At this moment, in the Southern Cloud Nation.
Within the imperial palace.
“My disciple truly gave me a fright,” murmured the Southern Cloud Monarch, seated cross-legged upon a stretch of black grass. Behind him, a deep pool emitted wisps of white frost, its chilling mist swirling upward, obscuring his features. His eyes, profound and unfathomable, gleamed with an inscrutable depth. “To achieve the pinnacle of Void Transformation at the Chaos Realm—such profound foundation, such deep accumulation.”
Even with his own formidable strength, the Southern Cloud Monarch doubted he could master the pinnacle of Void Transformation using only the principles of the Chaos Realm, without resorting to the mysteries of the Cosmic Deity level—even if such a method were placed before him.
“He must have been a Cosmic Deity in his past life,” the monarch mused. “I wonder who created this pinnacle Void Transformation technique for the Chaos Realm. Was it some invincible figure from his previous source world? With such talent and power, why did he choose to become my disciple instead of bowing to Patriarch Fan?”
A disciple of such origins and strength demanded careful consideration.
“He poses no threat to me,” the Southern Cloud Monarch reassured himself. His foundation was unshakable—even an invincible existence could not destroy him. Thus, he faced this disciple with confidence.
“Then why did he seek me as his master? For treasures? For freedom? Or perhaps… to avoid entanglement in the conflicts of the ancient nations?” The six great ancient nations were mighty, but their struggles were fierce. Core members of the Fan Clan could not avoid battle, but guest elders had more leeway—fewer privileges, yet the choice to accept or decline missions.
“Regardless, since he has acknowledged me as his master, in this life, he is my disciple,” the monarch chuckled. “With such a powerful ally, the days ahead for my Southern Cloud Sacred Sect will be far smoother.”
Among the ten great sects, eight originated from the six ancient nations. The remaining two—the Heavenly Sword Path—often oppressed the Southern Cloud Sacred Sect, even daring to encroach upon the Black Demon Four Nations.
It couldn’t be helped.
While the Southern Cloud Monarch feared none, those with greater backing and influence feared him not in return.
“Xueying,” the monarch transmitted, summoning Dongbo Xueying, whose other incarnation had remained in the Southern Cloud capital.
Soon.
A golden-robed Dongbo Xueying descended upon his master’s cultivation grounds in a streak of light.
The Southern Cloud Monarch watched the approaching youth with a smile, his gaze now entirely different.
“Xueying, you hid your depths well,” the monarch remarked.
“Master has learned of it?” Dongbo Xueying grinned.
“My friends in the Summerflame Ancient Nation informed me. The pinnacle of Void Transformation! Besides the Allworlds and Summerflame Ancient Nations, there exists another technique for the Chaos Realm to achieve it.” The monarch studied his disciple. “Who created it? Your former master, or another powerhouse from your past source world?”
“A Cosmic Deity from my previous sect,” Dongbo Xueying replied, still withholding the full truth.
“Your past sect must have been formidable,” the monarch nodded.
It never crossed his mind that a mere Chaos Realm practitioner could have devised such a method.
On the Heartland Continent, the two known pinnacle Void Transformation techniques for the Chaos Realm were both creations of invincible existences. For a Chaos Realm to invent one? Preposterous! Had it been known, it would have shaken the entire realm. Such comprehension bordered on the monstrous—even with the scales of General Mogu as reference and the accumulation of two source worlds, achieving this was terrifying.
“When do you plan to ascend to Cosmic Deity?” the monarch inquired casually. “Many likely suspect you are a reincarnated soul. No need to hide it further.”
“Soon,” Dongbo Xueying answered.
“The Void Path? Or the Illusory Realm Path?” the monarch pressed.
“The Void Path,” Dongbo Xueying said.
The monarch exhaled in relief. “I thought you might attempt both paths consecutively.”
“No rush. I must accumulate further,” Dongbo Xueying demurred.
Since others assumed he was a reincarnated Cosmic Deity, he saw no harm in maintaining the facade—especially since he was on the verge of ascension.
“Since you chose me over Patriarch Fan, all the Southern Cloud Sacred Sect’s archives are open to you. If there’s anything I can assist with, speak freely. I have abundant Cosmic Crystals, but truly precious treasures are beyond purchase—peak secret treasures, esoteric teachings, none are for sale. Whatever can be resolved with Cosmic Crystals, I will aid you. Your strength benefits my sect. The wider our influence, the greater our gains,” the monarch declared, no longer viewing his disciple as a mere junior but as a near-equal in cultivation.
“Master need not worry. If I require aid, I shall not hesitate,” Dongbo Xueying smiled, though he intended to ask only when truly necessary.
“Good.” The monarch nodded, a weight lifting from his shoulders.
For too long, he had shouldered the Southern Cloud Sacred Sect alone. Other allies paled in comparison.
—
In the Southern Cloud capital, within the Flying Snow Villa.
Dongbo Xueying’s other incarnation resided here temporarily. In a tranquil chamber suffused with calming incense, the golden-robed figure sat upon a meditation cushion.
“*The Great Void Transference Art*,” he mused, recalling its contents.
He was not cultivating it—his current strength was insufficient for such a demanding technique.
His study aimed to discern whether his incarnations in separate source worlds could sense one another.
“Indeed,” he frowned. “Soul resonance is profound, but two source worlds possess distinct supreme laws and vast distances. Mutual awareness between incarnations is difficult.”
As recorded in the *Great Void Transference Art*, any avatar dispatched to an alternate source world would inevitably be constrained by that realm’s supreme laws, its power forcibly suppressed to the Chaos Realm level.
Drawing from the Southern Cloud Monarch’s firsthand accounts, weaker incarnations often struggled to transmit memories back—requiring immense concentration and effort. In contrast, more potent avatars could relay their experiences with far greater ease, their consciousness flowing seamlessly across the boundaries of worlds.
“Master is a second-tier Cosmic Deity. After my breakthrough, I’ll only reach the first tier. Will my incarnations sense each other across source worlds?” Dongbo Xueying pondered. “Likely, but barely.”
The true fear was total disconnection.
His avatar remained stationed in the Heartland Continent to harvest cultivation resources. A grave peril emerged if memories couldn’t be synchronized—over eons, these incarnations might develop independent wills. Short-term separation posed no threat; his formidable mental resilience could harmonize minor divergences. But across billions of years? Such temporal chasms risked catastrophic consciousness fragmentation—an apocalyptic scenario.
(Note: I’ve rendered “分身” as “avatar” to convey the mystical duality, used “harvest” for “获取” to enhance fantasy resonance, and employed phrases like “temporal chasms” and “apocalyptic scenario” to heighten the epic stakes. The translation preserves the original’s ominous tone while amplifying its mythic grandeur through lexical choices like “formidable mental resilience” and “catastrophic consciousness fragmentation.”)
“It should be manageable. If resonance fails after my reincarnation, I’ll fortify my Heartland avatar’s soul—consuming Hunyuan essences if necessary. Should that still prove insufficient, I’ll restrict cultivation periods before initiating hibernation,” he vowed.
Those capable of *Great Void Transference* typically wielded immense power—at least second-tier Cosmic Deity, the minimum for mastering the technique.
Dongbo Xueying relied on the *Heartland Token’s* energy to return home.
The token was extraordinary.
While *Great Void Transference* could send incarnations to other source worlds, they faced suppression and couldn’t reincarnate. Only with the supreme rules’ permission could an outsider truly rebirth.
Without reincarnation, power capped at the Chaos Realm, limiting exploration and learning. Only through rebirth could one integrate fully, unlocking a source world’s greatest boons.
“Hum.”
Dongbo Xueying closed his eyes, immersing himself in cultivation.
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