In the blink of an eye, three hundred thousand years had passed since Yu Jingqiu’s transcendence.
In the Eternal Sacred Realm, within the secluded chamber of the Supreme Elder’s cave abode behind the Qingpeng Sect’s rear mountain, a stick of incense burned, its fragrance permeating the quiet room. Dressed in white robes, Dongbo Xueying sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, cultivating the ancient path of the *Vermilion Nightmare Legacy*. A massive, fiery-red avian phantom emerged from his body, spreading its wings as a crimson aura unfurled in all directions. Within this aura, faint glimpses of worlds could be seen rising and falling.
Suddenly, a piercing cry echoed through the chamber, resonating beyond its confines and effortlessly sweeping across the entire Qingpeng Sect. Every cultivator within the sect felt their souls tremble slightly before returning to normal.
“What was that?”
“It seemed to come from the Supreme Elder’s cave abode.” Some of the sect’s Void God Unity experts could barely discern the source, exchanging hushed whispers from afar, not daring to disturb the enigmatic Supreme Elder.
Inside the chamber, as the Vermilion Nightmare phantom let out its first cry, its form grew more solid. Dongbo Xueying opened his eyes, and the phantom’s gaze mirrored his own, brimming with the same sharp intellect.
“*Vermilion Nightmare Eight Transformations*—I’ve finally reached the fourth transformation, attaining the Unity realm.” A faint smile touched Dongbo Xueying’s lips.
Though his own profound insights played a role, the terrifying speed of his progress in the ancient cultivation path would astonish many if word got out.
Dongbo Xueying knew well that his mastery of the Void Illusion Path contributed greatly. While the *Vermilion Nightmare Legacy* involved intricate mysteries of illusions—some quite unique—he could decipher them with minimal effort. If a Chaos realm expert of the Void Path were to cultivate the *Voidwalker Lineage*, their progress would likely be just as swift.
“Unity realm.”
“At this stage, I’ve truly refined a complete Vermilion Nightmare.” Dongbo Xueying pondered. “Next are the fifth and sixth transformations—unlocking all of its latent potential. Beyond that lies the Chaos realm!”
The *Vermilion Nightmare Legacy* was rudimentary in its early stages, with the later phases comprising the *Eight Transformations*.
The first transformation marked entry into the Void God stage.
The first three transformations belonged to the *Nascent* realm.
The middle three—the *Unity* realm.
The seventh and eighth transformations led to the *Chaos* realm.
At its peak, as described in the legacy, one would stand among the absolute elite of the Chaos realm, though still falling short of true supremacy. The unknown creator of this legacy had attempted a ninth transformation but never succeeded.
“The first six transformations aim to fully unleash the Vermilion Nightmare’s potential. The seventh, however, alters its very essence, triggering a metamorphosis.” Dongbo Xueying smiled. “Excellent. This is what I’ve been waiting for.”
Changing its core essence meant restructuring the Vermilion Nightmare itself. Its power lay in two aspects: the mesmerizing aura it naturally exuded and the illusory worlds it inherently contained. Dongbo Xueying, as a master of the Void Illusion Path—one who had reached the sixth level of the Star Tower—found the phantom’s illusory world structure lacking.
Even at its peak, the Vermilion Nightmare’s strength would barely reach the fifth level of the Star Tower, and that was accounting for its aura. Thus, for an expert like him, its illusory worlds were ripe for improvement.
Through continuous refinement, the Vermilion Nightmare would evolve. A qualitative leap would signify entry into the Chaos realm. Dongbo Xueying’s current understanding of the Void Illusion Path had already brushed against the threshold of Chaos, granting him faint glimpses of its mysteries.
“Yet, ancient cultivation truly is wondrous,” he mused.
His modifications only targeted the illusory worlds at the Vermilion Nightmare’s core, leaving its other structures untouched—those were inherent to the ancient path. Unlike the *Sorcery* or *Rule-Oblivion* systems, ancient cultivation followed innate talents, resisting forced comprehension in certain aspects.
Even figures like the *Hall Master of Inquiry* could perform ultra-long-range teleportation and probe unfathomable distances, yet the underlying principles eluded their understanding.
Similarly, techniques that could slightly alter history remained beyond study.
The *Vermilion Nightmare Legacy* was no exception. Only its illusory worlds were malleable to Dongbo Xueying. Its form, aura, and other traits were innate. Given its vast illusory range, cultivating this legacy greatly benefited the soul—precisely why he had chosen it.
“My soul’s strength has increased by sixty percent compared to before,” he marveled.
With this enhancement, he could now unleash *five* *Blades of Heavenly Punishment*—a feat previously unthinkable.
“Hah, the rare materials I need are already prepared. Reaching the sixth transformation shouldn’t pose any bottlenecks.” Dongbo Xueying eagerly anticipated that day, when his soul would far surpass its current state and he could finally reshape the Vermilion Nightmare’s illusory worlds. Only by fully mastering its potential could its core illusions be altered.
“Time to return.”
He stood, and the void before him twisted. With a single step, he vanished.
—
Reappearing within the Black Fog Sea’s Imperial Manor, Dongbo Xueying glanced around.
Having left a spatial marker in the Qingpeng Sect’s Supreme Elder cave, he could travel between the two locations instantly. Given his overwhelming power, practicing or testing techniques in his home universe risked severe damage—hence the Eternal Sacred Realm served as his training ground. For contemplation, however, his homeland sufficed.
“Father.” Dongbo Yu, deep in cultivation, looked up to see his father hovering mid-air.
“Train well. Your mother has already opened her own Dao,” Dongbo Xueying remarked with a smile.
Since her transcendence, the energy of the *Crimson Cloud Pomegranate* could sustain an ordinary True God for hundreds of millions of years. Yet, within a mere hundred thousand years, Yu Jingqiu had unlocked the *Dao of Time*. While her rapid progress under the state of *Super-Enlightenment* wasn’t entirely unexpected, Dongbo Xueying had assumed she would pursue a path like *Ice*—not *Time*.
—
Dongbo Xueying’s days passed in leisurely cultivation. Unhurried and steady, he would retreat to the Qingpeng Sect in the Eternal Sacred Realm whenever inspiration struck, testing techniques or breaking through in the ancient path. In between, he accompanied his wife during her seclusions, mentored his children and disciples, and even held public lectures—attended eagerly by Sovereigns and Reverends alike.
Yet, while he enjoyed this carefree existence, observing the conflicts across the Five Great Sacred Realms and the Chaos Void, unseen forces conspired against his peace.
—
In the Ancient Sacred Realm, within a shadowy hall, the purple-robed *Netherghost Sage* stood before a pool. Its waters coalesced into a humanoid figure.
“Netherghost, why have you summoned me?” The watery form shimmered with silver currents, exuding an oppressive aura. Even as a mere projection, it radiated enough threat to unsettle the sage—for this was *Jiaming, the Chaos Supreme*, a being of terrifying power. In the primordial era, Chaos realm experts were vaguely categorized, but *Chaos Supreme* denoted those who approached the level of Ultimate Existences—equivalent to the ninth level of the Star Tower.
Now, the Star Tower’s tiers served as the universal standard for measuring strength.
“Lord Jiaming,” the Netherghost Sage spoke respectfully, “I seek the current whereabouts of the *Inner Hall Elder* of the *Taixu Temple*, Dongbo Xueying. I humbly request your assistance. Here are one hundred *Source World Stones*.”
He presented the stones obediently.
Within the entire Ancient Sacred Cult, aside from the exalted *Sacred Master*, none surpassed Jiaming in tracking. This was a being of unfathomable power—one who could even glimpse fragments of the *future*.
“I shall attempt it.”
Jiaming gave a slight nod.
*Hum.*
An unseen force warped the hall’s space as the Netherghost Sage watched silently. He knew the true Jiaming was now employing esoteric arts—this was his sanctum, though he rarely manifested in person, preferring projections.
*Swish—*
A hazy image began forming in the air, depicting a grand manor.
Then—
The scene abruptly shifted to a hunchbacked elder.
The elder’s icy gaze swept over them. “Hmph. Just as I expected. Fools of the Ancient Sacred Cult dare target my Taixu Temple’s elder? Fortunately, I prepared for this.”
*Boom!*
The image shattered.
The silver-veined water figure in the pool flickered, its eyes glinting coldly. “*Fool of Heaven*,” it growled.
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