“Whoosh.” Dongbo Xueying, clad in black armor and wielding the dark spear ‘Blood Serpent Spear,’ was the most elusive presence on the battlefield, vanishing without a trace in an instant.
Then—
*Thud.*
The spear materialized from the void, appearing directly before the forehead of a top-tier Mother Goddess Cult guardian. For such a guardian, whose body was shielded by an intangible fluctuation, allowing the spear to approach his brow was already an extraordinary feat. The ‘Void Path,’ having reached its pinnacle, made attacks even more imperceptible. Had it been during the early stages of mastering the Void Path, the stealth would have been far less effective.
Moreover, by integrating the killing techniques from *Six Slaughtering Sword Styles* and *The Scripture of Great Annihilation* into his spearplay, the lethality of his strikes had grown exponentially. Like the Hell Commander and the Ascetic, he had also cultivated the *Ten Thousand Demons True Body*, granting him overwhelming strength, terrifying spear techniques, and the ability to strike without warning. The Mother Goddess Cult guardian had no time to defend.
The spear tip pierced into the guardian’s skull, though the resistance was noticeable. With a forceful tug, Dongbo Xueying swiftly withdrew the weapon.
Half of the guardian’s head was obliterated! Yet, the wound visibly regenerated at an alarming rate, a testament to his formidable vitality.
“Well done, Brother Dongbo,” praised the Fire Devil Venerable, though he was struggling under the assault of three top-tier guardians. Dongbo Xueying’s timely strike had just saved him.
*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…*
Dongbo Xueying vanished and reappeared repeatedly, ambushing the Mother Goddess Cult guardians with ruthless precision. Each strike pierced through their bodies, slightly tilting the battle in favor of the cultivators. Without his relentless interventions, the situation would have deteriorated further.
Though the Phoenix Demoness could also teleport freely, her offensive capabilities paled in comparison. Her attacks couldn’t even breach the skin of the top-tier guardians!
“The situation is dire,” Dongbo Xueying thought grimly. “These guardians possess monstrous vitality. A single spear thrust only wounds them, and they recover swiftly. Even the weakest among them, those adept in curse-killing, can instantly turn their bodies into mist, making them nearly impossible to slay.”
At this level, killing a top-tier guardian was an arduous task.
Even the venom imbued in the Blood Serpent Spear posed little threat to them—they could forcibly expel it.
“In a one-on-one fight, given enough time, I could eliminate a guardian. But they outnumber us and support each other. The moment one is severely injured, the others rush to their aid, even stowing them away in pocket realms.” Dongbo Xueying shook his head. Earlier, a guardian trapped in an illusion had been swiftly stored away.
Thus, wounding them was easy. Killing them? Nearly impossible.
First, their vitality was immense.
Second, they had numbers—no guardian would be left to die.
“Damn it!” The Destruction Monarch’s expression twisted in pain. Though his survival skills were formidable, he had still suffered grievous injuries. His spilled blood was snatched by a gaunt female guardian, who immediately began an eerie curse ritual. ‘Curse-killing,’ as Bloodblade Divine Emperor had named it, was an enigmatic force—unlike any power familiar to Dongbo Xueying and his allies.
“Argh!” The Destruction Monarch’s face flushed crimson as his body convulsed uncontrollably, writhing midair. Seizing the opportunity, a guardian lunged for the kill.
*Whoosh.*
The Phoenix Demoness appeared in a flash, her pale fingers snatching the Destruction Monarch away into a pocket realm. Dongbo Xueying arrived a heartbeat too late. Their eyes met briefly—they had already rescued many Venerables at critical moments.
“The situation is disastrous,” Dongbo Xueying thought darkly.
“Retreat!”
The command came abruptly from the Wormhole Emperor, who had just barely saved the gravely injured Annihilation Emperor. At his signal, all Venerables began withdrawing.
“Go!”
Dongbo Xueying slipped into the Void Realm, his Taihao Force manifesting as luminous arms that yanked fellow Venerables to safety. Even the Fire Devil Venerable didn’t resist, allowing himself to be pulled in. The Phoenix Demoness did the same, and in an instant, the group vanished.
***
The Mother Goddess Cult guardians hovered midair, frustration evident.
“They fled too quickly.”
“Without that Phoenix and Dongbo Xueying, we could’ve killed more.”
“Those two are slippery indeed.”
Unlike the Northmystic Palace Master, who relied on formations to teleport within the pocket ship, Dongbo Xueying and the Phoenix Demoness moved freely through their own mastered paths, appearing and disappearing at will.
“And Dongbo Xueying’s attacks are terrifying—even top-tier guardians are pierced through,” growled the Candleflame Guardian, clutching his regenerating chest wound. “His progress is absurd. Back in the Six Paths Heavenly Wheel, he couldn’t even scratch me.”
“According to intel, he’s cultivated the *Ten Thousand Demons True Body*,” the golden-furred ape rumbled. “But it’s not just that. His spearplay is vicious, saturated with slaughter and destruction.”
“He’s a wildcard,” the scorpion-tailed woman added. “Because of him, we killed far fewer Venerables.”
“Casualties?” the ape asked.
A purple-robed female guardian reported, “Six guardians perished entirely—both original and clones—when trapped in that illusion.”
A heavy silence fell.
Complete annihilation.
“If we don’t fight, our entire race perishes,” a staff-wielding giant said softly. “More will die. It’s inevitable.”
“Aside from them and the sleeping guardians, three more fell to the sudden ambushes of the Water Demon King, Hell Commander, and Dongbo Xueying,” the purple-robed guardian continued. “The rest are unharmed. On our side, we slew eight Venerables.”
***
Inside the pocket ship, on a grassy plain, the surviving Venerables gathered.
All bore signs of battle.
The Annihilation Emperor’s face was icy with humiliation—had the Wormhole Emperor not risked everything, he’d be dead.
Many Venerables glanced at Dongbo Xueying with gratitude. His interventions had saved countless lives, earning him universal recognition. “How is he the weakest of Bloodblade’s Three Ancestors?” some murmured. “If anything, he might be the strongest.”
Indeed, Dongbo Xueying’s strength was undeniable.
His mastery of the Void Path alone placed him among the top Venerables. Combined with the Slaughter Path, its techniques, and the *Ten Thousand Demons True Body*, he now stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the Water Demon King, White Monarch, and the Ascetic. Even the Fire Devil Venerable, Bamboo Mountain Lord, and Northmystic Palace Master were slightly outmatched, as they specialized in only one path.
“The enemy is formidable,” Dongbo Xueying mused. “And this was just the beginning—they didn’t even use their heavy treasures. Rumor says they once shattered the Wormhole Emperor’s body with such artifacts. They’re holding back, knowing we can just cultivate new clones if we die.”
“Everyone.”
The Wormhole Emperor smiled faintly. “This was merely a probing strike to gauge their strength. Though we lost eight Venerables, they’ll recover. Meanwhile, the Mother Goddess Cult lost nine guardians—permanently.”
The mood lightened slightly, though all knew the truth: not a single top-tier guardian had fallen. The battle had been overwhelmingly one-sided.
***
In the distant void, the watching Dominions frowned.
This initial skirmish had revealed grim prospects.
The Primordial Origin Master lightened the mood. “Bloodblade, your disciple Dongbo Xueying is exceptional. He’s now a top-tier Venerable, with survival skills unmatched. If the Cosmic Deva Ranking were updated, he’d rank fifteenth.”
“If only his offense matched Annihilation’s, the tides might turn,” the Spacetime Island Lord sighed. “Alas, he still lacks in that regard.”
Truthfully, if Dongbo Xueying perfected the Slaughter Path to its zenith, coupling it with the *Ten Thousand Demons True Body*, he might stand a chance against the three Sacred Guardians. As it stood? The golden ape could swat him aside effortlessly. Even the Ascetic, whose attacks were potent enough, dared not engage at that level due to his weaker defenses.
Only the Wormhole Emperor and Annihilation Emperor could fight on that front.
“He’s still young,” the Primordial Origin Master reminded.
“Enough about Xueying,” Bloodblade Divine Emperor interjected. “The outlook is bleak. We haven’t gone all-out, but neither have they. Their numerical superiority alone overwhelms our Venerables. Troublesome.”
“If all else fails, losing this pocket ship battle isn’t the end,” the Abyssal Progenitor grinned. “Among Dominions, we hold the clear advantage.”
“We can afford losses. No need for panic,” the Myriad Hall Master added confidently.
Lady Clearjoy chuckled in agreement.
“There’s still hope,” Bloodblade Divine Emperor murmured, watching the pocket ship intently. His disciple’s prowess pleased him, but he knew it wouldn’t sway the larger battle. The odds remained slim. “But even the faintest chance, seized decisively, can overturn the game.”
His eyes gleamed with anticipation. The Mother Goddess Cult had prepared—but so had he.
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