Chapter 1331: The Demon’s Nature

In the city of Chiyun, there were indeed powerful figures who came to visit Dongbo Xueying.

“Brother Feixue, you want us to compete for treasures, but could you first let me take a look at that Hunyuan lifeform?” A red-haired man arrived to visit.

“Of course, Brother Yunxu. Here you go.” Dongbo Xueying flipped his hand and took out a storage treasure. “I’ve lifted the restrictions. You can directly probe it with your consciousness.”

The red-haired man immediately scrutinized it closely.

Inside the storage treasure, he saw a fire-attribute Hunyuan lifeform—a towering, majestic figure resembling a volcanic mountain, its body still faintly wreathed in flames, exuding an overwhelming aura. This was one of the compensatory gifts given to Dongbo Xueying by the ‘Shadow Demon Sect Master.’ Dongbo Xueying couldn’t help but muse—had he known how valuable Hunyuan lifeforms were in this Sacred Realm, he would have demanded more of their corpses as compensation from figures like the Shadow Demon Sect Master, Iron Dragon City Lord, and Wu Zhe City Lord back in the Thunderbolt World.

Of course, he hadn’t expected the second world he arrived in to be like this.

“At least in the Thunderbolt World, I managed to suppress many powerful figures to gain these rewards. That Northriver Divine Emperor… has always kept a low profile. He probably doesn’t even have a single Hunyuan lifeform corpse. His name is even on the latest hunting team application list.” Dongbo Xueying smirked inwardly. Since the city forbade bloodshed, he hadn’t considered making a move against Northriver.

Given their statuses, they could coexist peacefully under normal circumstances.

But if an opportunity arose—whether for Dongbo Xueying or Northriver—neither would hesitate to strike ruthlessly.

“Excellent. Truly a fire-attribute Hunyuan lifeform I’ve never seen before. Judging by the residual aura, it must have been at the mid-stage Divine Emperor level?” the red-haired man remarked.

“Correct,” Dongbo Xueying nodded.

“A pity it’s a bit weak,” the red-haired man said.

“Indeed, it can’t compare to those in the Sacred Realm. Here, even late-stage Divine Emperor-level Hunyuan lifeform corpses are common,” Dongbo Xueying replied with a faint smile. He saw no point in arguing—the true value of his treasure lay in its uniqueness within the Sacred Realm!

The red-haired man nodded slightly and said no more, rising to his feet. “Very well, Brother Feixue. I’ll take my leave now.”

“Please.”

Dongbo Xueying stood to see him off.

—

In the days that followed, many other powerful figures came to inspect the treasure.

After all, though Dongbo Xueying had publicly announced the event, who would go all-out in preparation without seeing it firsthand?

One day, a short, elderly man arrived outside Dongbo Xueying’s residence, where two puppet guards stood at the entrance.

“Inform your master that Xie Fan wishes to see him,” the old man said, his eyelids drooping, a faint red glint in his eyes.

The puppet guards, being under Dongbo Xueying’s control, relayed the message directly to him. One of them promptly responded, “My master welcomes you. Please follow me.”

“Hmph.”

The old man grunted and strode inside.

Led by the puppet, he soon arrived in a garden where Dongbo Xueying had already risen to greet him.

“Greetings, Brother Xie Fan,” Dongbo Xueying said politely.

He had no choice.

Xie Fan was a Dao Comprehender who had reached the half-step Hunyuan lifeform level! In terms of strength, he was likely even slightly superior to City Lord Yunfeng.

In Chiyun City, he was undoubtedly among the top few dozen strongest experts—some even whispered he had the qualifications to rank within the top ten!

Xie Fan excelled in two areas.

First, his physical body was monstrously powerful. Setting aside other aspects, his sheer *weight* was unmatched in Chiyun City. Merely releasing his aura would cause gravitational collapse and spatial distortion, forming an extremely terrifying domain. With such a physique, harming him was nearly impossible, and it granted him unparalleled survivability when hunting Hunyuan lifeforms.

Second, his close-combat prowess was horrifying. Even a peak Divine Emperor-level Hunyuan lifeform could be beaten to death by him in a one-on-one fight—something even City Lord Yunfeng of the Thunderbolt World couldn’t achieve.

In Chiyun City, Xie Fan belonged to the faction led by City Lord ‘Fengyun Yiyi.’ After all, the strong naturally formed alliances. To hunt Hunyuan lifeforms together, those with close ties, formidable strength, and shared life-and-death experiences gradually solidified into unshakable factions.

Though Xie Fan was notoriously ruthless and cruel, he was Fengyun Yiyi’s right-hand man.

“Hmph.”

The short old man, Xie Fan, responded indifferently, his drooping eyelids lifting slightly as he forced a faint smile. “Brother Feixue, I heard you intend to have the experts of Chiyun City openly compete for your treasure?”

“Indeed,” Dongbo Xueying replied with a smile. “Brother Xie Fan, please have a seat.”

Only then did Xie Fan sit cross-legged, facing Dongbo Xueying, as a puppet attendant poured wine for them.

“Listen, there’s no need for such trouble,” Xie Fan said after downing a cup, frowning dismissively. “Just hand over that fire-attribute Hunyuan lifeform corpse to me directly. In return, I’ll give you three complete corpses of different void-attribute Hunyuan lifeforms. A win for both of us!”

Dongbo Xueying’s expression darkened instantly.

A direct demand?

And only offering the bare minimum of three?

“Don’t worry. All three will be peak Divine Emperor-level,” Xie Fan added with a mocking smirk.

“I’ve already announced a public auction,” Dongbo Xueying shook his head. “If I follow your suggestion and fail to produce the fire-attribute corpse when the ten-thousand-year deadline arrives, I’ll be seen as untrustworthy. The entire city would mock me.”

“Relax. If you trade with me, I’ll immediately announce that *I* will host the auction,” Xie Fan said. “I’ll still let the city’s experts compete. They won’t blame you.”

“And if the public auction fetches five or more Hunyuan lifeform corpses? Will you share the surplus with me?” Dongbo Xueying asked coldly.

“I already said—three corpses in exchange. Once the trade is done, any benefits from auctioning the fire-attribute corpse belong solely to me,” Xie Fan stated matter-of-factly.

So, Dongbo Xueying’s treasure would go to Xie Fan, who would then sell it publicly?

“Xie Fan, do you take me for a fool?” Dongbo Xueying set down his cup, his face turning grim.

“Hahaha…” Xie Fan laughed, though his mirth was icy. “Being a fool can prolong your life!”

“You think you can threaten me?” Dongbo Xueying’s voice was frosty.

“Yes!” Xie Fan’s gaze sharpened as a terrifying aura began seeping out, distorting the surrounding space. “Just me.”

“What, you dare attack me within the city?” Dongbo Xueying sneered.

“Of course not. But opportunities *will* arise. Wouldn’t you agree? So, obeying me is in both our interests,” Xie Fan said with a sinister grin.

Even if this forced transaction went through, it would undoubtedly become public knowledge. But Xie Fan couldn’t care less—his wicked, domineering nature was well-known in the city.

For some experts, their ‘demonic hearts’ were their true selves. They followed their nature without the slightest pretense.

“If you lack the guts to act here, then *get out!*” Dongbo Xueying barked.

Xie Fan’s expression twitched. “Such nerve.”

“Enough talk.” Dongbo Xueying’s eyes flashed coldly as he waved a hand. An invisible force swept out, sending the wine jug and cup before Xie Fan flying away, shattering upon impact. “Leave. Letting you drink my wine only sullies it—and dirties my vessels.”

“Very well, very well.” Xie Fan stood, his smirk turning venomous. “You’ve got courage.”

“And you’ve got audacity. Since arriving in the Sacred Realm, you’re the first to dare threaten me,” Dongbo Xueying retorted.

“Tch.”

Xie Fan scoffed and turned to leave.

Dongbo Xueying watched him go, a cold glint in his eyes.

*Fool.*

For such a demonic fiend, Dongbo Xueying had never shown mercy. Given the chance, he would eliminate him without hesitation.

*Just as Eagle Serpent God and the others predicted—someone dared to threaten me right in the city.*

—

Aside from Xie Fan, only one other figure—a female expert named ‘Mo Shu’—had the gall to openly threaten Dongbo Xueying within the city. Both were infamous for their brutality. Yet both were angrily rebuked and driven out by Dongbo Xueying.

No other experts dared to follow suit. Xie Fan and Mo Shu were among the city’s most terrifying figures, ranking within the top few dozen. Even ordinary peak Divine Emperors wouldn’t provoke them lightly.

The city’s many experts watched with bated breath, curious to see what clashes would unfold between this ‘Feixue’ and the two monstrous powerhouses.

Time flowed on.

In the blink of an eye, the ten-thousand-year deadline for the treasure auction arrived!