Chapter 446: The Gift of the White Sand City Lord

The arena battles had concluded.

Under the supervision of the legion soldiers maintaining order, the spectators began to disperse.

Jiu She, with his long white hair, white robes, and fluttering white brows, had narrow, sharp eyes. As he stood and walked away, he cast a glance at Dongbo Xueying and the Drunken Lone Guest, smiling faintly before departing.

“He seems quite confident,” remarked the Seventh Plum Rain, walking side by side with Dongbo Xueying. “Does he believe he can defeat both you and the Drunken Lone Guest?”

“Once the survival battle ends and the rankings are announced, everything will be revealed,” Dongbo Xueying replied calmly. Though Jiu She’s demeanor seemed somewhat provocative, Dongbo Xueying remained unruffled. He wasn’t overly fixated on securing first place—as long as he could participate in the Divine Court’s grand battle, that was enough. He could unleash his full strength there. As for the survival battle, he would do his best without pushing himself to extremes.

After all, he had only cultivated for a little over two thousand years. What was the point of competing with someone like Jiu She, who had trained for more than five million years?

—

The crowd gradually dispersed.

Dongbo Xueying soon reunited with Yu Jingqiu and the others. Along the way, Patrol Officer Guan and others came to offer their congratulations before they swiftly returned to their residence.

No sooner had they settled in and poured tea than a voice called from outside.

“Dongbo.”

Recognizing the voice immediately, Dongbo Xueying stood and hurried to the door. Opening it, he found the plump, white-robed figure of White Sand City Lord standing outside.

“Big Brother, what brings you here?” Dongbo Xueying asked in surprise. “Please, come in!”

White Sand City Lord chuckled as he stepped inside, spotting Yu Jingqiu, who had come to greet him. “Sister-in-law, Dongbo and I have some matters to discuss. No need to trouble yourself with us.”

“Of course, Big Brother,” Yu Jingqiu replied with a smile before stepping aside.

White Sand City Lord pulled Dongbo Xueying to a seat and casually picked up a cup of tea, taking a sip before speaking. “Do you remember what I told you before? That once the prefecture battles concluded, I had a gift for you?”

“I remember,” Dongbo Xueying nodded.

White Sand City Lord grinned. “Though the prefecture battles aren’t technically over yet, you’re guaranteed a spot in the Divine Court’s grand battle. So, giving it to you now or later makes no difference. Here, take a look.”

With a flip of his hand, a dark brown crystal vial appeared. He uncorked it, and a faint, refreshing fragrance wafted out.

“This is…?” Dongbo Xueying froze for a moment, though he already recognized it.

It was a divine treasure of the Divine Realm—Stoneflower Coldcloud Dew. A single vial was worth roughly two million divine crystals. Dongbo Xueying was stunned. Even the Second Prince’s gift had only been worth a hundred thousand divine crystals. Two million? That surpassed the total wealth of most ordinary One Heaven World Gods. Though as the master of Red Rock Mountain, he wasn’t lacking in resources, such generosity from his sworn brother was unexpected.

White Sand City Lord was powerful, but was he truly this extravagant?

“This is Stoneflower Coldcloud Dew. You might not have heard of it, but you’ll understand its value soon enough,” White Sand City Lord said with a smile. “Take it. It’s a treasure, but to me, it’s nothing.”

“I’ve heard of it. This vial must be worth two million divine crystals, right?” Dongbo Xueying asked.

White Sand City Lord blinked in surprise.

He knew about it? A mere deity, aware of Stoneflower Coldcloud Dew—and even its approximate price?

“It’s far too valuable. I can’t accept it,” Dongbo Xueying insisted.

White Sand City Lord laughed. “During the ranking battles, Prefecture Master An Hai, Snowpeak Monarch, and others started a betting pool. I wagered on you—and won big.” He smirked. “Prefecture Master An Hai and Snowpeak Monarch might not care, but the treasures they put up were worth far more than this vial. So, I’ve already profited greatly. This is nothing in comparison.”

“Gambling is about wins and losses. Big Brother’s victory was due to your own judgment,” Dongbo Xueying countered. “But this is still too much.”

White Sand City Lord sighed.

He was a straightforward man, often acting on instinct. Once, he had even dared to steal and eat the World Sandheart Fruit from the Bloodblade Divine Emperor—driven purely by desire, only to be gripped by terror afterward. Now, having won so much from betting on Dongbo Xueying, giving a small portion to his sworn brother felt only natural.

“You really are…” White Sand City Lord shook his head. “Fine, I’ll be honest. During the arena battles, that Venomous Ying World God kept provoking me. So, I set up another bet—this time on your ranking in the survival battle. If you take first place, I win everything. Second place is still acceptable. But if you rank third or lower… I’ll be in deep trouble.”

If Dongbo Xueying placed third or below, Venomous Ying would claim forty million divine crystals, while Rong Hai Wang and the other three would each take fifteen million. Combined, that was a staggering one hundred million divine crystals—a sum even White Sand City Lord would struggle to cover.

“Big Brother, why take such a risk?” Dongbo Xueying sighed.

“Because I can’t stand that Venomous Ying,” White Sand City Lord said simply. “Acting on instinct is liberating. Now, take this and use it. With the Stoneflower Coldcloud Dew, you might improve further in these three years. I won’t keep you—I’ll take my leave.”

“Wait—” Dongbo Xueying called out, but White Sand City Lord had already vanished into the horizon with a flash.

Left alone, Dongbo Xueying stared at the dark brown vial on the table and murmured, “I didn’t expect to use something like this so soon.”

Red Rock Mountain housed many treasures, and Dongbo Xueying had originally planned to save them for after the Divine Court’s grand battle—after receiving guidance from a mighty expert and hitting a bottleneck in his cultivation. Only then would he return home and consume those rare resources.

Currently, his progress in the “Chaotic Hole Divine Heart” was slow but steady, with his secret techniques gradually improving. Using the Stoneflower Coldcloud Dew now felt somewhat wasteful.

“But since Big Brother has staked so much on me, I can’t hold back,” Dongbo Xueying muttered, picking up the vial.

During the ranking battles, he had fought hard but not with absolute desperation. For the survival battle, he had intended to conserve his strength. Now, however, he had changed his mind. Even if only to secure White Sand City Lord’s victory in the bet, he would go all out.

—

**Gulp. Gulp.**

In the quiet meditation chamber, Dongbo Xueying tilted his head back and drank two mouthfuls from the vial. A cooling sensation spread through his body, and his soul instantly became more ethereal. His already formidable comprehension and deduction abilities soared. As he observed his surroundings—space, time, everything—flashes of insight erupted in his mind, resolving long-standing puzzles with unprecedented efficiency.

He had always believed that rare treasures should be saved for critical moments. But for White Sand City Lord’s sake, he would make an exception.

One secret technique after another, he refined and perfected them. Even his true body back in his homeland assisted in the process.

No matter what—

For the survival battle, he would hold nothing back (except for his First-Step Divine Heart).

—

Three years passed in the blink of an eye.

The final survival battle of the Divine Court’s Ten Thousand Flowers Feast—An Hai Prefecture’s last selection—was about to begin!

From the 250 most talented deities, only the top 100 would advance to the Divine Court.

“The arena battles were impressive, but the strongest few didn’t even show their true power. Most matches ended in one or two moves—some opponents even surrendered outright.”

“Exactly! Especially the top three. Their victories were too swift.”

“This time, in the survival battle, they’ll have to fight seriously. And since it’s open to spectators, we’ll finally see their real strength.”

“Let’s witness what the absolute peak of deity-level combat looks like!”

Across the sky, divine carriages were pulled by mystical beasts, soaring through the air. Legion soldiers gathered from all directions, while countless ordinary deities walked below, not daring to fly. Many had spent fortunes on teleportation fees just to witness this grand event—a spectacle they might only see once or twice in their lifetimes.

And that wasn’t an exaggeration.

The Divine Realm was merciless. Many deities perished early in conflicts—like the Xia Clan deities, most of whom had already fallen.

As more and more spectators arrived, the legion soldiers barked orders, lashing out at anyone who disrupted order. Before long, Prefecture Master An Hai, Snowpeak Monarch, and other mighty figures arrived. Dongbo Xueying and the other 250 participants took their places.

**Whoosh!**

Under the gaze of countless deities, the Divine Court Emissary waved his hand, sending 250 streaks of light shooting into the sky.

They halted high above, revealing 250 massive spherical cages, floating at varying heights.

“Prefecture Master, shall we begin the survival battle?” the Divine Court Emissary asked.

Prefecture Master An Hai nodded.

The Emissary turned to the crowd and announced, “The Divine Court’s Ten Thousand Flowers Feast—An Hai Prefecture’s final survival battle will select the top 100 to proceed to the Divine Court! The rules are simple: the longer you survive in the cage, the higher your rank. The last one standing will be first. Enter now!”

With another wave, an invisible force enveloped the participants. Dongbo Xueying, the Seventh Plum Rain, and the others were lifted into the air, each hurled toward a separate spherical cage.