Dongbo Xueying watched from afar as the young man clad in bone-white armor fled into the distance, waiting until the suppression of the starlight weakened before forcibly tearing through space to escape.
“To rank second among the Thirty-Six Divine Generals and be counted among the top-tier powerhouses across the entire Broken Tooth Mountain Range…” Dongbo Xueying mused silently. “No wonder the two great factions of the Broken Tooth Mountain Range—the Deathblade Clan and the Indigenous Tribes—barely regard cultivators with any respect. The gap is simply too vast.”
To put it plainly,
cultivators lack an entire tier of power compared to the two dominant factions of the Broken Tooth Mountain Range—the ‘Emperor’ level!
The so-called ‘invincible’ among cultivators, in terms of combat strength, only reach the ‘Monarch Perfection’ level! It is only due to their profound techniques that they can barely contend with those who have just stepped into the Emperor level. Take the Swordmaster, for example—he could barely hold his own against the Great Elder! As for the true ‘Emperors,’ when they intervened, it was only due to Dongbo Xueying’s illusions that the Emperor’s strength was severely diminished, allowing the Swordmaster to barely escape with his life.
Someone like Xia Huang, who has mastered two paths to their ultimate limits and wields a Supreme Treasure, only reaches the ‘initial Emperor’ level in combat strength! With his profound techniques, he can fight on par with the average ‘Emperor’ of the Floating Islands, and even stand a chance of survival against the ‘Eight Great Sages’ among the lower-tier Hunyuan lifeforms.
As for the Undying Nether Emperor… if he burns his heart’s blood, his combat strength can rival that of a Divine General, and with his profound techniques, he can even contend with the ‘Skeletal Divine General.’
“In the entire Heart Realm Continent, only Xia Huang and the Undying Nether Emperor stand at this level. The other cultivators fall far behind in combat strength. How did the gap become so vast?” Dongbo Xueying shook his head slightly.
“Brother Feixue!” The excited voice of the Starlight Sovereign rang out beside him.
The nine Elders of the Starlight Clan, their elite commanders, and countless distant clansmen all gazed at Dongbo Xueying with fervent admiration and awe.
While Dongbo Xueying was lost in thought, lamenting the disparity between cultivators and the Deathblade Clan and Indigenous Tribes, the Starlight Clan revered this cultivator—’Emperor Feixue’—with boundless gratitude and reverence, their hearts filled with shock.
“Brother Starlight,” Dongbo Xueying replied with a calm smile.
“I always knew Brother Feixue’s soul techniques were formidable, but I never imagined I had still underestimated you,” the Starlight Sovereign said, his eyes brimming with admiration. “Even Emperors either fall into oblivion or suffer severe weakening under your soul techniques! This is truly unprecedented. Since the dawn of the Heart Realm Continent and the Broken Tooth Mountain Range, you are the first to achieve such a feat!”
In truth,
Dongbo Xueying’s soul techniques were so overwhelming that even the average newly ascended Emperor among the Indigenous Tribes would be instantly crushed.
The Three-Eyed Clan leader had only retained a sliver of consciousness due to the unique nature of his soul.
As for the stronger Divine General-level beings, the weaker ones had even less resistance than the Three-Eyed leader! The Windmist Divine General had fallen into oblivion instantly, while the Gluttonous Cloud Divine General barely struggled. Only a supreme existence like the ‘Skeletal Divine General’ could retain thirty percent of his combat strength!
Dongbo Xueying was not surprised. During his explorations of the Floating Islands, the ‘Emperors’ there were typically at the Divine General level. Though the Deathblade Clan was a race of low intelligence, their numbers of Monarch and Emperor-level experts far surpassed those of other factions. Despite their limited intellect making higher cultivation difficult, they still boasted three Supreme Rulers—one more than the Indigenous Tribes!
Against Dongbo Xueying’s killing techniques, many of these Emperors had fallen into deep slumber.
A few could remain conscious, but since he lacked allies like the Starlight Sovereign back then, even retaining ten to twenty percent of their strength would have been enough to annihilate one of his avatars effortlessly.
“The Deathblade Clan lacks unity. Even neighboring Floating Islands barely communicate. The Indigenous Tribes’ rule is far more consolidated, allowing their powerhouses to assemble swiftly. I wonder how the Northriver Emperor will react next,” Dongbo Xueying mused silently.
“Brother Feixue, what should we do with the captive leaders of the five clans and the two Divine Generals? Should we confiscate their communication artifacts?” the Starlight Sovereign asked.
“That is your decision, Brother Starlight. Do not hesitate on my account,” Dongbo Xueying replied.
“Then we shall leave them be, allowing them to contact the outside world,” the Starlight Sovereign said eagerly. “Once news of this battle spreads, Brother Feixue’s reputation will soar. Soon, countless worlds across the Broken Tooth Mountain Range will turn their eyes to you. This should be beneficial—though it may invite some trouble. However, only those at the initial Emperor level can enter the Heart Realm Continent, and they would likely not dare. Facing your soul techniques, they would likely fall into oblivion the moment they arrived.”
“Haha.”
Dongbo Xueying chuckled. “Indeed, spreading the news would be advantageous.”
Cultivators had long been looked down upon in the Broken Tooth Mountain Range.
If his fame spread far enough, elevating his status, it would greatly aid his efforts to gather intelligence and explore perilous regions beneficial to his cultivation.
“However, I fear the Northriver Emperor may retaliate personally,” the Starlight Sovereign transmitted privately. “From what I know, the four Great Emperors under Haogu Supreme are all at the Sage level among Hunyuan lifeforms! And based on previous battles, the Northriver Emperor ranks first among them—his strength is only a hair’s breadth below a Supreme!”
Dongbo Xueying nodded solemnly.
“Most crucially, he commands the Thirty-Six Divine Generals. Though we captured two, they were among the weakest. We failed to capture the Skeletal Divine General,” the Starlight Sovereign continued, his voice tinged with concern. “If the Northriver Emperor leads a host of Divine Generals here, we will be in grave danger.”
“Indeed,” Dongbo Xueying agreed gravely. “The Skeletal Divine General retained thirty percent of his strength before me. The Northriver Emperor may preserve even more. The threat is far greater.”
“Precisely. I have an idea.”
The Starlight Sovereign transmitted, “I can reach out to other worlds. The Northriver Emperor is currently waging war across many realms. Countless factions resist him! With Brother Feixue here, we can severely weaken his forces—even the weaker Divine Generals may fall into oblivion. If the rulers of multiple worlds unite, we can stand against them. However, if I ask other sovereigns for aid, I must reciprocate when they face peril. They may also request your assistance in critical moments.”
“We can discuss this,” Dongbo Xueying nodded.
He held no fondness for the Northriver Emperor’s ruthless methods.
*Those who submit prosper, those who resist perish!*
Those who dared defy him were annihilated, their worlds handed over to obedient clans for colonization. Dongbo Xueying saw no harm in aiding some of these oppressed worlds.
“Excellent! With your approval, many world sovereigns will be overjoyed. They have long awaited a glimmer of hope,” the Starlight Sovereign said excitedly.
With an alliance of world sovereigns and Dongbo Xueying’s support, they could finally stand against the Northriver Emperor in open war!
—
Meanwhile, in the Northriver World…
Within a grand, towering hall, over a dozen Divine Generals had gathered. News had spread swiftly—the captive leaders of the five clans, the Windmist Divine General, and the Gluttonous Cloud Divine General had all contacted the outside world, clearly desperate for survival.
“To think he is this terrifying.”
“The Windmist Divine General fell without resistance. The Gluttonous Cloud Divine General was reduced to ten percent of his strength. If I faced such soul techniques, I might retain only ten to twenty percent of my power—not even enough to match an initial Emperor.”
The Divine Generals exchanged hushed transmissions.
Seated high upon his throne, the Northriver Emperor, clad in azure robes, gazed down coldly.
The hall was silent save for secret transmissions—none dared speak aloud. The Northriver Emperor’s reputation was carved in blood; his feats were legendary. All believed that if even the Skeletal Divine General had escaped unscathed, the Northriver Emperor alone—even weakened by soul techniques—could overpower the Starlight Sovereign and wreak havoc in the Starlight World.
And who knew what hidden trump cards the Northriver Emperor possessed?
Should he one day erupt with power rivaling a Supreme, none would be surprised. He was already the closest among the Indigenous Tribes to that realm, having defeated three Great Emperors of different bloodlines—proof of his terrifying might.
“Emperor Feixue?”
The Northriver Emperor sat in silence.
Then—
He stood.
The gathered Divine Generals tensed, their eyes fixed on their leader.
*Will he unleash a massacre?*
History showed that the Northriver Emperor’s solution to obstacles was often ruthless extermination.
“A remarkable Emperor Feixue,” the Northriver Emperor declared, his voice echoing through the hall. “To think a cultivator of such caliber exists. In soul techniques, he stands unrivaled across the Heart Realm Continent and the Broken Tooth Mountain Range. To encounter such a powerhouse fills me with joy. Come—let us depart for the Starlight World. I shall personally invite Emperor Feixue to be my guest in the Northriver World.”
The Divine Generals gaped in astonishment.
*A personal invitation?*
*A guest?*
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