“I understand. I’ll do my best,” Xu Zimo said with a nod.

Thinking back, when he had first arrived in the Nine Heavens, the True Martial Sacred Ground was supposed to send someone to receive him. Unfortunately, his luck was terrible. The sect had already declined so badly that not only could they not send anyone, they probably couldn’t even step out of the Absolute God Heaven.

As the two spoke, their figures crossed the sky and descended. They had reached the skies above the True Martial Sacred Ground.

Seeing the current state of the fallen sect, the True Martial Progenitor let out a quiet sigh. At his level, few things in the world could stir his emotions anymore. But the True Martial Sacred Ground meant something unique to him. In his entire life, he never married, had no children, and had no one he was deeply attached to. His one and only obsession was the True Martial Sacred Ground. To him, it was like his child.

In their first clash with the Ten God-Clans long ago, he had not yet reached his present strength. They were defeated again and again. In the end, he was forced to flee with the other Infinite Dao cultivators and Saint Sovereigns, leaving the True Martial Sacred Ground to be destroyed.

The Progenitor waved his hand. A surge of power fell from his palm. This power carried the resonance of the Great Dao itself, as if the Dao’s murmurs echoed through the air.

Thunder rumbled. Looking down, one could clearly see that the land where the True Martial Sacred Ground once stood had been ruined by war. Now, under the power of the Dao, every cracked inch of the mountains and rivers began to repair themselves. Dried riverbeds flowed again. Dead plants revived and sprouted. In the mountains and lakes, living creatures swam and roamed freely. Spirit energy revived across the entire area, circulating through heaven and earth surrounding the sect. Green mountains rose again. Clear waters shimmered. Eagles soared across a bright sky. Tigers and dragons roared and frolicked across the land. In a single moment, the broken, dead landscape of the True Martial Sacred Ground returned to its original vitality. Heaven and earth revived. Spirit energy surged.

Seeing this miraculous transformation, the crowd couldn’t help but marvel at the True Martial Progenitor’s ability. For an Infinite Dao cultivator, this was nothing.

“Let’s go down,” the Progenitor said lightly with a wave of his sleeve.

As he and the others descended, countless disciples of the True Martial Sacred Ground, led by Wang Hengzhi and Willow Ancestor, knelt excitedly and shouted, “We welcome the Progenitor and all the ancestors back!”

The many factions visiting the True Martial Sacred Ground also bowed respectfully. “We pay respects to the True Martial Progenitor and all esteemed seniors.”

Everyone kneeled to show respect. But the Progenitor’s expression remained calm. These people did not even have the qualifications to speak to him. He merely waved his hand and walked with the others toward the depths of the sect. Aside from Xu Zimo, all the Infinite Dao cultivators and Saint Sovereigns also withdrew.

“Ancestor,” Willow hurriedly pulled Xu Zimo aside and asked, “What is happening? The ancestors are all alive again?”

“They were never dead, so how could they be resurrected?” Xu Zimo shook his head. “The matters of that year were complicated. You don’t need to concern yourself with them. From today onward, the True Martial Sacred Ground will begin a new chapter. Just remember that.”

Willow nodded slightly.

Xu Zimo glanced at the surrounding visiting factions but couldn’t be bothered with them. “Handle these people first,” he said.

…

Xu Zimo headed toward the rear mountain of the True Martial Sacred Ground. After the Progenitor’s restoration, the rear mountain was now full of vibrant life and pristine scenery. In the center stood a massive mountain peak. It had been destroyed in the previous great battle, but now True Martial Mountain had been rebuilt in its entirety.

The mountain contained countless caves. Every Saint Sovereign of the True Martial Sacred Ground had a separate cave dwelling. This mountain was no ordinary peak. It was said that vast dragon seas were filled with immortal mountains, each one naturally formed by heaven and earth. True Martial Mountain was selected by the True Martial Progenitor himself from among these immortal mountains. It held not only abundant spirit energy but also a unique immortal mist that calmed the heart and aided cultivation. It was a perfect natural place for seclusion and training.

“You can pick a cave for yourself,” San Dao said to Xu Zimo.

“I have something I want to ask you, senior,” Xu Zimo replied. Compared to a cave, he was far more curious about something else.

“Go ahead,” San Dao nodded.

“I heard that you once fought an Infinite Dao cultivator and remained undefeated after a hundred exchanges,” Xu Zimo asked.

“A hundred is exaggerated, but a few dozen is true enough,” the Saint Sovereign said with a smile. “Why? You want to know how I did it?”

“Yes. The Infinite Dao realm is only one step away for me, but that one step feels incredibly far,” Xu Zimo said. “Your method of cultivation may be the most suitable for me right now.”

“First of all, if you want to stand against an Infinite Dao cultivator, you must understand the difference between an Infinite Dao cultivator and a Saint Sovereign,” San Dao said.

He led Xu Zimo into his cave dwelling. The cave was simple. Aside from the countless blades hanging from the walls, there was nothing else, no decorations, no luxuries.

“These blades accompanied me throughout my journey,” he said with a smile. “That one, I used it when I first entered the Nine Heavens. That one, I wielded it when I fought the Creation Devouring God-King. That iron blade over there, I used it for practice in my early years.”

“Pursuing an extreme offense Dao,” Xu Zimo said quietly.

The two sat across from each other at a stone table. San Dao raised his hand, and waves of Primordial Edicts surged from his body.

“Now I can explain properly. Setting aside the Progenitor’s level of gathering Three Blossoms and dividing Three Selves, let’s talk about ordinary Infinite Dao cultivators. There are two main differences between them and Saint Sovereigns. The first is the distinction between Primordial Edicts and Primal Dao. The second is the condensation of the Primordial Spirit.”

“Primordial Spirit?” Xu Zimo asked in surprise. He understood edicts, but this was his first time hearing about an Infinite Dao cultivator’s Primordial Spirit. It was different from true fate and different from the Life-Death Soul.

The Primordial Spirit was the symbol of an Infinite Dao cultivator.

“It’s neither the body nor the soul. The Primordial Spirit is the manifestation of consciousness,” San Dao explained. “For a human to become a god is extremely difficult. But for consciousness to become god-like, that is simple. When your Dao heart is strong enough, when your consciousness reaches a certain level, you can materialize it. For humans or any living being, controlling the power of heaven and earth is too difficult. We are part of heaven and earth. How can we escape birth and death? How can we transcend?”

“We cannot. But consciousness can.”

“Do you understand? Heaven and earth are boundless, and so is human consciousness.”