Chapter 593: Fief

In addition to the intelligence about the Bamboo Mountain Mansion Master’s inability to transcend, there were two other pieces of information that Dongbo Xueying found particularly significant.

One of them, as his master had mentioned, was that apart from the factions led by the five rulers of the Divine Realm and the three rulers of the Abyss, there existed another hidden force within the vast universe. This force was extremely mysterious, with presumably very few members, and knowledge of their existence was scarce—some Sovereigns might not even be aware of them.

This force had one distinctive trait: its members had no karmic threads!

“No karmic threads?” Dongbo Xueying was deeply shocked. Investigating others through karmic connections was a common method—even his master, the Bloodblade Divine Emperor, had karmic threads. For instance, he himself was karmically linked to his master.

How could there be beings without karmic threads?

According to the intelligence, this was one of the most concealed secrets in the entire universe, known only to the rulers! Some rulers hadn’t even informed their subordinate Sovereigns, though the Bloodblade Divine Emperor had shared it with his most valued disciples and friends.

“This matter is highly unusual and must not be leaked! If you encounter an enemy without karmic threads, notify me immediately,” the Bloodblade Divine Emperor had emphasized in the intelligence.

“Who would have thought?” Dongbo Xueying sighed inwardly. “Such a mysterious force exists in the universe. But the chances of me encountering them are probably very low.”

For now, he set it aside.

Dongbo Xueying turned his attention to the last intriguing piece of information.

“Ancestor Yuanchu really has too much time on his hands,” Dongbo Xueying chuckled. Among the intelligence his master had provided was something called the “Cosmic Deities and Demons Ranking.”

The Cosmic Deities and Demons Ranking was a list compiled by the most aloof, eccentric, and ancient ruler, Ancestor Yuanchu, out of sheer boredom. It ranked the top one hundred most powerful cultivators in the universe! Ancestor Yuanchu would periodically update the rankings and distribute the list only to those who made the cut.

The ranking was as follows:

**Cosmic Deities and Demons Ranking:**

1. Bloodblade Divine Emperor

2. Abyssal Primogenitor

3. Ancestor Yuanchu

4. Netherworld Ruler

5. Island Master of Spacetime

6. Master of Ten Thousand Halls

7. Lady Qianhe

8. Pang Yi

9. Bloody Ruler

10. Qing Jun

11. Emperor of Annihilation

…

99. Ancestor Ba Xiong

100. Monarch of Falling Stars

The list was purely a ranking, with no additional explanations.

“Pang Yi is actually ranked eighth? Even above the Bloody Ruler?” Dongbo Xueying was stunned when he first saw the ranking. He hadn’t heard of Pang Yi becoming a ruler, yet here he was at eighth place! Meanwhile, Qing Jun, widely regarded as the closest to becoming a ruler in both the Divine Realm and the Abyss, was only ranked tenth.

“But I’m not on the list,” Dongbo Xueying mused to himself. In terms of strength, he was undoubtedly superior to some of the mighty figures like Ancestor Ba Xiong. “I’ve only just broken through and revealed my power. I’ll probably have to wait for the next update to make the list.”

—

**Yin Stone Retreat.**

“Father.” As soon as Dongbo Xueying appeared in the cave abode, his daughter, Dongbo Qingyao, happily rushed to greet him.

“Xueying.” Yu Jingqiu and Monarch Moxue also appeared.

“Father, I heard you fought three mighty figures alone and even killed one?” Dongbo Qingyao’s eyes sparkled with excitement at the thought of such a scene.

Dongbo Xueying smiled at his daughter. “It was just a clone. Battles between mighty figures often result in casualties, but most are just clones. True deaths—where both the true body and clones perish—are rare.”

“Son-in-law, the ambush in the Dark Abyss was no small matter. So many Abyssal Monarchs attacked you, including the likes of Demon Lord Luo and Emperor Qihai… even the legendary White Monarch was behind it. The fact that you survived is already remarkable. Many of my old friends thought the chances of Lord Dongbo making it out alive were slim. Too bad for them—they were wrong.” Monarch Moxue praised.

Dongbo Xueying smiled faintly before saying, “By the way, my master has appointed me as one of the Five Directions Divine Monarchs and granted me a territory. Let’s prepare to depart soon.”

“Five Directions Divine Monarch?” Monarch Moxue, Yu Jingqiu, and Dongbo Qingyao were puzzled.

“It’s just an official position, albeit a special one,” Dongbo Xueying explained. “Though it’s called the Five Directions Divine Monarchs, currently only two hold the title: Hall Master Beihu and my senior brother, Gu Zang.”

“Hall Master Beihu and Divine Monarch Gu Zang? They’re among the most formidable mighty figures.” Monarch Moxue immediately understood that this title was no small honor.

“And a territory?” Yu Jingqiu asked curiously.

“Yes, in the Blackmist Sea,” Dongbo Xueying replied. “Though I’ll need to rebuild it. By the way, where’s Yuer?”

“Yuer’s been stuck at a bottleneck and went out to train. I’ve already sent him a message to return as soon as possible, but he said he’ll need another half-month,” Yu Jingqiu said.

“In that case, tell him to head straight to the Blackmist Sea. We won’t wait for him.”

That same day, Dongbo Xueying and his family boarded a starfield flying vessel and set off for the Blackmist Sea.

—

**Blackmist Sea.**

“Is that the Blackmist Sea?” Dongbo Qingyao’s eyes gleamed as she gazed excitedly at the vast expanse of black mist in the distant starry sky.

“I’ve heard this place is enveloped by a massive formation, making it nearly impossible to approach,” Monarch Moxue remarked.

“Wait here,” Dongbo Xueying said before vanishing into the void alone.

Yu Jingqiu, Monarch Moxue, and Dongbo Qingyao watched from the deck of the flying vessel as Dongbo Xueying effortlessly bypassed the formation’s barriers and arrived at the edge of the Blackmist Sea.

“Let’s begin.” Dongbo Xueying observed the churning black mist beside him. This would be his territory—a place he might call home for countless eons once he became a mighty figure. All mighty figures had their own strongholds; even the Bloodblade Divine Emperor had his “Bloodblade Divine Court.” After all, only a place built by one’s own hands could be truly familiar.

Over time, it could be continuously reinforced.

**”Rumble—”**

Dongbo Xueying directly mobilized the power of the world. With his current mastery over world principles, he could command the world’s energy across a span of six trillion miles.

World energy could manifest all things—provided one understood their material composition.

**”Condense!”**

At his will, endless land began to form across the six trillion miles. The earth grew denser the deeper it went, with various rocks, metals, and even rare materials emerging. Of course, these materials were only valuable to Transcendents or ordinary deities, as anything Dongbo Xueying could deconstruct was relatively common.

With world energy, he could create as much as he desired.

A massive continent took shape, encircling the Blackmist Sea, which occupied about a third of the landmass. Rivers flowed, vegetation flourished, and mountains rose, creating a picturesque landscape.

At the heart of the continent stood a grand, sprawling palace complex—guest quarters, barracks for guards, residences for disciples, enclosures for divine creatures, training grounds for descendants, secluded chambers for meditation, halls for researching secret techniques, and reception areas for visitors…

Even so, Dongbo Xueying’s palace complex was relatively modest compared to the strongholds of other mighty figures. Given his youth, he had far fewer followers, and thus his needs were simpler.

“Now for the formations.” Though not a master of formations, Dongbo Xueying had studied the spatial formations within the Crimson Wristlet and the “Dao” within the True Divine flying dagger, as well as the formations in his ultimate techniques. This had elevated his expertise to a high level. He began deploying formations extensively—particularly those involving the Void, spacetime, and material reinforcement.

Material formations, inspired by the principles of *Annihilation Extreme Armor*, fortified the structures. While not as resilient as his black armor, they could withstand attacks from fourth-level Heaven Gods.

Spacetime formations altered spatial dimensions in many areas.

Void formations, leveraging the mysteries of the Void Path, were especially enigmatic. Even fourth-level Heaven Gods could lose their way if they trespassed.

Though the process seemed swift, it took Dongbo Xueying over three days to complete his domain. Once finished, he summoned all his subordinates from the East Domain City Inspector’s residence. As a Five Directions Divine Monarch, he no longer held the Inspector’s post.

“This will be our home from now on,” Dongbo Xueying said as he strolled across the vast plaza with Yu Jingqiu, Dongbo Qingyao, and Monarch Moxue, admiring the sprawling palace complex.

“This is just the initial, simplest form. If you have any ideas for your own quarters, let me know anytime.” Dongbo Xueying smiled. His stronghold would only grow stronger as his power increased.

“Son-in-law, news of your promotion has spread. Many will likely come to pay respects to Divine Monarch Dongbo,” Monarch Moxue said with a grin. “Since you’ve just established your territory and opened your palace, it’d be best to host a grand banquet and invite the mighty figures.”

“Agreed.” Dongbo Xueying nodded. Establishing a territory and opening a palace was a major event for cultivators, warranting a celebration.

“Father-in-law, you’re more experienced in such matters. I’ll leave the arrangements to you,” Dongbo Xueying said.

“Of course, of course.” Monarch Moxue chuckled. Mingling with mighty figures was a prestigious affair, and he was delighted to enjoy such esteem before his reincarnation.

Yu Jingqiu added, “Xueying, you should also request the Divine Court to send someone to construct a spacetime teleportation array here.”

“Right.” Dongbo Xueying nodded. Without a teleportation array, weaker individuals without starfield flying vessels—like his son, Dongbo Yuer—would have trouble visiting.

Suddenly, a voice echoed in Dongbo Xueying’s ears:

“Dongbo, I’ve just updated the Cosmic Deities and Demons Ranking. This is a list I compiled in my leisure, shared only with those on it.” The voice was unmistakably Ancestor Yuanchu’s.

A moment later, the latest Cosmic Deities and Demons Ranking was transmitted to him.