Chapter 1118: Emperor Jun Wind Sovereign

The resplendently robed, handsome young man gave a slight nod before rising and vanishing without a trace.

Though his methods were formidable, the Lord of Nanyun, who controlled the entire capital’s array formations, could still sense that his nominal master had departed.

“To think he actually returned,” the Lord of Nanyun muttered, frowning. “What wretched luck.”

This was indeed his first meeting with this master.

Back then, he had been fleeing like a stray dog when he stumbled upon an ancient ruin by chance. There, he obtained the supreme treasure, the *Dual Realm Blade*—his key to turning his fortunes around. In truth, the reason this treasure had been left in the ruins was because his master had deliberately placed it there. To claim it, one had to swear a binding oath to acknowledge him as master.

The oath was restrictive.

At the Lord of Nanyun’s level, breaking it wouldn’t pose any immediate danger—only a deviation from his Dao-heart, making further cultivation progress nearly impossible. But for an ambitious ruler aiming for the ultimate realm of a Cosmic God, he would never lightly violate such an oath unless absolutely forced.

“Back then, I only wanted to rise again. I even thought he had long perished. Who could have guessed he’d return?” The Lord of Nanyun shook his head. At the time, in his desperate state, swearing allegiance to a master—especially one who had been missing for countless ages—wasn’t a difficult decision.

Now, his master had come.

In their first encounter, the Lord of Nanyun had two concerns: first, he didn’t wish to break his oath. Second, he didn’t want to provoke this master. After all, when this man had once roamed the Heart Realm Continent unchallenged, the Lord of Nanyun had only just become a Cosmic God. He knew all too well how terrifying his master was.

“If he were truly angered, everyone in Nanyun—save for me—would perish,” the Lord of Nanyun sighed inwardly.

This man had once been synonymous with death.

Now, his strength might have grown even more formidable. The Lord of Nanyun would rather endure than risk his wrath.

—

**Flying Snow City.**

After spending the night drinking with his father, Ying Shan Liehu, Dongbo Xueying returned to his courtyard. Seated cross-legged in a pavilion beside the lake, he gazed at the *Five-Phase Beads* manifesting on his wrist before sending a clone into one of the beads.

**Within the Five-Phase Beads’ inner world.**

Dongbo Xueying appeared midair, his gaze falling upon the vast land where the Flamebane Demon Monarch sat, laboring to expel the lingering poison from his body. A night had passed, and though he had purged a portion of the toxin, the demon monarch felt no joy—only a crushing weight of impending doom.

“You’ve come,” the Flamebane Demon Monarch said, looking up at Dongbo Xueying.

Dongbo Xueying smiled. He had waited a night to meet the demon monarch, allowing him time to calm down.

“Flamebane Demon Monarch, you now have two choices,” Dongbo Xueying declared. “First, I kill you and take your treasures. Second, you willingly surrender them, and I deliver you to the Xiafeng Ancient Kingdom. They may punish you, forcing you into servitude, but at least you’ll keep your life.”

Trapped within the *Five-Phase Beads*, killing the Flamebane Demon Monarch wouldn’t be difficult.

A battle here would be one-sided. The beads isolated all external energy flow, meaning the demon monarch would eventually exhaust his reserves and perish.

“Captured alive, I have no choice but to serve Xiafeng. What else can I do?” the Flamebane Demon Monarch muttered bitterly.

He had no options left.

For the Six Great Ancient Kingdoms, weaker demons were simply executed.

But Cosmic God-level demons had value. Each kingdom maintained hidden enforcers—especially weaker ones like the Moonflower and Motian Ancient Kingdoms, which actively recruited notorious figures without imposing strict controls, granting them relative freedom.

“Good,” Dongbo Xueying said. With a wave, a strand of cosmic divine power invaded the Flamebane Demon Monarch’s body, encountering no resistance.

After a thorough inspection, the demon monarch’s treasures flew out one by one, his compliance absolute.

At this point, he knew his fate.

“Serving Xiafeng may one day lead to freedom,” Dongbo Xueying mused, satisfied with the haul.

Delivering a live captive meant Xiafeng would gain another enforcer. Beyond mission merits, Dongbo Xueying would receive additional cosmic crystals—likely over ten billion. Though modest compared to the demon monarch’s true worth, it was still a bonus.

For Xiafeng, employing guest elders required rewards and negotiations—sometimes even refusals.

But these “enforcers” were different. They obeyed without question.

“To roam free for so long, only to fall to the Flying Snow Emperor,” the Flamebane Demon Monarch lamented silently, resigned to his fate.

—

In Flying Snow City, Dongbo Xueying refrained from further hunts.

He knew capturing the Flamebane Demon Monarch had been sheer luck.

Historically, during the Heart Realm Palace’s openings, securing even one target in Xiafeng’s competition was considered a success. Those on the bounty list were notoriously elusive. Without his void-walking mastery, the Nine Venoms Cult Master’s aid, and Fuxi Ancestor’s delayed arrival, he would’ve failed.

He acknowledged his fortune.

Among all targets, only the *Windmoon Demon Monarch* was uniquely vulnerable to him. But the cunning demon had hidden within Fuxi Ancestor’s treasures, making their locations identical. Fuxi’s impersonation had nearly succeeded.

Of course, other demon monarchs dared not cluster together—lest a coalition of powerhouses like Great Elder Fuyi annihilate them all at once.

“For Xiafeng’s competition, slaying one or two targets is already remarkable. Most accumulate merits through rare treasure quests,” Dongbo Xueying reflected.

“These treasures are scarce even for Xiafeng’s three great clans,” he mused.

Regardless of value, their rarity was the common thread.

Competitors were all formidable, scouring the realms for these prizes. Historically, around *ten thousand merits* sufficed for a slot—sometimes more, sometimes less.

Such modest requirements highlighted the difficulty of “bounty hunts” versus “treasure quests.”

—

Seated in the pavilion, Dongbo Xueying inhaled the faint aroma of warm fruit wine when a presence stirred his senses.

*Splash.*

A figure materialized on the lake—a yellow-robed man with a prominent forehead.

Dongbo Xueying startled to his feet. “Greetings, Great Venerable.”

The visitor was none other than *Jufeng Great Venerable*, one of the Xia Clan’s nine supreme elders—comparable in strength to Fuxi’s Duan Tian Ancestral Master. Though middling among his peers, he was still a core figure of the Xia Clan.

“Flying Snow Emperor,” Jufeng Great Venerable smiled, stepping across the void into the pavilion. He sniffed the air. “The wine smells delightful. Might I trouble you for a cup?”

“Your presence honors me, Great Venerable,” Dongbo Xueying replied courteously.

Jufeng sat, and Dongbo Xueying followed suit.

Even if their strengths were similar, outsiders always deferred to Xiafeng’s elders—especially when outmatched.

“Mmm, quite flavorful,” Jufeng remarked, setting down his cup. “I heard you captured the Flamebane Demon Monarch alive. Impressive.”

“Merely luck,” Dongbo Xueying demurred.

“Luck? Without your void-walking and illusionary techniques, sneaking up on him and the Nine Venoms Cult Master would’ve been impossible,” Jufeng countered.

Dongbo Xueying smiled faintly. “You flatter me.”

Privately, he was pleased.

“Did the Flamebane Demon Monarch choose wisely?” Jufeng inquired.

“He did,” Dongbo Xueying confirmed. “He will serve Xiafeng.”

Jufeng nodded. “There’s a matter I’d like your assistance with.”

Dongbo Xueying’s heart sank.

Could it be…?

“Speak freely, Great Venerable. If within my power, I shall oblige,” he said carefully.

Jufeng leaned in. “You’re still young, freshly ascended to Cosmic God. Your cultivation hasn’t plateaued yet, so there’s no rush. A dear friend of mine in the Xia Clan has reached such a bottleneck and seeks entry to the Heart Realm Palace. I ask that you relinquish the Flamebane Demon Monarch to me. Rest assured, I’ll compensate you handsomely—three hundred billion cosmic crystals.”

Dongbo Xueying’s expression darkened.

Compensation?

Upon the nine-year deadline, submitting the captive would grant him *twelve thousand merits* and a hundred billion cosmic crystals. The merits alone were worth more than the offer, as they couldn’t be bought with crystals. Moreover, this could secure his slot—priceless for Heart Realm Palace access.

“Great Venerable, I too have reached a bottleneck,” Dongbo Xueying countered.

This wasn’t a lie.

Having just broken through, his Void Dao’s nine branches had all reached Cosmic God level. With his profound accumulations, merging the *Heavenly* and *Earthly* aspects was imminent—he’d soon advance to the second layer.

“Flying Snow Emperor, agreeing would earn you my favor,” Jufeng pressed.

Dongbo Xueying seethed inwardly. *Favor?*

Had it been Great Elder Fuyi, such a debt might hold weight. But Jufeng’s strength barely surpassed his own—how valuable could his favor be?

“You refuse?” Jufeng frowned. “Is the offer insufficient? My friend proposed three hundred billion, but I can raise it to five hundred. Surely that compensates your loss. You’re young—there will be other chances.”