Chapter 1260: World Fragments

“The pressure is intense.”

Dongbo Xueying advanced along the passage, the glowing sphere growing larger in his vision. The oppressive force made him increasingly uncomfortable.

Standing at the node of the passage, Haogu Zhizun watched nervously. “He must enter, he must. Among all the glowing spheres in this sea of consciousness, this one calls to me the strongest.”

This time, he had paid the price of a ‘Serpent Fang Marrow Pearl’ to bring Dongbo Xueying here. The glowing sphere before them was his primary target.

“He’s in!” Haogu Zhizun’s face lit up with joy.

…

Whoosh.

Dongbo Xueying plunged headfirst into the massive glowing sphere, entering its interior.

“This sphere…” Dongbo Xueying was astonished. The space within spanned billions of miles, filled with floating fragments of solidified worlds. At a glance, there were seven such fragments, each resembling a colossal sheet of paper. Within each fragment lay a terrifying source of scorching heat.

Each of the seven fragments contained something dazzling at its core.

One held a black dagger—the fragment formed around it.

Another cradled a swirling azure flame—the fragment shaped by its presence.

“Which one should I choose?” Dongbo Xueying sensed the latent dangers lurking within each fragment.

“Hmm.”

“The black dagger.” He made his decision instantly. Among the seven, this was the only one with a weapon at its core.

Swoosh.

Dongbo Xueying flew straight toward that fragment. As he approached, the ‘world fragment,’ shaped like a vast sheet of paper, swiftly drew him in.

“I’m inside.” His vision blurred momentarily, and then he found himself standing on a desolate plain. The plain was densely packed with black-armored soldiers, motionless as puppets. At the center stood a towering throne upon a mountain, where a figure cloaked in black armor sat, idly twirling the black dagger in hand.

The figure’s gaze flicked toward Dongbo Xueying from afar, sending a suffocating wave of pressure crashing over him.

“Kill.”

The black-armored soldiers, previously still as statues, suddenly turned their eyes toward Dongbo Xueying in unison.

Like a tidal wave, they transformed into streaks of light, charging at him from all directions.

“Annihilate!”

Standing firm on the barren plain, Dongbo Xueying unleashed his Void Illusion Dao killing technique.

Boom—

The illusion instantly enveloped the entire world fragment, including the throne. The mental assault swept through the black-armored soldiers, dissolving them like bubbles. In moments, the plain was empty save for Dongbo Xueying and thirteen remaining figures.

Apart from the black-cloaked figure on the throne, twelve taller black-armored generals stood unscathed below.

“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”

These twelve, resistant to the illusion, were far more formidable. They lunged at him with eerie, unpredictable dagger strikes, their movements defying comprehension. Dongbo Xueying’s defenses proved futile—the daggers phased through his guard like phantoms, striking his body directly. Yet, the faint black glow shielding him held firm against the onslaught.

“Even a Zhizun would struggle to withstand this alone,” Dongbo Xueying thought, his expression tightening.

Then, to his shock, countless black-armored soldiers began reforming on the distant plain.

“Destroyed, yet reborn?” He swiftly activated his movement technique, a skill honed by his mastery of the Void Dao. Though the twelve generals’ attacks were fearsome, their footwork was clumsy in comparison.

While maintaining the illusion to sweep away the endless soldiers, Dongbo Xueying darted toward the throne, targeting the black dagger in the cloaked figure’s grasp. The weapon pulsed with overwhelming power—clearly the core of this world fragment.

Whoosh.

The black-armored soldiers dissolved like foam, only to regenerate anew. The generals, though relentless, were outmaneuvered as Dongbo Xueying relied on his protective glow to endure their strikes.

“Hand it over.”

Closing in on the throne, Dongbo Xueying split into countless phantoms, each real yet existing across different spatial layers. A thousand versions of himself lunged at the throne simultaneously.

“Boom.”

The black-cloaked figure, still toying with the dagger, finally smirked and slashed out with the blade.

Swipe—

The dagger cut through Dongbo Xueying.

“Boom!”

His consciousness reeled from the impact. When clarity returned, he found himself ejected from the world fragment. That single strike had hurled him out!

“I’m out?” A quick assessment made his face pale. “That attack drained so much of the Serpent Fang Marrow Pearl’s energy?”

Though the protective glow had saved his life, the cost was staggering—roughly one percent of the pearl’s total reserves.

Gazing at the world fragment before him, it remained indistinct, save for the radiant black dagger at its core. The soldiers, generals, and cloaked figure were invisible from the outside.

“Those soldiers keep respawning no matter how many times they’re destroyed. And that cloaked figure is absurdly strong.” Dongbo Xueying frowned. Still, Haogu Zhizun had warned him—within the glowing spheres of the sea of consciousness, anything was possible. Success meant retrieving an item, no matter the method.

“Once more.”

He attempted to re-enter the black dagger’s world fragment.

Boom.

Upon landing on the barren plain again, the scene was unchanged: countless black-armored soldiers and the cloaked figure on the throne, idly spinning the dagger. It was as if nothing had happened.

Every eye locked onto Dongbo Xueying, signaling the impending assault.

“Retreat.” Without hesitation, he withdrew, his spatial mastery allowing him to exit effortlessly.

…

“The black dagger’s fragment is too dangerous.” Dongbo Xueying turned his attention to the other six fragments.

His gaze settled on one where the core was a ‘fiery red feather.’ Instinct told him this might be easier.

Swoosh.

He flew toward the feather’s fragment and was absorbed once more.

This, too, was a broken world, its edges fading into nothingness. At its center stood an enormous tree, its crown cradling the floating fiery feather. Three mighty birds circled it, while countless smaller avian creatures perched on the branches.

The moment Dongbo Xueying appeared, every bird turned to glare at him, their eyes filled with malice.

A piercing screech erupted.

Invisible waves lashed at him, causing his protective black glow to flicker. The Serpent Fang Marrow Pearl’s energy dwindled further.

“Annihilate.”

Dongbo Xueying unleashed his Void Illusion again, enveloping the fragmented world. The countless birds on the tree burst into nothingness, leaving only the three circling the feather.

“Only three remain, and no one controls the feather? This seems easier than the dagger’s fragment.” At least here, only three entities withstood his illusion, compared to thirteen in the other.

…