“Without using the World Flower, it seems the sixth layer is my limit,” Dongbo Xueying murmured as he gazed at the sixth array diagram on the cylindrical pillar.
Back when City Lord Luo had bestowed upon him the seed of the World Flower, he had entered one of its blossoms to cultivate, eager to experience its wonders.
After completing his cultivation within that first World Flower, Dongbo Xueying hadn’t rushed to enter another.
He wanted to push his own limits, to see how far he could go under the guidance of the Hunyuan Tower! By forcing himself to the brink before using the World Flower, he believed the insights gained from witnessing its bloom would be far richer. The World Flower was precious—he had to maximize its use.
For now, he refrained from entering another World Flower.
Having already achieved the fusion of three meridians, he had deciphered the ten array diagrams of the third layer of the Hunyuan Tower in just over ten thousand years. Yet, he deliberately lingered there for millions of years, consolidating his foundation.
The ten diagrams of the fourth layer took him a hundred thousand years to fully comprehend.
The fifth layer proved far more challenging, but midway through, he succeeded in fusing four meridians! From then on, progress became smoother, and he fully grasped all ten diagrams in just over three million years.
The sixth layer…
Now, after more than fifty-five million years in the Heartworld Palace, he found himself stumped before the sixth diagram of the sixth layer. With only fifty thousand years left, he dared not push himself any further.
“World Flower.”
Back in his home, the Chaos Void, the black-robed Dongbo Xueying soared toward the lowest of eight blossoms on a vine-like plant—a gray, unopened bud.
Whoosh.
Entering the gray flower, he found himself in a desolate, evolving world of chaos. The world birthed only a sparse population of animals and humans, remaining cold and harsh throughout its existence. Over the course of ten thousand years, the flower bloomed and withered, its internal world never flourishing beyond a few thousand humans, who remained just one among many struggling species, never forming a dominant civilization.
“The Void…”
As Dongbo Xueying observed the unfolding of the Void Path in this fleeting ten-thousand-year span, countless flashes of insight surged within him.
“Incredible. The previous pink flower and now this gray one—both depict the complete Void Path, yet they lean toward entirely different directions,” he marveled.
It was like the same fusion of five phases.
Some experts would create techniques renowned for their domains.
Others would devise world-sealing methods.
This divergence stemmed from each expert’s unique perspective—their utilization of the Dao was fundamentally different! Each World Flower presented the complete Void Path in a distinct manner, and these differing approaches collided in Dongbo Xueying’s mind, sparking countless epiphanies. It filled him with gratitude toward City Lord Luo.
A thought even crossed his mind: *I wonder what City Lord Luo gifted Swordmaster.*
Treasures were merely tools—their true worth depended on the wielder. Without sufficient comprehension, even the greatest treasures would be wasted. This was why City Lord Luo had chosen to aid Dongbo Xueying and Swordmaster, bypassing other Cosmic Deities.
—
The insights from a single World Flower reinvigorated Dongbo Xueying’s near-stagnant comprehension, sending it soaring once more.
He had countless flashes of enlightenment to study and refine.
With just a fraction of his focus, he swiftly deciphered the array diagram before him.
—
After spending a full ten million years on the sixth layer, he finally ascended to the seventh. There, he continued pushing himself, taking over six million years to fully grasp all ten diagrams.
On the eighth layer, before the seventh diagram, Dongbo Xueying was forced to enter a World Flower for the third time.
On the ninth layer, the ninth diagram stumped him again, leading to his fourth World Flower cultivation.
Then came the tenth layer.
—
Across the Heartworld Continent, the upper echelons of the Six Great Ancient Nations watched as Cosmic Deities were expelled one after another. Even the Xiawind Ancient Nation’s ‘Monarch Wuhua’ was finally ejected. Now, only two below the level of Sovereigns remained inside—one of them being the ‘Flying Snow Divine Emperor,’ Ying Shan Xueying of the Southcloud Nation.
“Over ninety million years, and he’s still inside?”
“Truly terrifying.”
“Staying that long, he might have gained something extraordinary—perhaps a peak-tier treasure or some other rare artifact!”
“If peak-tier treasures were so easily obtained, how many would exist on the Heartworld Continent? It’s not that simple!”
Discussions flared everywhere.
Even Cosmic Deities were not immune to envy. Acquiring a peak-tier treasure was no small feat. The Southcloud Monarch himself had once been hunted to the brink of death before stumbling into an ancient ruin left behind by the Undying Nether Emperor. Only after swearing an oath did he obtain the ‘Two Realms Blade.’ For those without the backing of an invincible existence, obtaining such treasures was nearly impossible!
Even those with powerful backgrounds who entered the Heartworld Palace had slim chances of securing a peak-tier treasure.
—
Of course, Dongbo Xueying was different. As a reincarnated soul bearing the Heartworld Token, ‘Meta’ had left behind the Hunyuan Tower as an opportunity for prodigies like him. The rewards he could obtain depended entirely on his comprehension.
“Stuck again.”
On the tenth floor of the Hunyuan Tower, Dongbo Xueying stared at the seventh array diagram. With only fifty thousand years left, he adhered to his ironclad rule: once time dwindled to this point, he *had* to use a World Flower.
In theory, World Flowers were most effective when used at bottlenecks. But for this trial in the Hunyuan Tower, expending a few more was worth it. From the start, he had resolved that if he could reach the ultimate end, even seven or eight blossoms would be justified. As it turned out, the trial’s difficulty wasn’t as absurd as he’d feared—or perhaps his comprehension was simply high enough. With just four World Flowers, he had come this far.
“The fifth one.”
Without hesitation, Dongbo Xueying’s avatar in the Chaos Void entered the fifth World Flower.
This time, he was determined to succeed.
According to the message ‘Meta’ had conveyed, simply carving all the inner walls of the eighth layer and stepping into the ninth would grant him a ‘Supreme Treasure’—a reward that would drive even perfected Cosmic Deities to madness. On the Heartworld Continent, some perfected Cosmic Deities still lacked such treasures.
What if he reached the tenth layer?
What if he carved all the inner walls of the tenth layer? What if he achieved the ultimate?
Every array diagram in the Hunyuan Tower guided his cultivation, perfectly tailored to him. He believed the final reward would be no different.
“Boom—”
The insights from the World Flower propelled Dongbo Xueying forward, allowing him to fuse six meridians in a single leap!
Opening his eyes, he studied the remaining diagrams. With a brief contemplation, he deciphered them one after another. Yet, he didn’t rush to claim his reward. Instead, he waited until the very last year of the allotted billion years. Once he left the Hunyuan Tower, he would have to continue his trials in the Heartworld Palace—where such a safe, undisturbed cultivation environment would be impossible to find.
Finally, in the final year, Dongbo Xueying rose. With a flick of his hand, a blade of void energy carved the tenth diagram onto the inner wall—completing the ultimate challenge of the Hunyuan Tower.
“The ultimate.”
“I wonder what the final reward will be.” For a moment, Dongbo Xueying even felt a twinge of guilt.
With the aid of the World Flowers, he had come this far. Without them, he might have been stuck at the fifth or sixth layer.
But…
Dongbo Xueying was mistaken.
His trial was the Path of the Void. On the Heartworld Continent, experts of this path all had avatars. ‘Meta’ had designed the trial with this in mind—no Void Path expert would ever send *all* their avatars inside.
Once the Hunyuan Tower was discovered, none of these experts would be foolish enough to neglect their external avatars. They would spare no expense to gather cultivation aids, maximizing their progress during the trial.
For example—
Core disciples of the Six Great Ancient Nations could purchase rare treasures or even seek the aid of invincible existences to maintain time acceleration, allowing their external avatars to cultivate at tenfold speed. Those favored by figures like the Xia Emperor or the Infinite City Lord would receive even greater assistance.
—
Given all these methods…
Dongbo Xueying’s talent and comprehension were indeed extraordinary. His self-created *Nine Revolutions Immortal Art* was proof enough. Even without the World Flowers, relying solely on his contributions to the Fan Clan and basic time acceleration, he could have contended for a Supreme Treasure.
But with the World Flowers, he had gone even further.
“Hummm—”
The towering Hunyuan Tower erupted in radiant light.
Inside the tenth layer, Dongbo Xueying looked up. Above him, a swirling mass of darkness—infused with the primal power of Hunyuan—began to take shape, as if something unimaginable was being forged within.
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