Dongbo Xueying soared through the skies above the Xia Clan’s world, gazing down at the densely packed villages below. The population had grown tenfold since his time, and in the distance, he could occasionally see Transcendent experts streaking across the heavens. Whether it was the Ruinous Mountains or the vast snowfields of the north, human settlements had expanded everywhere, utilizing Transcendent means to create habitable environments.
“Compared to our era, cultivation has become far more accessible for the Xia Clan today,” Dongbo Xueying mused with satisfaction. In his childhood, he had only gained access to battle qi techniques because his father was a noble. Now, every member of the Xia Clan could obtain battle qi methods, spells, and more.
Over the past million years, the Xia Clan had undergone a complete transformation. In this era alone, there were tens of thousands of Transcendents—a hundred times more than in his time.
*Whoosh!*
Dongbo Xueying descended like a streak of light onto a sandy beach.
The azure waves lapped gently against the pristine white shore, where crowds of people strolled. Men dashed about in shorts, while women dressed more conservatively.
“This stretch of beach belongs to the Mo Clan of Nancheng, a Transcendent family,” two young men in shorts chatted as they walked side by side.
“The Mo Clan? They hold considerable influence in this region, don’t they? I hear they have three Transcendents now.”
“Exactly. Three Transcendents might not compare to the powerhouses in our prefecture, but in a small place like Nancheng, they’re formidable enough. Anyway, let’s not dwell on that. Our days of leisure are numbered. Soon, we’ll be taken into the Redstone Mountain World for trials, and most of us will likely be eliminated.”
“I heard the trials are a joint effort between our clan and some sect called the Iron Sword Sect within the Redstone Mountain World. Sigh, Third Brother, you’re strong enough to pass, but I’m on shaky ground. If I fail, I’ll have no choice but to become an alchemical mage, hoping to earn enough merit for the clan to help me undergo Transcendent transformation.”
“Being an alchemical mage is grueling work. I heard you’re close to a beauty from the Dongbo Clan? That’s the family of the Xia Emperor, Dongbo Dijun! If you can get even a sliver of favor from them, you’d be set for life.”
“Honestly, this young lady from the Dongbo Clan is stunning, but her temper… it’s unbearable!”
“You’d turn down a free offer like that?”
“I value my life too much!”
The two youths laughed.
Nearby, a young man lounging on the beach, basking in the sun and eating fruit, twitched his lips. *Turn down a free offer? That’s a slap in the face.*
“I wonder which little girl in my family they’re talking about,” Dongbo Xueying thought to himself. Over the eons, the Dongbo Clan had proliferated across the Xia Clan’s world, the Redstone Mountain World, and even the Divine Realm, with descendants too numerous to count.
“In my youth, a Title-level expert was considered a powerhouse in a prefecture city, and a single Transcendent could dictate life and death for countless people. Now? Even small towns have several Transcendents.” Dongbo Xueying glanced into the distance, where his keen eyesight frequently caught streaks of light crossing the sky.
Listening to the chatter around him, Dongbo Xueying felt the weight of time’s passage.
Though the Xia Clan had no emperor and was governed by a council of elders, Dongbo Xueying was universally revered as the greatest deity in their history—even honored as the “Xia Emperor.”
*Splash…*
The waves gently kissed the shore as Dongbo Xueying walked along the beach, leaving footprints in the sand. None of the passersby realized that the unassuming young man beside them was the legendary Dongbo Dijun, who had reshaped destiny a million years ago.
Step by step, he eventually walked onto the water, treading effortlessly across the sea’s surface.
“Look, someone’s walking on water!”
“Is that a Transcendent showing off, or just a Title-level?”
The beachgoers murmured among themselves. Transcendents were common, and Title-level experts even more so. Walking on water was hardly remarkable.
But for Dongbo Xueying, this was a moment of pure spontaneity. As he strode across the waves, his gaze swept over the vast ocean, the azure sky, the distant islands, the sunlight, and the teeming life beneath the surface. To his eyes, everything was governed by invisible laws. Long ago, he had mastered nine supreme divine hearts, and now, having transcended the confines of the world, he had even forged the *Path of the Void*.
From this elevated perspective, he could observe the workings of the cosmos’s laws with detached clarity.
In mere moments, the nine supreme divine hearts in his mind began to merge seamlessly, coalescing into a flawless rule.
“The Rule of Heaven and Earth?” Dongbo Xueying blinked in surprise. “Just like that?”
Indeed.
By simply observing the world around him, he had comprehended the complete Rule of Heaven and Earth. For ages, he had strained to grasp it, always falling just short despite feeling it within reach. After journeying to the Primordial Land and immersing himself in the mysteries of the illusory grand world, he had instead first attained the *Path of the Void*.
Only upon returning to the Xia Clan’s world had he finally grasped the Rule of Heaven and Earth.
“This is… absurd,” Dongbo Xueying chuckled wryly. “When I sought it, it eluded me. Now, without trying, it comes effortlessly. But it’s too late.”
He understood why.
Having mastered the *Path of the Void*, he had stepped beyond the world’s constraints. Looking back, the Rule of Heaven and Earth was child’s play in comparison.
“Too late. I’ve already reached the Creation realm. This rule can’t help me transcend now.” Dongbo Xueying shook his head. His gaze pierced through the world, settling upon the majestic river that flowed behind it—a vast, boundless current spanning the entire universe, threading through the Material Realm, the Divine Realm, and the Dark Abyss.
Countless lives drowned within its depths.
Among them was an immense, towering figure—Dongbo Xueying himself. His current form dwarfed even what he had seen in the Dark Abyss, his waist nearly occupying a tenth of the river’s width. To him, the mighty River of Time was but a narrow stream.
His colossal presence drew countless tributaries, their currents coiling around him like shackles.
“*Hah!*”
With a mighty roar, the titanic Dongbo Xueying wielded the Rule of Heaven and Earth and the *Path of the Void*, straining to break free. The waters churned violently, their resistance intensifying with every effort. He managed to lift most of his body above the surface, but his legs remained ensnared by the relentless currents.
“*Sigh.*” He relented, sinking back into the river.
“As expected. At the Creation realm, my life essence has ascended too far. The Rule of Heaven and Earth alone can’t free me now.” Dongbo Xueying sighed. “Only by becoming a Paragon can I truly transcend.”
—
Standing above the Xia Clan’s ocean, Dongbo Xueying remained composed despite his newfound understanding. This outcome was no surprise.
“Time to turn this insight into power.” With that, he vanished from the sea, returning to the Red Dust Island within his pocket realm.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage