In the hands of the Northern River Divine Emperor also appeared a sword, its light transforming into a surging river that roared and encircled Dongbo Xueying and the Northern River Divine Emperor.
The Supreme Exalt Shifan, affected by the illusion, hesitated slightly in his palm strike, its momentum visibly diminished. Yet, it still posed an immense threat to Dongbo Xueying.
“Boom~~~”
The strike descended as an endless black radiance, twisting the river of sword light conjured by the Northern River Divine Emperor, who immediately retreated with Dongbo Xueying in tow.
At the point of impact between the palm and the river of sword light, countless dark energies morphed into tiny serpents, relentlessly burrowing forward! These serpents sizzled and diminished under the obstruction of the sword light, many dissipating entirely. Yet, a few black serpents swiftly reached Dongbo Xueying, prompting the Northern River Divine Emperor to roar and unleash a flurry of sword strikes, barely managing to fend them all off.
“Supreme Exalt Shifan, you cannot stop us,” the Northern River Divine Emperor bellowed.
The shockwaves from their clash rippled in all directions, even affecting Dongbo Xueying, making it hard for him to breathe. His skin burned with excruciating pain, and wounds began to appear.
“Brother Feixue, you can’t even withstand this?” the Northern River Divine Emperor transmitted, somewhat surprised. The most lethal threats had been blocked, and these were merely residual shockwaves—something even ordinary King-class beings among the Deathless Clan or the natives could endure. Yet, Dongbo Xueying struggled.
“Embarrassing,” Dongbo Xueying admitted helplessly. His own strength was lacking, forcing him to rely solely on his physical body. Though his physique was formidable among cultivators and adept at dispersing force, it paled in comparison to the native experts with their Hunyuan bloodlines, let alone the Deathless Clan, whose bodies were even more robust.
Supreme Exalt Shifan halted.
He stood silently on a black leaf, the surroundings in disarray—black leaves and purple flowers lay tattered. Yet, he paid no mind, knowing the flowers would bloom anew with time.
“Your luck is truly remarkable,” Supreme Exalt Shifan murmured darkly.
“It is Brother Feixue’s luck,” the Northern River Divine Emperor chuckled. The recent exchange had bolstered his confidence—Supreme Exalt Shifan’s strength seemed reduced to about seventy percent. Though still slightly superior, the margin was negligible; even a battle spanning hundreds of thousands of years would hardly decide a victor. Moreover, the Northern River Divine Emperor had his ten Divine Generals, the elite of his thirty-six, while Shifan’s forces, under the illusion’s influence, were negligible.
“I cannot stop you,” Supreme Exalt Shifan conceded. “But there is only one Thousand-Eyed Water Pearl. How will you divide it?”
Dongbo Xueying and the Northern River Divine Emperor exchanged glances.
How indeed?
“Brother Feixue, we are now on the same boat—neither can leave the other,” the Northern River Divine Emperor transmitted. “Only together can we leave safely.”
“Emperor Feixue,” Supreme Exalt Shifan descended lightly onto a black leaf and spoke, “Your current strength makes the Snake Fang Corridor meaningless for you. After all, you haven’t even reached the Ultimate realm. How about this—let us strike a deal. Abandon the Northern River and give me the Thousand-Eyed Water Pearl. Name your price, and I will do everything to fulfill it.”
Among the Five Supreme Exalts, this was the first time one had made such an offer to Dongbo Xueying.
“Northern River,” Supreme Exalt Shifan turned to the Northern River Divine Emperor, “Though Emperor Feixue is under your protection, you could kill him anytime. Yet, I hear he has countless avatars—destroying these few would hardly affect him. As for the Thousand-Eyed Water Pearl, without Emperor Feixue’s aid, do you truly believe you can escape the depths of my Shifan Island? For this pearl, I am willing to forsake dignity once and join my subordinates in besieging you! Then, you would lose not only the pearl but your life as well!”
The Northern River Divine Emperor’s expression darkened.
Indeed.
If Dongbo Xueying sided with Supreme Exalt Shifan, the Northern River Divine Emperor would face mortal peril. Normally, a Supreme Exalt would disdain such tactics.
But the Thousand-Eyed Water Pearl represented a chance to enter the Snake Fang Corridor. For the Five Supreme Exalts, only the pursuit of becoming a Hunyuan Lifeform could drive them to abandon honor and resort to any means.
“Brother Feixue, Supreme Exalt Shifan cannot be trusted,” the Northern River Divine Emperor urgently transmitted. “Do you not know the nature of the Deathless Clan? They are capricious, inherently demonic at heart!”
Dongbo Xueying remained silent.
The Northern River Divine Emperor grew more anxious!
He desperately desired the pearl yet feared for his life.
“How marvelous,” Dongbo Xueying mused, gripping the Thousand-Eyed Water Pearl. He sensed faint ripples of energy, and as his consciousness probed deeper, he discerned a hazy, illusory world within—a ‘Thousand-Eyed World,’ profoundly mysterious.
“Is this the secret behind that terrifying Hunyuan Lifeform’s ability to simultaneously unleash the gray eye’s illusions and the golden eye’s annihilation?” Dongbo Xueying realized. As a master of the Illusory Path, he understood that his first killing move in the illusory realm could ensnare enemies.
The essence of this technique was to envelop foes in an illusory world, dragging their souls into it.
As for the golden eyes, Dongbo Xueying had memorized the structures of their internal illusions. Even now, his avatars and the First Divine General under the Windstorm Divine Emperor, ‘Divine General Shiguang,’ continued to explore islands with gray and golden eyes, accumulating more knowledge of these mysterious eyes’ illusory constructs.
By studying the golden eyes’ illusions, he had begun to outline his second killing move.
Yet, the first and second killing moves could not be used simultaneously on a single foe.
Both were illusory worlds—one to bewilder, the other to annihilate.
Two distinct illusions.
A soul could only be dragged into one illusion at a time; entering one precluded the other. They were mutually exclusive. Back at the first level of Cosmic Deity, when the five branches of the Illusory Path were separate, techniques were simpler—bewilderment was pure bewilderment, ‘world’ was mere illusion, and ‘annihilation’ was direct soul destruction. They could be used together.
But at Dongbo Xueying’s current level, a single illusory strike fused multiple mysteries, with the ‘World Branch’ already integrated, unleashing terrifying power.
One illusion precluded a second.
“So that’s how it is,” Dongbo Xueying marveled at the pearl.
Within the Thousand-Eyed Water Pearl lay an illusory world that seamlessly merged the gray eye’s bewilderment with the golden eye’s annihilation.
“This pearl is immensely valuable to me.”
“The gray and golden eyes showed me two paths.”
“And this pearl allows those paths to merge—the true killing move of that monstrous Hunyuan Lifeform.” Dongbo Xueying mused. Combining two techniques into one—how fearsome! An enemy resisting bewilderment would already be mentally strained; a simultaneous soul-annihilating strike would exacerbate their injuries, weakening their resistance further.
The two moves complemented each other.
“The Thousand-Eyed Water Pearl is crucial to me. But if I claim it for myself, neither Supreme Exalt Shifan nor the Northern River Divine Emperor would allow it. Even if they acquiesced temporarily for survival, they might strike when leaving the island.”
“Supreme Exalt Shifan is of the Deathless Clan—untrustworthy. The Northern River Divine Emperor is somewhat reliable.”
“Since I cannot keep it, I must bargain with him?”
Dongbo Xueying pondered swiftly.
He was curious about the Snake Fang Corridor.
But for now, he wasn’t overly eager. First, he prioritized reaching the Ultimate realm to save his loved ones before his homeworld’s destruction. Second, the illusory world within the pearl was his true focus. Adventures in the Snake Fang Corridor could wait until after achieving the Ultimate.
“Northern River Divine Emperor, you truly desire the pearl?” Dongbo Xueying transmitted.
“To be honest, of course I do,” the Northern River Divine Emperor’s heart raced as he looked at Dongbo Xueying. “I am but a step from the peak of the Emperor realm, yet I am the youngest among the Divine Emperors and have never entered the Snake Fang Corridor. If I could, I might ascend to Supreme Exalt. But if you wish for it, we can discuss terms.”
…
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