As soon as Dongbo Xueying finished speaking, the dark-skinned youth opposite him brightened and shouted, “Senior Brother Dongbo Xueying, you truly are decisive! Take this!” The moment his voice fell, streaks of green lightning serpents erupted from his body. These living thunderbolts surged through the void with terrifying destructive force, surrounding Dongbo Xueying in an instant.
Dozens of lightning serpents attacked simultaneously.
Dongbo Xueying stood his ground, gripping a deep-purple spear in his right hand. An invisible ripple spread outward from him, forming a massive spherical domain that distorted the surrounding space. The air itself seemed to ripple like water in a pond, constantly shifting and warping.
The lightning serpents, as if caught in an invisible net, were entangled and weakened, their power rapidly dissipating. Before they could reach Dongbo Xueying, they fizzled out completely.
“*Shadowless Heaven’s Net*!”
“This Dongbo Xueying is incredible—to wield *Shadowless Heaven’s Net* to such a degree that it neutralizes the Thunder Serpents!”
The observing disciples gasped in amazement.
The supreme techniques of the Taixu Heaven Palace were well-known to them. *Shadowless Heaven’s Net* was a Chaos-level technique, accessible to all Violet-Robed Disciples. Countless cultivators throughout history had practiced it, including many current True God Rulers. Yet Dongbo Xueying’s mastery of it was enough to earn their admiration.
“*Thunder Serpent Nine Swords* may be an ultimate Universe-level technique, but it’s primarily an offensive sword art. Its wide-range thunder serpents are relatively weaker. *Shadowless Heaven’s Net*, though a Chaos-level technique, is purely a domain-type skill—perfect for countering those serpents.”
“Bao Xiao hasn’t even shown his true strength yet. If he goes all out, Dongbo Xueying will likely lose.”
“Indeed, in terms of experience and foundation, Dongbo Xueying is at a disadvantage.”
“And this is a wager—a top-tier Void Divine Weapon is at stake!”
The disciples whispered among themselves.
Though Dongbo Xueying seemed to have the upper hand in the first exchange, most still favored Bao Xiao. After all, domain techniques were not Bao Xiao’s forte.
—
Seeing his thunder serpents dissipate, Bao Xiao laughed heartily. “Senior Brother Dongbo Xueying, your strength is truly impressive!” The moment he finished speaking, his body transformed into a dazzling streak of purple lightning, streaking across the void at an astonishing speed.
So fast!
In the past six months, Dongbo Xueying had witnessed many battles, including those of Golden-Robed Disciples, but Bao Xiao’s speed was unparalleled. Even with his Voidwalker abilities, Dongbo Xueying’s flight speed was slightly inferior.
“Boom!” Dongbo Xueying swiftly retreated, not rushing into combat—after all, the stakes were high.
He needed to assess his opponent thoroughly.
In the Sacred World, teleportation was impossible, and while Dongbo Xueying couldn’t match Bao Xiao’s speed, he was still among the top ten fastest True God Disciples. The rippling domain around him suddenly shifted, countless crimson threads weaving through the spherical field.
These threads, like veins of the domain, drastically amplified its binding and eroding power, while also possessing razor-sharp destructive force.
Within the *Domain of Slaughter*, Bao Xiao’s movements slowed as if trapped in an inescapable net.
“Damn it, trying to stop me?”
“Get out of my way!”
Bao Xiao’s smile vanished, replaced by a ferocious glare. “I *must* win this battle!”
With a roar, his black divine sword erupted with blinding radiance.
“Riiip—” Bao Xiao tore through the *Domain of Slaughter* with terrifying force, charging straight at Dongbo Xueying.
“Come on!” Dongbo Xueying met him head-on. Whether to save time for cultivation in the Time Palace or to obtain rare treasures, he needed this victory.
The deep-purple spear spun violently, its tip aimed directly at Bao Xiao.
“*First Sword of Annihilation*?!” Bao Xiao’s expression darkened. “He’s actually mastered it… This complicates things.”
—
High above, the Sword Master and Ancestor Tianyu observed the battle below.
“Hahaha!” Ancestor Tianyu chuckled. “Sword Master, your fellow countryman practices *my* *Thirteen Swords of Annihilation*, while his opponent wields *your* *Thunder Serpent Nine Swords*.”
“Ancestor,” the white-haired Sword Master replied casually, “the three Universe-level techniques you left in the Primal Universe were all your own creations. None of mine remained in our homeland. Even if this little fellow wanted to learn them, he had no choice.”
“Regardless, he’s using *my* technique,” Ancestor Tianyu said smugly.
The Sword Master had created four Universe-level techniques—three of which were sword arts.
“By the way,” Ancestor Tianyu suddenly turned serious, “have you made progress in your seclusion?”
“Only fifty percent certainty,” the Sword Master replied solemnly. “This matter is too critical. One misstep could trigger another great war—one that might destroy the Seven Seas Sacred World. I must be absolutely certain before acting.”
Ancestor Tianyu nodded slowly. “I’ve waited too long for this day. But there’s no rush. Without full confidence, we wait. I’ve reached my limit, but you… you still have hope.”
A flicker of longing passed through the Sword Master’s eyes before he smiled and looked down. “Enough of that. Let’s watch the battle.”
“Indeed,” Ancestor Tianyu agreed, turning his gaze downward.
—
*Clang! Clang! Clang!*
Their weapons clashed in rapid succession. Bao Xiao, now fully transformed into lightning, unleashed a relentless barrage of sword strikes. Dongbo Xueying, wielding the *Domain of Slaughter* alongside the *First Sword of Annihilation*, held his ground.
“Raaaah!” Bao Xiao roared in fury. A golden eye split open on his forehead, crackling with terrifying lightning. His divine sword channeled the golden thunder, its power skyrocketing—this was his ultimate technique, the reason he had once been a Golden-Robed Disciple.
“An Ancient Cultivator?”
Dongbo Xueying had anticipated this. Elite disciples of the Rule-Oriented Path often trained in supplementary systems to cover their weaknesses. Bao Xiao’s past status as a Golden-Robed Disciple stemmed from his mastery of the Ancient Cultivation system—specifically, his lightning manipulation.
Ancient Cultivators varied wildly in strength, some weak, some unfathomably powerful. Originating from the Primordial Sacred World, their path diverged from the Rule-Oriented system. While the latter opened a “Divine Sea” and condensed a True God Heart, Ancient Cultivators nurtured a “Life Core,” merging their soul into a bodily organ—be it an eye, ear, heart, skin, or brain.
Different cores granted different abilities. At the True God Ruler level, Bao Xiao’s golden thunder eye alone placed him among the elite, capable of annihilating weaker Rulers with ease. Combined with the *Thunder Serpent Nine Swords*, his power was terrifying.
“Hmph.” Facing Bao Xiao’s onslaught, Dongbo Xueying channeled his full strength into his spear—the twentieth layer of his Voidwalker power erupted without restraint!
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