Chapter 747: Ancestral Demon Mountain

In the blink of an eye.

Dongbo Xueying and the Third Prince, under the guidance of Emperor Jiaoyun, arrived at the ‘Primordial Demon Mountain.’

“We’re here,” said the Third Prince, Jiaoyun Liu, gazing excitedly ahead.

Dongbo Xueying also looked carefully. Before them, in the boundless starry void, stood a towering mountain shrouded in black mist. The mountain was majestic, faintly serving as the center of this region—no, more accurately, the center of the entire Demon Mountain Universe.

Surrounding the Primordial Demon Mountain were countless floating meteors, each faintly glowing with energy. Clearly, an invisible formation connected all these meteors.

“Let’s go,” Emperor Jiaoyun said coldly. With a swift motion, he transformed into a streak of light, carrying the two across the void and landing on one of the meteors. The meteor had several stone dwellings, and on its surface stood a gray-robed elder with black scales, waiting respectfully. As Emperor Jiaoyun descended with the two, the elder immediately bowed. “Your Majesty.”

Emperor Jiaoyun nodded, then turned to Dongbo Xueying behind him. “Dongbo Xueying, this is Echen. He will arrange everything regarding your challenge against the Venerables within the Primordial Demon Mountain.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Dongbo Xueying said, then turned to the gray-robed elder and bowed slightly. “I appreciate your assistance, Lord Echen.”

The gray-robed elder smiled, though his face was hideous and terrifying, his grin revealing rows of sharp teeth. “I’ve heard that Venerable Dongbo can defeat a Paragon. I admire that greatly. As for your challenge against the Venerables of the Primordial Demon Mountain, I’m merely here to guide you—a small matter. Whether you succeed or not depends entirely on your own strength.”

“Father, Brother Dongbo has only been in our Demon Mountain Universe for a short time and lacks sufficient experience battling experts from various cultivation systems,” the Third Prince, Jiaoyun Liu, quickly interjected, hoping his father would assist Dongbo Xueying.

Emperor Jiaoyun glanced at his son.

He was cold and aloof.

However, his three children were among the few he truly valued. The reason he allowed them to compete was because he inherently believed in the law of the jungle—survival of the fittest. That didn’t mean he didn’t care for his son deep down.

“Dongbo Xueying,” Emperor Jiaoyun said coldly, looking at him. “Speak. What do you need from me?”

Dongbo Xueying was momentarily stunned.

“You have only this one chance. Make it count,” Emperor Jiaoyun said indifferently. A prodigious Venerable meant little to him—even a Paragon was insignificant. The leap from True God to Void God was an immense threshold, the most difficult to cross. Moreover, Emperor Jiaoyun knew that once this cosmic era ended, they would depart for the Sevenstar Sea Sacred Realm to serve under the Primordial Ancestor.

While the Third Prince and other True Gods sought to befriend Dongbo Xueying, Emperor Jiaoyun and those like him had far grander ambitions. Unless one reached the Void God level, he couldn’t be bothered. But for his son’s sake, he was willing to give Dongbo Xueying this opportunity.

Dongbo Xueying sensed the emperor’s indifference but paid it no mind. He immediately said, “This junior seeks two items but has been unable to find them.”

For the sake of his home universe.

For the final battle that would determine the fate of countless lives—what did it matter if the other party was cold?

“Speak,” Emperor Jiaoyun urged.

“This junior has long sought two things: the first is the legendary blood essence of the Thousand-Eyed Flame Worm, and the second is the *Record of All Things*. I don’t need the complete *Record of All Things*—just the third volume,” Dongbo Xueying said, watching Emperor Jiaoyun closely.

Emperor Jiaoyun frowned. “A mere Venerable, yet you seek the blood essence of the Thousand-Eyed Flame Worm? Do you even know what that is?”

“I do not,” Dongbo Xueying admitted.

“You dare ask for something you don’t even understand?” Emperor Jiaoyun scoffed. The blood essence of the Thousand-Eyed Flame Worm was a treasure even he, at his level, valued immensely. He had only read of it in texts bestowed by the Primordial Ancestor.

Dongbo Xueying remained unruffled, listening obediently. He sighed inwardly—it seemed the blood essence was beyond his reach. He wondered why his master, Bloodblade Divine Emperor, had sought it.

“The blood essence of the Thousand-Eyed Flame Worm is impossible. But I can give you the complete *Record of All Things*,” Emperor Jiaoyun said indifferently. “Someone will deliver it shortly. Wait here. Liu’er, come with me.”

“Yes, Father,” the Third Prince, Jiaoyun Liu, dared not disobey. He glanced at Dongbo Xueying and transmitted, “The rest is up to you.”

“I am already deeply grateful, Your Highness,” Dongbo Xueying replied via transmission.

He truly was.

His master, Bloodblade Divine Emperor, had entrusted him with these two tasks—both of which, judging by his master’s tone, were of utmost importance. Managing to secure even one was a success. When he had asked the Third Prince earlier, the prince had never even heard of them. But this Void God, Emperor Jiaoyun, knew of both. While the blood essence was hopeless, the *Record of All Things* was promised in full.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Dongbo Xueying said respectfully.

Emperor Jiaoyun, with the Third Prince in tow, transformed into a streak of light and vanished.

Beside him, Lord Echen smiled. “Venerable Dongbo, before you challenge the Venerables within the Primordial Demon Mountain, let me explain the basic rules.”

“Please, Lord Echen,” Dongbo Xueying said.

“Not just anyone can challenge the three Venerables inside. If that were the case, they’d have no time to cultivate—they’d be constantly fending off challengers,” Lord Echen explained. “To issue a challenge, you must first defeat a guardian puppet at the mountain’s entrance. Only by defeating it do you prove your qualification.”

“So far, only eleven Venerables have ever defeated the puppet,” Lord Echen said, eyeing Dongbo Xueying with amusement. “It’s quite difficult.”

“Once you defeat the puppet, you may challenge the Second or Third Venerable within the mountain,” Lord Echen continued. “If you win, you take their place, and their ranks shift downward—the fourth-ranked is expelled from the mountain.”

“After victory, you may challenge the strongest Venerable,” Lord Echen said. “Win, and you become the foremost Venerable, gaining entry to the inner sanctum of the Primordial Demon Mountain!”

“If you lose even once, you must wait a million years before challenging again.”

Lord Echen grinned. “Do you understand the rules now?”

“I do,” Dongbo Xueying nodded.

A single defeat meant a million-year wait—this prevented endless challenges. A million years wasn’t excessively long, but it was certainly no short span. It wouldn’t drastically hinder cultivation.

“The *Record of All Things* should arrive soon. Why not rest here for a day and enter the mountain tomorrow?” Lord Echen suggested.

“Very well,” Dongbo Xueying agreed. After three million years, one more day was nothing.

Lord Echen smiled faintly, then transformed into a streak of light, flying toward the distant Primordial Demon Mountain. Clearly, he was qualified to enter.

Dongbo Xueying turned and casually selected a stone dwelling.

Inside, a formation hummed softly, keeping the space immaculate—likely left behind by some past expert.

He sat cross-legged and waited silently.

Time passed…

After roughly an hour, a melodious voice called from outside: “Venerable Dongbo!”

Dongbo Xueying stepped out.

A woman with purple scales and a tail stood there, her features strikingly beautiful. She smiled. “Venerable Dongbo, by His Majesty’s order, I bring you the *Record of All Things*.” She handed him a golden disc.

Dongbo Xueying accepted it, his heart swelling with joy. “Thank you, Paragon.”

Emperor Jiaoyun only employed Paragon-level subordinates.

“A small matter,” the woman said with a smile before transforming into light and vanishing beyond the meteor’s bounds, teleporting away.

Dongbo Xueying looked down at the *Record of All Things* in his hands. With a slight mental probe, a flood of information surged into his mind, taking roughly the time of a cup of tea to settle. Though the disc still held vast knowledge, he could absorb no more—an arcane formation blocked further access unless deciphered.

“This isn’t the Rule-Oriented system. It’s the ‘Witch’ system, studying the essence of all things?” Dongbo Xueying mused silently.

Having studied many systems, he found the ‘Witch’ path the only one comparable in profundity to the Rule-Oriented system.

“Why would Master need this?” he wondered briefly before dismissing the thought.

*Whoosh.*

A figure descended nearby—a red-robed Dongbo Xueying, a newly cultivated avatar. Thanks to his master’s technique, he now had three bodies.

The black-robed Dongbo Xueying handed the golden disc to his red-robed counterpart.

In a flash, the red-robed avatar departed, employing Voidwalking to hasten back through the cosmic passage toward his home universe. The sooner this treasure reached Bloodblade Divine Emperor, the better—especially if it was crucial to the war.