With a sword of light buried deep in his stomach, Ji Zong fell to the throne.
His eyes were dull and lifeless. Blood dripped down, soaking his hands and staining the throne crimson.
An old servant knelt down in front of him, shivering.
"My lord… Who did this to you?"
A slight smirk lit up Ji Zong's face as his eyes flickered.
His tone was dry and low. "Who? Isn't it obvious?"
His lips curled into a laugh. "I am a primordial god."
He touched the glowing hilt with his fingers. "Above me, only one."
The old servant shook harder, his voice breaking as a single name escaped his lips.
"Heavenly Father…"
Ji Zong shifted his gaze from the servant to the window, staring at the sky. He coughed, yet his face showed no regret.
The old servant looked at him with pity. "My lord… Give me the order. I will prepare the army—"
A scroll landed before him. Ji Zong's voice cut in, sharp and cold. "Shut up, old man. This is my last order. Call every Supreme Array Master and make the array exactly as described in that scroll. You have ten minutes."
The old servant picked up the scroll, bowed deeply, and asked. "Yes, my lord. I will do it. But… there is one thing. If I don't ask now, I will regret it my whole life. Please, allow me to ask."
Ji Zong's gaze hardened. "Old man, do you want to know why the Heavenly Father stabbed me?"
He raised his trembling hand, arrogance still sharp in his eyes.
"I only took back a few of my things from his treasury. On my way out, his son saw me. I didn't kill him; I merely slapped him. Then I left."
The old servant froze, silent. As he turned to leave, a storm exploded, tearing the ceiling and front of the castle to pieces.
Thunder cracks.
From within the storm, two figures appeared—a man with blond hair and a woman who shared the same golden looks.
The man's face twisted with rage, a red handprint burning across his cheek.
Ji Zong glanced at them, then turned to the old servant. "Hey, old man. What I said comes first."
The servant nodded.
"Take care, my lord." And vanished.
The two landed heavily before Ji Zong.
The blond man sneered and pointed at Ji Zong, his voice filled with spite.
"Look at him—drowning in his own blood!"
The woman beside him didn't reply.
A grin spread across Ji Zong's face. "When I slapped you, you bowed your head and begged for mercy. Now you dare bare your fangs at me?"
Embarrassment came on his face, and he yelled. "Shut up, bastard!" And took out the blades.
But the woman stepped forward, stopping him with a sharp look. "Young Lord Bai Jin, we are here to deliver the verdict of the Great Heavenly Father. Let us finish that first. Afterward, you can do whatever you want with him."
Bai Jin clenched his fists but fell silent, staring at her. Then the woman unrolled a golden scroll. It was so long its end dragged against the floor. Her voice echoed as she read:
"I, Xian Yun, the disciple of the heavenly father, present the list of crimes committed by the Demonic Venerable of the Blood Calamity."
"For the massacre of infants, For the devouring of souls by the millions…"
"And you have committed other crimes, but I won't say anything more because you won't live until then."
Ji Zong's eyes narrowed. "He acts righteous, but if he was, would the world be this rotten? You still bow to that mask?"
Her face twisted with anger. "Shut up! To question the Heavenly Father is a sin!"
Ji Zong smirked, rubbing his chin. "Heh… good, good. Looks like he trained your brain well."
Before she could reply, he stood from the throne. Blood dripped from his body.
In the form of a ghost in crimson red.
Making both of their hearts leap and their guards up.
Fear flickered in their eyes.
A cold voice rolled from Ji Zong's lips. "You know those crimes I committed a thousands of decades ago… But do you know why he only chose to speak of them today—why he stabbed me now?"
Both of them stood dumbfounded, their faces pale.
Ji Zong raised a blood-stained finger and pointed at Bai Jin.
"Not for a slap. No… he stabbed me today… because I took something. Something that could make even him and fate itself fall."
He took a step back, a small grin curling on his lips.
"And sent you two to die here."
The sarcastic curl turned into something lethal. His eyes turned crimson, glowing.
"Now… watch closely."
The blood dripping around him lifted into the air, swirling into jagged thorns.
Xian Yun's face twisted with panic. "Hide yourself, young lord—I'll protect you!"
Bai Jin trembled. "M-my legs… they won't move."
Ji Zong's lips curved. "Shoot."
Nothing.
The thorns tore not at them, but at the space behind, ripping reality apart.
From the shattered void stepped a man with long blond hair, towering like a blade.
Ji Zong's dull eyes lit with recognition.
Bai Jin and Xian Yun froze, relief washing over them.
"Heavenly Father!"