The more Sovereign Mo Xue observed Dongbo Xueying, the more he grew fond of him. Knowing his time was limited, how could he not be overjoyed to see such a son-in-law?
“Xueying,” Sovereign Mo Xue chuckled warmly. “Back in Anhai Prefecture City, I already knew you were my son-in-law. At the time, I was happy—happy that my daughter had successfully reincarnated, happy that my troublesome eldest daughter had finally found someone. But you were just a mere Deity-level lad, and I still had some reservations.”
“Still, seeing your potential back then, you were passable, so I didn’t dwell on it. After all, my daughter’s affairs aren’t something I can dictate,” Sovereign Mo Xue said with a smile.
Dongbo Xueying sighed helplessly. “Father-in-law, you and Jing Qiu both kept me in the dark. I was puzzled back then—why would Sovereign Mo Xue hold me in such high regard?”
“Hahaha…” Sovereign Mo Xue burst into laughter.
Then he continued, “Xueying, we’re now deep within the Heartlake Island, surrounded by countless dangers. The Nine Suns Palace Master and his group will find it difficult to capture me here. But once we start heading back, the further we go, the less perilous the outer regions become—trivial for the likes of them. With their combined forces and some clone techniques, the chances of escaping their encirclement are slim.”
Dongbo Xueying quickly replied, “Father-in-law, Jing Qiu and I have already discussed this. Even if the odds are low, we must take the risk. Staying deep within Heartlake Island for too long is just waiting for death. Only by escaping beyond the island’s rules can you reincarnate. If Jing Qiu succeeded, there’s every hope you can too.”
Sovereign Mo Xue nodded with a faint smile. “I understand. No need to say more. There is indeed a sliver of hope. But my daughter’s success doesn’t guarantee mine. The odds remain low. If we attempt this together and fail, your identity might be exposed to the Nine Suns Palace Master, earning you their enmity.”
“If I’m not afraid, why should you hesitate, Father-in-law?” Dongbo Xueying countered.
Sovereign Mo Xue paused, then nodded firmly. “Very well. Then I’ll trouble you, Xueying.”
It occurred to him that Dongbo Xueying was a Material World Lord and a direct disciple of the Divine Emperor—more than capable of handling such troubles. There was no need for further reluctance.
“I’ve already scouted the smoothest route here,” Dongbo Xueying said.
“Good. Lead the way, and we’ll stake everything on this gamble,” Sovereign Mo Xue declared.
Whoosh!
The two transformed into streaks of light, hurtling forward at breakneck speed.
Sovereign Mo Xue channeled his power to carry Dongbo Xueying, their velocity soaring to six hundred thousand miles per second. Clearly, this ancient powerhouse, who rivaled the mightiest, was also exceptionally skilled in speed.
—
Within the icy corridor, the cold-faced youth stood with his hands behind his back, remotely sensing Sovereign Mo Xue’s location through karma. Sovereign Mo Xue had employed treasures to block all causal detection, leaving only a vague, indistinct region discernible.
“Miscalculated. Had I known Sovereign Mo Xue would be so fearless of death, I wouldn’t have brought him along,” the cold-faced youth muttered, shaking his head.
Initially, he had led a group of companions on this expedition. As the strongest among them—a direct disciple of the Spacetime Island Lord—he had shone brightly even as a World God. Yet Sovereign Mo Xue, upon discovering the True Divine Artifact, had immediately fled with it, disregarding his role as the group’s leader.
“The True Divine Artifact… If I obtain and fully refine it, meditating on it day and night, my chances of forging my own path and ascending to the Venerable rank will soar,” the cold-faced youth thought, his eyes burning with frustration. “Anyone who stands in my way—dies.”
His killing intent was palpable.
Suddenly, the cold-faced youth—Nine Suns Palace Master—turned his head. “He’s moving at high speed?”
Though Sovereign Mo Xue had tried to mask his movements, the shielded region inevitably shifted as he traveled.
“What’s he planning?” Nine Suns Palace Master didn’t act immediately, uncertain whether Sovereign Mo Xue was fleeing or delving deeper.
Only after Sovereign Mo Xue had flown for the duration of a tea’s brewing did Nine Suns Palace Master confirm his suspicions. A glint of cold flashed in his eyes. “Mo Xue is truly fleeing outward. Does he think he can escape?”
Whoosh!
Nine Suns Palace Master sprang into action.
—
At another fork in the path, an elderly woman leaning on a wooden staff communicated with Nine Suns Palace Master. “Understood, Palace Master. Leave this to me. This old woman will assist.” Her hair elongated, transforming into gnarled, grayish-brown roots that split apart, forming nine identical gray-robed duplicates.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!…
The nine duplicates swiftly dispersed along the branching paths, joining the pursuit. This was the innate ability of the Withered Tree Matriarch—even suppressed within Heartlake Island, she could still manifest clones. Her cloning technique was Nine Suns Palace Master’s trump card for capturing Sovereign Mo Xue.
—
“What’s going on?”
“He’s escaping too quickly!”
“Along the way, he hardly slowed. Has he encountered no attacks?”
Nine Suns Palace Master and his allies quickly realized something was amiss.
“Listen to my orders. Focus all efforts on reaching the outer regions of Heartlake Island. We’ll intercept him there,” Nine Suns Palace Master commanded via mental transmission. The Prison Dragon Emperor shared a life-and-death bond with him, the Withered Tree Matriarch had agreed to help, and the Red Float Empress and Zenor Monarch wouldn’t dare oppose him. Not everyone was as bold as Sovereign Mo Xue.
“Understood.” “Agreed.”
Having ventured deep into Heartlake Island, they now retraced their steps, avoiding unnecessary detours.
Their speeds were staggering. Nine Suns Palace Master and the Prison Dragon Emperor outpaced even Sovereign Mo Xue. Once they abandoned pursuit and focused solely on reaching the outskirts, they quickly surged ahead.
“Trouble.”
Dongbo Xueying and Sovereign Mo Xue sensed the impending danger.
No matter what, they had to exit through the outermost passages.
“With countless exits and forks, we’ll take our chances,” Dongbo Xueying said. They had no other options.
—
Time passed.
A month had slipped by since Dongbo Xueying reunited with Sovereign Mo Xue.
They were now close to an exit, likely within two or three days. But the danger intensified as Nine Suns Palace Master’s forces tightened their encirclement.
Whoosh.
In a shadowy cavern passage, Dongbo Xueying and Sovereign Mo Xue streaked forward as beams of light.
“They’re closing in from all directions,” Sovereign Mo Xue said anxiously. “We must change course immediately.”
“Agreed,” Dongbo Xueying replied.
He no longer guided their path, forced into unfamiliar routes by the relentless pursuit. His sole advantage was his guest status, shielding Sovereign Mo Xue from attacks.
Change course! Again! And again! And again!!!
“After them!”
“They won’t escape.” Nine Suns Palace Master was now fully committed, sensing Sovereign Mo Xue was nearly cornered.
Sovereign Mo Xue fled desperately, but the encirclement tightened relentlessly, driving him toward despair.
“There’s no escape,” Sovereign Mo Xue sighed. “I knew it—with Nine Suns Palace Master and his allies fully mobilized, my chances were always slim. Xueying, leave me. Don’t let me drag you down.”
“Father-in-law, don’t give up. I have one last idea,” Dongbo Xueying said.
“You do?” Sovereign Mo Xue looked at him in surprise. Until now, Dongbo Xueying had merely followed his lead.
“Let’s try it. Don’t resist,” Dongbo Xueying said, then waved a hand, drawing Sovereign Mo Xue into his inner world.
Alone now, Dongbo Xueying swiftly backtracked to a nearby dark spatial vortex and sat cross-legged beside it.
“They’re approaching,” Sovereign Mo Xue warned from within the inner world.
Moments later—
Whoosh.
A figure emerged from the shadowy passage, spotting Dongbo Xueying seated calmly on the ground.
“Oh? Dongbo Xueying?” The cold-faced youth—Nine Suns Palace Master—paused.
Dongbo Xueying stood and bowed. “Greetings, Nine Suns Palace Master.”
The cold-faced youth nodded slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips. He held some fondness for Dongbo Xueying. “I was curious—how did the Flamefire Patriarch save your wife with just an avatar in the Xia Clan World? When I asked him, he told me you sacrificed half your soul for her.”
“Yes,” Dongbo Xueying acknowledged.
“During the Xia Clan’s war, it was dire. I assume you hadn’t grasped a Paramount Truth by its end,” the cold-faced youth mused. “Had you, saving your wife wouldn’t have been so difficult.”
“True,” Dongbo Xueying replied, inwardly puzzled by Nine Suns Palace Master’s detailed knowledge of him.
“To sacrifice half your soul for your wife, risking your cultivation path when you weren’t even a Paramount Truth cultivator—that takes courage,” the cold-faced youth said approvingly. “I admire you, boy. But when it comes to the True Divine Artifact, anyone in my way dies. Don’t help Sovereign Mo Xue. You can’t save him.”
Whoosh!
A black dragon descended nearby, morphing into a towering figure in dark armor.
“Any sign of Sovereign Mo Xue in the vicinity?” the cold-faced youth asked.
“None,” the Prison Dragon Emperor replied.
The cold-faced youth’s gaze sharpened as he turned back to Dongbo Xueying. “The shielded area is small, and you’re the only life here. Through karma, I sense Sovereign Mo Xue is nearby. He has nowhere else to go—he must be in your spatial treasure or inner world.”
“Dongbo Xueying, opposing me for Sovereign Mo Xue isn’t worth it,” the cold-faced youth said. “We could be friends, not enemies.”
Dongbo Xueying met his gaze. “Some things can’t be helped.”
Whoosh!
He leaped into the spatial vortex beside him and vanished.
The cold-faced youth’s expression darkened. Spatial vortices typically led to critical or perilous zones. “For a mere favor, he’d go this far for Mo Xue?” he muttered.
—
Whoosh.
This was Dongbo Xueying’s first time entering a spatial vortex within Heartlake Island—his last desperate gambit. As a guest, even trespassing into restricted areas wouldn’t immediately spell his doom.
The surroundings warped.
Before him stretched a vast expanse of land.
As he landed, he looked up to see a colossal golden-armored giant, seated like a mountain, gazing down at him.
Dongbo Xueying smiled awkwardly. “I entered unintentionally. May I ask where this is?”
(End of Chapter)
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