Although the Seven Stars Sea Sacred Realm was far from the edge of the Void, Dongbo Xueying emerged from the twisted void in an instant. Clad in thick white robes, he raised his gaze and spotted a minuscule fortress floating in the distant void. This was the Void Fortress, a stronghold painstakingly built by cultivators at great cost along the fringes of the Void.
The Void Fortress gathered more powerful experts than any single Sacred Realm.
Here, at least three Cosmos Gods maintained their true forms in constant residence, while over ten others stationed their avatars. Even the carefree ‘Pavilion Master Luo’ kept an avatar here permanently. More than two hundred Chaos Realm overlords resided in their true forms, with countless others deploying avatars. Additionally, numerous Unity Realm cultivators came here, gambling everything for a chance at glory.
This was the front line against the Devouring Demons. And today, the newly ascended Chaos Realm expert—Dongbo Xueying—had arrived.
“Void Fortress,” Dongbo Xueying murmured, gazing at the tiny fortress before stepping forward. Space twisted, and he appeared directly inside.
Whoosh.
In truth, the Void Fortress was colossal, spanning hundreds of millions of miles, with the majority of its space occupied by intricate arrays and artifacts. In one of its grand halls, over two hundred Chaos Realm experts lounged in small groups, chatting and discussing the Dao in high spirits. With a hum of distorted space, Dongbo Xueying materialized among them.
“Hall Master Dongbo?” Many turned their heads, recognizing him, and greeted him warmly.
“Elder Heartshadow…” Dongbo Xueying responded with a faint smile before making his way toward the five Chaos Realm experts from the Grand Void Heaven Palace.
“Didn’t expect Dongbo Xueying to arrive at the Void Fortress so soon,” the others murmured among themselves.
“Seems his closed-door cultivation has reached a bottleneck. He must already possess strength at the peak of the eighth level of the Star Tower.”
“Truly puts us to shame. I’ve trained for so long and still can’t clear the eighth level.”
The Chaos Realm cultivators chatted idly.
Most present were avatars, resting here while remaining ready to engage in battle at any moment.
In another corner, Dongbo Xueying met with the five Chaos Realm experts from the Grand Void Heaven Palace.
“Why are only avatars in this hall? Are all five of you avatars as well?” Dongbo Xueying asked in surprise.
“Soon, the Void Fortress will arrange a small abode for you,” the Chaos Hall Master said, sipping from an ancient wine cup. “When the battles are less intense, avatars are sent out. Only in emergencies do true forms take action.”
“True forms must operate within the Inner Domain—you know that, right?” Hall Master Qianyi added.
“Yes, I’m aware,” Dongbo Xueying nodded.
The Devouring Demons were born within the Labyrinth Corridor, a chaotic maze-like space at the Void’s edge. Even Cosmos Gods could become lost forever within its twisted dimensions. Legend spoke of nest spaces inside the Labyrinth Corridor, each spawning Devouring Demons. These nests varied in rank—common ones birthed only Gray-Armored Demons, while rare ones produced Blood-Armored Demons. And according to myth, certain special nests could even spawn Golden-Armored Demons!
Thus, the cultivators had erected vast detection arrays around the Labyrinth Corridor’s periphery.
Any Devouring Demon emerging would be instantly detected.
This monitored region was known as the Outer Domain.
Behind it lay a smaller, heavily fortified area—the Inner Domain. Here, the cultivators had sealed space with overwhelming force, surpassing even the defenses of Sacred Realms. Not even Cosmos God-level Devouring Demons could teleport within; they were forced to crawl forward at a snail’s pace.
When Devouring Demons emerged from the Labyrinth Corridor, their presence was first confirmed in the Outer Domain. Once they entered the Inner Domain, their movements slowed drastically. Though the area was small, traversing it took an eternity—giving cultivators ample time to eliminate them.
At the Inner Domain’s far end stood the Spatial Barrier, the final line of defense.
If the demons breached it, they would break free into the vast Chaos Void, free to invade the Five Sacred Realms, countless universes, and Chaos Landmasses.
“In the Inner Domain, they can only fly blindly while we track them effortlessly, surrounding and annihilating them at will,” Hall Master Qianyi chuckled. “Even if a Cosmos God-level demon sneaks in, the moment it reveals its power, we can instantly teleport a swarm of Cosmos Gods to ambush it.”
Dongbo Xueying nodded.
The Inner Domain’s spatial seals were formidable, but Ultra-Distance Teleportation remained nearly unstoppable. It could breach any location—even the Labyrinth Corridor itself. Cultivators explored the Labyrinth Corridor using this method, pinpointing nest spaces before launching coordinated strikes with armies of Cosmos Gods, swiftly destroying nests and retreating via teleportation.
With Ultra-Distance Teleportation, the cultivators held absolute tactical superiority.
The Devouring Demons, however, had never demonstrated such an ability.
The only known counter to Ultra-Distance Teleportation had been devised by the long-fallen ‘Ninecloud Emperor,’ who had developed a sealing array capable of blocking it before his demise.
“Everyone, what should I know before heading into battle?” Dongbo Xueying asked. Though he had some intelligence, the veterans here held far more experience.
“Earlier, the Chaos Hall Master mentioned that avatars usually fight first, with true forms acting only in emergencies,” Hall Master Tianshui said, shaking his head. “But that’s because his avatar alone possesses peak seventh-level strength. The rest of us are weaker—my true form barely reaches that level, and my avatar is even feebler. Relying solely on avatars yields little reward. So, we often station our true forms in the Inner Domain, using avatars to scout and gauge threats before committing our real bodies. Only by slaying powerful demons can we reap significant soul benefits.”
Dongbo Xueying nodded.
“The stronger the demon, the more likely it leaves behind rare materials,” Hall Master Qianyi added.
Unlike battles within the Star Tower, fighting Devouring Demons offered tangible rewards. Beyond honing one’s skills, slaying them absorbed unique energies beneficial to the soul. Moreover, certain body parts of the demons—having undergone irreversible transformations—remained intact even after death. These were invaluable materials for crafting Cosmos-tier treasures and other artifacts.
For instance, the legendary ‘Serpent Skirt’ was crafted from the remains of a Devouring Demon.
A Golden-Armored Demon’s hair, hardened into indestructible weaponry, could be harvested post-mortem and reforged into treasures worth thousands—or even tens of thousands—of Sourceworld Stones.
But such windfalls were rare. Only demons whose body parts had permanently weaponized left remnants. Most simply disintegrated upon death.
“I’ve been stuck at my bottleneck for too long. The demons offer me little aid now,” the Chaos Hall Master said with a chuckle. “But you, Dongbo, have just broken through. You should seize every opportunity.”
“Understood,” Dongbo Xueying acknowledged.
“Oh, and you might also consider exploring the Labyrinth Corridor,” the Chaos Hall Master added with a faint smile.
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