A vast illusion enveloped the small city before him, ensnaring all living beings within. Each was immersed in their own fabricated experiences within the illusion. Yet, amidst the city, only a lone young man in white robes remained awake. He walked the streets alone, effortlessly controlling the experiences of millions of cultivators trapped in the illusion. Some he favored, even granting them fortuitous encounters.
For those who committed heinous deeds, their souls were extinguished within the illusion.
“Ever since I discovered that group of Destruction Demons and slew one with the Shadowless talent, I’ve had no further leads. The Destruction Demons are truly cautious,” Dongbo Xueying murmured, shaking his head lightly. He knew this time would yield nothing as well.
But he was long accustomed to it.
Repeated failures had become part of his cultivation journey.
“Hmm? This tavern in the city seems to have an exceptional reputation, beloved by many cultivators,” Dongbo Xueying noted, spotting a renowned eatery within the illusion.
With a thought, the illusion dissipated.
The city returned to normal, its inhabitants awakening as if nothing had happened—save for a select few who retained the benefits of their illusory encounters.
“Such delicacies in this small city. Ordinary ingredients, yet prepared exquisitely,” Dongbo Xueying remarked, savoring the plates of meat before him. Having traveled countless remote regions, he had encountered ancient cultivators whose talents lay in culinary arts. The pleasure of such meals surpassed even the consumption of Sourceworld Stones, soothing his soul with unparalleled delight.
Seated in a quiet corner of the tavern, feasting heartily and sipping his own wine, Dongbo Xueying was in high spirits.
—
Clad in black gauze, the Sacred Master walked barefoot through the city. He had teleported from afar to a location near Dongbo Xueying before silently arriving here.
As he entered through the city gates, the bustling crowds instinctively parted for him, none even registering his presence.
Standing at one end of the city, the Sacred Master gazed across hundreds of thousands of miles to the tavern at the other end. Though lively with patrons, only one figure caught his attention—the white-robed youth feasting with gusto.
With a single step, the Sacred Master traversed the distance soundlessly, appearing near the tavern.
“Huh?”
Dongbo Xueying, previously relaxed, suddenly paled.
Danger!
His Rule Domain instantly detected the terrifying presence, and his survival instincts screamed warnings—extreme danger! Overwhelming fear flooded him, his very essence trembling under the threat.
His eyes locked onto the black-garbed, barefoot man standing calmly amidst the crowd, his gaze gentle and benevolent.
In that moment, the world seemed to vanish.
The city, its inhabitants—all disappeared. Only Dongbo Xueying, seated, and the Sacred Master, standing afar, remained. The supreme laws of the universe recoiled as the Sacred Master’s Rule Domain effortlessly crushed Dongbo Xueying’s illusion, trapping him entirely within its grasp. Despite his formidable soul, Dongbo Xueying barely had time to activate two life-preserving treasures.
Boom! Boom!
The Twelve Yuan Pearl Bracelet flared to life, encasing him in twelve hazy layers of light.
His Tri-Colored Cloud Robe radiated golden brilliance, further shielded by a blue aura.
“The Sacred Master? Why would he target me?” Dongbo Xueying was stunned. The Sacred Master, a being of such stature, would never deign to attack a Chaos Realm cultivator. Moreover, the three Sacred Worlds and two major sects had an unspoken agreement: during peacetime, unless a Chaos Realm cultivator provoked a Cosmic God, the latter would not strike first.
Otherwise, unchecked oppression would spark large-scale war—a mutually destructive outcome even the Sacred Master would avoid.
“Why attack me?” The thought barely formed before an invisible force pierced through the twelve layers of protection, rendering his Tri-Colored Cloud Robe useless. Despite his ethereal body, the force enveloped him instantly.
Absolute cold.
His body and soul froze as his consciousness was sealed in an instant.
All he could manage was activating the two treasures—no time even to stand. The speed and ferocity of the attack left no room for resistance.
The Twelve Yuan Pearl Bracelet’s defenses, formidable enough to delay the likes of the Realm Ancestor or Witch Ancestor, were shattered effortlessly. The Sacred Master, who overpowered even those titans, left no room for error. With a single motion, he sealed Dongbo Xueying’s soul.
“So weak,” Dongbo Xueying lamented inwardly. Even with treasures, he was helpless. Without them, the Sacred Master’s Rule Domain alone could crush him.
The Sacred Master approached leisurely, covering the distance in a single step. He grasped Dongbo Xueying’s body casually.
The space around them twisted and folded, revealing glimpses of a distant, colossal palace.
With another step, the Sacred Master carried Dongbo Xueying through the distorted spatial corridor, arriving at the ancient Holy Realm.
—
Everything happened too fast. Dongbo Xueying was first stunned, then chilled to the core.
He knew—this was the end.
Captured by the Sacred Master, who could save him? Especially within the Holy Realm, the Sacred Master’s impregnable stronghold, guarded by his Holy Avatar. Even united, all other Cosmic Gods couldn’t breach it. Wars were never waged here—it was suicidal.
“Why target me? What value does a Chaos Realm cultivator hold? Does he know I’m Gu Qi’s disciple? If so, he’d have killed me outright—he slew my master without hesitation. There must be another reason for capturing me alive.”
“Is he allied with the Destruction Demons? Unlikely—he’s been the supreme ruler since the Primordial Era.”
“Is it about the Ninecloud Emperor? He relentlessly pursued him—does he know I inherited something from him?”
“Or is it the Myriad Realms Tower Master or Crimson-Browed Mountain Lord? Their recent assassination attempt failed—did they enlist the Sacred Master?”
Dozens of theories flashed through his mind, but they remained mere guesses.
“This is truly the end.”
“No escape now.”
Helpless, Dongbo Xueying acknowledged the abruptness of the attack.
“With my soul sealed, can the Heartworld Token help me?” The token’s energy, fused inextricably with his soul, pulsed within him. He willed a strand of his true spirit to merge with it.
…
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