Dongbo Xueying glanced at the silver-haired elder behind him before striding confidently into the vast inner hall.
“Guest Elder Feixue?” Venerable Xu Huang smiled faintly. “I’ve long heard of your reputation, but never imagined you could enter the Ancient God Hall undetected and even lift that stone gate. Truly impressive.”
Though Venerable Xu Huang had been brimming with absolute confidence earlier, witnessing Dongbo Xueying lift the stone gate had sent a chill down his spine. He understood now—this mysterious Fourth Heaven World God, “Guest Elder Feixue,” surpassed him in strength, at the very least.
“Guest Elder Feixue’s power is extraordinary. I wonder where it originates—some fortuitous encounter, or perhaps you hail from the cosmos beyond this world?” Venerable Xu Huang probed.
“The cosmos beyond?” Dongbo Xueying turned slightly, frowning. “There exists a universe outside this world?”
Venerable Xu Huang’s suspicions deepened. For a Fourth Heaven World God to possess such strength was unnatural—unless they came from the legendary cosmos beyond. Yet Xueying’s reaction suggested genuine ignorance. Was it feigned or real?
Without pause, Dongbo Xueying continued forward, soon reaching the base of the towering staircase. Though scorching white currents lashed at him, the dark armor condensed around his body effortlessly repelled the heat.
“Guest Elder Feixue, those steps are not so easily climbed,” Venerable Xu Huang called from afar. In a flash of light, he dashed into the inner hall. As a top-tier Venerable versed in multiple supreme techniques, he could withstand the oppressive aura. Once inside, he merely observed from a distance as Dongbo Xueying ascended the steps, making no move to interfere.
—
Dongbo Xueying gazed up at the black gourd resting atop the highest point of the staircase. “Placed at the pinnacle of this hall, radiating such terrifying power with just a wisp of its aura… It surpasses any treasure I’ve ever seen. Even a Dominator’s presence couldn’t compare.”
“Whatever purpose the Ancient Star Map had in leading me here, obtaining this treasure would make it all worthwhile.” He could sense the black gourd’s value eclipsed all his previous gains—even the legendary Spacetime Temple of the Island Lord. Now, with his perfected Ten Thousand Demons True Body, he rivaled the strongest Venerables. Even a Dominator’s direct assault wouldn’t easily fell him.
Yet this black gourd instilled an instinctive dread in him—proof it far exceeded his current realm.
*Thud.*
His foot landed on the first step.
The impact reverberated through his soul, staggering him momentarily.
“Mind as a blade.”
Having reached the second stage of mental cultivation, he quickly steadied himself and took the second step.
*Thud!*
The soul-shaking force intensified, but this time, prepared, he adapted swiftly.
“Claiming this won’t be easy,” Dongbo Xueying mused, eyeing the staircase’s peak. An invisible resonance pulsed through the steps, conveying an unspoken rule: ascend step by step. Any attempt to bypass the trial—reaching out or flying up—would invite catastrophic retribution. The power imbued in the staircase dwarfed his own, leaving him no choice but compliance.
When facing the designs of ancient experts, defiance was folly.
“Master.” A voice echoed.
A silver-haired, handsome youth darted into the Ancient God Hall—Venerable Jian Huang, the second Venerable of the Xu Huang Kingdom. Though renowned, his strength paled beside his master’s. Trembling slightly, he barely withstood the inner hall’s oppressive aura.
Dongbo Xueying spared him a glance before refocusing on his ascent, progressing slowly, pausing after each step to endure the soul-rending pressure.
“He’s halfway up… and still climbing?” Venerable Jian Huang’s face paled. “Master, didn’t you say the staircase was harder than lifting the gate?”
“He won’t reach the top,” Venerable Xu Huang murmured. “Soon, the gourd’s spatial distortions will strike.”
Indeed, as Dongbo Xueying neared the summit, the warped space around the gourd lashed out.
*Boom!*
A devastating force hammered his body. Bracing himself, he rooted his feet, enduring the searing heat and intensified soul assaults. His Dark Extreme Armor and Ten Thousand Demons True Body barely held against the onslaught.
“Even top-tier Venerables would struggle to approach this,” he thought, awed by the gourd’s might—akin to legends of primordial relics.
Another step. Another trial.
—
Venerable Xu Huang’s expression darkened as Xueying pressed onward. If he reached the end, seized the gourd… Would the ancient tales prove true? That its wielder could command this world—or even depart for the cosmos beyond?
“He must not obtain it.” With a flick of his hand, countless white threads shot forth, streaking toward Dongbo Xueying.
“Hmm?” Xueying’s eyes narrowed at the incoming assault.
“Break!” His sword flashed, conjuring a vortex that clashed with the threads, their entanglement disrupting his blade’s momentum.
Trapped between the gourd’s spatial fury and a Venerable’s attack, he dared not advance further. One misstep would send him tumbling down.
“Boundless.” Venerable Xu Huang’s silver eyes gleamed.
The white threads morphed into a black hole, its voracious pull yanking Dongbo Xueying off-balance. Already straining against the gourd’s force, he couldn’t resist—stumbling off the staircase.
Mid-fall, he twisted, unleashing a blazing sword slash that struck the black hole. The vortex shuddered but held, its suction weakening as Xueying landed heavily on the hall’s floor.
He glared first at the staircase, then at Venerable Xu Huang. “You dare hinder me?”
“That gourd is beyond your worth,” the Venerable sneered.
For eons, he had guarded this place. The black gourd was his birthright—none would steal it.
“Then I’ll remove you first.” Ice laced Dongbo Xueying’s voice as killing intent flared.
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