Everyone was discussing intensely, though Xu Zimo did not fully understand. After all, he didn’t even know what the Primordial Formation was.

San Dao turned toward him and quietly explained, “The Primordial Formation is a grand formation of heaven and earth. It has no boundaries. In a sense, it can extend infinitely. Yesterday, there were heavenly omens. The Progenitor read the heavenly patterns and learned that the sky of the Upper Heavens has been sealed by the Primordial Formation. If we want to break through to the Upper Heavens, it will be extremely difficult.”

Just as San Dao was explaining, an elder beside them said, “Then… what if we simply don’t bring the sect up with us?”

“Nonsense,” the True Martial Progenitor snorted. “Even if we must shatter the sky today, the True Martial Sacred Ground will ascend together, and no one will stop it.”

The elder fell silent immediately. Since the Progenitor had spoken decisively, the matter was beyond dispute.

“For now, let’s set everything else aside and focus on this Primordial Formation,” San Dao said. “The problem before us is simple, how do we break it?”

“The Primordial Formation is one with heaven and earth. And with the interference of the Heavenly Court in the Upper Heavens, brute force alone is not enough,” another elder said. True, they had the True Martial Progenitor on their side, but the Upper Heavens had the Holy Progenitor and Immortal Lord as well.

It was clear that even before reaching the Upper Heavens, the True Martial Sacred Ground had already encountered overwhelming resistance and hostility.

“The Primordial Formation is not invincible,” the True Martial Progenitor said calmly. “As long as we gather the three items that act as the formation’s weakest points, we can break it.”

At those words, everyone’s eyes lit up.

Someone asked, “What are those three items?”

“The Primordial Formation is famed for its solidity. The key lies in its balance of power. If we break that balance, the formation will collapse on its own,” the True Martial Progenitor explained. “Among its powers, three forces are the most dominant. Desolation, Heavenly Thunder, and Earth-Darkness. These three forces correspond to three objects: the Desolate Tree, the Heavenly Thunder Token, and the Earth-Dark Flower.”

“Why have I never heard of these before?” someone asked with a frown.

They were Infinite Dao realm cultivators, among the strongest in existence. Even if they hadn’t seen certain things, they should at least have heard of them. Yet these three items were completely foreign.

“They are treasures born of heaven and earth. Of course you have never heard of them,” the True Martial Progenitor said. “Even I learned of them only through divination.”

His words shocked the crowd. Everyone knew that at the stage of splitting the Three Selves, one could already calculate heavenly patterns and observe celestial secrets.

“Where are these three items located?” San Dao asked.

“The Desolate Tree grows in the Great Beyond. The Heavenly Thunder Token lies lost in the Heaven-Sacrifice Ridge. And the Earth-Dark Flower grows in Fallen Phoenix Slope,” the True Martial Progenitor said.

“Heaven-Sacrifice Ridge, I know that place. It’s in the northern region of the Absolute God Heaven. I’ll retrieve the Heavenly Thunder Token,” an Infinite Dao cultivator volunteered immediately.

San Dao followed quickly, saying, “Then I’ll retrieve the Earth-Dark Flower.”

That left only the Great Beyond.

Before others could speak, Xu Zimo stepped forward. “I’ve been curious about the Great Beyond. Let me retrieve the Desolate Tree.”

“You haven’t fully stepped into the Infinite Dao Realm. Can you manage it?” someone questioned. There was no malice, only concern that Xu Zimo might slow them down.

The one who spoke was the Radiant Progenitor, an old-generation Infinite Dao powerhouse of the True Martial Sacred Ground.

Xu Zimo smiled lightly. “If you doubt me, Fellow Daoist, why don’t we spar?”

“I had the same thought,” the Radiant Progenitor replied.

Both looked toward the True Martial Progenitor, the one whose decision would be final.

“Very well,” the Progenitor said with a nod.

The moment he spoke, the two figures rose into the sky.

The crowd watched as brilliant light gathered around the Radiant Progenitor. The power of the Edict of Light radiated in all directions, illuminating heaven and earth. It was so blinding that people couldn’t open their eyes, let alone stare directly at him.

“I will use only three moves. If you can withstand them, I’ll acknowledge you,” the Radiant Progenitor said. “I don’t want others saying I bullied a junior who hasn’t even fully stepped into the Infinite Dao Realm.”

“It’s fine. I call you ‘Daoist’ because we stand as equals. Use your full strength,” Xu Zimo said calmly. “After 500 years of training and seclusion, I too want to test myself.”

“Light Decay.”

The Radiant Progenitor’s majestic voice echoed through the sky.

Booming rumbles shook the heavens. Countless pillars of light fell from the sky like descending meteorites. These pillars formed a prison-like domain, anything trapped inside would find their edicts completely suppressed.

This was the Edict of Light.

Xu Zimo narrowed his eyes and clenched his right fist.

“Break!” he barked.

His punch erupted like a storm, carrying annihilating power. The world dimmed as if heaven and earth would collapse in a single blow. Not only the pillars of light, everything between heaven and earth seemed like it could be destroyed.

“Daoist, stop probing,” Xu Zimo said. “Bring out your true strength.”

“Interesting,” the Radiant Progenitor said.

He raised his hands and began forming seals. The boundless light above illuminated the entire sky, penetrating all things. It felt as though every being, in every corner of the world, was exposed under this radiance.

“Divine Light, Purify Spirit.”

With his solemn voice, the boundless light gained consciousness, transforming into an immense, surging river of light. The river roared toward Xu Zimo, attempting to swallow him whole.

The attack itself wasn’t the issue. The real surprise was that under this divine light, Xu Zimo was reflected as pure darkness, shrouded in dense Dark Edict.

This alone proved that the Radiant Progenitor had cultivated not only Light, but had touched upon the Edict of Darkness as well.

“Good!” Xu Zimo roared.

Battle intent surged from his body.

The Shadow Tyrant was no longer just a blade. During his centuries of seclusion, Xu Zimo had nurtured it with Primordial Edicts.

After centuries of baptism under the Absolute Annihilation Primordial Edict, the moment the blade was drawn, Absolute Annihilation wrapped around it like a living force.

The weapon was over five feet long, shaped like a curved saber, its body layered with Dao Runes. On the red hilt, a bone-white skull had formed at some unknown time.

A black blade, a red hilt, a white skull.

A demonic weapon, eerie and wicked. It exuded an extreme darkness, a suffocating fall into despair. Just looking at it felt like sinking into the ninth layer of hell.

With the curved blade in hand, the weapon trembled violently. Black mist surged around it like the roar of an infernal abyss. Twisted faces and scenes of hell flickered across its surface.