At the front of the tens of thousands of golden-clad figures was a man in a golden robe, astride a golden warhorse, holding a golden blade.
His golden helmet gleamed above his head, radiating a dazzling brilliance. His gaze was sharp like an eagle’s, while his warhorse neighed fiercely.
The skies above were drowned in gold.
Behind him, the millions of golden-robed figures carried an aura so overwhelming it seemed to suppress all of heaven and earth.
“You really did come,” the golden figure said indifferently.
“And who might you be?” Xu Zimo asked.
“He is the War God of the Celestial Citadel,” Hidden Ox Emperor said from the side.
“Seems you’ve got quite the audience. Even the War God and the Myriad God Army came,” Xu Zimo laughed. “So this is the trap laid for me.”
“Surrender yourself and come with us to meet the Holy Progenitor, and your life may be spared,” the War God said.
His voice carried immense spiritual power, echoing across the entire western skies.
Behind him, the Myriad God Army roared in unison.
The heavens boiled with sound.
“I’ll be leaving. Remember what I said,” Xu Zimo smiled.
He glanced toward Lin Yunhen and Xia Wanqing’s direction, waved slightly, then turned his gaze back to the War God.
“One day we’ll meet again. But today, I’m not in the mood to play with you.”
“Seize him!” the War God roared.
With a thunderous rumble, the tens of thousands of Myriad God Soldiers charged at Xu Zimo.
Their footsteps were perfectly synchronized, the earth itself quaking with their advance.
Xu Zimo chuckled, gripping his blade, Shadow Tyrant.
Dragging the sword forward, sparks flew as Shadow Tyrant scraped against the void.
He plunged into the army.
These Myriad God soldiers numbered in the millions, and every one of them was an elite.
All of them had reached the Arcane Immortal Realm, with quite a few at the Celestial Immortal Realm and above.
This Myriad God Army was the most elite legion of the Celestial Citadel.
They were the ultimate symbol of authority, the force that maintained order.
Some say the Celestial Citadel was the greatest power in the Mortal Ascension Heaven, though that wasn’t entirely true, it was undoubtedly among the very top.
And the War God above, his cultivation had reached the pinnacle of the Fifth Stage of Grand Emperor Realm, the Sovereign Lord Stage.
Without a Saint Sovereign, such a figure was virtually invincible.
And the only Saint Sovereign that Mortal Ascension Heaven had ever produced, Saint Sovereign Brahma, had not appeared for over ten thousand years.
The slaughter of tens of thousands raged on.
Endless attacks rained down, yet Xu Zimo carved his way forward, one strike, one kill, hacking out a road of blood.
Behind him lay countless corpses and severed limbs.
“Who on earth is this man?” the people of Nether Bone Dao Court whispered in awe.
“Why are you smiling?” Xia Wanqing asked Lin Yunhen, puzzled.
“A Grand Emperor… I actually called a Grand Emperor my brother!” Lin Yunhen muttered with a foolish grin.
“My Lin Clan’s ancestors must be burning in joy, no, exploding in joy.”
“The Celestial Citadel is hunting him. Do you have any idea what to do?” Xia Wanqing pressed.
“The Celestial Citadel is not something we can provoke. If trouble comes, we’ll be in danger, sure, but more importantly, it’ll drag down everyone around us,” Lin Yunhen replied hurriedly.
“Then should we just stand by and watch?” Xia Wanqing asked anxiously.
“Don’t worry,” Lin Yunhen said. “Brother Zimo must have his own way out, or he wouldn’t have acted so recklessly. If real danger comes, even if it means death, we’ll help him.”
Xu Zimo hacked his way through the army, forging a bloody path.
Just then, he sensed a blade cleaving down from above, wrapped in immense force.
He quickly raised Shadow Tyrant to block.
With a deafening boom, the clash sent Xu Zimo flying backward.
Looking up, he saw the War God of the Celestial Citadel, golden blade in hand, golden armor gleaming, stepping slowly down from his warhorse.
“Come with me to the Celestial Citadel, or you will die miserably,” the War God said coolly.
“You and what army?” Xu Zimo sneered.
“For a million years I have fought for the Heavenly Court, then transferred to the War God Temple, serving as War God for three hundred thousand more, and never once has a target escaped me,” the War God said evenly.
The golden blade in his hand shone even brighter, his aura growing ever more oppressive.
Behind him, golden radiance condensed into the form of a massive golden giant standing firm.
“Then let’s see,” Xu Zimo said, his own War God Power erupting.
His strength was temporarily raised to the fifth stage of the Grand Emperor Realm, the so-called Sovereign Lord Stage.
Shadow Tyrant in his hand, cloaked in infernal energy, cast a vast black shadow.
“So… earlier he didn’t even use his full strength against me,” Hidden Ox Emperor thought in shock.
Twin blades collided in the void, each carrying immense might.
The two figures moved like lightning, crossing paths again and again, leaving behind countless afterimages.
The spectators couldn’t follow a thing.
They only heard the deafening clang of blades and caught glimpses of golden and black shadows slicing through the sky.
At last, after endless clashes, the two collided once more and stopped, backs to each other.
Between them, the void had been sliced apart like tofu, into billions of fractured shards.
For someone with trypophobia, the sight would have been unbearable.
The War God slowly turned. With a tearing sound, his golden cloak ripped open.
“Seems today, your title of War God will be an empty name,” Xu Zimo laughed.
Shadow Tyrant in his hand roared once more, while behind him, the Heaven-Shattering Giant thundered forward.
The heavens exploded with thunder.
The War God’s eyes burned as he glared at Xu Zimo.
“The Heaven-Shattering God-Scripture? What connection do you have with the Zuo God-Clan?!” he asked coldly.
“You’re distracted in battle,” Xu Zimo chuckled.
The giant roared as it lunged, shattering vast swathes of the void.
“Soaring Heaven!” the War God bellowed.
Power surged over his golden blade as it clashed with Shadow Tyrant.
The two crossed again, blades colliding in midair.
“Myriad Forms!” the War God shouted.
It was as if countless ancient dragons and god-mammoths charged forth, his power grew fiercer still.
“Grand Void! Divine War!”
Two more calls, his golden blade became even more terrifying. One slash could shatter the heavens, split day from night.
Every strike revealed the very essence of the Grand Dao.
The golden blade spun rapidly, runes appearing upon it.
“Fourfold Unity Primordial Seal!” the War God strode across the sky, twin blades raised high, and struck.
Xu Zimo met him with Shadow Tyrant. But this time, his strike was weaker, deliberately letting the force fling him back.
“I won’t play with you anymore. We’ll meet again,” Xu Zimo smiled.
He tore open the void with both hands and stepped inside.
The Myriad God Army surged forward, wanting to pursue, but the War God raised his hand slightly.
“Stop. We cannot capture him.” The War God said calmly, “This matter exceeds the Celestial Citadel’s authority. It must be reported to the Heavenly Court.”
At once, the Myriad God Army obeyed, their figures fading, vanishing into golden light.
The War God turned his gaze upon Hidden Ox Emperor.
“Will you come with me to the Celestial Citadel?” he asked.