Dongbo Xueying pondered, *This time, although there are four slots, Elder Fu Yi is certain to secure one. In reality, it’s mainly a competition for the remaining three slots!*
*The Fire Demon Sovereign and the Venomous Cult Leader—both are formidable opponents.*
*And then there are the Cosmos Gods from the three great clans. Their connections and intelligence networks far surpass mine.*
“Intelligence,” Dongbo Xueying murmured to himself.
Intelligence was crucial.
The treasures listed in the mission were all exceedingly rare. First, one had to know where to find them! Fortunately, he had the backing of his master, the Southcloud Monarch—otherwise, he’d truly be groping in the dark. But even his master’s intelligence network… paled in comparison to those of the three great clans of the Xiawind Ancient Nation.
“The Fan Clan’s prices are downright extortionate,” Dongbo Xueying inwardly shook his head. The Fan Clan’s shops also dealt in intelligence, but the detailed intel on the treasures related to the slot competition was priced at a staggering ten billion cosmos crystals! That was practically the price of the ‘Crimson Cloud Divine Spear’!
“Securing these treasures is incredibly difficult. Thankfully, I have the *Nine Revolutions Indestructible Art*,” Dongbo Xueying thought, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
The *Nine Revolutions Indestructible Art*…
He had only sold it to the three great clans of the Xiawind Ancient Nation so far. He hadn’t yet offered it to the other ancient nations—saving it for a critical moment.
*Whoosh.*
Suddenly, two clones materialized in the sky above Feixue City, each immediately activating Void Transference and vanishing.
—
One of the clones arrived in the Motian Ancient Nation.
“The Motian Ancient Nation.”
Dongbo Xueying stood outside the capital, gazing at the boundless city. Even from afar, he could see a towering golden tree radiating light, its crown vast enough to pierce the clouds.
Dongbo Xueying knew that colossal ancient tree was none other than the true form of the Motian Monarch—the *Motian Divine Tree*.
*Huff.* He entered through the city gates.
Moving through the city’s skies, he soon reached the imperial palace. Unlike traditional palaces, this one had no walls—only a massive, belt-like river encircling it, serving as its boundary.
Standing before the palace, Dongbo Xueying bowed respectfully toward the towering Motian Divine Tree before transmitting his voice: “Feixue pays his respects to the Motian Monarch.”
*Hahaha…* An invisible ripple emanated from the divine tree, enveloping Dongbo Xueying. “The Snowhawk Emperor of the Southcloud Nation gracing our lands is a rare occasion. Come, let us speak inside.”
Despite being an invincible existence, the monarch was remarkably humble.
In fact, across the entire Heartland Continent, there were only two invincible beings known for their amiable temperaments—the Infinite City Lord and the Motian Monarch.
*Whoosh.*
Space warped around Dongbo Xueying, and in an instant, he found himself inside an opulent grand hall.
Seated high upon the throne was an elder clad in golden robes—the Motian Monarch’s combat avatar. Flanking him were two attendants.
“What brings the Snowhawk Emperor here?” the Motian Monarch inquired, smiling down at Dongbo Xueying.
“I possess a Void Path secret art that allows one to achieve the pinnacle of intangibility at the Chaos Realm,” Dongbo Xueying stated. “Might Your Majesty be interested?”
“Is this the *Nine Revolutions Indestructible Art* you sold to the Xiawind Ancient Nation?” the Motian Monarch asked.
“It is,” Dongbo Xueying confirmed, slightly surprised the monarch already knew.
The Motian Monarch expressed keen interest and agreed to purchase it for 50,000 grand merits. While the Xiawind Ancient Nation had offered 150,000, the two nations differed vastly in strength and resources. Fifty thousand was already generous—though these merits could only be exchanged within the Motian Ancient Nation.
Soon, another powerhouse of the Motian Ancient Nation, the ‘Elegant Sovereign,’ appeared in the hall.
“Elegant Sovereign,” Dongbo Xueying greeted the female sovereign with a bow. “I wish to purchase the treasure ‘Future Golden Eye.’ How many imperial merits would that require?”
“Fifty thousand grand merits,” the Elegant Sovereign replied with a smile.
“That’s far too steep,” Dongbo Xueying’s expression darkened.
The Future Golden Eye was listed at 15,000 merits in the treasure mission. Though the competition for slots in the Heartland Palace had artificially depressed its value, its true worth was between 20,000 to 30,000 imperial merits. Fifty thousand was outright extortion.
“Several in the Xiawind Ancient Nation are vying for this treasure,” the Elegant Sovereign said, unfazed.
“Then I must decline,” Dongbo Xueying replied coolly. He was no fool.
While the slots were valuable, their worth on the Heartland Continent was finite. For most powerhouses, the Heartland Palace opened only sporadically over vast epochs. Many entered seeking breakthroughs or ‘apex-tier treasures,’ but the odds of success were slim. Thus, the slots’ value paled in comparison to apex-tier treasures.
Fifty thousand imperial merits? Not worth it.
—
His calm stemmed from having already sold the *Nine Revolutions Indestructible Art* to the Snowfrost Ancient Nation. With three invincible beings, the Snowfrost Ancient Nation was far more formidable than Motian, offering a staggering 90,000 grand merits. He had spent only 30,000 to acquire the treasure ‘Bloodfrost Crystal Pillar,’ valued at 16,000 mission merits.
From this perspective, the Snowfrost Ancient Nation’s offer was far fairer.
“This should suffice. The bounty for the Flamebane Demon Lord is 12,000 merits, and the Bloodfrost Crystal Pillar adds another 16,000—totaling 28,000 merits,” Dongbo Xueying mused.
Most sovereign-level powerhouses weren’t excessively wealthy. The Southcloud Monarch was among the richest on the Heartland Continent. Even for Heartland Palace slots, sovereigns would only pay exorbitant prices if desperate.
“Twenty-eight thousand mission merits,” Dongbo Xueying thought. “The mission rewards are notoriously undervalued. Submitting these means I’m losing at least twenty billion cosmos crystals.”
Thankfully, he had created the *Nine Revolutions Indestructible Art*—otherwise, such extravagance would be impossible.
—
The Elegant Sovereign later lowered her price as the nine-year deadline neared, but Dongbo Xueying still found it excessive. Moreover, he felt his current haul was sufficient.
He exchanged for other items in the Snowfrost and Motian Ancient Nations and even bartered with individual powerhouses for lesser treasures.
Through sheer effort, he amassed 30,000 mission merits.
“Thirty thousand mission merits.”
“I refuse to believe this won’t secure me a slot,” Dongbo Xueying resolved, having invested so heavily.
*Whoosh.*
On the final day of the competition, Cosmos Gods from across the land converged on the Xiawind imperial palace. Even some non-participants arrived, though only those from the three great clans were permitted entry.
“The Southcloud Nation’s Yingshan Xueying.”
“It’s him.”
“His merit accumulation must be substantial.”
Many Cosmos Gods took note of the white-robed youth entering the palace.
Guided by attendants, Dongbo Xueying proceeded to a side hall, where the palace array spirit—an elderly man in yellow robes—awaited.
“Elder Xia,” Dongbo Xueying greeted.
“I heard you and the Fire Demon Sovereign were the only ones to complete the assassination mission,” Elder Xia remarked with a smile.
“Luck played a part,” Dongbo Xueying replied modestly, handing over a spatial bracelet. “This contains the items, as well as the Flamebane Demon Lord, whose power I’ve sealed.”
The demon lord had surrendered willingly, allowing Dongbo Xueying to suppress his strength.
Elder Xia accepted the bracelet and inspected its contents, his eyes widening slightly. “You captured the Flamebane Demon Lord alive? An attendant will deliver another ten billion cosmos crystals shortly. Combined with the treasures, that’s 30,000 mission merits—an impressive sum. However, whether you secure a slot depends on the final rankings. The top four will be granted entry.”
“I understand,” Dongbo Xueying said, masking his tension. *Please, no surprises.* Based on precedent, 30,000 merits should be more than enough.
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