Dongbo Xueying didn’t dare to hope that it would be His Majesty the Blood Blade Divine Emperor. He thought it would be great enough to be accepted as a disciple under one of the Three Ancestors. However, even for the Three Ancestors… he had no confidence at all! From what he knew, those at the level of the Three Ancestors rarely took disciples, as they prioritized their own cultivation.
“If my true self loudly calls out the name of one of the Three Ancestors and tells them I’m a Paragon with a first-grade True Intent, then demonstrates my strength, perhaps I could become their disciple,” Dongbo Xueying mused inwardly. But this was just a passing thought—after all, a first-grade True Intent Paragon held little appeal for the Blood Blade Divine Emperor and even less for the Three Ancestors. Only ordinary mighty figures would compete to take such a disciple.
“If I actively seek a master, who should I choose? The Bamboo Mountain Pavilion Master? What if the Pavilion Master doesn’t like me as a disciple…” Dongbo Xueying also felt that forcing the matter wouldn’t be wise.
If a master didn’t genuinely want him as a disciple, they likely wouldn’t teach him seriously.
He’d rather be taken under the wing of an ordinary mighty figure who truly wished to instruct him than force his way into the Three Ancestors’ tutelage. After all, even ordinary mighty figures had transcended the River of Time and surpassed the laws of heaven and earth—their guidance would still be immensely valuable.
“If all else fails, I’ll choose Ancestor Ba Xiong,” Dongbo Xueying thought to himself.
Among the first five, Ancestor Ba Xiong had shown the most sincerity! His teaching might be slightly lacking, but surely it would be far better than struggling alone in cultivation.
“Let’s see which mighty figure bestowed this token.” Dongbo Xueying gripped the blood-red token and carefully sensed the message within—
“Would you be willing to join my Blood Blade lineage as an inner disciple?”
A simple sentence.
Yet Dongbo Xueying was stunned in an instant.
“Blood Blade lineage?”
“Blood Blade lineage?”
Dongbo Xueying blinked, then a storm of emotions surged within him. The Blood Blade Divine Emperor—the universally acknowledged strongest in the Divine Realm! Many even believed the three supreme rulers of the Dark Abyss were slightly weaker than His Majesty. Of course, this was mere speculation and not universally accepted.
Regardless, the Blood Blade Divine Emperor stood uncontested at the pinnacle of the Divine Realm, the Material World, and the Abyss. In terms of pure strength, he was likely the strongest among countless mighty figures!
He had reached a truly invincible level.
Taking disciples held little meaning for him—he didn’t even care about first-grade True Intent Paragons.
Becoming his inner disciple? Dongbo Xueying had no reservations—this was entirely normal. No matter how talented, all who first joined the Divine Emperor’s lineage started as inner disciples. Only after undergoing his teachings, trials, and observations would they be considered for promotion to personal disciples. Those who became the Divine Emperor’s personal disciples were invariably those whose talent, cultivation, and temperament had earned his approval.
“I can become the Divine Emperor’s disciple?” Dongbo Xueying felt his entire body burning with excitement.
—
In the Xia Clan’s world, within Red Rock Mountain.
Senior Brother Ge Bai, Senior Brother He Feiyun, the artifact spirit Red Rock, the green-haired woman Xi Wei, Yu Jingqiu, and the white-robed Dongbo Xueying were all seated together. Concerned about the news from the Divine Court Battle, they had Dongbo Xueying’s true self come to Red Rock Mountain to relay updates.
“Junior Brother Dongbo, what’s wrong?” Ge Bai, the thick-robed young man, chuckled. “Why are you spacing out?”
“Did a powerful mighty figure take you as a disciple? One of the Three Ancestors?” the crimson-caped youth He Feiyun added.
Xi Wei, Red Rock, and Yu Jingqiu all looked at Dongbo Xueying.
The white-robed Dongbo Xueying glanced at those present, then grabbed a nearby wine jug and gulped down several mouthfuls. The sight left Ge Bai and the others bewildered. Putting down the jug, his face slightly flushed, Dongbo Xueying said, “A mighty figure did take me as a disciple—but not one of the Three Ancestors. It was His Majesty!”
“His Majesty?”
“The Divine Emperor?”
Everyone froze, even the well-informed artifact spirit Red Rock.
“The Divine Emperor?” Yu Jingqiu, who had been listening with a smile, gasped. She had full confidence in her husband, but the Blood Blade Divine Emperor taking him as a disciple?
“Are you serious? You’re not lying to us?” Red Rock asked.
“It’s His Majesty the Divine Emperor. Would I joke about something like this?” Dongbo Xueying shook his head.
“I… I…” Red Rock stood up abruptly.
“Quick, quick—bring out the best wine, the finest we have!” Ge Bai urged.
Even the usually aloof, crimson-caped He Feiyun widened his eyes. “The Divine Emperor took a disciple?”
“Hahaha, the Divine Emperor!” Red Rock swayed his head. “The absolute strongest in the Divine Realm, acknowledged by all! Whether it’s hidden supreme techniques, top-tier secret arts, or terrifying treasures—His Majesty’s depth is unfathomable. Take Bai Sha City Lord, whom you know—even though he was expelled, the secret skills he created made him nearly invincible among third-level Heaven Gods. How could he achieve that? Without the Divine Emperor’s teachings and guidance, do you think he could’ve reached such heights?”
“Among the Divine Emperor’s disciples, take Ancient Vault Emperor—he’s always been low-key, secluded in his lair, rarely emerging. Why? According to my old master, he’s cultivating some terrifying supreme technique. Where did he get it? Naturally, from His Majesty. Ancient Vault Emperor seldom acts, but many mighty figures believe his strength approaches that of the Three Ancestors.”
“Dongbo, Dongbo—you’ve never had a proper master!” Red Rock gazed at Dongbo Xueying. “You joined my old master’s lineage, but he was already dead, so you received no guidance. Now, you’ve truly found an incredible master—one who stands at the very peak of the Divine Realm and the Abyss. Those who can match him number only a handful.”
The white-robed Dongbo Xueying nodded with a smile.
He was overjoyed.
He had long yearned for a master’s guidance. Reaching his current level had been largely through solitary cultivation. Now, he finally had a formidable master.
—
At the periphery of the Ten Thousand Flowers Banquet.
Over a thousand Deity-level experts still hoped for tokens to be bestowed. Just then, a six-armed World God guard emerged.
“Those who have received tokens, choose one to refine,” the guard announced. “Refining a token signifies pledging allegiance to that master.”
Only eight Deity-level experts had received tokens.
Five of them had only one token each, so they immediately took theirs out to refine.
Dongbo Xueying, without hesitation, retrieved his blood-red token. He double-checked—the message inside indeed belonged to His Majesty the Divine Emperor—then began refining it.
“Those ranked in the top one hundred, follow me inside,” the eight-armed World God guard commanded.
Dongbo Xueying, Drunken Lone Guest, Jiu She, and the others rose immediately. The remaining Deity-level experts watched enviously, knowing these hundred would all become disciples of mighty figures and receive a Ten Thousand Flowers Divine Fruit.
One by one, they entered.
The Seventh Plum Rain watched silently. Though she had received a token, she wasn’t among the top hundred and thus couldn’t partake in the Divine Fruit.
“Seventh Plum Rain,” a World God guard approached with a smile. “Vortex Mother Emperor has instructed me to escort you inside.”
Seventh Plum Rain was startled but quickly rose. As she walked, her appearance subtly shifted—her disguise as a man faded, revealing her true form as a coldly beautiful woman. She worried that Vortex Mother Emperor, who only accepted female disciples, might dislike her if she remained in male guise.
“A woman?”
“Seventh Plum Rain is a woman?” Some Deity-level experts from Anhai Province were astonished, as were others who witnessed the scene.
—
Dongbo Xueying and the others were ushered inside in an orderly fashion by the World God guards.
“You five are under Longbrow Ancestor.”
“You four belong to Ancestor Ba Xiong.”
The guards assigned them accordingly.
Among the top hundred, some were already disciples of mighty figures—some as guardian disciples, others as inner disciples. Now, at the very least, all would be promoted to inner disciples. Those without masters were assigned after brief discussions between the Blood Blade Divine Emperor and his mighty figures. Apart from His Majesty and the Three Ancestors, the other mighty figures each took three to five disciples.
At the Ten Thousand Flowers Banquet.
Young Deity-level experts filed in—to fourth-level Heaven Gods and mighty figures, they were indeed mere youths.
Batch after batch entered.
“Disciples pay respects to Master.” Five young men and women stepped into the banquet hall. Having been instructed earlier, they knelt and kowtowed before a long-browed man.
“Rise,” the man nodded.
The top hundred paying homage to their masters was a tradition at every Ten Thousand Flowers Banquet.
Soon, another five entered.
Drunken Lone Guest, Jiu She, and three others knelt before a golden-haired, golden-browed man. “Disciples pay respects to Master.”
“Mm.” Duke Yu acknowledged them with a single word.
After the ceremony, they quickly took their seats.
Batch after batch entered and knelt.
“Xueying hasn’t come in yet?” Jiu She, seated among fourth-level Heaven Gods and mighty figures, felt his blood boil. That towering figure at the forefront was none other than the Divine Emperor! And beside him—could that be one of the Abyss’s supreme rulers?
The disciples entered in groups, each batch sharing the same master.
Finally, it was Dongbo Xueying’s turn. He was the last, standing alone without peers.
Dongbo Xueying stepped forward.
At this moment, Seventh Plum Rain—now dressed as a female attendant behind Vortex Mother Emperor—glanced over. Jiu She and the other ninety-nine top-ranked Deity-level experts all turned their eyes to him. The fourth-level Heaven Gods and mighty figures focused on this final entrant. A few, including Ancestor Ba Xiong, shook their heads slightly, clearly regretful at missing such a disciple.
The last to enter, Dongbo Xueying walked to the very front of the hall. There, he faced the towering figure seated high above, clad in dark-red robes exuding boundless destructive aura. He knelt and proclaimed:
“Disciple Dongbo Xueying, pays respects to Master!”
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