Imperial Blood

Chapter 21: Imperial Blood

"You know me?" the old man asked, looking at Xu Zimo with confusion.

"The Feather Emperor once had nine war generals under his command, and among them, the Fourth War General was rumored to have taken in a disciple at the end of his lifespan, passing down everything he had learned in his life," Xu Zimo said with a faint smile. "After receiving the Fourth War General's inheritance, that disciple also made a name for himself in the Northern Continent with his bare hands. Later, people gave him the nickname Old Man Blackwood."

Hearing Xu Zimo's words, the old man smiled in surprise and said, "I never thought that after all these years, there would still be someone in this world who remembers this old man's title." Then he squinted at Xu Zimo and said, "Kid, you know our origins inside and out. What exactly are you after?"

"I have no interest in you," Xu Zimo said. "To be precise, I'm interested in something you're holding."

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

"The Imperial Blood left behind by the Feather Emperor back then," Xu Zimo said, looking at Ji Baiyu word by word.

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

"So the Imperial Blood really is in your hands," Xu Zimo said with a smile. He hadn't been sure before, but now, seeing Ji Baiyu's reaction, he had his answer in mind.

"This Imperial Blood is meant for the Ji Family's descendants to rebuild their bloodline. We can't give it all to you," Old Man Blackwood quickly added from the side.

"I didn't say I wanted all of it. I only need one drop," Xu Zimo said.

"What are you offering in exchange?" Old Man Blackwood asked curiously.

"A promise," Xu Zimo said confidently. "In the future, when I bear the Heavenly Mandate and ascend to the position of Emperor, I can give you a promise. In my era, I will protect your Ji Family and let you relive the glory of your ancestors."

"Ascend to Emperor? You?" Ji Baiyu sneered. "Why should we believe you? You want our Imperial Blood for a meaningless promise?"

"You have no choice but to believe me," Xu Zimo said calmly. "Either I kill you all and take the Imperial Blood myself, or you trust my promise and we cooperate for mutual benefit."

"Kill us all?" Old Man Blackwood chuckled lightly. "A little brat who just stepped into the Spirit Vein Realm dares to talk big."

As soon as Old Man Blackwood finished speaking, a dazzling sword light slashed in from outside. The sword light was as fast as thunder, carrying the momentum of a thousand jun. Old Man Blackwood's expression turned serious as he extended his right hand, hidden within his sleeve. The hand was like a withered old tree root, with deathly black qi coiling around it. A glint of light flashed in his eyes as he grabbed the incoming sword light, extinguishing it within the black qi.

Shili Changkong walked in slowly with a longsword on his back, chuckling lightly, "Quite the lively scene here!"

Old Man Blackwood stared fixedly at Shili Changkong, his expression shifting slightly as he said, "Is this your trump card?" He shook his head lightly, and with several "bang bang bang" sounds, five meridian gates opened on the old man's body simultaneously. This old man was actually a Venerable Meridian Realm expert as well. "If this is your trump card," Old Man Blackwood said, his aura surging, his tone very calm, "it's not enough."

Shili Changkong was also a Venerable Meridian Realm expert. Both were at the same realm. Even if Shili Changkong was slightly stronger, if this old man wanted to run, Xu Zimo couldn't do anything about it.

"Wait a moment," Xu Zimo said to the old man, then lowered his head to start searching through his Storage Ring. Before long, he took out a silver-white Jade Token and said with a smile, "This Jade Token was given to me by my father. He said to open it when I encounter danger. It contains a split soul of his. Although this split soul isn't as strong as his main body, it still has the strength of the Half-step Sacred Meridian Realm. Want to give it a try?"

This Jade Token was given to Xu Zimo by Xu Qingshan long ago, worried about his safety. Xu Zimo wasn't lying either; the split soul inside this Jade Token did indeed have the strength of the Half-step Sacred Meridian Realm. But this Jade Token was extremely precious, and Xu Zimo generally didn't want to use it lightly. Back then, Xu Qingshan had split off a part of his own soul and fused it into this Jade Token. For this, Xu Qingshan had suffered severe damage and spent a full year cultivating to recover.

Old Man Blackwood looked at this Jade Token. On its surface were carved many intricate patterns, so obscure and hard to understand that even he, a Venerable Meridian Realm expert, couldn't decipher them. Old Man Blackwood pondered for a long time before finally saying, "I can agree to give you the Imperial Blood, but besides that promise you just made, you must also agree to one more thing."

"No deal," Xu Zimo shook his head.

"Emmmm, won't you at least hear what the condition is first?" Old Man Blackwood said, looking dumbfounded.

"Go ahead and say it. 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, full of confusion.

Old Man Blackwood just shook his head and looked at Xu Zimo, asking, "How about it?"

"What's so good about joining the True Martial Sacred Sect? Why not just have her come serve me as a maidservant—boundless prospects await. When I bear the Heavenly Mandate, I can even appoint her as my God of War." Xu Zimo said with a smile.

"No need. Although my Baiyu's status is humble, she will not be manipulated by others," Old Man Blackwood shook his head and refused.

"Fine, you didn't seize the opportunity yourself. Don't regret it later," Xu Zimo chuckled, unconcerned. "In a while, the True Martial Sacred Sect will open its mountain gates to recruit disciples. When the time comes, have her come and just mention my name. I'll give word in advance."

"Alright, remember what you said today," Old Man Blackwood nodded.

Then Ji Baiyu took a small bottle out of her Storage Ring. The bottle's exterior seemed inlaid with a star, dazzlingly bright. Inside the bottle were three drops of blood, clearly separated from one another. From the outside, these three drops appeared utterly ordinary, as if no different from common blood. But when Ji Baiyu opened the bottle's mouth, strange phenomena immediately unfolded. A Rising Sun appeared, a full moon hung like a platter, towering trees reached the sky, and flocks of birds sang in unison. Countless visions began to manifest and take shape at the bottle's opening.

"This single drop of Imperial Blood weighs ten million jin. Ordinary containers simply cannot bear it; it must be stored in a Star Cloud Bottle," Ji Baiyu said as she took out a new bottle from her Storage Ring. She poured one drop of the Imperial Blood into the bottle, then handed it to Xu Zimo with utmost reluctance.

Xu Zimo took the Star Cloud Bottle, examined it in his hand, then curled his lips into a smile and stored it into his Storage Ring. "If you have nothing else, young master, please leave. I am somewhat tired," Ji Baiyu replied flatly.