“This Dongbo Xueying’s strength has actually reached such a level.” King Zenor leaned against the dark stone wall, his heart surging with overwhelming waves. “His power completely crushes me, far surpassing my own! Even though his realm is much weaker than mine, with this terrifying strength alone, he can already rival a Great Paragon! And yet, he’s only a Three Heavens Realm God! A Three Heavens Realm God matching a Great Paragon—what would happen if he reaches Four Heavens?”
The Four Heavens Realm God stage is when strength improves the fastest, as one gains insight into multiple First-grade Divine Hearts and can even elevate their realm to match that of a Great Paragon. Thus, it’s common for Four Heavens Realm Gods to fight above their level. In history, some of the most formidable figures, like Divine Emperor Tianyun, could even slay Great Paragons at the Four Heavens stage!
And then there’s the legendary existence—the Mountain Master of Zhushan! At the Four Heavens Realm God level, he was revered as one of the Three Ancestors within the Bloodblade Divine Court’s faction, with an absurdly long lifespan.
“This Dongbo Xueying is too terrifying. In the future, transcending to become a Great Paragon probably won’t be difficult for him. I believe he even has the potential to reach the level of a Venerable.” King Zenor mused silently. His attitude toward Dongbo Xueying had shifted. Unless there was truly a treasure that could give him hope of transcendence, he had no desire to provoke Dongbo Xueying.
After all, this time he was merely assisting the Palace Master of Jiuyang. The True God artifact was never something he could seize for himself.
“Your Highness Dongbo, your fire-manipulation technique is truly formidable.” A hoarse voice, carrying an eerie fluctuation, echoed through the passage.
“It’s the Withered Tree Matriarch.” King Zenor immediately recognized her but sneered inwardly. This old hag was bound to suffer a heavy loss.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Countless twisted, powerful gray-brown roots slashed through the air, causing the heavens and earth to dim faintly. Each root seemed to contain boundless mysteries of the Dao. Dongbo Xueying knew at a glance—this was the Withered Tree Matriarch’s true form. Her real body was far stronger, and these roots weren’t splitting into countless tendrils but remained as thick trunks, capable of withstanding his flames.
“Be careful. Don’t clash head-on.” King Zenor hurriedly sent a mental message.
“Hmph.” The Withered Tree Matriarch leaned on her cane, her hair splitting into massive gray-brown roots that surged toward Dongbo Xueying. Filled with fury and determined to uphold her dignity as a Great Paragon, she paid no heed to King Zenor’s warning.
“Withered Tree Matriarch, is it worth going all out for the Palace Master of Jiuyang?” Dongbo Xueying’s spear suddenly slashed downward with both hands, expanding rapidly as it descended. The spear’s path was surrounded by darkness, encircled by boundless light. Yet the Withered Tree Matriarch scoffed.
In terms of realm, he was far beneath her.
Her techniques might seem ordinary, but they fused countless profound laws into a seamless whole.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
As the spear descended, the roots lashed back fiercely, attempting to entangle and capture Dongbo Xueying. But when the spear struck, the gray-brown roots shattered one after another. The Withered Tree Matriarch’s expression changed drastically, and she hastily altered her approach, shifting to softer, more flexible movements.
Yet the spear had already pressed toward her. In battles between experts, a single misstep could spell defeat. She raised her wooden cane to block.
Boom!
The Withered Tree Matriarch was sent flying backward, barely landing on her feet. She stared at Dongbo Xueying in shock. If she had underestimated him at first, her final defense with the cane had been her full strength—yet she was still overpowered. She realized: “This Dongbo’s strength is on par with mine. And in raw power, he’s even more formidable.”
Though it seemed slow in narration, the entire exchange—her appearance, attack, and suppression—had happened in an instant.
“I bear no ill intent!” the Withered Tree Matriarch hastily called out.
Dongbo Xueying paused.
Suddenly, a figure appeared beside the Withered Tree Matriarch—a man shrouded in a violet robe, his face concealed beneath a hood, adorned with purple divine patterns. His golden pupils gleamed with amusement. “Your Highness Dongbo, the Withered Tree truly means no harm. It is I who wishes to help you evade Jiuyang’s pursuit.”
“You are… the Violet-Robed Witch Emperor?” Dongbo Xueying exclaimed.
The Violet-Robed Witch Emperor.
A supremely powerful Great Paragon from the Pantheon, one of the three great factions of the Divine Realm. He had risen from a material world, where he had styled himself “Violet-Robed” even as a mortal—apparently, the color held special significance in his homeland. He specialized in witchcraft and poison, rarely venturing out, but his mastery of venom was unparalleled. He had even reforged his own body into an indomitable Venomous Physique.
He was widely acknowledged as a near-Venerable existence, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the Palace Master of Jiuyang and the Ancient Vault Divine Emperor!
The Palace Master of Jiuyang and the Ancient Vault Divine Emperor were direct disciples of the Island Lord of Spacetime and the Bloodblade Divine Emperor, respectively, which granted them their near-Venerable combat power. But the Violet-Robed Witch Emperor had achieved his strength entirely through his own efforts, devoting hundreds of millions of years to the study of venom.
“I’m surprised Your Highness knows of me. Haha, I’ve been in seclusion for so long. But now is not the time for pleasantries. Let me escort you away, yes? Jiuyang will arrive any moment.” The Violet-Robed Witch Emperor smiled.
“No need to trouble yourself, Witch Emperor.” Dongbo Xueying replied calmly.
The Violet-Robed Witch Emperor shook his head lightly. “No trouble at all.”
The moment he spoke, Dongbo Xueying felt a wave of dizziness. Fortunately, his body, tempered by the *Annihilation Extreme Physique*, was far sturdier than most Great Paragons. Though disoriented, he remained conscious—a soldier of the Annihilation Legion wasn’t so easily subdued.
“Not good!” Dongbo Xueying immediately kicked off the ground, retreating rapidly.
“Oh?” The Violet-Robed Witch Emperor was astonished. Even an ordinary Great Paragon would have collapsed unconscious by now, yet Dongbo Xueying had resisted? His body’s resistance to venom was unnaturally strong.
Dongbo Xueying’s retreat sent his speed skyrocketing.
By the time the Violet-Robed Witch Emperor could react, it was already too late.
Whoosh!
A cold-faced youth descended in an instant, his aura murderous. His gaze swept over the Withered Tree Matriarch, who merely chuckled sheepishly beside the Violet-Robed Witch Emperor. “This old woman has business with the Witch Emperor. Apologies, Palace Master.”
The Palace Master of Jiuyang glared icily at the Violet-Robed Witch Emperor. “Violet-Robe, you dare interfere? A venom-obsessed recluse like you, coveting a True God artifact?”
“Every True God artifact embodies its own Dao. I’ve been stuck at a bottleneck, unable to advance. Perhaps studying one will grant me the insight I need to take that final step.” The Violet-Robed Witch Emperor’s purple-marked face remained serene. “Jiuyang, you may have the Island Lord’s teachings, but if we truly clash, I will be the one leaving with His Highness Dongbo. I advise you to stand down.”
“Is that so?” The Palace Master of Jiuyang’s killing intent surged.
The two stood opposed, their auras clashing.
The oppressive might made even the Withered Tree Matriarch and King Zenor tense. These two were among the most powerful near-Venerable combatants—ordinary Great Paragons stood no chance against them.
“You know the odds are against you,” the Violet-Robed Witch Emperor said coolly.
But the Palace Master of Jiuyang’s murderous intent only grew.
He knew their combat power was comparable, but the Violet-Robed Witch Emperor had climbed step by step without relying on supreme techniques. His strength came from countless esoteric methods—his versatility was unmatched. In a contest over Dongbo Xueying, the Palace Master of Jiuyang knew his chances of success were less than one in ten.
“Then it seems we must fight.” The Violet-Robed Witch Emperor’s golden pupils shimmered with intricate patterns, the laws of the world laid bare before him. His killing intent swelled.
Dongbo Xueying, watching from afar, sensed the danger. He sent a mental message: “Brother Huocheng, I can’t handle these two!”
“Relax.”
A figure materialized beside Dongbo Xueying—Venerable Huocheng.
“Leave it to me. This won’t take long.”
Venerable Huocheng grinned, revealing a row of white teeth.
Then he strode forward through the void. The Palace Master of Jiuyang and the Violet-Robed Witch Emperor simultaneously felt an overwhelming sense of peril, as though a blazing sun were approaching. They turned to see a towering figure wreathed in flames, his skin crimson, his wild hair and beard like living fire. His eyes burned like endless volcanoes.
“Venerable Huocheng!” both exclaimed in shock.
Venerable Huocheng was an ancient, supreme existence, a disciple of the first Supreme Overlord of the Divine Realm and Abyss—Primordial Master. His strength was legendary, ranking among the top Venerables even before the rise of figures like Qing Jun. In those days, even Pang Yi had to defer to him.
“Dongbo Xueying is my brother—my sworn brother!” Venerable Huocheng’s voice boomed like thunder, his oppressive might suffusing the world.
“Will you leave on your own? Or shall I beat you until you crawl away?”
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