“Go, retrieve the original copy of the Blood Demon Scroll’s first volume as quickly as possible,” the Annihilation Emperor said, glancing at the White Monarch. “Rest assured, with me here, this old ghost won’t dare play any tricks. But if you ever deal with him alone in the future, you’d better stay vigilant.”
The White Monarch laughed heartily. “Annihilation, don’t tarnish my reputation.”
After speaking, the White Monarch cast a puzzled look at Dongbo Xueying.
Why hasn’t he moved yet?
Dongbo Xueying sat there calmly, flipping his hand to reveal a blood-red tome. The book exuded an overwhelming aura of blood and malevolence, as if it were an endless sea of blood. “I happened to have the original with me, so there’s no need to make a trip back and forth to the Qishui World.”
“You carry it with you?” The White Monarch was stunned.
“You actually brought it?” The Annihilation Emperor was equally surprised.
Both had assumed Dongbo Xueying would have hidden the original copy of the Blood Demon Scroll’s first volume somewhere, keeping the upper hand. Even if he were killed, the original would remain out of reach.
Yet here he was, carrying it on his person!
Was it foolish arrogance? Or sheer confidence?
“I almost regret not going all out to kill you earlier,” the White Monarch sighed, shaking his head. “Had I done so, the original would now be mine. I must admit, your audacity is impressive—you even fooled me.”
Dongbo Xueying merely smiled without explanation.
Had it not been for the unexpected acquisition of that talisman, he would never have carried the original with him.
“Hah, well then,” the Annihilation Emperor chuckled, waving his hand to produce a black tome. The book radiated a similarly sinister aura, though even more concentrated.
The two volumes shared the same origin, yet the second volume felt deeper and more restrained.
“Let’s each learn them separately,” the Annihilation Emperor declared without hesitation, channeling a trace of his power into the original copy of the first volume to begin the inheritance process.
—
One by one, Dongbo Xueying, the White Monarch, and the Annihilation Emperor completed their study of the scrolls.
Dongbo Xueying exhaled softly—this was his first time learning the Blood Demon Scroll, and he had absorbed both volumes in one go.
With his current divine heart stronger than before, his comprehension was swifter.
“The Demon Ancestor who created this… who is he? He seems formidable,” Dongbo Xueying mused silently. “The Blood Demon Scroll is one of his six great legacies?”
The Blood Demon Scroll was an exceedingly sinister art. To cultivate it, one first had to transform their body—either through sheer will and enlightenment, which demanded immense pain and perseverance, or by relying on countless spirits as aids, reducing the difficulty tenfold. The latter method, however, required devouring more and more souls as one progressed, making it nearly impossible to master beyond the True God level.
Only the path of pure self-cultivation led to the true Dao.
Though the method was wicked, the power it yielded was pure.
Mastering the Blood Demon Scroll would completely alter one’s lifeform, rendering even a Paragon unable to slay them. The aura they emitted would rival the most malevolent of curses, and their strength would approach that of figures like Qing Jun or the Annihilation Emperor.
“So, Annihilation, was it worth referencing?” The White Monarch grinned, clearly pleased.
“Referencing?” The Annihilation Emperor scoffed. “The Demon Ancestor’s legacy is a path of bodily transformation, ultimately altering one’s very lifeform. To wholeheartedly pursue this road would be a deviation! Remember, the Demon Ancestor had six avatars—this is merely the legacy of one. His true self encompassed all. And my self-created art surpasses the Blood Demon Scroll!”
His tone brimmed with absolute confidence.
After studying the complete Blood Demon Scroll, the Annihilation Emperor found it unworthy of further consideration.
“Of course, of course,” the White Monarch conceded with exaggerated admiration. “You’re the closest to becoming a Paragon in the Abyss. I know my limits—just reaching Paragon would satisfy me. This scroll is still quite useful for my purposes.”
The Annihilation Emperor eyed him skeptically.
With the White Monarch, one could trust only one in ten of his words.
Did he truly believe becoming a Paragon would be enough? Impossible.
“This old fox,” the Annihilation Emperor sneered inwardly. Among the few powerhouses he regarded with caution in the Dark Abyss, only two stood out: the Hellfire Commander and the White Monarch. The former had already bested him twice, yet the latter was the one he truly feared.
The Hellfire Commander, though ostensibly independent, had deep ties to one of the Abyss’s three Paragons—the Hellfire Paragon.
The White Monarch was different.
He stood alone, without any backing, yet remained unshaken.
“Marvelous. The Blood Demon Scroll is far more potent than I imagined,” the White Monarch rejoiced inwardly. This opportunity had exceeded his wildest expectations. “Who would’ve thought? The Blood Demon Scroll aligns almost perfectly with the Dao I’ve forged myself!”
“Dongbo Xueying, have you finished learning?” the Annihilation Emperor asked.
“I have,” Dongbo Xueying confirmed.
“Old Ghost White, resurrect the transcendent from the River of Time,” the Annihilation Emperor commanded.
Pleased with his gains, the White Monarch regarded Dongbo Xueying with newfound favor and smiled. “Of course. I did promise to help.”
Rising to his feet, he was joined by Dongbo Xueying and the Annihilation Emperor as all three turned their gazes toward the distant sky.
*Hum—*
Space-time bent to their will.
The once-ordinary misty expanse seemed to peel away like the skin of an orange, revealing the fruit within. The layer of space blurred, exposing a deeper, vast, and surging river—the River of Time. It stretched endlessly across the cosmos, flowing through the Divine Realm, the Abyss, and the Material World alike.
Every lifeform, from Fourth Heaven Sky Gods to mindless insects, was submerged within its currents.
The River of Time existed on a plane separate from the universe itself—like two floors of a building. The Divine Realm, Abyss, and Material World occupied one level, while the River of Time flowed in the depths below, recording every moment of every life from birth to death, so long as they remained unenlightened.
“This is… unsettling,” Dongbo Xueying murmured as he saw his own form within the river—a colossal figure, towering above countless others in his segment of the flow. Among Fourth Heaven Sky Gods, few could rival his presence, save perhaps the Bamboo Mountain Manor Lord, who resided in a different stretch of the river.
Around his towering form swirled innumerable lives, like stars orbiting a giant.
“Dongbo Xueying.” On the river’s ethereal shore stood two figures—the White Monarch and the Annihilation Emperor.
Having transcended, they had stepped out of the river and onto the bank.
From there, they observed the countless souls still trapped in the currents, including Dongbo Xueying.
“You knew Chi Qiubai. Search through your past in the River of Time and locate him,” the White Monarch instructed.
“Understood.”
With his mastery of the Space-Time Divine Heart, Dongbo Xueying could peer into the lives of others still submerged in the river—and into his own. Behind him stretched a layered shadow, a record of his existence from birth to the present. Within it lay every memory, including those of Chi Qiubai.
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