Outside the city of Scarlet Cloud, in the wilderness.
Thirty cultivators were fiercely battling streaks of ‘lightning.’ These streaks were incredibly fast, ghostly in their movements, and numerous—over two hundred in total.
“Rip!”
A streak of lightning slashed across the body of the North River Divine Emperor, tearing away a portion of his flesh and even severing one of his legs.
“Break!” The North River Divine Emperor’s face twisted into a snarl as his sword light surged like a river, forcefully repelling the eerie lightning streak.
His body rapidly regenerated.
“Hurry, shake them off!”
“Retreat now!”
“Quick, quick, quick!”
The cultivators were panicking, many of them in dire straits. Among them was a burly, white-haired elder with strangely blind eyes. Sword lights swirled around him as he furiously attacked the ‘lightning streaks’—which were actually four-legged serpentine Hunyuan Lifeforms wreathed in lightning.
This blind, white-haired elder was the founder of their current expedition, the ‘Heart-Eye Sword Ancestor.’ Thanks to him, the group had yet to suffer any casualties. Whenever a cultivator faced certain doom, a streak of sword light would shoot out to repel the Hunyuan Lifeforms.
Thirteen sword lights orbited the Heart-Eye Sword Ancestor, ready to rescue his companions at any moment while also seizing opportunities to slay mid- and late-stage Divine Emperor-level Hunyuan Lifeforms.
Fighting as they retreated!
As they gradually shook off their pursuers, their retreat sped up until they finally broke free.
“Whoosh!”
The thirty-strong group didn’t bother concealing themselves, transforming into a hazy streak of light as they raced toward Scarlet Cloud City at terrifying speed.
Since they were already close to the city, their full-speed dash brought them back within moments.
“Heart-Eye, old friend.”
“Heart-Eye, you returned unusually quickly this time.”
Two powerful figures standing guard on the city walls greeted him with smiles.
The blind, white-haired elder shook his head. “Bad luck. We didn’t expect to encounter a pack of ‘Gray-Clawed Thunder Serpents’ so close to the city—over two hundred of them, half of which were at the Divine Emperor Perfection level!”
“What? That many Gray-Clawed Thunder Serpents?”
“Brother Heart-Eye is truly formidable—everyone made it back alive.”
The two guards praised him.
“We owe it all to Brother Heart-Eye.”
“Without him, I might have lost my life this time. Who knew we’d run into the most troublesome creatures around?” The cultivators in the group chimed in.
…
Among them, the North River Divine Emperor remained silent.
Though many in the group had faced danger, most were accustomed to it. The North River Divine Emperor, however, had only recently arrived in Scarlet Cloud City, and this was the most perilous encounter he’d experienced since coming here.
“Several times, I was on the verge of death.” Recalling those moments of crisis sent shivers down his spine.
“Hunting outside truly depends on luck. With a bit of bad luck, a powerful enough group of Hunyuan Lifeforms could swarm you, putting you at risk of annihilation,” the North River Divine Emperor mused. “Though I always choose to hunt near the city, where it’s relatively safer, that’s only in comparison. Over ten, a hundred, or a thousand trips, the odds of encountering a major crisis still add up.”
The area outside the city was only relatively safe. After all, even the most terrifying of imprisoned Hunyuan beings, like the ‘Master of the Hunyuan Sea,’ had once reached Scarlet Cloud City. Who was to say another group of Hunyuan Lifeforms wouldn’t appear?
“It’s too dangerous.”
“If this continues, and I encounter another crisis like this, will I survive?” The North River Divine Emperor grew anxious.
Though he possessed Divine Emperor Perfection-level strength, such power was the most common in Scarlet Cloud City—making up eighty percent of its inhabitants!
“Either I join one of those long-range hunting teams—though they venture farther and face greater danger, a single successful hunt could provide enough food for hundreds of millions of years, if not longer,” the North River Divine Emperor thought.
“Or, I pledge myself to one of the top-tier powerhouses and become a member of their team.” He pondered.
Scarlet Cloud City had several dozen top-tier powerhouses.
Whenever one formed a team, swarms of cultivators would clamor to join. After all, when venturing outside, top-tier powerhouses prioritized protecting their own team members before sparing any aid for independent cultivators.
“But with my strength, I have no advantage. Who would even want me?” The North River Divine Emperor shook his head inwardly.
Over the years, he had witnessed the might of these top-tier powerhouses.
Take the ‘Heart-Eye Sword Ancestor’ from this expedition—ranked among the top ten in Scarlet Cloud City. Each of his thirteen divine swords wielded power comparable to a Divine Emperor Perfection-level combatant. Combined, their strength was terrifying. It was only through his control of these thirteen swords that he had managed to protect everyone this time.
…
Inside Scarlet Cloud City, within the Scarlet Cloud Hall.
The North River Divine Emperor’s team proceeded to divide their spoils. As previously agreed, the Heart-Eye Sword Ancestor took eighty percent for himself, while the remaining twenty percent was distributed among the other cultivators based on their contributions.
There was no helping it. Even though the Heart-Eye Sword Ancestor claimed eighty percent, everyone still wanted to join his team because his abilities were uniquely suited to aiding his comrades. For him, hunting outside the city was almost risk-free. Even with bad luck this time, he had still brought everyone back alive—hence his lion’s share.
“Twelve million years’ worth of food.” The North River Divine Emperor collected his portion.
With the spoils divided, the group dispersed.
The North River Divine Emperor walked the streets alone.
“Twelve million years’ worth of food. At this rate, to last a hundred billion years… I’d need to go out and fight over a thousand times?”
“I haven’t been in Scarlet Cloud City long. There are too many powerhouses here, hailing from different worlds with diverse cultivation systems. Exchanging knowledge with them has been immensely rewarding. Given enough time, perhaps I too can advance further, reaching the ranks of the top-tier powerhouses—on par with the likes of City Lord Yunfeng.”
“I need time. Time to cultivate properly.”
Lost in thought, the North River Divine Emperor found himself standing before the gates of a residence.
He turned to look at its entrance.
This was Dongbo Xueying’s abode!
“Yingshan Xueying… In the end, I still have to beg him.” Gritting his teeth, the North River Divine Emperor muttered, “I’ve been waiting, hoping he’d come to me first so I could sell the Thousand-Eyed Water Pearl at a premium. But since he hasn’t… I have no choice but to go to him.”
He knew full well that if Dongbo Xueying came seeking him, he could name a high price.
But if he, the North River Divine Emperor, went begging Dongbo Xueying to buy the Thousand-Eyed Water Pearl, the latter would surely drive a hard bargain.
“I can’t wait any longer.”
The North River Divine Emperor strode straight toward the residence’s main gate.
A puppet guard stationed at the entrance barked, “Halt!”
“Inform your master that the North River has come to see him,” the North River Divine Emperor declared.
The puppet guard fell silent momentarily, presumably relaying the message to Dongbo Xueying. Soon, it responded, “Divine Emperor North River, please enter. My master awaits you within.”
Only then did the North River Divine Emperor step inside.
A puppet maidservant guided him along a corridor, soon leading him to a garden.
Within the garden, clad in white robes, Dongbo Xueying sat cross-legged beneath a pavilion. An incense stick burned, its fragrance permeating the air. Maidservants attended to him, with delicacies, fruits, and a warmed wine jug arranged nearby.
Dongbo Xueying’s eyes were closed, evidently deep in cultivation.
“What a contrast. I risk my life for scraps of food, while Yingshan Xueying can obtain it effortlessly.” Fresh from his harrowing ordeal, the North River Divine Emperor couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy and resentment at the sight of Dongbo Xueying’s luxurious lifestyle.
“Hmm?” Dongbo Xueying ceased his cultivation, opening his eyes to glance at the North River Divine Emperor approaching from the corridor. “North River? You actually came to seek me out? How rare.”
…
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