“Senior,” Batuo Chen knelt, pleading as he looked at the white-robed youth before him. “My Batuo Clan was once a noble family enfeoffed in the Tu Hua Kingdom. But the Sky Pillar King, Yang Xiong, coveted our wealth and personally destroyed my entire clan. I was fortunate enough to be away from the estate at the time, which is why I survived to this day.”
“Silence!” Yang Xiong roared angrily from the side. “Your Batuo Clan’s ancestor invited me to meet, only to ambush me with poison and formations. I had no choice but to retaliate, and your estate was caught in the crossfire.”
“But the surviving core members of my clan were all hunted down,” Batuo Chen argued despite the overwhelming pressure. “Now, I might be the only one left alive. I’ve only survived this long by concealing my aura.”
Yang Xiong said indifferently, “After killing Batuo, why would I care about the remnants of your clan? It’s likely my Yang Clan’s subordinates decided to ‘uproot the weeds.’ And there’s nothing wrong with that! But that fool Xia Yin dared to slaughter indiscriminately and even offended Lord Xueying. If Lord Xueying hadn’t killed her, I would have.”
“Enough,” the Tu Hua King interjected. “Let this matter rest. Yang Xiong, spare this young one.”
“Since the King has spoken, I won’t pursue it further. Besides, I never considered this boy worth my attention,” Yang Xiong replied.
How low were the odds of a tenth-level Chaos Realm expert being born?
How many had the Tu Hua Kingdom produced in its history?
Yang Xiong had indeed ordered the ‘uprooting,’ but deep down, he didn’t care. He never believed the remnants could produce anyone capable of threatening him!
“It was him who caused my daughter’s death and made me offend Ying Shan Xueying,” Yang Xiong seethed inwardly. “I’ll let him go for now, but I’ll deal with him quietly later.”
“Senior, my Batuo Clan…” Batuo Chen turned to Dongbo Xueying, pleading.
“Enough,” Dongbo Xueying said. “The King has declared this matter settled, so let it be. You can’t stay in the Tu Hua Kingdom anymore. I’ll be leaving soon—come with me.”
“Yes,” Batuo Chen felt a wave of relief. His life was spared.
He knew that once Lord Xueying left, the Yang Clan of the Sky Pillar would find a way to eliminate him quietly.
“King, I have matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave now. Thank you for your hospitality,” Dongbo Xueying said with a smile.
“Hahaha, since Brother Xueying has business, I won’t keep you. Do visit again when you’re free,” the Tu Hua King replied warmly. “Though our Tu Hua Kingdom isn’t as prosperous as the Southcloud Kingdom, we do have unique delicacies and fine wines.”
“Certainly,” Dongbo Xueying nodded.
“I had hoped to apologize again at the banquet, but since Lord Xueying is leaving, I must express my deepest regrets. Please don’t take offense,” Yang Xiong added.
Dongbo Xueying smiled faintly.
*Whoosh.*
Space twisted beside him as Dongbo Xueying and Batuo Chen stepped into the distortion and vanished.
“Void Transference,” the Tu Hua King murmured, watching. Even as a king, he couldn’t perform such a technique.
“Finally, he’s gone,” Yang Xiong exhaled in relief.
“Your daughter’s cruelty outside the capital is one thing, but in the capital itself? Your Yang Clan is the Sky Pillar Family of our Tu Hua Kingdom,” the Tu Hua King frowned.
“I failed to discipline her properly,” Yang Xiong admitted quickly. “I’ll clean up this mess and send generous reparations to Feixue City immediately.”
“Good,” the Tu Hua King nodded slightly.
There was no other choice.
For small kingdoms like theirs, offending major powers was unthinkable. Ying Shan Xueying and the Southcloud King behind him wielded overwhelming influence over Tu Hua. Just Xueying alone, now a Cosmic Deity, could likely sweep through their kingdom. They had no choice but to tread carefully. For the weak, laws might still offer some protection.
But for rulers like the Tu Hua King, they *were* the law—enforced by strength. A powerhouse like Ying Shan Xueying could annihilate a kingdom single-handedly.
—
The city before them stretched endlessly, its vastness overwhelming, its formation aura immense. Even Dongbo Xueying felt pressure.
“Where is this?” Batuo Chen gazed at the city in awe.
“Xiafeng Capital,” Dongbo Xueying said. “One of the grandest cities in the entire Heart Realm Continent. This capital alone has a larger population than my entire Southcloud Kingdom, let alone your tiny Tu Hua Kingdom. Countless experts reside here, including numerous Cosmic Deities and countless sects. The Yang Clan wouldn’t dare come after you here, much less cause trouble.”
The laws of the Xiafeng Ancient Kingdom were ironclad.
Even the three sect leaders of the Black Demon Abyss wouldn’t dare set foot in the capital. If they stirred trouble in the kingdom at all, it would be in minor cities—and even then, cautiously. Such was the might of Xiafeng.
Batuo Chen’s eyes gleamed as he took in the sight.
Xiafeng Capital?
A legendary city! If he had tried to come here on his own, how many teleportation arrays would he have needed? How many kingdoms would he have crossed? The cost in cosmic crystals alone would have been staggering. Here, in Xiafeng Capital, infinite possibilities awaited.
“Train well here. The rest of your path is yours to walk,” Dongbo Xueying said.
“Thank you, Senior. I will never forget your kindness,” Batuo Chen knelt in gratitude. To be saved by a stranger and given a future—his heart swelled with appreciation.
“May I know your name, Senior?” Batuo Chen asked urgently. Though the king had mentioned ‘Ying Shan Xueying’ earlier, the name had been concealed from ordinary cultivators.
“I am Ying Shan Xueying,” Dongbo Xueying said before stepping into the distorted void and vanishing.
“Ying Shan Xueying, Ying Shan Xueying…”
Batuo Chen committed the name to memory.
It was this white-robed youth named Ying Shan Xueying who had given him a future.
“One day, I will kill Yang Xiong and stand before Senior Ying Shan Xueying again,” Batuo Chen vowed as he rose and strode toward the gates of Xiafeng Capital. The world was vast—opportunities awaited. Though the odds were slim, he would never forget his clan’s annihilation. He would seize every chance to grow stronger here.
—
*Whoosh—*
The wind howled.
Fifteen radiant stars hung in the sky, casting their glow over the sprawling city below, regardless of day or night. This was the ‘Polar Night City’ of the Progenitor Ancient Kingdom.
“Polar Night City,” Dongbo Xueying murmured, standing mid-air in his white robes.
There had been a Void Illusion treasure in Tu Hua Kingdom, but since he had revealed himself, it was unwise to pursue it immediately.
If he inquired about the price, the shopkeeper or the treasure’s owner might deduce his identity during negotiations. Dongbo Xueying preferred to keep his acquisition of Void Illusion treasures private. While the high-end auction houses would know, their reputation hinged on discretion.
As for Yang Xiong, Dongbo Xueying harbored no killing intent. As the Sky Pillar Family’s patriarch, Yang Xiong ruled like a local emperor, overseeing tens of thousands of islands under his protection. He wasn’t a wanton murderer, so Dongbo Xueying saw no reason to act.
Across the Heart Realm Continent, most powerhouses were ruthless. As long as they weren’t indiscriminate slaughterers, Dongbo Xueying could tolerate them. True compassion for the weak was rare—even his own master, the Southcloud King, though he cared for his subjects, wasn’t exactly merciful.
From what he knew, the Southcloud King had his own brutal side.
Such figures were tolerable. Only those who massacred indiscriminately—even performing blood sacrifices of countless lives—earned his wrath. Against such fiends, he would strike without hesitation.
“Since I’ve acted in Tu Hua Kingdom, I’ll leave their treasure for last,” Dongbo Xueying decided, stepping toward Polar Night City. “First, let’s see the one here.”
The Progenitor Ancient Kingdom had two ‘Progenitors,’ both invincible existences.
One was the ‘Eternal Night Progenitor,’ renowned for crafting demonic servants—unrivaled in the Heart Realm Continent. While Chaos Realm demonic servants were common, his true mastery lay in creating *Cosmic Deity*-level servants. Nine in total, known as the ‘Eternal Night Nine Envoys,’ each fiercely loyal and wielding power surpassing even the Tu Hua King. The strongest rivaled the Southcloud King himself.
The other was the ‘Polar Night Progenitor,’ said to be the sentient incarnation of a blood sea. His expertise lay in blood manipulation. A single drop of his essence blood could transform a cultivator, elevating even a tenth-level Chaos Realm expert’s chances of breaking through to Cosmic Deity. But absorption bound them to him eternally.
Thus, the Progenitor Ancient Kingdom boasted unparalleled unity and control among the six ancient kingdoms, though its overall strength ranked mid-tier.
“Hmm,” Dongbo Xueying mused as he walked through the bustling streets of Polar Night City. “I’ve heard the Polar Night Progenitor has fifteen ‘Sons’—Cosmic Deities who absorbed his blood. Others, seeking his essence for research, have also sworn allegiance. His faction’s Cosmic Deity count is staggering.”
A single drop of the Polar Night Progenitor’s blood, beyond direct absorption, had myriad uses—cultivating insect beasts, refining one’s body—and sold for tens of billions of cosmic crystals.
“Here we are.”
Dongbo Xueying stopped before a resplendent golden structure adorned with fifteen star emblems—the ‘Polar Night Palace,’ a rival to the Fan Clan’s establishments.
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