“The fledgling eagle, once grown, always longs for higher and broader skies, not to remain forever by its parents’ side. Your mother and I both understand this truth. Whether you go to the Outer Heavens or stay here on Primordial Heartlands, what difference does it make?” Xu Qingshan said with a smile.
“As for venturing to that wider world, your father’s dream of becoming a mighty cultivator has long since faded. When I agreed to take up the position of Vice-Lord of the True Martial Sacred Ground, I had already given it up, otherwise I would never have accepted. Your mother and I have only one greatest wish that you may live safely. When you were young, no matter what mistakes you made, I could shoulder them and resolve them for you. But now, when I want to say that I will always stand behind you, I realize that this tree of yours has already grown to reach the heavens, even taller than me, your father. If you cannot resolve it yourself, what use would your mother and I be?”
Xu Qingshan had always been terse, not skilled with words, and father and son rarely exchanged many.
But this time was an exception, he rambled on for a long while.
“When you head to the Outer Heavens, I will resign from this Vice-Lord’s position. I will accompany your mother to travel and wander. The vast mountains and rivers of this Primordial Heartlands should be admired, and then we will find a secluded paradise to retire to. If in the future you have the chance, come back to visit. And if you don’t have time...”
At this point Xu Qingshan paused slightly, then smiled, “Then let me gift you a poem. Youthful chivalry, befriending heroes of five cities. Hearts open wide, hair bristling in passion. In the span of a talk, sharing life and death. A promise as heavy as gold. To push forward courageously, pride unrestrained. ...Bind yourself to the seeds of heaven’s pride, sword howling in the western wind. Regret not climbing mountains and crossing waters, fingers strumming seven strings, eyes seeing off the returning swan. This poem is like my whole life. In youth, I once looked ahead with lofty ambitions, yet in the end, all that remained was regret. Since you have already reached this step, you should stride forward with pride, and your future will surely shine bright and promising, my son!”
Hearing Xu Qingshan’s long heartfelt words, Xu Zimo fell into silence.
Though it was not yet the time of farewell, in his heart he already felt some unwillingness to part.
“Oh right, I nearly forgot the real matter,” Xu Qingshan smiled. “I came to tell you some news.”
“What is it?” Xu Zimo raised his head to ask.
“According to information our sect has received, with Heaven’s Will now manifest, many forces seem to have secretly reached certain agreements. You must be cautious when the time comes.”
“They still dare to unite?” Xu Zimo sneered coldly.
“It’s hard to say. Our True Martial Sacred Ground is at its peak of influence right now, and with Heaven's Will awakening, open wars between sects are no longer possible.” Xu Qingshan continued, “But you must understand, the struggle for Heaven's Will is not the same. I fear that when the time comes, they may indeed unite, and neither the sect nor anyone else will be able to help you.”
“A mere rabble,” Xu Zimo said flatly. “If they’re not afraid of death, let them come.”
“Regardless, keep your guard up, don’t let danger strike at a critical moment,” Xu Qingshan reminded him.
Xu Zimo nodded slightly.
“Then I’ll leave you to your quiet. I’ll go and probe for more information,” Xu Qingshan said.
Holding his oil-paper umbrella, his tall and resolute figure slowly disappeared into the torrential rain.
Xu Zimo closed his eyes and stood quietly for a long while. Then suddenly he opened them again and walked straight out of the pavilion.
He came to the mountainside of South Goose Mountain.
The downpour was still falling, but the thunder and lightning above were gradually weakening.
The endless Heavenly Dao was being stripped away, turning into a golden radiance, disappearing into the skies.
Then, as the rain cleared and the sky turned blue again, a painting appeared across the heavens.
It was a projection of the Heavenly Dao, displayed on the firmament, covering the entire sky for all in Primordial Heartlands to see.
“The location of the Heaven's Will struggle has appeared!” someone cried out.
In every era, the battlefield for Heaven's Will was never fixed. Sometimes it was in the Endless Sea, sometimes in the Land of Five Elements, sometimes in the Dark Forest.
The location was always random.
Once revealed, all chosen had to travel there, or else they would forfeit their qualification.
As the projection unfolded, silver meteors began raining down from the heavens.
The meteor shower was so dense that one could not see the end of it, surely numbering in the tens of thousands.
The meteors shot downward, scattering across all of Primordial Heartlands.
Xu Zimo raised his head, only to see one meteor shoot straight toward him, merging directly into his forehead.
At once, a strange power surged through his body, his forehead shimmering with ripples.
A hexagram pattern appeared.
This was the mark of being chosen by the Heaven's Will.
Only those chosen by the Heaven's Will had the right to contend for it.
Anyone else who dared interfere would be destroyed directly by the Heavenly Dao.
This was what Xu Qingshan had mentioned earlier: once the battle for Heaven's Will began, neither the True Martial Sacred Ground nor even the God Emperor could assist him.
Some of the holy sons of imperial lineages were sure to band together.
Xu Zimo touched the mark on his forehead, but felt nothing unusual, it seemed like an ordinary pattern.
At this moment, the entire Primordial Heartlands was shrouded by silver meteors.
They could not be seized, they could only choose.
Some rejoiced at being chosen, others grieved at being passed over.
Most of those chosen were of the younger generation.
...
“Brother Zimo, I was chosen!” Lin Ruhu’s booming laughter came from afar.
He came running over, overjoyed.
On his forehead gleamed the same pattern as Xu Zimo’s.
“Is it worth being this happy?” Xu Zimo asked with a smile.
“Of course! Being chosen, whether or not I seize the Heaven's Will, it’s at least recognition!” Lin Ruhu said.
It was, after all, a measure of pride among Heaven’s chosen.
“There’s nothing rare about it. In past struggles for the Heaven's Will, tens of thousands were always chosen,” Xu Zimo replied.
“Brother Zimo, the Sacred Lord asked me to inquire, do you want to form an alliance?” Lin Ruhu asked.
“An alliance?” Xu Zimo shook his head with a faint smile.
Alliances in the Heaven's Will struggle were not unusual.
Most forces would band together to avoid being eliminated too early, first wiping out others, then turning on each other later.
Such alliances were rife with schemes and betrayal.
“I don’t need one,” Xu Zimo replied. “The Heaven's Will of this era... is already mine.”
Though his voice was calm, the certainty and strength in his tone carried overwhelming conviction.
“Then I’ll report that truthfully to the Sacred Lord,” Lin Ruhu said.
“Do you know where that is?” Xu Zimo asked, pointing to the image in the heavens.
“Sky-Trap Island, also called Boundless, one of the Ten Forbidden Grounds,” Lin Ruhu answered gravely with a nod.
In past eras, the Heaven's Will battlefield varied, but it had never before fallen upon such a perilous place.
To fight for the Heaven's Will in a Forbidden Ground, before even facing rivals, the land itself would be enough to kill you many times over.