Chapter 1091: The Nine Manifestations

In the quiet chamber.

“Hmm?” The nine youths exchanged glances, each revealing a smile.

According to the *Doppelganger Technique*, he could now cultivate nine doppelgangers. If he reached the second level of a Cosmic God and perfected the *Doppelganger Technique*, he would be able to possess 10,081 doppelgangers!

With over ten thousand doppelgangers gathered together, it would be an overwhelming sight.

Thus, figures like the ‘Pavilion Master of the Myriad Realms’ from his homeland gave Dongbo Xueying the impression of having ‘countless doppelgangers’—after all, even if one was slain, another could swiftly be cultivated to replace it.

However, not every doppelganger could possess peak strength.

With nine doppelgangers, at most two could maintain perfect strength. Under such circumstances, the other seven would even be forced to dissipate, unable to sustain themselves! Due to the suppression of unseen rules, maintaining two supreme souls was the limit.

With 10,081 doppelgangers, the limit was nine supreme souls—meaning only nine doppelgangers could possess peak strength, while all others would have to dissipate! If only eight doppelgangers maintained peak strength, the remaining ten thousand could still exist, albeit with vastly diminished power. Thus, though the ‘Pavilion Master of the Myriad Realms’ had countless doppelgangers, the vast majority were exceedingly weak.

“Weakness isn’t the issue. What matters is that each doppelganger represents a life! As long as one survives, the others can be swiftly cultivated anew,” Dongbo Xueying mused silently.

Though he had nine doppelgangers, the energy of the Heart of the Realm Token remained within the soul of the ‘Golden-Robed Dongbo Xueying.’ This doppelganger was the one destined to return to his homeland. And just like his initial journey, only the core ‘True Spirit’ could return to the Chaos Void of his homeland under the protection of the Heart of the Realm Token’s energy, undergoing reincarnation. Thus, the strength of the soul was irrelevant.

……

The chamber door rumbled open.

The white-robed Dongbo Xueying stepped out—this was the doppelganger cultivated with the *Nanyun Sacred Body*, equipped with the Five-Phase Bead and other treasures, representing his peak strength. In truth, every doppelganger could be considered his true self, indistinguishable from one another. However, with limited treasures and resources, they were concentrated into a single doppelganger. This white-robed form was responsible for external affairs.

“One last matter to settle, and then I can return,” Dongbo Xueying smiled.

“Your Highness.”

The two maidservants outside the chamber bowed respectfully.

Dongbo Xueying nodded. His former attendant, the Demon Dragon, had already been assigned to ‘Flying Snow City,’ as his parents in this life lacked sufficiently powerful subordinates.

Whoosh.

With a single step, Dongbo Xueying vanished into thin air.

He reappeared directly within the imperial palace, near his master’s cultivation grounds—where teleportation was forbidden.

“Master.” Dongbo Xueying descended onto the blackened grass, bowing toward the seated figure of the Nanyun Monarch in the distance.

“I sensed the disturbance from your *Piercing the Firmament* technique earlier. You’ve emerged from seclusion so soon? I expected you to consolidate your breakthrough further,” the Nanyun Monarch remarked with a smile.

“Wasn’t I reborn? There’s no need for consolidation,” Dongbo Xueying quipped.

Since everyone assumed he was a Cosmic God who had undergone reincarnation, he saw no reason to correct them.

This only aided his plans.

“Hahaha…” The Nanyun Monarch extended a hand, and a set of resplendent black robes materialized, floating before him before drifting toward Dongbo Xueying.

“What is this?” Dongbo Xueying asked, puzzled as he reached out to receive it.

“Feel it for yourself.” The Nanyun Monarch grinned. Acquiring this *Demon Emperor’s Robe* had required immense effort. With his intelligence network spanning the entire Heart Realm Continent, he had tracked its whereabouts and traded a precious treasure with the Tian Tong Divine Lord to obtain it.

Upon taking hold of it, Dongbo Xueying swiftly refined and sensed its power.

The refinement process highlighted the differences between the Heart Realm Continent and the Chaos Void—the two Source Worlds. The Chaos Void’s treasures were crudely forged and took considerable time to refine. In contrast, the Heart Realm Continent’s treasures were exquisitely crafted, enabling cultivators to challenge those above their level, and could be mastered almost instantly upon refinement.

“This is…?”

As he refined it, Dongbo Xueying ran his fingers over the ornate black robes, which began to emit a radiant glow.

Instantly, his consciousness was drawn into a vast world.

The world was boundless, shrouded in swirling mist.

Countless beings thrived within this world, and the mist itself seemed eager to seep into Dongbo Xueying’s soul.

“A world… a soul?” Dongbo Xueying understood.

“Well?” The Nanyun Monarch chuckled. “I promised to find you a Cosmic God treasure suited to your path. This is the *Demon Emperor’s Robe*. Its previous owner styled himself the ‘Demon Emperor’ and established a kingdom. His followers were fiercely loyal, even after his death, fighting fearlessly against rival nations.”

Dongbo Xueying’s eyes gleamed with delight. “This robe combines the ‘Illusory World’ and ‘Soul’ paths of the Phantom Void Illusion Dao.”

The Phantom Void Illusion Dao, as he had learned from his research, was divided into five branches: ‘World,’ ‘Soul,’ ‘Illusion,’ ‘Desire,’ and ‘Annihilation.’

‘World’ referred to the Illusory World—the path by which Dongbo Xueying had achieved Cosmic Godhood.

‘Illusion’ encompassed techniques like the bewitching chime of the *Demonic Heart Bell*.

‘Soul’ involved direct soul manipulation, ensuring absolute loyalty from those controlled.

‘Desire’ governed emotions—love, hatred, greed, lust, joy, anger, sorrow, and more.

‘Annihilation’ was the sole offensive technique of the Phantom Void Illusion Dao, where the entire illusory world birthed a killing strike aimed directly at the soul. Those who failed to resist would have their souls obliterated. Dongbo Xueying’s *Flower of Destruction* had manifested in reality, but true ‘Annihilation’ struck the soul directly.

Seeing his reaction, the Nanyun Monarch laughed. “Glad you like it.”

“Mn.” Dongbo Xueying said no more, simply storing the robe away. He would repay his master’s kindness in due time.

Whoosh.

With a thought, the resplendent black robes draped over him. Clad in them, Dongbo Xueying exuded a terrifying allure, as if compelling others to worship him, to live and die for him—and this was merely the robe’s passive aura, without any active use.

If unleashed, most first-level Cosmic Gods would be unable to resist. Even treasures allowing one to challenge higher realms would be useless, as this targeted the soul—something no treasure could shield.

Such was the dread of those skilled in soul techniques!

Now, clad in the *Demon Emperor’s Robe*, Dongbo Xueying’s aura of intimidation eclipsed even second-tier Cosmic Deities such as the Firelight Sovereign and the Maple Nest Monarch—those bereft of supreme-tier artifacts.

“Hu.” Another thought, and the black robes transformed into white, their aura receding into ordinariness, save for intricate patterns lining the hem.

“Excellent!” The Nanyun Monarch beamed. “With the *Demon Emperor’s Robe* and the *Five-Phase Bead*, you can unleash the *Five-Phase Sealing Art* at its peak! With these two trump cards, you can roam the Heart Realm Continent unhindered!”

Dongbo Xueying nodded. “Master, there’s one more matter.”

“Between us, speak freely,” the Nanyun Monarch said, now viewing Dongbo Xueying as his most vital ally.

“The *Nine Revolutions Immortal Technique*—the Chaos Realm’s ultimate void-body art I wield—can be shared,” Dongbo Xueying said with a faint smile. “I plan to sell it to the Fan Clan, the Xia Clan, and others.”

“Shareable?” The Nanyun Monarch was stunned. “Such a technique—are you certain?”

Dongbo Xueying nodded.

Of course! He had created it himself.

He intended to trade it for other invaluable techniques. Back in his homeland, without treasures enabling him to challenge higher realms, he would need formidable techniques to contend with the Sacred Master. While techniques couldn’t bridge realms, they could push one to the very limits. For instance, even without treasures, a Chaos Realm practitioner of the *Five-Phase Sealing Art* could unleash power nearing the tenth layer.

Though the Nanyun Monarch was wealthy, the most supreme legacies were held by the top-tier powers.

“If it can be shared, we must strategize carefully to avoid underselling it,” the Nanyun Monarch murmured, his pupils contracting as he pondered deeply.