Dongbo Xueying stood by, watching. He could guess that his father-in-law must have concealed the treasures in a way that completely blocked all detection.
“Crrack—” Jing Qiu extended her fair right hand, pointing into the distance. The massive ice layer covering the canyon floor began to split apart and float upward. Then, the suspended ice layer rapidly disintegrated and vanished. The power of a Four Heavens Realm God, even if only a sliver was released, could annihilate an entire star—let alone a mere thousand-mile stretch of floating ice.
The ice layer dissipated into nothingness, leaving behind only a single intact speck of ice crystal.
“That’s it.” Jing Qiu beckoned, and the ice crystal landed in her palm.
“Let’s go,” she said.
The two boarded the Starfield Skyship and departed.
Aboard the Starfield Skyship.
“This is Father’s pocket-dimension treasure,” Jing Qiu murmured, gazing at the grain of sand in her palm. “Father wouldn’t have taken it with him when he sent his avatar to the Heartlake Island ruins. Now that he’s trapped there, surrounded by dangers—not just from the ruins themselves but also from the Nine Suns Palace Master and four other enemies, not to mention other powerful figures who might intervene…” She sighed, her eyes clouded with worry and unease.
“Jing Qiu, what if we go to the Heartlake Island ruins?” Dongbo Xueying suggested.
Jing Qiu looked up at him, startled. “Xueying, go to Heartlake Island? But—but it’s far too dangerous! There’s no need for you to take such risks just for my father’s sake.”
Though she herself harbored thoughts of aiding her father, she couldn’t bear the thought of dragging Dongbo Xueying into peril.
“Hahaha! My true self is in the Material Realm—what’s there to fear? At worst, this body dies in the ruins,” Dongbo Xueying laughed heartily. “Besides, I’ve hit a bottleneck in my cultivation. I’ve never been particularly skilled in the Dao of Space and Time, and progress has been sluggish. More importantly, it’s been too long since I’ve faced true danger. I can feel my will and fighting spirit beginning to dull.”
“I need tempering.”
“A blade grows sharper with honing. Too much comfort only corrodes one’s spirit,” Dongbo Xueying declared. “You and I are both at the Four Heavens Realm God level of combat power. Ordinary ruins pose too little challenge. The Heartlake Island ruins, fraught with peril—that’s where the real excitement lies! Rescuing your father is one goal, but tempering ourselves is just as important.”
Jing Qiu was deeply moved. If tempering was the goal, why choose Heartlake Island? The dangers there far exceeded the bounds of mere training. But she could see the resolve in her husband’s eyes.
Dongbo Xueying met her gaze. “I’ve made up my mind to venture into the Heartlake Island ruins. Will you come with me?”
Jing Qiu nodded firmly. “Together.”
“Good. But before we go, we’ll need to prepare thoroughly,” Dongbo Xueying said with a smile.
“Yes, we must be fully prepared,” Jing Qiu agreed, acutely aware of the dangers ahead. She wasn’t entirely sure if bringing Xueying along was the right choice, but his determination was unshakable. Still, warmth blossomed in her heart.
—
Amidst a sprawling palace complex, petals drifted through the air. In one grand hall, the white-robed beauty, Seventh Plum Rain, paced restlessly.
Now a Realm God herself—though only at the First Heaven level—she was powerless to intervene in her father’s plight.
“Father…”
“What can I do? He’s being hunted,” she fretted.
Just moments ago, her master, the Whirlpool Mother Divine Emperor, had issued a command: “Disciple, your father, the Snowpeak Monarch, is besieged—his true self surrounded, his avatar hiding in the Heartlake Island ruins while pursued. This matter is beyond my intervention. From today onward, you will remain here under my protection. Do not venture out recklessly.”
Though the Snowpeak Monarch’s situation was kept relatively secret, word had spread among Four Heavens Realm Gods and even greater powers. The enraged Nine Suns Palace Master and Withered Tree Matriarch had even hinted for their subordinates to seize the Snowpeak Empire.
Within days, reports flooded in.
“Your Highness, the empire teeters on the brink. Neighboring realms have begun infiltrating our borders. The empire may soon fall.”
“Your Highness, the Third Princess’s Realm God avatar self-destructed. Her palace has been occupied.”
“Many Realm Gods have defected.”
“Little sister, don’t return.”
“Little sister, we are safe, but the empire is beyond saving.”
Each message twisted Seventh Plum Rain’s heart with anxiety. Her father had sent only a single missive: “Xiao Qi, stay with the Whirlpool Mother Divine Emperor. She will protect you. Do not worry about me.”
Not worry?
How could she not?
“I must see Master,” Seventh Plum Rain resolved, determined to plead for aid.
“Junior Sister, Master refuses your audience. She has made it clear—she will not intervene,” said the Divine Emperor’s personal attendant.
And why would she?
The conflict involved too many powerful figures, chief among them the Nine Suns Palace Master—a favored disciple of the Temporal Island Lord and a force to be reckoned with. Even the Whirlpool Mother, for all her protectiveness, wouldn’t wage war against multiple greater powers for a single disciple’s sake.
—
Meanwhile, Dongbo Xueying had returned to his Inspector’s Manor, preparing for the journey to the fabled Heartlake Island ruins.
“What?” He soon received word that the Snowpeak Empire was on the verge of collapse.
“Xueying, what do we do?” Jing Qiu pressed. “With Father’s avatar still trapped in the distant ruins, neighboring empires are already encroaching. They wouldn’t dare without backing from greater powers.”
Dongbo Xueying nodded.
For Four Heavens Realm Gods, the size of one’s empire mattered little. And the Snowpeak Monarch wasn’t truly dead yet.
“Leave it to me,” Dongbo Xueying said, then activated his communication treasures.
“Monarch Chen Yi, it’s Dongbo Xueying.”
“Your Highness! To what do I owe the honor?”
“I’ve heard of the Snowpeak Monarch’s plight. During the Ten Thousand Flowers Banquet, he once guided me in cultivation—a kindness I cannot forget. While I’m powerless to aid him directly, I will safeguard his empire.”
“Ah… so that’s the connection.”
Dongbo Xueying swiftly reached out to over a dozen neighboring monarchs—all Four Heavens Realm Gods he’d previously met. His message was clear: The Snowpeak Monarch had shown him great kindness, and he would protect the empire in return.
He even asked them to spread his stance far and wide, ensuring all factions took note.
—
In the Snowpeak Empire, the elegant Fifth Princess, Realm Goddess He Xue, stood furious in midair, glaring at a vast army led by a Three Heavens Realm God.
“You too betray the Snowpeak Empire?” the beautiful goddess spat. “General Chen, my father treated you well.”
“The Monarch’s divine heart nears collapse, and he has offended greater powers. What choice do I have, Your Highness?” the long-bearded Realm God replied coolly. “Resist, and I may have no choice but to strike you down.”
“Fine. Very well.” He Xue’s heart burned with grief and indignation.
Her other avatar had long since fled, but watching her father’s empire crumble was agony.
Suddenly—
The long-bearded Realm God’s expression shifted. He frowned, then waved his hand. “Withdraw!”
His forces hesitated, bewildered.
He Xue was equally stunned.
By day’s end, the encroaching empires had withdrawn, and the Snowpeak Empire stabilized almost overnight. Loyal Realm Gods and the monarch’s daughters were left in disbelief—until word spread: His Majesty’s personal disciple, Dongbo Xueying, had declared his protection over the empire, repaying a debt of guidance from the Ten Thousand Flowers Banquet.
That name alone carried weight.
No Four Heavens Realm God would risk offending Dongbo Xueying over a mere empire.
Even the Withered Tree Matriarch, the Prison Dragon Emperor, and the Nine Suns Palace Master took no further action. Dongbo Xueying’s potential was terrifying—once he ascended to greater power, he might rival the Three Ancestors. And since he only sought to preserve an empire, not the Snowpeak Monarch himself, none wished to slight him over so trivial a matter.
—
Back under the Whirlpool Mother’s tutelage, Seventh Plum Rain learned the news.
“Dongbo Xueying publicly declared protection over the Snowpeak Empire?” She was stunned. The youth who’d once attended the Ten Thousand Flowers Banquet alongside her had risen to such heights that a single proclamation commanded universal respect. “All because of Father’s guidance?”
Gratitude swelled in her heart—unaware that Dongbo Xueying was, in truth, her eldest sister’s husband.
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