Soon.
The Insect Ancestor Batochen swiftly arrived at Feixue City. The three of them sat down, and Dongbo Xueying naturally arranged fine wine and delicacies.
“Go? Of course, I’ll go!” Batochen’s cold, insect-like eyes, which held the icy detachment unique to his kind, now burned with excitement. “I’ve long wanted to venture into the Duan Ya Mountain Range, but I always considered myself too weak. If I can go with Brother Xueying and Brother Yaojian, it’s an opportunity I couldn’t ask for more!”
Dongbo Xueying quickly added, “Batochen, both Yaojian and I have avatars. Even if we perish in the Duan Ya Mountain Range, it’s only a minor loss. But what about you?”
Batochen’s body suddenly dispersed into countless swarming insects before reforming back into his seated figure. He chuckled darkly, “In terms of strength, I may be weaker than you two, but when it comes to survival—even if this true body of mine is destroyed, I can still revive. It just takes a bit longer! Truthfully, I can no longer be considered a normal cultivator. I am, in essence, an ultimate-level insect beast! The Devouring Emperor once refused to merge his body with an insect beast, fearing the constraints it would impose. Yet in the end, he lost his life… Had he become an ultimate-level insect beast earlier, he wouldn’t have died so easily.”
“An ultimate-level insect beast?” Both Dongbo Xueying and the Swordmaster nodded slightly.
Insect beasts were artificially cultivated, and their breeding process was far more reckless than cultivation.
For example, pitting billions of weak insect beasts against each other in a brutal struggle for survival—only the strongest would emerge. Such methods were considered crude.
Feeding insect beasts rare treasures discovered in the Duan Ya Mountain Range was another method. The Devouring Emperor, in his research, had even grasped a certain law of the Dao through this process—though the path was excruciatingly harsh for the insect beasts themselves. Yet the results were monstrous.
At the same level of ultimate power, insect beasts could fly faster, possessed terrifyingly resilient bodies, and even a single drop of their blood could be lethally toxic.
The Devouring Emperor had devised a method to merge with ultimate-level insect beasts, but the soul requirements for each fusion were absurdly stringent. Batochen’s success was partly due to sheer luck.
“Good,” Dongbo Xueying nodded. “As long as Batochen has a way to survive, that’s what matters. We’re all prepared to face death on this journey!”
“Indeed,” the Swordmaster agreed. “You two likely know very little about the Duan Ya Mountain Range. Let me share some intelligence with you.”
Information about the Duan Ya Mountain Range was exceedingly precious.
Though Dongbo Xueying had some knowledge through his connection with the Southcloud Monarch, the latter’s strength was too limited—his intelligence paled in comparison to that of the Xiafeng Ancient Nation. Even Batochen, inheriting the Devouring Emperor’s legacy, likely knew more than Dongbo Xueying.
“The Xiafeng Ancient Nation truly lives up to its name. Their knowledge of the Duan Ya Mountain Range far surpasses even the Devouring Emperor’s,” Batochen remarked with delight as he reviewed the information. “Thank you, Brother Yaojian.”
“Since we’re going together, sharing intelligence is only natural. Just don’t spread it further,” the Swordmaster said with a smile. His status in the Xiafeng Ancient Nation was now lofty, and this intelligence was but a fraction—90% of what the nation had gathered. The remaining 10%, the most critical secrets, were beyond even his authority to disclose.
Still, this 90% already eclipsed the knowledge held by the Motian Ancient Nation, the Yuehua Ancient Nation, and others.
After all, the Xia Emperor had countless avatars, allowing for an unparalleled depth of exploration.
“Ah, the Duan Ya Mountain Range…” Dongbo Xueying’s eyes widened in awe.
The Duan Ya Mountain Range was vast, roughly equivalent to three Xiafeng Ancient Nations combined.
Though it appeared as an endless stretch of mountains, entering it meant stepping into an unfathomably expansive and bizarre space.
Within this space lay hidden countless peculiar worlds, each inhabited by the native denizens of the Duan Ya Mountain Range.
Beyond these concealed worlds, the most striking features were the floating islands—each a sprawling mass of mountains suspended in the void.
These islands varied in size, and the larger they were, the deadlier the dangers they harbored.
“Native inhabitants… the Deathblight Race… low-level Hunyuan lifeforms,” Dongbo Xueying mused.
The hidden worlds of the Duan Ya Mountain Range housed the natives—a collective force so powerful they formed their own faction.
Meanwhile, the Deathblight Race and low-level Hunyuan lifeforms primarily dwelled among the countless floating islands.
The islands themselves were fraught with peril, yet danger often concealed opportunity.
“The natives of the Duan Ya Mountain Range are said to carry an extremely faint trace of Hunyuan lifeform bloodline,” the Swordmaster explained. “This makes their reproduction difficult, but each individual is formidable—even newborns are at the Void God level. The rulers of these worlds are typically invincible, and some surpass even the Undying Nether Emperor in strength. Fortunately, the restrictions left by Yuan prevent the most powerful natives from leaving.”
Dongbo Xueying and Batochen nodded.
A strange race… all bearing Hunyuan bloodline?
“The Nightmare Patriarch and the Beast King once invaded some of these worlds, slaughtering and devouring the natives. As a result, many of these natives harbor hostility—or at least deep wariness—toward cultivators from the Heart Realm Continent. Few are friendly,” the Swordmaster added.
“Those two madmen,” Dongbo Xueying muttered, having learned of their atrocities from the intelligence.
The Beast King reveled in consumption.
The Nightmare Patriarch, fascinated by the natives’ Hunyuan bloodline, indulged in the same.
Their gluttony bred deep enmity, making life difficult for other cultivators who ventured into the Duan Ya Mountain Range.
“The Deathblight Race and low-level Hunyuan lifeforms mostly reside on the floating islands—precisely where we’ll be searching for treasures and opportunities,” the Swordmaster continued. “Low-level Hunyuan lifeforms are exceedingly rare, but the Deathblight Race is vast in number. Together with the natives, they form the two dominant factions of the Duan Ya Mountain Range.”
The existence of low-level Hunyuan lifeforms here was a well-kept secret.
But as far as known, they were termed “low-level” because their power was limited. First, their control over strength was crude. Second, invincible existences could usually escape them with ease.
Yuan had deemed them too insignificant to bother with, leaving them to roam the mountain range.
In contrast, the Deathblight Race and the natives, due to their sheer numbers, produced apex beings capable of slaying even invincible existences.
“The natives are much like us cultivators. That Lord of the Starlight World even came to your aid once,” the Swordmaster said. “Though wary, they can be reasoned with. The Deathblight Race, however… their intelligence is far lower. To them, cultivators are either edible or inedible—no negotiation is possible. Since we’ll be exploring the floating islands, our main adversaries will be the Deathblight Race. And we will encounter many.”
“Understood,” Dongbo Xueying and Batochen acknowledged.
“The floating island I plan to explore this time has claimed the lives of two groups of Cosmos Gods from my Cang Clan. I intend to uncover the truth,” the Swordmaster declared. “I’m ready to depart at any moment.”
For those with avatars—like the Southcloud Monarch and others—venturing into the Duan Ya Mountain Range was often worth the risk.
At worst, they’d lose an avatar. At best, they could reap immense rewards.
“Haha, I have countless avatars. I can leave anytime,” Dongbo Xueying laughed.
“I’m alone and unburdened. I’m ready,” Batochen added.
“Good. After this wine, we depart today!” The Swordmaster brimmed with excitement. This would be his first exploration since reaching the ultimate level. With his invincible strength, he was finally qualified to delve deep into the Duan Ya Mountain Range.
Though dangers capable of slaying even invincible existences lurked within, the mountain range was vast—such perils were not easily stumbled upon.
Dongbo Xueying cared even less. With his many avatars, he sought life-and-death trials to spur his breakthrough—to take that final step into the ultimate realm.
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