A colossal black stone pillar was rooted in the dark void of the cosmos. Chains stretched out from its surface, dispersing into the surrounding emptiness, countless runes flowing along their lengths. The massive pillar itself was also covered in intricate, shifting patterns, its overwhelming aura radiating across trillions of miles.
This power was enough to make even Overlords tremble. At the top of the black stone pillar, spanning tens of thousands of miles, two figures sat cross-legged—one clad in dark red robes, the Blood Blade Divine Emperor, and the other, the dignified and graceful Empress Qianhe.
“Whoosh.” A figure materialized out of thin air—Dongbo Xueying, dressed in white.
“Hmm? This pillar formation…” Dongbo Xueying sensed countless layers of force obstructing him. He had originally intended to descend directly to the top of the pillar to meet his master, but he was blocked from a great distance.
“Haha, even I can’t force my way in here. Did you really think you could?” The Blood Blade Divine Emperor stood up from the pillar’s summit, chuckling as he watched his disciple struggle. “Come in. Don’t resist.”
With a wave of his hand, he manipulated the formation.
A force wrapped around Dongbo Xueying, instantly teleporting him forward.
Appearing atop the black pillar, Dongbo Xueying smiled and bowed. “Greetings, Master.”
“No need for such formality between us,” the Blood Blade Divine Emperor replied with a grin. The path of cultivation was a lonely one, and having two disciples who could follow in his footsteps filled him with deep satisfaction.
“Dongbo Xueying,” Empress Qianhe approached, her voice cool and measured. “The first time I saw you, you were just a young participant in the Myriad Flowers Banquet. And now, in the blink of an eye, you’ve stepped into the realm of Overlords.”
“Just luck,” Dongbo Xueying said humbly.
“There is no luck in cultivation,” the Blood Blade Divine Emperor interjected. “By the way, which path did you break through with? The Void Path? Or the Slaughter Path?”
Empress Qianhe listened intently.
“The Void Path,” Dongbo Xueying answered.
Strictly speaking, he had ascended in both systems—first, the ‘Void Path’ within the Rule-Oriented Mysteries system had reached the Eternal Perfection stage, and second, the Voidwalker system. In terms of sheer combat power, the Voidwalker system was the most formidable. It was an extremely demanding path, with few practitioners, but in the early stages, its advantages were immense.
“The Void Path?” The Blood Blade Divine Emperor was taken aback. “What about the Slaughter Path?”
“I feel close to a breakthrough, but I still lack some accumulation,” Dongbo Xueying admitted.
“Many top-tier Supremes reach bottlenecks and feel they’re just a step away, only to remain stuck for who knows how long,” Empress Qianhe remarked with a shake of her head.
Dongbo Xueying frowned. “Empress Qianhe, what exactly do you mean by that?”
His cultivation time was incredibly short.
Breaking through to Overlord in the Rule-Oriented Mysteries system was no small feat—his success in the Void Path was already aided by his ‘Dream Cultivation.’ It was perfectly normal for the Slaughter Path to remain unbroken. What was she implying?
“Haha, Dongbo Xueying, don’t be upset. I merely regret that your Slaughter Path hasn’t broken through yet,” Empress Qianhe quickly clarified.
“Why regret?” Dongbo Xueying was puzzled.
“I, too, had hoped for your Slaughter Path breakthrough. It might have been more advantageous in our war against the Ancestral Mother Cult,” the Blood Blade Divine Emperor added.
Dongbo Xueying understood now.
The Void Path excelled in survival, infiltration, and illusions—its direct combat prowess was lacking. But he was also an Overlord in another, far more powerful cultivation system.
“Whoosh.” “Whoosh.” “Whoosh.”
Suddenly, figures began appearing around them—avatars of the other Overlords, including the overwhelming presence of Qing Jun and the simply robed Primordial Master. Apart from the traitorous ‘Bloody Overlord’ Niro, who had perished, all the Overlords had gathered here, though most were only projections.
“Dongbo, congratulations on reaching Overlord.”
“Dongbo Xueying, congratulations on your ascension.”
“To become an Overlord so swiftly—your chances of advancing to Void God are high indeed. Congratulations.”
One by one, they offered their felicitations.
Dongbo Xueying smiled and responded to each in turn.
Including himself, there were now ten Overlords present—the ten supreme beings of the cultivator universe.
“By the way, Dongbo Xueying, which path did you use to ascend?” the Primordial Master inquired.
Dongbo Xueying was baffled. Even the longest-living Primordial Master was asking this?
“The Void Path,” he answered plainly.
“I see,” the Primordial Master nodded, saying nothing more.
“The Void Path?” Some of the other Overlords remained calm, while others couldn’t hide their disappointment.
“What’s going on? What’s the matter?” Dongbo Xueying pressed.
The Blood Blade Divine Emperor explained, “Their concern about your breakthrough path stems from the war against the Ancestral Mother Cult.”
“How are things progressing now?” Dongbo Xueying was keenly interested. Though he had asked his wife Jingqiu, the truth was that most Supremes, ordinary Paragons, countless World Gods, and elite talents had already been relocated to the Heartlake Island ruins. Those like Yu Jingqiu and Huo Chuo the Supreme, who weren’t participating in the war, only knew the most basic information—those of lower status knew even less.
After all, the Overlords couldn’t disclose every detail.
First, they feared hidden traitors might leak secrets to the Ancestral Mother Cult. Second, there was no need to share all intelligence with Supremes and Paragons.
Thus, Dongbo Xueying’s knowledge of the war was still limited.
“Hahaha…” The Blood Blade Divine Emperor laughed heartily. “At first, the Ancestral Mother Cult fought fiercely against us. The battles were so intense that entire regions were devastated, and countless lives were lost. But such losses were unavoidable. Then, at the critical moment—they tried to use the Bloody Overlord Niro to set a trap for us. We turned the tables, inflicting heavy losses on them and forcing them into an increasingly desperate position.”
“As for now—”
“Look over there.”
The Blood Blade Divine Emperor pointed into the distant void. “In that direction. Look carefully.”
Dongbo Xueying gazed ahead, his vision piercing through spatial barriers until he saw a peculiar spherical fortress floating in the cosmos. The fortress was ancient and unadorned, its gray-white surface etched with intricate patterns far more complex than those on the black pillar beneath them.
“It can block my perception?” Dongbo Xueying was stunned—his gaze couldn’t penetrate the fortress.
“You see it? That’s the Ancestral Mother Cult’s stronghold,” the Blood Blade Divine Emperor said grimly. “They’re now holed up inside. Unfortunately, that fortress is indestructible. We’ve tried every method—even forbidden powers that terrify us—but nothing has so much as scratched it.”
“Their treasures far surpass ours,” the Primordial Master added. “Fortunately, our cultivation system is stronger overall, and with the Blood Blade leading us, we’ve methodically pushed them to the brink.”
Qing Jun interjected, “I’ve heard their universe is in its final stages of collapse. Though the process is slow, countless ruins within are being destroyed, releasing vast quantities of treasures. That’s why their resources dwarf ours.”
Dongbo Xueying understood.
Places like the Heartlake Island ruins and the Six Paths Heavenly Wheel contained treasures that were nearly impossible to obtain.
But once a universe began collapsing, these ruins would crumble, unleashing their hidden wealth.
Moreover, the Ancestral Mother Cult’s universe had endured countless cosmic epochs—far longer than the cultivator universe. Now, in its death throes, the sheer volume of treasures was unimaginable.
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