The Purple-robed Witch Emperor and the Lord of the Nine Suns Palace both felt a suffocating pressure weighing upon their hearts.
Had it been some newly ascended Venerable who had just carved out their own path, the two of them wouldn’t have been afraid. But Fire Devil Venerable was different—he had lived far too long, having long since forged his own path and walked far along it. The gap in strength between them was obvious; even if they joined forces, they would be effortlessly crushed.
“Boom~~~” A wave of scorching heat surged forth, distorting even the stable space around the Lakeheart Island.
“Greetings, Fire Devil Venerable,” the Purple-robed Witch Emperor said with a slight bow.
Fire Devil Venerable glanced at him and nodded. “Purple Robe, I recall the last time we met, you were merely an ordinary True God. Now, your strength has reached such heights purely through your own insights. You must be close to forging your own path.”
The Purple-robed Witch Emperor smiled modestly. “You flatter me, Fire Devil Venerable. I’ve been stuck at a bottleneck, always feeling like I’m on the verge of a breakthrough, yet hindered by invisible barriers. That’s why I’ve ventured out to seek opportunities.”
“Hmm, don’t rush it. Take your time,” Fire Devil Venerable said. Though domineering, he harbored no killing intent toward the Purple-robed Witch Emperor or the Lord of the Nine Suns Palace.
“Since Fire Devil Venerable is willing to stand up for His Highness Dongbo, I naturally won’t persist. I’ll take my leave now,” the Purple-robed Witch Emperor said with a smile. He swiftly departed with the Withered Tree Matriarch in tow, leaving only the reluctant Lord of the Nine Suns Palace behind.
Fire Devil Venerable’s oppressive gaze fell upon the Lord of the Nine Suns Palace, and he sneered. “Nine Suns, you’re a disciple of the Island Master of Spacetime, even his personal disciple. Yet, you’re only on par with Purple Robe here, and now you’re stubbornly trying to seize the True God artifact of the Snowpeak Monarch.”
“Dongbo Xueying!” the Lord of the Nine Suns Palace growled.
From a distance, Dongbo Xueying flew over and landed beside Fire Devil Venerable, speaking politely, “Lord of the Nine Suns Palace, the Snowpeak Monarch has shown me great kindness. I must protect him.”
Though his strength had greatly increased, it wasn’t yet time to reveal his wife’s identity. After all, Fire Devil Venerable couldn’t protect him forever. Once he became a Four Heavens World God, there would be nothing left to fear.
“Great kindness? What kind of kindness makes you so desperate?” the Lord of the Nine Suns Palace snapped. “Wasn’t it just some guidance at the Myriad Flowers Banquet? Protecting his kingdom should have settled the debt.”
“I act according to my heart. I cannot back down from this,” Dongbo Xueying said firmly.
Beside him, Fire Devil Venerable’s eyes flashed, sending an invisible wave of heat crashing toward the Lord of the Nine Suns Palace. The latter’s expression changed as a faint sword light enveloped his body, blocking the heat. Fire Devil Venerable roared, “Nine Suns, I’ve given you enough face. Exploring ruins and obtaining treasures depends on one’s own means. The Snowpeak Monarch risked his life to seize that True God artifact—that was his fortune. If you had succeeded by force, fine. But now that I’m here, and you’re far weaker, don’t act like a shameless rogue.”
The Lord of the Nine Suns Palace gritted his teeth.
He was unwilling.
After countless years of cultivation, he still hadn’t taken that final step to forge his own path! This True God artifact was his opportunity.
“Scram!!!” Fire Devil Venerable lost all patience.
“Let’s go,” the Lord of the Nine Suns Palace said through clenched teeth, turning away. The nearby King Zenor and the arriving Prison Dragon Emperor quickly followed.
Dongbo Xueying watched the scene.
Fire Devil Venerable’s reputation alone was enough to make them retreat without even lifting a finger.
“That Nine Suns kid has extraordinary potential,” Fire Devil Venerable mused, his red eyebrows furrowing slightly. “But his cultivation heart is flawed—too eager for quick success, relying too much on external aids to become a Venerable. The more desperate he is, the less hope he has. External aids are just that—aids. True strength comes from within.”
“The Lord of the Nine Suns Palace must understand that principle,” Dongbo Xueying said. “But knowing is easier than doing.”
“True,” Fire Devil Venerable agreed.
Knowing was easy. Acting on it was hard.
“Let’s go fetch your wife,” Fire Devil Venerable said with a laugh. Dongbo Xueying led the way as they swiftly advanced.
—
In an icy cave on the outskirts of Lakeheart Island, Yu Jingqiu had been quietly cultivating. But today, she stood atop a block of ice, gazing into the distance.
“Father!” Yu Jingqiu’s face lit up with joy as she spotted the figure of the white-haired, white-bearded old man in a thick black robe.
“Daughter!” The Snowpeak Monarch flew over.
The father and daughter embraced, tears glistening in Yu Jingqiu’s eyes. Her father had given her the True God artifact, and soon he would be reincarnating. The thought filled her with sorrow.
Nearby, Dongbo Xueying and Fire Devil Venerable watched from afar. The latter, clad in fiery red with crimson hair and brows, radiated heat that melted the surrounding ice. “Nine Suns and Purple Robe don’t know that the Snowpeak Monarch is your father-in-law,” Fire Devil Venerable remarked. “Your wife is impressive too—already a Four Heavens World God.”
His eyes held a trace of nostalgia. To him, the Snowpeak Monarch, Yu Jingqiu, and Dongbo Xueying were all youngsters.
After all, he had been imprisoned for over a hundred billion years!
“It’s a pity that without transcending, one cannot achieve eternity,” Dongbo Xueying sighed.
“As long as one lives freely, why worry about the length of time?” Fire Devil Venerable chuckled. “By the way, Brother Dongbo, I mentioned earlier that I’d give you a great reward for rescuing me. Unfortunately, you’re still too weak—this reward would be of little use to you. But it would be of great value to your master, the Bloodblade Divine Emperor.”
“What kind of reward?” Dongbo Xueying asked.
“When I explored Lakeheart Island, though I was eventually imprisoned, I made a significant discovery,” Fire Devil Venerable said with a smile. “I found records of an ancient cave abode—one that once belonged to the master of Lakeheart Island.”
“The master of Lakeheart Island’s cave abode?” Dongbo Xueying was stunned.
The master of Lakeheart Island.
Though his visit here had only taken him to the dangerous ‘Destruction Heaven,’ a mere outpost of one of the master’s legions—far from the island’s true core—that alone had shown Dongbo Xueying just how extraordinary the master was.
A cave abode once inhabited by such a being? It was bound to be extraordinary.
“Indeed,” Fire Devil Venerable nodded. “The master likely intended to leave gifts for future cosmic epochs, hence the many opportunities scattered about. The records I found must be one such gift.”
“However, even if deliberately left behind, the abode of such an existence would still be fraught with danger. Without sufficient strength, one cannot claim the master’s gifts,” Fire Devil Venerable added. “Brother Dongbo, you’re still too weak to be involved.”
“I understand,” Dongbo Xueying nodded.
As a mere Three Heavens World God, even with his recent surge in power, he was no match for the likes of the Lord of the Nine Suns Palace, let alone ancient Venerables or his master, the Bloodblade Divine Emperor, a supreme ruler.
“I’ve already informed my master and the Bloodblade Divine Emperor,” Fire Devil Venerable said. “The exploration of the master’s cave abode will be a joint effort between my master’s faction and the Bloodblade Divine Emperor’s. Originally, I intended for only my master’s faction to act, but now both factions will move together—all because of you, Brother Dongbo.”
Dongbo Xueying was taken aback.
“Xueying,” a voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
“Master,” Dongbo Xueying immediately recognized it as the Bloodblade Divine Emperor. He could even sense that, from an unimaginable distance, his master was watching him.
“Come to the Divine Court with Fire Devil to see me,” the Bloodblade Divine Emperor transmitted.
“Yes,” Dongbo Xueying replied.
“Not bad, kid. You’ve actually managed to help your master,” another voice chimed in—the black bird’s.
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