“Flowers and grass wither and flourish, worlds are born and perish, even the cosmos has its rise and fall. The span from the birth of a universe nurturing life to its great destruction can be considered one epoch,” Blood Blade said, gazing at Dongbo Xueying. “Just as mortal worlds in the material realm can endure for varying lengths of time, each epoch differs in duration. If too many beings burden the cosmos or excessive destruction occurs, the epoch shortens, hastening the arrival of the great destruction.”
Dongbo Xueying listened intently.
“Strictly speaking, our current epoch is the eighth cosmic epoch,” Blood Blade mused. “It’s relatively ordinary compared to others. Judging by the powerful beings born within it, the most dazzling was the third epoch! That era birthed the two most extraordinary existences—one being the master of the Lakeheart Island, the other the Demon Ancestor.”
“The eighth cosmic epoch?” Dongbo Xueying nodded slightly.
“That’s all in the past. Now, only traces of their existence remain in scattered ruins,” Blood Blade said. “For now, your priority is to immerse yourself in cultivation and strive for transcendence as soon as possible. With your talent, you might achieve it within a million years.”
Dongbo Xueying was taken aback by his master’s high expectations—transcendence in just a million years?
“This disciple will do his utmost,” Dongbo Xueying replied.
“Haha…” Blood Blade chuckled, shifting the topic. “I initially planned to reward you after exploring the ancient cave abode, but your progress has surpassed my expectations. You’re now nearly at the level of a Venerable. At this stage, chasing power isn’t as crucial as mastering the laws of the cosmos. Frankly, I don’t have a suitable treasure for you at the moment.”
“I’ll keep this treasure for now. Once you transcend, I’ll bestow it upon you, greatly enhancing your chances of forging your own path,” Blood Blade said with a smile.
“This disciple is in no hurry. The stronger I become, the greater the treasure Master will grant,” Dongbo Xueying replied with a grin.
“Very well,” Blood Blade said lightly. “Go now, attend to your affairs.”
“This disciple takes his leave.”
Dongbo Xueying bowed deeply before turning to depart.
Watching his disciple leave, Blood Blade smiled faintly. In the long journey of cultivation, kin would inevitably fade away, but the bond between master and disciple endured. For beings like Blood Blade, this relationship often became their most cherished sentiment—though those devoid of emotion were another matter entirely.
—
*Whoosh.*
Leaving his master’s abode, Dongbo Xueying soared toward the Yin Stone Villa.
Flying high above, unable to traverse space directly, he moved at a steady pace.
As he flew, he meticulously reviewed the vast trove of intelligence his master had provided. Coming from Blood Blade, the details were exhaustive, granting Dongbo Xueying an unprecedented understanding of the cosmos.
“So *that’s* why the Bamboo Mountain Palace Master failed to transcend. No wonder the commander of the Destruction Corps was filled with regret,” Dongbo Xueying mused.
In normal cultivation, one would first reach the fourth-tier Heavenly God realm, then gradually comprehend various divine hearts through analogies. Eventually, through accumulated insight, one would grasp the complete tapestry of cosmic laws—transcending to become a True God.
After ascension, one would refine secret techniques or create new arts, delving deeper into the mysteries of the cosmos until finally surpassing the cosmic laws to forge their own *Dao*—thus becoming a Venerable.
A newly forged Dao was still immature, requiring continuous refinement. When this Dao reached true perfection and eternity, one would ascend to the rank of *Paragon*.
For instance, Blood Blade had forged the *Dao of the Blood Blade*, the *Dao of Shadows*, and the *Dao of Destruction*.
The master of the Spacetime Island had forged the *Dao of Spacetime*.
Take the *Dao of Spacetime*—forging such a path required profound insight beyond the foundational laws of spacetime, synthesizing higher mysteries into a cohesive whole. Thus, one didn’t need mastery over divine hearts like Creation or Causality, let alone the entirety of cosmic laws.
Therefore, *theoretically*, a fourth-tier Heavenly God with sufficiently profound comprehension could forge their own Dao.
The Bamboo Mountain Palace Master had achieved precisely this—forging the *Dao of Destructive Thunder* while still a fourth-tier Heavenly God, gaining combat power rivaling a Venerable. Yet, he failed to transcend.
“According to records,” Dongbo Xueying reflected, “our epoch has seen only the Bamboo Mountain Palace Master accomplish this feat. As Master noted in his intelligence, even across countless epochs, those who achieved this at the fourth-tier are vanishingly rare.”
Indeed, among the mighty who cultivated for eons, few reached the threshold of a Venerable’s power. Those who forged their own Dao were even fewer.
Clearly, forging one’s Dao was incomparably harder than mastering the cosmic laws.
Under normal circumstances, a fourth-tier Heavenly God would never forge a Dao.
“But if such a prodigy *does* emerge… it becomes a curse,” Dongbo Xueying sighed. “Transcendence becomes nearly impossible.”
What was transcendence?
To transcend was to rise from the River of Time, stepping onto its shore.
Trapped within the river, only the aid of complete, eternal laws could break the bonds.
Yet—
The strength of beings within the River of Time varied. Mortals were frail, as were Transcendents. Deities and Heavenly Gods grew progressively mightier. Dongbo Xueying’s own presence in the river was colossal, dwarfing even ordinary fourth-tier Heavenly Gods.
The larger the form, the stronger the river’s grip.
Thus, resurrection grew harder with size—some were simply “too heavy” to retrieve.
And the Bamboo Mountain Palace Master?
As a fourth-tier Heavenly God who had forged his own Dao, his form was a hundred times larger than Dongbo Xueying’s. Such immensity meant even complete cosmic laws couldn’t free him from the river’s grasp. Only a higher, eternal law—becoming a Paragon—could suffice.
Only by perfecting his Dao into eternity could he transcend.
“A fourth-tier Heavenly God who forges a Dao can only transcend by becoming a Paragon,” Dongbo Xueying shook his head. “The Bamboo Mountain Palace Master and the Destruction Corps commander… truly pitiable.”
“No wonder they say not to obsess over power or secret techniques. Most cultivators face no such dilemma. Given my talent, if I relentlessly pursue technique mastery, I might one day ‘strike gold’ and forge my own Dao at the fourth-tier—only to face the same plight.” Dongbo Xueying grinned wryly.
He knew the odds were slim. Across epochs, such cases were rare. Even if he deliberately chased power, success wasn’t guaranteed—otherwise, figures like the Nine Suns Palace Master, the Purple-Robed Witch Emperor, or the Luo Demon Master would have ascended long ago.
“Among lesser Heavenly Gods, many believe the Bamboo Mountain Palace Master’s supremacy stems from his unique techniques,” Dongbo Xueying scoffed. “What a jest!”
He’d long suspected—why was the Palace Master alone so exceptional? Were his techniques truly peerless? Did Paragons like Blood Blade possess inferior arts? Now, with greater strength, he understood the truth behind the legend.
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