Chapter 1309: Who Can Hinder?

Soon.

Dongbo Xueying was allowed to enter the Iron Dragon Manor. The estate was vast, and he followed the guards as they led the way.

“Hmm?” The guard in front suddenly trembled, bowing deeply in reverence, not daring to raise his head.

Dongbo Xueying paused in surprise, then looked ahead.

A simple, gray-robed man was strolling leisurely through the estate, admiring the surroundings. All the maids and guards nearby bowed deeply, not daring to look up. The man appeared utterly ordinary, with no discernible aura, but Dongbo Xueying’s soul had reached such heights that his perception was now unfathomably sharp. He could sense the boundless, terrifying power contained within that unassuming figure—a force so overwhelming it sent a shiver down his spine!

*The Iron Dragon City Lord.* Dongbo Xueying’s heart tightened. *I’ve seen Palace Master Wu Ma Hai from a distance before. He’s also a perfected Divine Emperor, but the threat he exudes is far weaker than this Iron Dragon City Lord.*

The rankings on the Divine Emperor List made it clear.

Palace Master Wu Ma Hai was among the weakest of the perfected Divine Emperors.

The Iron Dragon City Lord, however, was ranked seventh!

And that was no small feat.

The top ten included the strongest descendants of the three great royal clans—those closest to the three Primordial Ancestors—as well as the most terrifying of the innate Primordial lifeforms. For the Iron Dragon City Lord to hold the seventh spot, he had to be truly formidable.

“Hmm?” The gray-robed Iron Dragon City Lord glanced at Dongbo Xueying, slightly puzzled. He could tell at a glance that the aura Dongbo Xueying exuded was that of a late-stage Divine Emperor (a disguised aura). Such strength was beneath his notice, but he couldn’t place Dongbo Xueying’s identity. Clearly, this was likely a false persona.

*Must be another guest of Yunshan’s.* The Iron Dragon City Lord paid no further mind. His eldest son handled all affairs of the estate—his own focus was solely on ascending to the Primordial realm!

Only after the Iron Dragon City Lord departed did the guard dare straighten up, turning to Dongbo Xueying. “Divine Emperor Qingyun, follow me.”

Dongbo Xueying nodded, musing silently, *Even among perfected Divine Emperors, there are vast differences in strength. The top-ranked Divine Emperor, the Cloud Phoenix City Lord, once slew another perfected Divine Emperor—likely comparable to an ascended Divine Emperor at that level. This Iron Dragon City Lord is no easy foe either!*

A perfected ascended Divine Emperor… that was practically the pinnacle of power beneath the Primordial realm.

—

In the garden.

Dongbo Xueying spotted the eldest son of the Iron Dragon Manor, clad in loose black robes, reclining leisurely on a lounge chair. Upon seeing Dongbo Xueying, the young master chuckled, “Brother Qingyun, we met just yesterday. What brings you back so soon? Good news, perhaps?”

He was genuinely puzzled.

Dongbo Xueying had acted with startling speed. After gathering intelligence—which took some time—he had slain Divine Emperor He Dong, eaten a quick meal, then acquired the Golden Lightning Primordial Pearl from the Cloudflow Pavilion’s young master. Immediately after, he had teleported here using the Great Void Crossing Technique.

Divine Emperor He Dong’s death was so recent that the Tianxin Tower was still investigating the details, trying to identify the killer. No news had even spread yet.

“Young Master, you mentioned that to obtain that void-attribute Primordial lifeform corpse, the price was one Withered World Leaf plus one Golden Lightning Primordial Pearl, correct?” Dongbo Xueying asked.

“Indeed. That condition is non-negotiable—no reductions,” the young master affirmed, then smirked. “Though if you offer treasures several times more valuable, I wouldn’t object.”

Both the Golden Lightning Primordial Pearl and the void-attribute Primordial lifeform corpse were among the rarest treasures in the Divine Realm.

Something several times more valuable?

That would have to be an artifact capable of aiding a perfected Divine Emperor’s breakthrough—something the Divine Realm couldn’t naturally produce. Such items were bestowed solely upon the three great royal clans by the Primordial Ancestors and never circulated outside.

“I’ve prepared both the Withered World Leaf and the Golden Lightning Primordial Pearl,” Dongbo Xueying stated.

The young master froze.

With a glance, he dismissed the two women nearby, leaving only himself and Dongbo Xueying in the garden.

“Already prepared?” The young master couldn’t believe it. He immediately probed the karmic threads of the three individuals who possessed the Golden Lightning Primordial Pearls—the Cloudflow Pavilion’s young master, the Golden Wing City Lord, and Divine Emperor Chun Yu. All three were still alive, their karmic presences intact.

*And he came to me just yesterday, yet claims to have gathered both today? Did he prepare in advance?* The young master pondered. *Possible. Others seeking the Primordial lifeform corpse have heard my terms. He might’ve learned of them and prepared accordingly. The Withered World Leaf was my additional demand—perhaps he spent the day acquiring it?*

*But all three owners are still alive!*

*Did he trade with one of them?*

In the young master’s mind, if Dongbo Xueying hadn’t killed for the treasure, he must have bartered for it.

“Hahaha…” The young master laughed. “Brother Qingyun, if you say you’re ready, may I see?”

Dongbo Xueying waved a hand.

Two objects materialized before him.

One was a withered leaf, devoid of vitality yet etched with intricate patterns, faint currents of peculiar energy swirling across its surface.

The other was a pearl wreathed in golden lightning, its interior shrouded in misty obscurity. Countless runes adorned its surface, channeling the immense power within into the golden arcs crackling around it. Merely sensing it revealed its staggering might.

Dongbo Xueying gazed at the Golden Lightning Primordial Pearl again, still marveling. Within it lay boundless Primordial energy, transmuted into golden lightning by the pearl’s own mechanisms—a truly wondrous phenomenon.

“Excellent.” The young master’s eyes gleamed with excitement. He had yearned for the Golden Lightning Primordial Pearl for far too long.

“Impressive, Brother Qingyun. To gather both so swiftly…” The young master chuckled, producing a storage treasure. Dongbo Xueying’s senses swept over it unhindered, revealing the mountainous corpse within. A faint smile touched his lips.

“Shall we proceed with the trade?” the young master asked, grinning.

“Of course.” Dongbo Xueying nodded.

The young master held the storage treasure, eyeing the two treasures floating before Dongbo Xueying. He said nothing more.

Understanding, Dongbo Xueying flicked his wrist, sending the Withered World Leaf and Golden Lightning Primordial Pearl flying toward him.

“Swift indeed.” The young master made to wave his hand—but instead, his palm expanded, snatching both treasures midair. He then smirked at Dongbo Xueying.

“Young Master, what is the meaning of this?” Dongbo Xueying’s expression darkened.

Among cultivators, transactions could be bound by oaths. But for those who relied on bloodline power, such constraints were unreliable. Safety lay in cautious exchange.

“Hahaha! Brother Qingyun, you trusted me, Iron Dragon Yunshan, so readily?” The young master laughed. “Pity—I don’t even trust myself that much. Once these treasures are in my hands, you won’t get them back.”

“You’re seizing them by force?” Dongbo Xueying said coldly.

“And what if I am? I advise you to leave. No one dares defy me in Iron Dragon City.” The young master sneered. This was his domain, fortified by arrays. He could contend with a perfected Divine Emperor here—let alone with his father, the seventh-ranked Divine Emperor, backing him. So what if his methods were despicable? Who could challenge him?

“Fool.” Dongbo Xueying’s eyes turned icy.

**Boom!**

A terrifying illusionary realm engulfed the young master, dragging his soul into its depths.

The world spun. His soul plummeted. Struggling desperately, his connection to his body grew tenuous. Panic surged as he clung to a sliver of awareness: *Father, save me!* With that final thought, he sent a desperate message to the Iron Dragon City Lord before agony wracked his soul, eroding his consciousness.

Deeper.

Deeper.

Into the abyss of the illusion.

Dongbo Xueying stepped forward, seizing the young master’s body. With a wave, all his treasures—the Withered World Leaf, the Golden Lightning Primordial Pearl, the storage artifact—flew into his grasp. “Overconfidence is your downfall. Did you truly believe no one in Iron Dragon City could touch you?”

**”Who dares trespass in my Iron Dragon Manor?!”**

A frigid voice echoed as the gray-robed Iron Dragon City Lord materialized in the garden, his murderous intent crashing like tidal waves, engulfing the space.