Chapter 575: Demon Vortex

Only an hour after fleeing into the Three-Headed Divine Mountain, Dongbo Xueying felt the difficulty of escape escalating rapidly. For instance, the ‘Qihai Sovereign’ who had just clashed with him and was still in pursuit was a ruler from the 85th layer of the Dark Abyss! Clearly, more and more Abyssal Sovereigns were joining the hunt, entering through various passages and entrances to intercept him.

This time, luck was on his side. Though Qihai Sovereign was immensely powerful—even among the mighty—he was slightly slower, allowing Dongbo Xueying to shake him off.

But what if the next pursuer matched his speed? Or worse, what if a Venerable-level being appeared?

“Tsk, finding a place to hide the original *Blood Demon Scroll* is proving impossible,” Dongbo Xueying mused as he flew at high speed, scanning the shadowy passageways.

Dying was one thing, but losing the original *Blood Demon Scroll* would be an utter failure.

He had hoped to emulate his father-in-law’s method of concealing a True Divine Artifact—burying the *Blood Demon Scroll* in some hidden location.

“Too bad this is the Three-Headed Divine Mountain,” he thought grimly.

On the Lakeheart Island, ice layers were everywhere, making it easy to disguise treasures as frozen crystals.

But the passages of the Three-Headed Divine Mountain were unnaturally resilient—indestructible! Even if he disguised the *Blood Demon Scroll* as something else, the Abyssal Sovereigns could simply unleash their World Divine Power to sweep the area and easily uncover it.

Moreover—

On Lakeheart Island, the mighty dared not recklessly destroy everything in their path. The island was too perilous; the greater the disturbance, the greater the danger. Anyone bold enough to shatter countless ice layers would likely attract swarms of monsters—or worse. Thus, everyone moved cautiously, avoiding prolonged battles.

But the Three-Headed Divine Mountain? Far less dangerous. It posed no threat to Paragons, and even Venerables could survive with caution. Only a few areas endangered the mighty.

Most critically—

He had only fled for an hour. How far could he have gone? Not even ten billion miles!

If the pursuers conducted a systematic search along his escape route, finding the *Blood Demon Scroll* would only be a matter of time.

“If only this were Lakeheart Island—they wouldn’t dare tear through everything like this,” Dongbo Xueying sighed inwardly.

—

Time passed.

By now, two Venerables and 125 Abyssal Sovereigns had gathered in the Three-Headed Divine Mountain, blocking different passages from all directions.

“I can’t keep running like this.”

“If I do, I’ll be caught within half an hour.”

Dongbo Xueying’s black armor was cracked, slowly mending. His bones were shattered, his flesh torn—yet his body healed rapidly. Behind him, a giant clad in a leather loincloth roared in pursuit, wielding a massive axe.

The giant’s speed was nearly equal to his own.

“Dongbo Xueying, you can’t escape!” The giant thundered forward, his tawny eyes icy. “Hand over the *Blood Demon Scroll*!”

This was the infamous ‘Yemo,’ a mighty figure of the Dark Abyss. Though his name seemed unremarkable, his strength ranked among the top below the Venerable level, rivaling even the Nine Suns Palace Master and the Purple-Robed Witch Emperor. Renowned for his ferocious offense and impregnable defense, he often tanked enemy strikes head-on, retaliating with his devastating axe.

And devastating it was.

One swing had sent Dongbo Xueying flying, cracking his armor and shattering his body. Only the Taihao Force enveloping him allowed him to keep fleeing.

“Give it to me!” Yemo bellowed. His massive frame, though powerful, made him somewhat clumsy. Despite his speed matching Dongbo Xueying’s, he couldn’t close the gap.

“If I obtain the original *Blood Demon Scroll*, even the Annihilation Emperor would trade for it. With the complete text, I could ascend to the Venerable level, just as he did.” Yemo’s ambition burned fiercely.

“Hmm?” Dongbo Xueying suddenly spotted a colossal void ahead—a passage widening dramatically into a thousand-billion-mile-wide maw, its vortex-like winds sucking everything inward.

As he neared, the pull grew overwhelming, destabilizing his flight.

“In I go.” Without hesitation, Dongbo Xueying accelerated toward the void. Continuing to flee would only lower his chances of survival.

Yemo, however, slowed—then stopped at the void’s edge.

“Even I could perish in there.” After a brief hesitation, he conjured an avatar of True Divine Power and sent it in pursuit.

—

The winds inside the void grew fiercer.

Dongbo Xueying, swept along by the currents, hurtled forward at blinding speed. Space itself twisted around him; though his velocity only doubled or tripled, the warped dimensions propelled him billions of miles in erratic bursts. He dared not accelerate further—the gales had seized control of his movement.

Whoosh—

He streaked through the endless, shadowy tunnel.

A glimmer of light caught his eye—a branching path.

He ignored it, pressing onward.

Again and again, forks appeared.

“This must be the Demon Vortex of the Three-Headed Divine Mountain,” Dongbo Xueying realized. “Its most perilous zone.”

Indeed.

Even Venerables faced mortal danger here.

Many passages in the mountain led to the Demon Vortex, a gateway to the ancient, treacherous depths of the Three-Headed Divine Mountain.

“Here.” After bypassing fifteen forks, Dongbo Xueying spotted another light. This time, he veered toward it, resisting the vortex’s pull.

The light marked an entrance—a hundred-billion-mile-wide passage.

Whoosh—

At nearly two million miles per second, he shot into the opening.

The winds vanished. Resistance thickened the air.

Before him stretched a desolate world—a dim sky over an eerily smooth, featureless plain, like a vast, unbroken desert.

“Most mighty would hesitate here, but Venerables would still dare enter,” Dongbo Xueying mused. “Through karma, they’ll track me soon.”

He scanned the barren expanse.

“I need a plan.”