Time flowed, and in the blink of an eye, over six hundred thousand years had passed. However, for Dongbo Xueying, who had cultivated for tens of millions of years, this span was not particularly long. Yet, he felt immense pressure, as the deadline for the third trial—”Refining the Black Gourd within a million years”—had already passed by more than half.
At Dongbo Xueying’s estate in the Black Mist Sea.
“Excellent.” Dongbo Xueying stood there with a pleased smile, gazing at his son, Dongbo Yu. “Among the four of you, I’ve always wondered who would be the first to reach the Third Heaven. Yu’er, you’ve taken the lead—very impressive.”
Before him stood four obedient figures: Dongbo Yu, Dongbo Qingyao, and his two disciples, Mo Chongyun and Jia Yun.
Dongbo Xueying’s children had long since reached the Second Heaven as World Gods. His daughter had become a disciple under Fire Fiend Venerable, while his son, Dongbo Yu, often cultivated by his father’s side. After all, Dongbo Xueying was now at the Venerable level, and unless a Paragon took them as disciples, his guidance was more than sufficient.
As for his disciples, Mo Chongyun and Jia Yun, their talents were even greater, though their cultivation time was shorter. They were now estimated to be close to breaking through to the Third Heaven.
Yet, unexpectedly, among the four, Dongbo Yu was the first to achieve the Third Heaven.
“You little rascal,” Dongbo Qingyao teased, ruffling her younger brother’s hair. “You became a World God later than I did, then caught up to the Second Heaven, and now you’ve surpassed me to reach the Third Heaven.” Dongbo Yu chuckled. Having cultivated for tens of millions of years, even their parents wouldn’t pat his head like this—only his elder sister, Dongbo Qingyao, could do so, and he found it perfectly natural.
“Sis, it’s not that I’m fast—it’s that you’re slow,” Dongbo Yu grinned.
“Hmph, praise you a little and you get cocky,” Dongbo Qingyao huffed. “Let’s see who reaches the Fourth Heaven first.” Both of them possessed excellent comprehension and enjoyed unparalleled resources, so reaching the Fourth Heaven was hardly a challenge. But “Transcendence” was the true great barrier. Their mother, Jing Qiu, had long been stuck at this stage, while their father, Dongbo Xueying, was a monstrous genius who had instead forged his own path—requiring him to become a Paragon before transcending.
“Congratulations, Brother Yu,” the childlike Mo Chongyun immediately bowed.
“Congratulations, Brother Yu,” Jia Yun echoed.
While instructing his disciples, Dongbo Xueying also pondered the formations within the Black Gourd.
He admitted he had exhausted all means—traveling across the Divine Realm and the Abyss, exploring ruins, mortal worlds, and chaotic realms within the Abyss, hoping different environments would spark new insights. Clearly, to refine the Black Gourd, he had tried every trick in the book. If not for the Voidwalker’s prohibition against external aid, he might have even sought guidance from his master. But he dared not, so he had to rely on himself.
Even so, what he had deciphered was merely the tip of the iceberg, and he still hadn’t succeeded in refining it.
Yet…
This “tip of the iceberg” had noticeably enhanced Dongbo Xueying’s strength.
—
**The Cultivator Universe, the Ancestral Mother Religion’s Stronghold.**
Within a vast hall, numerous figures sat cross-legged on the ground, arranged in concentric circles, their auras terrifying and vast. These figures were primarily divided into three categories: the first were towering, muscular brutes like the Tusked Giant and Bloody Master Niro; the second were women of relatively normal stature; and the third were emaciated, sickly-looking individuals, some even shrouded entirely in robes, their forms obscured by swirling mist.
“Eighteen Patriarchs, gathered here today,” the Tusked Giant’s voice boomed through the hall. “In our collapsing home universe, three newly ascended Patriarchs are temporarily unable to join us. Their thoughts will be conveyed by me.”
“This time, Patriarch Niro is also attending this gathering,” the Tusked Giant said, glancing at Bloody Master Niro beside him.
Bloody Master Niro was merely a manifested avatar, its aura concealed and appearance altered—utterly unrecognizable as the Bloody Master.
“All of you know that when Patriarch Niro was still a Protector, he risked his life to reincarnate through the cycle of rebirth. Not only did he succeed, but he also cultivated to the Paragon level under their system,” the Tusked Giant said. “Of course, which of the current ten Paragons he is remains known only to me. I trust all Patriarchs understand.”
“Naturally,” the other Patriarchs murmured, their gazes filled with admiration and warmth as they regarded Bloody Master Niro.
A Paragon hidden among their enemies was far more valuable than one fighting openly!
Thanks to Bloody Master’s covert assistance, they had gained easier access to cultivation techniques and deeper infiltration. Without him, the Ancestral Mother Religion’s gains in the cultivator universe would have been far lesser. After all, many secrets were unknown even to ordinary Venerables—only Paragons held such knowledge. Through Bloody Master, their understanding of the cultivator universe had deepened immensely.
“This gathering of Patriarchs is called because, as you all know, the cultivator universe’s Bloodblade Divine Emperor is using that formidable formation to sweep through the cosmos. Based on his speed and direction, he may reach us within hundreds of thousands of years,” the Tusked Giant declared. “Thus, we can delay no longer.”
“Indeed.”
“A pity…”
“If only we had more time, our comprehension of the laws and mysteries would deepen further.”
“We could also gather more resources to birth more Patriarchs in our homeland! Right now, many Protectors there have reached the required realm but lack the resources to break through. With the universe collapsing, gathering resources is impossible.”
The Patriarchs sighed in lament.
Their universe’s collapse was final—not part of the cyclical epochs.
“True,” the Tusked Giant nodded. “But time is against us.”
“All of you must admit, the cultivator universe’s Paragons are generally slightly stronger than our Patriarchs. They manipulate the laws and mysteries, making their combat styles unpredictable and elusive, while we are comparatively… cruder,” the Tusked Giant said. “Of course, their universe is still young, with few ancient relics and scant treasures left behind from past epochs. Ours, however, is ancient, on the verge of final collapse—and thus has far more remnants!”
“Exactly! With these treasures, we can assuredly triumph!”
“We will succeed in erecting the Ancestral Mother Altar!”
“Even if they can swiftly reform new avatars, we can trace them through karma and slay them one by one.”
“They are too naive, their treasures too few.”
The Patriarchs brimmed with killing intent.
They had no retreat.
Whether for their race or themselves, they had to conquer this universe—even establishing the Ancestral Mother Altar to reshape it for their cultivation system. Though they now dabbled in the “laws and mysteries,” their native system remained their forte. Moreover, the cultivator system had no stringent demands on the universe, allowing dual cultivation.
“In the cultivator universe, Pang Yi first became a Paragon, followed by Qing Jun. This is actually beneficial for us,” the Tusked Giant smiled. “I trust all of you, upon arriving here, noticed this universe’s most precious treasure.”
“Indeed.”
“The most valuable treasure.”
“They don’t even recognize it.”
“Hardly surprising—this is only their eighth epoch. They’re still too young.”
The Patriarchs’ eyes gleamed.
“The Chaos Ark,” the Tusked Giant murmured. “A legendary Chaos Ark! The cultivator universe actually ranks it as the third among their five great relics—what a joke. It’s far more valuable than their Heartlake Island or the Six Paths Heavenly Wheel. We’ve only read of it in sacred texts—never imagined we’d see a real one in a universe.”
The five great relics of the cultivator universe:
1. Heartlake Island.
2. Six Paths Heavenly Wheel.
3. The Cave Heaven Ark.
4. Moon Palace.
5. A Thatched Cottage.
“Once we seize the Chaos Ark, with its divine wonders, we’ll have half the war won,” the Tusked Giant said with a smile.
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