Chapter 363: Bloodvine Blossom

“Twelfth-tier Star Tower?”

The Great Demon God and the Witch God exchanged glances, their gazes piercing through the outer walls of the fortress, watching as the distant Ding Jiu warship soared into the towering Star Tower in the far sky.

“A twelfth-tier Star Tower? Priced at over two million divine crystals? How could it appear in the Xia Clan’s world?” the Golden-robed Witch God murmured, “It’s simply impossible!”

An ordinary first-tier Celestial Divine could already be considered excellent if they could muster a million divine crystals.

As a Sovereign of the Material World, the Witch God had left his true body within the Material World, fearing no one and unafraid of provocation. Though his cultivation time wasn’t especially long, his wealth was considerable—he could easily afford ten million divine crystals. Yet even so, it was only through repeated adventures that he had accumulated such riches. Spending over two million divine crystals at once to purchase a “twelfth-tier Star Tower” would still require careful calculation.

Without a pressing need, neither he nor the Great Demon God would indulge in such extravagance.

The Great Demon God possessed only slightly more divine crystals than the Witch God. Though he was more powerful, he lived in the Dark Abyss, where he had to tread carefully and couldn’t afford to be as reckless as the Witch God.

“I had assumed, Witch God, that as a Sovereign of the Material World, you could bring treasures directly into the Material World without going through the Temple of Time and Space,” the Great Demon God spoke. “We were prepared enough, but who could have imagined…”

Transporting a Star Tower through the Temple of Time and Space would cost at least a hundredfold.

Two hundred million divine crystals?

Even they would balk at that, let alone a third-tier Celestial Divine.

“How could this be?” the Witch God still struggled to accept it, his face darkening as he growled, “From what I know, becoming a Guardian Disciple only earns one hundred thousand divine crystals. Even becoming an Inner Disciple—meeting any one of the requirements grants at most a million divine crystals! Where did he get a twelfth-tier Star Tower? Could it be that he has become a Direct Disciple?”

“But from what I know,” the Witch God continued, “the Red Stone Mountain’s rule for becoming a Direct Disciple is either possessing an extraordinary first-grade Will or mastering a first-grade Divine Heart within ten thousand years. How long has Dongbo Xueying been cultivating? Could he really be an extraordinary first-grade Will cultivator? If he were, this war would be pointless! A great being would come to take him as a disciple, and we would have no choice but to submit.”

“It’s impossible for him to be an extraordinary first-grade Will cultivator,” the Great Demon God agreed.

An extraordinary first-grade Will cultivator?

Such individuals were the absolute prodigies of the Divine Realm and the Abyss. Though Red Stone Mountain had fallen into the Xia Clan’s world, just like Divine Beings in the Divine Realm could communicate with their ancestral homes in the Material World, the Divine Beings within Red Stone Mountain—Xi Wei, He Feiyun, Ge Bai, and others—could also maintain contact with the great beings of the Divine Realm. They could secretly send word to those powerful beings closely connected to Red Stone Mountain!

With a great being’s intervention, this war would naturally end.

Great beings stood above all…

In the countless mundane worlds, a struggle within a single mundane world would not attract the attention of a great being unless there was a special reason. At their level, dignity was paramount.

“It must be the Divine Beings within Red Stone Mountain aiding Dongbo Xueying,” the Witch God concluded. “They must believe Dongbo Xueying is worth their support.”

“But how many treasures can Red Stone Mountain have?” the Great Demon God, his entire body ablaze, growled, “It has fallen into the Material World, and its treasures are finite! Producing a twelfth-tier Star Tower is already impressive enough.”

Their guess was correct.

Red Stone Mountain’s treasures were not inexhaustible, but within it happened to reside a Divine Being skilled in forging—Ge Bai. The twelfth-tier Star Tower had been forged by Ge Bai himself, and for this war, Ge Bai had even crafted other items to aid Dongbo Xueying.

With a Divine Being dedicated to forging weapons specifically for this war, Dongbo Xueying had a chance to win!

“Snap out of it,” the Golden-robed Witch God’s icy eyes gazed through the outer wall at the radiant Star Tower in the distance, “Though I hate to admit it, this war has indeed become unpredictable.”

After establishing a stable channel, the fortress descended.

They had believed…

They had already won!

They couldn’t imagine how any other Divine Being could oppose them! As for Dongbo Xueying? They hadn’t even considered him a threat before. Even if Dongbo Xueying had become a Guardian Disciple, so what?

But a single twelfth-tier Star Tower made them realize the danger.

“Then let’s fight!” the Great Demon God’s voice thundered. “We have a stable spatial channel, from which we can draw all manner of treasures from the Divine Realm. I refuse to believe we can’t defeat a single Dongbo Xueying!”

The Witch God nodded. “Losing to a mere child would indeed be a joke.”

…

The Star Tower stood tall and majestic.

Inside a vast hall,

Dongbo Xueying and Yu Jingqiu stood together, surrounded by figures coalescing into view—Cao Qing, He Shan Zhu, Chen Gong Zhu, Chi Qiu Bai, Tai Shu Gong Zhu, Bu Cheng Zhu, Sikong Yang, and other half-divine beings. All their gazes were fixed on Dongbo Xueying, filled with astonishment and joy.

“Though my words may be harsh,” Dongbo Xueying spoke, “there may still be spies from the Demon Gods or the Beast Clans among us. So for now, everyone should remain in their respective regions. These are only projections.”

“Haha… that’s only natural. In war, caution can never be excessive,” Chen Gong Zhu looked at Dongbo Xueying with delight. “I always suspected you were still alive, but no matter how I asked Jingqiu, she wouldn’t tell me.”

“Apologies, Gong Zhu,” Yu Jingqiu replied.

“Oh no, you did the right thing,” Chen Gong Zhu was clearly pleased.

Cao Qing smiled at Dongbo Xueying.

Dongbo Xueying looked back and smiled. “Master Cao, I knew you had returned, though we hadn’t met yet.”

“Sigh, I thought using the Ding Jiu warship would allow me to strike them hard. Who could have imagined the Witch God and the Great Demon God would be so powerful!” Cao Qing shook his head. “This is no longer a simple battle of divine avatars.”

“They have established a stable spatial channel connected to another mundane world,” Dongbo Xueying explained. “The Witch God can continuously send treasures from the Divine Realm without going through the Temple of Time and Space. This war will indeed be difficult. However, I have taken the initiative by deploying this Star Tower, creating a self-contained world around it, giving us an advantage!”

“Can we win?” Chen Gong Zhu asked.

All eyes turned to Dongbo Xueying.

“We have a chance,” Dongbo Xueying replied. “If we can destroy that fortress and sever the stable spatial channel, we win. Then they will have no hope of entering.”

“If we lose, we retreat to the Xinhuo World, and I must return to Red Stone Mountain to cultivate, striving to refine the World Heart within my lifespan. If I fail to refine it, the Xia Clan will never rise again,” Dongbo Xueying said. Once defeated, the Xinhuo World would be surrounded, and the Xia Clan’s future transcendent beings would no longer be able to enter Red Stone Mountain!

“Let’s fight!” Sikong Yang roared.

“Xueying, did you find a cure for the poison?” Chi Qiu Bai asked.

Dongbo Xueying smiled. “Of course!”

“The Witch God and the Great Demon God have exceeded our expectations. This time, it’s up to you,” Chi Qiu Bai said.

“Rest assured, we still have a chance,” Dongbo Xueying replied.

BOOM~~~

Suddenly, a faint tremor shook the hall from outside.

Dongbo Xueying and the others shifted their gaze outward, and the walls of the grand hall instantly mirrored the spectacle beyond. Across the endless desert, a gargantuan plant swayed violently, its rampant growth unfurling in all directions. Countless sinuous vines and bewitchingly crimson blossoms writhed and twirled with unrestrained abandon. The towering monstrosity pierced through tier after tier of clouds, its staggering height rivaling even the celestial Star Tower itself, while its serpentine tendrils sprawled across the boundless wasteland.

Each vine and flower was coated in a layer of black liquid, inscribed with complex divine runes.

Dongbo Xueying smiled.

That black liquid was a weapon specially crafted for plant life, extremely powerful, costing Dongbo Xueying three hundred thousand divine crystals! Combined with the Blood Vine Flower, it was like adding wings to a tiger. The Blood Vine Flower was also a key combat force in this war!

“Master, shall we begin?” the Blood Vine Flower’s voice echoed through the sky.

“Not yet, Blood Vine,” Dongbo Xueying replied, his voice carrying beyond the Star Tower.

…

On the other side,

Inside the fortress,

“Great Witch God,” eighteen figures stood respectfully, each radiating divine energy.

Yet the Witch God and the Great Demon God calmly gazed outside the fortress, watching the massive, swaying Blood Vine Flower.

“The Blood Vine Flower—judging by its size, it should be a mid-level Divine Being. Within the Star Tower, its power will increase by half!” the Golden-robed Witch God said. “Looking at its surface, it seems to be some kind of special weapon, likely boosting its strength further. Perhaps it could even approach late-stage Divine power?”

“Let’s test it first,” the Great Demon God said.