Chapter 913: The Request of Emperor Xinghuo

Dongbo Xueying inwardly groaned, but he immediately went to the entrance of his cave abode to welcome his guest.

“Greetings, Divine Emperor,” Dongbo Xueying said respectfully. He was well aware that even the likes of the Tian Ku Sect Master would have to show utmost deference before Emperor Xinghuo. While the gap between Chaos Realm experts wasn’t as exaggerated as that among Unity Realm cultivators, at the level of Emperor Xinghuo or the Chaos Hall Master, slaying ordinary Chaos Realm cultivators was as effortless as a single strike.

“Elder Dongbo, no need for formalities,” Emperor Xinghuo said, unusually courteous for someone known for his domineering and cold demeanor.

“Divine Emperor, please.”

The two entered the courtyard and took their seats.

Emperor Xinghuo frowned slightly before speaking. “I do have a matter I must trouble you with, Elder Dongbo.”

Dongbo Xueying’s mind raced.

*You, Emperor Xinghuo, with your status—if you truly wished, you could force your son into any of the sacred lands, be it the Heavenly Void Palace, Primordial Island, or Blade Emperor City. Any of them would gladly curry favor with you. Why go through the Star Conference and seek my help? The Star Conference is a public event, and the list I select must be made public.*

Xun Yi, Emperor Xinghuo’s son, had cultivated for over five hundred billion years yet ranked only in the three thousand six hundreds. Given his lineage, his potential ranking was undoubtedly outside the top thousand—strictly judged, he might even fall beyond the five thousand mark! If his potential had been within the top few hundred, forcibly selecting him might have been justifiable.

But selecting someone ranked beyond five thousand? That would invite ridicule, and Dongbo Xueying had no desire for that.

*Is it because I’m the most persuadable among the five masters?* Dongbo Xueying sighed inwardly, though he maintained a polite exterior.

“I hope you will keep this matter confidential, Elder Dongbo. It is… a rather shameful affair,” Emperor Xinghuo said.

Dongbo Xueying suppressed a scoff.

*You know it’s shameful, yet you still ask me not to spread it? Once I select him, the entire cosmos will know.*

“Let me explain in detail,” Emperor Xinghuo continued, his voice low. “My son, Xun Yi, aside from cultivating the Bloodline Path, also practices the Ancient Cultivator Path. Since I am only at the Chaos Realm, his Bloodline Path can at most reach the Unity Realm. Thus, he devoted himself to the Ancient Path. In just three hundred million years, he reached the Void God level in the Ancient Path.”

“What?” Dongbo Xueying was stunned.

*Three hundred million years?*

Even with a powerful master guiding him, such speed was terrifying! Golden-robed disciples of the Heavenly Void Palace often remained stuck at the True God Ruler level for ages. While the Rule-Oriented Path was more challenging, reaching Void God in the Ancient Path in three hundred million years was monstrous.

“I was overjoyed, believing my son had the potential to reach the Chaos Realm. Imagine—father and son, both Chaos Realm experts. A fine tale indeed,” Emperor Xinghuo said with a bitter laugh. “At the time, I spared no expense to acquire the rare treasure, the ‘Worldstone.'”

“Worldstone?” Dongbo Xueying’s heart stirred.

This was a supreme treasure for illusion cultivation, something he had longed for. But its price was exorbitant, and it was one of a kind.

“I forgot to mention—my son specializes in illusions within the Ancient Path,” Emperor Xinghuo elaborated. “With the Worldstone, his progress was meteoric. In just twenty-six billion years, he reached the Unity Realm in the Ancient Path. But then…”

Dongbo Xueying listened intently, his expression shifting to disbelief.

Xun Yi had fallen in love with a woman within the illusory world, becoming so deeply entangled that he took her as his Dao companion.

From Emperor Xinghuo’s description, Dongbo Xueying could vividly picture the scene: the woman, realizing she was part of the illusion, faced death with serenity, while Xun Yi stood by in agony. When the illusory world collapsed, taking his beloved with it, Xun Yi was driven to madness.

“I’ve even consulted Cosmic Gods, and all say his heartache has seeped into his soul. External forces cannot save him—only he can heal himself,” Emperor Xinghuo said. “I came to you, Elder Dongbo, knowing you are the greatest illusion genius since the Primordial Ancient Sacred World. Tell me—do you have any way to save my son?”

*The greatest illusion genius since the Primordial Ancient Sacred World.*

Coming from Emperor Xinghuo, this was no empty praise.

To this day, few at the Unity Realm could rival Dongbo Xueying in illusions—and those who could were all Ancient Cultivators relying on innate talent. Before obtaining the Vermilion Nightmare Legacy, Dongbo Xueying had relied solely on the Rule-Oriented Path, pushing the Void Path to unprecedented heights. After inheriting the Vermilion Nightmare, he even refined its techniques effortlessly.

*Refining techniques—easy?*

*Far from it.*

Why could Dongbo Xueying do it? Because reaching the sixth level of the Star Tower as an Ancient Cultivator was fundamentally different from doing so via the Void Path. The Rule-Oriented Path demanded mastery of the underlying principles, penetrating the very essence of the laws. Only then could one devise techniques to wield its power.

Ancient Cultivators, however, needed no such comprehension. If they could manifest an ability, they succeeded—no need to unravel its mysteries.

Thus, the Rule-Oriented and Sorcerer Paths were notoriously difficult—but also notoriously powerful. Unity Realm experts of these paths typically reached only the third level of the Star Tower, considered average.

Ancient Cultivators relied on talent and legacies. The exceptional were peerless; the weak, pitifully so.

Thus—

In history, Dongbo Xueying was the only Unity Realm expert to fully decipher the principles of illusions. And he had done so in mere hundreds of billions of years! Emperor Xinghuo’s claim that he was the greatest illusion genius since the Primordial Ancient Sacred World held weight. Had he known Dongbo Xueying was on the verge of breaking through to the Chaos Realm in the Void Path, his excitement would have been even greater.

“You are a Rule-Oriented cultivator and a master of illusions,” Emperor Xinghuo said, watching Dongbo Xueying intently. “I am desperate, grasping at straws. Tell me—do you have any solution?”

“The Worldstone…”

Dongbo Xueying shook his head slightly. “How could it be used so recklessly? While it allows one to explore different illusory worlds and study their workings—beneficial for cultivation—the more powerful the illusion, the more real it becomes. Xun Yi lacked sufficient foundation in illusions. Though as the master of the illusion, he could leave at will, frequent exposure risked him becoming trapped. And once trapped… it would be disastrous.”

If an enemy fell into an illusion, they would be eternally ensnared, their life and death at another’s mercy.

But even the illusion’s master, if ensnared, would suffer profound psychological effects. The power of the mind was mysterious—at higher realms, if one believed they were dead, their soul would truly collapse. Emotions were unpredictable. Had someone intervened early, forcibly extracting Xun Yi, the damage might have been mitigated.

But with no interference, Xun Yi sank deeper, maintaining his bond with his illusory wife until the world itself faced annihilation.

“I was too confident in my son,” Emperor Xinghuo admitted regretfully.

His knowledge of illusion cultivation was limited, and he had always believed that greatness demanded ruthlessness—even toward his own son.

“Is there a way?” Emperor Xinghuo pressed.

“None. I’ve never encountered such a situation,” Dongbo Xueying admitted. As someone with a Dao companion, he could imagine the depth of Xun Yi’s anguish. That the man hadn’t gone mad was a miracle.

“Try anyway,” Emperor Xinghuo urged.

He had already sought help from many formidable figures. In his eyes, Dongbo Xueying was the greatest illusion genius in history. If he ever reached the Chaos Realm in the Void Path, he would be the first Rule-Oriented Chaos Realm expert in illusions—his understanding unparalleled.

“At least meet him. See if there’s anything you can do,” Emperor Xinghuo insisted.

Dongbo Xueying had no choice but to nod.

How could he refuse when Emperor Xinghuo himself was pleading for his son?

“Very well. Have Xun Yi come as soon as possible. I’ll speak with him thoroughly. I make no promises, but I will do my best,” Dongbo Xueying said.

“Thank you,” Emperor Xinghuo said with rare sincerity.

He had already prepared for the possibility that Dongbo Xueying might fail this time. But if Dongbo Xueying advanced further in the Void Path, he would seek his help again. Maintaining a good relationship was essential.

As for joining a sacred land?

Emperor Xinghuo cared little. What he truly desired was his son’s recovery—a rebirth, a soaring ascent. That was the dream he longed to see fulfilled.