Because Dongbo Xueying had created the tenth transformation of the Vermilion Nightmare legacy, he naturally shared a faint connection with the gaunt old man.
The old man had grown accustomed to this connection.
But now…
It had vanished!
Vanished? The gaunt old man knew all too well what this meant, and in that instant, his heart turned to ice.
“How could this be?” The old man gazed into the distance, his eyes flickering with countless scenes—the Sacred Master shattering Dongbo Xueying’s body with a wave… Dongbo Xueying’s aura extinguishing, his lifeless form seated in the ancient hall of the Sacred World… Dongbo Xueying drinking and conversing with the Sacred Master… the Sacred Master capturing Dongbo Xueying alive…
Scene after scene unfolded before his eyes, and even with the Sacred Master involved, the gaunt old man could still perceive everything.
“How dare he!”
“How dare he—how dare he kill my disciple!!!” The old man’s eyes blazed with terrifying fury.
**BOOM!**
A monstrous surge of black energy erupted from his body, instantly flooding the cavernous depths of the Divine Throne Peak, causing the ancient and mysterious mountain to tremble violently.
Though he had not yet formally taken Dongbo Xueying as his disciple, he had long regarded him as his own.
**Whoosh.**
The old man’s cane vanished, and with a single step, he disappeared into thin air.
—
When he reappeared, he stood before the towering central hall of the Sacred World.
The Sacred World was guarded by the Sacred Master’s avatar, an entity nearly fused with the world itself. Here, the Sacred Master was virtually invincible! Despite the countless wars between the Sacred Master and the Cosmic Deities, none had ever dared to invade the Sacred World directly.
But today…
This gaunt old man hovered in the air outside the most sacred hall of the Sacred World.
“Demon spawn, come out and face me!!!” The old man roared, and with a deafening **BOOM**, a shockwave erupted from his voice, visibly crashing into the distant hall. The hall, which had stood unshaken for countless ages, shattered instantly. The surrounding space for billions of miles trembled and fractured, cracks spreading like spiderwebs.
An unseen force stabilized the Sacred World, preventing its complete destruction—otherwise, that single shout alone would have annihilated it.
**Whoosh.**
The Sacred Master, draped in black robes, emerged from the ruins of his hall. He had barely managed to shield his servants, sparing only Jiaming. With a wave, he sent Jiaming away, then frowned at the gaunt old man outside.
“Old Stone, why aren’t you sleeping in the Primordial Sun Star? What brings you here?” the Sacred Master asked coldly.
Despite having his sanctum destroyed, the Sacred Master suppressed his anger, unwilling to escalate the conflict—because he knew exactly how terrifying this gaunt old man was.
“Why am I here?”
Black energy seethed around the old man as his eyes glowed with a sinister yellow light, piercing through the darkness. His voice was low and deadly. “Demon spawn, I never bothered with you. But now you’ve dared to kill my disciple.”
“Your disciple? You only have three—Jiezu and the others,” the Sacred Master said, puzzled.
“Dongbo Xueying!” the old man snarled.
“Him? He’s your disciple?” The Sacred Master’s expression darkened.
“He mastered the tenth transformation of the Vermilion Nightmare legacy. Couldn’t you tell?” the old man gritted out. Though he had unofficially claimed Dongbo Xueying as his disciple, he had never formally taken him in. Thus, the Sacred Master had detected nothing unusual about Xueying. As for the Vermilion Nightmare legacy? The Black Emperor had spread the Four Extremities techniques far and wide—many had learned them.
But none of those could be called Old Stone’s disciples.
“My disciple may have been foolish, too kind for his own good, making his life harder than it needed to be. I wouldn’t have lived that way. But I… I was proud of him.” The old man’s voice trembled with rage. “And now you’ve killed him. Very well. Let’s see just how strong you’ve become, demon spawn.”
“Don’t be reckless,” the Sacred Master warned, his face tightening.
Behind the old man, an enormous black shadow materialized—a monstrous figure with a colossal tortoise shell, rocky scales, and a savage, wrathful visage.
Old Stone’s fury burned. That young man, so full of potential, had died before he could even formally take him as his disciple. Now, his rage demanded vengeance.
**BOOM!**
The black form of the Sacred Master’s avatar appeared, merging instantly with his true body.
Faced with Old Stone’s madness, the Sacred Master had no choice but to unleash his full power. He knew that holding back meant death. Bitterly, he recalled how Dongbo Xueying had refused his offer even in the face of death.
But what was done was done. The Sacred Master had moved on—until this nightmare resurfaced.
Of all beings in the Chaos Void, only one truly unsettled him: this ancient, slumbering monster. From the dawn of the Primordial Sacred World to the end of the Chaos Void, Old Stone had likely only awakened a handful of times.
And now, he was enraged.
Regret, bitterness, helplessness—the Sacred Master had no choice but to fight with everything he had. He couldn’t afford to die here.
—
Meanwhile, in the Voidsky Palace…
Heavenly Fool, the Swordmaster, and Void Primogenitor gathered. The latter held a storage bracelet in his hand.
“Xueying said this technique must not be shared lightly. He trusted only the three of us,” Heavenly Fool said. “The Swordmaster and I have examined it, but neither of us specializes in void techniques. We cannot master it quickly.”
Void Primogenitor clutched the bracelet, his heart heavy with grief.
His mastery over the void was unparalleled. With a single glance, he had grasped the Worldbreaker Teleportation technique—a revelation that opened new doors in his research.
Yet he felt no joy, only sorrow.
“My disciple, Gu Qi… I failed to protect you. And now, your own disciple, Dongbo Xueying, has fallen to the Sacred Master.” Void Primogenitor’s hatred burned. “I, your master, am useless. Useless! I swear… I will give my life to kill the Sacred Master. No matter the cost.”
A lover of all life, Void Primogenitor had long despised the Sacred Master’s tyranny. Now, with his disciple and most talented grand-disciple dead, his wrath knew no bounds.
“We must act swiftly. Xueying’s efforts cannot be in vain,” Void Primogenitor said darkly. “Though this technique must not be spread, we must summon the Witch Ancestor, the Blade Emperor, and the others immediately. We must destroy the three Gold-armor Nests Xueying discovered.”
Heavenly Fool and the Swordmaster nodded.
The time for vengeance had come.
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