In the realm of treasure-selling establishments across the Heartland Continent, the Fan Clan ranks among the top three. For any shop, reputation is the foundation.
“Lord Xueying, feel free to make any requests. Rare treasures from across the Heartland Continent—there are very few that our Fan Clan does not possess,” the steward said enthusiastically.
“Mm.”
Dongbo Xueying acknowledged with a hum and tossed over an ordinary storage bracelet containing 130 million universe crystals.
“Marquis Qu Ming, thank you for this. I shall now enter seclusion. Unless it’s urgent, do not disturb me,” Dongbo Xueying instructed before swiftly retreating into isolation.
…
With a thunderous rumble, the hall doors sealed shut.
Dongbo Xueying sat cross-legged alone, opening the pale green bottle. One by one, the corpses of void-path insect beasts flew out, each having reached the pinnacle of the Chaos Realm. Their forms varied—some as massive as mountains. Manipulating the void, Dongbo Xueying expanded the modest hall space into a pocket dimension to accommodate the enormous insect corpses.
“These creatures are truly extraordinary. In my homeland, the path of insect beasts is far weaker,” Dongbo Xueying mused silently.
In the Chaos Void, not a single insect beast practitioner had ascended to become a Universe God.
Yet in the Heartland Continent… the Devouring World Emperor had reached an unrivaled level in the insect beast path, rivaling even the likes of Patriarch Fan. And yet, he too fell! Since the dawn of the Heartland Continent, several invincible beings had perished, and even more at the level of Lord Chiyun. With so many formidable experts and diverse methods, it was no surprise that even the mightiest could fall in the fiercest battles.
“Hmm?”
Dongbo Xueying studied them meticulously.
Including the Void Wyrm, these thirty-nine types represented all pinnacle Chaos Realm insect beasts cultivated throughout the Heartland Continent’s long history. Each was the culmination of countless failures and the crystallization of ancestral wisdom.
“Marvelous. Every single one is marvelous.” The more Dongbo Xueying observed, the more enthralled he became. Each insect beast, having reached the Chaos Realm’s peak, possessed unique traits.
Twenty-five species could manipulate the black mist sphere particles of the void’s essence.
Thirty-seven excelled in void-form techniques—almost instinctive for void-type insect beasts.
“Void-form techniques… so many approaches?”
Dongbo Xueying’s eyes gleamed.
Had he relied solely on solitary cultivation, even after eons, he might never have conceived such diverse methods. But with the insect beast corpses before him, enlightenment came swiftly. Sometimes, the simplest insights were the hardest to grasp unaided.
For a time…
Dongbo Xueying was consumed by fervor.
Hitting a bottleneck in cultivation was agonizing—no matter how hard one pondered, progress remained elusive. But the constant flow of inspiration and breakthroughs was intoxicating, a ceaseless ascent in understanding the void that never wearied the spirit.
Each void insect beast corpse embodied its own uniqueness.
His comprehension of the ‘True Form’ within the Five-Phase Sealing Art deepened steadily.
So too did his grasp of void-form techniques.
…
“Strange. Why has his seclusion lasted so long?”
“Why hasn’t he emerged?”
“Force him out!”
The experts dispatched by the Heavenly Sword Dao were patient—after all, for beings of their caliber, seclusions spanning eons were commonplace. Yet this was a critical juncture in the conflict between the Heavenly Sword Dao and the Southcloud Sacred Sect. At such a time, ‘Yingshan Xueying’ had secluded himself for hundreds of millennia…
Was he truly so bold as to assume the Heavenly Sword Dao would remain idle?
In the ninth millennium of Dongbo Xueying’s seclusion, amidst a torrential downpour, a claw materialized eerily, tearing through the protective arrays of the Southcloud Sacred Hall in the capital of Huozhao Kingdom. It snatched away a painting that had long hung there. This sacred hall was far grander and more heavily fortified than the one in Huolie City—breaching its arrays required nothing less than a Universe God’s intervention.
Clearly, the assailant was a Universe God.
Yet Dongbo Xueying still did not emerge.
Gradually, the Heavenly Sword Dao resumed its provocations against the Southcloud Sacred Sect, escalating their clashes.
However, wary of Dongbo Xueying, their provocations remained measured. Their most formidable experts hesitated to act, lacking confidence to face ‘Yingshan Xueying’ one-on-one. Their goal was merely to lure him out—then they could strike en masse.
Marquis Qu Ming, adhering to Dongbo Xueying’s orders, refrained from disturbing him unless absolutely necessary.
Thus, his seclusion remained undisturbed.
“Over three hundred thousand years in seclusion, and I’ve yet to master the ‘True Form.’ Yet my void-form technique nears perfection.” Dongbo Xueying held the pale green jade bottle as the void insect beast corpses flew back inside. Sealing it, he rose and strode out.
Rumble—
The doors parted.
Dongbo Xueying stepped into the courtyard, gazing at the night sky. Unlike the Chaos Void, the Heartland Continent had no sun or moon. In the darkness, only the glow of the capital’s defensive arrays faintly illuminated the city.
“Void-form perfection?” Dongbo Xueying sighed.
These void insect beasts had granted him countless insights into void-form techniques, advancing him to unfathomable heights. He estimated that his mastery now rivaled even his master, Gu Qi’s. Only a sliver remained to reach true perfection.
In void-form mastery, Dongbo Xueying believed he had surpassed nearly all void insect beasts.
“Now, all I need is a final epiphany to breach that last barrier…” His thoughts turned to General Megu’s scales—the only source of Chaos Realm void-form perfection, their patterns exquisitely simple yet profoundly beautiful, surpassing even the techniques of Emperor Jiuyun and the Void Ancestor.
Though the void insect beasts offered diverse perspectives, none had achieved true perfection—they merely served as references.
“Just one final breakthrough.”
After a moment of fruitless contemplation, Dongbo Xueying set it aside.
“The ‘True Form’?”
He sighed.
Void-form perfection was arduous. Even experts like the Southcloud Monarch and Emperor Jiuyun had failed to devise a method for Chaos Realm practitioners to achieve it. Of course, they lacked Dongbo Xueying’s fortune of studying General Megu’s scales. The Void Ancestor might have succeeded given more time, but Dongbo Xueying could not return now.
The ‘True Form,’ however, was simpler—requiring only minor mastery, not perfection.
“I’ve studied too many void insect beasts, explored too many paths. It’s muddled my focus. I only need minor mastery.” Dongbo Xueying steadied himself. “Calm down. Re-examining the most promising path should suffice.”
“Brother Xueying.”
Marquis Qu Ming hurried over, sensing the opened doors.
“Marquis Qu Ming, I’m going for a walk. To clear my mind,” Dongbo Xueying said.
“Be cautious. Within the sacred hall, you’re safe, but outside, the Heavenly Sword Dao may have traps awaiting you,” Marquis Qu Ming warned.
“Don’t worry.”
Dongbo Xueying smiled, unconcerned.
In truth, he secretly yearned for battle—a clash intense enough to force a breakthrough.
…
As Dongbo Xueying slipped silently from the Southcloud Sacred Hall, wandering the capital’s streets under the night sky, the city remained lively. Shops stayed open, taverns buzzed—for cultivators, day and night held little difference.
Unbeknownst to him, the Heavenly Sword Dao’s spies had already taken note.
“Yingshan Xueying spotted.”
“Yingshan Xueying has appeared.”
“He’s left the Southcloud Sacred Hall alone.”
Messages raced upward through the ranks.
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