Chapter 699: Return, Chen Jiu Brother

From the surging river of the void, a figure clad in black robes emerged.

“I’m out.” Dongbo Xueying gazed at the endless void river stretching billions of miles before him, a hint of emotion in his heart. Even with his Void World perception, he could no longer locate the hidden world within that river!

“Stop looking. You only had a chance to enter because you obtained the star map. Otherwise, even if you searched for an entire epoch, you’d never find that world,” the voice of the red-bellied child echoed in Dongbo Xueying’s mind. “You’d better focus on refining the Black Gourd within the next million years. If you fail, I’ll have no choice but to leave.”

“I understand.” Dongbo Xueying frowned slightly, rubbing his forehead.

Pain.

A sharp, throbbing ache pulsed through him as dark energy seeped into his True God Heart. His once crystal-clear body now bore faint traces of black energy, bringing constant torment.

“I can only slowly dissipate it, letting the dark energy fade gradually. It’ll take about ten thousand years.” Dongbo Xueying assessed the rate at which the dark energy was being purged from his True God Heart and made his judgment.

“Dongbo Xueying, this is just a minor backlash. Until you fully recover, don’t attempt a second use—the backlash will intensify drastically, and your soul might collapse entirely,” the red-bellied child warned through telepathy.

“You’re quite impressive yourself. Even when I store you in a pocket dimension, you can still communicate with me effortlessly,” Dongbo Xueying replied with a chuckle.

Though the pain was relentless, having endured the torment of the Ghost Six Curses in his youth, he could still maintain his composure and even jest.

“Hmph, a mere pocket dimension can’t restrain me in the slightest. Even renowned places like the Heartlake Island or the Six Paths Reincarnation Wheel in your universe—I can come and go as I please,” the red-bellied child boasted confidently. “If you fail to refine me within a million years, no matter where you hide me or who helps you, I can leave whenever I wish.”

“I believe you, I believe you.” Dongbo Xueying smiled, not pressing further.

His trust wasn’t in the artifact spirit, but in the Voidwalker—the one who had effortlessly forged a treasure like the Black Gourd, capable of containing a celestial body like the Solar Star. Such power was beyond Dongbo Xueying’s comprehension. Even legends spoke of the Heartlake Island Master and the Demon Ancestor being unable to affect the Solar Star or Lunar Star.

“Let’s go.”

With a wave of his hand, Dongbo Xueying tore open a spatial rift and stepped into the passage, beginning his journey back.

—

**Whoosh.**

At the Divine Emperor’s estate in the Black Fog Sea.

“Hmm?” Dongbo Xueying appeared high in the sky, instinctively extending his senses to cover the entire estate. He located his wife, Yu Jingqiu, but also detected the presence of an old friend.

“Chen Jiu?”

Dongbo Xueying was astonished.

Back in the Xia Clan’s world, when the Witch God and the Great Demon God had secretly plotted war to seize the world and claim the pocket dimension ‘Red Rock Mountain,’ several powerful beings had sent their elite demigods to compete for the treasures and techniques left behind by the almighty Red Dust Sacred Master. Among them were figures like Lord Youlan, Wu Ma Hai, Chen Jiu, the Sword Emperor, and the Plum Mountain Master. At the time, Dongbo Xueying, afflicted by the Ghost Six Curses, had risked everything to enter Red Rock Mountain in search of a sliver of hope.

Inside Red Rock Mountain, he and Chen Jiu had formed a team, surviving life-and-death trials together and forging a deep bond.

In the courtyard.

A faint blue-robed Yu Jingqiu sat cross-legged on the grass, a cup of fragrant tea beside her. Her silky hair cascaded down as she rested a True God artifact sword on her lap, meditating on the profound ‘Dao’ contained within.

“Whoosh.” Dongbo Xueying appeared beside her, watching his wife cultivate with a faint smile. Yet, a pang of worry tightened his heart.

His wife was different from him.

She was the eldest daughter of the Snowpeak Monarch, having cultivated for countless years in her past life. Though her memories had awakened after reincarnation, the collision of two lifetimes had allowed her to break through to the Four Heavens Realm. Yet, despite her progress, she lagged far behind prodigies like Dongbo Xueying and Chi Qiu Bai. Even with his utmost support, her advancement remained slow.

Dongbo Xueying feared she might never achieve transcendence.

Transcendence was a path no one could assist with—not even a being as mighty as the Voidwalker could help his friends. At most, external aids could be provided, but the final breakthrough had to come from within.

“Jingqiu…” Dongbo Xueying murmured inwardly.

Some Four Heavens Realm experts, nearing the collapse of their True God Hearts, chose reincarnation. Though rebirth granted new memories and a purified mind, the fusion of past and present lives only extended their lifespan—sometimes by three to five billion years, sometimes just one. None could match the boundless time enjoyed by prodigies like Dongbo Xueying and Chi Qiu Bai.

“Whatever it takes, I’ll do everything I can.” Dongbo Xueying pushed these thoughts aside for now. He had learned to cherish the present—after all, perfection was a rare luxury in life.

“Hmm?”

Yu Jingqiu sensed his presence and opened her eyes, turning to see the most important man in her life. A smile bloomed on her lips. “Xueying, you’re back. You said you were in seclusion and couldn’t be disturbed unless it was urgent. Did you make any progress?”

“I did.” Dongbo Xueying nodded with a grin. “Quite a lot, actually.”

This trip had indeed been fruitful.

He had gained power rivaling that of a Dominator—though he hadn’t fully refined it yet, and could only unleash it once every ten thousand years.

“By the way, Jingqiu, I noticed Chen Jiu is here?” Dongbo Xueying asked, pleasantly surprised.

“He arrived half a year ago,” Yu Jingqiu replied, stowing her sword and rising. “He came to visit you, but since you weren’t here, he planned to leave. Knowing how close you two were, and how often you mentioned him, I persuaded him to stay.”

“Good call.” Dongbo Xueying nodded approvingly.

After leaving the Xia Clan’s world and ascending to the Divine Realm, his rise had been meteoric.

He became a disciple of the Divine Emperor, swiftly ascended to the Four Heavens Realm, and even pioneered two new Daos. Now, as one of the new Three Ancestors, he had long since dispatched agents to discreetly check on his old friends—especially Chen Jiu, but also the Plum Mountain Master and the Sword Emperor.

Yet, the gap between their strengths was vast.

Dongbo Xueying wasn’t sure what they could even talk about. Just reminiscing? It might only breed awkwardness.

So he had opted to aid them covertly—especially the Plum Mountain Master and others bound to the Spacetime Temple as reincarnators. Any assistance had to be handled with extreme caution.

“Chen Jiu finally became a Realm God.” Dongbo Xueying understood why his old friend had chosen to visit now.

Before, Chen Jiu had been just one among countless deities in the vast Divine Realm—hardly in a position to seek him out.

But now, as a Realm God, he stood among the rare elite. Each starfield had only a handful of such beings, and their lifespans spanned billions of years. With his newfound status, Chen Jiu could approach without hesitation.

“Jingqiu, I’ll go see Chen Jiu first. There are things I need to discuss with you afterward,” Dongbo Xueying said.

“Go ahead. We have all the time in the world,” Yu Jingqiu urged with a smile.

“Mm.”

With a single step, Dongbo Xueying vanished, heading to reunite with Chen Jiu after millennia apart.