Dongbo Xueying might be the most carefree among all the apprentices of Chiyun Mountain, for he had mentally prepared himself for the worst—being expelled. Often alone in the Xiashe Pavilion, he leisurely drank wine while flipping through ancient scrolls… as though traveling through various eras of Xia Clan’s history, experiencing different tales. In Xia Clan’s history, there were times of raging wars, massive demon invasions, near-extinction calamities, and rampages of monstrous beasts…
Compared to those terrifying disasters of the past, the current era was indeed a peaceful one.
Moreover, as time passed, the Xia Clan’s foundations grew ever deeper.
“Compared to the great heroes of history, I, Dongbo Xueying, am still very inexperienced,” Dongbo Xueying often mused. The more he read, the more he realized his own shallowness. Each of those peerless heroes, though some never became gods, were by no means weak. Even as demigods, some possessed near-divine strength! Some perished in battles against foreign races, others in fierce fights with demons.
If given enough time, perhaps some of them could have ascended to godhood.
…
Half a year later, Yu Jingqiu began her Transcendent Life-and-Death Trial.
Clad in a blue robe, her long black hair cascading naturally, Yu Jingqiu stood there, emanating a faint, icy aura that gave off an aura of “do not approach.”
“So beautiful.”
The Transcendents were stunned.
Countless mortals were completely mesmerized. Upon entering the Transcendent realm, one’s hair, skin luster, eyes, and more underwent a transformation, resulting in a breathtaking beauty. Female Transcendent Mages—provided they were already somewhat attractive and not too old—often became objects of admiration, their allure enhanced by their Transcendent aura, drawing many admirers.
“Hmph.” Zhuo Yi sat watching the battlefield, inwardly scoffing, “It’s just a pretty face!”
Zhuo Yi wasn’t the only one. Several beautiful female Transcendents felt uneasy at that moment, sensing a significant threat.
Of course, most female Transcendents could only admire from afar.
The battle commenced.
In the “Transcendent Life-and-Death Trial,” Transcendent Mages were at a disadvantage. All magical artifacts and spells were forbidden; only the most basic staff could be used.
“No wonder beauties are favored—watching her fight is a pleasure,” Dongbo Xueying smiled. He always tried to remain calm, but deep within his heart, he felt something special for Yu Jingqiu. That feeling had existed ever since their first encounter years ago at the Longshan Pavilion in Qinghe City.
“Hmm?”
“Not good!”
Originally, five demigods were watching from the eastern spectator area. Suddenly, one of them—an elder in a red robe—frowned, stood up abruptly.
Whoosh.
His figure vanished from the Hall of Life and Death.
…
The red-robed demigod soon arrived at a secret chamber within the Spark Palace.
A floating bridge stretched across the void.
On the bridge stood three figures. At the forefront was an elder with black hair, flanked by two powerful demigods.
“Palace Master,” the red-robed demigod bowed respectfully.
The black-haired elder nodded. “Brother Xi Yun, you felt it too?”
“I oversee part of the Spark Palace, so naturally I sensed that vast, powerful fluctuation,” the red-robed demigod replied. “Palace Master, with such a massive disturbance, from where could it have originated?”
“Indeed, Palace Master, from where did this disturbance come?” the other two demigods asked urgently.
This place was the most secret and heavily guarded within the Spark Palace.
It concealed many of the Xia Clan’s deepest secrets, known only to the Spark Palace Master. The Palace Master was the most loyal, for the ancient ancestors of the Xia Clan had devised numerous safeguards—becoming the Palace Master meant one didn’t even have the opportunity to betray.
“Follow me,” the black-haired elder said.
The four demigods swiftly followed the floating bridge, flying deeper into the void.
As they passed, occasional powerful ripples stirred.
Even massive humanoid creatures lay in the void below.
“It’s just ahead,” the black-haired elder said. Soon he halted. Ripples appeared in the space ahead, then dissipated, revealing a scene beyond.
Whoosh~~~
It was a world of drifting snowflakes.
From amidst the countless snowflakes, an elderly woman emerged. Her hair was completely silver-white, neatly combed, her face bearing a gentle smile, seemingly very kind. Yet as she walked through the snowy realm, the four demigods watching felt an overwhelming sense of suffocation.
“I’ve slept for a long time. Finally awake,” the white-haired elder smiled.
“Greetings, Senior Xue,” the black-haired elder slightly bowed.
“Senior Xue?” the other three demigods were puzzled.
“Could it be—”
They too knew many secrets and quickly recalled the truth from their memories, their faces changing drastically.
This white-haired elder woman was the most powerful among the Xia Clan’s treasured artifacts—the ultimate divine treasure. Yet it was also the most difficult to control. Ordinary divine treasures could generally be wielded by demigods. But the divine treasure represented by “Senior Xue” was something no ordinary demigod could use. In fact, none of the current era’s demigods could even activate it.
“Senior Xue” was the spirit of that divine treasure.
The awakening of Senior Xue could mean two things.
One: the divine treasure sensed a terrifying threat approaching—one that could endanger the Xia Clan’s very existence. Thus, its spirit awakened to warn them.
Two: it had found a suitable master!
“Do not panic,” the white-haired elder smiled. “It’s good news, not bad.”
The four demigods, including the black-haired elder, exhaled in relief.
“Please take me out first,” the white-haired elder said.
“Of course, Senior Xue,” the black-haired elder immediately led the way, and soon they left the secret chamber.
…
Guided by her own senses, the white-haired elder quickly arrived at the Hall of Life and Death.
The four demigods followed closely, surrounded by a ripple of spatial energy. As the master of the Spark Palace, the Palace Master was invincible within the “Spark World.” He could easily isolate space, making it impossible for anyone else to see them clearly—let alone perceive the white-haired elder’s existence.
“Senior Xue, what do you think?” the black-haired elder asked.
“I’ve found her,” Senior Xue smiled, gazing at Yu Jingqiu who was prolonging the battle on the arena.
“A pure soul indeed. She transcended through the power of ice, evolving both body and soul?” Senior Xue nodded slightly. “It’s her, without a doubt.”
The black-haired elder’s face lit up.
“But she’s still too weak now. Only after becoming a demigod can she wield the power of the divine treasure,” Senior Xue continued. “You Xia Clan must nurture her well.”
The Xia Clan possessed multiple divine treasures.
Each had its own unique function.
For instance, the “Spark Palace” itself was an extremely important divine treasure—an artifact of spatial nature that even controlled the entire Spark World.
The divine treasure represented by Senior Xue was the most difficult to control, yet also the most powerful. If a demigod could wield its power, they could rival a god.
“We will certainly do our utmost. Tomorrow, I will send her into the Chiyun World,” the black-haired elder nodded.
“Yes, only by entering the Chiyun World can we nurture her fully. But still, we must remain discreet and avoid drawing attention to her uniqueness,” Senior Xue added, then asked, “By the way, what is her name?”
“Yu Jingqiu,” the black-haired elder replied. Truthfully, he was quite troubled.
He could tell that Yu Jingqiu would struggle to win even her third Transcendent Life-and-Death Trial. Of course, for a young female mage, that was already impressive. But to ascend to demigod status? That was extremely difficult!
Yet she must be nurtured.
For once she became a demigod, she would be worth a whole army of them.
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