“Do you truly wish to enter?” The Lord of Nanyun gazed at his disciple.
“I will give it my all,” Dongbo Xueying replied.
The Lord of Nanyun nodded slightly and immediately transmitted a detailed intelligence report to Dongbo Xueying. “This contains comprehensive information about the ‘Heart Palace of the Realm.’ Review it yourself. Also, if you wish to enter, you must arrive at the capital of the Xiafeng Kingdom within three days.”
“Thank you, Master.” Dongbo Xueying received the intelligence and swiftly absorbed its contents.
—
The capital of the Xiafeng Kingdom was a place of prosperity and might.
Dongbo Xueying had already arrived. Though the deadline was three days, the opening of the Heart Palace of the Realm was an extremely slow process, spanning a full hundred thousand years. It seemed the esteemed senior ‘Meta,’ who walked further along the path of cultivation, had designed it this way to allow the powerhouses of the Heart Realm Continent ample time to compete for the limited slots.
“The Six Ancient Kingdoms are too dominant. All thirty-nine slots have been claimed by them,” Dongbo Xueying mused silently.
According to his master’s intelligence, the Xiafeng Ancient Kingdom held twelve slots.
Typically, each of the three great clans within the Xiafeng Ancient Kingdom would secure two slots, totaling six. The Xia Emperor, the Cang Emperor, and the Fan Ancestor—three supreme figures—usually entered in pairs, though occasionally all three would venture in. This left three or four slots open for fair competition. Only those who had pledged allegiance to the three great clans were eligible to participate.
The various noble houses within the Xiafeng Ancient Kingdom relied on the patronage of the three great clans, as did guest elders like Dongbo Xueying, who were affiliated with the Fan Clan. Without such backing, one had no right to compete.
To join the competition, one had to arrive at the imperial palace of the Xiafeng Kingdom within three days and actively declare their intent. Missing the deadline meant forfeiting the opportunity.
“Whoosh.”
Dongbo Xueying arrived at the main gate of the imperial palace, where guards promptly greeted him.
“Imperial Lord Feixue, what brings you here?”
“For the matter of the Heart Palace of the Realm,” Dongbo Xueying replied.
“Does the Imperial Lord also wish to compete?”
“Yes.”
“Please follow me, Imperial Lord.”
The guards were well-prepared, having received prior instructions. Ying Shan Xueying was not the first to arrive for the competition.
Flying through the palace grounds, they soon arrived at a dimly lit hall. At its depths sat a yellow-robed elder in meditation, a low table before him laden with scrolls.
“Elder Xia,” Dongbo Xueying greeted. He was familiar with Elder Xia, who had previously overseen his inheritance of the *Hunyuan Inquiry*. As the guardian spirit of the palace’s grand formation, Elder Xia wielded power comparable to an invincible existence within these walls. The Xia Emperor entrusted many matters to him, for as a formation spirit, he was both mighty and unwaveringly loyal, enduring all tasks without complaint.
Yet, even at his level, he possessed emotions and temper. Thus, even the scions of the Xia Clan dared not offend this ‘Elder Xia.’
“So, Imperial Lord Feixue also seeks entry into the Heart Palace of the Realm?” The yellow-robed elder opened his eyes and smiled at Dongbo Xueying.
“Yes,” Dongbo Xueying affirmed.
“Imperial Lord, you may freely select one scroll,” the elder said. “Each scroll bears a unique mission with a time limit of ninety thousand years. After this period, the top four in merit will earn the slots.”
Dongbo Xueying’s heart leapt with joy.
Four slots?
It seemed that this time, only two of the three supreme figures—the Xia Emperor, the Cang Emperor, and the Fan Ancestor—would enter, leaving four slots open for competition.
“Thank you.” Dongbo Xueying stepped forward, claimed a scroll, bowed, and departed.
By taking the scroll, he had officially entered the competition.
“Imperial Lord Feixue has joined the fray.”
“The Feixue Imperial Lord of the Nanyun Kingdom.”
Throughout the palace, guards and maids observed everything, quietly spreading the news.
—
Within the Xiafeng Ancient Kingdom, in a secluded courtyard, a colossal figure reclined in a churning lake of molten crimson. His massive form dwarfed the lake, his chest rising above its surface. His arms alone spanned half the lake’s length, and his enormous horned head radiated a terrifying, scorching aura.
“Honored Master,” a graceful woman in red robes bowed respectfully—a Cosmic God in her own right. “Word has come from the palace. The Feixue Imperial Lord, foremost among the four great imperial lords of the Nanyun Kingdom, has joined the competition for the slots. He is the twelfth to do so.”
“That Ying Shan Xueying brat?” The horned giant shook his head slightly, his eyes flashing with disdain. “He is of little concern. Even if he breaks through to the second level of Cosmic God, without a peak-tier treasure, his threat is minimal. The true dangers are the other Honored Masters within our Xiafeng Ancient Kingdom, or the elite experts from the three great clans. Keep watching.”
“As you command, Honored Master.” The woman bowed again before withdrawing.
The horned powerhouse closed his eyes.
He had reached the final bottleneck in his cultivation of the Ten Paths of Flame, having fused nine. Only one remained before he could ascend to the ultimate realm of Cosmic God.
“I am at the precipice. The final breakthrough is the hardest. I must rely on external aid. This time, I *must* secure a slot for the Heart Palace of the Realm. Within its halls lie countless opportunities. With a bit of luck and effort, I may find the key to my ascension.”
Had he been a member of the three great clans, his critical stage of cultivation would have guaranteed him a slot. But his innate defiance had relegated him to the status of a guest elder under the Cang Clan.
He was one of the independent Honored Masters (Great Venerables) of the Xiafeng Ancient Kingdom, standing apart from the three great clans—the ‘Flamefiend Honored Master.’
—
News of the Feixue Imperial Lord Ying Shan Xueying’s participation swiftly reached the ears of those with vested interests. Among them were Cosmic Gods from the three great clans who had failed to secure slots, as well as powerhouses like the Flamefiend Honored Master, unaffiliated with the great clans.
“Minimal threat.”
“Just another upper-tier guest elder.”
The various factions dismissed the news.
Among the many competitors, Dongbo Xueying’s strength was indeed unremarkable. Moreover, as an outsider from another kingdom, his backing was weak. The Lord of Nanyun paled in comparison to the influence of the three great clans, whose ranks boasted numerous Honored Masters (Great Venerables).
—
On the other side of the Heart Realm Continent, far from the Xiafeng Ancient Kingdom, lay the chaotic and terrifying second-rate kingdom of Fuxi, closer to the Myriad Realms Ancient Kingdom.
In a private room of a Fuxi tavern, a white-robed youth sipped wine and savored the establishment’s famed delicacies.
“Delicious, delicious.”
“Mmm, quite different from the flavors of Nanyun and the Xiafeng Ancient Kingdom.” He ate with relish, indulging in one of his few pleasures.
“Xueying.”
A transmission reached him.
“Master,” Dongbo Xueying responded immediately.
“The three-day deadline has passed. This time, twenty-one Cosmic Gods from the Xiafeng Ancient Kingdom have entered the competition. Among them are three Honored Masters: the ‘Venomous Cult Master,’ the ‘Flamefiend Honored Master,’ and the Xia Clan’s ‘Great Venerable Fuyi.'” As the Lord of Nanyun relayed this, he also transmitted detailed intelligence on the other twenty competitors.
Dongbo Xueying’s expression darkened slightly.
The Venomous Cult Master and the Flamefiend Honored Master were formidable, both wielding peak-tier treasures, but their influence paled in comparison to the Xia Clan’s Great Venerable Fuyi. Fuyi’s renown was on par with the Lord of Nanyun himself.
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