“What is this?” The Red Fiend Divine Emperor had never seen such a thing before, yet he instinctively sensed a threat. Still, he was too late to defend himself.
The spear tip pierced the white ice armor on his shoulder. This time, the terrifying sharpness forcibly penetrated the armor and stabbed into his body. The weapon’s malevolent aura erupted instantly from the spear tip, and waves of slaughtering energy surged through the Red Fiend Divine Emperor’s entire being.
His face flushed crimson as he immediately channeled his ice power to freeze his body, desperately trying to protect himself and expel the horrifying weapon aura and slaughtering fluctuations.
Dongbo Xueying withdrew his spear after the first strike, preparing for a second thrust.
The Red Fiend Divine Emperor’s face paled. Though his vitality was mostly preserved by the ice’s protective freezing, he had still lost nearly thirty percent of it. Even if he guarded himself more carefully from now on, he estimated that eight or ten more strikes like this would be fatal.
He had lost.
The Red Fiend Divine Emperor understood this clearly. Though he still had a few minor tricks up his sleeve, facing Dongbo Xueying—who was elusive and nearly impossible to detect—along with that terrifying spear technique… he knew defeat was inevitable.
“Never did I imagine that I, the Red Fiend Divine Emperor, would one day be defeated by a mere Venerable. Hahaha…” He laughed bitterly, his single eye returning to its usual state as the icy coldness faded. Yet, at the same time, countless avatars appeared around him while his true form vanished, hiding among them. The avatars scattered in all directions, fleeing.
“Running?”
Dongbo Xueying reappeared.
A crimson tide erupted violently around him, the Slaughter Domain surging outward with unprecedented speed. The Red Fiend Divine Emperor, however, was desperate—his avatars fled with frantic haste.
“Boom—!” The rolling crimson tide reached the Great Prince Jiaoyun Teng almost instantly. The prince’s face twisted in horror as the slaughtering waves crashed toward him. He knew full well he couldn’t withstand the might of this domain.
“Don’t kill him! Capture him alive!” the Third Prince Jiaoyun Liu shouted urgently.
At his command, the crimson tide split apart just before the Great Prince, avoiding him entirely as it continued its pursuit of the fleeing avatars.
But the avatars were too fast, and the planetary array’s range was too small. Though some of the Red Fiend Divine Emperor’s avatars were engulfed and dispersed by the Slaughter Domain, many still escaped. Once beyond the array’s confines, the Red Fiend Divine Emperor vanished without a trace. He hadn’t even attempted to rescue the Great Prince—under such circumstances, there was no hope, and trying would have only cost him his life.
Even though this was just a clone, the Red Fiend Divine Emperor had no desire to die.
Being defeated by a Venerable was one thing. Being killed by one? That was entirely different. He still wanted to preserve some dignity.
—
*Whoosh.*
Far away in a distant stretch of the starry void, the Red Fiend Divine Emperor reappeared. He glanced back and finally exhaled in relief, though his expression was tinged with resignation and regret.
“What a disgrace.”
“My home universe was conquered. I came to this Demon Mountain Universe, hoping to reach the ‘Ancestral Demon Mountain,’ only to be crushed and slain… Then, for cultivation resources, I aligned myself with the Great Prince of a Void God’s family—only to be defeated by a Venerable.” He shook his head. Though he hadn’t saved the Great Prince, he couldn’t care less.
After all, it was the Great Prince who had begged for his aid.
As a true Dominator, if he truly wished to pledge allegiance, any of the young masters from the three Void God families—those who hadn’t yet reached the Dominator level—would likely be desperate to have him.
But a Dominator serving as a Venerable’s guard? That was already somewhat humiliating.
“This time, I’ve lost all face. With so many witnesses—both princes and their guards—this incident will spread throughout the Demon Mountain Universe in no time. Even other universes will hear of it. Dongbo Xueying’s fame will rise… by stepping on my reputation.” The Red Fiend Divine Emperor felt bitter, yet he had to admit defeat. During the battle, Dongbo Xueying had deliberately provoked him, forcing him to unleash his full strength.
And having done so, only to be defeated… he had no excuses.
—
The crimson tide swirled, trapping the Great Prince Jiaoyun Teng and his remaining guards.
“Dongbo Xueying,” the Great Prince forced a smile. “You sided with my brother just for benefits, right? Whatever he gave you, I can offer more!”
“Too late.”
Dongbo Xueying’s response was curt.
Originally, he had needed an opportunity to study other cultivation systems. Now that he had what he wanted, all he needed was secluded cultivation.
“Guard Dongbo!” The Third Prince Jiaoyun Liu, along with Shandan, Cong, and the other guards, swiftly approached through the parted waves of the Slaughter Domain. The guards gazed at Dongbo Xueying with awe and admiration—much like how ordinary Venerables in the cultivator universe revered ‘Qing Jun.’ In fact, Dongbo Xueying’s feats were even more astonishing. With three paths under his belt—two already at their peak bottlenecks and the third at an advanced level—plus the formidable legacy of the Voidwalker lineage, he had surpassed even Qing Jun in his prime.
“Your Highness,” Dongbo Xueying said. “Who lives, and who dies?”
“Kill the other guards. Spare my elder brother and Cha Yunong.” The Third Prince studied Dongbo Xueying. “If you have any thoughts, Guard Dongbo, speak freely.”
Dongbo Xueying remained silent.
The crimson tide rippled slightly, enveloping the guards. He bore them no personal grudge, but after the long feud between the two princes—and the repeated deaths of the Third Prince’s own guards—mercy was hardly an option. Had he not intervened, his own side would have been slaughtered. Dongbo Xueying wasn’t sentimental. At worst, they’d lose some treasures—these were just clones, after all.
With a single pulse of the Slaughter Domain, the other guards perished, leaving only Cha Yunong and the Great Prince, Jiaoyun Teng.
“Jiaoyun Teng, my elder brother… did you ever imagine this day would come?” The Third Prince’s voice trembled slightly.
The Great Prince ignored his brother, instead glaring at Dongbo Xueying. “What exactly did my brother give you?”
“Other cultivation system techniques and some secret arts.”
“That’s it?” The Great Prince was incredulous.
The Demon Mountain Universe was open-minded—cultivation methods were freely shared. Secret arts were rarer, but for princes like them, they were hardly priceless treasures.
“A spear, armor, a battleship.”
The Great Prince was speechless.
Those were standard provisions for any prince’s guard.
“Nothing else?” He looked between Dongbo Xueying and the Third Prince. “My little brother… your luck is truly astounding.”
“I can give you ten times—no, a hundred times more. Will you serve as my guard?” the Great Prince pressed.
“I can match that!” the Third Prince interjected, anxiety creeping into his voice.
“A deal is a deal.” Dongbo Xueying said no more.
At his core, Dongbo Xueying repaid kindness and grudges alike. Over these three million years, the Third Prince had aided him greatly—there was gratitude to repay.
Seeing that further persuasion was futile, the Great Prince sighed. Such a peerless Venerable had his own pride. “My brother possesses a Black Demon Sacred Fruit. It may be useless to other cultivation systems, but for our bloodline path, it’s a treasure beyond compare. Why not kill him and take it? The rewards it could bring you are unimaginable.”
He smirked at the pale-faced Third Prince. “Little brother… the game isn’t over yet. The Black Demon Sacred Fruit? If I can’t have it, neither will you!”
*Boom!*
The Great Prince’s body exploded violently.
Yet the surging crimson tide swallowed the blast effortlessly, the Slaughter Domain extinguishing the shockwaves with ease.
Silence fell. Shandan, Cong, and the others stared at the Third Prince and Dongbo Xueying.
The Black Demon Sacred Fruit?
“Cha Yunong remains, Your Highness. Deal with him as you will.” With a thought, Dongbo Xueying dispersed the endless blood tide. Only Cha Yunong was left—the prince and his guards could handle him easily.
“Guard Dongbo… no, Brother Dongbo?” The Third Prince gazed at him, moved and relieved.
“Your Highness!” Cha Yunong suddenly cried out.
The Third Prince’s expression darkened as he turned, fury flashing in his eyes. “You dare address me? After all the trust I placed in you—I must have been blind! Kill him!”
The guards’ eyes filled with murderous intent as they closed in on Cha Yunong.
—
Meanwhile, the Third Prince led Dongbo Xueying into the palace, where they sat facing each other in a grand hall. Servants brought fine wine as they conversed.
Outside, snow still blanketed the ground—a remnant of the Red Fiend Divine Emperor’s boundless frost.
The Third Prince personally poured wine for Dongbo Xueying, smiling. “Never did I imagine I’d have the honor of having you as my guard, Brother Dongbo. From today onward, you are no longer my guard—you are my brother. If you’ll accept this humble one’s friendship, drink with me.” He placed a cup before Dongbo Xueying.
Dongbo Xueying lifted it. “My thanks, Your Highness.”
They drank together.
“Hahaha!” The Third Prince was in high spirits. “Brother Dongbo, defeating the Red Fiend Divine Emperor as a Venerable—overpowering a Dominator—is an unparalleled feat. Word will spread swiftly across the Demon Mountain Universe and beyond. And once it does… certain matters will arise.”
“Certain matters?” Dongbo Xueying feigned surprise. “Please enlighten me, Your Highness.”
Over the years, he had gleaned much about the Demon Mountain Universe from casual conversations with the guards. He knew what his victory implied—though the Third Prince undoubtedly knew more.
Besides, revealing his strength had been part of his plan all along.
His master, Bloodblade Divine Emperor, had long advised him: *”Xueying, if pressed, you may share our cultivation system’s methods with the Demon Mountain Universe. The Rule-Oblivion Path is no great secret in the endless chaos. Our system values comprehension above all—disclosing it changes little. Without guidance, mastery is near impossible. Your mission is to gather anything that can aid our universe—be it cultivation systems, techniques, or other resources.”*
Dongbo Xueying was well-prepared.
At his current level, he had already mastered the clone technique bestowed by Bloodblade Divine Emperor. Another of his clones lurked elsewhere in the Demon Mountain Universe. With time flowing over three thousand times faster here, even cultivation here was immensely beneficial.
“You may have heard fragments from the other guards, but their knowledge is limited.” The Third Prince refilled his cup, a smug smile playing on his lips. “Allow me to explain in detail.”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage