“Whoosh~~~” Dongbo Xueying flew out of the spacetime tunnel with his wife and children, immediately laying eyes on the towering void mountain range outside. This colossal mountain in the void constantly radiated light, illuminating billions of miles.
Upon seeing it and sensing the mountain’s oppressive aura, Dongbo Xueying couldn’t help but muse inwardly: *”Big Senior Brother’s lair has clearly undergone changes in its internal formations. Its might is far greater than before—only slightly inferior to the Bloodblade Divine Court.”*
“Father, this is Star Mountain? It’s truly extraordinary, far more imposing than our Blackmist Sea,” Dongbo Yu and Dongbo Qingyao remarked as they observed.
Places like the Bloodblade Divine Court were open to outsiders.
But Qingjun’s lair was not a place outsiders dared to enter casually. Even Dongbo Qingyao and Dongbo Yu, siblings as they were, had never visited before.
Beside them, Yu Jingqiu chuckled. “Once your father becomes a Paragon, we’ll make our Blackmist Sea even grander.”
“Hahaha…” Dongbo Xueying laughed. “Come, let’s head over first.”
—
As a newly ascended Paragon, Qingjun naturally couldn’t personally receive every guest—even for someone like Dongbo Xueying, it was two of Qingjun’s subordinate mighty figures who greeted them.
“Brother Dongbo!” A familiar, hearty voice called out.
Dongbo Xueying turned to see a burly man with crimson hair, eyebrows, and skin striding toward him.
“Brother Huocheng!” Dongbo Xueying quickly stepped forward.
“Master!” Dongbo Qingyao greeted obediently.
“Hahaha… You brought your whole family?” Huocheng the Venerable grinned. “I envy you—having a wife and children. I’m just a lonely old man now.”
“Master, you still have me, your disciple!” Dongbo Qingyao quickly added.
Huocheng couldn’t help but laugh.
Given his deep friendship with Dongbo Xueying, he doted on this female disciple far more than a typical master would—treating her almost like a daughter rather than enforcing strict discipline.
“Qingyao, Yu’er, come with me for a walk,” Yu Jingqiu said, leading the children away.
Dongbo Xueying and Huocheng the Venerable walked side by side.
“Brother Dongbo, have you heard?” Huocheng immediately lowered his voice, isolating their conversation. “Qingjun ventured into another universe and gained significant insights there, which allowed him to break through to Paragon.”
“I hadn’t heard,” Dongbo Xueying admitted, shaking his head.
“You’re his junior brother, and you didn’t know?” Huocheng was astonished.
“My cultivation time is still short… I don’t have many connections among the Venerables. Though Qingjun is my senior brother, we’ve met only a handful of times,” Dongbo Xueying explained. In terms of connections, he couldn’t compare to Huocheng, who had lived for countless years and was known for his straightforward, warm-hearted nature.
Huocheng nodded. “Traveling to another universe is rare, but among us cultivators, a few have experienced it—not counting those who kept it secret. That’s not the strange part. What’s odd is… your senior brother’s temperament has changed drastically.”
“Drastic temperament change?” Dongbo Xueying was surprised.
“Mm.” Huocheng lowered his voice further. “Not just minor shifts. You’ll see when you meet him later.”
“Temperament change?” Dongbo Xueying frowned. After cultivating for so long, one’s mental state should be stable—such drastic shifts were unusual.
“Such a transformation likely stems from the universe he visited,” Huocheng mused. “Who knows what he experienced there? What kind of universe could alter him so profoundly? Still, becoming a Paragon is a good thing.”
Dongbo Xueying grew curious.
Gradually…
Guests arrived one after another—Venerables, mighty figures, and even Paragons.
“Empress Qianhe,” a dignified woman in red robes stepped through the void.
Finally…
Qingjun appeared, personally welcoming them.
“Senior Brother Qingjun?” Dongbo Xueying stared in astonishment at the figure in the distance. The Qingjun he remembered had messy hair, wore plain gray robes, and went barefoot, exuding a gentle aura. But now, Qingjun was bald, clad in resplendent golden robes, still barefoot, yet his entire being was immaculate—not a speck of dust touched him. His overwhelming presence crushed all around him, and his eyes held an unfathomable depth, brimming with ancient mystery.
“See? Completely different,” Huocheng remarked.
“Indeed. The change is staggering,” Dongbo Xueying agreed.
—
This was no ordinary banquet—it was a grand celebration of Qingjun’s ascension to Paragon. Having personally sent invitations, all Paragons were obliged to attend, even if only through avatars.
“Empress Qianhe, you’re the earliest to arrive,” Qingjun said with a faint smile.
Empress Qianhe felt a silent pressure from his gaze, an instinctive threat that unsettled her. She forced a smile. “Pang Yi just became a Paragon not long ago, and now you’ve joined the ranks. It seems my position on the Cosmic Deity Ranking will drop another spot.”
“My breakthrough was merely natural. Brother Pang Yi pioneered an entirely new cultivation method—his achievement is far greater,” Qingjun replied humbly. Suddenly, he looked into the distance.
Empress Qianhe followed his gaze. “Your master has arrived.”
From the void emerged a man in dark red robes, a black bird perched on his shoulder—the strongest existence in their cultivator universe, the Bloodblade Divine Emperor.
“Master,” Qingjun greeted respectfully.
“I thought I’d be the first Paragon to arrive at your banquet, but it seems Empress Qianhe beat me to it,” the Bloodblade Divine Emperor chuckled. “Continue refining your path. Surpass Yuanchu and the Abyssal Ancestor—let us claim the top two spots on the Cosmic Deity Ranking.”
“Bloodblade, with that monstrously talented Dongbo Xueying added to your lineage, why not aim for all three of you to dominate the top three?” Empress Qianhe teased.
“Not an impossible dream,” the Bloodblade Divine Emperor mused, eyes gleaming.
“You’re shameless,” Empress Qianhe sighed.
Paragons could sense each other’s locations through karma. After Empress Qianhe and the Bloodblade Divine Emperor, others soon arrived—Yuanchu Master, Island Lord of Spacetime, the Abyssal Ancestor, Hell’s Paragon, Pang Yi, and more.
—
As Paragons gathered, the other Venerables and mighty figures observed from afar.
Dongbo Xueying had been watching quietly when—
“Dongbo Xueying, that Paragon called the Bloodblade Divine Emperor is your master, right?” A crisp voice echoed in his mind—the artifact spirit of the Black Gourd, his guardian treasure.
“Yes, he is,” Dongbo Xueying replied.
“His strength is immense—far beyond the other Paragons. No wonder he’s the strongest in your cultivator universe,” the Black Gourd’s spirit remarked.
“How do you know?” Dongbo Xueying was puzzled.
The Black Gourd’s spirit had formidable detection abilities, but could it truly gauge power levels?
“I judged by their soul auras,” the spirit transmitted. “Detecting a Paragon’s soul aura is effortless for me—no matter how deeply they conceal it. Soul auras are a common method to assess strength. For example, the deeper one’s comprehension of laws and mysteries, the stronger their divine heart typically becomes.”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage