Chapter 686: Arrival

In this world, the five Venerables from the three great sacred lands—the Heavenly Fire Palace, the Xuhuang Kingdom, and the Shadow Demon Mansion—could faintly discern from the towering figure in the River of Time, far larger than any ordinary Four Heavens Realm God, that this “Flying Snow Consultant” was anything but ordinary! After all, the scenes within the ‘River of Time’ could not be falsified; everything was a natural manifestation of the universe’s operational laws.

They knew the ‘Flying Snow Consultant’ was extraordinary, but in what way? What made him so special? Why was he so unique?

These were all unknowns!

Past histories held no records, but now history had been written! The Flying Snow Consultant was the only Four Heavens Realm God in countless epochs of this world to possess such a colossal form in the River of Time—his waist alone spanned one-tenth of the river’s width, a size so unimaginable it defied belief.

“Venerable Xuhuang, you have the broadest knowledge. Do you know why this Flying Snow Consultant is so extraordinary?”

“I do not. I’ve never even heard of such a thing.”

“Brother Golden Flame, do you know?”

“I’ve been racking my brain, but I can’t fathom it. Yet the laws of the universe do not lie.”

Among the five Venerables, the strongest were Venerable Xuhuang and Palace Master Golden Flame. The other three were slightly weaker. Though the Shadow Demon Mansion Lord had established a sacred land of his own, it was due to the peculiar and unique nature of the path he had forged.

“Esteemed ones, in all the epochs before, there has never been such an inconceivable Four Heavens Realm God. Could this be related to the legendary ‘Ancient God Temple’?”

“The Ancient God Temple?”

“Indeed. Perhaps only the Ancient God Temple could produce something so unfathomable.”

“But the Ancient God Temple lies within my Xuhuang Kingdom, and I can assure you, this Flying Snow Consultant has never set foot inside it,” Venerable Xuhuang stated bluntly. As the oldest and most powerful Venerable in this world, he had long ago claimed the mysterious ‘Ancient God Temple’ and built the vast Xuhuang Kingdom around it.

“All of you have visited the Ancient God Temple. If the Flying Snow Consultant had been an ordinary Four Heavens Realm God before entering, he would have gained nothing. We all know how terrifying that place is.”

“Hmm.”

“But aside from the Ancient God Temple, we can’t think of any other explanation.”

The five Venerables deliberated among themselves, all deeply puzzled.

“Since this matter originated from our Heavenly Fire Palace, Brother Golden Flame and I will take responsibility for uncovering the truth about this Flying Snow Consultant,” said Venerable Golden Flame.

—

At the Chong Clan estate.

Now, the clan members, guards, maids, consultants, and elders all regarded Dongbo Xueying with entirely different eyes, their attitudes far more reverent. They all knew this was someone who could slay mighty beings as easily as slaughtering chickens. The Seventh Prince, Chong Yan, was especially proud, often seeking guidance from his master Dongbo Xueying in swordsmanship.

In contrast, the high-ranking figures of the Chong Clan—the Patriarch and the Grand Elders—were secretly uneasy. They knew the ‘Heavenly Fire Palace’ would not let this matter rest so easily.

Years passed.

Traveling from the Heavenly Fire Palace to the Chong Clan, even at maximum speed under the suppression of the world’s laws, would take several years given the vastness of this realm.

In the courtyard.

Dongbo Xueying sat cross-legged on the grass, a sword resting on his knees. He meditated with closed eyes, occasionally picking up the divine sword to execute two or three moves.

Nearby, the white-robed youth Chong Yan watched intently, marveling at his master’s swordsmanship. “Incredible. At first glance, it seems ordinary, but the more I observe, the more unfathomable it becomes.” Little did he know, the techniques Dongbo Xueying casually displayed were insights into the sixth and final stance of the *Six Slaying Sword Forms*.

As one who had forged the Path of Slaughter, Dongbo Xueying had mastered the first five stances in just three days. The sixth stance, however, took over two hundred years to grasp—though with his true body in the Red Dust Mountain maintaining a hundredfold time acceleration, only two years had passed in the outside world.

After mastering it, Dongbo Xueying began studying how the sixth stance of *Six Slaying Sword Forms* had been created and how the mysteries of the Path of Slaughter were woven into it. In the Divine Realm and the Abyss, figures like the ‘Silent Emperor,’ whose strength rivaled Qing Jun’s, had studied the *Blood Devil Scroll* and created their own supreme techniques. Learning a technique was one thing, but the true value lay in understanding how its creator had devised it.

Creating a technique perfectly suited to oneself would unleash its greatest power. After all, even within the same Path of Slaughter, there were distinctions.

As for swordplay? The external forms were superficial—whether using a sword, a blade, or a spear, the true essence lay in the underlying principles and mysteries.

“Mastering a Path of Slaughter technique has multiplied my offensive power several times over,” Dongbo Xueying thought with satisfaction. “But this isn’t enough. If I can create my own technique in the future, I might even contend with a Paragon.”

The Silent Emperor, who had created his own technique, was one such figure who could rival a Paragon. Many in the Divine Realm and the Abyss sought to emulate him. Dongbo Xueying didn’t presume he could match the Silent Emperor, but he had his own advantages—his fusion of the Path of Illusions and the Path of Slaughter would likely inspire envy even in the Silent Emperor himself.

**Boom!**

Suddenly, a terrifying aura surged toward them from afar.

Dongbo Xueying looked up, raising his right hand. Chong Yan, who had been practicing his swordplay in the distance, was instantly pulled to his side. “Master, what’s happening?” the youth asked, bewildered.

“Stay behind me and watch quietly,” Dongbo Xueying instructed as he stood.

“Who dares?!” The Chong Clan Patriarch’s furious roar echoed as the clan’s defensive formations activated.

A blazing streak of fire descended upon the Chong Clan estate with overwhelming force. The sheer pressure made Dongbo Xueying frown slightly. “A Venerable?”

This was no ordinary flame conjured by the world’s laws—it was the terrifying fire of a Venerable who had forged their own path. Though not as formidable as ‘Venerable Huo Chen,’ it still posed a threat. “It seems he’s mastered a fire-based supreme technique. The Venerables of this world shouldn’t be underestimated—most have likely found techniques suited to them.”

**Boom!**

The fiery streak crashed into the courtyard with overwhelming dominance, its shockwaves rippling outward. The Chong Clan’s formations strained to suppress the residual energy, barely holding against the Venerable’s unleashed might. Half the courtyard was obliterated—yet the grass behind Dongbo Xueying remained untouched.

**Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!**

Four figures arrived—the Chong Clan Patriarch and the three Great Elder-level experts. They saw the red-haired man wreathed in flames, his eyes radiating boundless pressure. The searing fire around him made the Chong Clan’s leaders feel the threat of death.

“Right Palace Master…” The four tensed. Though they had prepared for this, facing one of the Heavenly Fire Palace’s two supreme leaders—Right Palace Master ‘Scarletflame’—still filled them with dread.

“Right Palace Master of the Heavenly Fire Palace?” Chong Yan, standing behind Dongbo Xueying, instinctively stepped closer to his master, his heart pounding.

Dongbo Xueying stood calmly, a sword strapped to his back, facing the red-haired Venerable with a faint smile. “Palace Master Scarletflame?”

The Chong Clan Patriarch and the others couldn’t help but admire his composure. While they trembled before Scarletflame, the Flying Snow Consultant remained as unshaken as if facing an ordinary foe.

“Interesting,” Scarletflame mused, studying the black-clad youth before him. Though his aura was that of an ordinary Four Heavens Realm God, Scarletflame had seen the River of Time and knew this ‘Flying Snow Consultant’ was anything but ordinary.

“Do you intend to side with the Chong Clan?” Scarletflame asked casually.

“Yes,” Dongbo Xueying replied with equal nonchalance.

“Then you oppose the Heavenly Fire Palace?” Scarletflame pressed.

The Chong Clan’s leaders held their breath, their hearts racing.

“I have no wish to oppose the Heavenly Fire Palace,” Dongbo Xueying said. “But if the palace insists on pursuing this matter, then so be it.”

“Oh?” Scarletflame’s brow furrowed slightly.

Such calmness. Such indifference. Few dared to speak of opposing the Heavenly Fire Palace so casually.

“For a Realm God to possess such power, you must have had extraordinary encounters,” Scarletflame remarked.

“I’ve had my share,” Dongbo Xueying said, offering nothing more.

“You needn’t say it—I already know. You’ve been to the Ancient God Temple,” Scarletflame pressed, scrutinizing Dongbo Xueying’s expression for confirmation.

Dongbo Xueying’s mind stirred at the mention.

*The Ancient God Temple?*

As a Four Heavens Realm God, his combat prowess was unprecedented in this world’s history, according to the Chong Clan’s records. Yet Scarletflame assumed he had visited the Ancient God Temple.

*The Ancient God Temple…* Dongbo Xueying had a strong premonition—this place was extraordinary, and it might very well be connected to the star map left by the Demon Ancestor, the very reason he had come here.