Dongbo Xueying was quite satisfied. Although selling to other ancient kingdoms could also gather what he desired, firstly, he had enmity with the ‘Eternal Night Ancestor’ of the Ancestral Ancient Kingdom, making it impossible for him to lower his head and trade with him. Thus, selling to multiple parties would likely yield benefits not much higher than selling solely to the Xiafeng Ancient Kingdom! Secondly, across the entire Heart Realm Continent, the most suitable peak treasure to conceal his ‘Hunyuan Seven Strikes’—with power sufficient to satisfy him—was the ‘Void Fire Lotus.’
There was no other way. The ‘Hunyuan Seven Strikes’ made every avatar exceptionally strong! Normally, a Venerable master would only have one body wielding a peak treasure at immense strength, while other avatars would be much weaker (assuming they could even manifest avatars)!
The Void Fire Lotus, however, was a world-class Void Path treasure that enhanced all avatars!
…
Both parties swore an oath.
At their level, oaths only affected their Dao hearts! They posed no threat to life itself. Yet, whether it was the three invincible existences—Xia Emperor and the others—or Dongbo Xueying, all harbored an intense yearning for the path of cultivation. None would forsake their cultivation journey for the meager benefits of breaking an oath.
“Ancestor Fan, behold.” Dongbo Xueying also handed over a tome of illusory scriptures—a golden tome that flew forth, faintly revealing countless worlds upon its surface, all illusory.
As a self-created scripture, he could produce as many copies as he wished.
However, bound by the oath… within the Heart Realm Continent, only the Xiafeng Ancient Kingdom was permitted to teach it.
“Let me see.” Ancestor Fan took it and immediately began reading. The perusal lasted over half an hour, yet Xia Emperor and the others waited patiently. Dongbo Xueying had long since sat down with the Heaven-Rending Great Venerable, sharing drinks.
Ancestor Fan closed the tome, his eyes gleaming with delight as he gazed at Dongbo Xueying, smiling. “Truly different. I cultivate the Illusory Path, focusing on the hearts of men, luring their desires, turning them into puppets who serve me, drowning them in illusory worlds. Yet you seem to regard illusory worlds as another form of reality—where illusions, desires, destruction, and souls are all part of the real world?”
“Indeed,” Dongbo Xueying nodded.
“Impressive, impressive.” Ancestor Fan nodded. What he sought were the successful paths and experiences of others. This reading had greatly inspired him!
Of course, at his level, he wouldn’t easily alter his own path. Yet, he could absorb the wisdom of others and integrate it into himself.
“The fusion of the four paths is within reach.” Ancestor Fan was overjoyed. It was worth it. The purchase was worth it.
What were Hunyuan Sands to him?
What were peak treasures?
To Ancestor Fan, nothing was more important than his own cultivation path!
“Haha, as long as Brother Fan is pleased.” Cang Emperor and Xia Emperor laughed. Ancestor Fan’s satisfaction meant the trade was well worth it.
“Yingshan Xueying, this is the Void Fire Lotus, a world-class Void Path treasure I forged using the ‘Fire Domain Spirit Origin’ as its foundation. The Fire Domain Spirit Origin is comparable in value to the Domain Sea Origin you once obtained.” As Xia Emperor spoke, a fiery red lotus appeared in his palm. With a casual toss, it flew toward Dongbo Xueying.
Given the exorbitant cost of its materials, this peak treasure was of immense value.
“Thank you, Xia Emperor.” Dongbo Xueying reached out, and the fiery lotus descended into his palm. He was visibly excited.
Such a treasure could both conceal the Hunyuan Seven Strikes and greatly enhance his strength.
Otherwise, any avatar capable of unleashing combat power at the Cosmic God’s ultimate level would raise suspicions. With the ‘Void Fire Lotus,’ others would naturally ‘fill in the blanks.’
“Use it well. World-class treasures like this are rare.” Xia Emperor seemed somewhat reluctant to part with it.
“Understood,” Dongbo Xueying replied.
The effectiveness of a treasure also depended on the wielder.
The same treasure in the hands of different second-tier Cosmic Gods could unleash vastly different levels of power.
“Have you cultivated some kind of soul art?” Xia Emperor suddenly asked. “Although my ‘Hunyuan Inquiry’ aids in concealing the soul, obscuring karma and traces, it doesn’t reach your level.”
Ancestor Fan and Cang Emperor also looked at Dongbo Xueying.
“Concealing the soul, karma, and traces?” Dongbo Xueying was slightly taken aback. “Xia Emperor cannot detect it?”
Xia Emperor nodded. He already regarded Yingshan Xueying as part of his faction, and this matter would eventually come to light anyway. “Indeed, I cannot. Neither I, Ancestor Fan, nor Cang Emperor can detect it. Such concealment is likely on par with the ultimate level of body-refining techniques.”
Dongbo Xueying paused.
He recalled the moment in the Heart Realm Palace’s Hunyuan Tower, after reaching the ultimate level, when a drop of faint green liquid exuding a bloody aura fused with his soul. The pressure from that drop had far surpassed even Xia Emperor and the others, instantly rendering his avatars unconscious. After successful fusion, due to the interconnectedness of his avatars’ souls, all his avatars underwent transformations, each growing significantly stronger. Dongbo Xueying suspected that even reaching the ultimate level wouldn’t have caused such a dramatic soul evolution.
“It’s not an art. It must be due to a fortuitous encounter,” Dongbo Xueying said.
“A fortuitous encounter?” Xia Emperor, Ancestor Fan, and Cang Emperor understood.
The Heart Realm Continent indeed held such encounters—places like the Heart Realm Palace and the Broken Tooth Mountain Range harbored opportunities beyond their imagination.
…
Dongbo Xueying soon departed, escorted personally by the Heaven-Rending Great Venerable, who valued him for his strength. The Great Venerable knew it wouldn’t be long before the entire Heart Realm Continent learned of the ‘Flying Snow Divine Monarch’ of the Nanyun Kingdom—how formidable he was, with fame likely rivaling even the Nanyun King.
“Brother Flying Snow.”
“Divine Monarch Flying Snow.”
On the Fan Clan’s Demon Mountain, two Cosmic Gods flew side by side. Spotting Dongbo Xueying and the Heaven-Rending Great Venerable, they were familiar with the latter—being of the same clan—and thus more casual. Both greeted Dongbo Xueying with smiles.
“Great Venerable, Brother Lanxue.” Dongbo Xueying also smiled. Before him were the ‘Howling Mastiff Great Venerable’ and the Lanxue Divine Monarch.
The Howling Mastiff Great Venerable…
He was a figure who had risen alongside Xia Emperor, Ancestor Fan, and Cang Emperor. Within the Fan Clan, there were two Great Venerables whom even invincible existences couldn’t kill—one was the ancient Howling Mastiff Great Venerable, and the other was the younger Heaven-Rending Great Venerable. The Howling Mastiff Great Venerable was so ancient that he now lived in seclusion, wholly devoted to cultivation, detached from worldly affairs.
After a brief exchange, the two groups parted ways.
“The Heaven-Rending Great Venerable was quite courteous to that Yingshan Xueying,” the Lanxue Divine Monarch remarked, watching the distant figures depart. “I’d have thought, given his cold and stern nature, he wouldn’t pay Yingshan Xueying much heed.”
“Somewhat peculiar,” the Howling Mastiff Great Venerable mused, gazing into the distance. “But this Yingshan Xueying is also somewhat pitiable—rising to fortune only to face annihilation by Eternal Night.”
“Truly pitiable and tragic. What could he do against the Eternal Night Ancestor’s hand?” The Lanxue Divine Monarch couldn’t help but sympathize with Dongbo Xueying.
…
Dongbo Xueying didn’t rush to the Ancestral Ancient Kingdom. Instead, he returned to Flying Snow City to study the peak treasure ‘Void Fire Lotus’ in detail. Simultaneously, he dispatched an avatar to the Fan Clan’s Demon Mountain to cultivate once more beneath the Heart-Burning Divine Tree—three hundred billion years had passed since his last session there.
“Void Fire Lotus?”
In a dim meditation chamber, the white-robed Dongbo Xueying sat cross-legged, a fiery lotus hovering before him. Having effortlessly refined it, he carefully sensed its myriad mysteries.
“Truly worthy of Xia Emperor—the foremost among invincible existences in the Heart Realm Continent, the peerless expert who created the ‘Hunyuan Inquiry.'” Dongbo Xueying marveled at the peak treasure. Soon, he activated it. The fiery lotus rapidly expanded as he levitated onto it, sitting atop its center.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!…
Avatars manifested one after another.
The colossal fiery lotus occupied nearly half the chamber. Upon its petals, nine Dongbo Xueyings sat cross-legged, each petal cradling a chaotic world. The power of these worlds was harnessed by Dongbo Xueying, amplifying each avatar. The aura radiating from each surged to the level of a Cosmic God’s ultimate realm.
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