“That makes sense. If all of you are still alive, how could True Martial possibly be dead?” a Saint Sovereign from the eight God-Clans replied, suddenly understanding.

Until now, Zhen Wu had not shown himself. Many had suspected something had gone wrong. They did not expect the True Martial Sacred Ground to have held a hidden trump card all along, prepared for a moment like this. If the Heavenly Court hadn’t appeared, the Grand Emperor likely wouldn’t have emerged at all.

At this moment, across the sky above the Great Beyond, every member of the True Martial Sacred Ground formed seals with both hands, their expressions solemn. It was clearly a summoning formation, anyone could feel it. The formation reached straight into the heavens, and a vast power of Primordial Edicts spread across the firmament like an endless ocean.

At the top of the sky, an image appeared.

It showed a hidden paradise, mountains clean and bright, streams winding gently, peach blossoms drifting in the air, and the land serene and secluded. A true Peach Blossom Spring, untouched by the mortal world. Peach trees were in full bloom, though strangely, their branches also bore pink peaches at the same time. Scarlet blossoms drifted like fresh blood, carpeting the ground, while the plump pink peaches hung heavy on the branches, almost unnervingly vibrant.

In the midst of the peach forest, a lone man leaned against a tree, eyes closed, sleeping deeply. But on closer inspection, the entire scene, the peach trees, the paradise, even the world itself, wasn’t real. It was something unconsciously manifested by the sleeping man.

The trees were condensed from Primordial Edicts. The blossoms and fruits were the Primordial Edicts’ manifestations. The lush green earth, the blue sky, the mountains and lakes, every detail was part of his own creation. Vivid enough to seem real, yet utterly illusory.

The man alone was a world unto himself. Merely by standing there, he could shape countless realms. He was their complete master.

“His Infinite Dao has gathered all Three Blossoms…!” the Heavenly Court’s Heaven-Crown Celestial God muttered, face draining of color. He stared, stunned. Others might not understand, but Infinite Dao cultivators recognized this instantly.

Infinite Dao was not the end of the path. Even among Infinite Daos there were stages such as Seven Corruptions and Three Blossoms. The man projected within the paradise had clearly completed the Three-Blossom Convergence, reaching directly toward the Great Dao.

There was no longer any doubt about his identity.

Grand Emperor Zhen Wu.

This was likely the name Xu Zimo used, but in truth, anyone who saw him would now address him as True Martial Progenitor, founder of both the True Martial Sacred Ground of the Primordial Heartlands and the Nine Heavens. A name wrapped in legend.

Xu Zimo had once seen his portrait. Even from the painting alone, one could sense Grand Emperor Zhen Wu’s early vigor, his heroic spirit, the commanding aura of someone who swallowed mountains and rivers.

When the projection appeared, the Supreme Ascendant of the Heavensward Tower reacted first.

“Destroy the projection! Don’t let them awaken True Martial!” he shouted.

He struck downward with a massive hand formed of countless natural laws. Drawing strength from nature, altering its form, he unleashed a torrent of natural essence. Tens of billions of willow branches hung from the sky, grass and flowers bloomed in every color, nature itself seemed to revive as the blow descended.

Thunderous impacts crashed against the projection.

But the True Martial Sacred Ground did nothing to stop him. They simply watched calmly.

The natural laws struck, yet the projection remained untouched.

The Radiant Progenitor sneered. “Supreme Ascendant, you misunderstand something. We are not awakening the Progenitor. His slumber is voluntary. Why would he need us?”

As his words fell, the figure within the projection stirred. The True Martial Progenitor’s tightly shut eyes snapped open.

In that instant, heaven and earth trembled. Even the air seemed to freeze.

With a wave of his hand, the projection shattered. Primordial Edicts surged out like a roaring ocean, stretching across the sky and suppressing the world for a heartbeat. Stepping through the broken projection, the True Martial Progenitor tore through the boundary of space itself and strode directly into the Great Beyond.

“Who dares lay a hand on my True Martial Sacred Ground?” he said.

His long black hair streamed behind him without wind, a faint wildness in his bearing. He wore a white robe and held the True Martial Sword. Mixed among his black hair were streaks of white, fluttering together with his robe. Standing there, his eyes pierced through the entire Great Beyond. He had been somewhere deep within the Absolute God Heaven, yet upon hearing the summon, he tore open space and arrived instantly.

“True Martial Progenitor, I’ve been waiting for you,” the Samsara Dao Progenitor said calmly.

“Greetings, Progenitor!” everyone from the True Martial Sacred Ground called out at once.

The True Martial Progenitor raised a hand lightly. “There is no need for formalities. Rise.”

“You finally came,” San Dao said with a grin.

“You’ve done well,” the Ancestor said, giving him a single look. He could feel the continuous flow of Primordial Edicts within him, San Dao had clearly stepped into Infinite Dao.

San Dao laughed. “A Grand Emperor of the Primordial Heartlands would never embarrass his lineage. There’s no such thing as not being able.”

The Ancestor nodded slightly, then turned his gaze to Xu Zimo.

“A new Grand Emperor of the True Martial Sacred Ground?”

He clearly regarded Xu Zimo with great interest. Surrounded by Infinite Dao cultivators, the first person he focused on was a Sage Monarch, normally insignificant compared to them.

Xu Zimo nodded slightly. He understood that when the Ancestor said “True Martial Sacred Ground,” he meant the original sect in the Primordial Heartlands.

“A sect with five emperors. Excellent,” the Progenitor smiled. “How fares the sect now?”

Shen Xing answered, “When I bore Heaven’s Will, the sect prospered. But I’ve been gone for countless years. I’m not sure of its current state.”

“The descendants will have their own destiny,” the Progenitor said. “As for you, I have waited a long time.”

“Waited for me?” Xu Zimo froze. He had suspected something, but did not fully understand. Why would the Progenitor be waiting for him? Even the True Martial Tribulation Tower had been deliberately left for him. This was no coincidence. Perhaps the True Martial Progenitor already knew his identity.