Watching Xu Zimo step onto the stage one step at a time, the people below began whispering among themselves.
“That guy seems to be with that Black Asura from before.”
“Who are these two anyway? That Black Asura actually defeated Grandblade Ancestor, yet we’ve never even heard of such a person before.”
“Maybe it’s someone we know, just wearing a mask on purpose.”
Xu Zimo and Baili Xiao faced each other. He smiled lightly and said, “Sorry, but I also want to play at being the Alliance Leader.”
“Take off your mask,” Baili Xiao frowned and spoke.
“Why should I take it off?” Xu Zimo countered.
“I know it’s you. Since you dare come here, what’s the point of hiding your head and showing your tail?” Baili Xiao replied.
Her voice was icy, filled with deep hatred.
Xu Zimo chuckled, slowly raised his right hand, and removed the mask.
His long hair swayed in the breeze. Compared to the past, Xu Zimo’s features were sharper, more resolute, and colder.
“That guy is…?” The people below froze for a moment.
Then, countless auras erupted into the sky, and the crowd burst into uproar.
“It’s Xu Zimo, the Holy Son of the True Martial Sacred Ground.”
“He’s the Infernal Lord!”
“How dare he? With so many of us gathered here, he actually throws himself into the net.”
“I thought he’d hide away instead.”
Below the stage, several powerhouses of the imperial immortal sects were the first to stand.
From the Phoenix Ancient Kingdom, Lady Heavenly Phoenix in her fiery red robe rose, her robe flaring like phoenix wings.
“Since the Infernal Lord has come, in my view this Demon-Slaying Conference doesn’t need to continue,” Lady Heavenly Phoenix said coldly. “Kill the Infernal Lord, and all will be at peace.”
“I agree,” said Ren Qiankun, ruler of the Great Qian Dynasty, as he stood as well.
Xu Zimo ignored the others and instead looked at Baili Xiao with a smile. “Weren’t you always saying you wanted revenge with your own hands? Now I’m here. The opportunity’s yours. Let’s see if you can grasp it.”
Baili Xiao fixed her gaze on Xu Zimo but said nothing.
Instead, she turned to the indignant crowd below.
Perhaps they all thought Xu Zimo was far too arrogant.
So many imperial lineages, and yet he treated them as nothing.
“Everyone listen to me. This man and I share an irreconcilable grudge,” Baili Xiao said. “Hand him to me. I will deal with him. You need only hold the line.”
“What do the Baili Imperial Clan mean by this? Do you want to seize the credit all for yourselves?” someone shouted from below.
“That’s not my meaning. Today, he must die. Whether by my hand or yours, the credit belongs to our Demon-Slaying Alliance,” Baili Xiao replied. “But he must die by my hand. You hold the line. If I cannot defeat him, then you may step in. How about it?”
At that, Baili Chengfeng also came forward, smiling. “Everyone, just treat this as selling our Baili Imperial Clan a favor. In the end, the credit belongs to us all. To sit back and enjoy the reward, why not?”
The crowd exchanged glances. Finally, Ren Qiankun nodded. “Then see that your Baili Imperial Clan keeps its word.”
Once the tension below eased, Baili Xiao turned back to Xu Zimo.
“I told you before, I will kill you.”
“There are many people in this world who want me dead. Even Old Villainous Heaven wants my life. Yet here I am, still alive,” Xu Zimo laughed. “By the way, I heard you’re the eldest disciple of Grand Empress Hongtian. What a pity.”
“What pity?” Baili Xiao frowned.
“A pity you were born in the same era as me,” Xu Zimo replied.
“Have you never wondered why I reincarnated in this era?” Baili Xiao sneered.
“Because of me?” Xu Zimo frowned slightly.
“Everyone here is here for you. From birth, you were destined for destruction,” Baili Xiao said.
“Enough. Don’t give me that nonsense about destiny or fate. My greatest strength is that I don’t believe in fate. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have survived until now,” Xu Zimo shook his head and laughed.
“To kill me, you can’t. They can’t. And as for today’s Primordial Heartlands, it’s nothing much. I’ve heard the Outer Heavens are quite interesting. I plan to take a look.”
“Then you’d better live until then,” Baili Xiao snorted coldly.
Her spiritforce surged. With her right hand open, it seemed as though she had seized control of the entire void.
A colossal hand of spirit energy descended from the sky toward Xu Zimo.
That giant hand covered half the heavens, compressing the very air until it exploded with a thunderous boom.
Xu Zimo met it head-on with a punch. Power of Creation surged from his fist, shattering the hand to pieces.
His figure flickered as he charged at Baili Xiao.
Both erupted with terrifying auras, the peak of God Meridian, perhaps even the limit of God Meridian.
Not yet immortals, but stronger than immortals.
Their figures streaked across the void, too fast for most of the onlookers to follow.
The void kept detonating. The arena beneath cracked apart.
At length, the void exploded once more, and Baili Xiao’s figure was blasted backward.
Xu Zimo stepped through the air, his aura like a blazing sun crushing everything beneath it.
His gaze swept across everyone present, finally landing on Baili Xiao as she staggered back.
Baili Xiao slowly stood up. She stretched out her right hand.
In the distant void, an explosion resounded, and a zither drifted forth, floating before her.
The zither sang faintly; a few notes plucked at random.
Ripples spread across the void, reaching into people’s hearts.
Baili Xiao leaned against the edge of the arena. The zither half-rested against her, and her jade fingers slowly descended. The strings trembled, and thunder rolled around them.
“Everyone, block your hearing!” someone shouted from below.
As soon as the music began, sharp-eared experts knew something was wrong.
Luckily, the melody wasn’t aimed at them, or else all within a hundred miles would have to flee.
Xu Zimo watched Baili Xiao. The music became tangible, waves of sound spreading outward, each ripple laced with notes.
“That’s the Seven Emotions Melody!” someone knowledgeable cried.
“The supreme sound created by the Zither Demon. It’s said to be the strongest zither music on Primordial Heartlands. For millions of years, none have surpassed it.”
“This melody can manipulate the seven emotions and six desires at will, driving people mad, making them lovesick, even controlling them completely.”
“I’ll repay all the pain I’ve suffered onto you, one by one,” Baili Xiao’s killing intent-filled voice came through.
“A contest of music, then,” Xu Zimo laughed. “I have a song as well. Care to try it?”
He slowly drew out the jade flute he had once obtained in the Ancient Celestial Court.
Among the Ten Primordial God-Scriptures, one was known as the Infernal-Creation Eternal-Canon.
As the saying goes: ‘Better to envy mandarin ducks than immortals.’ This demonic-immortal art is a song of ascension to immortality, and a song of descent into demonhood.