Chapter 397: The Fate of the Sword Emperor

“Once I master the World God-Heart, it will naturally include the second-tier Divine Heart, the Spatial God-Heart,” Dongbo Xueying smiled. “Then, using the Spatial God-Heart as a foundation for gradual evolution, there is hope of evolving into the Spacetime God-Heart.”

Heaven and earth are originally one, and the Dao between them are not clearly defined but rather deeply intertwined.

The Dao of the World already encompasses the complete Dao of Space, the Dao of Illusion, and many other Dao. Once one achieves the Divine Heart, the World God-Heart will naturally contain multiple second-tier Divine Hearts. In fact, the Dao of the World also includes a portion of the Dao of Stars!

The Dao of Spacetime is the unification of time and space.

Therefore, both the World and Spacetime contain the Dao of Space!

Thus, when Dongbo Xueying eventually comprehends the World God-Heart, he will naturally command the Spatial God-Heart. Then, using the Spatial God-Heart as a foundation to gradually evolve toward the Spacetime God-Heart will be relatively easier.

“Brilliant!” Hongshi laughed heartily. “As your cultivation deepens, your mastery over time will sharpen. Once time and space unite… the Spacetime God-Heart is indeed very promising.”

“Mm,” Dongbo Xueying nodded. “World, Hunyuan, Extremity, and Spacetime—these are the four first-tier Divine Hearts I wish to master. However, while it sounds wonderful in theory, evolving from a second-tier Divine Heart to a first-tier is… extremely difficult.”

In the Divine Realm, among countless deities,

how many become Boundary Gods? Evolving a second-tier Divine Heart into a first-tier is exceedingly rare. Boundary Gods are few in number even across vast divine starfields; in a vast Divine Realm, Boundary Gods are few enough to be counted on one’s fingers.

“They may find it hard, but how can they compare to you, Dongbo?” Hongshi said quickly. “You have already comprehended a first-tier Dao, and becoming a first-tier Divine Heart is only a matter of time. Mastering the second and third Dao will not be difficult—only time-consuming. I believe that achieving the Fourth Heaven Boundary God is within your reach, especially with your solid foundation. Already, the path to mastering four first-tier Divine Hearts is well laid.”

“Patience,” Dongbo Xueying smiled.

One cannot rush.

“I’m anxious, yet you remain calm. Perhaps that is the difference. After all, I am merely a spirit of an artifact, and my temperament cannot compare to yours, true cultivators,” Hongshi chuckled. “By the way, you should carefully choose some Boundary God-level secret techniques. Studying them will greatly aid in comprehending first-tier Divine Hearts.”

“Good! Show me the way,” Dongbo Xueying said.

…

Now the new master of Hongshi Mountain, Dongbo Xueying had the authority to pass on Boundary God-level secret techniques to others. Naturally, he could choose freely. However, to protect the secret of his first-tier Dao, he could not casually transmit it, not even to senior disciples like He Feiyun or Ge Bai. Fortunately, the artifact spirit Hongshi controlled the entire Hongshi Mountain, so the two seniors would never stumble upon Dongbo Xueying cultivating his first-tier Dao.

“This one,” Dongbo Xueying carefully selected.

It was inside a cave, where a fist-sized purple flame floated. Though small, it radiated an indescribable heat. Just looking at it, Dongbo Xueying felt as if the entire spacetime, the entire world, would collapse.

This flame contained a Boundary God-level inheritance, the one Dongbo Xueying had chosen.

“Haha, this *Star Abyss Extreme Flame* is a very fierce flame technique,” Hongshi laughed. “It was created by a being highly respected even by a Sovereign from the Dark Abyss. That being had a good relationship with the Old Ancestor, who cultivated for years on the Solar Star and was most skilled in fire techniques. After exchanging cultivation insights with the Old Ancestor, that being created this *Star Abyss Extreme Flame* Boundary God-level technique. Considering the Old Ancestor’s great contribution, he gifted this technique to him, allowing free transmission. Later, the Old Ancestor passed it to the Sovereign, allowing our Hongshi Mountain branch to learn this Boundary God-level technique.”

Dongbo Xueying nodded.

“*Star Abyss Extreme Flame*—’Star’ refers to the Solar Star, ‘Abyss’ to the Dark Abyss. Once this technique reaches perfection, it alone can grant the might of a Great Being. Without countermeasures, even a Fourth Heaven Boundary God would be reduced to ashes, and even a Great Being would suffer greatly,” Hongshi praised.

Dongbo Xueying sighed, “But to truly reach perfection—how difficult is that?”

Techniques such as the *Supreme Primordial Chaos Force* and the *Myriad Tribulations Primordial Chaos Body* are exceedingly difficult to master. Even deities of the Fourth Heaven Boundary typically cannot achieve this unless they possess exceptional compatibility and have delved profoundly into the mysteries of the Dao. Among the Fourth Heaven Boundary Gods, there do exist those who have perfected these arts, attaining combat prowess comparable to that of a Supreme Being.

“This one corresponds to the Extremity God-Heart. Which one will you choose for the Spacetime God-Heart?” Hongshi asked.

“Not in a hurry. Let me first master the World God-Heart and the Spatial God-Heart, then I will choose carefully,” Dongbo Xueying replied.

He had already selected three Boundary God-level techniques.

*Great Hunyuan Force* aids greatly in comprehending the Hunyuan Dao.

*Ten Thousand Calamities Primordial Body* aligns with the Cosmos.

*Star Abyss Extreme Flame* corresponds to the Extremity.

For the Spacetime, he would leave it for now. His mastery of spacetime was still low; he would choose when his understanding deepens.

“When will I ever command such flames?” Dongbo Xueying gazed at the small purple flame floating in the cave. Though tiny, its pressure was far greater than the Solar Star. Of course, this was also because the Solar Star was too far away. To mortals, the sun itself does not seem imposing.

“Let’s go,” Dongbo Xueying said.

Whoosh.

With Hongshi, they walked out onto the quiet Hongchen Island.

“By the way, what about the Sword Emperor who entered the Liantian Vine with me?” Dongbo Xueying asked.

“That sword-wielding kid?” Hongshi nodded. “He’s still alive, though he’s pitiful. He broke through to master a second-tier Divine Heart under madness, yet still remains stuck in the Third Vine-Leaf World.”

Hongshi waved his hand, and an image appeared in the air—an arena scene where the Sword Emperor battled a fat giant.

…

Liantian Vine, Third Vine-Leaf World.

The test here was arena combat. On two platforms, one had three children, the other a fat giant. One must win on both platforms to pass the test of the Third Vine-Leaf World.

“Just a little more.”

Peng!

The fat giant’s lightning-fast slap struck the golden-robed youth, the Sword Emperor, on the arm, sending him flying out of the arena.

“Sigh, my Dao of the Sword has already broken through, and I have mastered the Sword God-Heart,” the Sword Emperor gritted his teeth. “Why can’t I defeat this fat giant?”

Dongbo Xueying had barely won by using the ultra-powerful secret technique *Starfall Annihilation Strike* and the assassination effect of the Illusion Dao.

Chen Jiu won through his eight arms and the *Only Self God-Heart*, overpowering his opponent directly.

Meishan Master barely won using the Spatial God-Heart.

“Why is it that even with the Sword God-Heart, I still fall short against this clumsy brute? I always come just short. Why? Why is this happening?” The golden-robed Sword Emperor’s eyes burned with madness. The twenty years the Boundary God had told him had long passed. Outside, war might have already begun.

The Xia Clan might have been wiped out, and the War God and Great Demon God might have already surrounded and sealed off Hongshi Mountain.

But as long as he was not dead and had not given up, the mission was not a failure! He was still holding on.

“Brother Tianlan, Sister Xuewei… must I die never having defeated him?” The golden-robed Sword Emperor’s eyes glistened with tears. “No, I will win. I must win.”

…

On Hongchen Island, Dongbo Xueying watched the scene in the air and gently shook his head.

“Most of the Spacetime Temple’s reincarnators are pitiful souls,” Dongbo Xueying sighed softly. “Hongshi, can you secretly help him pass?”

“You are the master of Hongshi Mountain; everything here follows your will,” Hongshi smiled.

“Then help him,” Dongbo Xueying nodded.

“Fine, just another guardian disciple,” Hongshi smiled. “I will ensure it is done so subtly that neither the Sword Emperor nor even Xi Wei will detect the slightest flaw.”

Within Hongshi Mountain, the artifact spirit Hongshi was supreme.

Dongbo Xueying nodded.

…

“Thump, thump, thump~~~” An oval embryo was pulsing in bloodwater, emitting sounds like a heartbeat.

Dongbo Xueying stood beside it, nodding slightly. This was the embryo. To cultivate a clone technique and form a clone, one needed a physical vessel. This vessel needed to be cultivated from an embryo, much like nurturing a divine clone for a god’s descent. Of course, the cost was not excessive. The War God and Great Demon God required transportation through the Spacetime Temple for their divine clones, which naturally made it expensive.

But within Hongshi Mountain, filled with treasures, cultivating an embryo was much easier.

“The embryo will need two more years to mature,” Hongshi said beside him.

“Once mature, begin the clone cultivation,” Dongbo Xueying nodded. “Then, the clone will first ascend as a god.”

The clone would be forged with the *Star Dao Heart* as its core, ascending first as a god.