At the summit of the ice peak.
A table carved from frost held an array of delicacies, all of which Dongbo Xueying had directly ‘transported’ from various cities across this chaotic land. Of course, he left behind treasures for those taverns—he wouldn’t let them suffer losses.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk.” Setting down his crystalline ice goblet, Dongbo Xueying gazed at the elegant nine-petaled flower materializing in the illusory world beside him. Unlike the three-petaled and six-petaled versions, which had radiated boundless destruction, this nine-petaled flower appeared far more ordinary at first glance.
Yet, upon closer inspection…
One could faintly sense the vast, immeasurable profundity contained within this flower—like an entire boundless universe. Indeed, in Dongbo Xueying’s estimation, the third and final form of the *Flower of Destruction* technique, the ‘Nine-Petaled Flower,’ had in some aspects already reached the level of a Cosmic God.
“A single flower, an entire universe. If I continue down this path and take one more step, I could truly break through and become a Cosmic God,” Dongbo Xueying mused silently. “But clearly, this path is nearly a dead end.”
Because this flower was born from the fusion of the Void Path and the Slaughter Path.
To ascend to Cosmic Godhood along this route would demand mastery of both paths to an extreme degree—far more challenging than focusing on a single path.
The Dao begets One, One begets Two, Two begets Three, Three begets all things…
Everything has an origin. To follow a single path—such as Dongbo Xueying’s plan to delve deeper into his most proficient ‘Void Path’—meant treating the Void Path as the core ‘Dao,’ the One from which all else would emerge. Starting with a scattered foundation and attempting a perfect fusion to reach Cosmic Godhood was simply too difficult.
Ancestor Tianyu, the Swordmaster, the Void Primogenitor, the Blade Emperor—all Cosmic Gods had forged their paths by cleaving through thorns, advancing along a singular road to the farthest reaches.
Thus, comparatively…
Creating the ‘Nine-Petaled Flower’ served two purposes. First, it was a formidable killing technique, granting him greater combat strength—after all, a cultivator needed power to protect themselves and journey further. Second, it was a tempering process, refining his mind, soul, and comprehension, deepening his understanding of the Void Path and enriching his foundation.
“After over a hundred billion years of cultivation, I’ve finally grasped a technique of the ninth level.” A complex expression flickered across Dongbo Xueying’s eternally youthful face.
A ninth-level technique.
This was the true means by which he could now contend with Cosmic Gods.
Before this, his offensive methods relied on layering multiple flowers, while his defenses combined the Nine Revolutions of the Balong Legacy with ‘Void Shift,’ hiding within the illusory world—only together did they equate to a ninth-level technique. Even with two supreme treasures guarding him, his defenses were merely passable. Against stronger Golden Armor Fiends, he couldn’t hold them back. The last time he faced a Cosmic God, he had to rely entirely on his treasures to endure before fleeing, utterly incapable of resistance.
“But now, things are different.”
Dongbo Xueying extended his right hand, and the Nine-Petaled Flower descended from nothingness into reality—though the process was excruciatingly slow, inch by inch. The surrounding cosmic energies surged violently, drawing the attention of countless cultivators across the chaotic land. Such a disturbance—was some new danger brewing?
After all, Dongbo Xueying had only recently slain a great demon, saving the entire land.
Many cultivators rushed toward the source of the energy upheaval, traversing the void, only to find themselves ensnared in illusions and turned back, unable to approach the epicenter.
A full half-day passed.
To avoid harming the land, it took half a day for the Nine-Petaled Flower to fully manifest in reality.
“So beautiful.” Dongbo Xueying admired the flower in his palm—its petals and buds dewy and vibrant, each droplet of moisture seemingly containing a miniature world.
“With this, I finally have the qualifications to stand alongside Emperor Xinghuo and the Heart Image Sect Master.” With a flick of his wrist, the Nine-Petaled Flower collapsed inward, revealing a distorted black hole before vanishing entirely.
Dongbo Xueying then indulged in the feast before him. Once finished, he departed the chaotic land with effortless grace.
—
Having mastered the Nine-Petaled Flower, Dongbo Xueying continued his travels across the realms. Yet for the fiends lurking in countless territories, misfortune befell them. Whether they were secluded in cultivation or indulging in pleasures, they were silently slain without warning. Dongbo Xueying acted as a wandering executioner, striking down evil wherever he encountered it.
His nature simply couldn’t abide such malevolence. If he didn’t see it, so be it—but if he did, he would intervene.
Thus, while the elusive Annihilation Fiends remained hidden, many wicked beings met their ends.
“Too hard to find.”
“Where have all these Annihilation Fiends gone?”
Over eight hundred billion years had passed since leaving Void Fortress. Aside from the initial pursuit—where he once encountered traces of a Cosmic God-level fiend and later a Golden Armor Fiend—he had found nothing since.
“Have they all hidden in remote corners? Avoiding major factions?” Dongbo Xueying speculated. It was this very thought that led him to scour desolate chaotic lands and deep mountain ranges. Whenever his Black Mist Sphere’s aperture revealed a gathering of life, he would descend with an illusion.
Targeting major factions alone wouldn’t be difficult for him. But searching every obscure corner of the vast Chaos Void? Even a trillion years wouldn’t suffice to cover more than a fraction.
“Now, what’s this?”
The Eternal Sacred World.
A white-robed youth traversed an endless desert, his Black Mist Sphere’s aperture scanning an immense radius. His gaze soon locked onto a seemingly ordinary castle nestled deep within a range of barren, desolate mountains. At first glance, it appeared to be nothing more than a cultivator’s abode.
But Dongbo Xueying’s perception pierced deeper…
Beneath the castle lay a vast, shadowy domain—a significant hidden force.
“Let’s take a look.” With a single step, he teleported toward it.
His movement was silent, undetectable until he arrived.
Long-range teleportation typically involved opening a spatial channel first, alerting others to the distortion before the traveler emerged. But for true experts, sensing such disturbances provided enough time to flee.
—
Beneath the unassuming castle lay a world of its own.
Underground, towering structures loomed, centered around a black pagoda that connected the depths to the surface castle.
“Hahaha, Brother Quguang, what do you think of my Tower of Life and Death?” A bald, burly man grinned smugly as he shared drinks with an elderly man, attended by beautiful women.
Both could effortlessly see through the pagoda’s walls, observing its interior.
The tower’s interior was vast, spanning eighteen levels.
The first and lowest level imprisoned billions of cultivators, completely cut off from cosmic energy. Without sustenance, they would gradually weaken—unless they chose to engage in ‘life-and-death battles.’ Two cultivators of the same realm would fight; the victor ascended to the second level, the loser perished.
The second level held far fewer, all survivors of such battles. To reach the third? Another duel to the death.
And so it continued, level by level…
Up to the eighteenth.
There, one final battle awaited. The survivor would be granted freedom—a ‘mercy’ bestowed by the Blood Cloud Pagoda Master.
“Fascinating, truly fascinating!” The elderly man laughed heartily. “Brother Blood Cloud, you’re too kind. Instead of simply executing those who offend you, you grant them a chance at life.”
“The workings of heaven always leave a sliver of hope,” the bald man chuckled. “Naturally, I follow suit.”
The elder inwardly scoffed.
The Blood Cloud Pagoda Master—a devouring fiend—pretending to spare lives?
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