The Crimson Peak Daoist led Dongbo Xueying through the boundless expanse of the Infinite Hunyuan Space.
The Hunyuan Space was vast beyond measure. Even for powerful beings like them, traversing it required considerable time.
Whoosh!
A crimson thread of blood suddenly split into two figures—the Crimson Peak Daoist and Dongbo Xueying.
“Look, there it is,” the Crimson Peak Daoist pointed into the distance. “The Hunyuan Void Tunnel has been breached. The enemy is about to emerge.”
Dongbo Xueying immediately focused his senses. Even with his current perception of the Hunyuan Void, he could feel the strangeness of that region—a fixed passage seemed to have drilled its way through from some distant realm.
“They’re here,” Dongbo Xueying murmured, sensing it clearly.
A colossal entity emerged from the tunnel. The moment it appeared, its body rapidly expanded to its true size—roughly one percent of a standard Source World. Its mere presence caused the surrounding Hunyuan energies to churn violently, its natural aura distorting the very fabric of the void.
Twelve golden horns jutted upward from its head, while eight muscular arms rippled with the profound mysteries of Hunyuan-level laws. Different parts of its body existed at varying time flows—some faster, some slower—while space itself folded and twisted around it, allowing multiple limbs to occupy the same point. Its existence was akin to a miniature Source World.
“Is that… Yan?” The Crimson Peak Daoist’s expression darkened as he recognized the figure. He immediately sent a mental transmission to Dongbo Xueying. “Emperor Feixue, Yan is a late-stage World-Class Hunyuan being with immense accumulated power. He is not to be trifled with. Stall him if you can, but if you can’t, don’t force it. The gap between your strengths is too vast. My weak avatar won’t linger here—I don’t want to be caught in the crossfire.”
With that, the Crimson Peak Daoist transformed back into a crimson thread and fled toward the direction of the Cultivation Sacred Realm.
—
Elsewhere in the vast Hunyuan Space, a silver-haired man with three eyes sped through the void. He was none other than the renowned ‘Heavenly Wolf Guest,’ a World-Class Hunyuan expert under the command of the Eight Lords. Currently, he was rushing to reinforce the battlefield.
He wasn’t alone—other powerful beings were also converging on the same location.
This was one of the major battlefronts in the ongoing large-scale assault by the enemy forces.
Among the reinforcements, the Heavenly Wolf Guest was the fastest, yet even he would take roughly an hour to arrive.
“Yan?” As he traveled, the Heavenly Wolf Guest extended his senses and immediately detected Yan’s emergence.
If he were present, he could have faced Yan one-on-one and, given enough time, even slain him.
“Emperor Feixue,” the Heavenly Wolf Guest transmitted urgently. Dongbo Xueying had recently acquired a communication artifact, imprinting his energy signature, allowing other Hunyuan experts to contact him.
“I am the Heavenly Wolf Guest, dispatched to assist you. I will arrive as quickly as possible. Maintain a safe distance from Yan! If you get too close, your main combat avatar could be annihilated. I have fought Yan before—here is detailed intelligence on him.”
—
Dongbo Xueying received warnings from both the Crimson Peak Daoist and the Heavenly Wolf Guest, along with the intelligence.
“Maintain distance?” Dongbo Xueying gripped his black spear and strode forward, his body swelling in size as he advanced. By the time he stopped, he was still smaller than the Heavenly Wolf Guest—only half his height. This was the largest he could grow without compromising his combat effectiveness.
“You are Emperor Feixue?” Yan’s dark yellow eyes locked onto Dongbo Xueying. Despite the distance, they could see each other clearly. “Was it you who killed Chenghao?”
“Chenghao? The one imprisoned in the Abyssal Sea? If it’s him, then yes, I killed him.” Dongbo Xueying continued walking, each step covering vast distances with spatial movement techniques.
Two beings, each resembling miniature Source Worlds, moved toward each other. Even without employing profound techniques, their strides alone were immense.
“A newly ascended World-Class Hunyuan with mid-stage strength?” Yan mused as he advanced. Unlike cultivators, whose lives were tied to their cores, these innate Hunyuan beings prioritized survival above all else. Their defensive capabilities were unparalleled.
“Let’s destroy his main combat avatar first.” Yan saw no threat in Dongbo Xueying.
The distance between them shrank rapidly.
“Emperor Feixue, don’t get too close! Engage from a distance!” The Heavenly Wolf Guest’s urgent transmission came through.
“Emperor Feixue, be careful! Don’t approach!” The Crimson Peak Daoist was equally alarmed.
Dongbo Xueying ignored them.
The gap between him and Yan continued to close.
“Grrr—” Yan’s dark yellow eyes gleamed with killing intent.
“Hmm.”
Dongbo Xueying focused inwardly. Within his consciousness, a figure more mesmerizing than Hunyuan Crystal Jade stood—his soul, condensed to its peak. Though it bore the luster of Hunyuan Crystal Jade, it was far more refined, with dark currents of energy swirling within. Each strand of darkness, if examined closely, contained endless profundities.
The Dao of the Soul was profound beyond measure.
Most Hunyuan experts struggled to unlock the deeper mysteries of their souls.
But Dongbo Xueying had reached the pinnacle of the Illusory Realm Dao. With a mere glance into his soul, he grasped numerous techniques he could wield.
“Manifest.”
A hazy illusory world materialized around him, stretching across an area thousands of times larger than a Source World. It enveloped Yan within its bounds.
This was Dongbo Xueying’s first soul-based technique since ascending to Hunyuan.
This move, derived from his own insights into his soul’s newfound power, was a true Hunyuan-level technique—far more potent than anything he could muster as a half-Hunyuan lifeform.
“What… is this?” Yan suddenly felt uneasy. The illusory world around him tugged at his very soul.
His core trembled as he resisted.
“Die.” Dongbo Xueying thrust his spear forward, closing the distance in an instant.
“Such a bizarre technique—targeting the soul? I’ve faced many World-Class Hunyuan experts, but none with such terrifying soul arts!” Yan was shaken. Though some Hunyuan beings employed soul techniques, none matched the sheer lethality of Dongbo Xueying’s.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The two clashed in an instant.
“Huh? Yan’s techniques have weakened drastically. He’s not even at half strength!” The Heavenly Wolf Guest, still en route, observed the battle in surprise.
“Yan’s power has dropped significantly. Is it because of that illusory world? Emperor Feixue seems to have reached mid-stage World-Class Hunyuan. With Yan weakened, he might stand a chance.” The Crimson Peak Daoist watched from afar, relieved—until his expression suddenly twisted. “No! This is bad!”
—
Dongbo Xueying and Yan fought fiercely.
Though Yan’s strength had diminished, he still held a slight edge. Yet, after mere dozens of exchanges, Dongbo Xueying faltered—his spear was entangled by two of Yan’s arms while the remaining six pierced through his body.
With a brutal tearing force, Dongbo Xueying’s body disintegrated into dust.
A single strike—annihilation.
Yan caught the black spear in one of his hands, puzzled. “His defenses were this weak? I obliterated him in one move?”
Typically, a Hunyuan expert would have layered defenses, resilience, and escape mechanisms. Even if injured, they could endure prolonged battles or flee when outmatched. Killing one was no easy feat.
Even the Heavenly Wolf Guest had failed to slay Yan in their past encounters.
—
Dongbo Xueying’s swift defeat left the Crimson Peak Daoist and the Heavenly Wolf Guest stunned.
“We were counting on him to buy time, but he fell this quickly?” Both were speechless.
“How could a newly ascended Hunyuan expert be so reckless?”
None who reached this level were fools.
Yet Dongbo Xueying’s actions baffled them.
“Rumble—”
The Cultivation Sacred Realm suddenly began devouring the surrounding Hunyuan energies at a frenzied pace.
Dongbo Xueying’s weaker avatar, left behind in the realm, couldn’t absorb energy fast enough on its own. But the realm’s World Origin could—its efficiency unmatched by any living being.
In mere moments, his body was restored to its peak combat strength.
“My recovery speed is astonishing. With an unclaimed world’s support, even my weaker avatar can be elevated swiftly.” Dongbo Xueying marveled. “But only in worlds that don’t reject me.”
The mightiest worlds—Source Worlds—repelled outsiders. Even Lords were suppressed to Chaos Realm levels within them. Forcing their way in would shatter the world entirely.
Hunyuan experts thus built their own worlds as sanctuaries. Though crude, these realms didn’t reject them.
“Strength restored. How embarrassing—losing so quickly and even losing my newly forged weapon.” Dongbo Xueying sighed before flying out of the Cultivation Sacred Realm.
As he emerged, he spotted the Crimson Peak Daoist standing in the void, staring at him in shock.
“You—how did your weaker avatar reach main combat strength so fast? Was that energy absorption your doing?”
“Yes,” Dongbo Xueying admitted. “This is one of my methods. I’ll explain later. For now, I need to stall Yan.”
“Good, good! Just hold him off as long as possible. Here—you lost your communication artifact earlier, right?” The Crimson Peak Daoist tossed him another. “This time, don’t be reckless!”
“My apologies. I only just broke through and haven’t developed proper defensive techniques yet,” Dongbo Xueying admitted.
A proper World-Class Hunyuan expert would refine their body’s laws, develop defensive arts, and master escape techniques. Their physical resilience would multiply several times over from early to mid-stage.
But Dongbo Xueying had focused solely on merging the Void Dao with the Illusory Realm Dao, aiming directly for Lord-level power.
He had neglected everything else.
His body remained at the baseline strength of a newly ascended World-Class Hunyuan. Without specialized defenses, a single misstep had cost him his avatar.
—
“Whoosh—”
Yan advanced toward the Cultivation Sacred Realm.
Suddenly, he caught sight of the familiar figure of the white-robed youth emerging from the cultivation sanctuary, his body swelling rapidly once more to a size only slightly smaller than his own.
“Lord Feixue?” Rock was stunned. “What’s going on…”
A main combat avatar.
There shouldn’t be more than one! For a weaker avatar to be elevated to a main combat avatar, the energy required alone is staggering—it would take an eternity to absorb enough Hunyuan energy! Did he send it from his homeworld? Even traveling should take a long time.
“He clearly came from that imprisoned world, and that world was crudely crafted by a Lord, not a true source world. It can’t be his lair.” Rock was utterly bewildered.
This didn’t make sense.
He couldn’t wrap his head around it! Just as he destroyed one main combat avatar, another one appeared.
“Destroy it first, then think.” Rock stopped overanalyzing and charged straight at him.
“Hum.”
Dongbo Xueying unleashed his Illusory World once more, this time maintaining his distance while deploying a barrage of combat techniques. At the very least, in terms of pure offense, he was now a qualified mid-tier World-level Hunyuan. He even continuously devised new techniques on the fly.
He wasn’t deliberately focusing on comprehension.
Body enhancement? Defensive arts? Escape techniques? He hadn’t studied any of them.
Yet, as time passed, the fusion of his Void Path and Illusory Dream Path deepened, his accumulation growing ever more profound. Even without deliberate effort, the mysteries embedded in his body became increasingly clear, and new techniques naturally surfaced in his mind—this was the effortless “water flowing through a channel.”
“Seal!” A sudden inspiration struck Dongbo Xueying, and he extended both hands.
Countless chains materialized in the surrounding Hunyuan space, coiling around the area and entangling Rock. Some even penetrated deep into his body. Rock’s expression twisted—he could feel the terrifying power of this sealing technique, instantly suppressing his strength once more.
“This sealing domain is definitely a high-tier World-level Hunyuan technique,” Rock thought, alarmed. “His body is so weak, yet his sealing domain is this strong?”
The imbalance was staggering.
A Hunyuan expert should be well-rounded in all aspects, perhaps excelling slightly in one area—never with such a massive disparity.
His body was that of a newly ascended World-level Hunyuan, yet his sealing domain was at the late-stage?
This was bizarre!
…
Rock hadn’t encountered any real danger yet, but this strangeness unsettled him.
He stared at the white-robed youth before him, feeling an inexplicable unease.
Aside from the sealing domain, Dongbo Xueying’s offensive techniques remained at the mid-tier World-level Hunyuan level, posing no real threat to Rock.
“I’ll wait a little longer. If things still feel off, I’ll flee,” Rock decided silently, confident in his survival skills.
This delay lasted another brief period.
The battle had now raged for nearly half an hour.
“Boom—”
Though Dongbo Xueying wasn’t actively contemplating, his profound accumulation allowed techniques to emerge naturally. A shimmering layer of void light enveloped his skin—a defensive art! His aura intensified as his body grew stronger.
“Slash! Slash! Slash!” A single palm strike manifested as countless strikes from different void dimensions. Under the influence of the sealing domain and the Illusory Dream World, Rock couldn’t block them all.
Dongbo Xueying’s palm struck Rock’s neck.
The golden scales there shattered instantly, revealing black sinew beneath, coiled like ropes. The strike barely penetrated before being halted.
“He can injure me now?” Rock was horrified.
His defenses were formidable—how could this man harm him?
“Retreat!”
Without hesitation, Rock chose to flee.
He sensed an overwhelming threat. Even without accounting for soul techniques, this “Lord Feixue” was now unleashing late-stage World-level Hunyuan power. Combined with his soul arts, he could rival a peak World-level Hunyuan! Rock knew that prolonging the fight would only lead to his eventual demise.
In fact, he found Lord Feixue more terrifying than any peak World-level Hunyuan he’d encountered.
“His power is escalating too fast. One devastating technique after another. At the start, I suppressed him effortlessly, even shattered his body. Now he’s matching peak World-level Hunyuan experts.” Rock’s thoughts raced. “If I flee now, I might survive. If he grows any stronger, escape will be impossible.”
“Whoosh.”
He bolted desperately.
“Now I understand. That Zhenghao first claimed he could last half an hour, then a brief while longer—before dying.” A chill ran down Rock’s spine. “This Lord Feixue’s growth is terrifying.”
“Running?” Dongbo Xueying gave chase. Though the Illusory World affected Rock’s soul, the latter could still push his speed to the limit with minimal effort.
Yet the countless void chains suppressed Rock’s strength significantly.
Still, he was faster than Dongbo Xueying.
“Faster, I need to go faster!”
As the distance between them widened, Rock finally escaped the chains’ reach, accelerating further. He exhaled in relief.
“Void traversal… should be like this.” Dongbo Xueying swiftly mastered a new movement technique. His expertise in the fusion of Void and Illusory Dream Paths made void traversal second nature. Now, driven by the need to pursue, he devised an advanced technique—surpassing even Rock’s speed!
Just as Rock relaxed, he saw the white-robed youth closing in rapidly.
“His movement technique improved too?!”
Once the gap narrowed enough, the sealing domain and Illusory Dream World ensnared Rock once more.
“Ancestor!”
“Ancestor! This Lord Feixue is too dangerous. His soul techniques suppress over half my strength. Though his other abilities are on par with mine, I can only fight at a fraction of my power. I can’t escape. Worse, he’s a newly ascended World-level Hunyuan, yet he’s reached this level in such a short time. He must be eliminated immediately!” Rock sent out a desperate plea for aid.
He had no choice.
Trapped and outmatched, even his formidable defenses might fail given enough time.
…
A colossal spherical entity observed from afar.
Perfectly spherical, even when magnified billions of times or scrutinized by Hunyuan perception, its form remained flawlessly round. This was one of the innate Hunyuan lifeforms’ Ancestors—Primordial. Among the Ancestors, Primordial’s combat prowess ranked mid-to-low, though that was relative to his peers.
In terms of defense, however, he was unmatched.
Once, even Lord Luo and several other Lords besieged him together, yet merely succeeded in dealing superficial wounds. His very being epitomized the zenith of defensive mastery.
“Hmm? Lord Feixue, skilled in soul arts, already at late-stage World-level Hunyuan despite being newly ascended? With his soul techniques, he’s threatening Rock’s life?” Primordial mused.
“Soul techniques of such potency are unheard of.”
“For a new ascendant to be this strong, his accumulation must be immense. Post-breakthrough, his past insights are rapidly translating into power.” Primordial’s knowledge was vast.
He knew of semi-Hunyuan cultivators with profound accumulations—figures like “Fengyun Yiyi” were considered deep. Yet, some in the Infinite Hunyuan Space surpassed even him, mastering countless “Paths.” The world origin of a source world contained myriad Daos—mastering over half allowed one to refine and control it.
Such a powerhouse, upon refining a world origin, would ascend as a World-level Hunyuan!
With mastery over so many Daos, their post-ascension growth would be explosive, swiftly reaching late-stage, then peak World-level Hunyuan. Some might even become Lords!
A prime example?
“Yuan.”
Yuan was such a being, mastering countless Daos. After becoming a Lord, he could even create source worlds—a feat only he among the eight Lords could achieve.
Sending a weak life to reincarnate in another source world was also Yuan’s specialty.
“Another with profound accumulation?” Primordial pondered. “We must prepare thoroughly to eliminate him.”
Killing a World-level Hunyuan was no easy task.
Destroying a main combat avatar? They could simply cultivate another. Only by annihilating their source world lair could all avatars be eradicated through the soul link.
“Destroy his source world,” Primordial resolved.
This required meticulous planning.
One-on-one, within a source world, a cultivator could rival a Lord.
To destroy it, a coordinated assault by multiple Ancestors was necessary.
“The eight cultivator Lords are scouting everywhere. We must conceal our movements, launch a surprise attack.” Primordial’s thoughts churned. “This demands careful strategy—perhaps even a large-scale war as a diversion.”
This current conflict was large-scale, yet the eight Lords and major Ancestors weren’t directly involved, merely restraining each other. Beings of their stature rarely acted outright.
“Fushen, you three—hurry to Rock’s aid.” Primordial immediately dispatched three subordinates en route, urging them to expedite.
…
Outside the cultivation sanctuary, Chifeng Daoist watched from afar, dumbfounded.
Tianlang Ke, rushing to assist, had been spectating the battle’s progression—equally stunned.
“How is Lord Feixue like this?”
“At first, he was swiftly annihilated, his body fragile beyond belief. Then another main combat avatar appeared? He tangled with Rock, then fought evenly, even forcing Rock to flee—unsuccessfully! Now Rock is completely overwhelmed, at a total disadvantage.”
“This…”
“His strength is nearly on par with mine now.” Tianlang Ke was astounded.
From what he observed, Lord Feixue’s attacks only inflicted minor wounds on Rock—their power shouldn’t surpass his own!
Yet Rock’s performance was inexplicably weakened, his strength drastically reduced.
“Huh?” Tianlang Ke’s eyes widened suddenly, disbelief flooding his features.
…
Rock, unable to escape, could only struggle to endure.
Then, Dongbo Xueying’s right hand twisted forward, fingertips sharp as a spear’s tip. The strike’s force surged violently—”Rip!”
His arm spiraled, generating swirling vortices that distorted the surrounding Hunyuan energy. Under the Illusory World and sealing domain, Rock failed to block it.
Dongbo Xueying’s hand pierced Rock’s chest.
“Thud.” It tore through scales, sinew, and other defenses, penetrating deep into Rock’s miniature source world-like body.
Rock’s eyes bulged. “This… this…”
Though he couldn’t activate defensive techniques in time, his innate durability and protective arts were supreme. To inflict such damage required peak World-level Hunyuan force! Had he been able to defend with all six arms, even such a strike would’ve only caused minor injuries.
Now, defenseless, he was a mere target.
“He’s grown even more terrifying—far surpassing peak World-level Hunyuan.” Panic seized Rock.
“Thud. Thud.”
Dongbo Xueying’s form blurred as his arm struck twice more, each thrust aimed precisely at Rock’s life core.
Though Rock desperately tried to shield it, the final thrust found its mark—”Crack!” The core shattered.
Rock’s dark yellow eyes widened, his aura extinguishing.
It happened too fast.
Three lightning-quick strikes, and Rock was dead. In his final moments, he realized—Lord Feixue’s peak World-level Hunyuan combat power, augmented by soul arts, surpassed any peak expert he’d ever faced.
Rock hadn’t even had time to report back before perishing.
“Without a spear, I had to use my hand. Losing my weapon earlier was shameful—thankfully, this body’s strong enough.” Dongbo Xueying withdrew his arm from Rock’s abdomen, the blood evaporating instantly. He frowned slightly. Though his self-forged spear was mediocre, its absence was a minor inconvenience.
Still, barehanded impalement was… distasteful.
With a wave, he collected Rock’s relics—storage treasures, oddities, and that black spear.
“Spear acquired.” Dongbo Xueying grasped the weapon, then stored Rock’s corpse.
Standing in the Hunyuan void, he waited silently.
As Lord Luo had said, enemies would come in waves—not just one.
“One hour has passed.” Dongbo Xueying reflected. Since ascending to Hunyuan life, his fusion of Void and Illusory Dream Paths had deepened immensely. His latest spear-hand technique rivaled peak World-level Hunyuan power. Even now, his body naturally devised new arts—almost all at peak World-level Hunyuan tier.
His physique continued strengthening.
At this stage, devising World-level Hunyuan techniques was as effortless as drinking water.
“Just one more hour, and I’ll reach the Lord level.” Dongbo Xueying was filled with anticipation.
*Whoosh.*
The Crimson Peak Daoist transformed into a streak of bloody light as he swiftly approached, exclaiming in shock, “Flying Snow Divine Emperor, did you slay ‘Rock’?”
Not only him—even the Sky Wolf Stranger, who was about to arrive, was utterly astounded.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage