These Gods of the Domain naturally held respect for ‘Dongbo Xueying,’ yet they also harbored their own judgments. In their eyes, Dongbo Xueying was an extraordinarily formidable Four-Heavens Realm God, surpassing even some ordinary Great Paragons in strength. But to rank him among the ‘Three Ancestors’ based on this alone? They felt Dongbo Xueying still lacked the substance and qualifications.
Just as common folk might whisper about a great general—or even an emperor—behind closed doors, these Realm Gods believed Dongbo Xueying was unworthy of being named among the ‘Three Ancestors.’ Including him, in their view, would tarnish the revered status of the Three Ancestors in their hearts.
Though discontent simmered beneath the surface, when it came to public discussions, they still chose their words carefully.
—
**Temporal Island.**
Three Great Paragons sat together, laughing and discussing the Dao.
Eventually, the topic turned to Dongbo Xueying.
“Black Fiend, Dongbo Xueying has already forged his own Dao. Aren’t you nervous? Aren’t you afraid?” A lion-headed man roared with laughter.
Black Fiend Ancestor sat nearby, swirling a cup of wine in his hand. He narrowed his eyes and chuckled, “Afraid? Of course I am. That’s why I’m hiding here on Temporal Island, not daring to step out. My luck is truly abysmal. I killed the Red Dust Saint, only for his two disciples—one Huiming, the other Dongbo Xueying—to grow stronger and stronger.”
“Indeed,” said another man, his face adorned with violet patterns. “Both of the Red Dust Saint’s disciples are rising swiftly. One apprenticed under Pang Yi, whose cultivation method is said to be unfathomably profound—no matter how carefully you hide, his attacks can still find you. And Dongbo Xueying? Even more terrifying. He forged his Dao in just a million years. Who knows how far he’ll go in the future? Your luck, Black Fiend, is something I truly admire.”
Black Fiend Ancestor merely smiled, offering no reply.
“Now they’re saying the new Three Ancestors of the Bloodblade Divine Court are the Bamboo Mountain Manor Lord, the Monarch of Annihilation, and Dongbo Xueying,” the lion-headed man slammed his cup onto the table. “They’re elevating Dongbo Xueying far too high. Even by the standards of the Cosmic Deity-Demon Ranking, he’s far weaker than the Bamboo Mountain Manor Lord or the Monarch of Annihilation.”
“Don’t underestimate him,” Black Fiend Ancestor murmured with a low, knowing smile. “Forging a Dao in a mere million years… who’s to say he won’t become a Cosmos Sovereign one day?”
“A Cosmos Sovereign?” The other two exchanged glances before turning back to Black Fiend. “Black Fiend, that would make your situation even worse.”
“What can I do?” Black Fiend Ancestor gave a helpless laugh—yet beneath that resignation, there was an unshakable calm.
—
The notion of Dongbo Xueying becoming one of the new Three Ancestors was met with greater acceptance among the truly powerful. But among the countless ordinary Realm Gods, many still felt Dongbo Xueying lacked the strength and qualifications. The weaker they were, the less they understood, and thus their judgments were inevitably skewed.
—
Dongbo Xueying, however, paid no mind to such discussions. Having forged his Dao in a mere million years, clashed with the Mother Goddess Cult, and witnessed the ‘Strongest Realm God’ in the Primordial Ruin—even glimpsing the black hound capable of wounding the master of Heartlake Island—he knew all too well how shallow his current realm truly was. He sought to climb higher, stand taller.
Becoming a Cosmos Sovereign and transcending mortality was merely his current goal. He aspired to reach even greater heights—like the masters of Heartlake Island and the Demon Ancestor, or even the primordial realm of the Primordial Ruin’s founder.
Thus, the clamor of the outside world was nothing more than a joke to him.
—
**”Whoosh—”**
The icy winds howled.
Within the Frost Abyss, time seemed to leave no trace—only endless gales and eternal snowfall. Here, Dongbo Xueying immersed himself in secluded cultivation.
In the blink of an eye, over eight million years had passed.
Eight million years was an immense span for Dongbo Xueying—before arriving at the Frost Abyss, he had only cultivated for a mere million years. Yet for the mighty cultivators of the vast cosmos, eight million years was but a fleeting moment. Figures like the Bloodblade Divine Emperor and the Primordial Master measured their cultivation in *billions* of years.
In such a ‘brief’ time, little had changed across the Divine Realm and the Abyss. Of course, countless mortals and transcendent beings had come and gone, and the sprawling Dongbo Clan had flourished—yet ‘Dongbo Xueying’ had gradually faded into legend.
—
Atop a mountain peak, a solitary figure stood with hands clasped behind his back.
Dongbo Xueying gazed upon the boundless white expanse, his eyes sharp as blades. The Heart-Tempering Art ‘Epoch Tribulation’ had subjected him to countless eons of torment, each tribulation refining his will like a whetstone sharpening a blade. With each insight into the mysteries of the Dao, his spirit had grown ever keener.
**”Hmm.”**
An intangible ripple emanated from Dongbo Xueying’s body.
**”Rumble—”**
A vast, inky mist unfurled, spreading across millions—then billions—of miles.
The world darkened as swirling black fog enveloped everything, converging around the lone figure at its center. He stood like a dread sovereign, commanding the abyss itself.
**”Shhhk!”**
A flash of light split the heavens.
In an instant, the thousand-billion-mile expanse of darkness was cleaved apart—as effortlessly as tearing a sheet of paper. The sheer, concentrated lethality of that strike was enough to give even Paragons pause.
“After eight million years, though I’ve yet to master the Heart-Tempering Art, I’ve finally forged the Dao of Slaughter.” Dongbo Xueying smiled faintly. With a thought, countless flashes of light shredded the vast expanse into fragmented oblivion before the world restored itself to falling snow.
“The Dao of Slaughter.”
He nodded in satisfaction. “I owe my thanks to the Epoch Tribulation.”
The Epoch Tribulation demanded one of two outcomes—sink into oblivion, or cut through all obstacles like an unyielding blade. As his will grew ever sharper, so too did his comprehension of the Dao of Slaughter. Combined with the insights granted by his three True Divine Artifacts, success had finally come.
“With the Dao of Slaughter, I’ve mended the flaw in my offense.” Dongbo Xueying mused. Previously, his attacks relied on the ‘Eternal Slaughter Dao’ within the Blood Serpent Spear, the weapon’s innate mysteries, the Blood Serpent’s venom, and his own strength. “Now, with the Dao of Slaughter, both my spear and flying daggers will strike with far greater might.”
The Dao of Slaughter was utterly unlike the Dao of Illusions.
It existed for one purpose—annihilation.
Dongbo Xueying’s path was one of extreme focus, condensing every ounce of his power into a single point—a flash of light that could pierce or sever anything in its path, leaving only obliteration in its wake. Its methods were simple, yet devastatingly potent.
“Two Daos.” A smile touched his lips. Dual Daos offered many advantages.
First, they complemented each other. The Dao of Illusions allowed him to traverse the illusory realm, ambushing foes or escaping with ease.
Second, they accelerated his cultivation. With two Daos, he now had two potential paths to becoming a Cosmos Sovereign, doubling his chances.
His dedication to the Dao of Slaughter stemmed from his early years—his relentless pursuit of ultimate destructive power, the ‘Extreme Penetration Truth Intent’ he had grasped in his youth, a ruthlessly lethal technique. His heart had always yearned for this path. Moreover, his three True Divine Artifacts further aided his comprehension.
Now, with two Daos under his command, Dongbo Xueying dared to challenge even the mightiest Paragons. Some of those elite Paragons had only mastered a single Dao—though they had pushed it to its limits, teetering on the brink of eternity. That final step, however, remained an insurmountable chasm.
“Compared to top-tier Paragons, I’m more balanced. But I’m still no match for Senior Brother Qingjun.” Dongbo Xueying remained clear-eyed. Qingjun had mastered *three* Daos, each perfected to their extremes—allowing him to clash head-on with Cosmos Sovereigns.
Yet for now, this was enough.
The path ahead stretched endlessly, and he had only just begun to walk it.
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