This ranking based on the most fundamental souls stirred Dongbo Xueying’s thoughts. He lowered his head to drink, occasionally exchanging a few words with the nearby Bamboo Mountain Mansion Master and the Monarchs of Destruction.
Meanwhile, the grand feast was in full swing, filled with jubilant clamor.
The mighty figures clinked cups and chatted merrily.
“To see the great ones of the Divine Realm and the Abyss gathered like this—such a sight hasn’t been witnessed in ages.”
“Indeed. If not for Lord Qingjun sending out invitations far and wide, many of these mighty figures wouldn’t have bothered to attend.”
Some of these great beings had eccentric temperaments.
For instance, those who secluded themselves in cultivation cared little for grand events, no matter how significant. But when a supreme ruler personally extended an invitation… they couldn’t afford to decline! Moreover, the Abyss and the Divine Realm had long-standing tensions. When a ruler of the Divine Realm ascended, few from the Abyss would attend, and vice versa. Yet with invitations sent so broadly, everyone had no choice but to come.
Thus, an exceedingly rare gathering took shape—over three hundred ordinary mighty figures were present, including some reclusive old-timers who hadn’t been seen for eons.
As for figures like Yu Jingqiu, Dongbo Yu, and Dongbo Qingyao, these Empyrean Gods watched in awe.
So many mighty figures?
Some they had never even heard of!
“Such a grand spectacle is truly rare.”
“Not only are the mighty ones gathered, but there are also ten rulers! The birth of ten rulers… marks a new era in our cosmic epoch.”
“Indeed, ten rulers now.”
Many cultivators attending the feast felt their hearts surge with excitement. They considered themselves fortunate to witness such a scene even once in their lifetimes.
…
At the highest level, the ten rulers sat in lofty seats, conversing among themselves. Naturally, the central figure of this occasion was ‘Ruler Qingjun.’
“Yuanchu, now that Qingjun has also become a ruler, you’ll have to carefully reconsider how to rearrange your Cosmic Deities and Demons Ranking,” the Abyssal Ancestor laughed heartily.
“It’s giving me a headache,” the Yuanchu Master sighed, shaking his head with a helpless smile as he held his wine cup. “Last time, it was only because Pang Yi personally intervened during the assault on a Mother Goddess Sect outpost that I could glean some insights. But Qingjun hasn’t even fought yet—how am I to gauge his current strength? Either Qingjun demonstrates his abilities voluntarily, or we’ll have to wait until he finally takes action.”
“Qingjun, why not give us a little display?” the Hall Master of Myriad Gods suggested with a smile.
“Yes, let us see your current power,” Bloody Ruler Niro chuckled.
“What’s there to see?” Lady Qianhe teased. “No matter how much you look, Niro, you’ll still be at the bottom.”
Bloody Ruler Niro immediately retorted, “Lady Qianhe, how dare you mock me? You’re only one rank above me!”
“One rank is still one rank,” Lady Qianhe replied smugly.
Bloody Ruler Niro scoffed.
“Since all of you are gathered here today,” Qingjun, seated at the center, said with a faint smile, “I won’t dampen your enthusiasm. I’ll show you a glimpse.” His voice, unconstrained, resonated across the entire banquet hall. Instantly, all the mighty figures—even the Empyrean Gods fortunate enough to attend, as well as the attendants—turned their gazes toward him.
Dongbo Xueying also looked over, surprised.
Voluntarily revealing his strength?
His senior brother had become far more assertive than before.
The other rulers watched with anticipation, while the Bloodblade Divine Emperor observed with an amused smile. Below, countless cultivators raised their heads in anticipation.
Qingjun merely extended his palm—crystalline like jade, the lines on his fingers resembling deep ravines. Then, he clenched his fist and punched forward into the void.
**BOOM!!!**
A colossal golden fist manifested in the distant void.
Radiant and dazzling, its aura sent a shiver down Dongbo Xueying’s spine. At that moment, the golden fist seemed the most resplendent existence in the universe, outshining even the distant ‘Solar Star’—though this was merely an illusion, given the star’s unfathomable distance. Yet the sheer might of this punch was undeniable.
The void collapsed and annihilated instantly.
The golden fist’s power didn’t spill outward in the slightest. After completely obliterating the targeted space, it silently dissipated.
“Such terrifying force, yet controlled so precisely—not even a ripple of excess energy?” Dongbo Xueying was astounded.
“My apologies for the crude display,” Qingjun said lightly.
But the other rulers present understood the terror behind that punch.
“It seems I’ll have to carefully reconsider whether you or Pang Yi ranks higher,” the Yuanchu Master said with a pained expression.
“Naturally, Qingjun surpasses me,” Pang Yi replied gently.
“Ruler Pang Yi pioneered a new cultivation method—every step must be forged by himself, so his progress is slower but far more stable and profound,” Qingjun said. “I may hold a slight advantage now, but given time, his self-created path will inevitably leave me far behind.”
The rulers continued their discussion.
Bloody Ruler Niro, meanwhile, lavished praise—after all, he was openly the weakest, perpetually at the bottom. Even before Pang Yi and Qingjun became rulers, they had already rivaled him. He was infamous as the most feeble ruler, to the point where top-tier Monarchs like ‘White Monarch’ and ‘Water Demon Monarch’ barely regarded him with respect.
While outwardly flattering, Niro secretly sent a message: *”Great Elder.”*
…
In the Mother Goddess Sect’s stronghold within the cultivators’ universe, inside an ancient, towering hall—
A tusked giant, clad only in tattered cloth, sat cross-legged. His exposed, rocky greenish-brown skin contrasted with his deep, starry eyes. Though his face was grotesque, it exuded a soothing warmth that made the surroundings feel joyous. His gaze was fixed on a projection in midair—
A vast ‘Void Bipolar Array’ enveloped the starry sky, scanning relentlessly. Due to the array’s overwhelming power, the Mother Goddess Sect couldn’t peer inside, nor could they see its controller—the Bloodblade Divine Emperor.
*”Great Elder,”* a transmission reached him.
*”Elder Nikor,”* the tusked giant responded with a smile. *”You’re attending Qingjun’s banquet—why contact me now?”*
*”Qingjun just demonstrated a fraction of his power. As we expected, he’s slightly stronger than Pang Yi, approaching the level of the Yuanchu Master and the Abyssal Ancestor,”* Ruler Niro reported. *”And this is just his breakthrough in one Dao, reaching the Eternal realm. Given time, his other two Daos may also advance, further increasing his strength.”*
*”As anticipated. Which Dao did he break through in?”* the tusked giant asked.
*”The Dao of Mountains,”* Nikor replied. *”Its momentum is vast and majestic—truly extraordinary.”*
*”Hahaha! The Dao of Mountains? In terms of raw power, how can these cultivators compare to us?”* the tusked giant laughed.
*”In pure strength, I could suppress him,”* Nikor stated. *”But his escape and survival skills are formidable. He must not be underestimated.”*
*”A troublesome foe, yes,”* the tusked giant mused. *”But with the war approaching, he won’t have time to grow stronger. Our greatest threat remains the Bloodblade Divine Emperor.”*
Nikor fell silent for a moment before asking, *”So… the final war is truly coming?”*
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