At the edge of the Void Domain, within the boundless expanse of nothingness, all was silent and void.
*Whoosh.*
A squad of Destruction Demons clad entirely in black armor flew at high speed, their eyes warily scanning their surroundings.
“Be cautious. A cultivator is approaching,” whispered an unassuming, slender Destruction Demon within the group.
“Understood, General,” the others responded immediately, their hearts tightening. They harbored no doubt about their general’s words. Were it not for the orders of the ‘Kings,’ beings of the general’s rank would never deign to lead them into battle.
Not far away, Dongbo Xueying’s avatar observed the squad through his mastery of the void. “A hundred black-armored Destruction Demons? Hmph, these fiends aren’t fools. Why would they send a hundred to their deaths?”
Black-armored Destruction Demons possessed strength ranging from the fourth to the sixth level of the Star Tower. If there truly were only a hundred of them, Dongbo Xueying’s true form could slaughter them all with ease. From his recent discussions with other Chaos Realm experts, he had learned much about the cunning of these demons.
Their intelligence was no less than that of cultivators, making them exceedingly difficult to kill.
“Descend,” Dongbo Xueying’s avatar swiftly closed the distance and unleashed the *Flowers of Destruction* without hesitation.
*Swish—swish—swish—*
Three black flower buds bloomed in succession, each enveloping the other. The first swiftly encased the foremost black-armored Destruction Demon. Amidst the squad, the unassuming slender demon sneered inwardly, *”Here he comes, cultivator. Enjoy your arrogance while it lasts.”*
…
From the moment Dongbo Xueying’s avatar engaged in battle to the arrival of his Chaos Realm true form, the entire conflict lasted no longer than the time it took to drink a cup of tea.
Within the grand hall of Void Fortress, Dongbo Xueying and the Chaos Hall Master emerged from the distorted void. Dongbo Xueying’s face still bore traces of frustration.
“These Destruction Demons are truly cunning,” Dongbo Xueying muttered, shaking his head. “The moment you intervened, Hall Master, they fled without hesitation.”
He had prepared meticulously, even inviting the Chaos Hall Master to join him in a coordinated strike to ensure none escaped. The Hall Master had agreed readily, hiding within a pocket realm artifact to launch a surprise attack at the critical moment.
Yet…
Plans could never keep up with reality. The Destruction Demons struck first, forcing Dongbo Xueying into dire straits and compelling the Chaos Hall Master to reveal himself prematurely.
“I only managed to kill two black-armored demons before they went berserk,” Dongbo Xueying sighed. “I knew there had to be formidable ones among them, but I didn’t expect *three* gold-armored Destruction Demons.”
Each of the three gold-armored fiends was deadlier than the last. The strongest, likely at the ninth level of the Star Tower, unleashed a black flaming star from the horn on its forehead, tearing through the void with terrifying force. Dongbo Xueying responded by summoning twenty-five six-petaled *Flowers of Destruction*, layering them to imprison the attack. Yet, the black star shattered them effortlessly.
Fortunately, Dongbo Xueying’s true form was hidden within the Illusory World, dampening the star’s momentum. His body radiated golden light, shielded by a blue halo—his treasure, *Tri-Colored Heavy Clouds*, proving its worth. Under the combined pressure of the golden light and the distorting blue halo, he deflected the weakened black star with a single palm.
The attack thwarted, the black star swiftly retreated, giving Dongbo Xueying a glimpse of the ninth-level power of the Destruction Demons. Compared to this, his *Flowers of Destruction* seemed lacking.
Had there been only one gold-armored demon, he might have held his ground. But the other two, both at the peak of the eighth level, coordinated perfectly with their leader. Together, their combined force rivaled three ninth-level experts, overwhelming Dongbo Xueying instantly and forcing him into a desperate defense.
At that moment, the Chaos Hall Master struck from within the pocket realm.
His intervention shook heaven and earth.
Renowned and revered among ninth-level experts, the Chaos Hall Master was a legend. Dongbo Xueying had long known of his prowess—perhaps only rivaled by the Black Emperor. Bearing the title of *Chaos*, he commanded universal respect among cultivators. Now, Dongbo Xueying witnessed it firsthand.
This was power that could contend with a Cosmic God and survive with ease.
If the gold-armored demon’s black star embodied true ninth-level might, the Chaos Hall Master’s twin palms twisted the void into primordial chaos, shredding the star to reveal the horn beneath, which barely escaped as a streak of golden light.
“*Chaos!*” The three gold-armored demons recoiled in terror and fled without hesitation.
Back in the grand hall, Dongbo Xueying walked beside the Chaos Hall Master, who chuckled. “That was a formidable squad—three gold-armored demons, one at the ninth level and two at the peak of the eighth. Their coordination was exceptional. With slightly better luck, they might have slain a Chaos Realm expert.”
“Indeed,” Dongbo Xueying agreed.
Killing a Chaos Realm powerhouse was no easy feat.
Confident in his own strength and aided by the Chaos Hall Master, Dongbo Xueying had deemed their duo sufficient. Weaker Chaos Realm experts typically traveled in groups of seven or eight, reinforced with formations and life-preserving treasures. Even in danger, they could hold out long enough for reinforcements from Void Fortress.
Thus, even against the squad Dongbo Xueying faced, only sheer luck would allow them to slay a Chaos Realm expert.
“The moment you appeared, they fled,” Dongbo Xueying remarked as they joined the gathering of experts from the Sky Void Palace.
“Ha! Dongbo,” the Inquiry Hall Master called from his seat. “After countless eons, the Destruction Demons have learned to fear the Chaos Hall Master! None of their gold-armored fiends, not even those at the ninth level, can match him. Even their Cosmic Gods would struggle to kill him quickly.”
“Yet their escape skills are just as formidable,” the Chaos Hall Master sighed. “Catching even one gold-armored demon is near impossible.”
“I only managed to kill two black-armored ones this time,” Dongbo Xueying admitted.
“Two? And both black-armored?”
“That’s impressive.”
Praise came not only from the Sky Void Palace experts but also nearby Chaos Realm cultivators.
Battles between the two factions rarely saw cultivator casualties, as the ‘Inner Domain’ was their stronghold. Yet the Destruction Demons had grown wiser. While gray-armored demons could still be hunted in the ‘Outer Domain,’ black-armored ones were far more elusive, often moving in coordinated squads that even avatars couldn’t defeat.
“Those three gold-armored demons led the black-armored squad primarily to temper them,” the Chaos Hall Master explained. “Battle and peril sharpen their strength. Killing cultivators accelerates their growth further.”
“Dongbo, your illusion arts are potent—even ensnaring a gold-armored demon and causing them to falter in rescuing their black-armored kin,” the Hall Master added. “After this, they’ll be even warier of you. Killing more black-armored demons won’t be easy.”
“True,” Dongbo Xueying nodded.
As he slew the demons, an intangible energy seeped into his soul, akin to absorbing Source World Stones—only far more potent, equivalent to over a hundred stones.
…
*Whoosh.*
The three gold-armored Destruction Demons arrived at the Labyrinth Corridor, striding confidently along one of its spatial pathways. The leader, a silver-eyed demon with a single horn, muttered, “The cultivator we encountered matches the intelligence reports—Dongbo Xueying, a genius at the Unity Realm with seventh-level strength. As the Hall Master of the Sky Void Palace’s Illusory Hall, his power has grown, especially his illusion arts. Even the slightly weaker among us can fall prey. Chiya, you were caught this time.”
“Yes, I hesitated, and we paid the price,” replied a grotesque, large-headed demon with multiple rows of jagged teeth.
“His offensive power is mediocre, hardly a threat. But with those illusions… his threat level should be assessed as ‘early ninth-level,'” the silver-eyed demon declared. Without his illusion arts, Dongbo Xueying wouldn’t even rank within the ninth tier.
“If not for *Chaos* appearing, we might have slain Hall Master Dongbo.”
“Indeed. *Chaos*—a ‘high ninth-level’ threat—is terrifying. This was my second encounter with him.”
“Among the cultivators, only five rank as ‘high ninth-level,’ including their two Cosmic Gods. And we met one today.”
The trio moved through the corridor, their moods grim.
The Destruction Demons had their own criteria for assessing cultivators. Even among Cosmic Gods, only two were deemed ‘high ninth-level.’
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