Dongbo Xueying was in no hurry, leisurely traversing the void as he made his way back.
“Heavenly Sword Mountain.” Dongbo Xueying emerged from the void, gazing at the sprawling mountain range before him. The once-majestic Heavenly Sword Mountain now lay in ruins, with flames still flickering in many places. Though the great battle had ended, the losses suffered by Heavenly Sword Mountain were immense—even their Supreme Elder had perished, along with numerous Peak Masters, Elders, and countless disciples.
*Whoosh.*
Dongbo Xueying flashed to the summit of one of the peaks, where a group of experts had gathered, protecting a black-robed middle-aged man seated cross-legged at the center.
“Senior.” A melodious voice called out.
Dongbo Xueying turned to see the red-robed woman.
“Thank you for your intervention, Senior,” Yi Zilian said gratefully. “When you left earlier, I feared you had no intention of getting involved. But now I realize… you simply didn’t want us to slow you down.”
“No need for thanks. Your Sect Master promised me treasures in exchange for my aid,” Dongbo Xueying replied casually.
The others present were still deeply grateful.
Treasures? No matter how precious, they were mere external objects. Death rendered them meaningless. To have intervened in such dire circumstances—saving not just the Sect Master but the entire sect—was an act beyond measure.
“This junior is Zi Yu. May I know your esteemed name, Senior?” Yi Zilian asked. *Zi Yu* was her title, while *Yi Zi* was her birth name, reserved only for those closest to her.
“Flying Snow,” Dongbo Xueying answered offhandedly.
“Senior Flying Snow, did you succeed in hunting down the Valley Master of Blazing Flame Valley?” Yi Zi inquired.
“He is dead,” Dongbo Xueying stated plainly.
The Heavenly Sword Mountain elders erupted in excitement. The Valley Master of Blazing Flame Valley—dead? With both the Valley Master and his deputy slain, the remnants of the sect posed no threat. The surviving disciples would likely flee rather than remain in their stronghold. The centuries-long feud with Blazing Flame Valley was finally over!
“Senior, your prowess is truly remarkable. Word of your deeds will spread swiftly,” Yi Zilian said, her eyes gleaming. This expert was on par with her father, a force capable of dominating a region in the Nineclouds Continent. Such a figure was worth forging ties with—perhaps even becoming his disciple!
As Yi Zi entertained these thoughts, the black-robed man suppressing the soul poison opened his eyes and addressed Dongbo Xueying. “Brother Flying Snow, could you assist me in expelling this soul poison?”
Dongbo Xueying was momentarily taken aback. “Sect Master, aren’t you afraid I might take advantage of your weakened state?”
“With your strength, if you wished me dead, none here could stop you,” the Sect Master replied. “The Silverthread Soul Poison is vicious. I forced myself to fight despite its spread, and now I can barely suppress it. I implore your aid.”
“I’ll try,” Dongbo Xueying agreed, and the others quickly stepped aside.
Seating himself beside the Sect Master, Dongbo Xueying placed a hand on his shoulder, sending delicate ripples of energy into his body. The Sect Master offered no resistance as the energy permeated his sea of consciousness, enveloping his soul.
“So severe?” Dongbo Xueying frowned.
The Sect Master’s soul was riddled with silver threads, woven through it like veins. Without intervention, the poison would overwhelm him. Given the difficulty of travel in the Nineclouds Continent, finding an antidote in time would be nearly impossible.
“Proceed, Brother Flying Snow,” the Sect Master urged.
Nodding, Dongbo Xueying carefully guided his energy into the Sect Master’s soul. At this level of cultivation, the soul was immensely resilient—even if divided into ten parts, the destruction of nine would only be a minor injury. The real challenge lay in disentangling the poison without causing further harm.
*Ssshhh.*
Dongbo Xueying’s mastery of the *Ripplewave Diagram* allowed him to meticulously bind the silver threads. As he worked, he also covertly activated a secret technique.
*Hmm.*
The Sect Master remained oblivious, his soul showing no reaction.
*Not a follower of the two cults,* Dongbo Xueying mused. *But then again, according to intelligence, very few native powerers are. Finding the Valley Master and his deputy among them was already fortunate. If the Heavenly Sword Sect Master were also a believer, that would be too coincidental.*
Hunting cultists was no simple task.
First, experts like the Valley Master and Sect Master possessed strength comparable to the fourth level of the Star Tower. Subduing them for interrogation required outright battle—severe injury and complete suppression. But openly attacking regional overlords would draw suspicion, potentially alerting the cults and forcing him to abandon the Nineclouds Continent prematurely.
Second, the cults would immediately notice the death of an important follower and investigate.
This time, it had been natural—Blazing Flame Valley had attacked first, and Heavenly Sword Mountain’s counterattack was justified. But if a stranger suddenly assassinated a key cultist, the cults would grow wary. They invested heavily in converting such powerful figures, and each loss was significant.
*The conflict between the two cults and the three Sacred Worlds demands caution,* Dongbo Xueying reminded himself. *I must move with the tide, not against it.*
This time, he had merely ridden the momentum to eliminate the Valley Master.
—
Though the Sect Master’s soul poison was troublesome, Dongbo Xueying’s mastery of the *Grand Void Heaven Palace’s* supreme domain technique meant he could have purged it in mere moments. Yet he deliberately took half a month, meticulously eradicating every trace.
*Boom—*
Emerging from the secluded chamber, Dongbo Xueying and the Sect Master were greeted by a crowd of Heavenly Sword Mountain elders, including Yi Zi.
“Hahaha! Thanks to Brother Flying Snow’s efforts, I am completely free of the poison!” the Sect Master laughed heartily.
“Congratulations, Sect Master!” the elders chorused in relief. The Sect Master was the pillar of their sect—its founder and sole remaining peak Unity realm expert. Had he fallen, the sect would have fractured.
“Congratulations, Father. And thank you, Senior Flying Snow,” Yi Zi added.
“Leave us now. Brother Flying Snow and I have matters to discuss. Yi Zi, prepare refreshments,” the Sect Master instructed. The fact that he had his daughter personally serve spoke volumes of his regard for Dongbo Xueying.
Soon, the courtyard emptied, leaving only the two of them.
“Brother Flying Snow, how can I ever repay this life-saving grace?” the Sect Master sighed. He had been certain of his doom—and his sect’s collapse. Yet now, all was restored.
“Perhaps I can assist you with the treasures of Nineclouds Divine Emperor,” the Sect Master offered.
“Nineclouds Divine Emperor’s treasures?” Dongbo Xueying blinked in surprise.
“You haven’t examined the Valley Master’s belongings?” the Sect Master asked, puzzled.
“I’ve been preoccupied with your treatment,” Dongbo Xueying admitted. Retrieving a storage bracelet, he quickly scanned its contents—and soon found what he sought: a peculiar golden hairpin.
Holding it aloft, Dongbo Xueying’s eyes gleamed.
*The treasures of Nineclouds Divine Emperor…*
Nineclouds Divine Emperor had been a legendary Cosmic Deity during the Primordial Ancient Sacred World’s era, ranking among the mightiest of ultimate existences. Though grievously wounded in the cataclysm that shattered the world, he had lingered long enough to establish sixteen treasure troves within the drifting Nineclouds Continent.
Before his death, he scattered thirty golden hairpins across the land, decreeing that gathering five would activate a formation, teleporting the bearers to one of the troves.
Only Void Gods could enter—and no more than five at a time.
After each use, the hairpins would scatter anew.
Over the eons, many had entered the troves, even some Chaos realm experts. Yet none had fully claimed any of the sixteen, securing only fragments of their riches. Still, as long as the hairpins remained, so did the treasures.
This was the legacy of a being who had surpassed even Void Primogenitor and Heaven’s Fool Patriarch.
“You knew the Valley Master possessed a hairpin?” Dongbo Xueying asked, intrigued.
“The previous Valley Master and I discovered two together,” the Sect Master explained. “We agreed to split them, but he betrayed me the moment we did. Though I survived and slew him, he hid his hairpin before death. I always suspected he passed its location to his disciple. Since then, Blazing Flame Valley and Heavenly Sword Mountain have been mortal enemies.”
“Two is still short of the five needed,” Dongbo Xueying noted. Yet his heart raced.
This was why he had come to the Nineclouds Continent—for treasures to exchange for the *Crimson Cloud Heartfruit*, to save Jingqiu and Yu’er. Even a sliver of a Cosmic Deity’s hoard would suffice.
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