Chapter 1369: Biding One’s Time

The Vast Sacred Realm.

The Abyssal Sea Master stood eighteen hundred miles tall, his massive form towering above the clouds. He charged forward with earth-shaking strides, though slightly slower than the combined battle formations of the three fleeing divisions from Tianwu City. Yet his speed was still terrifyingly fast.

“He’s not catching up.”

The Abyssal Sea Master pursued one division for the time it took to drink a cup of tea, but the distance between them only grew. Finally, he gave up the chase.

With a slight shift in direction, he continued his unstoppable advance, charging straight toward ‘Redcloud City’!

“He’s stopped chasing us.”

“He’s given up on us.”

The division of over a thousand cultivators being pursued breathed a collective sigh of relief.

“We’ve also deployed numerous scouting techniques to survey our surroundings. Even if large groups of Hunyuan lifeforms try to intercept us, we’ll detect them early and avoid them! If we can’t avoid them entirely, we’ll break through at their weakest points! The Abyssal Sea Master is already slower than us—if he keeps chasing like this, he’ll never catch up.” The cultivators began discussing among themselves.

“Even if the chance of him catching us is low, if he does, we’re finished.”

“Enough of that. Everyone, judging by the Abyssal Sea Master’s current trajectory, he must be heading toward the nearest Redcloud City,” transmitted Xun Yi, the deputy city lord and strongest among them. “Though he’s slightly slower than us, he’s moving in a straight line without obstruction. Meanwhile, we have to detour around the lairs of numerous Hunyuan prisoners and contend with swarms of Hunyuan lifeforms. By the time the Abyssal Sea Master reaches Redcloud City, we likely won’t have arrived yet.”

“True.”

“Indeed, just avoiding some of the Hunyuan prisoners’ lairs adds at least fifty percent to our travel distance.”

Freed from the immediate threat of death, they all yearned to join the battle to ‘slay the Abyssal Sea Master.’ But now, it seemed he would reach Redcloud City before them.

“Redcloud City has Emperor Feixue. They must be confident—they’ll probably engage the Abyssal Sea Master before we arrive.”

“The Abyssal Sea Master won’t be so easy to kill!”

“From our earlier skirmish, he’s clearly stronger than during his last rampage.”

“Let’s just focus on moving! If they manage to kill the Abyssal Sea Master before we arrive, then Redcloud City truly is formidable!”

The division of a thousand cultivators pressed onward.

Meanwhile—

A towering figure standing atop a surging golden river gazed toward Redcloud City and calmly commanded, “Children, set forth. March on Redcloud City.”

Deep within a shadowy gorge, shrouded in black mist, a blurred figure also issued orders: “All forces, advance on Redcloud City.”

One command after another echoed across the realm.

Across the entire Sacred Realm, every massive Hunyuan lifeform horde—including those that had been besieging Tianwu City—was now converging on Redcloud City.

Moreover.

The countless lesser hordes without Hunyuan prisoners required orders delivered by the ‘Abyssal Envoys.’

The Abyssal Envoys acted as the Abyssal Sea Master’s heralds, capable of commanding any Hunyuan horde with ease.

“By the King’s decree, all of you are to march on Redcloud City.”

The Abyssal Envoys raced tirelessly across the realm, delivering their commands.

The Sacred Realm was vast, and the envoys were slow, but their numbers were sufficient. Scattered far and wide, they would ensure every corner of the realm received the order within a month.

……

Countless Hunyuan lifeforms were converging on Redcloud City—and the Abyssal Sea Master was among them.

“He’s truly coming for us,” Dongbo Xueying murmured as he and over three thousand cultivators in Redcloud Hall watched the unfolding events through the Demon Mirror. The mirror displayed various regions of the Sacred Realm, shifting between the Abyssal Sea Master and other key locations.

“Tianwu City was attacked first because it was closer,” Wu Xiao said gravely. “And initially, the Abyssal Sea Master was at his peak—each stride spanned hundreds of millions of miles. Though his power waned as he advanced, the journey from the Abyssal Sea to Tianwu City took only two days.”

“But from Tianwu City to Redcloud City, he’ll need roughly six days,” Wu Xiao speculated. “That’s more than enough time for additional Hunyuan hordes to join the siege!”

“Not just that,” Jie Tian the Great Emperor added darkly. “The Abyssal Sea Master must know how formidable Brother Feixue’s soul techniques are. He likely views Redcloud City as the decisive battlefield and will summon every available force to attack. And we still don’t know the full extent of his current strength. When Tianwu City was assaulted, its defensive formations crumbled too quickly—the cultivators fled before a true battle could unfold. We saw only that his attacks against the formations were stronger.”

The others nodded grimly.

They all desired the Abyssal Sea Master’s death, but his true power remained uncertain.

“What’s there to fear?” Mo Shu sneered. “So he’s grown stronger—but he’s still far from the pinnacle of a high-level Hunyuan lifeform. With Emperor Feixue here, we can fight with everything we have. At the very least, we must try. Who knows? We might succeed.”

“Indeed. When the time comes, we fight with all we have,” Fengyun Yiye agreed. “Everyone, let’s rehearse the joint battle formations once more. With Jiu Shou having ascended to Hunyuan, one of the three formations requires significant adjustments.”

“Understood.”

“Let’s familiarize ourselves with the formations.”

For most, this was a simple task—veterans of the last Abyssal Sea assault had long mastered them. Only the newcomers, like Dongbo Xueying and Northriver the Great Emperor, needed practice.

Boom—

Within Redcloud Hall, terrifying energy gathered as the formations’ power coiled, ready but restrained.

Fengyun Yiye turned to Dongbo Xueying. “Brother Feixue, does participating in the battle formation hinder your soul techniques? If necessary, you can remain within the formation without directly controlling it—your soul attacks are paramount.”

“No, it won’t affect me,” Dongbo Xueying replied with a smile.

His mental strength far surpassed that of his peers.

Managing a minor segment of the formation consumed less than a tenth of his focus—barely five percent. And even that fraction of his mindpower exceeded a third of what most top-tier experts could muster. Though his comrades were extraordinary in their own right, Dongbo Xueying’s soul had absorbed the essence of the Ten-Thousand-Tentacled Dragon Matriarch’s heartblood. More crucially, his mastery of the soul path elevated his mental prowess to staggering heights.

As time passed…

While refining their coordination, Dongbo Xueying’s anticipation grew.

“If we slay the Abyssal Sea Master, we’ll receive rewards from the Lord,” he pondered. “According to Wu Xiao, we might even get an audience with the Lord and make requests. Those who cultivate bloodlines almost always ascend to become Primordial beings. With such extraordinary blessings on the line, any favor I ask could significantly advance my cultivation.”

“My soul techniques suppress the Hunyuan lifeforms’ power, and I’m part of the battle formation. If we succeed, I’ll likely be credited with the greatest contribution.”

Though the three divisions of Redcloud City’s forces were led by Fengyun Yiye, Wu Xiao, and Jie Tian the Great Emperor—each a core pillar of their respective formations—Dongbo Xueying’s soul techniques placed him in a league of his own.

Under normal circumstances, he stood the highest chance of earning the greatest merit, followed by the three leaders. Beyond that, whoever dealt the final blow to the Abyssal Sea Master would also be recognized. Ultimately, the ‘Void Temple’s artifact spirit’ would judge their contributions.

“Even if I don’t receive the lord’s reward,” mused Dongbo Xueying, “this battle shall serve as my ultimate trial. The Abyssal Sea Master stands as the mightiest foe I shall encounter in this realm.”

“Once the war ends—whether I gain anything or not—it’ll be time to leave the Sacred Realm.”

His time here had nearly run its course.

His previous hunts for Hunyuan prisoners had claimed three, earning him the fearsome reputation of ‘Emperor Feixue.’ Now, even when tormented beyond endurance, the remaining prisoners refused to stray far from their lairs, enduring agony rather than risk his blade. His opportunities for further advancement here had dwindled to nothing.

“Yuan granted me passage to three worlds,” he mused.

“I’ve experienced the Thunderbolt World and this Sacred Realm of Cultivation. Only one remains.” He couldn’t help but wonder what the final world held. The Sacred Realm already gathered so many half-step Hunyuan lifeforms—even dozens of high-level prisoners. Would the third world be even more extraordinary?

Logically, the three worlds should represent a progression.

“Breaking through now is nearly impossible,” Dongbo Xueying sighed inwardly.

His Void Illusion Dao teetered on the brink of the ultimate—a breakthrough seemed within reach.

Yet his Void Dao had already ascended to the threshold of the Half-Step Hunyuan Realm. To advance further? The orthodox path offered scant hope. Only his doctrine of “flesh and soul as one” shimmered with promise—should his Void Illusion Dao attain its ultimate apotheosis, perhaps this sublime fusion might propel him beyond the boundaries of mortal comprehension.

……