After the elder steadied himself, he had already retreated several dozen steps. His figure flickered, seemingly unstable and on the verge of vanishing.
“Your power is immense,” the elder remarked after observing Xu Zimo.
“Want to go again?” Xu Zimo asked.
“No need. Even if my true self came, the outcome would be the same. You’ve won,” the elder said with a smile. “According to the rules, since you’ve successfully challenged this remnant soul, the inheritance I left behind is naturally yours.”
Hearing this, Xu Zimo was slightly surprised. He hadn’t come here for any inheritance, expecting only a simple duel. But seeing the smile on the elder’s face, Xu Zimo suddenly suspected this had been the elder’s plan all along.
“We’re both Godly Monarchs. Giving me your inheritance might be a waste,” Xu Zimo said. “Besides, I might not even need it.”
“You might as well take a look first,” the elder replied with a smile.
As his voice fell, the beam of heavenly light surrounding him began to ripple. From within the beam, the floor of the hall opened up, and a golden key slowly floated into the air.
It was unclear what material the key was made of, but the moment it appeared, the surrounding spiritual energy rushed toward it. A shadowy face emerged on the key, which seemed to awaken as it absorbed more energy. Deep growls began to echo from within.
The elder waved his hand and sealed the key again. The shadow inside continued to rage against the seal, looking fierce and savage.
“What is this?” Xu Zimo asked with a frown.
“This is the Heaven-Unity Key,” the elder explained with a smile. “My remnant soul has been sealing it. Now that I’m giving it to you, it’s time for me to disappear.”
“I don’t understand,” Xu Zimo said, shaking his head.
“In this Eternal City, besides the God Ascension Staircase, there’s another place, the Immortal Dao Ruins. You should know of it,” the elder said.
“That ruin was left behind after the great war between us and the world beyond the Immortal Dao Bridge. Many treasures from that time remain inside. At first, our Eternal God Sect managed it, and our disciples cleaned out the outer areas. But the core region, which is far more dangerous, no one dared to touch. Later, to lure out surviving enemies, I opened the ruins to everyone. Unfortunately, those survivors are too cautious and never fell for the bait.”
“What does this have to do with me?” Xu Zimo asked, frowning. “And what about this Heaven-Unity Key?”
“Please, hear me out,” the elder replied with a smile. “Do you know why those remnants still remain on the Eternal Lands? I even suspect some are hiding within Eternal City itself. It’s because after their leader died in that battle, he lost something very important in the Immortal Dao Ruins.”
“What was it?” Xu Zimo asked, frowning.
“The Heaven-Unity Record,” the elder answered. “I don’t know exactly where it is, but I’m certain it’s in the core of the ruins. To access that core, only this Heaven-Unity Key can unlock the seal protecting the Heaven-Unity Record. Not even a Godly Monarch can force it open.”
“What is the Heaven-Unity Record?” Xu Zimo asked.
“I don’t know exactly. It’s an ancient artifact. I searched for it for many years but never found it, perhaps I lacked the fate,” the elder said, shaking his head. “Those remnants have always been after the Heaven-Unity Key. Over the years, they’ve tried countless times, changing identities, climbing this stairway, but none have succeeded.”
“Now that you’re giving me this key, aren’t you making me their main target?” Xu Zimo frowned.
He knew the ‘remnants’ the elder spoke of were survivors from that ancient war.
“Whether you accept the key or not, now that I’ve given it to you, they won’t let you go,” the elder said. “You’ll have to deal with them.”
“You want to use me to eliminate them,” Xu Zimo said coldly.
“This is the last thing I can do for this continent,” the elder said with guilt. “I’m sorry. I’ve waited tens of thousands of years, and now this remnant soul can no longer hold back the Heaven-Unity Key. If you hadn’t come, the seal would have broken on its own within a millennium.”
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll destroy your Eternal God Sect?” Xu Zimo asked.
“Sigh…” The elder sighed. “All things require trade-offs. I don’t know what my true body is doing, but it knows everything I’ve done here. You’ll eventually cross the Immortal Dao Bridge. Once you reach the other world, you can ask for any compensation you like, I’ll treat it as repayment. And who knows? Maybe you’re the fated one destined for the Heaven-Unity Record.”
Before Xu Zimo could respond, the elder’s soul began to dissipate. Using his last strength, the elder resealed the Heaven-Unity Key and handed it to Xu Zimo.
From a broad perspective, the Eternal Godly Monarch was selfless and worthy of respect. Even in the end, he tried to do something for this world.
But what did this have to do with Xu Zimo? If those remnants didn’t provoke him, he wouldn’t bother with them either.
With the remnant soul gone, the entire God Ascension Staircase lost its brilliance.
Xu Zimo was transported down from the ninth floor.
When he stepped out and returned to the outside world, he was stunned by what he saw.
A dense sea of people surrounded the stairway. It seemed like the entire city had gathered, all wanting to witness the first person in tens of thousands of years to receive the inheritance.
The crowd was packed and deafening. The noise could rupture an ordinary person’s eardrums.
Around the stairway, a group of disciples in blue robes had surrounded the area, isolating the crowd and quietly waiting for Xu Zimo to appear.
Xu Zimo recognized the robes, they were the official attire of the Eternal God Sect.
Among these disciples stood a group of leaders.
At the front was a middle-aged man in deep blue robes. His presence was immense. Just standing there seemed to suppress the entire sky. With his thick beard and stern face, he exuded a natural authority.
Behind him were many others: elderly men with white hair, scholarly men with refined features, and brawny men with the aura of wild beasts.
Their appearances varied, but one thing was consistent: their overwhelming presence.
Though the crowd was massive, no one dared to cause chaos or cross the blue-robed disciples’ line.
Everyone knew, these were figures whose mere footsteps could shake the entire land.