Chapter 1363: Half-Hunyuan Lifeform

This time, the insights he gained naturally filled his heart with a sense of completion.

Dongbo Xueying took a light breath, anticipation stirring within him.

“Breakthrough!”

With that thought, he immediately began manipulating his body to undergo transformation. Normally, his physical form was only at the late-stage Divine Emperor level, but now it was breaking through once more, evolving according to the latest method of the Hunyuan Body Refinement. At first glance, his body didn’t seem to change much—only a faint tremor in his skin as it restructured itself, its surface even shimmering with a radiant glow. His body now resembled the most flawless treasure.

Yet beneath the skin… his internal structure was undergoing a dramatic metamorphosis.

This was a transformation at the most fundamental level. Countless arcane patterns spread across every microscopic particle, reshaping his bones, muscles, organs, blood vessels, blood, and even his eyes. The process was seamless, as natural as water flowing downhill, or as effortless as painting the most beautiful masterpiece of one’s life.

“Hum.” The world’s membrane barrier shattered instantly, and the power of Hunyuan surged forth, flooding into Dongbo Xueying’s body, where it was absorbed without resistance.

The transformation was swift, taking only a dozen or so breaths before everything settled.

“I’ve broken through.” A faint smile curled Dongbo Xueying’s lips. There had been no grand spectacle—just a smooth, inevitable ascension.

His body was now flawless, both inside and out, its structure perfected to an extent he couldn’t even imagine improving further.

This was the pinnacle of physical form.

“Now I understand why so many cultivators in the Sacred Realm remain stuck at the half-step Hunyuan lifeform level,” Dongbo Xueying mused, shaking his head. “Whether they follow the bloodline path or the path of enlightenment, breaking through is nearly impossible.” Bloodline cultivators at least had their lineage to guide them toward an ultimate awakening, but those who sought enlightenment had only themselves to rely on.

“I feel complete.”

“There’s simply no path forward.” Dongbo Xueying couldn’t shake this sensation.

Though he could vaguely perceive the higher realm of a true Hunyuan lifeform—a more perfect existence—his own half-step Hunyuan body, refined through his wisdom, already felt whole.

“Legends say…”

“Those who walk the path of enlightenment must rely on their own power to surpass the limits of a half-step Hunyuan lifeform, shattering all constraints to grasp a ‘Dao’ at the Hunyuan level. Only then can they ascend to the highest echelon—the rank of a Lord.” Dongbo Xueying contemplated silently.

In contrast, those who relied on spreading faith…

Or other methods to eventually seize control of a Source World’s essence and become its master—though they too could achieve the status of a World-Class Hunyuan lifeform—were still a step below. Within their own Source World, they could rival a Lord, but they had not truly grasped the essence of a Hunyuan-level ‘Dao.’

As for the innate Hunyuan lifeforms, they merely excavated the latent power of their bloodlines, evolving endlessly until reaching their limits. Yet even at their peak, they still fell short compared to the Lords who had mastered the ‘Dao’ of Hunyuan.

“Whether they are innate Hunyuan lifeforms or powerful World-Class Hunyuan experts, none have truly grasped the essence of the Hunyuan ‘Dao,’” Dongbo Xueying sighed.

That level…

None had touched the core truth.

For him to achieve it? How arduous a task would that be?

Yet once he did—

It would be a feat of sheer force, breaking all constraints to ascend to the highest realm.

“Whoosh.”

With a single step, Dongbo Xueying vanished from the Broken Tooth Mountain Range.

—

He had already left the Source World’s Heartland Continent, emerging into the boundless expanse of Hunyuan surrounding it.

“Boom—”

The vast Heartland Continent radiated endless fluctuations, colliding with the surrounding Hunyuan energy and creating surging tides. The concentration of Hunyuan power near the continent was extremely thin, but Dongbo Xueying, now outside its bounds, felt the corrosive force of the energy against his body. Yet this erosion was negligible to his half-step Hunyuan form.

Swish.

His body transformed into a streak of light, darting through the vast emptiness of the Hunyuan space. His Great Void Piercing Technique had reached new heights, allowing him to traverse immense distances effortlessly.

Then he halted.

“The concentration of Hunyuan energy here is much higher.” Dongbo Xueying observed his surroundings—a silent, dark void where the Hunyuan power raged like a storm, relentlessly battering his body and soul. No technique could shield him from it.

His half-step Hunyuan body was continuously damaged, its natural regeneration unable to keep up with the rate of deterioration.

His soul, too, suffered under the onslaught.

“My body can endure here for about an hour,” Dongbo Xueying estimated. “My soul, however, seems far more resilient—perhaps three to five hours.”

Previously, his soul hadn’t been this strong.

But after merging the first and second killing techniques of the Illusory Realm Dao into a third, his soul had undergone a qualitative transformation. This evolution had granted it remarkable resistance against the erosion of Hunyuan energy.

“Still, I’m not a true Hunyuan lifeform. This isn’t a place I can linger indefinitely.” Dongbo Xueying turned his gaze toward the distant Heartland Continent.

Even in the endless darkness of the Hunyuan void, the Heartland Continent remained radiant, its presence overwhelming as it repelled the surrounding energy.

From this distance, however, it appeared small.

“Time to return.”

With a thought, he activated the Great Void Piercing Technique and vanished.

—

Back in his home universe, the Chaos Void, Dongbo Xueying’s avatar had also broken through to the half-step Hunyuan lifeform level. He now stood within the Labyrinth Corridor.

Clad in white robes, he walked alone through its twisting passages.

“Void Domain.”

He extended his Void Domain, its mysteries now amplified by his newfound strength. The domain expanded, counteracting the corridor’s distortions, but the deeper it spread, the greater the resistance became—multiplying tenfold, a hundredfold, a thousandfold. Soon, he was forced to halt.

“I still can’t scan the Labyrinth Corridor on a large scale,” Dongbo Xueying frowned. “This place, born of the Source World, still protects the Annihilation Demons.”

Here, wide-range detection was impossible.

To search?

He’d have to inspect every corner individually—a painstakingly slow process. And the Sacred Master, as a perfected Cosmic God, could perfectly conceal his aura and sever causal detection. Even if Dongbo Xueying spotted him disguised as an ordinary Annihilation Demon, he wouldn’t recognize him.

“If he dares to leave the Labyrinth Corridor to slaughter, I’ll seize the chance to eliminate him. But if he stays hidden… for now, I have no means to force him out.” Dongbo Xueying shook his head lightly.

He had never intended to let the Sacred Master live.

Their enmity ran deep, and countless lives had been lost to the Sacred Master’s hands.

“Keep hiding, then.”

With a step, Dongbo Xueying departed the Labyrinth Corridor.

Unbeknownst to him, the Sacred Master, lurking deep within the corridor, remained oblivious to Dongbo Xueying’s ascension. He had resigned himself to waiting—hiding until the Great Destruction, biding his time for the next era.

—

In the Sacred Realm, within his residence in Redcloud City, Dongbo Xueying sat cross-legged, sipping wine, savoring the fragrance of flowers in his garden, and listening to the rustle of leaves in the wind.

“Flying Snow Emperor, I heard you’ve emerged from seclusion. Have you achieved the half-step Hunyuan lifeform?” A message reached him.

“I was fortunate to break through,” Dongbo Xueying replied.

“What about our earlier discussion regarding hunting a Hunyuan prisoner?”

“Having just broken through, I need time to consolidate my insights. I’m in no rush to act again.” With that, he politely declined.

After slaying the master of the Silent Ice Mountain, many had sought to recruit him for further ventures. For now, he turned them all down.

“How can I achieve true Hunyuan?” Dongbo Xueying pondered.

At this stage…

He felt somewhat lost.

To forcefully grasp a Hunyuan-level ‘Dao’ through sheer strength? The difficulty was unimaginable.

Alternatively, to seize control of his home Source World’s essence? Equally daunting.

“Breaking through by force.”

“For me, there seem to be two paths,” Dongbo Xueying reflected. “The first is the conventional method—shattering the body’s constraints, elevating the Void Dao directly to the Hunyuan level, and ascending physically.”

“The second… relies on the soul.”

He sensed that the soul and body were interconnected, each reinforcing the other.

This was a truth universally acknowledged.

Even perfected beings like ‘Old Man Stone’ delved into soul research, and figures like the ‘Ancestor Fan’ of the Xiawind Ancient Nation devoted immense effort to it.

Previously, his soul had even aided in refining his body.

Now, as a half-step Hunyuan lifeform, his physique was so formidable that his soul could no longer enhance it. But what if his soul advanced further, reaching the perfected level?

“Could the soul, in tandem with the body, serve as a bridge to Hunyuan? It’s hard to say. This is merely speculation.” Dongbo Xueying mused. Even in legends, no one had ever achieved Hunyuan through this symbiotic path.

Yet countless experts believed it held promise.

Dongbo Xueying agreed.

“As for forcibly elevating the Void Dao… that path has been walked before.”

The legendary Lord of Redsnow had supposedly broken through by sheer force—though his path wasn’t the Void Dao.

“While this method has succeeded, leading to Lordship, its difficulty is staggering.”

“The other path—harmonizing soul and body—though untrodden, is one I’ve laid solid foundations for. My Illusory Realm Dao is but a step away from perfection.” Dongbo Xueying nodded inwardly. He resolved to devote most of his efforts henceforth to the Illusory Realm Dao, striving to reach its apex.

As for forcibly breaking through with the Void Dao… that would remain a long and arduous journey.