“Hmm?”
“It’s the three Divine Emperors, and that’s the Flying Snow Divine Emperor.”
The long-term surveillance in the vicinity noticed the three Divine Emperors and Dongbo Xueying but did not come to obstruct or stop them.
After all, everyone knew that a single Divine Emperor, paired with the Flying Snow Divine Emperor, could already contend with a Venerable.
“Terrifying presence, isn’t it?” The Witchwind Divine Emperor gazed at the vast, monstrous dark vortex and the ferocious, enormous serpent head, sighing, “I heard this serpent head belongs to one of the two fallen Hunyuan lifeforms—a colossal snake. Even in death, the vortex it formed never dissipates. Forcing our way in would be suicide.”
Dongbo Xueying nodded, observing the towering serpent head, which seemed carved from stone. The head alone was as massive as the dark vortex, comparable in size to an entire nation in the Southern Cloud Kingdom. How enormous would the entire serpent have been if it still existed?
Such a size was unimaginably vast, befitting a naturally born Hunyuan lifeform—and one of the elite among them. Compared to beings like the ‘Stone Abyss Sovereign’ or the ‘Myriad-Touched Dragon Prince,’ they were like tiny grasshoppers before a dragon.
“Northriver has already fled into the Serpent Fang Corridor. There’s no way for us to pursue him.”
“Lucky for him, he escaped quickly.”
“Thank you, all three of you. Since Northriver has entered the Serpent Fang Corridor, let’s consider this matter settled for now.”
Dongbo Xueying bid farewell to the three Divine Emperors and departed alone.
…
This incident involved the ‘Thousand-Eyed Water Pearl,’ a treasure capable of granting entry into the Serpent Fang Corridor. It also implicated one of the Five Venerables—’Shi Fa Venerable’—as well as Northriver Divine Emperor and the ‘Flying Snow Divine Emperor,’ a cultivator from the Heart Realm Continent. Thus, news spread rapidly, quickly reaching the top-tier powerhouses of the Broken Tooth Mountain Range.
Opinions varied—some envied Northriver Divine Emperor, while others pitied the Flying Snow Divine Emperor.
“He helped Northriver Divine Emperor and even managed to resist Shi Fa Venerable, but aside from his soul techniques, his own combat prowess is too weak! Against Northriver Divine Emperor, he had no resistance at all and was easily annihilated.”
“After all, he’s just a cultivator. Cultivators are inherently weak in strength.”
“Without sufficient power, naturally, he couldn’t hold onto the Thousand-Eyed Water Pearl.”
“The Thousand-Eyed Water Pearl is a treasure of our Broken Tooth Mountain Range. What right does a cultivator from the Heart Realm Continent have to possess it?”
Though the top powerhouses of the Broken Tooth Mountain Range held some respect for the Flying Snow Divine Emperor, there were still those who looked down on Heart Realm cultivators and resented his reputation. Seeing him suffer such a loss naturally brought them satisfaction.
…
News traveled slowly between the Heart Realm Continent and the Broken Tooth Mountain Range. However, five years after the incident, it gradually spread to the Heart Realm.
In a cold, dim hall stood numerous pillars inscribed with strange formations, each housing a powerful vengeful spirit.
“Whoosh.” A consciousness descended, and the energy of heaven and earth coalesced into a handsome man clad in a cape—an avatar of the Eternal Night Primogenitor.
As the avatar appeared, the vengeful spirits bound to the pillars stirred. Some struggled and roared, glaring at the Eternal Night Primogenitor. Others opened their eyes briefly before returning to slumber, while a few simply stared coldly. Each pillar held one of these super-powered spirits—twelve in total.
“I wonder what that Undying Nether Emperor is up to now,” the Eternal Night Primogenitor muttered to himself.
“Eternal Night, you’ve come.” From afar, seated on a throne in resplendent golden robes and a crown, the Undying Nether Emperor opened his eyes and looked down at the Eternal Night Primogenitor. “Since you refuse to aid me now, what brings you here?”
The Eternal Night Primogenitor quickly replied, “Nether Emperor, you can’t blame me. You know the current reputation of Ying Shan Xueying. His influence in the Broken Tooth Mountain Range is immense—many treasures and opportunities are willingly offered to him by the mountain’s powerhouses. It’s likely he’ll reach the Ultimate realm someday. Once he does, he might become the strongest in the Heart Realm Continent. I still want to live! Fortunately, I asked ‘Extreme Night’ to mediate and made many concessions. The Flying Snow Divine Emperor agreed to settle our grudge.”
“Hmph, just afraid to die,” the Undying Nether Emperor sneered, though he understood the reasoning.
“What choice do I have?” The Eternal Night Primogenitor shook his head.
He felt humiliated.
But he feared future retaliation from Dongbo Xueying—so much so that he didn’t dare approach him personally due to their past enmity. Instead, he sought the help of the ‘Extreme Night Primogenitor.’ Dongbo Xueying agreed to the terms, and just a year after the ‘Thousand-Eyed Water Pearl’ incident, the Eternal Night Primogenitor secretly met Dongbo Xueying alone, offering apologies and swearing an oath.
Cultivators took oaths seriously!
In truth, Dongbo Xueying wasn’t entirely unforgiving toward these great fiends—Undying Nether Emperor, Eternal Night Primogenitor, Moonflower Monarch, and other Ultimate-level villains. As long as they agreed to his terms and swore oaths, he promised not to hunt them down. His leniency stemmed from the fact that, at present, he couldn’t kill these Ultimate-level figures. If he left them no way out, their desperation could trigger catastrophic disasters.
Most had long since come to apologize and swear oaths.
Only someone like the Undying Nether Emperor—obsessed with becoming a Hunyuan lifeform, with no hope of achieving it through cultivation alone—had lost all confidence. Fixated on entering the ‘Serpent Fang Corridor,’ he had burned bridges with Dongbo Xueying. Now, he was frantically capturing and harvesting countless souls, causing untold deaths. For now, Dongbo Xueying could do nothing to stop him.
“Ying Shan Xueying suffered a major setback in the Broken Tooth Mountain Range, didn’t he?” The Undying Nether Emperor scoffed. “He was lucky enough to obtain the ‘Thousand-Eyed Water Pearl,’ but without the strength to keep it, it was taken from him. Northriver Divine Emperor treated him with utmost courtesy before, but when it came down to it, he turned on him without hesitation. Hmph! Under normal circumstances, the Broken Tooth Mountain Range powerhouses might give him face, but when it comes to opportunities tied to becoming a Hunyuan lifeform, what is Ying Shan Xueying to them?”
“Exactly. Those Broken Tooth Mountain Range powerhouses only see him as useful,” the Eternal Night Primogenitor nodded. “In terms of strength, we cultivators are far inferior to them. The rules set by Yuan prevent the mountain’s top powerhouses from entering the Heart Realm Continent.”
…
Among the Heart Realm Continent’s top cultivators, some had submitted to Dongbo Xueying’s pressure, offering apologies and surrendering. Others were envious or resentful. Upon hearing of the events in the Broken Tooth Mountain Range, many secretly sneered.
“Look at how arrogant he was—touted as the future strongest in the Heart Realm. But now, in the Broken Tooth Mountain Range, those powerhouses turned on him without hesitation.”
“His strength is ultimately lacking.”
“They say he has hope of reaching the Ultimate realm, but who knows? He might be stuck at this bottleneck for ages.”
Whispers spread everywhere.
Their words held some truth. Reaching the Ultimate realm was indeed difficult. Due to his Hunyuan weapon, the rumored supreme secret arts of the Flying Snow Divine Emperor, and the many opportunities in the Broken Tooth Mountain Range, many believed his chances were high. But hope was just that—hope. Until he broke through, no one knew how long he might remain stagnant.
…
Amid the outside clamor, Dongbo Xueying continued his tranquil life in Flying Snow City.
Future strongest in the Heart Realm?
Stuck at a bottleneck for ages?
Easily bullied in the Broken Tooth Mountain Range?
“Xueying, is it true about the Thousand-Eyed Water Pearl?” The Southern Cloud Monarch personally came to inquire.
“Master, please sit.” Dongbo Xueying watched the drifting clouds, smiling as his master arrived.
“I’m asking you something.” The Southern Cloud Monarch sat down, poured himself a cup of wine, drank it, and then fixed his gaze on Dongbo Xueying.
“It’s true. And it’s only natural—aside from my soul techniques, what does my combat prowess amount to in the Broken Tooth Mountain Range?” Dongbo Xueying chuckled.
“Ah! What a pity. The legendary forbidden land of the Broken Tooth Mountain Range—the chance to enter was right before you, and now it’s gone.” The Southern Cloud Monarch sighed. He hadn’t even known what the Serpent Fang Corridor was until the news spread. Upon learning of its unique and mysterious nature—a place even the Five Venerables of the Broken Tooth Mountain Range desperately sought to enter—he was astounded.
“There’s nothing to regret. I never thought I could monopolize the Thousand-Eyed Water Pearl.” Dongbo Xueying remained calm, free from delusions. “I just misjudged Northriver Divine Emperor. I had already made many promises and oaths, even agreeing to keep a clone by his side at all times. Yet he still didn’t trust me—preferring to offend me and seize the pearl immediately.”
The Southern Cloud Monarch nodded. “Indeed, a pity. If only your strength matched that of someone like Summerflame Monarch, combined with your illusion techniques, you’d have nothing to fear.”
Dongbo Xueying smiled faintly.
In the end, he was outmatched. There was nothing more to say.
…
The affair of the Thousand-Eyed Water Pearl spread throughout the Broken Tooth Mountain Range and the Heart Realm Continent. Yet Dongbo Xueying remained low-key, focusing on his cultivation.
One day.
Flying Snow City, the Divine Emperor’s residence.
Dongbo Xueying sat beneath a pavilion, watching fish dart through the lake. Suddenly, he recalled a scene he had once witnessed—a terrifying Hunyuan lifeform soaring through the boundless chaos.
“Every movement of such a Hunyuan lifeform carries unimaginable power.” Dongbo Xueying’s memory was impeccable, recalling every detail. While the other mysteries of the creature’s flight were beyond him, its manipulation of the Void Path—his own expertise—stood out. He carefully revisited the scene, studying the Void Path principles embedded in the creature’s movements.
Its flight and undulations.
With a single ripple, it traversed distances nearly equivalent to an entire source world. Its mastery of the Void Path left Dongbo Xueying in awe.
“Too perfect.”
He could find no flaw in its motion.
Everything was seamless, unified.
He admired the beauty of it—the extraordinary elegance in every movement of the colossal Hunyuan lifeform.
“Heavenly and earthly phases, fused as one!”
“The Line Phase—so exquisite.”
“The Rage Phase—so unrestrained.”
As he marveled, a spark of insight flashed through his mind.
His clone had been secluded in the ‘Seven Bell Tower,’ meditating on the Void Path and making many breakthroughs. He had long sought to create the sixth killing move of the Void Path. Now, inspiration struck. Past realizations, like scattered beads, were threaded together by a single strand.
“The Heavenly Phase, Earthly Phase, Illusory Phase, Rage Phase, and True Phase intertwine, enveloped by the Empty Phase… connected by the Line Phase…” In his mind, he saw the massive Hunyuan lifeform’s tail flick once, weaving countless ‘Line Phases’ into perfect harmony.
“Three Line Phases suffice.”
“Three Line Phases merge, unified through the ‘Multiverse’ principle.”
“Combined, they culminate in the Great Extinction!”
Dongbo Xueying’s eyes gleamed with excitement. He had long sought to fuse the nine paths, accumulating profound insights—only lacking the final spark.
Now, enlightenment dawned. From admiring the flight of the terrifying Hunyuan lifeform, he grasped that spark, swiftly integrating it with his countless realizations.
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