Chapter 39

Zhang Xitong, the young master of the Heavenly Dao Sect, was a genius among geniuses. The elder doted on him immensely, and Zhang Xitong also demonstrated his formidable abilities, ranking among the top three young strong figures. This incident came suddenly, before the "Heritage Grand Trial," when the old grandmaster of the Heavenly Dao Sect, Du Tianci, who even the old patriarch called "Sir," had been in seclusion, contemplating the Heavenly Dao. He suddenly emerged from seclusion, had a long private conversation with the patriarch of the Heavenly Dao Sect, and then went back into seclusion. Very few people knew what they discussed, and then he went back into seclusion again.

After the "Heritage Grand Trial" ended, Zhang Xitong rushed to the Henshan Sect to see what the so-called "variable" that Old Master Du Tianci mentioned was.

Now, after witnessing all the bloody killings of the "Heritage Grand Trial," only Bu Li seemed to be the one who could be determined as the so-called "variable." The "Heritage Grand Trial," where the participants were like ants before a great cultivator like the patriarch of the Heavenly Dao Sect, was now taken seriously, even being watched from beginning to end in the inner chamber.

The middle-aged scholar who had been teaching Zhang Xitong since he was young naturally knew that Zhang Xitong's greatest strength was not his cultivation ability, not that he could learn and master any soul technique quickly, but his extraordinary judgment. Whenever it came to critical moments, he made decisive and clear decisions. If not for this, how could the vast Heavenly Dao Sect consider a little girl as the only candidate for the next patriarch?

It would be good for Zhang Xitong to go and see it himself.

While they were chatting, several figures suddenly appeared in the mirage, sprinting past the small forest where Bu Li was hiding. The elder and the middle-aged scholar stopped their conversation and looked towards the mirage.

Before entering the Divine Legacy Mountains, no one had told Bu Li the details of the "Heritage Grand Trial." Hu Wu knew some about the "Heritage Grand Trial" but treated its rules with disdain. Whether he didn't want to or forgot, he never told Bu Li about these rules from the beginning. Bu Li, hidden in the forest, kept recalling the intense yet brief battle he had just witnessed. Each battle could provide countless lessons, helping him avoid mistakes and defeat enemies as quickly as possible.

After a long time, Bu Li suddenly saw three figures sprinting past the small forest. A man and a woman, both in a sorry state, were being pursued, covered in blood. Although they didn't have fatal injuries, Bu Li could sense their exhaustion from their breathing; they were at the end of their strength and could not continue to flee.

They looked like a couple, with the woman in front and the man behind, their heavy breathing faintly audible. Behind them, a tall young man was pursuing them at a leisurely pace, a string of left ears hanging arrogantly from his waist, looking extremely bloody. Collecting at least ten left ears proved that he had slaughtered enough of the heritage clans, qualifying him to step onto the Dragon Severing Platform. The more left ears one collected, the more it proved one's strength, but it also made one a target for those who wanted to test their luck.

Those who dared to hang the left ears of the heritage clans they had hunted on their waists were extremely powerful and had great confidence in themselves.

Bu Li recognized the pursuer, the strongest young man in the "Heritage Grand Trial" — Chu Zhongze!

Suppressing his aura, Bu Li watched carefully, his eyes narrowing.

Chu Zhongze pursued them at a leisurely pace, clearly not using his full strength. Bu Li felt a bit puzzled; in the Divine Legacy Mountains, every step was a threat, and reaching the Dragon Severing Platform as soon as possible was naturally the goal to avoid unexpected incidents. The more cautious Bu Li became, the more cautious he was.

The couple seemed to have given up hope, the girl's strength exhausted, and she collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath like a fish thrown onto the shore, struggling futilely.

The young man tried to pick up the girl and continue fleeing, but as he slowed down, he felt a cold, chilling aura from behind. His body stiffened; in that instant, he felt the aura enveloping him, and any movement would result in his death.

"Can't hold on any longer?" Chu Zhongze's voice was low and cold, like invisible icicles piercing into one's soul, bringing a chill.

The young man was struck by an invisible force on his back, falling forward as if hit by a large hammer, spitting out a mouthful of blood. The girl, who had just turned around, was splattered with blood. With a mix of fear and desperation, she squeezed the last bit of strength from her body, hugging the young man.

With great strength, they rolled several yards on the grass before stopping.

Bu Li's heart tightened; he had no idea what power Chu Zhongze had just used. He estimated that if he had faced that attack, he wouldn't have known how to avoid it. Had Chu Zhongze become so powerful?

"Do you know the story of the Divine Legacy Mountains?" Chu Zhongze didn't continue his attack but walked a few steps forward with his hands behind his back, as if taking a leisurely stroll. Neither Bu Li nor the young couple knew what Chu Zhongze meant by this question, and the girl shook her head in confusion.

Chu Zhongze's smile was a bit strange. He didn't look at the couple about to die but gazed at the sky, saying leisurely, "This is a bloody play, and we are all wild beasts in a cage."

The couple didn't understand what Chu Zhongze meant, but Bu Li seemed to grasp something. Without looking up at the sky, Bu Li knew what the thing that was always "watching" him was. It was different from the powerful divine consciousness; it was the array formation covering the Divine Legacy Mountains, watching the movements of everyone inside.

Feeling a bit angry but helpless, Bu Li quickly regained his composure. In the face of life and death, he knew what to do. Such philosophical musings were better suited for a warm, comfortable room, drinking tea, and feeling the change of seasons. The pungent smell of blood was everywhere, reminding Bu Li that this was a journey of life and death, and to survive, he needed patience and luck.

"Do you know why I am so strong?" Chu Zhongze said, as if talking to himself, not expecting a response, and continued in a low voice, "A long time ago, I sold myself. This slaughter is just part of the payment. I know what I am, so to make them happy, I will naturally have a better life. I hope you can understand."

After saying this, Chu Zhongze took a colorful stone from his pocket and crushed it. A firework shot into the sky, hissing, and exploded with a bang, dazzling and brilliant. As the sky was just getting dark, the firework looked like countless meteors falling from the sky, extraordinarily beautiful.

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