Dongbo Xueying felt a chill run down his spine as he stared at the enormous statue emerging from the ground, exuding an aura of sinister coldness. “Severely injured, which means he’s still alive? This cave sky vessel—no, it should be called a Chaos Vessel! This Chaos Vessel has been in our universe for three cosmic epochs, and its master is merely wounded but still alive? Even the destruction and rebirth of cosmic epochs couldn’t harm him?”
“Even the masters of Lakeheart Island and the Demon Ancestor have long since departed our universe. How could he have remained here until now?” A storm of shock and disbelief raged within Dongbo Xueying’s heart.
The other Venerables, as well as the Protectors of the Mother Sect, were equally horrified.
This outcome was beyond anything they had anticipated.
The Mother Sect had assumed the Chaos Vessel was ownerless, making it far easier to claim. But now, it still had a master! That complicated matters immensely. Given the formidable power of the Chaos Vessel, if its master refused, neither the Mother Sect nor the cultivators of their universe could forcibly seize it.
“Dongbo Xueying.” A voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
“Hmm?” Dongbo Xueying immediately recognized it—the voice of the Black Gourd’s artifact spirit.
“Don’t be intimidated by this guy. My senses tell me he’s only at the Paragon level,” the Black Gourd’s artifact spirit sneered telepathically. “And severely wounded at that. He’s probably only recovered slightly over the eons through some secret art. But I suspect he won’t last much longer before he’s forced back into slumber!”
“Paragon level?” Dongbo Xueying exhaled in quiet relief.
Good.
At least that was still within the tolerable limits of their universe’s power structure.
“Judging by his soul aura and strength, even at his peak, he was only approaching your master, the Bloodblade Divine Emperor. He might even be weaker,” the artifact spirit continued. “Of course, whether he possesses powerful external treasures is another matter. But even if he does, given how gravely injured he is, he can’t fight at full strength. That’s why he’s restricted entry to the Chaos Vessel to those below the Paragon level.”
Dongbo Xueying suddenly understood. No wonder Paragons couldn’t enter.
—
Outside the Chaos Vessel, the Paragons were in an uproar.
“Still alive?”
“How could the master of this Chaos Vessel withstand the cycle of cosmic destruction?” The Island Master of Spacetime, Lady Qianhe, and the others were utterly stunned.
The Primordial Master, however, remained composed. “Surviving the cosmic cycle is difficult for us because this is our homeland. We were born of this universe, and thus, it restrains us the most. There must be some secret techniques to resist the destruction and rebirth of cosmic epochs—we just don’t know them yet.”
“True.”
The Bloodblade Divine Emperor nodded, gazing through the Chaos Vessel at the towering statue within. “I can discern that he is merely a Paragon. To possess such a mysterious Chaos Vessel, endure the cosmic cycle, and be the so-called Seventh Holy Son under the Bone Ancestor… I’d wager he was among the absolute pinnacle of Paragons. But he’s no threat now. If he’s been gravely wounded and hiding all this time, he must fear something.”
“Agreed.”
“If his injuries weren’t severe, he wouldn’t have remained dormant for nearly three Chaos epochs,” the Bloodfiend Paragon Niro added, and the others murmured in agreement.
—
Within the vast hall of the Mother Sect, the High Priests frowned deeply.
The situation had taken a drastic turn.
“To think it still has an owner. I wonder if our plans can still succeed,” one of them muttered anxiously. They had little confidence in a direct confrontation with the cultivator universe’s Paragons. First, the cultivator Paragons were generally stronger, and while the Mother Sect had numbers, even with treasures, they’d only hold a slight advantage. Second, the cultivator Paragons could rapidly regenerate avatars.
The battle within the Chaos Vessel had proven that—through endless regeneration, they could simply wear the Mother Sect down!
With no faith in direct combat, their desire for the Chaos Vessel grew even fiercer.
“If this outsider is severely injured and needs help, he might allow us temporary use of the Chaos Vessel,” one High Priest speculated, voice laced with desperation.
They couldn’t afford to lose.
Defeat meant annihilation—for their entire race, and all who had transcended.
—
The colossal statue, radiating icy malevolence, curled its lips into a faint smile as it gazed down at the assembled Venerables and Protectors like ants. “I require your assistance. Rest assured, I mean you no harm. In time, we shall forge an ancient oath. Once sworn, you will understand—it is absolute and unbreakable.”
“We are willing to aid you,” the golden-furred ape transmitted silently. “However, we request temporary use of your Chaos Vessel. We need not control it—merely borrow it.”
The statue’s hollow eyes flickered toward the ape.
“We will help,” the Wuying Emperor transmitted as well, “but first, we must know what you require. And you must never assist these Mother Sect Protectors.”
Both sides had reached the same decision.
Agree first, negotiate later.
Before any oath was sworn, they would seize the initiative.
“Hahaha…”
The statue’s laughter echoed like grinding stone. “I have traversed countless universes. My cultivation system far surpasses yours.” With a casual flick of its finger, a single translucent droplet materialized midair and landed upon the arm of the Venerable known as Sage Ye.
Dongbo Xueying and the others turned to watch as Sage Ye staggered, his expression twisting in pain. The droplet seeped into his skin, bones, and flesh. Moments later, his pained grimace melted into awe as he examined his right arm—now sheathed in a silver gauntlet, pulsing with terrifying power. A mere thought could unleash it.
*Boom—!*
Sage Ye swung his arm experimentally, and space itself trembled. The Mother Sect Protectors recoiled—his strength had skyrocketed to match that of an ordinary Protector.
This was staggering.
The Mother Sect prided itself on physical might, and now Sage Ye, bolstered by his mastery of laws, could contend with even elite Protectors.
“Just like that… his power increased?”
Dongbo Xueying and the other Venerables were speechless. He had struggled immensely to master the Ten Thousand Demons Body, yet Sage Ye had gained comparable strength from a single droplet. Though not as potent as the Ten Thousand Demons Body, it surpassed even the fifth layer of the Annihilation Primordial Body and the fifth chapter of the Taihao Treatise.
“As I said, my path eclipses yours,” the statue intoned. “Aid me, and I shall reward you. Not with mere droplets, but an entire vat of this liquid—enough to forge a complete set of armor, far more powerful than this. And that is but one boon among many. Cross me, however, and you will learn the price of betrayal.”
Dongbo Xueying and the others held their breaths.
“Yet, I require only one assistant.” The statue’s gaze swept over the gathered Venerables and Protectors. “A dilemma—who among you shall it be?”
“Very well.”
The statue’s grin widened. “I see now. These frail ones beside you—they are natives of this universe, yes? Your cultivation aligns with the laws I sensed upon my arrival. As for these so-called Mother Sect Protectors… your path is that of the ‘Mother Cultivation System.’”
The Protectors stiffened in alarm.
Dongbo Xueying and the Venerables listened intently. They knew little of the Mother Sect’s ways.
“The Mother Cultivation System demands the erection of a Mother Altar, transforming this universe into a Mother Universe. When that occurs, all native life—unable to adapt—will perish. Even the strongest cultivators, World Gods and True Gods, may survive, but the Mother Universe will reject them. They must either submit to the Mother or be cast out.”
The statue’s voice dripped with amusement. “Thus, your two factions cannot coexist.”
“Continue your battle. When only one remains within this Chaos Vessel… that shall be my chosen aide.”
—
“A Mother Altar?” Dongbo Xueying, the other Venerables, and even the Paragons outside—including the Bloodblade Divine Emperor—recoiled in horror. Now, at last, they understood the Mother Sect’s true scheme.
“So that’s their goal.” The Bloodblade Divine Emperor’s blood ran cold. A shiver of dread coursed through him.
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