Chapter 627: The Emissary

After meeting his master, the Abyss Ancestor, and the Lord of Spacetime Island, Dongbo Xueying returned to the Blackmist Sea and continued his secluded cultivation. He was well aware that his first priority was to strive for transcendence.

Once he fully comprehended the ‘Heaven and Earth Rules,’ he wouldn’t rush to elevate his inner world, refine his True God Heart, or sever himself from the River of Time. Instead, he would remain a Four Heavens Realm God and head to the ‘Primordial Land.’ As long as he refrained from using any combat techniques that involved the complete ‘Heaven and Earth Rules’ while there, who would know that he had already grasped them?

This was a perfectly reasonable approach.

Days passed one after another.

“Master.” A voice echoed through the underground hall.

Dongbo Xueying, seated cross-legged in meditation, opened his eyes. Countless divine runes flickered in his pupils before vanishing into nothingness. “What is it?” he asked.

“There is a guest who wishes to see you. This guest… is rather arrogant,” the formation spirit replied.

“Arrogant? What is their background?” Dongbo Xueying inquired.

“He is an envoy under the Water Demon King,” the formation spirit continued. “He claims to be here on orders, demanding that you go see him immediately.”

Dongbo Xueying frowned slightly.

The Water Demon King?

Ranked thirteenth on the Cosmic Deity-Demon Ranking!

Considering the mysterious Pang Yi and the eight Rulers who occupied nine spots on the ranking, along with non-Rulers like ‘Qing Jun’ and ‘Jinmie the Great Emperor’ who rivaled them, that made eleven in total.

The fact that the Water Demon King ranked thirteenth spoke volumes about his strength—higher than the likes of the Bamboo Mountain Lord, Fire Devil Sovereign, and White Monarch.

“This Water Demon King is not someone to provoke lightly,” Dongbo Xueying mused inwardly.

The Water Demon King had mastered two Daos to their absolute limits, and their fusion granted him overwhelming, brutal combat power. Even the lofty Rulers found it impossible to kill him.

In fact, the top-ranking Sovereigns all had means to protect themselves against Rulers.

Qing Jun and Jinmie the Great Emperor were self-explanatory. The next three—the Witch Silkworm Emperor, the Water Demon King, and the White Monarch—were all bold enough to challenge Rulers. Among them, the Witch Silkworm Emperor was the most mild-tempered, while the White Monarch was cunning and sinister but at least maintained superficial courtesy. The Water Demon King, however, was capricious and unruly. Despite being a powerful expert in the Divine Realm, he bore the title ‘Demon King,’ a testament to his temperament.

His immense strength and mastery over two esoteric Daos made even ordinary Rulers struggle against him, fueling his arrogance.

His increasingly reckless behavior eventually provoked the ancient Primordial Master. Though unable to kill him outright, the Primordial Master imprisoned the Water Demon King for three hundred billion years, confining him to a tiny, water-drop-sized prison. Only after this ordeal did the merciful Primordial Master release him with a warning: “Cultivate diligently and strive to become a Ruler. If you persist in your madness and cruelty, I will imprison you until the universe’s destruction, ensuring you perish with it!”

After this punishment, the Water Demon King became far more subdued—at least showing basic respect in the presence of Rulers.

“He sent an envoy?” Though puzzled, Dongbo Xueying still left the underground hall.

—

In the reception hall, Dongbo Xueying sat upon the high seat as his personal guards escorted the envoy inside.

“Envoy, this way,” the guard guided him to the hall’s entrance. “The Divine Emperor awaits within.”

The envoy stepped inside.

Apart from Dongbo Xueying seated above, only a few maids were present.

“Please, take a seat,” Dongbo Xueying said.

The envoy gave a slight bow before sitting down confidently. Maids promptly served fruits, delicacies, and fine wine. The envoy had the appearance of a beastman—pointed ears, a feline face, and an upright posture—exuding the aura of a Three Heavens Realm God.

“Divine Emperor, I come under the orders of the great Water Demon King,” the envoy declared.

Dongbo Xueying smiled faintly. “The Water Demon King rarely emerges these days. Is he in seclusion?”

“The great Water Demon King is wholly devoted to cultivation, naturally striving to break through to Ruler status,” the envoy replied confidently. “I was sent here because he requires certain treasures for his experiments.”

“Treasures?” Dongbo Xueying’s interest piqued.

“The Water Demon King needs a Solar Star Core Stone. We’ve heard that you possess one,” the envoy said. “We humbly request your assistance.”

Dongbo Xueying’s brow furrowed slightly.

A Solar Star Core Stone?

Indeed, this treasure was incomparably precious. As the core material of a solar star, it was not only used for cultivation within the star itself but also served as an exceedingly rare resource for artifact forging, flame research, and other significant purposes. Even the Mother Goddess Sect coveted it, possessing methods to remotely sense its presence—hence their deployment of the Bamboo Sage to acquire it.

Those who obtained a Solar Star Core Stone rarely revealed it.

Only Sovereign-level figures dared to make their ownership public.

Among them, Dongbo Xueying was one of the weakest, but his backing was formidable.

“The Solar Star Core Stone is extremely valuable, and I have great use for it myself,” Dongbo Xueying declined politely.

The envoy frowned. “The great Water Demon King requires this stone. Are you refusing to grant him this courtesy?”

Dongbo Xueying didn’t doubt the claim.

The Water Demon King’s two Daos were both water-aligned. Fire and water were opposing yet complementary forces, so it made sense for him to study the opposing ‘Solar Star Core Stone’ to advance his Daos.

“Were it an ordinary item, I’d gladly gift it to the Water Demon King. But as you must know, I paid a steep price for this stone. When the Bamboo Sage stole it, I pursued him to the Ink Bamboo Continent to reclaim it,” Dongbo Xueying said. “It is of utmost importance to me. I truly cannot part with it.”

The envoy grew frustrated. “Divine Emperor, the great Water Demon King has sent me with a treasure to exchange for the Solar Star Core Stone. Would you at least inspect it?”

“Oh?” Dongbo Xueying raised an eyebrow.

“Please observe.” The envoy waved a hand, and a drop of golden liquid floated in the air, covered in flowing runes. “This is the third chapter of the supreme technique ‘Single Thread Guidance.’ You may receive one transmission of its knowledge.”

Dongbo Xueying’s expression darkened.

‘Single Thread Guidance’ was renowned—one of the supreme techniques left behind by the master of the Heart Lake Island. The original technique consisted of six golden droplets, yet bizarrely, no more than five could coexist in a single cosmic epoch.

The six chapters were divided thus: the first two for Realm Gods, the third for ordinary True Gods, the fourth for Sovereigns, the fifth for Rulers, and the sixth transcended even that. This alone demonstrated the terrifying prowess of the strongest existence across countless epochs.

“Only the third chapter, without the first or second, is useless to me,” Dongbo Xueying said coldly.

“You may still glean insights from it,” the envoy insisted.

“Unfortunately, I am but a Four Heavens Realm God,” Dongbo Xueying replied indifferently. A technique he couldn’t cultivate and had little to learn from, offered as a one-time transmission, in exchange for a Solar Star Core Stone?

His ‘Blood Demon Scroll’ was one of the Demon Ancestor’s six great legacies. To secure Lianjun Star Lord’s aid, he had allowed one of her disciples to receive a single transmission of the scroll’s first volume—along with a personal favor and a promise to complete an array diagram. On top of that, he had offered Void Black Mud and twelve rare materials. Only then did he obtain a Solar Star Core Stone.

And now, a fragmented, nearly useless third chapter of a technique, offered once, was supposed to be worth the stone?

The disparity in value was at least tenfold.

“The Solar Star Core Stone is indispensable to me. I cannot surrender it to the Water Demon King,” Dongbo Xueying stood.

“Divine Emperor Dongbo, the great Water Demon King demands this stone. Do you dare defy him?” the envoy snapped, growing desperate. The Water Demon King had always been capricious, once disregarding even Rulers. Though humbled by the Primordial Master, he still revered Rulers—but looked down on other Sovereigns. A mere Four Heavens Realm God like Dongbo Xueying was beneath his notice.

The envoy had expected Dongbo Xueying to obediently hand it over once given an out.

For years, he had grown accustomed to this. Ordinary experts wouldn’t dare refuse the Water Demon King, surrendering treasures without complaint. But the unfairness of such exchanges bred resentment—hence the well-earned title ‘Demon King.’

“Defy him?” Dongbo Xueying’s gaze turned icy. “A mere Three Heavens Realm God dares raise his voice in my presence?”

**Boom!**

A terrifying force enveloped the envoy. The world around him darkened as an overwhelming pressure immobilized him, rendering him blind and deaf.

When his senses returned, he found himself outside the gates of Dongbo Divine Emperor’s estate.

“**Scram!**” A voice roared in his ears.

The envoy trembled in fear.

“How audacious… how audacious!” Yet he dared not confront Dongbo Xueying again. As a Three Heavens Realm God, he could be annihilated with a mere thought.

—

Back in the hall, Dongbo Xueying’s eyes gleamed with cold fury.

Earlier, with the Bamboo Sage, he had sensed mockery and disdain. But this time, the Water Demon King’s envoy exuded an even greater air of contempt. Yet Dongbo Xueying had to admit—such a being, capable of defying Rulers, had the right to such arrogance.

“Though I am but a lowly Four Heavens Realm God, does the Water Demon King truly dare cause trouble in my Blackmist Sea?” Dongbo Xueying smirked.

This was the territory of the Bloodblade Divine Court.

Ordinary conflicts were one thing, but if a being of the Water Demon King’s caliber dared act—whether against Dongbo Xueying or any other expert under the Bloodblade Divine Emperor—the Divine Emperor himself would intervene instantly. This was the protection afforded to those who pledged allegiance. Otherwise, why would experts submit to him?

As the supreme being atop the Celestial Demon-God Ranking, the Crimsonblade Divine Emperor’s aura of dread eclipsed even that of the Primordial Sovereign.

Dongbo Xueying had no wish to antagonize the Water Demon King. Had the offer been even remotely fair, he might have accepted a minor loss. After all, neither the Flamefire Ancestor nor he currently needed the Solar Star Core Stone.

But—

To demand it for practically nothing? The stone was not so cheap!

—

After expelling the envoy, peace returned.

The Water Demon King made no further moves, clearly still wary of the Rulers—especially the Bloodblade Divine Emperor.

Time flowed on.

Soon, over two thousand years had passed since the Bamboo Sage’s demise.

“My accumulation is profound. The faint whispers of the Heaven and Earth Rules tease at the edge of comprehension, yet I still cannot grasp them fully. Perhaps solitary cultivation is not the way… as Brother Fire Devil said, I should travel, experience myriad sights and encounters. Perhaps a single scene, a single moment, will spark enlightenment.”

After informing his wife Jing Qiu, Dongbo Xueying left the Blackmist Sea alone, embarking on a journey to seek the opportunity for transcendence.