I Really Am A Villain Chapter 1371 - Golden Crow Saint Sovereign, Hell Sovereign, And An Old Friend, The Alchemy Emperor
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Xu Zimo waved his hand.
Above his head, the Traceless Compass floated into the air, spinning slowly. Its rotations unraveled the secrets of the formation before them, like silk threads being drawn apart.
âA fine treasure,â the woman said, glancing at the compass with rare admiration. âSell it to me, how about that?â
âYou couldnât afford it,â Xu Zimo replied flatly.
His eyes flashed with cold light as the Traceless Compass released a streak of pure energy that shot into the formation ahead.
With a single motion, the compass shattered the countless layers of formations before them.
âLetâs go,â Xu Zimo said sharply, stepping forward into the formation.
The moment they entered, the world around them transformed into a vast sea of fire.
Flames roared and crackled, the sound of burning filling the air.
It was as if the inferno sought to consume them entirely.
The formation shifted ceaselessly, the flames took the shape of ancient celestial trees one moment, then clashing dragons and tigers the next.
But Xu Zimo strolled through it all as though walking through a garden path, untouched by the fire.
The Traceless Compass above him had already unraveled every hidden mechanism. To him, the grand formationâs transformations were no more than a childâs game of make-believe.
âThis is the Huo Heavenly Clanâs Myriad Forms Heavenly Fire Formation,â the woman explained. âIt was passed down from the Radiant Court itself, quite a famous formation in its day. I didnât expect it to be so insignificant before you.â
She looked at Xu Zimo with growing curiosity. âI find myself increasingly curious about who you really are.â
âMy identity has nothing to do with you,â Xu Zimo replied calmly. âOur paths in life will never intersect. Curiosity will only bring you unnecessary trouble.â
âHow do you know our paths wonât cross?â the woman teased. âYouâre heading to the Inferno Crucible Heaven, thatâs my territory. If you flatter me now, maybe Iâll look after you when you get there.â
âSeems your status in the Radiant Court isnât ordinary,â Xu Zimo said, glancing at her.
The woman immediately fell silent, realizing sheâd revealed more than she intended. His perception was sharper than she had expected, heâd deduced much from a single offhand remark.
âHave you ever heard of the Ancient Gods?â Xu Zimo asked.
In the Inferno Crucible Heaven, everything revolved around the element of fire.
If there were any Ancient God connected to that domain, it would be the Fire God, Zhurong.
But Xu Zimo had already obtained Zhurongâs legacy, which was why he was curious if there were others.
âI donât know. Never heard of them,â the woman said curtly.
Xu Zimo didnât press the matter further.
The two finally emerged from the formation.
Before them stretched a crimson passageway that pierced through the heavens themselves.
It was impossible to measure its length, while its width spanned only a few hundred meters.
Looking closely, they realized the crimson âwallsâ were not made of fire or gas, but of countless fiery red runes, interlocked and woven together to form the vast tunnel.
âThis is the Grand Dao Two Worlds Scripture,â the woman said with reverence. âItâs not a force or a physical thing. It was spoken by our ancestor as a true verse of the Dao.â
âWhen our Radiant Court first took control of this passage, the path between the two realms was perilous beyond measure, nine deaths for every life that entered. Even Saint Sovereigns would perish if caught in a spatial storm. Later, our ancestor recited a single true verse. That verse protected the passage, and only then did it become safe to travel.â
âHolding the flameâŠâ Xu Zimo murmured under his breath.
âWhat did you say?â the woman asked, not quite hearing him.
âNothing,â Xu Zimo said, shaking his head. âCome on. Letâs not keep our hosts waiting.â
They approached the passage. Soon, both of them came to a halt.
Before them, the heavens and earth themselves had been sealed by fire and suppression.
Within that domain stood five figures, five Saint Sovereigns.
Of those five, Xu Zimo recognized only one, Sage Monarch Ancient Void of the Heavenly Court, the elder who had joined Radiant Gold in the campaign to destroy the Ancient Demon Realm.
The other four were strangers to him.
âThose three are ancestors of the Huo Heavenly Clan,â the woman said softly. âAs for the last one, I donât know him either.â
Among the three Huo Heavenly Clan ancestors, one stood like a divine bird descended from the sky, sharp-beaked, hawk-eyed, his entire body gleaming with golden light.
Wherever he stood, he became the center of the world.
âThe Golden Crow Saint Sovereign,â the woman explained. âHe was once the Eternal Flame Bird that hovered outside the Radiant Court. Itâs said that after a true Golden Crow died, the Lord drew upon its bloodline and granted it to that bird. I never thought it would ascend to sainthood, let alone betray the Radiant Court. Disgraceful.â
The second ancestor was shrouded completely in a long, flowing robe.
The garment enveloped his entire body, revealing nothing but the chilling aura that surrounded him, an aura so cold it seemed capable of freezing the heavens themselves.
To witness such icy power within a clan devoted to fire was nothing short of bizarre.
âThatâs the Hell Sovereign,â the woman said. âAs a child, he once ventured into the Mirage Tides Heaven, where he obtained the Spectral Ghost Flame. Though itâs a form of fire, it burns with the essence of extreme cold. Eight thousand years ago, when he ascended to sainthood, he took the title Hell Sovereign.â
Xu Zimo nodded slightly, then turned his gaze to the third man.
This one was an elderly figure clad in pristine white robes.
His silver hair drifted gently in the wind, his face kind and serene, without the slightest trace of murderous intent.
âThat is the Alchemy Sovereign,â the woman explained. âThe Huo Heavenly Clan specializes in fire for battle and destruction, few ever use it for alchemy. Only this Alchemy Sovereign is different. Heâs said to have come from a lower world. After joining the Huo Heavenly Clan, he served as an offering elder. At that time, he was known as the Alchemy Emperor. After becoming a Saint Sovereign, he gave up his position and naturally became one of the clanâs ancestors.â
âThe Alchemy EmperorâŠâ Xu Zimo murmured. âAn old friend, then.â
He thought back to the Eastern Continent of the Primordial Heartlands, where the Alchemy Emperor had stood alongside the Formation Emperor, belonging to the Dan Imperial Clan.
It was a memory from ages past.
He never expected that the Dan Imperial Clanâs ancestor, after ascending to the Nine Heavens, would join the Huo Heavenly Clan.
But upon reflection, it made sense.
The Huo Heavenly Clan drew their lineage from the Radiant Court, the origin of all worldly flames.
As an alchemist, the Alchemy Emperorâs combat prowess was never his strength.
It was quite possible that his path to sainthood owed much to the Huo Heavenly Clanâs support.
Looking upon these three figures, Xu Zimo finally understood the true depth of the Huo Heavenly Clanâs power.
They were even stronger than heâd imagined.
For countless ages, they had stood unchallenged within the Lotus Pathway. No wonder none dared to provoke them.
They controlled the only passage to the Inferno Crucible Heaven, and yet no one complained.
Their power alone was deterrent enough.
Xu Zimo smiled faintly.
He now understood, the Huo Heavenly Clan hadnât truly submitted to the Heavenly Court.
It wasnât allegiance, but mutual exploitation.
He had once assumed that their new Patriarch had simply chosen to side with the Heavenly Court.
But now he saw the truth.
Their so-called alliance with the Heavenly Court was nothing more than an attempt to break free from the Radiant Courtâs dominion.
TL Note:
No one:
Literally no one:
Xu Zimo to anyone he meets: âHave you heard of the Ancient Gods?â