Chapter 806: The Challenge

“Quite young.” The white-haired Sword Master gazed down from above, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Beside him, Ancestor Tianyu also noticed Dongbo Xueying and chuckled, “When I first created those five universes, the initial era where you and the Demon Ancestor emerged was truly remarkable—giving birth to the two of you! But afterward, things became rather ordinary. This Dongbo Xueying, however, managed to pass the Golden-Robed Disciple trial within his universe. At the very least, he shows considerable potential.”

The Sword Master nodded slightly.

For these younger disciples hailing from their home universe, both the Sword Master and the Demon Ancestor held a certain fondness. That was why the Sword Master had chosen to attend this grand gathering—to witness firsthand the capabilities of this junior.

“Let it begin!” Ancestor Tianyu suddenly declared, his voice resonating powerfully across the entire Netherworld Arena.

He, the Sword Master, the various Chaos Realm Hall Masters, and the Inner Hall Elders began chatting and drinking leisurely. To them, this was merely a social gathering—a rare opportunity to convene, given their usual solitary pursuits. The event also served as a chance to observe which among the younger generation showed promise.

Down below, atop the stone pillars, the True God disciples stood poised and ready.

“Senior Brother Chen Tao, I challenge you!” A figure soared from one of the pillars into midair, issuing a direct challenge.

“Hmph.”

The challenged Purple-Robed Disciple snorted coldly before flying out to meet his opponent.

…

The True God Disciple Ranking Battle had its own set of rules.

Each disciple could challenge opponents ranked no more than twenty places above them. There was no limit to the number of challenges one could issue, but three defeats would disqualify a disciple from further challenges. However, losing as the challenged party did not count toward this limit.

Victory meant taking the opponent’s rank, while the defeated would drop one position.

…

For those ranked beyond the 700th position, challenging opponents twenty ranks higher each time meant that reaching the top would require at least thirty battles. With so many True God disciples present, the number of matches would be immense. It was entirely normal for a single ranking battle to span a full decade.

Of course, for spectators—whether it was Ancestor Tianyu, the Sword Master, the Chaos Realm Hall Masters, the Inner Hall Elders, or even the Outer Hall Elders and other True God disciples ineligible to participate—a mere ten years was but a fleeting moment.

…

“Senior Brother Chi, I challenge you!” A cold, sharp voice rang out.

Instantly, the gazes of countless disciples, both onlookers and those atop the pillars—Golden-Robed and Purple-Robed alike—snapped toward the source. The reason? “Senior Brother Chi” was a Golden-Robed Disciple, ranked ninth. This marked the first challenge against a Golden-Robed Disciple in this ranking battle.

A victory here would mean seizing the ninth rank!

“Junior Sister Fengyun, challenging me again?” A deep, hearty laugh echoed as a towering, crimson-skinned, bald Golden-Robed Disciple soared into the air. With a flick of his hand, a massive black hammer materialized in his grip.

“Be careful,” the silver-eyed woman warned, her gaze burning with battle lust.

No sooner had she spoken than she transformed into a colossal crimson-winged avian, its silver eyes gleaming. Flames surged around its wings, instantly engulfing the surroundings—including the distant “Senior Brother Chi.” Yet the latter merely grinned and swung his hammer with a sudden, explosive motion.

His arm elongated, the hammer swelling to the size of a mountain as it descended. Though the strike appeared simple, it carried an unfathomable profundity—as though the very space and energy around it converged into that single blow.

…

Senior Brother Chi, ranked ninth, wielded the cosmic-level art *Boundary’s Embrace*, a defensive technique crafted by Ancestor Tianyu himself—one of only three such arts in existence. Yet Chi had adapted it for offense, channeling its principles into his hammer strikes.

He had also integrated *Boundary’s Embrace* into his body cultivation, forging an indomitable physique. Dongbo Xueying estimated Chi’s strength to rival the 16th or 17th layer of the *Traveler’s Secret Treasury*. Above all, Chi’s body excelled in defense.

Junior Sister Fengyun, previously ranked fifteenth, was a prodigious void-born creature who had joined the Tai Void Heavenly Palace. Her self-created techniques, combined with her innate gifts, made her a formidable opponent. Yet luck had eluded her, keeping her just outside the top ten.

Their battle raged for three full hours. Though Fengyun leveraged her speed and agility to press the assault relentlessly, Chi ultimately emerged victorious.

…

Battle after battle unfolded.

Dongbo Xueying sat cross-legged atop his pillar, observing the clashes with keen interest. Each disciple, though wielding only Dominator-level laws, unleashed astonishing power. Their applications of various principles—be it the Path of Slaughter, the Path of Oscillation, or the Path of the Void—left Xueying enlightened in many ways.

Though confident in his own abilities, he recognized the strengths of others and sought to incorporate their insights into his own path.

Half a year passed in the blink of an eye.

Yet Dongbo Xueying had not fought a single match.

First, the sheer number of True God disciples—over seven hundred—meant challenges took time. Second, those ranked higher typically challenged the top ten directly, as only by defeating them could one claim a Golden Robe. Xueying, though a Golden-Robed Disciple, was ranked eleventh. Once the ranking battle concluded, this position would revert to Purple Robe—Golden Robes were strictly limited to ten.

But there was a third reason for his lack of participation: Xueying was utterly engrossed in observing the battles.

It was an eye-opening experience.

Despite having perused countless texts, witnessing these supreme Dominators—each a master of profound laws—battle fiercely enriched his understanding immensely. His comprehension of the Path of Slaughter, the Path of Oscillation, and the Path of the Void deepened. Even the second stance of *Thirteen Swords of Annihilation*, which had previously eluded him, now seemed clearer.

Cultivation was about accumulation. With enough insight, breakthroughs followed naturally. For Xueying, spectating these battles was accumulation of the highest order—after all, these Dominators were truly extraordinary.

Had his own master, the Bloodblade Divine Emperor, participated in his Dominator days, he might not have even cracked the top hundred.

Such was the caliber of the Tai Void Heavenly Palace’s True God disciples.

“Senior Brother Dongbo Xueying, I challenge you!” A voice suddenly rang out.

“Eh?”

Startled from his focused observation of another distant battle, Xueying blinked before spotting a dark-skinned youth hovering in midair, staring at him.

A challenge?

Someone was actually challenging *him*?

Xueying felt a flicker of amusement. Even if this disciple won, they’d only claim the eleventh rank.

“Junior Brother, you have my answer,” Xueying replied, soaring into the air.

“Hmm?”

“Dongbo Xueying?”

“That Golden-Robed Disciple from that lower universe?”

“The one from the same cosmos as the Sword Master and the Demon Ancestor.”

Instantly, the battle drew the attention of countless disciples. The other ten Golden-Robed Disciples weren’t currently engaged—only those ranked within the top thirty would dare challenge them, making Golden-Robed battles a rare spectacle.

“That boy, Dongbo Xueying,” the Demon Ancestor murmured, peering down. Even the white-haired Sword Master turned his gaze their way.

For these two, the battles of their homegrown junior held special interest.

…

The dark-skinned youth hovered midair and declared, “Bao Xiao greets Senior Brother Dongbo Xueying. Senior Brother once stated that during the True God Disciple Ranking Battle, wager battles are permitted, correct?”

Xueying stiffened slightly, his expression darkening.

A wager battle?

So *that* was why he’d been challenged—defeating him wouldn’t secure a Golden Robe. This was about stakes!

“Correct,” Xueying acknowledged.

“The wager would be Senior Brother’s Void God weapon?” the youth pressed.

Excitement rippled through the crowd. Wager battles! When this Golden-Robed Disciple from the lower universe had first arrived at the Tai Void Heavenly Palace, many had sought to challenge him for stakes. But over thirty million years had passed since then. Having immersed himself in the Myriad Phenomena Hall’s countless texts, his current strength was an unknown. Combined with the exorbitant stakes, no one had dared issue a wager battle—until now.

“Bao Xiao was ranked sixteenth last time. He’s a former Golden-Robed Disciple.”

“A former Golden-Robed Disciple challenging this Dongbo Xueying? Isn’t that bullying?”

“How shameless.”

“Surely Dongbo Xueying isn’t foolish enough to accept.”

Whispers spread like wildfire.

Though Bao Xiao had been ranked sixteenth last time, that didn’t mean he was weaker than fifteenth—below the top ten, rankings mattered little. As a former Golden-Robed Disciple, his prowess was undeniable.

“You wish to wager for my Void God weapon?” Xueying eyed him coolly. “Do you possess twenty-five Sourceworld Stones or equivalent treasures?”

“Of course,” the youth replied confidently. “Does Senior Brother accept? With both Palace Masters, all Hall Masters, and our fellow disciples as witnesses, your word cannot be taken back.”

“Then let it be a wager battle,” Xueying agreed.

The youth’s eyes widened briefly before triumph surged within him.

As a former Golden-Robed Disciple, breaking into the top ten wasn’t his priority—he’d already obtained the Soulsoothing Fruit and studied cosmic-level arts. Instead, he coveted Xueying’s Void God weapon. Though parting with twenty-five Sourceworld Stones would drain his savings, the potential payoff was astronomical.

Other former Golden-Robed Disciples had held back—whether out of pride or assuming Xueying wouldn’t be so reckless. But he had taken the gamble.

And Xueying had accepted! Some former Golden-Robed Disciples now regretted their hesitation. Was this Dongbo Xueying truly so arrogant? Why hadn’t *they* challenged him first?

“No take-backs?” the youth pressed.

“None,” Xueying confirmed.

At that moment, nearly every attendee—from the disciples to the Hall Masters—turned their attention to the pair. Even the Demon Ancestor and Sword Master watched with mild interest, offering no intervention. At Xueying’s level of cultivation, one was no naive child. Every decision carried its own consequences.