The power of Hunyuan is a force contained within the higher-dimensional space beyond the Source World. Deep within that higher-dimensional space, the Hunyuan power is even denser and more vast—so much so that even Cosmic Gods dare not enter, for contact with Hunyuan power there means certain death!
As far as is known, only the ‘Great Shattered Void Teleportation Art’ can traverse this space, and even then, one must avoid touching the Hunyuan power of the higher-dimensional space at all costs. Because it is so dense and immense, even if one’s body is pushed to the extreme of etherealization, it would still be corroded and annihilated.
In contrast, the mysterious aura near the Source World is far more diluted.
The faint traces that seep through tiny gaps are even thinner, yet they still possess many miraculous properties. For instance, if the soul absorbs a small amount of Hunyuan power and undergoes transformation, it can manifest the art of doppelgangers! Similarly, if the body successfully absorbs it, it will undergo a complete metamorphosis. Even Xia Huang confidently proclaimed it the most supreme technique of its tier, surpassing even the ‘Five Phases Sealing Art.’
The ‘Hunyuan Body Refinement’ from *Hunyuan Inquiry* is considered the pinnacle even in the Heart Realm Continent, among the countless techniques created by those invincible beings who have reached the ultimate realm of body refinement.
Thus, even just the first two layers are priced at a staggering one hundred thousand grand merits.
“Nourishing oneself with ‘Hunyuan power’ is the most supreme body refinement method in the Heart Realm Continent. Once the first layer is mastered, the body will rival that of an ordinary Cosmic God at the second layer of body refinement,” Dongbo Xueying mused silently.
Just like *Seven-Colored Flames*, *Eternal Night Realm*, and *Three Lifetimes Art*, all are hailed as the most supreme techniques of their tier, capable of transcending levels in battle.
*Hunyuan Inquiry* is no exception.
This technique…
Has an extremely high threshold.
One must first master eight of the nine branches of the Void Path to the Cosmic God realm, achieve the pinnacle of etherealization, and shatter the shackles of confinement before even attempting to cultivate it.
…
Time flowed on.
Dongbo Xueying felt waves of stinging pain throughout his body, for ‘Hunyuan power’ was inherently corrosive and destructive to both flesh and soul. Even in its most diluted form, under the extreme state of etherealization, and with the profound methods from *Hunyuan Inquiry*, he had to meticulously weave the eight branches of the Void Path to merge his body—now one with the essence of the void—with the faint threads of Hunyuan power.
“Hisssss~~~”
His body became like the void itself, undergoing transformation under the influence of Hunyuan power! Dongbo Xueying could feel the unimaginable strength surging within him, growing ever stronger.
He couldn’t rush.
The body was no weapon—its transformation had to be gradual. It took a full one hundred and eighty million years before the process finally ceased.
“Success.”
Dongbo Xueying sat cross-legged on a massive boulder in the chaotic void, his unrestrained aura distorting the surrounding space. He opened his eyes and casually swiped his right hand—*riiiip*—a razor-thin void fissure appeared, its inky black depths revealing the higher-dimensional space beyond, from which the scent of Hunyuan power seeped in.
“Such terrifying power,” Dongbo Xueying murmured with delight.
The true might of *Hunyuan Inquiry* lay in the body.
Because his physique now rivaled that of an ordinary second-layer Cosmic God specializing in body refinement, even though the combat techniques of *Hunyuan Inquiry* were only slightly stronger than the *Five Phases Sealing Art*, the sheer terror of his physical form elevated Dongbo Xueying’s combat prowess to the second-layer Cosmic God level. While not the absolute pinnacle, he estimated he was now on par with ‘City Lord Luo.’
“Now that the shackles are broken, the opening seems even larger,” Dongbo Xueying mused. He threw another punch, and at the point of impact, eight spaces intersected, forming a black hole roughly the size of a fingertip at the center. This aperture was as large as the one he had once created in the Heart Realm Continent using the ‘Sky-Sundering Strike’ of the Southcloud Sacred Body.
“This technique was worth every merit,” Dongbo Xueying smiled.
Being able to tear open such a large hole meant the concentration of ‘Hunyuan power’ seeping in had also increased significantly—enough for him to cultivate the second layer of the *Doppelganger Art* created by his master, the Southcloud Monarch.
The process of creating doppelgangers was swift.
Soon.
Eight Dongbo Xueyings stood upon the boulder.
“Hahaha…” Dongbo Xueying laughed heartily. “With eight doppelgangers, my chances of success in the Ancient Sacred World have greatly increased.”
One doppelganger remained behind in the Blazing Star Realm.
…
Mastering the Hunyuan Body and enlarging the tear in the shackles, allowing his doppelganger technique to advance further, was indeed an unexpected boon.
“Qingyao.” “Yuer.”
Qingyao was currently training diligently under the Sword Master in the Grand Void Heaven Palace.
Yuer, too, was quietly cultivating under the tutelage of the Witch Ancestor, steadfast and disciplined. Neither knew of Dongbo Xueying’s return—Yu Jingqiu had feared her children might not keep the secret, so she hadn’t told them about the Heart Realm Token. Thus, Dongbo Qingyao and Dongbo Yuer still grieved, believing their father dead and their mother imprisoned in the Ancient Sacred World by the Sacred Master.
Their hatred for the Sacred Master burned fiercely, fueling their relentless pursuit of strength.
“Very soon, I will bring your mother back to you,” Dongbo Xueying whispered, watching his children from afar through the Shattered Void Teleportation Art.
“Time to go.”
Without further hesitation, he set off for the Ancient Sacred World.
…
The Ancient Sacred World.
The largest fragment of the shattered Primordial Ancient Sacred World, roughly one percent of its original size—far larger than the other three sacred realms—teemed with countless deities and numerous Chaos Realm experts.
“Whoooosh~~~”
At the center of the Ancient Sacred World stood a towering spire, radiating countless beams of black light that bathed the entire realm. Every living being under its glow was instilled with unwavering, soul-deep loyalty to the great Sacred Master. They would sacrifice everything for him, living solely in his name.
Within the spire, the Sacred Master’s Ancient Sacred Avatar meditated. Though its accumulated power had been depleted in the battle against the Stone Sage, it had since begun replenishing its primordial energy.
“That is the Ancient Sacred Spire.”
At this moment.
A Cosmic God had stealthily infiltrated the Ancient Sacred World. Dongbo Xueying, maintaining the pinnacle of etherealization, had merged completely with the essence of the void, his presence utterly erased. He was now an intrinsic part of the void itself. The black light pervading the Ancient Sacred World could not detect him.
“The Sacred Master is there.”
Dongbo Xueying moved silently toward a distant palace, its perimeter heavily guarded by rows of sentinels and puppet creatures. He suspected even more defenses lurked unseen.
But he had no choice—his wife, Yu Jingqiu, was imprisoned beneath the plaza before that very palace.
“Swish.”
He darted forward.
In his etherealized state, no formation could detect him. Dongbo Xueying passed straight through the bodies of guards, utterly unnoticed. To the denizens of the Source World, he was as intangible as the void itself.
“Sacred Master.” Dongbo Xueying reached the plaza and saw, through the open doors of the palace, a figure clad in black gauze, barefoot, seated cross-legged on a dark stone bed. The figure’s features were androgynous, neither distinctly male nor female, exuding an aura of sacred purity. The space around them faintly resonated with the cadence of the supreme laws.
Dongbo Xueying felt a twinge of wariness.
From the secrets he had uncovered in the Heart Realm Continent, he knew the Sacred Master had long since reached the ultimate realm of Cosmic Gods and was now advancing toward the final step—mastery of the supreme laws. Clearly, the Sacred Master had already gleaned fragments of their mysteries.
“He can’t detect me now, but the moment I take Jingqiu, he’ll know.” Suppressing his thoughts, Dongbo Xueying descended silently.
The thick stone slabs of the plaza and its myriad formations posed no obstacle.
He delved deeper.
Below lay a vast space, tiered with countless prison layers. Thanks to detailed intelligence from ‘Cangfu the Sage,’ Dongbo Xueying knew his wife and the two hall masters were imprisoned in the ‘Sea of Bitterness’ within the ‘Flame Prison.’ Only through meticulous scouting with the Shattered Void Teleportation Art had he pinpointed their location.
Otherwise, blindly searching through the prison layers would have taken an eternity.
The death of Cangfu the Sage had been reported to the Sacred Master one hundred and eighty million years prior. The Sacred Master had taken it in stride, merely expressing mild surprise that the Eastern Scale Sacred World and the Myriad Ancient Sacred World had produced someone capable of slaying an eighth-layer Chaos Realm expert through soul arts.
“Flame Prison, Sea of Bitterness.”
Dongbo Xueying pressed onward.
The Flame Prison consisted of three thousand nine hundred layers, eighty of which formed the Sea of Bitterness.
What was the Sea of Bitterness?
It specialized in tormenting the soul—primarily because Yu Jingqiu’s strength was too meager to endure the more extreme tortures. Thus, the Sacred Master had confined her here.
“Why bother tormenting me daily? Your tortures are but tempering for my heart. To surrender my will to the Sacred Master is delusional.” On the three thousand three hundredth layer, an elderly man with disheveled hair sat bound in chains, enduring the guards’ punishments with stoic calm.
Dongbo Xueying observed silently before descending further.
…
To spread his doctrine and subjugate powerful beings, the Sacred Master either directly controlled their souls or, for those with indomitable wills who refused to submit, imprisoned and tortured them relentlessly until they broke.
“Found her.”
Dongbo Xueying saw her.
On the three thousand five hundred and eleventh layer, atop the Sea of Bitterness, figures floated upon its surface, buffeted by rolling waves of torment. This was the mildest of the eighty layers of the Sea of Bitterness. Among the six figures adrift there was Yu Jingqiu.
The two hall masters of the Myriad Phenomena Hall, however, had been cast into the deepest layer, given their Chaos Realm strength.
“Jingqiu.” Dongbo Xueying approached Yu Jingqiu, who floated serenely on the sea, her face calm as if untouched by suffering. But he knew the torment here targeted the soul.
“I refused to hand over the Shattered Void Teleportation Art, but I never imagined the Sacred Master would stoop so low as to involve you,” Dongbo Xueying whispered, torn between guilt and helplessness. Even if given the choice again, he would not have surrendered the technique.
“Now, I must act swiftly.”
He reviewed his battle plan one final time. This time, failure was not an option.
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