For several days, Chaos continued to soar through the skies.
After leaving Everpeace, it was as if Xie Changliu’s heart had opened up, he finally had a way to release his pent-up emotions. His sword cultivation grew visibly stronger, advancing at a speed that could only be described as astonishing.
It was as though the thousands of years of accumulation he had endured in Heaven's End, Ocean's Edge had finally blossomed and borne fruit.
He had now stepped into the true realm of the Sword Dao.
“What was that Sword Canon the Nameless Twin Swords were pursuing?” Xu Zimo asked.
“With their level of cultivation, they could never comprehend such a thing,” Xie Changliu replied. “I suspect the one behind them was Emperor Zhou. That so-called Sword Canon is nothing more than a fragment of a manuscript. It isn’t powerful in itself, just exaggerated by rumor until it became legend. My master refused to hand it over because he knew that as long as he held the Sword Canon, he could stay alive.”
As they spoke, Chaos descended upon a vast ruin.
The demonic aura in Xu Zimo’s hand dimmed, indicating that Elder Zhuoqiu was nearby.
“We’re here,” Xie Changliu said as they leapt down from Chaos’s back and landed on the ground.
Before them stretched an ancient ruin.
No one could tell how old it was, most of the buildings had long since collapsed, leaving only broken walls and scattered stones.
Even those remnants had clearly been weathered for countless years, their details eroded by time.
“What’s Elder Zhuoqiu doing here?” Xu Zimo wondered silently.
They walked through the ruins, their feet crunching against uneven soil and shards of stone.
After five or six minutes, they finally saw Elder Zhuoqiu.
He was sitting beneath a massive tree.
The tree was enormous, its branches formed a canopy so vast it covered an area dozens of meters wide, like a giant inverted umbrella.
Its leaves were thick and lush, so dense that sunlight couldn’t pass through.
Yet strangely, the tree had long been dead.
A dead tree should wither, that’s a truth everyone knows.
But this one, though lifeless, had leaves greener than any living tree.
In his hands, Elder Zhuoqiu held three sticks of incense. Before him was a square incense burner, and he placed the incense into it.
Laid out in front of the tree were many offerings, he was performing a ritual, bowing deeply before the tree as if paying homage to it.
“Elder Zhuo, we meet again,” Xu Zimo said with a smile as he approached.
The old man glanced at him but said nothing.
He merely stood and gazed quietly at the tree before him.
Xu Zimo couldn’t read his thoughts, but he could tell this was not the right moment to interrupt.
The three stood in silence for more than ten minutes.
Gradually, Xu Zimo noticed something strange, the tree before them was changing.
Its vibrant green leaves began to bloom.
One after another, black flowers blossomed from the branches, their petals soon drifting down.
A soft breeze passed by, and countless black petals swirled through the air.
There were so many of them that they almost blotted out the sky above.
Elder Zhuoqiu turned slowly and smiled at Xu Zimo. “See? It’s welcoming you.”
“It?” Xu Zimo asked. “You mean this tree? Why can’t I sense any life from it?”
“When you left before,” Elder Zhuoqiu said, “I asked when you would return. You told me, ‘When the Nine-Deaths Tree blooms, that will be the day I return.’ I waited century after century. I grew tired of waiting, gave up hope entirely, even accepted my fate.”
He paused, then added softly, “And yet you returned, without warning. I don’t even know how to face you now.”
“You’re speaking of the previous Infernal Lord,” Xu Zimo replied. “I don’t know much about him.”
“You are Xu Zimo, yes,” Elder Zhuoqiu said. “But you are also the Infernal Lord. Perhaps Xu Zimo can die, but the Infernal Lord never will.”
“I don’t like that,” Xu Zimo said firmly. “Understand this. The name Xu Zimo stands above all things, even the Infernal Lord.”
“I know,” the elder said quietly. “You have your own consciousness. But what I said is still true. You’ll understand in time.”
“What’s the story with Gongyang Ce?” Xu Zimo asked.
“A man whose fate was written before birth,” Elder Zhuoqiu said. “You could say he was born specifically for you. I can’t tell you more than that.”
“I came here with a few questions,” Xu Zimo said. “I hope you can answer them.”
“I’ll do my best,” the old man replied. “So long as it doesn’t break the rules.”
“First,” Xu Zimo said, “I want to fuse the Grand-Pivot God-Sword. I need someone highly skilled in the art of forging.”
“In the Northern Sea of the Azure Frontier lives the Dragon Maiden,” Elder Zhuoqiu said. “As far as the Mortal Ascension Heaven is concerned, all the world’s forging techniques trace back to her.”
“Thank you,” Xu Zimo nodded. “Second, I want to enter the Land of Exile of the Primordial Demon Cave. Is there a way?”
At those words, a flicker of emotion flashed through the old man’s eyes, though it quickly faded.
He was silent for a long time before answering. “That, I do not know, and cannot know. But there is one person who surely does.”
“Who?” Xu Zimo asked.
“I dare not speak his name,” Elder Zhuoqiu said. “Aside from a handful in existence, none dare utter it. But you’ve met him before.”
“I have?” Xu Zimo frowned.
“Do you remember the Unfinished Palace in North River City?” the elder asked.
At that, Xu Zimo’s memory stirred.
There had been a strange old man there, he had even sung a song. They hadn’t spoken much.
“He said his name was San,” Xu Zimo recalled.
Elder Zhuoqiu nodded slightly. “He will know how to reach the Land of Exile.”
“What’s so forbidden about that name?” Xu Zimo asked with a shake of his head.
“You may speak it,” the elder said. “But others cannot.”
“I met him at Unfinished Palace before,” Xu Zimo said. “Do you know where he is now?”
“He’s always been there,” Elder Zhuoqiu replied. “Go to Unfinished Palace and you’ll find him. Whether he’ll tell you the method, I cannot say.”
“Do you know who he really is?” Xu Zimo asked.
“I have some guesses,” the old man said, “but I’m not certain, and I cannot tell you. That is the rule. All things in heaven and earth follow the laws set by the Heavenly Dao. Any who break them will face its punishment.”
Xu Zimo fell silent for a while, deep in thought.
He glanced around and asked, “Where are we?”
“This used to be the Celestial Battlefield,” Elder Zhuoqiu said softly, running his hand along the bark of the great tree.
“It’s long been forgotten by the world. This Nine-Deaths Tree is awakening. I can feel its life returning.”
Xu Zimo focused, and indeed, what had once been utterly lifeless now pulsed with the faintest breath of vitality.