The Polar Night Palace is one of the top five merchant factions on the entire Heart Realm Continent.
Located within the Polar Night City, one of the two sacred cities of the Primordial Ancient Nation, the Polar Night Palace serves as its headquarters—a place of unparalleled prosperity.
“Lord Xueying of the Yingshan Clan, please come in.” As Dongbo Xueying approached the entrance of the Polar Night Palace, a Chaos Realm steward came forth to greet him, already discreetly aware of Dongbo Xueying’s identity.
“I wish to see the ‘Heart of Desire,’ and I do not want others to know,” Dongbo Xueying transmitted directly.
The steward’s expression remained calm as he replied via transmission, “Lord Xueying, rest assured. Since its inception, the Polar Night Palace has never once had a breach of confidentiality!”
Dongbo Xueying nodded.
In terms of influence, the Polar Night Palace might rank among the top five merchant factions, but when it came to trustworthiness, it stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the Fan Clan’s establishments—flawless and unmatched. Never once had a leak compromised a guest.
Other merchant factions, by contrast, had historical lapses. No matter how stringent their rules, the true controllers of these factions were powerful Cosmic Deities, who, driven by personal interests, would inevitably exploit internal secrets.
But the Fan Clan’s establishments and the Polar Night Palace were different.
Their reputations were absolutely impeccable—a testament to the formidable control wielded by their respective masters, the Polar Night Progenitor and the Fan Progenitor. Even notorious figures like the Heaven-Rending Venerable and the Heaven-Slaughtering Venerable, who wreaked havoc across the world, behaved meekly in the presence of the Fan Progenitor. As for the Polar Night Progenitor, his dominance was even more absolute—those who absorbed his essence blood were bound by unshakable loyalty.
“Lord Xueying, please wait here for a moment,” the steward said, guiding Dongbo Xueying to a side chamber. “The Heart of Desire will be brought to you shortly.”
“Very well.” Dongbo Xueying sat cross-legged, sipping from a cup of freshly warmed fine wine.
Moments later, the black-robed steward returned. With a wave of his hand, a wooden staff materialized before Dongbo Xueying, its top embedded with a palm-sized black stone.
“May I examine it?” Dongbo Xueying asked.
“Of course,” the steward replied with a smile. This treasure, worth over ten billion cosmic crystals, was not something an ordinary Chaos Realm cultivator could even lay eyes on—but Xueying of the Yingshan Clan was far from ordinary.
Dongbo Xueying grasped the seemingly unremarkable staff. The wood itself was ordinary, but his gaze fixed on the black stone at its apex. Just a glance sent waves of intense allure radiating from it, tugging at his will, tempting him to lose himself in its depths. Yet, as a master of the Illusory Realm who had reached the ninth level of the Chaos Realm, he easily steadied his mind.
*Hum.*
His consciousness extended, probing the stone.
The black stone was the true ‘Heart of Desire’—the staff merely served as its protective casing.
*Thump… thump…*
The moment his consciousness touched the stone, it pulsed like a heartbeat, expanding and contracting rhythmically. Unfazed, Dongbo Xueying gradually ‘saw’—a vast world veiled in endless pink mist, teeming with countless living beings. Yet within this world, desires ran rampant.
Love, hatred, greed, lust, sorrow, fear, joy… These emotions and cravings fueled endless strife.
“A world… of desire.”
Dongbo Xueying’s lips curled into a faint smile.
When advancing from the peak of the Chaos Realm to the Cosmic Deity level, the Void Path branched into only a few routes. His mastery of the Five-Phase Seal had already secured him a significant portion of the journey.
Similarly, the Illusory Realm had multiple paths. His primary focus was the ‘World’ route, though he was also adept in the ‘Slaughter’ route—his ‘Nine-Petal Flower’ technique was a terrifying killing move born from the Illusory Realm itself, infused with elements of the Slaughter Dao.
“This Heart of Desire encompasses two paths—the World route and the Desire route,” Dongbo Xueying mused.
Desire was a common branch of the Illusory Realm.
To succumb to desire was to drown in illusion…
“This treasure is excellent,” Dongbo Xueying thought with quiet satisfaction. “With the World route, I should be able to unleash tenth-level combat power after some study. It may even guide me toward becoming a Cosmic Deity. As for the ‘Desire route’… once I ascend, I can explore other paths as well.”
*Thud.*
He placed the staff back on the table.
“What do you think, Lord Xueying?” the steward asked with a smile, though inwardly surprised. Most would show at least some reaction—even those with strong souls usually displayed subtle signs of influence.
“Do you like the Heart of Desire, Lord Xueying?”
Like it?
Of course he did! It could help him swiftly grasp tenth-level Illusory Realm techniques and even offer a glimpse into the Desire route.
“What’s the price?” Dongbo Xueying asked.
The black-robed steward grinned. “Twenty billion cosmic crystals.”
“Spare me the inflated figures. What’s the lowest price?”
“This treasure contains two tenth-level Chaos Realm techniques,” the steward countered. “Moreover, when both Desire and World are employed in tandem, even ordinary Cosmic Deities would struggle to resist—and those who do would still suffer greatly.”
Dongbo Xueying acknowledged this.
The two paths indeed complemented each other.
The ‘World’ naturally drew souls in, trapping enemies within. His Illusory World alone could ensnare those with weaker souls.
If paired with an equally potent ‘Desire’ technique, the enemy’s resistance would crumble, making escape from the Illusory World several times harder.
“Though it holds two tenth-level techniques, they’re only useful if one can wield them,” Dongbo Xueying said. “Mastering one is already difficult—two? Perhaps a peerless genius could achieve dual mastery in the Illusory Realm while still in the Chaos Realm. But the odds of those two paths being precisely Desire and World are vanishingly slim.”
“As for Cosmic Deities of the Illusory Realm, they’d have little use for a tenth-level treasure. They can already unleash such power effortlessly.” Dongbo Xueying’s tone was indifferent. “If you insist on such an inflated price, there’s no room for negotiation.”
“The consignor has set a minimum price of sixteen billion,” the steward said.
“Then let them keep it.”
Dongbo Xueying stood.
“I’ll consult the owner again,” the steward assured.
“The treasure is good, but the price is too steep. There are currently eight similar items publicly available on the Heart Realm Continent, some far cheaper. I’ll consider others first.” With that, Dongbo Xueying strode out. He saw no point in further haggling—the steward had no authority to adjust the price. Only the owner could decide.
—
As Dongbo Xueying journeyed across the Heart Realm Continent, inspecting various Illusory Realm treasures, he also broadened his horizons.
He even visited the Snowfrost Ancient Nation, where he encountered its towering giants. In the ‘Body Refinement’ discipline, the Snowfrost Ancient Nation was indisputably the strongest, boasting three invincible progenitors—each a pinnacle master of physical cultivation. Thus, for those seeking formidable physiques, the sects of the Snowfrost Ancient Nation were unparalleled. Unfortunately, the nation was insular, often disdainful of outsiders.
“Only one left.”
Over two months later, Dongbo Xueying arrived in the Blossom Nation. The treasure in its capital would be the final Illusory Realm artifact he examined.
Of the previous treasures, the cheapest cost 8.5 billion cosmic crystals, while the most expensive remained at 16 billion. The ‘Heart of Desire’ still tempted him, but its price—now 15 billion—was a heavy burden. Converting all 60,000 merit points from his master into cosmic crystals would barely suffice, leaving his avatar unable to cultivate the Cloud Saint Body.
“Lord Xueying.” At the Fan Clan’s establishment in the Blossom Nation, under Dongbo Xueying’s request for secrecy, the steward led him to a side chamber.
“This is the ‘Demonheart Bell,'” the steward said, placing a golden bell before him.
Dongbo Xueying studied the bell—his final candidate. After this, he would have to decide which treasure to purchase.
With that, he reached out and grasped the Demonheart Bell.
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