Within the sea of consciousness, there lay a fiery lotus formation diagram containing the cultivation method for the seventh layer of *Ten Directions Annihilation Flame*. Only upon mastering each layer would he receive the next layer’s teachings from the stone pillar.
“Let’s analyze it first,” murmured a tiny figure standing beside the fiery lotus, scrutinizing it intently.
The originally complex fiery lotus was stripped of its incomprehensible elements, leaving only the profound mysteries of the *World Godheart*. Under his gaze, the lotus simplified drastically, revealing only the essential insights of the World Godheart.
“So, in this secret art, the World Godheart primarily serves as a nurturing nest?” The tiny figure’s eyes gleamed with realization.
Sometimes, a shift in perspective could unravel even the most tangled threads.
—
Within the *Destruction Cave*, the eight black-armored soldiers and three golden-armored captains, despite their immense power, were doomed to an eternal, lonely existence—unless someone could utterly annihilate them, body and soul. Yet, their near-invincible defenses ensured they had endured for countless ages.
Watching Dongbo Xueying, they felt a flicker of anticipation—one of the rare joys in their desolate lives.
“Kid, it’s been two thousand years. Still no progress?”
“Don’t push yourself too hard. Your realm is still too low. Come back after reaching the pinnacle of the Fourth Heaven Realm God. Then, your chances might improve.”
The black-armored soldiers teased him, but Dongbo Xueying, clad in black robes, remained seated in meditation, undisturbed.
“If you think there’s no hope, just give up. Why force it?” muttered the ape-like soldier.
“Word is, this Dongbo kid is being hunted outside. That’s why he fled here,” rumbled a black-armored stone giant. “If he’s expelled, he’s as good as dead. So he won’t quit easily.”
“Stubbornness won’t change the outcome.”
“If a Third Heaven Realm God masters the seventh layer, I’ll swallow my own axe,” scoffed a squat elder.
As they bantered, time flowed relentlessly. Three thousand years had passed since Dongbo Xueying entered the *Destruction Cave*.
—
On the outermost edge of *Lakeside Island*, Yu Jingqiu waited in seclusion. Years had passed without her husband or father emerging, though messages from Dongbo Xueying assured her of their safety. To distract herself, she immersed herself in comprehending the *True Divine Artifact*.
Clad in white, she sat cross-legged, a deep azure sword resting on her lap, sheathed but humming with latent power.
Her spirit delved into the artifact, slowly refining it—a task of immense difficulty.
Within the sword’s inner void, akin to a mortal world’s *Worldheart*, countless rules and mysteries swirled, coalescing into a vast, blade-shaped construct brimming with terrifying sharpness and killing intent.
“So profound,” Yu Jingqiu marveled, her consciousness adrift in this ocean of azure blade-rules.
Unlike the balanced neutrality of natural laws, the rules within this sword were aggressive, complex, and suffused with lethality—a reason why *True Divine Artifacts* were so rare compared to simpler spatial treasures.
The sword trembled faintly in its sheath, its murderous aura gathering like a world poised to strike.
“My realm is still insufficient,” she mused. Despite her fortune—possessing a fragment of the *Heartsword Diagram* and a *True Divine Artifact*—she lacked the depth of veterans like *Mo Xue* or *Zang Xiao*.
—
Deep within *Lakeside Island*, the cold-eyed *Nine Suns Palace Master* sat atop a massive ice block, frowning. He pulled out a black jade carving—a woman bound in chains—and caressed it absently.
“I’m close to despair. I still haven’t found my path. This existence… is exhausting,” he whispered. “I long to surrender, to be free.”
“But this *True Divine Artifact* is my only hope. I *must* obtain it.” His eyes burned with madness.
—
Dongbo Xueying opened his eyes, gazing at the stone pillar before him. A new message flowed into his mind—the eighth layer of the secret art.
He stood.
“Giving up already, Dongbo?” the ape jeered.
“Thought you’d last ten thousand years,” chuckled the squat elder.
“I’ve mastered it,” Dongbo Xueying declared, stunning the soldiers and captains. “Inform the commander. I’m ready for the second trial.”
“Mastered it?”
Disbelief rippled through them.
Since their master’s departure, the *Destruction Legion*’s resources had dwindled, raising entry barriers. No Third Heaven Realm God had ever attempted the trial—until now. Success had seemed impossible.
Dongbo Xueying exhaled, and a pale violet flame erupted, scorching the air with a sinister beauty.
To the legionnaires, its threat was clear: while harmless to them, it could cripple or even annihilate weaker Fourth Heaven Realm Gods.
“He actually did it,” they murmured.
“Hey, old man! Didn’t you say you’d eat your axe if he succeeded?” the ape crowed.
The squat elder blinked, then grinned. His jaw distended grotesquely as he shoved his massive axe into his mouth and swallowed it whole.
“A promise is a promise,” he said flatly.
Amid their clamor, a figure descended—the commander in violet-gold armor and a black cape.
“You’ve mastered it?” the commander asked.
Dongbo Xueying extended a finger, conjuring a wisp of pale violet flame.
“Don’t celebrate yet. You’re far from done,” the commander sneered. With a wave, the *Destruction Cave*’s energy surged, enveloping Dongbo Xueying.
Darkness swallowed his vision as the power sealed his *Divine Heart*, severing his connection to the world.
Though his senses remained sharper than a mortal’s, his divine abilities were locked away.
“Prepare for the second trial,” the commander said coldly.
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