“Freeze!” One of the slender Annihilation Demons, its single eye between its brows erupting with a hazy glow, illuminated the entire battlefield. The space within the arena seemed to turn into a quagmire, and even the naked eye could vaguely discern Dongbo Xueying’s figure. Yet, within this stagnant, swamp-like space, Dongbo Xueying still managed to flash away, teleporting tens of thousands of miles in an instant, effortlessly circling the nine Annihilation Demons as he sought an opportunity to strike.
“His spatial manipulation is formidable. We can’t teleport, yet he can,” the nine Annihilation Demons exchanged glances, realizing their predicament.
One side could teleport freely.
The other side couldn’t teleport at all. Thus, they had no means to actively pursue him!
This was only natural. Dongbo Xueying was, after all, a Voidwalker who had reached the forty-sixth layer of the Traveler’s Secret Canon. Moreover, he had cultivated the four supreme techniques of the Ninecloud Emperor—the greatest master of the void in the era of the Primordial Ancient Sacred World, renowned for his unparalleled manipulation of spatial forces. The Void Primogenitor, the strongest void practitioner of the Chaos Void era, specialized in reforging his body with the power of the Chaos Void. These two represented entirely different paths.
Dongbo Xueying, having trained in both, naturally excelled in void manipulation.
“Annihilate.”
Dongbo Xueying struck.
And when he did, he held nothing back.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—beautiful black flower buds appeared one after another. The ninth layer of the Star Tower’s space twisted into a terrifying vortex of cosmic energy, collapsing inward as endless power surged forth. Nineteen six-petaled black flower buds manifested, each enveloping the next, with the innermost layer trapping the slender Annihilation Demon that had attempted to manipulate space.
Nineteen—that was Dongbo Xueying’s limit.
Back when he had mastered the eighth transformation of the Vermilion Nightmare legacy and the eighth revolution of the Balong legacy, he had just created the six-petaled Annihilation Flower and could only summon three at a time. Over the next thirty billion years, his talent in the Path of the Illusory Realm proved even greater. Through sheer perseverance, he ascended to the ninth transformation of the Vermilion Nightmare legacy.
However, his progress in the Balong legacy lagged. Though his Path of Slaughter had improved significantly, he had yet to fully master the ‘Balong Nine Revolutions.’
Without that mastery, he couldn’t create a higher-tier Annihilation Flower. In truth, Dongbo Xueying understood that even if he achieved the Balong Nine Revolutions, fusing two Paths to craft a perfected third form of the Annihilation Flower would demand absolute perfection—an endeavor of staggering difficulty.
But now?
First, with the Vermilion Nightmare legacy at the ninth transformation and the Balong legacy at the peak of the eighth revolution, his heightened realm allowed him to refine the six-petaled Annihilation Flower, simplifying its structure. Moreover, executing it at this level required only a third of the mental effort it once demanded.
Second, mastering the ninth transformation of the Vermilion Nightmare legacy had doubled the strength of his soul compared to the eighth transformation.
These two factors enabled Dongbo Xueying to unleash a staggering nineteen six-petaled Annihilation Flowers—one of his key assets in his attempt to conquer the ninth layer. After all, offense was crucial. Without sufficient power to breach even the basic defenses of the Annihilation Demons, everything else would be a joke.
“Boom—!”
The nineteen six-petaled Annihilation Flowers bloomed simultaneously.
The slender Annihilation Demon had no means to evade, forced to endure the assault. Yet, it and its eight brethren were linked as one, their defenses unified.
This was the terrifying nature of the Annihilation Demons.
Their shared defenses meant that unless their protection was breached, they could not be harmed.
“Rip—!”
The hazy golden light shrouding the slender Annihilation Demon held for a brief moment before shattering under the destructive force of the nineteen Annihilation Flowers. Its armor was torn apart, its flesh and bones rended—though golden light swiftly flowed, mending its wounds.
“He can breach our defenses without engaging in close combat?”
The nine Annihilation Demons immediately grasped the situation.
This Chaos Realm expert could simply teleport away and whittle them down from a distance.
“Kill!”
“Kill!”
The nine Annihilation Demons unleashed their most frenzied techniques.
Boom, boom, boom—
Each of the nine Annihilation Demons exploded, transforming into countless golden rays that surged outward in all directions. In an instant, the entire battlefield was engulfed in a dense golden radiance—Dongbo Xueying included. The golden light swiftly entangled him.
“Damnable Annihilation Energy.”
Black scales immediately covered Dongbo Xueying’s body as he fully activated the Balong legacy. Simultaneously, his form began to blur, minimizing the corrosive effects of the Annihilation Energy.
“Annihilate, annihilate, annihilate!”
Dongbo Xueying relentlessly unleashed his nineteen Annihilation Flowers, each bloom erupting with devastating force—boom, boom, boom! With every strike, the golden radiance suffusing the battlefield diminished slightly.
……
“Impressive, impressive.” Ancestor Tianyu’s eyes gleamed with excitement.
For an Annihilation Demon to disperse into golden light was typically a last resort—for this light was the essence of their being. It allowed them to heal injuries, but once their bodies fully dissolved into it, they lost all protection.
The golden light could be used to flee—scattering in all directions, each strand retaining sentience, capable of teleportation.
Thus, outside an enclosed space like the Star Tower, slaying an Annihilation Demon would be far more difficult. At the first sign of danger, they would dissolve and scatter, making pursuit impossible for cultivators.
Alternatively—
They could use it to fight to the death.
The Annihilation Energy within them could corrode all matter in the Chaos Void. Given enough of it, even the strongest beings could be eroded to nothing. By dissolving into their primal golden Annihilation Energy, these demons were resorting to a desperate, all-out assault—discarding all defense.
……
“This corrosive force…”
Though Dongbo Xueying’s body was formidable, his scales were only at the level of high-grade Void Divine Weapons, while his flesh was comparatively weaker. Fortunately, his ‘Phantomform’ ability had reached an extraordinary level, and his existence within the Illusory World allowed him to endure longer. Had he relied solely on physical resilience like Palace Master Bayun, he wouldn’t have lasted nearly as long.
“Kill, kill, kill…”
Dongbo Xueying madly unleashed his Annihilation Flowers again and again. The golden radiance filling the battlefield gradually weakened under his relentless assault.
This was a battle of attrition.
The Annihilation Demons, having forsaken all defense, allowed Dongbo Xueying to deplete their life essence—their Annihilation Energy. Yet, that same energy was also eroding him.
After barely a dozen breaths, Dongbo Xueying’s expression shifted.
“I can’t hold on any longer.”
He dared not push his luck further.
“Withdraw.”
In an instant, the Star Tower’s artifact spirit teleported him out.
The remaining golden light swiftly coalesced, reforming into six golden-armored Annihilation Demons—though their auras were feeble. While six remained, each was grievously wounded, and three had perished entirely. Over seventy percent of their Annihilation Energy had been exhausted. Had they held out for another seven or eight breaths, they might have claimed victory.
Alas, the Annihilation Energy invading Dongbo Xueying’s body had grown too overwhelming. The longer he endured, the harder it became.
“Still a loss.”
With the Star Tower artifact spirit’s aid, Dongbo Xueying gradually purged the Annihilation Energy from his body. By the time he fully expelled it, his face was pale.
“I forced them to abandon their bodies and fight with their essence… and still couldn’t win.” He shook his head.
Exiting the Star Tower, he was greeted by the assembled Hall Masters of the Empyrean Sky Palace.
“Dongbo, how did it go?”
“What’s the result?”
They all watched him expectantly.
“Peak of the eighth layer. The ninth… is too difficult,” Dongbo Xueying admitted.
“Peak of the eighth? Remarkable!”
“And you’ve only just stabilized your Chaos Realm. Truly exceptional.” The Hall Masters were impressed—though unsurprised, given that he had already reached the seventh layer before attaining the Chaos Realm.
Dongbo Xueying’s expression shifted slightly. “The Ancestor summons me. I must take my leave.”
“Go, go.”
“You won’t have much leisure from now on,” they teased.
……
Arriving at Ancestor Tianyu’s abode, Dongbo Xueying found the elder seated leisurely in his courtyard, a wine cup in hand.
“Ancestor,” Dongbo Xueying greeted.
“Well done. I thought it would take you much longer to reach the ninth layer of the Star Tower. But now, with further cultivation and real-world tempering, you may soon achieve it,” Ancestor Tianyu praised.
Yet Dongbo Xueying understood the gap between himself and the ninth layer.
To reach it, he needed either greater offensive power—allowing him to deplete the Annihilation Energy faster—or stronger defenses. Figures like Emperor Xinghuo and the Chaos Hall Master had conquered the ninth layer through sheer melee prowess, their attacks far surpassing his nineteen Annihilation Flowers.
For now, a significant offensive boost was unlikely unless he created the third form of the Annihilation Flower.
Thus, his only viable path was to enhance his defenses. If he mastered the ninth revolution of the Balong legacy, his scales would rival supreme-grade Void Divine Weapons, and his physique would become truly formidable. Coupled with further refinement of his Phantomform and Illusory World, his defensive capabilities would stand unrivaled among Chaos Realm experts.
With such resilience, he could outlast the Annihilation Demons.
“Though this path is relatively easier, I’d still be among the weaker ninth-layer combatants. Someone like the Black Emperor is truly formidable.” Dongbo Xueying mused. The Black Emperor was a terror, his techniques reaching such heights that even Cosmic Gods struggled to subdue him.
“You still need tempering,” Ancestor Tianyu said with a smile. “The edges of the void would serve you well—countless battles await to hone your skills. Once you reach the ninth layer, I have a great task for you. You are uniquely suited for it, and the six Holy Lands will each bestow upon you a grand reward.”
“Oh?” Dongbo Xueying was intrigued. “A great task?”
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