The Black Fog Sea.
Within the garden, the scattered tables and arrangements seemed haphazard at first glance, yet subtly aligned with the profound mysteries of the universe. Dongbo Xueying, Yu Jingqiu, Dongbo Qingshi, Mo Yangyu, Dongbo Lie and his wife, Uncle Zong, as well as Chi Qiu Bai and his spouse, Dongbo Yu and his wife, Dongbo Qingyao… along with the most outstanding descendants of the Dongbo Clan, and old friends from the Xia Clan such as Chao Qing, Mountain Master He, and Sikong Yang—all had gathered here.
“Father,” Dongbo Qingyao said, “though I could see you in the Redstone Mountain World, it’s been over eight million years since I last saw you in the Black Fog Sea. How could you bear to stay away for so long?”
Dongbo Xueying laughed heartily. “We meet often in the Redstone Mountain World, yet you still scold me?”
“Xueying, you really did disappear for a long time this time,” Chi Qiu Bai remarked with a smile. Now a Three-Heavens Realm God, he was the strongest in the Xia Clan World after Dongbo Xueying and Yu Jingqiu. In fact, due to Yu Jingqiu’s reincarnation, Chi Qiu Bai’s actual cultivation time was far shorter than hers.
“And this is your Imperial Manor, yet you’re never here,” even his mother, Mo Yangyu, chimed in. “Your father and I have visited the Black Fog Sea many times, but never once saw you.”
“My mistake, my mistake,” Dongbo Xueying quickly conceded.
Before his mother, even he had to obediently admit fault.
For other mighty experts and Realm Gods, eight million years might seem like a fleeting moment.
But for this group of fellow clansmen from the Xia Clan World, eight million years was an unbearably long time! Thus, the moment Dongbo Xueying returned, they all rushed from every corner to reunite with him. The wandering Dongbo Lie and his wife immediately came to see their son, his younger brother Dongbo Qingshi arrived as well—this was truly a rare and joyous gathering.
The group chatted in small clusters.
Though Dongbo Xueying now held an exalted status, their bonds were extraordinary. With figures like Chao Qing and Mountain Master He, he shared life-and-death camaraderie, having weathered countless trials together.
This banquet lifted Dongbo Xueying’s spirits immensely.
After the feast, everyone dispersed to their resting quarters, with some continuing smaller gatherings among themselves.
Dongbo Xueying and Yu Jingqiu strolled together through the manor.
“Xueying, I thought you wouldn’t return until after the Myriad Flowers Banquet,” Yu Jingqiu said with a smile.
“The Myriad Flowers Banquet?” Dongbo Xueying blinked in surprise.
“You forgot? The Divine Emperor’s Myriad Flowers Banquet, held once every ten million years,” Yu Jingqiu reminded him. “The next one is approaching soon.”
Dongbo Xueying nodded, a peculiar feeling washing over him. He still vividly remembered leaving the Xia Clan World to participate in the Myriad Flowers Banquet, where Old Brother Bai Sha had shielded him from the Venomous Ying Realm God. He had ventured forth, eventually being taken in as a disciple by the Divine Emperor. Back then, he had only just grasped a single First-Rank Divine Heart, the ‘World Heart,’ and had to conceal his progress to avoid drawing the attention of the Black Fiend Ancestor.
Now, in what felt like the blink of an eye, he had opened two Daos, and ordinary mighty experts no longer fazed him. Even the lofty realm of ‘Dominator’ was no longer beyond reach. As long as he continued advancing along these two Daos, achieving eternity in either would elevate him to the status of a Dominator!
“The new Myriad Flowers Banquet,” Dongbo Xueying murmured.
“I’ll have to attend, and as the Divine Emperor’s disciple, you certainly must as well,” Yu Jingqiu said. “Many of our Dongbo Clan’s younger generation have been preparing for this opportunity to prove themselves.”
“Oh? Are there any exceptional talents worthy of being taken under a mighty expert’s wing?” Dongbo Xueying asked with a smile.
Yu Jingqiu shook her head. “With access to Realm God-level secret arts and guidance within the Dongbo Clan, some might pass the regional preliminaries. But truly exceptional? None yet.”
Dongbo Xueying nodded. “Back then, I fought in the Myriad Flowers Banquet. Now, I’ll be watching the younger generation compete.”
—
After returning to the Black Fog Sea, Dongbo Xueying utilized the ‘Bloodblade Tavern’ and called upon his network of friends to gather the materials required for the initial volume of *Ten Thousand Demons True Body*. Having slain two Mother Goddess Cult Protectors, he was now wealthy enough to afford these treasures—though exchanges were always fair, ensuring no party suffered losses.
Even then, such trades were only possible due to his reputation. Otherwise, even fair offers might be refused.
While arranging the collection of materials, Dongbo Xueying also focused on consolidating his newly opened ‘Path of Slaughter,’ devoting himself entirely to cultivation.
Three thousand years passed in the blink of an eye.
With the Bloodblade Tavern securing over half of the more common materials and the help of numerous friends, the collection was finally completed.
Even two top-tier Supremacies—Qing Jun and the Ascetic—volunteered their assistance.
“Imperial Lord Dongbo, judging by the materials you seek, you’ve also obtained the initial volume of *Ten Thousand Demons True Body*?” The Ascetic of the Dark Abyss transmitted via karma. Through their conversation, Dongbo Xueying learned that this powerhouse, ranked fifteenth on the Cosmic Deities and Demons Ranking and famed for his immense strength, had also passed the Three Demons Hall trial to acquire the initial volume.
“Junior Brother Dongbo, congratulations. Passing the Three Demons Hall trial is no easy feat. I struggled a bit myself back then,” Qing Jun transmitted.
Dongbo Xueying realized that even Qing Jun had once obtained it.
As the white-robed, white-haired elder had said, very few in this cosmic epoch had succeeded.
—
In the underground hall of the Imperial Manor, a deep pool had been dug and filled with a pitch-black liquid. Dongbo Xueying stood beside it, holding a jade vial. He poured out a stream of silver sand into the pool, where it dissolved instantly. The pouring continued for nearly the time it took to drink a cup of tea before the vial was empty.
Next came a gourd of black blood, followed by golden-glowing leaves, and finally, finely ground powders.
One after another, rare and exotic materials were added to the pool in a strict sequence, the liquid gradually shifting in hue. The entire process took half an hour.
“Almost there,” Dongbo Xueying murmured, observing the now-dark crimson liquid that bubbled fiercely, radiating scorching heat. “The cost of these materials alone rivals that of an ordinary True God artifact. If not for slaying those two Mother Goddess Cult Protectors, I’d have had a hard time trading for them.”
He couldn’t just demand them empty-handed.
“*Ten Thousand Demons True Body*—I wonder how far my physique will evolve after mastering the initial volume,” Dongbo Xueying mused eagerly. With a step forward, he entered the pool, the dark crimson liquid rising to his chest as his clothes vanished.
His body expanded as he sat cross-legged within the pool, commencing the cultivation of *Ten Thousand Demons True Body*’s initial volume. Only with these external aids could he progress by leaps and bounds.
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