Hearing Wang Wei’s words, Dongfang Li frowned slightly.

“One man dares to break into my Thousand-Ox Dao Court all by himself, how very bold.”

His gaze shifted to the kneeling Zhang Qizhong.

“Sacred Lord, is he alright?” Wang Wei asked.

“His soul was shaken,” Dongfang Li replied with a frown.

“Take him back to rest for a while. If he doesn’t recover, we may need to repair his soul.”

Hearing this, Wang Wei was dumbfounded.

Zhang Qizhong ranked within the top hundred among the disciples of the Thirty Thousand Immortal Mountains.

Someone on par with him had actually been crushed in spirit by just a single glance, as though his Dao Heart had been shattered.

And that youth looked about the same age as himself.

“Sacred Lord, I’d like to go along and take a look,” Wang Wei suddenly said.

“Then take him with you,” Dongfang Li instructed, before stepping into the sky with the others, flying toward the Dao Source.

“Sacred Lord Dongfang, it seems we’ve arrived at an inconvenient time,” Lady Yu of the Nether Bone Dao Court said with a soft laugh.

“No matter. I’d like to see who dares to be so brazen,” Dongfang Li waved it off.

“Brother Xu, why does my heart feel like it’s pounding so fast?” Lin Yunhen said as he followed behind Xu Zimo. “To visit the Dao Court for the first time, and in this manner… My life is already worth it.”

“You’ll get used to it,” Xu Zimo replied.

“I can’t compare to Brother Xu,” Lin Yunhen said. “Our imperial dynasty has always lived under the shadow of the Dao Court. For us, meeting someone from the Dao Court means we’re naturally inferior.”

Xu Zimo gave no answer, but lifted his head slightly, as if sensing something.

He saw a group of figures arriving, striding across the sky. Each wore celestial robes, their bearing elegant, their aura vast.

They looked like lofty deities, gazing down on all beneath them.

“Who dares trespass into my Thousand-Ox Dao Court?” the Grand Elder’s voice thundered.

“I’ve come only to take something that belongs to me,” Xu Zimo replied calmly. “Once I have it, I will leave.”

“This is Thousand-Ox Dao Court, how could anything here belong to you?” the Grand Elder snorted coldly.

His voice rolled like thunder, shaking the heavens.

“Whether it’s here or not, once I’ve taken it, you’ll know,” Xu Zimo said with a laugh.

The Grand Elder’s aura surged, divine might condensing in the sky above, thunder and lightning rolling as if the heavens themselves were enraged.

“Elder, calm yourself,” Dongfang Li interjected. “Over a single youth, don’t make us look ridiculous. Since it’s a matter between the young, let the young resolve it. Otherwise people will say we bully the weak with the strong. And it’s not as though Thousand-Ox Dao Court lacks talent.”

As he spoke, his eyes flicked toward the people of Nether Bone Dao Court.

He smiled, “I hope this doesn’t make you laugh at us.”

“Sacred Lord Dongfang, please carry on. Don’t mind us,” Lady Yu replied with a smile.

The Grand Elder’s gaze swept around as his voice roared with boundless spiritforce.

“Disciples of the Thirty Thousand Immortal Mountains, where are you?!”

His cry echoed like a thunderclap, spreading for a thousand miles, passed from disciple to disciple.

“Disciple Jiang Zheng is here.”

“Disciple Luo Fatian is here.”

“Disciple Chen Xu is here.”

…

Hundreds of voices answered in unison, shaking the entire Dao Court.

Such a grand mobilization for just Xu Zimo alone, it was a bit excessive.

But that was precisely the effect Dongfang Li wanted. He needed to put on a show for Nether Bone Dao Court.

It was like a performance.

And Nether Bone Dao Court were the audience. Only if the ending was flawless would they be satisfied.

Only then might they agree to cooperate, and that matter could progress further.

The entire Thousand-Ox Dao Court was in an uproar.

“What’s going on?”

“Looks like someone’s invaded our Dao Court.”

“What nonsense! Here in the West, we reign supreme. Could it be another Dao Court?”

“Let’s go see what’s happening.”

Countless disciples were buzzing, rushing toward the core region to watch.

The Thirty Thousand Immortal Mountains were scattered across the core land.

Now, all of them were stirring.

Some were cloaked in immortal essence, releasing vast immortal pressure.

On others, the four sacred beasts roared, their beastly might sweeping heaven and earth.

To the north, stars rained down, shrouding the sky in a mysterious glow.

To the south, a mighty river surged, waves crashing as dark clouds rolled overhead.

Visions filled the void like a riot of brilliant flowers competing to bloom.

“We’re surrounded,” Lin Yunhen said.

Hundreds of figures stepped into the sky, each one a monstrous talent, their auras all unique.

“You may all come at once,” Xu Zimo said to them, his tone calm.

“We don’t need everyone,” a youth replied coolly from above.

He descended from the void, his purple robe billowing in the wind.

“Xiao Ye, ranked tenth among the Thirty Thousand Immortal Mountains,” the purple-robed youth said evenly.

“Just bring out your number one, so we don’t waste time,” Xu Zimo waved dismissively.

“Who are you looking down on?” Xiao Ye’s brows flared, his face angry.

The aura of an Empyrean Meridian cultivator surged around him.

His hands tore open the void, and from within he drew out a long spear.

It was over seven feet long, its body pure violet-gold, streaked with shimmering lines of black gilt.

With a thrust of his right hand, he raised the spear. Razor-sharp spear light gathered from all directions.

“Star-Shrouding God-Spear!” Xiao Ye shouted.

Starlight cloaked his body, beams of astral light pouring down upon the spear.

In that instant, endless brilliance rained down.

As if all existence was focused into a single point.

The spear hurtled toward Xu Zimo with a thunderous boom.

To onlookers, it was but a blur flashing before their eyes, then starlight came crashing down behind them.

“Senior Brother Xiao Ye is already at the peak of Empyrean Meridian, isn’t he?” the disciples who had rushed over whispered.

“Yes, and his spear intent is perfectly fused with the stars. That man is doomed.”

In the heavens above, Dongfang Li smiled in satisfaction.

Even Lady Yu nodded slightly.

“The disciples of Thousand-Ox Dao Court’s Thirty Thousand Immortal Mountains are indeed extraordinary.”

“You flatter us,” Dongfang Li said with a smile.

As the long spear came crashing down, Xu Zimo remained unmoved.

At his side, Lin Yunhen could only watch anxiously.

Xia Wanqing gritted her teeth and threw herself in front of Xu Zimo.

“Stand aside and watch quietly,” Xu Zimo’s voice rang out, and her figure was instantly pulled to the side.

Xu Zimo simply extended his forefinger.

Just an ordinary finger, meeting the spear’s tip head-on.

“This guy, so arrogant,” one disciple exclaimed in surprise.

But more faces turned grave.

Because at the moment finger and spear met, two immense forces clashed.

Cracking sounds rang out.

From its tip, the golden spear began to shatter bit by bit, crumbling into dust that scattered into the void.