The leisurely spectating Sovereigns atop the Primordial Devil Mountain suddenly stared in astonishment at the scene unfolding below—
Dongbo Xueying had seized both hands of the silver-white soldier, who struggled desperately with a terrifying force that rippled through the air. Yet, Dongbo Xueying’s grip remained unshaken, firmly holding the soldier in place.
“Ha!” With a sudden exertion, Dongbo Xueying yanked the soldier’s arms apart.
Boom—!
The silver-white soldier shattered into streams of water, flying back into the tranquil lake, which remained as still as ever.
“Just like that, he won?”
“He actually defeated the Water Puppet Soldier with pure strength? In a single move?” Some Sovereigns even forgot to swallow the wine in their mouths, utterly stunned. They knew well the strength of the Water Puppet Soldier—only eleven Venerables had ever defeated it before. To crush it with sheer power alone—what level of strength would that require?
“In terms of raw power, this kid might even surpass me,” sighed a frail, black-skinned elder with a long tail, shaking his head.
“Among us Sovereigns, those who aren’t specialized in physical cultivation probably can’t match this kid.”
“His strength alone has reached the Sovereign level. If he has other formidable techniques, he’ll be even more extraordinary. I think he might even pose a threat to the First Venerable.”
“He does have the potential to challenge the First Venerable—Lie Yang.”
The Sovereigns voiced their assessments.
These were Sovereigns capable of entering the Primordial Devil Mountain, ranked within the top thirty-nine, each with extraordinary abilities. Even if their physical prowess paled compared to Dongbo Xueying’s, they still looked down upon him with absolute superiority. Just like in the cultivator universe—figures like the Primordial Master, the Hellsovereign, and Pang Yi, all masters of the Rule-Oblivion system, were physically inferior to the current Dongbo Xueying, yet their overall strength far surpassed his.
…
“You’ve won.” The elderly Mountain Keeper gave Dongbo Xueying a surprised glance. “You really are quite strong.”
Dongbo Xueying smiled faintly. In terms of pure strength, he rivaled the newly ascended Matriarch of the Mother Goddess Cult. If he couldn’t overpower a mere Water Puppet Soldier meant for testing, the trial would have been far too difficult.
“Tell me, which Venerable do you wish to challenge?” the Mountain Keeper asked. “You now qualify to challenge the Second or Third Venerable.”
“The Third Venerable,” Dongbo Xueying replied. Whether it was the Second or Third, defeating either would only grant him entry to the outer layer of the Primordial Devil Mountain. Since that was the case, he might as well challenge the one with a higher chance of victory—the Third Venerable. After all, the top two Venerables had records of defeating Sovereigns, while the third had not.
“Very well. The Third Venerable will arrive shortly.” The Mountain Keeper nodded and turned to the hulking monster puppet beside her. With a heavy stomp, the puppet shot into the sky like a meteor, heading straight for one of the mountain’s distant corners.
…
High on the Primordial Devil Mountain, a white-haired woman sat uneasily, sipping wine. She hadn’t even bothered to watch the battle below.
“After all the effort I poured into entering the Primordial Devil Mountain, now a Venerable capable of defeating Sovereigns appears?” The white-haired woman, ‘Snow God Venerable,’ was filled with dread.
Boom!
The monster puppet landed heavily before her, its voice booming. “Snow God, a Venerable challenges you. Descend and face him.”
The woman trembled slightly, her eyes turning colder. “So… it’s finally come. But defeating me won’t be so easy.”
A servant rushed over. “Master, Dongbo Xueying has won.”
The white-haired woman glanced at the servant but said nothing. She knew that if she lost, this puppet servant would no longer belong to her but to Dongbo Xueying. The thought made her gaze even icier—she had to win this battle.
“Let’s go,” the monster puppet urged.
“Fine.” The woman rose, and together they shot downward like streaks of light toward the mountain’s entrance.
…
“Hmm?” Dongbo Xueying looked up as two figures descended from the sky—the monster puppet and a white-haired woman radiating a chilling aura.
The Mountain Keeper smiled faintly and struck the ground with her cane.
Rumble—!
An ancient arena emerged, its surface etched with intricate patterns that glowed faintly. A massive black formation materialized in the air, its layers overlapping and enveloping the entire battlefield.
“The rules are simple,” the Mountain Keeper declared. “You two will fight. If no victor emerges after a time, the formation will unleash deadly hazards. The first to die loses; the survivor wins. Understood?”
Her aged but sharp eyes swept over Dongbo Xueying and the white-haired woman.
“Understood,” Dongbo Xueying nodded. The woman echoed his response.
“Good. Step onto the arena and begin.”
The white-haired woman wasted no time, flying straight to the platform. The formation did not hinder her as she landed. Dongbo Xueying followed, eyeing his opponent warily. Earlier, Prince Jiaoyun Liu and Sovereign E Chen had briefed him on the three Venerables of the Primordial Devil Mountain.
This was Snow God Venerable—a formidable foe capable of rivaling Sovereigns. Strictly speaking, she was comparable to Qing Jun of the cultivator universe before his breakthrough, though perhaps slightly weaker. After all, cultivators from that universe fought with more profound and unpredictable techniques, giving them an edge in average combat prowess.
“I heard you can defeat Sovereigns?” Snow God Venerable’s voice echoed across the arena. “But can you defeat me?”
Before the words faded, ice crystals began forming on her body—each a perfect dodecagon, refracting prismatic light under the mountain’s glow. Countless crystals merged into a towering statue, encasing her completely. Originally standing just under two meters tall, she now loomed at nearly three meters, motionless.
Dongbo Xueying was baffled. “What’s this? She turns into a statue and does nothing?”
With a testing thrust, he swung his silver spear.
The weapon cut through the air, its shaft bending slightly under the force of his Sovereign-level strength. The power surged to the tip—Bang!—striking the ice statue and sending it flying. It crashed against the black formation barrier, rebounding back onto the arena and rolling to a stop.
Dongbo Xueying stared in disbelief.
She was just… letting him attack?
“Hahaha! This Snow God Venerable truly has no shame!” The watching Sovereigns burst into laughter.
“She knows she can’t match Dongbo Xueying in offense, so she’s going all-out on defense to protect her life.”
“Her strategy makes sense. Her defensive prowess is exceptional. As long as Dongbo Xueying can’t kill her, the arena’s hazards will eventually descend. And she’s resilient—if he dies first, she wins.” The Sovereigns chuckled among themselves.
It was a pragmatic approach, albeit dishonorable. What kind of fighter just stood there and took hits? Would she even resist if someone urinated on her? Not that Dongbo Xueying would ever do such a thing.
“Brother Dongbo!”
A figure rushed over—Prince Jiaoyun Liu, who had hurried upon hearing the news. “What’s going on? Why aren’t you fighting?”
“Nothing much. I just didn’t expect the Third Venerable of the Primordial Devil Mountain to be so…” Dongbo Xueying glanced at the motionless ice statue on the arena, at a loss for words. Regardless, he had to give his all to win. The final battle in his home universe wasn’t far off, and the stronger he became, the better. This opportunity at the Primordial Devil Mountain couldn’t be wasted.
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