“Haha, Xueying must have had quite the harvest this time in the Heart Palace of the Realm. To stay for over a hundred million years and emerge with such strength—did he obtain a supreme treasure?” The Lord of Nanyun shook his head with a smile. “This disciple of mine has far better luck than his master! Back in my day, it took immense effort just to acquire a supreme treasure.”
A single supreme treasure, the ‘Blade of Two Realms,’ had forced him to swear an oath. And now, the Undying Nether Emperor—an ancient being from before the first Great War of the Ancient Kingdoms—had returned, causing that oath to resurface.
Otherwise, given the Lord of Nanyun’s power, even if he openly defied the oath, the Undying Nether Emperor could do nothing to him.
But unless absolutely necessary, the Lord of Nanyun had no intention of breaking his vow.
“A Venerable-level existence? This Ying Shan Xueying is truly fortunate!”
“I entered the Heart Palace of the Realm but found neither the opportunity to break through nor a supreme treasure.”
One by one, the powerful figures who received the news—such as the Flame Demon Venerable—were stirred by various thoughts. Some envied, some resented, and others sighed in admiration.
After all, even the mighty Fan Clan, over countless eons, had only produced six Great Venerables. Reaching the Venerable level was no easy feat.
—
**Heart Palace of the Realm.**
Within the grand hall, Dongbo Xueying, the Sword Demon Venerable, and the Black Monarch stood together, having just cleared the twelfth trial.
“News spreads fast,” Dongbo Xueying remarked with a sigh.
“Haha, Brother Feixue, with strength like yours, it’s impossible to hide,” the Black Monarch said with a faint smile. “But you truly are cautious. Even with such power, you still sought help from the Sword Demon and Pusul.”
Pusul had already been expelled from the palace. Given Dongbo Xueying’s true strength, his earlier pretense of weakness seemed deliberate. The Black Monarch’s words carried a hint of provocation.
He knew well that the Xiafeng Ancient Kingdom often looked down upon outsiders, though the Fan Clan was slightly more accommodating.
The Sword Demon Venerable interjected, “Feixue is a guest elder of our Xiafeng Ancient Kingdom. It’s only natural for him to collaborate with us. His Illusory Realm techniques made the earlier trials far easier. Had he assisted in the twelfth trial, Pusul might not have failed.”
Indeed.
Under the influence of the Illusory Realm, every guard would have been weakened, giving Pusul a fighting chance.
Dongbo Xueying glanced at the Sword Demon Venerable, silently thanking him for his understanding.
In truth, the ‘Combined Strike Technique’ was the final refinement of the Red Cloud Combat Arts. Originally designed for three avatars, he had painstakingly adapted it for nine, incorporating techniques suited to the power of Hunyuan. Only with this perfected method could his nine avatars unleash their full potential.
**Crack—**
The hall’s floor trembled as three stone pedestals rose, each bearing a stone box.
“It’s here.”
The Sword Demon Venerable, the Black Monarch, and Dongbo Xueying all brightened. This was the moment they had fought for—the reward for clearing the twelfth trial.
They stepped forward, each drawn to a pedestal by an unseen force, and placed their hands on the boxes.
**Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh.**
Almost simultaneously, they opened the lids. Joy flashed across their faces—though Dongbo Xueying’s expression held more surprise than delight.
“This…?” Dongbo Xueying stared at the crimson orb inside his box. Countless points of light swirled within it, moving in an unfathomably profound pattern. Each speck, if magnified billions of times, was in fact a unique universe.
Yes, every point of light was a real cosmos.
“A Domain Sea Origin?” His peripheral vision caught the treasures in the other two boxes—both the Sword Demon Venerable and the Black Monarch had obtained items worth roughly a hundred billion cosmic crystals, which was expected.
“Why would they grant me a Domain Sea Origin?” Dongbo Xueying was stunned.
A Domain Sea Origin was beyond priceless. It could serve as the foundation for an entire Domain Sea, allowing its owner to command the sea’s power and gain immense advantages in cultivation, particularly in the Void Dao. It could also be used to forge supreme artifacts, serve as the core of puppets or abodes… Its value surpassed even that of typical supreme treasures, and it was far rarer.
“How did he get a Domain Sea Origin?”
“Such a legendary item actually exists?”
The Black Monarch and the Sword Demon Venerable noticed Dongbo Xueying’s prize and were equally shocked.
The Heart Palace of the Realm’s favoritism was undeniable.
After clearing the ninth trial—despite joining midway, skipping the seventh, and contributing little—Dongbo Xueying had received rewards on par with theirs. Now, after the twelfth trial, where he had demonstrated his true power, his reward dwarfed theirs.
**Swish.** Dongbo Xueying swiftly stored the orb away.
The Black Monarch’s pupils contracted slightly as he discreetly sent a message: *”Ancestor, I’ve discovered a Domain Sea Origin. It was awarded to the Nanyun Kingdom’s Feixue Emperor after clearing the twelfth trial.”*
—
Elsewhere in the Heart Palace of the Realm, the Eternal Night Ancestor stood on a vast plaza, studying the intricate patterns etched into the ground. These markings held the mysteries of the supreme laws, and deciphering them promised great rewards.
At his level, the palace’s trials were far stricter, and gains were harder to come by.
*”Hm?”* The Eternal Night Ancestor’s pale face flickered with surprise. *”A Domain Sea Origin? The Nanyun Kingdom’s Feixue Emperor was granted one?”*
*”Such a treasure is wasted in his hands. Fate decrees it belongs to me.”* A faint smile curled his lips.
The Eternal Night Ancestor was undisputedly the greatest artificer of demonic servants in the entire Realmheart Continent. His creations, the Nine Eternal Night Walkers, were all combatants of Cosmic God caliber, with the strongest rivaling even the Lord of Nanyun.
Yet he sought to craft even mightier servants—a pursuit that was also a path of cultivation. But greater power demanded rarer materials.
*”A Domain Sea Origin would serve perfectly as one of the dual cores of light and darkness.”* With that thought, he stepped forward, vanishing into the void.
Few dared to traverse the Heart Palace of the Realm so brazenly.
—
“Feixue Emperor, congratulations on the Domain Sea Origin,” the Black Monarch said with exaggerated admiration. “Truly enviable. The Sword Demon and I received ordinary treasures, while you were granted such a rarity. The palace clearly favors you.”
“Just luck,” Dongbo Xueying replied, already moving toward the exit.
“Leaving so soon?” the Black Monarch called after him. “Not attempting the next trials?”
They had received the locations of the next three trials along with their rewards.
But Dongbo Xueying knew his limits. Without a supreme treasure, clearing the twelfth trial had been arduous. The fifteenth? Impossible.
Leaving now allowed him to explore other parts of the palace. Failure in the trials would mean expulsion, ending his journey prematurely.
“It’s time to go. Pushing further would only waste opportunities,” the Sword Demon Venerable agreed, following suit.
“I had considered trying another trial or two, but if both of you are giving up, I’ll play it safe as well,” the Black Monarch said. “Feixue Emperor, Sword Demon Venerable, where do you plan to go next?”
Dongbo Xueying glanced back, a flicker of suspicion crossing his mind.
*Since when did the Black Monarch become so talkative?*
Within the Heart Palace of the Realm, intelligence was closely guarded. Even the three great families of the Xiafeng Ancient Kingdom rarely shared information with guest elders.
**BOOM!**
A deafening explosion echoed in the distance, its shockwaves rippling through the palace.
“What was that?”
The trio, having just exited the hall, turned toward the source.
“Such power… It must be an invincible existence,” the Sword Demon Venerable murmured.
No sooner had he spoken than—
**Whoosh.**
A figure materialized in the sky before them, clad in a black cloak embroidered with golden patterns that shimmered faintly. His flawless, pale features were almost ethereal, and his gaze seemed to pierce through their very souls.
An overwhelming pressure bore down on Dongbo Xueying and the Sword Demon Venerable.
“The Eternal Night Ancestor,” Dongbo Xueying recognized instantly.
*”What are the odds of running into him here?”* A chill ran down his spine as he recalled the Domain Sea Origin’s uses—and the Black Monarch’s uncharacteristic chatter earlier.
*”Feixue Emperor, be careful,”* the Sword Demon Venerable transmitted urgently. *”That earlier disturbance was likely caused by the Eternal Night Ancestor. For him to rush here without slowing—even breaking through the palace’s hazards—and stop before us… This is no coincidence. I’ve alerted Emperor Xiafeng. If he means harm, stall for time.”*
Both were sharp enough to sense the unnaturalness of the encounter.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage