The towering gates of Wushan City stood majestic and wide, flanked by two rows of divine soldiers from the Divine Realm. Each stood ten thousand miles tall, clad in dark, standardized armor, their vigilant eyes scanning their surroundings for any disturbances.
“The soldiers guarding the gates and those managing the teleportation arrays may both be soldiers, but they are entirely different,” Yunhai transmitted via voice. “These gatekeepers have all attained official ranks. Dongbo, do you know what ranks are?”
“I do,” Dongbo Xueying nodded.
Ranks were akin to official positions in the mortal world.
Holding a rank meant being a direct member of the Bloodblade Divine Court. No matter how low the rank, they were still part of the Divine Court!
“Once you attain a rank, you become a member of the Bloodblade Divine Court,” Yunhai continued as they flew side by side through the vast gates. “Even a World God wouldn’t dare kill a soldier of the Divine Court. Doing so would be an open challenge to the entire Bloodblade Divine Court and would invite severe punishment under its laws. So, having a rank is like having a protective talisman.”
Dongbo Xueying smiled faintly.
A member of the Bloodblade Divine Court—untouchable by World Gods? Those with true power, like Three-Heavens World Gods, would dare to kill them. But for ordinary deities, a Three-Heavens World God was already an unreachable existence.
Moreover, while they might not dare to kill openly, they could still act in secret—provided they had a way to evade detection through ‘Time Reversal.’ As long as it couldn’t be traced, killing was killing. Now, as the new master of Redrock Mountain, Dongbo Xueying possessed countless treasures left behind by the Red Dust Sacred Master, including methods to conceal his actions from Time Reversal.
Of course, such methods were considered dark and underhanded.
“However, attaining a rank is incredibly difficult,” Yunhai transmitted. “In an entire starfield, only a select few can join the Divine Court with a rank. For example, the patrol forces under the Starfield Garrison have many members who are rankless—those guarding arrays, overseeing various regions—they’re all just hired for menial tasks. You can tell at a glance who has a rank and who doesn’t by their armor. Ranked soldiers wear armor uniformly forged by the Bloodblade Divine Court, while the rankless wear ordinary gear.”
Dongbo Xueying nodded. “I heard Zi Lei was recruited into the Bloodblade Divine Court and attained a rank?”
“Yes,” Yunhai smiled.
Among all the ancestral deities of the Xia Clan, only Zi Lei, the Thunder Emperor, had officially joined the Divine Court with a rank. Having a rank meant being part of the Bloodblade Divine Court—a completely different status.
“Zi Lei was recruited for his expertise in alchemy, but even with a rank, he can’t abandon his post at will,” Yunhai added.
—
Soon, Dongbo Xueying and Yunhai passed through the towering gates and entered the vast expanse of Wushan City.
Inside, the city was shrouded in mist, with elegant and exquisite mansions and cave dwellings obscured by swirling clouds, making them difficult to discern clearly.
The streets were incredibly wide, teeming with countless deities walking along them. Above the streets, soldiers of the Bloodblade Divine Court flew back and forth, alongside luxurious carriages.
“Whoosh—”
A grand emerald carriage, pulled by nine black-scaled exotic beasts, glided through the sky. Seated atop the carriage was a green-haired man with triangular eyes, flanked by two alluring women. Behind them stood two black-clad attendants, scanning their surroundings.
The green-haired man’s gaze swept across the area.
Even the Bloodblade soldiers frowned slightly and gave way, while the deities on the streets below dared not look up, keeping their distance.
*Crack!*
The green-haired man casually flicked a blood-red whip in his right hand, sending it lashing downward for thousands of miles. A passing deity, seeing the whip coming, paled in terror and tried to dodge—but failed. The whip carried an esoteric profundity.
*Snap!*
Blood-red runes shimmered along the whip as it struck the thin passerby, who let out a pained scream and tumbled across the street.
The nine black-scaled beasts continued their swift advance, pulling the carriage forward.
The green-haired man flicked his whip again, striking another random passerby below.
“The Heart-Searing Whip,” Dongbo Xueying glanced back, recognizing the weapon from afar with a frown.
The Heart-Searing Whip was a common torture weapon in the Divine Realm. A single strike inflicted unbearable soul pain—enough to torment a deity to death. Its agony surpassed even the Ghost Six Resentment Poison.
“Let’s move quickly,” Yunhai urged, pulling Dongbo Xueying along while transmitting, “That green-haired man must have significant backing in Wushan Starfield to act so brazenly. Without ranks, we’d be killed for nothing.”
Dongbo Xueying nodded.
Indeed.
The Divine Realm was vast, and cultivators thrived on life-and-death trials. Only those with ranks, as members of the Bloodblade Divine Court, received its protection. The rankless? The Divine Court turned a blind eye to their conflicts—there were simply too many starfields, too many killings to govern.
“That green-haired man must have a rank himself, given his arrogance,” Yunhai transmitted. “He can kill freely, but we can’t touch him. Killing him would be challenging the entire Bloodblade Divine Court.”
“Ha ha ha…”
The green-haired man’s laughter echoed from above as he lashed out at will, watching his victims writhe and scream below. The Heart-Searing Whip’s pain was excruciating.
His two black-clad attendants coldly scanned the surroundings, guarding their young master.
“Young Master is truly formidable, unrivaled in Wushan Starfield,” one of the alluring women fawned.
“Of course,” the green-haired man smirked, his eyes icy as he scanned below and flicked his whip again.
“Hmm?”
His brow suddenly furrowed.
Most deities on the streets kept their heads down, avoiding his gaze. But in the distance, two men walked side by side—one in star-blue robes turned to glance at him, frowning slightly.
That look—it stirred instant irritation in the green-haired man.
There was no fear, no reverence in that gaze. Only disapproval.
“How dare he?” The green-haired man’s anger flared.
Accustomed to dominance, to trampling others at will, even killing on a whim, he found that look intolerable.
A mere glance had provoked him.
And his rage demanded action.
“Humph!” With a cold snort, the nine black-scaled beasts accelerated at his command, swiftly closing in on Dongbo Xueying and Yunhai. The green-haired man raised his whip and lashed out furiously at Dongbo Xueying below.
*Swish!*
The blood-red whip extended for thousands of miles like a serpent, descending in an instant.
Dongbo Xueying turned and saw the whip falling—and the green-haired man’s icy glare from the luxurious carriage above.
“Dongbo!” Yunhai exclaimed in alarm.
But Dongbo Xueying pulled Yunhai aside, his footwork infused with the profundity of the Extreme Point Penetration. His figure blurred as the whip struck the street with a sharp *crack*, leaving the ground unharmed save for faintly glowing divine runes.
“How bold of you to dodge!” the green-haired man roared from above, his eyes locked onto Dongbo Xueying. “Seize him! I’ll whip him to death!”
“As you command, Young Master.”
The two black-clad attendants turned their cold gazes toward Dongbo Xueying. One shot forward, transforming into a dark mist that billowed downward. The surrounding deities scattered, unwilling to be caught in the crossfire.
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