"Really!" Bai Ze said.
Di Jun and Tai Yi exchanged glances, their faces showing hints of delight.
Li Mo looked at the two of them and rubbed his nose.
[What's Jun Ge grinning about? Tai Yi too. Why are they acting like a pair of idiots? Have these two lost their minds?]
If Li Mo had said that aloud, his head would probably have been chopped off on the spot.
No one could have guessed that the two future Demon Emperors, usually so imposing and domineering, would be spoken of that way by a mere foot soldier like Li Mo.
Di Jun turned to Li Mo and said, "Li Mo, release your Solar True Fire. Let me see it."
[So they really are a pair of idiots. What's there to look at?]
Li Mo gave an "Oh," then a golden flame sprang up from his palm with a whoosh.
In an instant!
Di Jun and Tai Yi were overcome with delight.
"Just as I thought! It's Solar True Fire! It really is Solar True Fire. Wonderful, wonderful!"
Di Jun and Tai Yi looked at Li Mo like two lovesick men gazing at a beauty.
Li Mo even began to tremble a little.
"Big brother, he has the Three-legged Golden Crow Bloodline! He really has the Three-legged Golden Crow Bloodline. I never imagined that, besides the two of us, someone else would have the Three-legged Golden Crow Bloodline within him," Tai Yi excitedly transmitted to Di Jun.
"Indeed. Only those with Golden Crow blood in their veins can wield Solar True Fire. In the entire prehistoric world, besides the two of us brothers, only Li Mo can use it. His Solar True Fire may still be weak, but given time, as his cultivation improves, so will its power."
Di Jun nodded in satisfaction and replied to Tai Yi.
Li Mo, however, knew nothing about this.
He had simply thought of Solar True Fire as a particularly powerful kind of flame.
"Lord Di Jun, Lord Tai Yi! Li Mo killed Dang Kang and over a hundred soldiers. He deserves death for this crime!" Shang Yang continued.
[You idiot. You think you can get me? Not a chance.]
Li Mo spoke calmly and without fear. "Lord Di Jun, after I returned, my master Bai Ze was summoned by the Star Gazing Palace's astrologers. Not long afterward, Centurion Dang Kang forced me to report for muster."
"I'm not even registered as a soldier, and I've already been given a new position as a guard of the Sun God Palace. Why would I be expected to do that? Centurion Dang Kang clearly attacked me first. I was forced to fight back, and who knew he'd be so fragile that I'd kill him on the spot?"
As he spoke, Li Mo spread his hands, as if to say he hadn't meant to kill him either.
"I suspect this was clearly Lord Shang Yang's way of retaliating against me for embarrassing him in the hall earlier. Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence that Dang Kang showed up just after my master Bai Ze left for the Star Gazing Palace?"
In an instant, the blame shifted squarely onto Shang Yang.
Shang Yang's face darkened. He didn't know what to say.
Li Mo was right. By the time he returned, he had already become a guard of the Sun Palace.
Someone of his standing would be summoned for muster by a Golden Immortal like Commander Heavenly Dog, if anyone.
Besides, he was a guard of the Sun God Palace.
He was directly assigned to serve Lords Di Jun and Tai Yi!
What right did a mere centurion like Dang Kang have to order him around?
"Shang Yang, do you have anything to say?" Di Jun asked, his expression cold.
Shang Yang shook his head without a word.
[If you weren't going to become one of the Ten Great Demon Sages, I'd have kicked you while you were down and seized the chance to finish you off. But I can't let you keep wanting to kill me.]
Li Mo muttered to himself, trying to think of a solution.
Suddenly, Di Jun spoke. "In that case, swear a blood oath never to harm Li Mo again, and hand over a lower-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure as compensation."
"Ah? Lord Di Jun..."
Shang Yang's face went dark, as if he'd just eaten shit.
He could accept paying compensation with a lower-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure.
But if he broke a blood oath, his body and spirit would be annihilated. It put his very life at risk.
"This is an excellent solution!" Bai Ze said with a smile.
[Jun Ge! You understand me so well! You're practically a worm in my belly—you give me exactly what I want.]
Nearby, Jiu Ying couldn't help rolling his eyes.
He grumbled inwardly, "Who knows what kind of potion Li Mo gave Lord Di Jun while they were away? He's so obviously taking Li Mo's side. This punishment is harsher than most. I'd better make sure not to offend Li Mo in the future."
"Lord Tai Yi..."
Shang Yang prepared to plead with Tai Yi.
But Tai Yi nodded and said, "I agree. This is an excellent solution."
Hearing that, Shang Yang had no choice but to swear the blood oath.
He had brought this on himself.
At the same time, he handed over the lower-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure he carried, the Floating World Lamp.
"Now that this is settled, you may leave," Di Jun said, waving them away.
Shang Yang walked off with a sigh at every step. He hadn't expected to suffer such a crushing defeat this time.
"Bai Ze, I suppose all these million beings will be under your command from now on," he said with a bitter smile, gazing at the million beings around them from the Sun Star.
"Heh. I do have that in mind, but I don't intend to hold all the power myself. You two should do your part as well. Conquering the prehistoric world and accomplishing great things won't be possible if I'm the only one helping Lords Di Jun and Tai Yi."
After speaking, Bai Ze transformed into a streak of silver light and flew away.
All he left Shang Yang and Jiu Ying was his retreating figure.
"Li Mo, from now on, you'll guard the Eight Treasures Merit Dragon Pool. In a while, I'll select beings with exceptional talent and bloodlines to come here for tempering and cultivation." After saying this, the brothers Di Jun and Tai Yi vanished.
"Is it really that simple?" Li Mo scratched his head.
He wasn't the only guard here; there were several others.
But he noticed that all the other guards were at least late-stage Mystic Immortals.
There were several Golden Immortals too.
Li Mo could only shake his head. He couldn't believe they'd assigned him to guard the Eight Treasures Merit Dragon Pool.
As he pondered this, a Golden Immortal in golden armor walked over to him.
"I'm Commander Mie Meng. You're Li Mo, right?" Mie Meng asked amiably.
"Commander Mie Meng, that's right. I'm Li Mo," he replied.
"Lord Di Jun said you can enter the Eight Treasures Merit Dragon Pool to cultivate whenever you want. You don't have to stand guard over it all the time." As soon as Mie Meng said this, the other guards cried out in astonishment.
"What? He can use the Eight Treasures Merit Dragon Pool whenever he wants?"
"Are you kidding? What kind of status does Li Mo have for Lords Di Jun and Tai Yi to indulge him like this?"
"How would I know? But don't provoke him. I heard he just gave Lord Shang Yang a hard time!"
"Shang Yang, the astrologer?"
"That's right! He's a mighty expert at the Grand Unity Golden Immortal level."
Hearing them, Li Mo pursed his lips.
The Eight Treasures Merit Dragon Pool might be a treasure to you.
But I could take it or leave it.
As he thought it over, Li Mo decided he might as well take it easy. From the sound of things, he could do whatever he wanted, and no one would bother him.
While the others chatted noisily, in a room somewhere in the Sun God Palace,
Xihe furrowed her brow and faced Di Jun.
"Lord Di Jun wants me to go and make nice with Li Mo?"
Before you continue