Imperial Blood

"You know me?" Old Man asked Xu Zimo in puzzlement.

"Feather Emperor once had nine great war generals under his command. The Fourth War General among them was said to have taken in a disciple near the end of his lifespan, passing all he had learned in his life on to that disciple," Xu Zimo said with a faint smile. "After receiving the Fourth War General's inheritance, that disciple had also made a name for himself on the Northern Continent with nothing but his bare fists.

Later, people gave him the nickname Old Man Blackwood."

Hearing Xu Zimo's words, Old Man smiled in surprise. "After so many years, I never expected anyone in this world to still remember this old man's title."

He then narrowed his eyes at Xu Zimo. "Boy, you know our origins like the back of your hand. What exactly do you want?"

"I have no designs on you," Xu Zimo said. "More precisely, I'm interested in something in your possession."

"What do you want?" Ji Baiyu asked from the side.

"The Imperial Blood left behind by Feather Emperor," Xu Zimo said, staring at Ji Baiyu and enunciating every word.

"Impossible." Ji Baiyu's expression changed, and she hurriedly shook her head.

"Then the Imperial Blood really is in your hands." Xu Zimo smiled. He had not dared to confirm it before, but seeing Ji Baiyu's reaction now, he already had his answer.

"This Imperial Blood was left for the descendants of the Ji Family to reforge their bloodline. We can't possibly give it all to you," Old Man Blackwood said at once.

"I never said I wanted all of it. One drop is enough," Xu Zimo said.

"What will you trade for it?" Old Man Blackwood asked curiously.

"A promise." Xu Zimo said confidently, "When I bear the Heavenly Mandate in the future and ascend as Emperor, I can give you a promise.

"In my era, I will protect your Ji Family and let you restore the glory of your ancestors."

"Ascend as Emperor? You?" Ji Baiyu sneered. "Why should we believe you?

"You want our Imperial Blood with nothing more than a meaningless promise?"

"You have no room to choose. You can only believe me," Xu Zimo said flatly. "Either I kill all of you and take the Imperial Blood myself.

"Or you believe my promise, and we all work together for mutual benefit."

"Kill all of us?" Old Man Blackwood chuckled. "A little fellow who has only just entered the Spirit Vein Realm dares to speak such wild words."

Before Old Man Blackwood's words had even faded, a dazzling streak of sword light slashed in from outside.

The sword light was as swift as rushing thunder, carrying the force of ten thousand pounds. Old Man Blackwood's expression turned grave as he extended the right hand hidden within his sleeve.

That hand was like the withered root of an ancient tree, dead black qi winding around it. A sharp gleam flashed through his eyes as he seized the incoming sword light.

The sword light vanished within the black qi.

Shili Changkong entered slowly with a sword on his back, chuckling. "It's quite lively here!"

Old Man Blackwood stared fixedly at Shili Changkong, his expression changing slightly. "Is this your trump card?"

He gently shook his head. Several bangs rang out, and five Meridian Gates opened on Old Man at the same time.

This Old Man was actually a Venerable Meridian Realm expert as well.

"If this is your trump card," Old Man Blackwood said blandly, his aura surging like a raging tide, "it isn't enough."

Shili Changkong was also a Venerable Meridian Realm expert. The two were in the same realm. Even if Shili Changkong was slightly stronger, there was nothing Xu Zimo could do if Old Man wanted to flee.

"Wait a moment," Xu Zimo told Old Man, then lowered his head and began rummaging through his Storage Ring.

Before long, he took out a silver-white Jade Token and smiled. "My father gave me this Jade Token. He said to activate it if I ever encountered danger.

"A fragment of his divine consciousness is inside. Though it isn't as strong as his true body, it still possesses the strength of the Half-step Sacred Meridian Realm. Would you like to try it?"

Xu Qingshan had given Xu Zimo this Jade Token long ago because he was worried about Xu Zimo's safety.

Xu Zimo was not lying either. The fragment of divine consciousness within the Jade Token truly possessed the strength of the Half-step Sacred Meridian Realm.

However, this Jade Token was incomparably precious, and Xu Zimo generally did not wish to use it lightly.

Back then, Xu Qingshan had split off a portion of his divine consciousness and fused it into this Jade Token.

Because of that, Xu Qingshan had suffered severe injuries and needed a full year of cultivation to recover.

Old Man Blackwood looked at the Jade Token. It was carved with countless intricate patterns, so obscure and profound that even a Venerable Meridian Realm expert like him could not understand them.

Old Man Blackwood pondered for a long while before finally saying, "I can agree to give you the Imperial Blood, but besides the promise you made earlier, you must also agree to one more thing."

"I don't agree." Xu Zimo shook his head.

"Emmmmm,

"Won't you at least hear what the condition is?" Old Man said blankly.

"Go ahead. I don't like people haggling with me," Xu Zimo said.

"I want Baiyu to join the True Martial Sacred Sect," Old Man Blackwood said calmly.

"Grandpa Blackwood, why?" Ji Baiyu asked from the side, her face full of confusion.

Old Man Blackwood merely shook his head and looked at Xu Zimo. "What do you say?"

"What's so good about joining the True Martial Sacred Sect? She might as well come serve as my maid. Her future would be boundless.

"When I bear the Heavenly Mandate one day, I could even appoint her as a God of War under my command." Xu Zimo smiled.

"No need. Though my Baiyu comes from humble circumstances, she will not let herself be at another's mercy," Old Man Blackwood said, shaking his head in refusal.

"Fine. You failed to seize the opportunity yourself, so don't regret it later." Xu Zimo smiled indifferently. "In some time, the True Martial Sacred Sect will open its mountain gates and recruit disciples.

"Have her come then. Just give my name, and I'll inform them beforehand."

"Good. Remember what you said today," Old Man Blackwood said with a nod.

Ji Baiyu then took a small bottle from her Storage Ring. It seemed as though a star had been embedded on the outside of the bottle, dazzling and radiant.

There were three drops of blood inside the bottle, each clearly separated from the others.

From the outside, the three drops of blood seemed utterly ordinary, no different from normal blood.

But when Ji Baiyu opened the bottle's mouth, strange phenomena immediately appeared one after another.

A rising sun, a round moon like a disk, towering trees, and birds singing in chorus.

Countless strange phenomena began to take shape and appear at the bottle's mouth.

"Each drop of Imperial Blood weighs tens of millions of jin. Ordinary containers cannot bear it; only a Star Cloud Bottle can hold it," Ji Baiyu said as she took out a new bottle from her Storage Ring.

She poured one drop of Imperial Blood into the bottle, then handed it to Xu Zimo with great reluctance.

Xu Zimo accepted the Star Cloud Bottle and examined it in his hand. Then, with a smile curling across his lips, he put it into his Storage Ring.

"If Young Master has nothing else to do, please leave first. I'm somewhat tired," Ji Baiyu replied calmly.