven-Genesis Mountain, a cold voice called out from behind him.
“Wait a moment,” Meng Chenxue came flying through the air.
“What is it?” Xu Zimo turned and looked at her with confusion.
The two hadn’t had many interactions. Since the last time she lost to a single strike from him, they hadn’t met again.
“Fight me,” Meng Chenxue said suddenly.
“Pointless,” Xu Zimo replied. “Why should I fight you?”
“I want to see how big the gap is between us now,” Meng Chenxue said.
Xu Zimo shook his head slightly.
Before he could answer, Meng Chenxue had already rushed at him with her longsword.
Her sword split into dozens of afterimages, with sharp sword energy tearing through the air.
Although her power wasn’t overwhelming, the sword intent was fierce, even fracturing the surrounding space.
Xu Zimo clasped his hands. With a sweep, he dispersed all the sword shadows.
Before Meng Chenxue could unleash another move, Xu Zimo, bored with the meaningless fight, landed a heavy blow to her abdomen with his right hand.
Her body flew backward uncontrollably.
“You want to compete for Heaven’s Will like this?” Xu Zimo asked.
Meng Chenxue struggled to stand after falling, wiped the blood from her mouth, and replied, “Even though the sect only cultivates the Holy Son, who doesn’t long for Heaven's Will? If I have the strength, of course I want to try.”
Her face dimmed. She had lost far too easily.
Even though she’d been training hard recently, she couldn’t even take a single hit.
“You’re a monster,” Meng Chenxue said. “Among our generation, I’ve never met someone as strong as you.”
“Do you know why you lost?” Xu Zimo asked with a smile.
“Why?” Meng Chenxue frowned slightly, looking at Xu Zimo.
“You’re like a caged canary, always staying by the Sacred Lord’s side. That’s not the path of a true powerhouse. Even if your cultivation rises, your mindset is still lacking. Simply put, you don’t have the heart of a strong one.”
Xu Zimo added, “Besides, you've been training under the Sacred Lord, but even the Sacred Lord can’t beat me, how could you?”
After speaking, Xu Zimo didn’t bother with the thoughtful Meng Chenxue and stepped off Heaven-Genesis Mountain into the air.
Lin Ruhu was waiting below.
...
“Brother Zimo, what did the Sacred Lord want?” Lin Ruhu asked curiously when he saw Xu Zimo return.
“He wants me to go to the Abyss of Life and Death,” Xu Zimo said.
“Then it’s probably the ancestors who want to see you. I’ll go with you,” Lin Ruhu said.
“Alright. Let’s take a look,” Xu Zimo nodded.
The Abyss of Life and Death was located deep in the back mountain of the True Martial Sacred Ground.
Usually, this place was forbidden, and no one was allowed to enter.
However, since the cavern had been opened recently, even core disciples of the elders were permitted to enter.
Even though it was deep autumn and winter was near, a mysterious power seemed to envelop the back mountain, keeping it like spring year-round. The lush forest covered the hills like a sea of green.
Following a small path into the depths of the mountain, they soon reached a heavenly river flowing from the north. Its waters were clear and mighty.
Many aquatic-type beasts lived in the river.
There were coiled giant pythons and ancient turtles basking on massive river stones.
There were even fish-headed humanoid beasts walking with steel forks.
All these creatures lived and thrived as part of the river.
Legend had it the heavenly river was a remnant from when the True Martial Emperor carved out a segment of an ancient river.
The water was extremely rare and special.
As Xu Zimo passed by, the ancient turtle lazily glanced at him before ignoring him again.
After crossing the river, a narrow canyon appeared ahead.
It resembled a crack in the sky.
The path was so tight that only one person could walk through at a time.
“You ever been inside the Abyss of Life and Death?” Xu Zimo asked Lin Ruhu.
“No. My grandfather said I’m still too weak,” Lin Ruhu replied. “Told me I need more tempering.”
The two entered the crevice and walked for about five minutes.
The view gradually opened up, and people began to appear around them.
As soon as Xu Zimo arrived, the once-noisy surroundings fell silent.
“The Holy Son is back,” someone said with a grim expression.
“Of all times to come back, he chose this one, how convenient,” another disciple said coldly.
“But he might not make it through the Abyss of Life and Death either.”
“Holy Son,” the people around greeted him unwillingly.
After all, they were also top talents of the sect, and it was hard not to feel bitter being overshadowed.
“Why hasn’t anyone gone in yet?” Xu Zimo asked with a smile.
The Abyss of Life and Death was located in the heart of the canyon. It resembled an overturned bowl.
It was oval-shaped with slopes on all sides.
At the front, there were two pitch-black cave entrances.
One had the word “Life” above it. From the outside, you could see blooming flowers, sprouting trees, everything vibrant and growing.
The other entrance had the word “Death.” Inside was silence. The flowers and trees had all reached the end of life, withered, decayed, and finally reduced to rotting fragments, decomposing in the air.
“Everyone’s been sent back out,” Xiang Qianheng said awkwardly, seeing Xu Zimo’s puzzled look.
Beside him, Sword Monarch’s usual indifferent face softened slightly. “This place isn’t about strength. Only those who truly comprehend the mysteries of life and death can enter.”
“Since the Holy Son is unmatched, why not give it a try?” some joked nearby.
“Yeah, with how powerful the Holy Son is, there’s no way he’d be rejected.” Others chimed in.
Seeing them pile on praise, Xu Zimo simply smiled.