Chapter 735: The Void God Clan’s Invitation

While Dongbo Xueying was gathering information through the illusionary realm, a warship had already arrived in the starry skies beyond the planet.

Inside the warship, a man clad in silver armor, his body covered in azure scales, coldly observed the scene displayed within the vessel—Dongbo Xueying in the midst of his interrogation.

“An outsider from another universe? How bold, to dare lay hands on the descendants of my ‘Shandan’ lineage.” The man’s golden eyes gleamed with icy intent, though he instinctively assessed the opponent’s strength first.

*Hum!*

An invisible ripple emanated from the warship, sweeping across the planet.

“What?” The silver-armored, azure-scaled man, initially composed, now paled. “A soul aura indicating the level of a Venerable?”

This warship had been bestowed upon him by the prince he served, excelling in traversing spacetime and detecting soul auras. Though not as heaven-defying as the Black Gourd’s artifact spirit—capable of even measuring soul intensity—it could at least determine the approximate tier of an opponent’s power.

“To think I’d encounter an alien powerhouse of Venerable rank on a casual outing.” The man nodded slightly.

*Hum.*

Meanwhile, Dongbo Xueying, who had been gathering intelligence while conversing with his true self and artifact spirit back in his homeland, sensed the faint ripple passing over him. Though subtle, his mastery over the Void and the Illusory World allowed him to detect this hidden fluctuation.

“Hmm?” Dongbo Xueying’s expression shifted as he instinctively turned his gaze, piercing through the walls of the hall to behold the warship in the starry void. His vision traversed space, locking onto the silver-armored, azure-scaled man within.

Their eyes met across the distance.

“How alert you are, my alien friend, to have noticed me.” A voice echoed as the silver-armored man materialized inside the hall. “Judging by your appearance, you don’t seem to be from the eight universes my clan has conquered.”

Dongbo Xueying studied him.

Having already gleaned much information, he knew this universe, governed by a bloodline cultivation system, was fiercely warlike. It frequently formed ‘cosmic passages,’ through which it had subjugated eight other universes. To conquer a universe, a supreme-grade cosmic passage was required to allow even Dominators to invade. The passage Dongbo Xueying had arrived through, however, only permitted non-transcendent beings to traverse, making large-scale conquest impossible.

That said, though they had conquered eight universes, they were far more benevolent than the Mother Goddess Sect.

They treated the native lifeforms of those universes well, merely sending their own kin to propagate. They even regarded outsiders as equals to their own kind.

“I am Dongbo Xueying, newly arrived in this universe,” he said.

“I am Shandan.” The silver-armored man glanced at the two descendants trapped in the illusion. “Consider me their ancestor—they are of my bloodline.”

Dongbo Xueying felt a pang of awkwardness.

To think his illusion had ensnared the man’s own descendants.

“Hahaha… You may not know this, but we can sense our bloodline descendants at all times, especially those with notable strength,” Shandan explained. “I sensed an anomaly in their life force and came to investigate.”

“My apologies. I know nothing of this place, hence my methods,” Dongbo Xueying replied, dispelling the illusion.

The two descendants awoke, startled by the newcomers in the hall. Upon recognizing the silver-armored man, they scrambled to their feet, crying out in fervent excitement, “Patriarch!”

Their bloodline told them—this was the founder of their family, its strongest, its patriarch: Shandan.

“Mmm.” The silver-armored man nodded coolly. “I came to meet a friend. Attend to your duties.”

“Brother Dong, shall we speak outside?” Shandan asked courteously.

“Of course. But, Brother Shandan, ‘Dongbo’ would suffice.” Dongbo Xueying inwardly mused at the unfamiliar address—’Brother Dong’ was a first for him.

*Whoosh! Whoosh!*

In moments, they stood amidst the starry void.

“Hahaha, Dongbo, you’ve just arrived, so you may not know much. But surely you’ve heard of the Three Imperial Clans—the three Void God families?” Shandan pressed.

“Only just now,” Dongbo Xueying admitted.

“I currently serve the ‘Jiaoyun Clan,’ one of the Three Imperial Clans,” Shandan continued. “Jiaoyun the Great has three children—three princes. Their bloodlines are extraordinary, their potential immense. With their lofty status and access to vast resources, many powerhouses flock to serve them. I follow the Third Prince, ‘Jiaoyun Liu.'”

Dongbo Xueying nodded, having surmised as much.

In a bloodline cultivation system, the children of Void Gods naturally held exalted status. Bound by familial ties, Void Gods would spare no effort in nurturing their offspring. Even a fraction of a Void God’s treasures and resources would be beyond imagination for their heirs.

“You must already know our universe thrives on battle—the strong survive, the weak perish,” Shandan said. “The competition is brutal. Even among the princes, conflicts and killings are common. So long as their true lives aren’t threatened, the Void God emperors never intervene.”

Dongbo Xueying listened intently.

He understood that despite Shandan’s current courtesy, this universe, though inclusive, was ruthlessly competitive. The strong ruled, the weak were scorned—even traded as commodities, forced to fight for others’ amusement.

Even the lofty princes faced relentless trials. Noble bloodlines alone weren’t enough; they had to temper and awaken their potential through hardship.

“Thus, the Third Prince is recruiting guards,” Shandan said. “With your Venerable-level strength, Dongbo, you’d be a perfect fit.”

“What are the benefits?” Dongbo Xueying cut to the chase. “And what would I owe in return?”

His purpose in coming here was to grow stronger.

“Benefits? Whatever you lack, the prince can easily provide,” Shandan assured. “He values his guards highly. As for obligations? None, really. You’d be given residence and left to cultivate. Only in times of danger would you be called to protect him.”

“Given his Venerable rank, such threats are rare. The last incident was over a billion years ago.”

“Could I access cultivation systems from other universes?” Dongbo Xueying asked.

“Hahaha, that’s the easiest!” Shandan laughed. “We have plenty!”

“Then I’ll give it a try,” Dongbo Xueying agreed.

“Let’s go!”

Shandan was elated.

He knew well that among the three Jiaoyun princes, the Second Prince had already become a Dominator. The Eldest Prince, born first, had reaped immense benefits. Though still a Venerable, the number of powerhouses under him far surpassed the Third Prince’s.

Within the Jiaoyun Clan, the Third Prince was at a disadvantage—hence the urgent need for recruits. A Venerable was already a formidable asset.

*Whoosh—*

Shandan and Dongbo Xueying boarded the warship and departed swiftly.

…

“Incredible speed.” Dongbo Xueying marveled at the vessel. “Not as fast as my Void Transference Art, but over ten times quicker than an ordinary True God Venerable’s spacetime traversal.”

“Look.”

Shandan pointed ahead eagerly. Through the warship’s view, a yellowish-brown planet loomed in the distance. “The Third Prince resides here in seclusion, cultivating. His guards are stationed here for protection. I’ve already informed him of your arrival. Let’s meet him at once.”

With that, he stored the warship and led Dongbo Xueying toward the planet.