Chapter 899: Offending Whom?

Dongbo Xueying, however, was mistaken.

The Stone Mirror, over the long ages, had already passed through the hands of countless ancient cultivators in various forms, stirring countless storms of blood and slaughter. Once its reputation grew too great or it remained in the hands of a single cultivator for too long, the Ancestor of the Realm would secretly intervene, causing the Stone Mirror to vanish without a trace, only to reappear in the hands of another.

Through this cycle of transference, many ancient cultivation legacies were forged with the aid of the Stone Mirror. Numerous powerful ancient cultivators had obtained it—more than half of the Chaos Realm experts within the Eternal Sacred Realm had once held it! Outside the Eternal Sacred Realm, the number was far fewer, likely only one-tenth.

Even so, the Stone Mirror’s dissemination was staggering.

“Regardless, I must seize this rare opportunity to improve my strength. If I can break through to the Chaos Realm in one fell swoop, that would be ideal.” Dongbo Xueying was eager to reach the Chaos Realm. Once he did, both his body and soul would undergo a qualitative transformation. Though his current strength could rival weaker Chaos Realm experts, he still lagged behind in many aspects.

The souls of Chaos Realm overlords were far stronger than his. They could send avatars across vast distances—even to other sacred realms—while their true bodies remained in one place. As a Unity Realm cultivator, Dongbo Xueying’s avatars could not stray too far from his true form. Beyond a certain distance, his will could not sustain them, and they would dissipate.

The difference in avatar projection range was telling.

Take the ‘Demon Ancestor,’ for example. His true body resided in the Palace of the Void, yet when Dongbo Xueying once attacked a stronghold of the Ancient Sacred Cult, a single summons brought the Demon Ancestor’s avatar instantly to his side—a distance spanning nearly one or two-tenths of a sacred realm’s diameter. No Unity Realm cultivator, no matter how powerful, could project an avatar across such a vast expanse. Not even a fraction of that distance was possible.

This was the essence of qualitative transformation.

Both soul and body would undergo such a metamorphosis, and Dongbo Xueying eagerly anticipated it.

—

Traversing the Eternal Sacred Realm, he beheld the vast, shadowed canyons stretching for millions of miles, crossed the boundless frozen lakes, and even walked bodily through mountains of divine flame.

Amidst these wonders, he observed the manifestations of the cosmic laws in nature, all while guided by the Stone Mirror’s insights. His comprehension deepened steadily. Having already refined and simplified the Fifth Sword of Annihilation, he now cultivated the *Balong Legacy*. With the Stone Mirror’s guidance, his first breakthrough came in the Path of Slaughter—he finally mastered the Sixth Sword of Annihilation.

Though this did not enhance his offensive capabilities (having already grasped the Heaven’s Wrath Blade), his close-quarters combat improved significantly. The *Balong Legacy* evolved to rival the *Vermilion Night Legacy*, further strengthening his body. His scaled armor became even more formidable, and his hands grew terrifyingly powerful.

“Compensating for my weaknesses makes me harder to exploit,” Dongbo Xueying mused with satisfaction.

He was in no rush.

The Sixth Sword of Annihilation had been within his grasp, making the breakthrough relatively straightforward. But ascending to the Chaos Realm was far more difficult! Still, he had already brushed against the threshold in both the Path of the Void and the Path of Slaughter, with the former being slightly more profound.

—

In the endless desert of the Eternal Sacred Realm lay an oasis brimming with vitality.

A thriving tribe of hundreds of thousands called this oasis home. Among them were weak children, born as transcendent beings, yet under the suppression of the sacred realm’s laws, they could barely run swiftly. They were among the realm’s weakest lifeforms, surviving only through collective strength.

Perhaps one day, a supreme expert might emerge from their ranks. But for now, these children relied entirely on the tribe’s protection.

The tribe boasted mighty warriors, and its chieftain was a Void God at the Unity Realm. Through painstaking effort, he had erected arrays around their settlement, ensuring the tribe’s survival.

“Whoosh.”

A deep-red ship materialized above the tribe, and figures clad in black robes descended. Only their leader, a gaunt elder in crimson robes, stood apart. His eyes burned with a cold, eerie flame, chilling all who met his gaze.

“Begin. Be swift,” the crimson-robed elder commanded coldly.

“Yes!” The black-robed subordinates—all Unity Realm experts—scattered instantly, each wielding a black token. As the twelve tokens activated, a terrifying formation surged to life. Dark clouds roiled above the tribe, casting a shadow of dread over its people.

“Mother, what’s happening?” a child whimpered, clinging to his mother—a World God—who stared uneasily at the gathering storm. “Don’t worry. The chieftain will protect us.”

But the chieftain, the tribe’s guardian, felt only unease. He had activated the tribe’s defensive arrays, yet the enemy had moved too swiftly. The dark clouds had formed almost instantly.

“Esteemed elder, whatever you desire, we shall obey. Please, spare us,” the chieftain called out, his voice carrying through the arrays.

“And if I desire your deaths? Will you still obey?” A sinister voice echoed across the land.

The chieftain froze. The tribe’s people trembled.

“Insignificant insects,” the voice sneered.

“Boom!”

The dark clouds descended, bypassing the tribe’s defenses as though they were illusions. The mist seeped into every tribesman—from the lone Unity Realm chieftain to the newborn infants—paralyzing them all.

“I can’t move!” Panic spread as they realized their powers were sealed, their bodies immobilized.

Then, the clouds dissipated.

The twelve black-robed figures regrouped, bowing to the crimson-robed elder. “Lord, all targets have been captured alive.”

“Good,” the skeletal-faced elder intoned. “This batch should suffice. Sort them according to the palace master’s requirements. The rest shall be mine. May they aid me in perfecting my art.”

“Lord, you will surely succeed.”

“Shall we gather more test subjects? The more, the better,” a subordinate suggested eagerly.

The elder’s ghastly smile widened. “Take two others and fetch another batch.”

Their conversation was not concealed. The paralyzed tribesmen—some Void Gods among them—heard every word.

“Witch-doctors! Evil ones at that! They mean to experiment on us!” Terror gripped the tribe’s warriors. They would rather die than become playthings for twisted sorcerers who treated living beings as mere materials.

“We’re doomed.”

“The tribe is finished.”

Helpless rage and despair filled their hearts. They longed to fight back, but the gulf in power rendered them powerless.

“Witch-doctors?”

A cold voice cut through the air.

A white-robed youth appeared, his face dark with fury as he surveyed the paralyzed tribesmen and the black-robed figures above.

“Who are you?” the crimson-robed elder demanded, his chilling gaze fixed on Dongbo Xueying.

“Who is your palace master? I wish to know which witch-doctor is so ruthless,” Dongbo Xueying replied. Despite his wife and master both dabbling in witchcraft, he held no ill will toward the art—but this was sheer cruelty.

The elder smirked. “Ah, a do-gooder. Capture him. A Unity Realm test subject will please the palace master greatly.”

“Yes!”

The twelve black-robed figures lunged.

“Boom!”

Dongbo Xueying unleashed the *Panbo Diagram Domain*. Countless ripples ensnared the black-robed minions—mere foot soldiers at the first or second level of the Star Tower, empowered only by their tokens. The crimson-robed elder, a third-level expert, struggled futilely against the binding threads.

“You dare?!” the elder roared. “Do you know who you’ve offended? You’ve doomed yourself!”

Dongbo Xueying remained unfazed. His strength neared the seventh level of the Star Tower. Even if a supreme being like the Chaos Hall Master or the Black Emperor attacked, he could withstand a blow or two with the treasures bestowed by Ancestor Tianyu—enough time to teleport to safety.

Unless it was a Cosmic God, he had nothing to fear.

And in the Eternal Sacred Realm, there were only two Cosmic Gods: the Witch Ancestor and the Realm Ancestor.

“You’re the one courting death,” the elder ranted. “Release us now! The palace master comes! When he arrives, you’ll beg for mercy!”

“Oh? Your palace master can make me beg?” Dongbo Xueying scoffed.