Chapter 519: Liberation

In the grand hall of the Inspector’s residence.

“Divine Emperor, please take a seat,” Dongbo Xueying said, sitting behind the long table opposite him. He studied the Demonflame Emperor carefully—his body covered in black fur, his eyes blood-red, exuding an aura of sinister ferocity. Flickering flames seemed to dance within those crimson orbs. This was a notorious and powerful Fourth Heaven Realm God, far stronger than the Lord of Cangyong Kingdom, and considered nearly on par with a Paragon.

“Hahaha! Lord Dongbo, your fame has spread far and wide. Many of us old-timers have been discussing you,” the Demonflame Emperor laughed heartily, his hideous face twisting into a grin that sent chills down one’s spine. “It’s just a shame they didn’t bring gifts, or they’d have come knocking on your door long ago.”

“You flatter me, Divine Emperor. Compared to all of you, I still have much to learn,” Dongbo Xueying replied modestly.

“Hahaha, no need for humility! If both of us were to become Paragons, I’d wager you’d achieve it before me,” the Demonflame Emperor said with a grin. “The reason I’ve come today is to present you with a gift and forge a bond of goodwill. I don’t expect anything in return—just that, should you ascend to Paragon status, you might lend me a hand.”

He was certain.

If Dongbo Xueying became a Paragon, he would likely reach the level of the Three Ancestors. Securing aid from such an existence would come at an unimaginable cost.

“Oh?” Dongbo Xueying regarded him with interest. This Demonflame Emperor was quite confident.

“Behold, my lord.”

With a wave of his hand, the Demonflame Emperor summoned two figures—both bound in chains, their lower halves serpentine, their faces identical.

Venomous Ying.

“Venomous Ying?” Dongbo Xueying was startled.

The two Venomous Yings gazed at him with despair, their eyes silently pleading.

“Venomous Ying and I do have some enmity,” Dongbo Xueying admitted. “But at this point, she poses no threat to me. Once my strength grows further, capturing or killing her would be effortless.”

He had long since stopped considering her a concern.

The Demonflame Emperor roared with laughter, the sound shaking the hall. “Venomous Ying was extremely cautious. It took me months of tracking her through karma to capture both her avatars at once. But you’re right—once you become a Fourth Heaven Realm God and grasp the mysteries of the Karma Heart, you could easily seize her avatars through karma as well. Still, I thought I’d spare you the trouble. Besides, she carries a treasure.”

“A treasure?” Dongbo Xueying raised an eyebrow.

“Look.” The Demonflame Emperor produced a single green leaf, radiating an ancient, primordial aura that made even Dongbo Xueying feel insignificant.

“This is a fragment of the *Ten Thousand Toxins Scripture*, the supreme legacy of the Venom Dao,” the Demonflame Emperor chuckled. “I never expected Venomous Ying to possess such a treasure. Though the Venom Dao is a heterodox path, it too holds methods of transcendence. Even as a fragment, this is invaluable.”

Dongbo Xueying glanced at it and shook his head. “The Venom Dao focuses on studying the properties of plants, minerals, and all things in nature. I have no interest in such pursuits.”

The Demonflame Emperor stiffened, slightly embarrassed.

Dongbo Xueying was right.

While all paths had their intersections, the *Ten Thousand Toxins Scripture*—a mere fragment at that—was of little use compared to something like the complete *Black Worm Sutra*, which at least contained formations worth studying. True value lay in cultivation techniques like *Taihao*, which could exponentially increase one’s strength. Even partial records of such arts were priceless.

Jing Qiu’s *Heartsword Diagram* fragment, for instance, was a combat-oriented treasure of immense worth.

This was precisely why Patriarch Jinxiao had been so enraged—after countless years of effort, he had been on the verge of completing the *Heartsword Diagram*, only for Jing Qiu to ruin his plans. Even the Snowvow Monarch couldn’t shield his daughter, and Jing Qiu’s former master, a Paragon, dared not intervene.

Jing Qiu had no choice but to reincarnate and start anew.

“I’ll pass on the *Ten Thousand Toxins Scripture*,” Dongbo Xueying said. It held no value to him or Jing Qiu, and he had no desire for his children to waste time on the Venom Dao—especially with only a fragment. Venomous Ying had practiced it for ages and achieved little. A complete version might have piqued his interest.

“I’ll take Venomous Ying, though. My thanks, Demonflame Emperor. I owe you a favor.”

“Hahaha, very well.” The Demonflame Emperor stood. He had only intended to gift Venomous Ying; the scripture fragment had been an unexpected find. That Dongbo Xueying, as the Emperor’s personal disciple, would disdain a mere Venom Dao fragment was hardly surprising.

“I’ll take my leave now. May you ascend to Paragon swiftly, Lord Dongbo.”

“Your blessings are appreciated.” Dongbo Xueying rose to see him off.

These old monsters all treated Dongbo Xueying as an equal—if not a superior—eager to forge connections. His current combat prowess matched a Fourth Heaven Realm God’s, and his potential far outstripped theirs. Even Paragons dared not underestimate him.

—

After seeing off the Demonflame Emperor, Dongbo Xueying returned to the hall.

The two bound Venomous Yings stared at him, their True Divinity Hearts sealed, powerless to resist. One of them hissed, “Dongbo Xueying, I admit I misjudged you! I didn’t dare sabotage your Ten Thousand Flowers Feast, allowing you to soar under the Emperor’s tutelage!”

Dongbo Xueying watched silently.

Yes, his rapid rise owed much to his master—the strongest being in the Divine Realm, whose guidance on the Chaos Heart and Singularity Heart had been peerless. The techniques, treasures, and spirit fruits bestowed upon him had accelerated his growth immeasurably.

But this was no anomaly.

Legends like the Annihilation Emperor and Lord Qing had received similar nurturing.

“Now I’m at your mercy,” Venomous Ying snarled. “Just kill me. End it.”

Trapped between life and death, she craved release.

“You wish to die so badly?” Dongbo Xueying murmured.

Venomous Ying froze, hope flickering in her eyes. “If you spare me, I’ll serve you faithfully.”

“You think too much.”

Her face twisted in terror. “You—you wouldn’t—” Her greatest fear was prolonged torment, an eternity of suffering. A swift death was mercy.

Watching her dread, Dongbo Xueying sighed inwardly.

Such was the law of the jungle.

Had it not been for Lord White Sand’s intervention, had he not been a True Meaning Transcendent, his wife might have suffered similarly.

No—Jing Qiu, outwardly a mere deity, had likely been stronger than Venomous Ying all along.

She had hidden her power until the last moment.

“Let us settle our grudges here.”

Dongbo Xueying raised a finger. Two streaks of white light shot forth, piercing the brows of both Venomous Yings, extinguishing their sealed True Divinity Hearts in an instant.

Their auras faded, their expressions peaceful at last.

Dongbo Xueying shook his head.

Ruthlessness bred ruin.

Even as the Emperor’s disciple and a Material World Lord, he reserved his cruelty for enemies. Others he treated with restraint—for one never knew when they might prove unbreakable.

Venomous Ying had dismissed a mere deity as insignificant.

Little had she known—one was a True Meaning Transcendent, the other his wife, stronger than her all along.