Deep in the night, in the Great Zhou Dynasty.

With a bang, a bedazzling column of light lit up in the depths of the palace. Bursting into the skies, it filled the night skies with a resplendent luminescence, attracting countless glares.

“The geniuses who entered the ancient battlefield have returned.”

“That’s right. I wonder how many of the 50 managed to survive.”

“There should be a third of them at the very least. The geniuses selected by the five major sects aren’t weak.”

Ethereal Peak’s Xuan Yi and Liu Hui, Iridescent Clouds Palace’s Perfected Being Cang Lang and many other Golden Cores stood around the column of light expectantly, preparing to await their returning disciples.

If nothing went wrong, these cultivators that returned alive from the ancient battlefield would end up being the supports of their sects in the future.

The Emperor of Great Zhou stood right at the front with a grim expression; a flicker of worry would appear in the depths of his eyes from time to time.

Gradually, two figures appeared in the middle of the column of light.

As time passed by, the two figures became increasingly clear – it was Su Zimo and Ji Yaoxue who had returned.

The emperor heaved a sigh of relief.

He was relieved as long as Ji Yaoxue was fine.

But immediately after, he frowned and thought to himself, “There’s only the two of them?”

Although the ancient battlefield was a dangerous place, at least seven people or so managed to return in previous worst case scenarios.

Now that only two of them returned, it was not hard to guess that something big must have happened in the ancient battlefield!

Xuan Yi and Liu Hui did not have smiles on their faces when they saw that Su Zimo was fine.

On the one hand, it was because they were worried about the safety of Ji Chengtian and the others.

On the other hand, while it was a good thing that Su Zimo was alive, it may not have been the best choice for him to return to the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Apart from Ethereal Peak, the Golden Cores of the other sects looked extremely grim as they strode forward with huge frowns.

Perfected Being Yun Shan of Southern Mountains Sect cupped his fists slightly. “Mr. Mo, my disciple, Shi Jian, is a little foolish and isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. Did he meet with any accidents?”

“No, he was selected by one of the five heretical doctrines, Puppet Sect, and left together with them,” Su Zimo shook his head.

“Ah, it’s good that he’s alright! It’s his opportunity to be selected by one of the super sects. How rare, how rare!” Perfected Being Yun Shan nodded his head in gratification.

For the sects of the Great Zhou Dynasty, super sects such as the nine immortal sects, seven fiend sects, six Buddhist monasteries, five heretical doctrines and four unorthodox groups were insurmountable mountains!

If a disciple of their sect managed to join them, it would be an enormous feat and those sects could not be any happier.

For example, with their connection to Shi Jian, Southern Mountains Sect would most likely have the massive backing of Puppet Sect in the future!

“What happened in there?”

“Why are you two the only ones who have returned? Where are the others?”

“Liang Mao is my personal disciple and he was the number two of the Talisman Ranking. His strength is decent and he has a careful nature, there’s no way he could have died!”

“Mr. Mo, did my disciple manage to obtain any opportunities?”

Many Golden Cores glared at Su Zimo, asking repeatedly with threatening gazes.

Su Zimo frowned with a look of impatience.

“Everyone, please be silent.”

Ji Yaoxue stood forward and gestured for silence with both hands. Although she was only a princess, her gesture already possessed the dignity of the royal family!

The crowd instantly went silent.

In an unhurried manner, Ji Yaoxue recounted the events in the ancient battlefield, including Jun Hao’s true identity, Jiang Yu’s betrayal and Si Yutang’s choice…

Everyone was startled and speechless.

Nobody expected that this ancient battlefield expedition would have met with such immense dangers!

Perfected Being Cang Lang’s expression was grim as he narrowed his gaze and sneered, “This is only your side of the story. Who knows if you had conspired with Su Zimo to kill my disciple, Si Yutang!”

“Cang Lang, are you suspecting my daughter?”

The emperor turned slightly and glared at Perfected Being Cang Lang expressionlessly.

“Ha, I wouldn’t dare to,”

Chuckling, Perfected Being Cang Lang looked at Su Zimo deeply and said in a cold voice, “Lad, don’t think that you’ve got the rights to stand shoulder to shoulder with me just because you know how to refine weapons. The grudges between us will have to be settled sooner or later, wait and see!”

With that, Perfected Being Cang Lang laughed sinisterly and left the hall.

The other cultivators gradually as well after seeing that they wouldn’t be able to obtain any news from the two of them.

“Take care,”

Su Zimo bid farewell to Ji Yaoxue.

“You too,”

Ji Yaoxue’s head was slightly lowered and her eyes revealed a trace of reluctance.

Su Zimo left the palace together with Liu Hui and Xuan Yi. Along with Nian Qi of Mo Spirit Weapon Workshop, they boarded a spirit vessel and sped in the direction of Ethereal Peak.

A long time after Su Zimo left, Ji Yaoxue was still standing on the spot gazing in the direction he left in, unwilling to leave.

The emperor said softly, “Xue’er, although that man is a rare paragon, it’s best for you to not have any contact with him.”

Ji Yaoxue’s heart sank when she heard the emperor’s tone.

“Be it Ethereal Peak or Su Zimo, they are most likely doomed against the impending calamity…”

…

After traveling for more than half a month, the four of them finally returned to Ethereal Peak.

Ever since that battle at Dongling Valley, Su Zimo had left the sect for many years.

Now that he had returned once more, he felt deeply emotional.

Nian Qi was curious and surveyed the place intently.

The four of them stopped instinctively as they arrived at the tall peak in front of the mountain.

Back then, this was where Wen Xuan and Xuan Yi accepted Su Zimo into Ethereal Peak.

The memories were fresh as yesterday.

Liu Hui remarked, “It’s a pity that Wen Xuan couldn’t wait till you’ve returned.”

“No matter. If Wen Xuan knows of your current achievements in the afterlife, he’ll definitely feel comforted as well,” Xuan Yi patted Su Zimo on the shoulder encouragingly with a smile.

“Alright, go take a look around the sect and catch up with everyone. Thereafter, go into seclusion as soon as you can,”

Xuan Yi gazed at the distance with a grim expression as he murmured softly, “I’ve got a premonition that a storm is about to arrive!”

Upon returning to Ethereal Peak, Su Zimo visited the disheveled old man first.

Thereafter, he visited the sect master and recounted some of the events of the ancient battlefield.

In that period of time, little crane came over and chirped repeatedly with extreme joy.

After not seeing one another for many years, the man and beast were not distant at all and got along like before.

Monkey and the spirit tiger had not returned still and their locations and fates were unknown.

Senior crane had already been in seclusion for a year and nothing had happened still.

She was the true pillar of support for Ethereal Peak and if anything happened to her, Ethereal Peak would be destroyed by the impending storm!

Su Zimo took a spin around the sect before heading to seclusion.

Right now, he was already at the peak of eight meridian Foundation Establishment – his aim of entering seclusion was to unlock his ninth spirit meridian and become a nine meridian Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

This was an extremely important step that would affect his cultivation path in the future.

The firmer his foundation, the better the quality of his condensed Golden Core and the stronger the Golden Core phenomenon he would be able to comprehend and obtain!

At Extreme Foundation Establishment realm, Su Zimo’s combat strength would also increase in folds!

Similarly, he could sense the incoming danger.

The only way to tide through the impending storm was by trying his best to raise his cultivation realm!