On a peak of Xueshi Mountain within Xueying Domain, Dongbo Xueying and Jing Qiu walked side by side to this place.
“Jing Qiu, you go back first. Call me when dinner is ready,” Dongbo Xueying smiled.
“Mm,” Jing Qiu smiled and turned to leave.
Watching Jing Qiu’s retreating figure, Dongbo Xueying felt an invisible pressure gnawing at his heart. He truly cherished this current life, but cherishing it meant he must protect it, safeguarding everything from destruction.
“The demons grow bolder each day. I must quickly enhance my strength and grasp complete Profound Essence,” Dongbo Xueying silently resolved. Without further hesitation, he sat cross-legged atop the icy summit, casting aside all inner burdens, fully immersing his thoughts into the four profound mysteries—earth, fire, water, and wind. He must first elevate these four before attempting to fuse them.
Both the Prototype of Piercing Essence at the Extreme Point and the Prototype of Star Essence were fruits of combining these four profound mysteries.
“Phantasm.”
Dongbo Xueying contemplated.
Silently, atop the summit, Dongbo Xueying—who had been sitting cross-legged—suddenly manifested six other selves.
Six Dongbo Xueyings clad in black robes, each deeply immersed in thought.
“I once mastered the Prototype of Phantom Essence merely by combining the mysteries of water, fire, and wind,” Dongbo Xueying mused. “Yet now, by integrating the mystery of earth, fusing all four—earth, fire, water, and wind—rather than disrupting the Prototype of Phantom Essence, it has become even stronger. It seems the mystery of earth has significantly enhanced the Prototype of Phantom Essence.”
As he pondered further, he discovered that within the phantasm, due to the inclusion of the earth mystery, his illusions had seemingly gained a ‘soul,’ a sense of depth, no longer purely illusory as before.
Thus, as Dongbo Xueying’s mastery of the earth mystery grew, he continuously refined the fusion method of the four mysteries within the Prototype of Phantom Essence.
Initially, water, fire, and wind were the primary components, while the earth mystery was carefully and gradually incorporated in small amounts, fearing it might disrupt the Prototype. Although he had already grasped the Prototype of two second-tier Profound Essences—Extreme Piercing and Star—Dongbo Xueying still valued Phantom Essence greatly. After all, once he mastered the complete third-tier Profound Essence Phantom Essence, his threat to enemies would greatly increase.
However, as time passed, Dongbo Xueying realized that the earth mystery was no longer merely auxiliary to Phantom Essence; it had become the core, surpassing even water, fire, and wind in importance.
Dongbo Xueying continuously refined the fusion of the four mysteries—earth, fire, water, and wind—striving for a more perfect Phantom Essence.
“This is—”
Suddenly, all six Dongbo Xueyings displayed expressions of shock.
The six of them gazed in all directions.
The mountain peak where they had been sitting began to tremble. Countless boulders lifted into the air, flying toward this peak, rapidly expanding it, causing the mountain to stretch and grow.
“Hmm?” The six Dongbo Xueyings looked up to the sky.
It had originally been afternoon, but suddenly dark clouds surged forth from nowhere, quickly covering the sky, plunging the world into pitch darkness.
Ripppp~~~
The countless dark clouds abruptly tore apart.
A giant hand pierced through the clouds, appearing before Dongbo Xueying.
All six Dongbo Xueyings stood up simultaneously.
“Disperse,” Dongbo Xueying commanded.
The dark clouds completely dissipated.
The giant arm from the void remained, the enormous palm still hovering before Dongbo Xueying.
“Sunset, moonrise,” Dongbo Xueying spoke again.
High in the sky, the sun swiftly descended westward… a full moon gradually rose.
“The sea.”
Dongbo Xueying smiled.
What had been a landscape of mountains suddenly transformed. Distant waves surged forth, engulfing the mountains. The eastern side of Xueshi Mountain became an endless ocean, waves rolling, foam rising. The sea gradually calmed, and fishing boats appeared on the surface. In the distance, seabirds soared, and great fish leaped from the waves.
“Amazing,” Dongbo Xueying murmured.
Swish—
The giant hand, boundless ocean, towering mountains, seabirds, fishing boats, darkness, moon…
All vanished!
Everything returned to how it had been before. It was still afternoon, Xueshi Mountain as it always was. In the distant Xueshi Castle, people continued their daily lives, completely unaware of the previous commotion.
“The Illusory Realm?” Dongbo Xueying’s heart pounded with excitement.
“Earth, water, fire, and wind—could they actually form the Prototype of the Illusory Realm?” Dongbo Xueying was deeply shaken.
The Illusory Realm Essence was a second-tier Profound Essence.
It was among the weakest in terms of pure offensive power among all second-tier Profound Essences. A cultivator mastering it could barely reach the threshold of Demigod-level combat power. It was well known that a Saint-level transcendent who mastered a third-tier Profound Essence could already unleash combat power surpassing that of this second-tier Essence.
Yet it was a second-tier Profound Essence!
The higher the Profound Essence tier, the more difficult progress became. Though it was a legendary Profound Essence, its power was actually slightly inferior to third-tier Essences?
Yet many powerful cultivators would rather face opponents wielding other second-tier Essences than one who mastered the Illusory Realm Essence.
What was the Illusory Realm?
Reality and illusion were opposites!
The world in which people lived normally was the real world. Yet on the other side of this real world lay a corresponding illusory world—the Illusory Realm!
The Illusory Realm was a world unto itself.
It could be said to be the source of all illusions! No illusion could surpass it, for once this Profound Essence was mastered, one could manipulate the illusory world at will. Besides this, there were many other mysterious and formidable aspects to the Illusory Realm.
“I’ve only grasped the Prototype of the Illusory Realm Essence,” Dongbo Xueying marveled, “yet it’s already this incredible.”
At the Prototype stage,
He could create inconceivable illusions! Transforming heaven and earth was effortless.
“Silently ensnaring enemies in illusions without their awareness, then taking their lives,” Dongbo Xueying murmured. “I’ve heard that cultivators who master the Illusory Realm Essence can hide within the Illusory Realm, making it impossible for enemies to locate their true bodies.”
Indeed.
A cultivator mastering the Illusory Realm Essence possessed weak offensive power.
But locating their true body was extremely difficult! The records of the Illusory Realm Essence among the second-tier Profound Essences left behind from the Divine Realm were very vague. It was only through secret transmissions passed down by the Xia Clan’s ancestors that much hidden knowledge was preserved—including knowledge of the Illusory Realm Essence. A cultivator who mastered the Illusory Realm Essence could kill enemies within their own Illusory Realm without even needing their true body to act!
Thus, even in killing, the true body need not appear. How difficult would it be to locate such a true body?
Even hiding within the Illusory Realm, enemies could not find them. Because enemies existed in the real world and lacked the means to attack the Illusory Realm, they could not harm those walking within it.
“I originally only sought to perfect the Phantom Essence. I never expected that after integrating the mystery of earth, especially when earth became the primary component, not only did it not ruin it, but it advanced it further, allowing me to grasp the Prototype of the Illusory Realm Essence?” Dongbo Xueying exclaimed.
Fusion was inherently extremely difficult.
Even fusing two mysteries like fire and water was a challenge that trapped many cultivators. Fusing three was extraordinary, fusing four even more so. Even the path of earth alone could lead to godhood through many aspects. Dongbo Xueying had precisely chosen the aspect of ‘earth’s bearing and Tolerance,’ as it was exactly what his spear techniques required.
The aspects of the four mysteries—earth, fire, water, and wind—that Dongbo Xueying selected were all precisely what his spear techniques needed.
As the saying goes: “With deliberate effort, flowers won’t bloom; without intent, willows grow lush.”
Yet for cultivators pursuing powerful Profound Essences, if flowers bloomed with deliberate effort, that would be the true joke! And was ‘without intent’ truly ‘without intent’?
…
Having mastered three Prototype of second-tier Profound Essences, Dongbo Xueying understood that if exposed, organizations like the Demon God Cult and demons would stop at nothing to eliminate him. For he was now on the verge of grasping complete Profound Essences! This was the most vulnerable moment in his cultivation. Although with the Prototype of the Illusory Realm Essence, Dongbo Xueying now had confidence in surviving against fifth-stage demons,
When facing Demigods, he was still far too weak.
Thus, he must endure!
Regarding the Prototype of Star Essence and Illusory Realm Essence, Dongbo Xueying had told no one else! He must minimize the risk of exposure to the lowest possible level.
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