The Xueying Domain was vast and boundless, with towering mountains and deep valleys within its expanse. The Yingshan Matriarch, for instance, had claimed a range of mountains and established her own cave abode.
In one such valley, Dongbo Xueying, the Insect Ancestor Batuchen, and the Sword Master were engaged in a sparring session.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
The Insect Ancestor Batuchen flickered and shifted continuously, his wings vibrating at an extreme speed.
Dongbo Xueying wielded the Qinghe Spear. Though he didn’t activate the Xueying Domain’s formations, he still managed to press Batuchen into a defensive stance. Much of the valley had already been reduced to dust, though the outer perimeter was shielded by formations to prevent their battle from affecting the surroundings.
“Stop, stop, stop!” Batuchen called out. “As expected of a Hunyuan divine weapon! Truly formidable. It seems the rumors spread by the Undying Nether Emperor weren’t entirely baseless!”
“Baseless? Utter nonsense!”
Xueying halted, his usually calm temper flaring. “He claims that any Ultimate existence, regardless of their cultivation path, would gain immense power from wielding a Hunyuan divine weapon? What rubbish! This weapon was forged by my own hands—only I can refine and wield it. No other Cosmic Deity could even refine it, let alone use it! Moreover, this weapon is tailored to the supreme legacy I inherited. Even if someone else could refine it, they wouldn’t be able to utilize it properly! And that’s assuming they could refine it in the first place!”
“Haha, Brother Xueying,” Batuchen chuckled. “You can’t blame him. Your battle shook the entire Heart Realm Continent, and you’ve made a mortal enemy of the Undying Nether Emperor. It’s only natural he’d scheme against you.”
“Pay it no mind,” the Sword Master added. “Within the Xueying Domain, even the Undying Nether Emperor can’t touch you. The other invincible existences stand no chance.”
Even the Xia Emperor was slightly inferior.
Xueying shook his head. “Still, it’s brought me a lot of trouble.”
Greed…
Why had invincible existences like the World-Devouring Emperor fallen in the past? Some perished in the Broken Tooth Mountain Range, others were besieged and killed on the Heart Realm Continent. Why were they besieged? At its core, it all came down to greed—or, to put it more elegantly, the pursuit of greater heights on the path of cultivation.
“Xueying, let’s spar,” the Sword Master said with a grin.
“Very well.”
Xueying’s eyes gleamed. “Be careful.”
With that, his Qinghe Spear shot forth like lightning!
The strike stirred the void, plunging the surroundings into darkness as boundless Hunyuan power surged like a vortex alongside the spear, aimed directly at the Sword Master.
The spear tip didn’t even need to make contact—the sheer force of the thrust transmitted through the void and struck the Sword Master.
*Hum!*
Countless sword lights erupted from the Sword Master’s body, shielding him as he withstood the blow. Though his defensive technique, derived from a supreme legacy, was formidable, he still felt a strange penetrating force seep into his body. His physique, however, was akin to a coalescence of countless sword lights, swiftly dispersing the impact within. Even so, he staggered back a step.
“The Void Path is truly fascinating,” the Sword Master laughed. “Now, take this!”
*Swish!*
A flash of crimson light darted toward Xueying.
Though seemingly silent, it sent a jolt of alarm through Xueying. He spun his spear, conjuring layers of spatial barriers, yet the crimson light slipped through effortlessly, leaving the barriers intact. Only about 30-40% of its power was diminished before it pierced Xueying’s body.
Despite his extreme void-body techniques mitigating the damage, a wound still appeared on his chest—though it healed almost instantly.
“Your physique is truly monstrous,” the Sword Master remarked.
“Your swordplay is far more troublesome,” Xueying retorted, his spear stirring the heavens into a tempestuous frenzy.
…
The battle raged on.
One side wielded the Dao of Destruction, employing techniques from a supreme legacy. The other, Dongbo Xueying, brandished his Hunyuan divine weapon, his Void Path techniques nearing perfection.
Yet, Xueying was clearly at a disadvantage.
“Xueying, don’t you have multiple avatars? Bring out all your tricks!” the Sword Master urged.
“Hahaha, you asked for it!”
Xueying laughed.
A massive Voidfire Lotus bloomed beside him, radiant and dazzling, atop which stood nine Xueying avatars, all attacking simultaneously.
If Xueying wielding the Qinghe Spear possessed 30% of the Eternal Night Patriarch’s strength, then the nine avatars, bolstered by the Voidfire Lotus, matched that same 30%. Each avatar retained 70% of his peak soul strength, and thanks to the Heartblood of the Myriad-Tentacled Dragon Mother, even this 70% was comparable to a normal Ultimate existence’s soul. This allowed them to execute techniques with full efficacy.
Nine Ultimate-tier combatants, amplified by the Voidfire Lotus’s world power! Crucially, the Voidfire Lotus itself embodied the Ultimate Void Path, enabling a joint-attack formation that multiplied their combined strength severalfold.
But the Hunyuan divine weapon presented a dilemma.
There was only one Qinghe Spear. The avatar wielding it far outstripped the others—so much so that the nine avatars and the Voidfire Lotus combined barely matched its power. The gap was too vast for coordinated attacks to be meaningful.
The Xueying Domain was different.
Its formations were only partially deployed within the city. The Imperial Manor housed some, and Xueying carried the core components on his person.
With a single thought, he could activate multiple formations and unleash devastating strikes.
These formations were designed to synergize with the *Hunyuan Seven Strikes*, excelling at channeling Hunyuan power—making them a perfect match for the Hunyuan divine weapon.
In contrast, the Voidfire Lotus’s world power didn’t harmonize as well with the Qinghe Spear.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
The nine avatars atop the Voidfire Lotus executed their joint assault!
Meanwhile, the spear-wielding avatar attacked separately. Yet even combined, they struggled against the Sword Master, whose full power reached 80% of the Eternal Night Patriarch’s might.
“Perhaps combining the domain technique with the spear would work better,” Xueying mused after several attempts, adjusting his strategy.
*Hum~~~*
The nine avatars unleashed their strongest domain technique.
The Voidfire Lotus, as a world treasure, excelled in domain control.
*Rumble~~~*
A powerful domain surged like an undercurrent, pressing against the Sword Master. The ever-shifting pressure significantly hampered his combat prowess.
Now, with the Qinghe Spear in hand, Xueying clashed with the Sword Master on more even footing.
Though still not dominant, he fought with far greater ease.
“Hahaha…” Xueying finally laughed in satisfaction.
“Your domain is truly a headache,” the Sword Master grumbled. Despite his own supreme legacy’s domain techniques, they paled compared to the Voidfire Lotus’s innate prowess as a world treasure, amplified by nine avatars.
The two descended to the ground, ceasing their battle.
“Even against the Eternal Night Patriarch and others outside, you’d hold your own now,” the Sword Master remarked.
“Unfortunately, if I make too big a stir outside, the Undying Nether Emperor will come for me,” Xueying sighed. “My domain is strong, but against a true domain master among the invincible existences, it’s lacking. Under his ‘World of Death,’ my domain would be suppressed instantly. Without it, facing him with just the Hunyuan divine weapon, I’d risk death if I couldn’t escape in time. Losing an avatar is one thing, but losing the divine weapon? Unthinkable.”
The Sword Master nodded.
Domains were potent for suppressing foes.
But if the enemy’s domain was stronger… one’s own domain would be crushed instead.
“Will you leave the divine weapon behind when you venture out?” the Sword Master asked.
“No.”
Xueying shook his head. “The day I reach the Ultimate realm is the day the Hunyuan divine weapon leaves the Xueying Domain.”
“Agreed,” Batuchen chimed in. “The Undying Nether Emperor’s schemes and your shocking battle have surely stirred greed in many. Within the Xueying Domain, they wouldn’t dare act, but outside? It’d be chaos.”
“Indeed,” the Sword Master said. “Xueying, your foundation is solid. Breaking through to the Ultimate realm is just a matter of that final step.”
“That ‘final step’ is easier said than done,” Xueying sighed.
“Esteemed Xueying.”
A voice suddenly echoed around them.
Xueying, the Sword Master, and Batuchen turned to see three figures materialize from condensed world power—the Xia Emperor, Patriarch Fan, and the Azure Emperor. These were mere projections, a gesture of goodwill. Had they come in person, Xueying would’ve been on guard.
“Xia Emperor, Patriarch Fan, Azure Emperor,” Xueying greeted with a smile. “Your presence honors the Xueying Domain.”
“Haha… Who in the world hasn’t heard of the great name of Lord Xueying?” the Xia Emperor laughed. “Even the Nether Emperor retreats before you within these walls.”
Xueying welcomed them warmly, though inwardly, he suspected their visit concerned the Hunyuan divine weapon.
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