The elderly woman leaning on a wooden cane also transformed into a streak of light, darting through the deep, icy cavern passages. Her long hair rapidly grew, twisting into gnarled gray-brown roots that soon split apart—nine in total—each morphing into a separate gray-robed old woman.
The nine gray-robed figures flew at high speed, immediately splitting along diverging paths to encircle their prey from different directions.
“Hmph, hmph, hmph.” Withered Tree Matriarch’s eyes gleamed with cold malice. “Little one, let’s see where you run this time!”
The Nine Suns Palace Master, Prison Dragon Emperor, King Zenor, and Crimson Float Empress all swiftly closed in on Dongbo Xueying from their respective positions. Having waited so long, they had no intention of letting him escape again.
…
Within the frigid ice tunnels, Dongbo Xueying remained utterly unperturbed. He even smiled faintly, savoring the biting cold, relishing the beauty of this world. The final trial of the Destruction Heaven had subjected him to a ten-thousand-year journey of self-reflection, refining his heart and spirit to an even purer, more transcendent state—unshaken by external disturbances.
“Xueying, I sense the Nine Suns Palace Master and the other four approaching. The fastest is Withered Tree Matriarch—her true form and nine avatars are closing in. One of her avatars will arrive very soon.” Mo Xue, within his inner world, promptly warned him.
“Oh?”
Dongbo Xueying was well aware of Withered Tree Matriarch’s avatar technique. But since he had chosen to emerge—and to bring Jing Qiu with him—he had long prepared for this siege.
Unfazed, he continued forward along his predetermined path.
Suddenly, his ears twitched slightly, catching the faintest vibrations in the air—ripples caused by something moving at extreme speed. A faint smile curled his lips. “Here they come.”
“Your Highness Dongbo, why not stop running? Come with this old woman!” A gray-robed crone flew toward him head-on, her wrinkled face alight with excitement. She had indeed been the first to find him.
Dongbo Xueying ignored her. With a flip of his right hand, the Crimson Cloud Spear materialized in his grip.
“Hmph, still trying to resist? Let Mo Xue come out—he might stand a chance against me. As for you, Your Highness, perhaps when you reach the Fourth Heaven Realm, you could spar with this old woman. But now? Don’t blame me for what comes next.” The gray-robed crone stretched out her withered right hand, which instantly transformed into countless writhing root tendrils. The twisted, gnarled mass nearly filled the entire corridor, surging toward Dongbo Xueying in an overwhelming attempt to capture him in one fell swoop.
Faced with the inescapable tide of roots, Dongbo Xueying frowned slightly and swept his left hand outward.
**BOOM!**
A torrent of pale violet flames erupted, coiling into a colossal fire dragon that surged from his palm. The temperature in the icy cavern skyrocketed—the thick layers of ice melted instantly into water, which then vaporized into mist before vanishing entirely in the blink of an eye.
The transformation was swift. The once ice-clad cavern now lay bare, revealing its rough, expansive passageway.
Though the description seems slow, in reality, the pale violet fire dragon had already engulfed the countless root tendrils in an instant. Both forces were vast and unavoidable, colliding head-on.
“Ahhh—!” The gray-robed crone shrieked in agony. Nearly all her tendrils were incinerated in an instant, with only the thickest roots barely enduring. The searing pain contorted her face into fury and shock as she desperately retracted the remnants. But the pale violet flames pursued relentlessly, engulfing her entirely, eliciting continuous screams of torment.
The pain was unbearable!
Though this was merely an avatar, it still possessed strength close to that of a Great Sovereign! Yet here she was, utterly overwhelmed by the flames, instantly forced into absolute disadvantage.
“The Ten Directions Annihilation Flame truly lives up to its reputation,” Dongbo Xueying mused inwardly. The seventh layer of this technique was something only a Fourth Heaven Realm expert could normally master. It had taken him this long to achieve it due to the trials of the Destruction Corps. Its difficulty surpassed even the third stage of *Taihao*’s Four Revolutions, and its power was extraordinary—a near-peerless secret art for Realm Gods. Once mastered, its flames alone could rival a Great Sovereign’s might.
And Withered Tree Matriarch’s roots and wood?
They were naturally weak against fire.
With the flames overpowering her and her avatar already at a disadvantage, she stood no chance.
“Ugh—!” The crone could only turn and flee. Any longer, and this avatar would be reduced to ashes.
“Your Highness Dongbo, you cannot escape. Cease your struggles!” she cried out even as she retreated.
“Withered Tree Matriarch, your strength alone is insufficient,” Dongbo Xueying replied calmly, his voice echoing through the now-transformed cavern.
At that moment, Mo Xue’s voice sounded again in his inner world: “Xueying, King Zenor is approaching. Withered Tree Matriarch’s true form is also closing in, and the Nine Suns Palace Master isn’t far behind.”
“Understood.” Dongbo Xueying nodded and continued forward at high speed.
A mere breath later—
**Whoosh!**
A towering, flame-wreathed rock giant appeared ahead, his thunderous voice booming: “Your Highness Dongbo, surrender now!” As a Molten Giant from the Dark Abyss, King Zenor was supremely confident in his strength. His massive right hand swept through the air, expanding rapidly as it reached for Dongbo Xueying.
The colossal palm blazed with fire, its sheer force causing space itself to tremble. Not only was his raw power immense, but his combat mastery was also formidable.
“King Zenor, why meddle in the affairs of the Divine Realm?” Dongbo Xueying swung his spear, the weapon distorting space as it elongated mid-motion. In an instant, the spearhead struck the descending stone hand with devastating force.
King Zenor’s lips curled slightly. A direct clash?
He, a being who rivaled Great Sovereigns, was unmatched in raw power. Even others of his caliber avoided head-on confrontations with him.
Yet this young, promising Dongbo dared to challenge him in sheer strength?
**BOOM—!**
King Zenor’s expression twisted in shock.
An overwhelming, terrifying force surged through the spear—far surpassing his own! His massive hand cracked instantly under the impact, and the spear’s momentum carried through, slamming into his body. He barely managed to block with his other arm before being sent flying like a meteor.
His flaming form crashed into the distant ice walls, shattering layers dozens of feet thick before finally embedding into the dark stone beneath.
Stunned, King Zenor stared at Dongbo Xueying, spear in hand.
He—King Zenor of the Dark Abyss, a peer of Great Sovereigns—had been utterly overpowered in his greatest strength!
“You wanted a contest of force?” Dongbo Xueying retracted his spear, feeling the surging, world-shattering might within him. The *Taihao* power was supremely yang, ferociously unyielding. Coupled with the *Annihilation Primordial Body*—a peerless technique of the ancient Destruction Corps—his physical prowess had reached monstrous levels.
Though his realm was only that of a Third Heaven Realm God, far below King Zenor or any Great Sovereign, his sheer power and speed bridged the gap effortlessly.
For King Zenor to challenge a soldier of the legendary Destruction Corps—the most fearsome army of the primordial cosmos—in raw strength? It was nothing short of humiliation. Had he relied on skill and tactics, he might have held his ground. But a direct clash?
He never stood a chance.
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