Even invincible beings like the Divine Emperor of Annihilation could not trace the ‘culprit,’ yet the Lord of Nanyun received the news.
In the imperial palace of the Nanyun Kingdom.
“Master,” an elderly servant bowed respectfully. “This humble servant has urgent news to report.”
“Speak freely,” the Lord of Nanyun said, seated cross-legged as he regarded the servant before him. This servant was none other than the demonic attendant ‘Pei Yun,’ utterly loyal to him, specially assigned to oversee the intelligence network of the Nanyun Sacred Sect! While minor intelligence from the sect was trivial, the most critical information and its aggregation were handled by demonic attendants and artifact spirits.
Their loyalty ensured no leaks.
Pei Yun bowed and said, “Master, regarding the death of the Lord of Chenfan, I suspect the mysterious killer is none other than Lord Flying Snow.”
“What?” The Lord of Nanyun was startled.
This was a case that had drawn the attention of countless powerhouses across the Heart Realm Continent, yet none had uncovered even a trace. Though the intelligence network of his Nanyun Sacred Sect was formidable, it likely didn’t rank among the top ten in the entire Heart Realm Continent. And yet, they had found a lead?
“Speak quickly. What evidence do you have to claim it was Xueying?” the Lord of Nanyun pressed. “Xueying and the Lord of Chenfan had no enmity between them, did they?”
“Master, the day before yesterday, Lord Flying Snow ordered through our intelligence network to gather all information related to large-scale massacres and calamities, demanding immediate reports upon discovery. I relayed the order… and yesterday, a detailed report on the Lord of Chenfan’s ‘Dark Prison’ was delivered to Lord Flying Snow,” Pei Yun explained.
The Lord of Nanyun listened intently, his heart tightening with each word.
“Almost immediately after receiving the report, Lord Flying Snow demanded all intelligence on the Lord of Chenfan and the Dark Prison. I swiftly gathered and transmitted it. Yet, less than half an hour later, the Lord of Chenfan was dead—slain within the Dark Prison! Even the three executioners within perished,” Pei Yun continued. “The timing is too coincidental. Thus, I suspect Lord Flying Snow is the killer. Though, of course, this is merely speculation.”
The Lord of Nanyun nodded slightly and ordered, “Compile all recent intelligence you have on Xueying and deliver it to me.”
“As you command,” Pei Yun bowed.
The intelligence network of the Nanyun Sacred Sect…
Because its core was managed by demonic attendants and artifact spirits, Dongbo Xueying had no fear of exposure when issuing orders.
Yet, these attendants and spirits were absolutely loyal to the Lord of Nanyun!
“Xueying did this?” The Lord of Nanyun could hardly believe it.
The kill was clean.
No traces left, undetectable even by invincible beings.
The deceased Lord of Chenfan hadn’t even had the chance to call for help or reveal the killer’s identity. All of this pointed to one conclusion—the killer was an existence of terrifying strength.
“After such a setback in the Heart Realm Palace, can Xueying really achieve this now?” the Lord of Nanyun pondered.
Soon, a flood of intelligence on Dongbo Xueying reached him.
“Hmm?” The Lord of Nanyun scrutinized the reports, though they were fragmented—the best his network could gather.
“Why is he collecting intelligence on evil and calamities?” he wondered.
—
Dongbo Xueying sat in a remote tavern in a small town of the Fuqiong Kingdom, savoring a uniquely flavored wine. For a cultivator to make a living selling wine, the brew had to be extraordinary—and those with widespread fame were even rarer.
“Exhilarating!”
Dongbo Xueying gulped down the pale-green liquor, feeling its warmth spread through his body, compelling him to drink more.
This was a wine meant for hearty swigs.
“Magnificent! It’s been ages since I’ve tasted such fine wine,” Xueying exclaimed, thoroughly pleased. “Bring me more.”
A waitress approached. “My lord, how much would you like?”
“How much does your tavern have?”
“This is the ‘Qu Clan Wine,’ a specialty of our tavern owner’s lineage. Brewing it isn’t difficult, but it requires considerable time. While our tavern’s reserves are modest, the family’s stock is vast,” the waitress replied with a smile.
“I’ll take one-tenth of your family’s reserves,” Xueying declared.
“One-tenth?” The waitress gasped.
A nearby patron chuckled. “Brother, the Qu Clan Wine is renowned even in our Fuqiong Kingdom. The Qu family’s reserves are immense.”
Xueying glanced at the waitress. “Make haste.”
It was no surprise he demanded so much. With a cultivator’s long lifespan and his fondness for the wine, even a vast quantity wouldn’t last him long. For ordinary cultivators, such prestigious wines might be a luxury, but Xueying could afford them without a second thought. His slaying of the Black Monarch and the Lord of Chenfan had more than compensated for his losses in the Heart Realm Palace—in fact, he had profited greatly.
The tavern owner was stunned, negotiating cautiously with Xueying. To his astonishment, an enormous deal was swiftly struck.
One-tenth of the Qu Clan Wine reserves changed hands for a mere 600,000 universe crystals—a pittance to Xueying.
—
With his beloved wine in hand, Xueying perched atop a desolate mountain peak, watching the clouds drift as he drank deeply from his gourd.
“Exhilarating! This is the finest wine I’ve encountered in my long years for such unrestrained drinking,” he mused, his soul trembling with pleasure. He had tasted many wines—some meant for slow savoring, others exorbitantly priced, with a single flask worth far more than 600,000 universe crystals. By comparison, the Qu Clan Wine was cheap.
For ordinary cultivators, it might be a slight indulgence. For a Cosmic God, it was trivial.
Yet Xueying adored it.
As he drank, insights into the Void Dao flashed through his mind, his heightened mood accelerating his comprehension.
After ten days of drinking and contemplation atop the peak, he resumed his travels.
Soon after acquiring his beloved wine, another piece of good news arrived.
“Yingshan Xueying, the Hunyuan Sand you requested has been gathered,” a voice whispered directly into his ear.
Xueying, swaying slightly with his gourd on a city street, jolted awake—then vanished instantly, startling the surrounding cultivators. A drunkard… disappearing into thin air?
—
In the imperial palace of the Xiafeng Ancient Kingdom, Xueying stood before Emperor Xia, who regarded him with newfound respect.
To slay the ‘Black Monarch’ in an instant—such power demanded attention even from invincible beings.
“Greetings, Your Majesty,” Xueying said with a smile.
“Here are the 100,000 jin of Hunyuan Sand you requested,” Emperor Xia tossed him a storage bracelet.
Xueying caught it eagerly.
Inside were countless black grains, each shimmering with an otherworldly glow. Though tiny, like beach sand, their beauty surpassed any gemstone. These were rare treasures discovered by invincible beings while harvesting Hunyuan essence—though they couldn’t fully utilize them, they recognized their value.
Gathering 100,000 jin had cost Emperor Xia dearly.
The Xiafeng Ancient Kingdom’s entire stock over countless eons amounted to only 50,000 jin. Thus, Emperor Xia had turned to the ‘Wanderer,’ the only other invincible being in the Heart Realm Continent specializing in the Void Dao, who possessed 30,000 jin. Through the Wanderer’s connections, Emperor Xia had purchased the remaining sand from other invincible beings of the Myriad Realms Ancient Kingdom.
Had Emperor Xia approached them directly, the price would have been exorbitant.
“Impressive, Emperor Xia. To gather so much so swiftly,” Xueying said, his tone light though his heart raced.
The weapon he coveted most—the one perfectly suited for the supreme secret art *Hunyuan Seven Strikes*—was now within reach. The remaining auxiliary materials, though valuable, were far easier to obtain. But Hunyuan Sand was different. Invincible beings accumulated it only over vast stretches of time. With 100,000 jin now in his possession, it was unlikely the entire Heart Realm Continent had even half that amount left. To gather another 100,000 jin would take who knew how long?
The Heart Realm Palace, in bestowing the weapon-forging method, must have known the Heart Realm Continent could provide.
“What have you deduced from my *Hunyuan Inquiry* that makes you so eager for this much Hunyuan Sand?” Emperor Xia asked.
“It aids in harnessing Hunyuan power. I wish to experiment,” Xueying replied vaguely.
“If you devise a method to utilize it, sell it to me,” Emperor Xia said eagerly.
He no longer underestimated Lord Flying Snow.
In terms of realm, invincible beings were merely at the apex. Xueying, Grandmaster Fuyi, and many other overlords stood at the final bottleneck, their realms nearly identical. Some overlords had even created unique techniques, granting them extraordinary combat power. Emperor Xia coveted such techniques—they might inspire him to break through his own limits.
“If I succeed, you’ll be the first to know,” Xueying said with a bright smile.
—
That very day, Xueying left the Xiafeng Ancient Kingdom. His slaying of the Black Monarch and the Lord of Chenfan proved one thing—invincible beings truly couldn’t trace him!
Emperor Xia, Patriarch Fan, and Emperor Cang had already admitted as much.
The Black Monarch’s death had driven the Nightmare Primogenitor to investigate frantically, yet he found nothing.
The Lord of Chenfan’s demise would surely prompt the Divine Emperor of Annihilation to probe as well.
“Since they can’t find me, I’m safe,” Xueying mused. His clone, carrying the Hunyuan Sand, altered its aura and appearance, settling incognito in the capital of the Xiafeng Kingdom.
For now, he would lie low.
Once all materials were gathered, it would be time to forge his weapon.
—
In the imperial palace of the Nanyun Kingdom, Xueying stood before his master.
“Master, I have a request,” Xueying said.
“Oh? What is it?” The Lord of Nanyun studied him, his mind swirling with suspicions—after all, his intelligence network believed Lord Flying Snow was likely the killer.
Xueying waved his hand, sending forth a scroll.
“I need all the materials and treasures listed here,” he said.
The Lord of Nanyun scanned the densely packed list and frowned. While the items weren’t excessively rare, their combined cost was staggering—over 100 billion universe crystals! Even for him, this was a colossal sum.
Surely his disciple didn’t expect him to simply hand them over?
“This peak-tier secret treasure should suffice as payment,” Xueying said, producing a sheathed curved blade radiating dark energy.
The Lord of Nanyun stared at the weapon, shocked—not just by the payment, but by its origin.
This blade…
It was the Black Monarch’s weapon!
“You killed the Black Monarch too?” the Lord of Nanyun gasped, his disbelief palpable.
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