Chapter 587: A Transaction

Above the clouds.

Dongbo Xueying and the White Monarch sat drinking wine, awaiting the arrival of the Annihilation Emperor.

“Brother Dongbo,” Venerable Huochuan transmitted a message, “I heard you fought one against three and even killed a mighty figure. Impressive.”

“It was just a clone,” Dongbo Xueying quickly replied.

“Still remarkable! By the way, be careful with the White Monarch. That old fox is ruthless and capable of anything,” Venerable Huochuan warned.

Dongbo Xueying glanced at the White Monarch sitting leisurely across from him, sipping wine, and couldn’t help but transmit helplessly, “I’m literally sitting right across from him right now! Drinking with him, no less. And soon, the Annihilation Emperor will join us to discuss the matter of the Blood Demon Scroll.”

“You’re right across from him? You’re actually sitting with that cold-blooded fiend? Hmm… the Annihilation Emperor is coming too? If he’s involved, then the White Monarch’s words might actually be trustworthy. The Annihilation Emperor would rather die than break his word. But the White Monarch? You can only believe one out of ten things he says—he’ll turn on you in an instant.”

Dongbo Xueying was stunned.

Turn on you in an instant? Only one in ten words trustworthy?

The illustrious White Monarch was like this?

Fortunately, the Annihilation Emperor was also involved, so this negotiation shouldn’t be a trap.

“I didn’t realize you’d grown so strong without anyone noticing, Brother Dongbo. You should know some secrets by now. If I don’t tell you, your master probably will soon,” Venerable Huochuan continued, immediately sending over a flood of information. “These are records of all the powerful figures in our vast cosmos—both the Divine Realm and the Abyss. Whether they’re famous or reclusive, if I know about them, they’re listed here. Study them well. Knowing their strength and temperament will help you deal with them.”

Dongbo Xueying’s true divine heart was immensely powerful, absorbing the vast trove of information almost instantly.

“So that’s how it is…”

Previously, Dongbo Xueying had only known about mighty figures.

His knowledge of Venerables had been minimal!

But Venerable Huochuan was one of the most ancient Venerables in the entire Divine Realm and Abyss. The secrets he knew were beyond measure.

“Below the Rulers in the Divine Realm and Abyss, the undisputed strongest is Qing Jun! Second is the Annihilation Emperor. Their strength is beyond question. Following them are the White Monarch, the Bamboo Mountain Manor Lord, the Ascetic, the Infernal Commander, the North Profound Palace Master, Venerable Huochuan, and a few others of comparable power.” Dongbo Xueying read the detailed records, his mind now clear.

Venerables could be divided into three tiers.

The first tier: those who could contend with Rulers—Qing Jun and the Annihilation Emperor.

The second tier: the top-tier Venerables, including the White Monarch, Venerable Huochuan, the Bamboo Mountain Manor Lord, and others. Long ago, Pang Yi had also been at this level, but now his strength was unfathomable.

The third tier: ordinary Venerables, like the Destruction Monarch, the Demonic Kite Venerable, and others. Most Venerables fell into this category.

Of course, because each walked their own path, their displayed strengths varied.

Some were exceptionally skilled in evasion—even Rulers struggled to kill them!

Some had overwhelming offensive power, reaching Ruler-level attacks, but with glaring weaknesses elsewhere—like the Ascetic.

Some were cunning, ruthless, and bloodthirsty—like the White Monarch!

…

“The path of cultivation demands seizing opportunities! Though the Divine Realm and Abyss may seem calm, Rulers will stop at nothing for cultivation resources. When Venerables truly go mad, they’ll kill without hesitation! Fortunately, everyone’s pursuits differ. Top-tier Venerables aim to become Rulers and generally have no conflicts with mighty figures,” Venerable Huochuan transmitted.

Dongbo Xueying understood this well.

Mighty figures sought true divine artifacts, supreme techniques, and the like.

But top-tier Venerables had already forged their own paths! They lacked nothing in true divine artifacts or supreme techniques, so they had no reason to compete with mighty figures.

Thus, conflicts usually arose among peers—like the Bloodblade God Emperor’s struggles with the Spacetime Island Lord, the Myriad Gods Palace Master, the Bloody Ruler, and the Infernal Ruler.

“However, when certain treasures are involved, battles between Venerables and mighty figures can still erupt. For instance, the original copies of supreme techniques—normally, mighty figures have no right to possess them,” Venerable Huochuan continued. “That’s why such huge conflicts arise. But now, that sly old fox the White Monarch probably suspects you’ve hidden the Blood Demon Scroll, hence this trade.”

“Right,” Dongbo Xueying agreed.

The original copy of a supreme technique could be passed down repeatedly, and mighty figures usually had no right to possess it. Dongbo Xueying’s strength was nearly at the Venerable level, his defenses exceptional. Most importantly, the White Monarch and others likely believed the Blood Demon Scroll was hidden in the Qishui World. Searching the entire Qishui World would be far too difficult—hence the preference for negotiation.

…

As Dongbo Xueying and the White Monarch drank, the latter remained taciturn while Dongbo Xueying continued conversing with Venerable Huochuan. After a while—

**Boom!**

A spatial ripple erupted in the distance.

A figure appeared.

Dongbo Xueying’s heart tightened at the aura. Turning, he saw a burly man with two black curved horns, his exposed skin covered in coiling dragon patterns, as if serpents wrapped around his body. He strode through the void like a vast world pressing forward, the sheer pressure forcing Dongbo Xueying to hold his breath.

“Is this the Annihilation Emperor?” Dongbo Xueying was seeing this being for the first time.

Purple eyes crackled with lightning.

His aura made this layer of the Abyssal World tremble. His gaze swept over them—the White Monarch’s pupils contracted slightly, while Dongbo Xueying felt a terrifying will assault him. His perception of the surroundings blurred, his true divine heart shuddering. He could no longer discern his environment, rendered a “blind man.” Yet, he remained seated, unshaken.

“Oh?” The Annihilation Emperor’s lips curled slightly as he observed Dongbo Xueying. “Interesting. You didn’t kneel?”

Normally, even mighty figures would collapse under his will.

Though Dongbo Xueying was heavily impacted, his true divine heart was lucid, his will extraordinary enough to remain composed.

“Annihilation,” the White Monarch stood.

The Annihilation Emperor retracted his aura, stepping forward to appear beside the cloud table. Only then did Dongbo Xueying regain his senses, seeing the Annihilation Emperor beside him. He rose to greet him. There was no shame in acknowledging superior strength—he was still young, and his future growth was assured.

“Hahaha, not bad. You didn’t kneel before me. For a Four Heavens cultivator, that’s impressive. Very impressive,” the Annihilation Emperor laughed.

“He’s a member of the Destruction Legion. In this cosmic epoch, aside from Pang Yi, he’s the only one. Did you expect less?” The White Monarch smirked. “You actually thought a Destruction Legion member would kneel.”

“Dongbo Xueying, after the trade, this old ghost will ensure you leave safely,” the Annihilation Emperor said. “Rest assured, he won’t deceive you.”

The White Monarch frowned slightly at the term “old ghost” but held his tongue.

“I trust both of you,” Dongbo Xueying said.

“You understand the terms of this trade,” the Annihilation Emperor stated. “I’ll allow both of you to receive the inheritance of the Blood Demon Scroll’s second volume once. In exchange, Dongbo Xueying, the White Monarch and I will each learn the first volume once. However, old ghost… your contribution to this deal is the smallest.”

The White Monarch smiled faintly. “Dongbo Xueying wishes to save a friend—one who has already died. I’ll help him resurrect this friend from the River of Time.”

Dongbo Xueying immediately said, “Thank you, White Monarch.”

Chi Qiu Bai was merely a Transcendent.

Resurrecting a Transcendent was trivial. Had he been a World God, the White Monarch would never have agreed so casually.

“Fair is fair in a trade,” the White Monarch said lightly. “Dongbo Xueying, go to the Qishui World now and retrieve the original copy of the Blood Demon Scroll’s first volume.”