Chapter 562: Entering

Amidst a vast sea of purple bamboo, a solitary bamboo hut stood. Before it, a man clad in purple robes leisurely sipped wine alone.

“Lord of the Domain, Lord of the Domain!”

A streak of light descended before the hut, revealing a burly, powerful figure—none other than Ancestor Baxiong.

“Baxiong? Weren’t you in deep seclusion within the heart of my Purple Bamboo Sea? What brings you out?” The purple-robed man, his fingers pale as he held a wine cup, cast a sidelong glance at Ancestor Baxiong with his narrow, handsome eyes.

Ancestor Baxiong hurriedly replied, “Lord of the Domain, have you heard? That kid Dongbo Xueying clashed with the Fourth Heaven Godking ‘King Zenor’ from the Dark Abyss at the Heartlake Island ruins, and even fought against the mighty Elder Withered Tree Mother—and came out on top both times! And he’s only a Third Heaven Godking! To already possess the combat power of a mighty one at this stage is just… Ah, Lord of the Domain, why aren’t you reacting at all?”

The Bamboo Mountain Domain Master calmly took another sip of wine, his expression unperturbed. “In the history of the Divine Realm, he’s the fastest to reach the Third Heaven Godking realm. A few miracles here and there are hardly surprising.”

Ancestor Baxiong was left speechless. He then scoffed, “Never mind. You’re already a Fourth Heaven Godking with the strength of a Venerable. There’s no point talking to you.”

“He and I are different,” the Bamboo Mountain Domain Master murmured with a slight shake of his head.

How could they be the same?

Those who attain the rank of Venerable typically master supreme techniques and forge their own paths. Matching a Venerable is no easy feat.

“Still, Dongbo Xueying is truly remarkable,” the Bamboo Mountain Domain Master praised. What he admired was Xueying’s success in joining the Destruction Corps and rescuing Venerable Huocheng. The Domain Master had deduced that Xueying must have become a member of the Destruction Corps—otherwise, rescue would have been impossible. While Pang Yi was also a member, given his ties to the Primordial Master, he wouldn’t have intervened.

Aside from the lofty Dominators, who disdained joining, most who knew of the Destruction Corps had attempted its trials—countless True Gods, even True God Venerables, had been eliminated.

Yet Dongbo Xueying succeeded. This astonished the Bamboo Mountain Domain Master. While extraordinary combat power could be achieved through supreme techniques and fortuitous encounters, passing the Destruction Corps’ trials proved Xueying’s immense cultivation potential—after all, those trials were set by the Heartlake Island Master himself.

“Indeed, remarkable,” Ancestor Baxiong echoed. “Ah, if only he had become my disciple! What a pity.”

“Your disciple?” The Bamboo Mountain Domain Master shot him a sidelong glance. “Don’t hold him back.”

“Hold him back?” Ancestor Baxiong bristled.

“He’s only cultivated for a short time, yet his strength is nearly on par with yours. What could you possibly teach him?” The Domain Master chuckled.

Ancestor Baxiong was left utterly speechless.

It was true.

Dongbo Xueying’s current strength was indeed comparable to his own. After all, forcing Elder Withered Tree Mother to suffer a setback was no small feat.

“I shall enter seclusion for a time,” the Bamboo Mountain Domain Master suddenly declared. “Do not disturb me.”

“Understood,” Ancestor Baxiong nodded obediently.

The Domain Master gazed into the distance, his eyes distant and unfathomable.

This opportunity was precious.

He had to seize it.

The Heartlake Island Master had deliberately left behind an ancient cave abode—a legacy for future cultivators. Such intentionally left opportunities far surpassed the haphazard gains of aimless exploration. The Island Master’s guidance would lead them further along the path of cultivation. This was precisely why the Bloodblade Divine Emperor had chosen only two companions: the Bamboo Mountain Domain Master and the Ancient Tomb Divine King.

Both were in dire need of breakthroughs.

“Dongbo Xueying, this time, I owe you a great favor,” the Domain Master murmured with a faint smile. He was more than willing to owe such a debt—for it was his own opportunity.

—

The events at the Heartlake Island ruins—Xueying’s clashes with King Zenor and Elder Withered Tree Mother, Venerable Huocheng’s emergence to declare Xueying his sworn brother and drive back the Nine Suns Palace Master and the Purple-Robed Witch Emperor—were hardly secrets. Several witnesses ensured the tale spread among the mighty ones over time.

Xueying’s reputation grew steadily, earning the attention of many reclusive powerhouses.

In this world, strength was paramount. And Xueying’s power demanded respect.

—

In the Material World, within the Xia Clan’s realm.

The black-robed Dongbo Xueying had just emerged from Redrock Mountain, leaving the True God artifact—the flying dagger—behind for his true body to study and refine. Mastering a True God artifact was no simple task, and the journey to the Dark Abyss was perilous. Without full refinement, carrying it was unwise.

Both the dagger and the divine sword had been studied by him and his wife, but at his current Third Heaven realm with only three perfected divine hearts, the dagger aligned better with his strengths. The sword’s profound mysteries lay beyond his present comprehension.

Perhaps after advancing to the Fourth Heaven, he could revisit the sword.

“Whoosh.”

Leaving the Material World, he arrived in the Divine Realm.

Boarding his starfield vessel, Xueying set course for the Dark Abyss.

The Dark Abyss—a twisted, columnar structure resembling an intestine—was formed of layered worlds, earning it the moniker “Bottomless Abyss.” A realm of utter darkness, it seemed to devour all light and life.

“Truly the Dark Abyss. Even from afar, its aura of darkness, destruction, and insatiable hunger is palpable—as if it seeks to consume all existence,” Xueying mused silently. Standing on the deck of his transformed starfield vessel—now jet-black to conceal his identity—he gazed into the distance.

His own appearance had changed drastically.

A grotesque mask covered his face, twin black spiral horns sprouted from his head, and dark crimson robes draped his form. An aura of dread—pure darkness and destruction—emanated from him, indistinguishable from a native denizen of the Abyss.

Concealing one’s life aura was no easy feat, yet Xueying achieved it thanks to the robes bestowed upon him as the “Bloodblade Hall Master.” Their disguise capabilities were extraordinary—crafted painstakingly by the Bloodblade Divine Emperor exclusively for his Hall Masters.

Being an assassin was no simple profession.

“Boom—”

The starfield vessel traversed the spatial tunnel, finally entering the outermost layer of the Dark Abyss.

The Abyss’s worlds were stacked layer upon layer. To reach his destination, Xueying would have to descend through each successive plane.

“Fortunately, the Great Demon ‘Darhao’ resides in one of the higher layers,” Xueying noted inwardly.

“Whoosh—”

A boundless will of darkness and destruction swept over—lofty, merciless, and all-consuming, seeking to assimilate everything in its path.

Yet within a radius of ten thousand miles around Xueying, all probing was blocked. The Abyss’s will could not approach.

“This oppressive aura of darkness is truly unpleasant,” Xueying thought. “To think demons born and raised here can still transcend into True Gods… Though as Master said, even as True Gods, they remain madmen at heart.”