Within the quiet chamber of the cave abode.
Dongbo Xueying sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, eyes closed as he immersed himself in profound contemplation, his mind simulating countless spear techniques. It wasn’t just his avatar—his true body, far away in the material world of the Xia Clan, was also deep in cultivation. As a World Deity, his true body had already mastered the ‘World Deity Heart,’ and now he was fully devoted to comprehending the ‘Hunyuan Deity Heart.’
“The three-year deadline is almost here,” Dongbo Xueying opened his eyes. “I’ve practiced spear techniques countless times, simulated them endlessly. I’ve even deduced the mysteries of the laws, yet this ‘Hunyuan Deity Heart’ always feels like it’s veiled behind a thin mist—visible, yet indistinct.”
“Over these three years, ‘Hunyuan Crush’ hasn’t improved much, but my other secret techniques have advanced significantly.” Dongbo Xueying chuckled wryly.
The truth was, he had already poured too much effort into ‘Hunyuan Crush,’ leaving little room for further refinement. In contrast, his other techniques, especially ‘Stellar Annihilation Strike,’ had flourished with even minor attention. In fact, this move could now be renamed ‘Hunyuan Extreme Strike,’ its power far surpassing its former self.
…
Three years—a fleeting moment for a deity.
The city of Anhai Prefecture bustled with renewed excitement as the arena battles for the Divine Court’s Ten Thousand Flowers Feast were about to commence. Unlike the earlier ranking battles, which had been held in private, the final two rounds—the arena duels and the survival trials—were open to the public, drawing spectators from humanity and other races alike.
“Step back.”
“Step back.”
Within the Bloodblade Domain, soldiers of the legion maintained order.
Upon the resplendent high platform stood the imposing figures of the Anhai Prefecture Lord and the Snowpeak Monarch. Below them were the six distinguished figures: White Sand City Lord, Mo Yang City Lord, Qin Army Master, Venomous Ying the World Deity, Ronghai King, and the Divine Court Emissary.
Beneath the platform sat the thousand elite warriors who had ranked in the top thousand during the preliminary battles—among them Dongbo Xueying and the Seventh Plum Rain.
“Brother White Sand,” Ronghai King boomed, his voice rough and hearty as he turned to the White Sand City Lord beside him. “I heard you recently clashed with Venomous Ying? Nearly came to blows?”
The yellow-robed Venomous Ying, seated opposite them, feigned a pitiable expression. “Isn’t that so? That little brother of his—Dongbo, the one who ranked first—actually struck my nephew! Right across the face! I merely sought to avenge my nephew, but Brother White Sand was so ruthless in protecting his little brother. I’m no match for him, so I had no choice but to endure.”
“Brother White Sand, how could you bully a woman?” the Divine Court Emissary teased.
“Indeed, Brother White Sand,” Ronghai King chimed in with a smirk. “Venomous Ying is so delicate. Seeing her bullied… it pains my heart.”
White Sand City Lord cast them a sidelong glance. “A woman? Delicate? Tsk, tsk. Try tasting her witch poisons someday, then see if you still call her delicate.”
“I dare not provoke Brother Ronghai,” Venomous Ying quickly interjected. “His physique has been refined to such a level that my poisons are useless against him. And the Emissary? Would I dare raise a hand against him?”
“Is there anyone you wouldn’t dare attack, Venomous Ying?” Qin Army Master scoffed dismissively. “Even Emperor Puzang wasn’t spared. And all these years in Anhai Prefecture, we’ve only heard of your nephew bullying others. Who would dare bully him? In my opinion, you should keep a tighter leash on that nephew of yours.”
The yellow-robed Venomous Ying frowned slightly but remained silent.
At the highest tier, the Anhai Prefecture Lord and the Snowpeak Monarch observed the exchange with detached amusement.
“Old Dragon,” the Snowpeak Monarch stroked his snow-white beard. “Among Anhai Prefecture’s third-tier World Deities, who do you think has the potential to reach the fourth tier and inherit your position as Prefecture Lord?”
“Mo Yang,” the Anhai Prefecture Lord replied with a smile. “Mo Yang became a World Deity within ten thousand years, reached the second tier in thirty thousand, and the third tier within a million. His talent is extraordinary—his progress rivals even that of a Paragon with a first-grade True Intent. I have high hopes for him. Though he still needs tempering. In terms of experience, he falls short of White Sand and Wu Army Master, both of whom have cultivated for billions of years and mastered formidable secret techniques. But they’ve been stagnant at the third tier for so long… breaking through seems unlikely.”
“Unlikely…” the Snowpeak Monarch sighed softly. “Just like me. Always struggling against the shackles, unable to leap free from the River of Time and attain true eternity. Who knows if I’ll even survive this reincarnation.”
“Reincarnation…” the Anhai Prefecture Lord murmured wistfully. “Brother Snowpeak, I may one day walk that path myself.”
To reincarnate with sealed memories—stripped of all past knowledge, the soul weakened to its barest essence, retaining only the fundamental spark of consciousness.
All advantages abandoned.
The odds of rising again as a deity? Slim. Many fourth-tier World Deities who chose reincarnation vanished without a trace.
“Don’t give up,” the Snowpeak Monarch encouraged. “Until the very end, there’s always a chance to take that final step. If you succeed, you must look after my daughters.”
“Hah! If I succeed, that’s a trivial matter,” the Anhai Prefecture Lord replied, his eyes alight with hope.
In terms of power, both of them stood close to the mighty Sovereigns.
Yet, unless they transcended the River of Time and shattered their bonds, they would remain trapped in the cycle, never attaining true eternal transcendence.
“Since my last attempt failed, it seems I must journey to the Moon Star once more,” the Anhai Prefecture Lord resolved silently. “I must strive again!”
“Prefecture Lord.”
The Divine Court Emissary below rose to his feet. “The time has come. Shall we begin?”
The Anhai Prefecture Lord set aside his thoughts. “Proceed.”
…
Dongbo Xueying and the others sat in their designated positions. To their north stretched a vast arena, ten thousand miles in length and width, surrounded by spectators who had traveled from afar. Among them were Yu Jingqiu and the deities of the Xia Clan.
“The second round of the Divine Court’s Ten Thousand Flowers Feast—the arena battles of Anhai Prefecture—now begins!” The Divine Court Emissary stepped to the edge of the high platform, his voice resonating across the heavens as his gaze swept over the countless deities, many of whom dared not meet his eyes. “The first match: Dongbo versus Yan Feng! Begin!”
A wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd.
Dongbo? Ranked first in the preliminaries!
Yan Feng? Ranked last—the thousandth!
“The strongest against the weakest. Poor Yan Feng.”
“Dongbo ranked first—they couldn’t pit him against the second, could they? It’s customary to match the top contenders with those further down, but to face the very last…”
“This match has no suspense at all.”
“Let’s see just how formidable Dongbo is.”
“Ranked first—he must have some tricks up his sleeve.”
The spectators buzzed with anticipation.
None doubted the outcome—Dongbo Xueying’s victory was all but certain. Yet few had witnessed him in action; those who had seen the Wu Mountain Starfield preliminaries were scarce, and even that battle had been resolved in a single strike.
Dongbo Xueying rose and strode toward the arena. Elsewhere, a gray-cloaked man with streaks of white in his hair frowned deeply. To face the top-ranked Dongbo in his very first match—it was a bitter twist of fate.
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