Chapter 521: A Major Event (Part 2)

“Don’t rush. What happened to the Snow Eagle Monarch?” Dongbo Xueying noticed his wife’s unusual agitation. As a Four Heavens Realm God, she rarely lost her composure like this.

Yu Jingqiu took a deep breath to steady herself, her voice trembling slightly as she spoke. “It’s like this—one of my father’s avatars guarding the empire was ambushed and killed.”

“What?!” Dongbo Xueying was stunned. “The Snow Eagle Monarch’s avatar in the empire? His strength rivals that of a Great Sovereign, and he was in his own stronghold. He couldn’t even escape and was killed?”

“Yes,” Yu Jingqiu nodded. “There were five attackers—three Great Sovereigns and two extremely powerful Four Heavens Realm Gods. They were the Prison Dragon Emperor, the Withered Tree Matriarch, the Nine Suns Palace Master, the Red Float Empress, and the Ze’nuo Monarch.”

Dongbo Xueying’s expression darkened. “What did your father do to provoke such a coalition? Even the Dark Abyss is involved.”

Among the five, the Red Float Empress and the Ze’nuo Monarch were both Four Heavens Realm Gods. The Ze’nuo Monarch, in particular, was a Molten Giant from the Dark Abyss, possessing terrifying strength. While the Divine Realm and the Abyss rarely interacted—and any Realm God daring to trespass the Dark Abyss would be hunted down—Great Sovereign-level combatants often collaborated, especially when exploring ancient ruins.

At the level of the Bloodblade Divine Emperor, even the rulers of the Abyss would befriend him. His “Bloodblade Tavern” had branches throughout the Dark Abyss.

“The Prison Dragon Emperor and the Withered Tree Matriarch are one thing, but the Nine Suns Palace Master is a direct disciple of the Island Lord of Time and Space, armed with supreme techniques. His strength is close to that of the Three Ancestors,” Dongbo Xueying said, frowning. “How could he stoop to ganging up on your father with the others?”

Yu Jingqiu nodded quietly.

“What about your father’s other avatar?” Dongbo Xueying asked.

“For now, it’s safe,” she replied uneasily.

Dongbo Xueying exhaled slightly in relief. “Then why did those five target him?”

“Father knew I had reached the Four Heavens Realm God stage, and you became a Two Heavens Realm God in just five thousand years, even being taken as a disciple by the Divine Emperor,” Yu Jingqiu explained. “He felt completely at ease. But with his True God Heart nearing collapse, he decided to take one last gamble before reincarnation—to explore the extremely dangerous ancient ruins of the ‘Heartlake Island.'”

Dongbo Xueying nodded solemnly.

Ancient ruins that had survived to this day varied in danger levels. The one discovered by the Cang Yong Monarch was relatively mild, but the Heartlake Island Ruins were infamous among Great Sovereigns and Four Heavens Realm Gods—a truly terrifying place. Even the Divine Emperor and the Island Lord of Time and Space had yet to fully unravel its mysteries.

Over countless ages, Four Heavens Realm Gods and Great Sovereigns had ventured in, one after another.

Of course, they only sent avatars. Even if they perished, they could still recover through cultivation.

The Heartlake Island Ruins had many unique traits.

For one, it operated under its own “rules”—rules so distinct that even the Divine Realm’s natural laws couldn’t influence it.

“My father originally explored alongside the Nine Suns Palace Master and the Prison Dragon Emperor,” Yu Jingqiu continued. “Later, he discovered a True God artifact and immediately fled with it, prompting the others to give chase. The ruins are perilous, and my father ended up trapped in a vortex deep within Heartlake Island, temporarily evading them. But those five then destroyed his remaining avatar. Since the ruins operate independently, Father can’t even reincarnate while trapped inside. They’re now hunting him within the ruins.”

Dongbo Xueying understood.

The Heartlake Island Ruins were entirely isolated from external laws—whether from the Divine Realm, the Material World, or the Dark Abyss. Thus, reincarnation was impossible inside. The soul simply couldn’t escape.

“Father told me that even if he reincarnated, the chances of regaining his memories as a god were slim. He’s lived long enough, so he’d rather risk everything for that True God artifact,” Yu Jingqiu whispered. “He revealed its hiding place—deep within the ruins. Though he’s still fleeing, he doesn’t carry the artifact. Even if the Nine Suns Palace Master captures him, they won’t obtain it.”

Her voice was low, her eyes reddening.

Dongbo Xueying sighed inwardly.

This father-in-law of his… truly went all out for his daughter. For a powerhouse, hiding a True God artifact was effortless. Items that blocked all detection were common—the Snow Eagle Monarch could easily produce several. By sealing the artifact’s aura and concealing it in the vast ruins, who could possibly find it?

“A True God artifact… No wonder the Nine Suns Palace Master and the others went mad,” Dongbo Xueying mused.

“Yes,” Yu Jingqiu agreed. “I begged Father to relent, but he refused. Inside the ruins, he can’t reincarnate. Though the odds are low, there’s still hope—I succeeded, didn’t I? But Father insists that trading his fading life for a True God artifact is worth it. Yet…”

Dongbo Xueying fully grasped the Snow Eagle Monarch’s reasoning.

A True God artifact—what was it?

By cultivation stages, practitioners were categorized as Transcendents, Deities, Realm Gods, and Great Sovereigns. The latter were also called “True Gods.”

Only those who transcended the River of Time and achieved true eternity could be called True Gods. They mastered their own fates, surpassing the world’s laws—even weaving their own.

Just as Realm God artifacts were to Realm Gods, True God artifacts were invaluable to Great Sovereigns.

In the Divine Realm and the Abyss, countless Realm Gods existed, some skilled in forging weapons—even among Great Sovereigns. Thus, crafting Realm God artifacts was trivial.

But True God artifacts? Far harder.

Ordinary Great Sovereigns usually couldn’t forge them. At best, they could create “Pocket Dimension Treasures”—the simplest True God artifacts, containing complete world laws but not meant for combat. The truly coveted ones were battle-oriented True God artifacts.

Each combat artifact embodied complete cosmic laws, wielding world-shattering power.

Yet forging them was arduous.

Only beings like the Bloodblade Divine Emperor or the Island Lord of Time and Space could barely manage it, expending immense effort. Thus, True God artifacts were rare in the Divine Realm. Among Great Sovereigns, nine out of ten lacked one.

“Something that drives Great Sovereigns to madness… It’s no surprise your father wouldn’t give it up,” Dongbo Xueying said.

“It’s an ancient divine sword,” Yu Jingqiu said, her voice pained. “Father knew I studied sword arts, so he clung to it even harder. But… to abandon reincarnation for it?”

Reincarnation meant a fresh start.

Though success wasn’t guaranteed, abandoning it meant certain death.

“Father…” Yu Jingqiu’s expression twisted in anguish. “Xueying, if I hadn’t hidden my identity—if they knew the wife of Dongbo Xueying was the Snow Eagle Monarch’s daughter—would they have hesitated? Would they have held back?”

“Don’t dwell on it,” Dongbo Xueying said softly, embracing her. “Even if you’d revealed yourself, those five wouldn’t have cared about me.”

Yu Jingqiu sighed. “Right. My father hid his treasures on an icy star. Let’s retrieve them first.”

“Agreed.”

After instructing their subordinates to report any urgent matters via transmission, Dongbo Xueying and Yu Jingqiu departed discreetly.

Their starfield vessel carried them swiftly beyond the Bloodblade Divine Court’s borders. Guided by the Snow Eagle Monarch’s detailed star map, they soon arrived at a frozen celestial body.

With a flick of his hand, Dongbo Xueying stored the vessel. He and the silver-haired woman—masked to conceal her identity—landed on the icy surface. Yu Jingqiu always traveled incognito; revealing her as a Four Heavens Realm God and Dongbo Xueying’s wife would draw unwanted attention, possibly exposing her to the Golden Firmament Ancestor.

That would invite another catastrophe. Best to avoid trouble altogether.

“Just ahead,” Yu Jingqiu said, scanning their surroundings before leading Dongbo Xueying forward. Each step spanned thousands of miles. In moments, they reached the depths of a shadowy canyon. Her gaze settled on a specific area.