The Blood Blade Divine Emperor paused slightly, a faint smile curling at the corners of his lips. “If my calculations are correct, he has cultivated for thirty-nine thousand years to reach this point. His speed of advancement far surpasses mine back in the day.”
“Many have surpassed you in cultivation speed, Master, yet now, in the Divine Realm, you stand as the strongest. Most of those who once outpaced you have long since perished,” a deep, resonant voice replied.
“I hope he can continue on this path,” the Blood Blade Divine Emperor mused with quiet expectation.
Standing atop the abyss of the Divine Realm, he was one of the very few who could claim such a position. Through the endless eons, he had witnessed countless rises and falls, the meteoric ascents and tragic downfalls of geniuses who grasped supreme truths. Now, ‘Dongbo Xueying’ had matched the early cultivation speed of his most prideful disciple, ‘Qing Jun.’ Yet, despite this, the Blood Blade Divine Emperor remained merely hopeful.
After all, from the First Heaven to the Fourth Heaven, he had long believed there would be no obstacles for his beloved disciple, Dongbo Xueying. It was only after reaching the Fourth Heaven that the true trials of cultivation would begin—when one gradually stepped into the world of His Majesty, the Divine Emperor.
…
In a desolate stretch of the cosmos, far from the Eastern Domain City, Dongbo Xueying stood facing a silver-haired woman clad in white. He smiled at his wife. With the abundant supply of divine crystals, Jing Qiu had long since evolved her inner world, advancing it all the way to the Fourth Heaven Realm God realm. Dongbo Xueying had even gifted her numerous treasures, including artifacts that shielded her from all rule-based detection, as well as materials for her to forge her own blood-refined divine weapon.
Though the process of crafting a blood-refined divine weapon was complex, Yu Jing Qiu, with her past-life memories, was more than capable of handling it herself.
In contrast, Dongbo Xueying, whose cultivation years were brief, remained utterly ignorant in fields like alchemy, weapon forging, and venomcraft.
“Xueying, last time, I merely converted my divine power into ‘Frost Sword Force,’ but the conversion was too slow, and the amount was pitifully small. Without a Realm God’s domain, dealing with the Cang Yong Kingdom’s ruler was quite the struggle,” Yu Jing Qiu said with a smile from afar. “But this time, it won’t be so simple.” As she spoke, countless surging frost sword lights erupted around her, spreading like a vast, turbulent ocean across hundreds of millions of miles.
At the heart of this boundless frost ocean, Yu Jing Qiu reigned supreme, radiating terrifying sharpness.
Dongbo Xueying wasn’t the least bit surprised. His own Tai Hao Force could envelop hundreds of millions of miles in the blink of an eye.
Last time, Yu Jing Qiu had only possessed a divine-level body. Though her Realm God-level secret arts had reached an extraordinary level, the efficiency of divine power conversion was abysmal—nothing compared to the Fourth Heaven Realm God’s conversion rate.
“Come at me with everything you’ve got. Let’s see just how strong you’ve become,” Dongbo Xueying said with a laugh. Sparring with his wife at full strength was rather amusing. “But first, you’ll have to defeat my world avatars.”
Instantly, nine star-blue-robed Dongbo Xueyings materialized in the void.
Yu Jing Qiu had only recently advanced to the Fourth Heaven Realm God, and her mastery of the ‘World God Heart’ was not as profound as Dongbo Xueying’s. She couldn’t suppress him forcefully enough to prevent him from manifesting world avatars.
“Xueying, you’d better be careful!” Yu Jing Qiu’s silver hair fluttered as she waved her hand.
Whoosh—
A tidal wave of frost sword force surged forth. From a distance, Dongbo Xueying watched as countless frost sword lights, vast as an ocean, rushed toward him like a raging tsunami, crossing the starry void in an instant to reach his nine avatars. The avatars brandished their spears, unleashing their techniques while the Tai Hao Force surged outward to meet the onslaught.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The supremely yang and unyielding Tai Hao Force formed countless chains that clashed head-on with the frost sword lights. Yet, the sword lights were razor-sharp. Though their power diminished upon impact, they sliced through the chains and swarmed the nine avatars.
The avatars fought desperately with their spears but were utterly overwhelmed. Soon, threads of frost sword light pierced their bodies.
No matter how impeccable their spear defense was, it couldn’t block the all-pervasive sword lights!
Even though Dongbo Xueying had mastered the sixth layer of the Ten Thousand Calamities Mixed Origin Body, it still couldn’t withstand the sword lights. One by one, the avatars were shredded apart as countless sword lights flooded in.
“Stop, stop! I surrender!” Dongbo Xueying called out. The frost sword lights immediately receded. Yu Jing Qiu frowned. “You haven’t even used your true body yet. Why surrender so soon?”
“My true body is only slightly stronger than the avatars, and that’s mostly due to the Red Cloud Spear,” Dongbo Xueying admitted, shaking his head. “If nine avatars couldn’t hold out, how could one true body? I never imagined your Frost Sword Force could be this powerful in such quantities. Your strength is now on par with the Cang Yong Kingdom’s ruler.”
In terms of raw power, he himself was still slightly weaker than the Cang Yong Kingdom’s ruler. Their previous battle above the Eastern Domain City had required both him and Jing Qiu to hold the ruler at bay.
Yu Jing Qiu smiled faintly. “My ‘Frost Sword Force’ has also incorporated some insights from the remnants of the ‘Heart Sword Diagram,’ making it even sharper. But the ‘Heart Sword Diagram’ is profoundly mysterious. Once I finish forging my blood-refined divine weapon, I plan to delve deeper into its fragments.”
“Who would’ve thought that I, Dongbo Xueying, renowned far and wide, can’t even defeat my own wife,” Dongbo Xueying sighed dramatically.
“You’ve cultivated for how long? I’ve cultivated for how long?” Yu Jing Qiu retorted with a smirk.
“Hahaha, just teasing you. Don’t worry—your man will surpass you soon enough,” Dongbo Xueying said with a grin. “Come on, let’s head back.”
“Mm.” Yu Jing Qiu nodded.
The two then boarded a starfield vessel and traversed the spatial tunnel back to the Eastern Domain City.
…
Upon returning to the Inspector’s Manor, Yu Jing Qiu quietly retreated into seclusion. Given her strength, no one could detect her presence. After all, the entire An Hai Province currently had only two Fourth Heaven Realm Gods: the An Hai Province Lord and Yu Jing Qiu.
Meanwhile, Dongbo Xueying went to instruct their daughter in cultivation.
“Qing Yao, when comprehending the laws of heaven and earth, one must grasp their essence directly. But don’t be too rigid. For now, set aside your current focus and try approaching it from another angle,” Dongbo Xueying said, summoning a sword formed from the power of heaven and earth into his palm. Though he had never studied swordplay, the fundamental principles of the laws were universal. With his far superior comprehension, he could guide his daughter in simpler terms.
Dongbo Qing Yao listened intently. Having grown up on tales of her father’s exploits, she idolized him deeply.
While instructing her, Dongbo Xueying suddenly sensed a surge of power—his master’s. Though he carried artifacts that blocked all rule-based detection, he dared not obstruct his master’s presence.
“Dongbo.” A voice resonated directly in his mind.
“Master.” Dongbo Xueying responded immediately.
“To reach the Third Heaven Realm God in such a short time is commendable. But you must know how many supreme-truth geniuses have stalled at the Fourth Heaven—even the Annihilation Emperor, whose talent rivaled yours, ultimately destroyed himself. Your path of cultivation has only just begun. Do not grow arrogant. Cultivation is also the cultivation of the heart,” the Blood Blade Divine Emperor said. “Now that your fame has spread, many experts will seek you out, even befriend you. But remember: not all favors are meant to be accepted. Accepting them binds you with karma.”
Dongbo Xueying was taken aback. “Understood, Master. This disciple will remember.”
“Good.” The overwhelming presence withdrew.
“Many experts coming to visit?” Dongbo Xueying frowned slightly.
…
The Blood Blade Divine Emperor’s words proved true. Barely half a month later, the first visitor arrived.
“Your Highness Dongbo, I heard you seek the Ashen Demon Bones. Coincidentally, this old man happens to possess six jin of them and would gladly gift them to you,” a golden-haired elder said with a smile.
Before Dongbo Xueying, a table was set with fine wine. He lifted the cup and took a sip. “Lord Jiu Jiang, such a generous gift is too much for me to accept.” After his master’s warning, Dongbo Xueying, ever sharp-witted, understood immediately. His rapid advancement and record-breaking ascent to the Third Heaven Realm God had made him a figure of immense potential in the eyes of major factions. They knew he would soon soar to great heights—perhaps even become a mighty figure on par with the Three Ancestors.
Knowing Dongbo Xueying’s future stature, they sought to ‘offer fuel in snowy weather’—to extend favors while he was still relatively weak. Once he reached the level of the Three Ancestors, any gifts would be beneath his notice. Accepting them now would create karmic ties, obligations to repay in the future.
Of course, if Dongbo Xueying stalled at the Fourth Heaven, their gifts would be wasted.
But this was a gamble.
By offering gifts now, they could call upon him to repay the karma once he grew stronger. Refusing would entangle him in karmic obstacles, hindering his cultivation.
“Your Highness,” a voice called from outside. “The Tian He Province Lord requests an audience.”
“What a coincidence,” Dongbo Xueying said, glancing at the golden-haired elder. “Lord Jiu Jiang, you don’t mind if we invite the Tian He Province Lord to join us, do you?”
“It’s been a while since I last saw that Tian He brat,” Lord Jiu Jiang replied with a smile, though inwardly displeased. Dongbo Xueying’s reluctance to accept his gift meant securing this karmic tie wouldn’t be easy.
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