The previously silent multitude of spectators erupted into a deafening uproar! Cheers, shouts, gasps, and discussions blended together, forming a massive wave of sound that swept across the heavens and earth.
“Too, too incredible!”
“This… this is insane! Just one move—one single move—and that savage Witch-Warrior was completely obliterated!”
“This surpasses even that prince! Dongbo is just too powerful.”
“It seems our Wushan Star Domain will finally make a name for itself. I dare say, even in the bloody selection of the Prefecture City, Dongbo will shine brilliantly. I must go to the Prefecture City—I must witness this battle!”
“Going to the Prefecture City requires a teleportation fee of twenty divine crystals!”
“So what if it’s twenty divine crystals? How many years do we gods even have to live? Too long, and our divine hearts will collapse into madness. In this lifetime, to see a god from our Wushan Star Domain display such skill in the ‘Divine Court’s Myriad Blossoms Banquet’—twenty divine crystals? Even a hundred would be worth it!” The gods were all beyond excited.
Peak-level gods typically only accumulated a few hundred divine crystals.
For mid-level and late-stage gods, their savings were even less! A single teleportation costing twenty divine crystals was a steep price, but for the sake of witnessing the battle, they were willing to go all out!
“Let’s do it!”
“Absolutely incredible!”
“I’ve lived over thirty million years and seen four Star Domain preliminaries. This one is the most astonishing. I thought that prince was impressive, but this Dongbo… he genuinely terrified me! He’s undoubtedly the strongest god I’ve ever seen. I must go to the Prefecture City—even if it costs twenty divine crystals, I must see it!”
“Those in the past, even if they passed the Star Domain preliminaries, had no hope of standing out in the bloody selection of the Prefecture City. But this Dongbo—I believe he can! He might even have a real chance of representing the entire Anhai Prefecture and advancing to the Divine Court! To stand before His Majesty and the mighty ones in the final Divine Court War!”
“Ahhh, and he comes from our Wushan Star Domain!”
The gods were overwhelmed with excitement.
Too strong.
…
Among the countless spectators, the young master of Feiyun Lake, Jin Meiyang, turned pale with fury. He even noticed many gods around him casting glances his way.
“Damn it,” Jin Meiyang gritted his teeth.
He watched as Dongbo Xueying, led by an eager soldier, made his way toward the high platform. The sight gnawed at his heart like countless insects.
“How can he be this strong? This monstrous?” Only now did Jin Meiyang realize that in their previous encounter, Dongbo Xueying had been toying with him—never once revealing his true power. “Does this mean I’ll never have a chance for revenge? No… there’s still the bloody selection in the Prefecture City. He may be strong, but the Prefecture City gathers the best of Anhai Prefecture, and the selection is brutal. He might just die there.”
Jin Meiyang knew he lacked the strength for revenge.
But the malice in his bones still made him hope—hope that Dongbo Xueying would fall!
…
“This way, please.” The soldier guided Dongbo Xueying toward the high platform.
At the very top sat the Patrol Envoy and the beautiful woman. On either side were the various World Gods and the black-robed elder.
Below them… sat the gods who had passed the preliminaries, including Cang Qiu, the red-haired man with the half-mask, and His Highness the Seventh Plum Rain.
“Please.”
Dongbo Xueying was directed to a seat.
The seating followed the order of qualification, so he naturally ended up beside the white-robed, handsome youth—His Highness the Seventh Plum Rain.
“Young friend Dongbo, your strength is truly remarkable,” the Patrol Envoy said from above, smiling. “For our Wushan Star Domain to produce such a talent is a blessing. This time, it seems I, Old Guan, will have something to boast about in the Prefecture City.”
“Haha, I’ll have bragging rights too—enough to show off in front of the Army Commander,” the black-robed elder chimed in.
With the two titans of Wushan Star Domain singing his praises, the other World Gods quickly followed suit.
“I share a special connection with young friend Dongbo,” Jin Feiyun, master of Feiyun Lake, declared. “Last time, I could already tell he was extraordinary—my projection alone couldn’t handle him. But now, I see I still underestimated him. Since we weren’t in our true forms last time, let me thank you again. Honestly, after those lashes, my son has become much more obedient.”
“Jin Feiyun, your skin is thicker than ever!”
“Isn’t that common knowledge? Young friend Dongbo, you must fight hard—you might just pass the Prefecture City’s selection and earn the right to advance to the Divine Court for the final war. At your age, becoming a disciple of a mighty one would be effortless.”
“Perhaps we’ll need your favor someday, young friend Dongbo.”
The World Gods treated Dongbo Xueying with utmost respect, without a trace of condescension.
Dongbo Xueying could only respond politely—sometimes with a word or two, sometimes with a smile.
“Incredible.”
“Far stronger than us. If we go to the Prefecture City, surrendering early might be our only chance to survive. But Dongbo… he’s on another level.” The other qualifiers—twelve in total, including Dongbo Xueying—whispered among themselves.
The red-haired man, exuding an aura of killing intent, watched coldly, letting out a faint snort.
“Hmm?” Dongbo Xueying’s sharp ears caught the sound. He glanced over, meeting the red-haired man’s icy gaze.
“This man’s killing intent is heavy, and his temper is odd,” Dongbo Xueying mused. He had considered befriending him but now dismissed the idea. “Not suitable.”
“Your spearplay is formidable,” a voice said beside him—cool yet pleasant.
Dongbo Xueying turned to see the white-robed, handsome youth, His Highness the Seventh Plum Rain.
Clad in pristine white, the Seventh Plum Rain exuded a chilling aura, like a block of eternal ice—cold yet pure. His eyes were clear, devoid of any deceit. Dongbo Xueying sensed no guile in him—his words and actions were direct, reflecting his true nature.
“Just brute force, really,” Dongbo Xueying said modestly.
“Brute force alone wouldn’t have shattered the Witch-Warrior. Its mastery of laws could have dispersed ninety-nine percent of the impact. Yet your spear’s power bypassed its defenses, penetrating its body and causing instant annihilation,” the Seventh Plum Rain countered. “Such spearplay is nearly impossible to block. Impressive.”
“Your swordplay is equally remarkable. I rely on raw power for a single decisive strike, while your swordsmanship is ever-shifting, requiring fifteen strikes to fell your foe. We excel in different aspects,” Dongbo Xueying replied honestly. The Seventh Plum Rain’s strength was undeniable.
The Seventh Plum Rain nodded slightly. “No need for formalities. Call me Meiyu.”
“Brother Meiyu,” Dongbo Xueying said.
“Brother Dongbo,” the Seventh Plum Rain acknowledged. Though aloof, he held genuine respect for those who proved themselves worthy. In this preliminary, Dongbo Xueying was the only one who had earned it. The rest? He ignored them entirely.
…
Time passed.
Battles continued, but none matched the spectacle of Dongbo Xueying or the Seventh Plum Rain effortlessly annihilating their Witch-Warrior opponents. The World Gods on the platform watched casually, chatting among themselves.
“Young friend Dongbo,” the Patrol Envoy suddenly called.
“Patrol Envoy,” Dongbo Xueying responded.
“May I ask which star in Wushan Star Domain you hail from?” Guan, the Patrol Envoy, asked with a smile. “Or did you travel here from elsewhere? If you’re from our star domain, as its overseer, I might be able to offer some support.”
Dongbo Xueying understood this was a gesture of goodwill. “Thank you, Patrol Envoy, but I’m not from any star in Wushan Star Domain. My homeland isn’t in the Divine Realm—it’s a material world.”
“A material world?” Guan’s eyebrows rose. “Ah, so a material world has birthed such a prodigy. Rare indeed.”
“You said you’re from a material world?” The beautiful woman beside Guan interjected. “You’ve cultivated for just over two thousand years, reached such heights, and come from a material world? Then you must have refined the World Heart—you’re a Material World Lord?”
Silence fell.
Every eye—Guan’s, General Tu’s, the World Gods’, the Seventh Plum Rain’s, and the other qualifiers’—snapped to Dongbo Xueying.
A Material World Lord?
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