Turning around, Su Zimo looked at Bald Vulture who was not far away and said indifferently, “Go on, tell us everything you know.”

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about, fellow Daoist!”

Bald Vulture chuckled dryly.

“Die if you refuse to speak!”

Su Zimo closed in step by step towards Bald Vulture in midair. Although he was neither fast nor slow, there was a tremendous pressure that surged forward instantaneously!

That was a true suppression!

In fact, Bald Vulture felt like he was choking!

His arms trembled slightly and a look of fear flashed through his eyes before turning into madness.

With a menacing expression, Bald Vulture snarled, “I can tell you everything but you must promise to let me live!”

“You’re not qualified to talk about terms with me!”

Su Zimo had an ice-cold expression as he arrived before Bald Vulture. He gripped the latter’s throat and just as he was about to exert strength, a fragrance wafted over.

“Leave it to me, Zimo.”

Demoness Ji’s silky smooth hand touched Su Zimo’s wrist.

Su Zimo relented his grip with it.

Arriving before Bald Vulture, Demoness Ji smiled charmingly with a ripple in her eyes as she asked gently, “Why did you stand in my way, great commander?”

Bald Vulture was completely stupefied and had a lost gaze, as though he had lost his soul.

“The second and fourth princes are prepared to write a letter together to get rid of the third princess and recommend the first prince to ascend the throne! The first prince is the eldest and should inherit the throne in theory. The third princess is unjustified to take the throne and furthermore, she’s a woman.”

“What’s wrong with her being a woman?”

Demoness Ji raised her brow and asked coldly, “Can’t women ascend the throne? My sister is out there fighting against our enemies and yet, you despicable scum are scheming in the dark here!”

“I think all of you are looking to die!”

Before she finished her sentence, Demoness Ji had already grazed her finger gently across Bald Vulture’s throat.

A thin red line appeared.

Bald Vulture’s eyes widened and he gradually woke from his stupor. He clutched his throat with both arms and his legs flailed but he could not stop the fresh blood from spewing!

Splash! Splash!

Finally, Bald Vulture’s gaze dimmed and he fell, dead on the spot.

“I need you to come forth for the affairs of the capital,”

Su Zimo said darkly, “Given your identity and means, you’ll be able to suppress this matter.”

“Yes, don’t worry,” Demoness Ji nodded.

Su Zimo returned to the carriage and helped Su Hong out before nodding towards Demoness Ji. “I’ll be leaving now.”

Before his words were finished, Su Zimo had already sped into the distance at an extremely terrifying speed. In the blink of an eye, he was already at the horizon.

“Where are you going?”

Demoness Ji yelled from behind.

There was no reply for a long time.

Although Demoness Ji wanted to chase after him, she knew that at this moment, the capital of Great Zhou needed her more.

…

A gigantic bird flew above the skies of Yan Country.

The bird was lined with scales and burned with a thin flame on its body. Its eyes were sharp as it surveyed its surroundings with wings that were hundreds of feet wide spread apart!

It was an ancient remnant beast, the Purple Flame Bird!

The most shocking thing was that the Purple Flame Bird seemed like it was pulling an ordinary-looking carriage.

Side by side, two people sat within the carriage; one was a refined scholar and the other was a frail old man filled with white hair.

The two of them were Su Zimo and Su Hong who were rushing back to Yan Country.

Su Zimo captured an ancient remnant beast along the way and used it to pull the carriage temporarily, saving them quite a bit of trouble.

The two of them crossed the 13 cities of Yan Country that were massacred by Glass Palace. Even until now, the corpses left behind back then could be seen piled into mountains!

The bloodstains on the walls had already turned black after enduring the weather over the years.

With every city they passed, Su Hong would stop to kneel in front of the cities, paying his respect to the withered corpses.

The final city.

This was the capital of Yan Country in the past.

After 20 years, the glamor of the past had long disappeared.

All their acquaintances of the past had already grown old as well.

Uncle Zheng, Liu Yu, Yuchi Huo, Song Qi and even the black armored cavalry of the past were buried under the ruins.

They had returned to the earth.

“I should have been here with you guys 20 years ago.”

“My brothers, I have returned!”

As he stood on that familiar piece of land, Su Hong’s tears streamed down his face as he could not overcome his sadness.

Su Zimo seemed to be able to visualize the scene of the massacre that happened when Glass Palace descended.

Against cultivators, mortals were helpless and their lives were as cheap as blades of grass!

Lowering his head, Su Zimo had a stoned expression.

During the past few days of their travels, he had witnessed way too many corpses along the way.

Massacre, violence, hunger, destitute, rape, snatching, killing, cannibalism…

Every single bit of structure was destroyed.

Human life was even cheaper than that of ants!

The sight before him was no different from what Hell was described as in Buddhism!

As the flames of wars raged, the most helpless and pathetic ones were the mortals of the world who had no spirit roots and could not cultivate.

Through those mortals, Su Zimo caught glimpses of himself.

He was originally one of the most ordinary people.

If not for Die Yue, he might have been one of the corpses they had encountered along the way!

If Su Zimo had intervened, he might have been able to save one, two or even a hundred people, but he wouldn’t have been able to save everybody.

In fact, he could not even save his own kin!

He could only watch as Su Hong approached the end of his lifespan.

Along the way, Su Zimo had been contemplating a single question.

Even if he was able to come out 10 years ago, what difference would it have made?

Would he have been able to save Su Hong?

After all, Su Hong was a mortal whose lifespan would be exhausted 20, 30 or even 40 years later – the two of them were going to have to face an eternal farewell no matter what.

Even if he had not offended Glass Palace, would the masses have escaped from a calamity as such?

The mortals were still the first to suffer from the flames of war.

Against cultivators, mortals had no control over their own fates!

Cultivators could trample on the dignity of mortals as they pleased.

No matter how the mortals struggled, nothing would change.

If not for Die Yue, Su Zimo might have been killed by Zhou Dingyun when he returned from cultivation in the past.

He was a fortunate person.

Die Yue had altered his fate for him.

However, who could change Su Hong’s fate?

Who could change the fate of all the living beings in the world?

Were mortals that had no spirit roots and were unable to cultivate condemned to be sacrifices of war? Were they meant to be the food of demon beasts and corpses to be trampled on by cultivators?

Su Zimo was not a saint.

He had never thought of bringing salvation for the living beings of the world singlehandedly.

He merely wanted to help his kin survive.

All he wanted, or perhaps, all mortals in the world… should have a chance of fighting against their fates!

“I want to establish the Dao!”

All of a sudden!

Su Zimo raised his head and gripped his fists. An unprecedented light shone in his eyes as he said slowly with an unyielding and resolute tone!

“I want to break free the shackles of fate that bind every single living being in the world!”

“So what if one has no spirit root?”

“I’m going to change the fate of all living beings!”

“I’m going to allow all lives in this world the ability to cultivate and become immortals!”

His voice reverberated through the heavens and echoed with a deafening vibration!

Boom!

Right after he spoke…

The initially clear skies boomed with thunder.

A shuddering aura blanketed downwards with an unstoppable divine might, as though he had offended the deities above!

At the same time.

All the patriarchs that were in seclusion in various secret grounds across Tianhuang Mainland jolted awake, looking at the firmaments with shock on their faces.

Enigma Palace…

An old man wearing a Confucian crown sensed something and divined with his fingers. He was startled and remarked, “Someone has just laid down a great vow that has shocked even the firmaments!”