“Yes, this is my wife, Jing Qiu,” Dongbo Xueying warmly stepped forward to greet them.
“Jing Qiu? Even your name changed after reincarnation.” Ancestor Jinxiao glanced at Yu Jingqiu, though he knew times had changed. Now, Yu Jingqiu had her husband, ‘Dongbo Xueying,’ backing her—a man whose strength was no less than his own. Moreover, today’s grand banquet was attended by many powerful figures, especially the Fire Axe Venerable, who shared a life-and-death bond with Dongbo Xueying. Even if he wanted to vent his anger, today was not the day!
“Haha.” Dongbo Xueying chuckled and smoothly shifted the topic. “Your presence here, Ancestor, is already a great honor to me. The minor grievances of the past only prove our fated connection. After the banquet, let us speak privately in detail. How does that sound?”
“Fine.” Ancestor Jinxiao responded coolly, casting another glance at Yu Jingqiu. “Star-Sword Mystic Maiden, your luck is truly remarkable. Once, you had your father’s protection. Now, you have your husband’s.”
Standing beside Dongbo Xueying, Yu Jingqiu smiled. “Thank you for your praise, Ancestor. My luck has always been good.”
Ancestor Jinxiao snorted and turned away.
The fact that he hadn’t lashed out at Yu Jingqiu on sight was already a testament to his restraint.
Watching the Ancestor depart, Yu Jingqiu exhaled slightly in relief and transmitted her voice with a laugh. “Xueying, I thought someone as fierce-tempered as Ancestor Jinxiao would start a fight the moment he arrived.”
“He may be fierce, but he’s no fool,” Dongbo Xueying replied via voice transmission. “If he dared to act, Brother Fire Axe would crush him with a single slap.”
—
The guests continued to arrive one after another.
Many Fourth Heaven Gods came, including old acquaintances like Lord An Hai of Anhai Prefecture, as well as Emperor Qiu Yu and Lord Fu Qiong, with whom he had once ventured into the Heart of the Lake. Each Fourth Heaven God who arrived had some past connection with Dongbo Xueying, and he welcomed them all warmly.
“Elder Sister!”
The white-robed woman, ‘Seventh Plum Rain,’ arrived alongside Emperor Xuanmu.
Dongbo Xueying and his wife greeted them with even greater enthusiasm, their children in tow. Even Yu Jingqiu’s smile brightened noticeably.
“Little Sister.” Yu Jingqiu was visibly delighted. During the Myriad Flowers Banquet, she had recognized her sister but dared not reveal her identity.
“Little Sister greets Elder Sister and Brother-in-law,” Seventh Plum Rain replied with equal warmth.
Nearby, Dongbo Xueying and Emperor Xuanmu exchanged pleasantries, their smiles growing even more radiant.
Emperor Xuanmu laughed. “Haha, who would have thought that my disciple, who once attended the Myriad Flowers Banquet alongside the Emperor, would turn out to be your wife’s younger sister? Truly, fate works in mysterious ways.”
“Back then, my wife kept even me in the dark. I didn’t even know Seventh Plum Rain was a woman,” Dongbo Xueying remarked with a sigh and a shake of his head. Looking back now, it was indeed quite amusing.
“Yu’er, Qingyao, greet your aunt,” Yu Jingqiu urged her children, her closeness with her sister evident.
“Aunt.”
Dongbo Yu and Dongbo Qingyao obediently called out.
“Take your aunt to see your grandfather,” Yu Jingqiu instructed.
“Yes.”
“Aunt, come with us.” Dongbo Yu and Dongbo Qingyao were eager to guide their aunt. Seventh Plum Rain quickly excused herself from her master, Emperor Xuanmu, who waved her off. “Go on, go on.” Though she had many disciples, she had brought only Seventh Plum Rain to strengthen ties. After all, Dongbo Xueying was no ordinary figure—he was one of the Five Emperors. There might come a day when she’d need his aid.
—
Aside from Ancestor Jinxiao, with whom he had minor conflicts, all the other guests were either old friends or held significant connections.
Spotting two figures in the distance—one a bald, white-robed youth, the other an elderly man with a childlike face and white hair—Dongbo Xueying immediately approached.
“Senior Brother, Ancestor.”
These two were none other than Senior Brother Huiming and Ancestor Chihuo.
“I always knew Junior Brother had boundless potential, but I never imagined you’d rise to such heights so swiftly,” Senior Brother Huiming said with a pure smile. “This senior brother must admit—I’m impressed.”
“You flatter me, Senior Brother. For a Paragon of a First-Rank True Intent to reach the Fourth Heaven is no great feat. I merely had the fortune of obtaining an ultimate technique,” Dongbo Xueying replied modestly.
“Fortune? Strength is never a matter of fortune. Junior Brother, don’t be too humble,” Senior Brother Huiming chided cheerfully, clearly in high spirits.
“By the way, Senior Brother,” Dongbo Xueying transmitted privately, “after the banquet, let’s speak in private.”
“Oh?” Senior Brother Huiming blinked.
“About Master’s vengeance,” Dongbo Xueying added.
Senior Brother Huiming gave a slight nod.
The death of the Red Dust Saint was a matter of both duty and personal sentiment. Though they had never met, the Saint had shown him kindness, and his noble character was something Dongbo Xueying deeply admired. On the other hand, the Black Fiend Ancestor was treacherous and vile. From a moral standpoint, vengeance was justified. Had the roles been reversed—had the Saint been a demon and the Ancestor righteous—Dongbo Xueying might not have been so eager. But there was also the matter of karma to settle, and the battle itself would serve as tempering. One couldn’t spend eternity buried in cultivation, after all.
“Very well,” Senior Brother Huiming agreed.
As Dongbo Xueying regarded him, countless thoughts raced through his mind.
He had obtained the original copy of the *Blood Demon Scroll (Upper Volume)* and intended to pass it on—but only to a select few. The decision of whom to entrust with it still weighed on him.
“Xueying,” Ancestor Chihuo spoke briefly before switching to voice transmission. “There’s something I must trouble you with.”
“Trouble? Whatever it is, just say the word. I’d lay down my life without hesitation,” Dongbo Xueying declared without pause. He could never forget the immense debt he owed Ancestor Chihuo. Had the Ancestor not intervened back then, he dared not imagine what his fate might have been.
Ancestor Chihuo felt a warmth in his heart.
His aid had been given on a whim, guided by instinct—yet here was Dongbo Xueying, willing to die for him in return.
“It’s nothing so dire. The matter is complicated, and with so many guests here, we’ll discuss it after the banquet,” Ancestor Chihuo assured.
“Understood. We’ll speak then,” Dongbo Xueying agreed.
—
More guests arrived—Fourth Heaven Gods, mighty experts, and even the formidable ‘North Guardian Hall Master’ and his senior brother, ‘Emperor Guzang.’
Emperor Guzang was a recluse who rarely emerged from seclusion.
His attendance at Dongbo Xueying’s banquet astonished many of the gathered powerhouses. But what truly stunned them was yet to come—
“Dongbo Xueying.” A figure strode through the main gates—a man in purple robes with narrow, piercing eyes. His mere presence sent a ripple of awe through the nearby experts who noticed him.
“Lord Zhushan!”
“It’s Lord Zhushan!” Gasps arose from the crowd. As one of the Three Ancestors, Lord Zhushan’s strength was unfathomable. His few recorded battles had been nothing short of earth-shaking.
Dongbo Xueying hurried forward to greet him. He knew more than most—Lord Zhushan had forged his path through the ‘Dao of Annihilating Thunder,’ an overwhelmingly domineering and swift discipline. Ranked eighteenth on the Cosmic Deity-Demon Leaderboard, his power rivaled that of ancient figures like the Fire Axe Venerable.
Lord Zhushan smiled faintly. “Congratulations.”
“I never imagined you would grace us with your presence today. This is truly an honor beyond words,” Dongbo Xueying replied earnestly.
“My arrival surprises you?” Lord Zhushan’s lips curled. “Then what of your senior brother’s?”
“Senior Brother?” Dongbo Xueying was taken aback.
Lord Zhushan turned slightly, gesturing behind him.
Dongbo Xueying followed his gaze.
A figure approached—unkempt hair, simple gray robes, bare feet treading the earth as though he commanded the very world around him. His aura was not oppressive, yet every cultivator present felt an instinctive urge to bow in reverence.
Dongbo Xueying instantly recognized the legend before him—a figure revered across both the Divine Realm and the Abyss: Qing Jun!
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