Chapter 135

(AN: Thank you for the donation: Matthew Laird and Daniel Mills. I hope all of you enjoy the chapter. With that said, peace out girls scout!).

"What's wrong?" Issei who just entered the <GoB> asked the anxious Nyaruko, then he notices Bai'er and Hong'er condition.

"Bai'er? Hong'er?" Issei called out softly and only after they heard Issei calling their name they snapped out of their daze.

"Ah, big brother?/Gege?" Both of them replied after snapping out of their stupor.

"What are you both looking at?" Issei sighed in relief seeing that there's really nothing wrong with them both.

Hong'er and Bai'er look at each other before they tilted their head at the same time while saying: "Don't know?"

"Hm?" Issei frowned a little before he gazes in the same direction as them but he doesn't really notice anything out of place. Even from their connection, he really doesn't sense anything out of the ordinary either...

"...Go back to sleep then. Just call me again if anything's wrong." Issei smiled softly before he tucked them back in.

"Ehehe... Big brother, Hong'er really like you a lot..." Hong'er giggled lightly before drowsiness started to take control of her and before long she closed her eyes.

"Good night, father/Good night, gege." Both Nyaruko and Bai'er said before they joined Hong'er in the land of dreams...

"Um... good night." Issei then gives them a light peck on their forehead which earned a happy smile from them.

"...Zin, Naru." Issei called out.

"Yes, master?" Zin and Naru who was watching from behind replied while in a kneeling position.

"Watch over them."

"Understood, master."

Then Issei left the <GoB>.

...

Once outside the <GoB>, Issei started thinking to himself while ignoring Qianye Ying'er who sighed in relief seeing that he has returned.

When Qianye Ying'er about to say something, Esdeath's group appeared in front of Issei.

"Master, we have returned," Esdeath said respectfully.

Qianye Ying'er was surprised seeing the three beautiful women that appeared out of nowhere but soon she calmed herself down.

Even though these three women are quite beautiful themselves, they're still a bit lacking if compared to her... At least in her opinion.

And their outfit... seeing that their outfit is nothing like she has seen before and also because she doesn't recognize them from anywhere, Qianye Ying'er concluded that they must be his close aides.

As for them being his women... That's quite impossible seeing their interaction. It's like the interaction between servant and master and he still has his vital yang as well.

Their cultivation... A fifth level <Divine Sovereign Realm> cultivator. But they don't seem human... their aura is nothing like a human.

Of course, that doesn't mean Qianye Ying'er believes that their cultivation is the limit of their strength since they obviously serve 'him'...

For all she knows, their strength might be above her.

"Um, welcome back." Issei nodded at their greeting.

"...Is there something bothering you, master?" Sirius asked with a voice laced with worry.

Only when it concerns Issei that she let her expression shown.

Issei look at her and smiled softly: "It's nothing..." He gave Sirius head a gentle pat which made the latter froze and before long, her cheeks reddened at a visible rate and there's also a happy smile adorning her face.

Esdeath and Altair give Sirius an envious look.

Qianye Ying'er overcome with disbelief seeing Issei who was being cold suddenly let out a smile of his own... She instantly becomes captivated on the spot.

"If there's something bothering you, please tell us about it, Master. Even though we know that our capabilities are nothing much we will still do our best to lessen your burden..." Altair said softly.

"Like I said... it's nothing much." Issei replied with a sigh.

Looks like he's being quite hasty ever since he met his little princess...

"...If you say so, Master..." Esdeath said before she set her gaze at Qianye Ying'er: "Then how about this woman, Master? Is she bothering you? Do you want us to get rid of her?"

"No need. Just ignore her." Issei said calmly.

Qianye Ying 'er's mother soul keeps apologizing to Issei even right now for her daughter's 'action' saying that it's not her fault for being this 'way'.

[I'm sorry for my daughter's behavior your excellency... It's not her fault for being this way. It was my fault for not being there for her...] She said towards Issei while bowing deeply.

In actually, it was Qianye Ying'er father's poor upbringing. And he was also the one who killed her because he thought that her mother's existence is making Qianye Ying'er 'weak'...

"Nevermind that... Esdeath, Altair, Sirius." Issei dismissed their current topic and called out lightly.

"At your command!" The three of them replied at the same time.

"Go ahead and use these beasts core to increase your strength." Issei passed three large crystal-like orbs to the three of them.

Qianye Ying'er recognized those core but she has never seen one that big!

Issei of course combined it into three for his experiment at first. After he found some clues, he decided to just give these cores away since he doesn't need them anymore.

"Thank you, Master!" Esdeath's group eyes lit up when they heard him.

This way they can get even stronger and they can serve him even better... This is the only thing that came up inside the three ice spirits women's minds when they carefully received the beast's core.

"Go absorb it here. 'They' just fell asleep." Issei said. The one he's talking about is obviously Nyaruko's group.

"Understood." Other cultivators might need a lot of time to absorb these cores but since Esdeath's group is 'special'. They can immediately absorb the core on the spot.

Qianye Ying'er started observing Esdeath's group even more closely trying her best to get some clues just how did Issei gain his tremendous strength. But what she witnessed left her with blanks since she honestly can't sense anything at all... nor could she comprehend it since they basically "eat" those cores!

Esdeath and the others put the core right in front of their lips before some energy started to enter their mouth slowly.

Their bodies give off a light glow with different colors. Esdeath's let out a blue aura, Altair let out a black aura, and Sirius let out a white aura...

Slowly but surely... their strength started to increase at a visible rate...

When the core finally disappeared... Their cultivation has reached the 10th level <Divine Master Realm>!

To say that Qianye Ying'er feels jealous at this point would be an understatement... Who wouldn't? She's willing to bet everything she has that everyone would've felt the same way as her if they were to witness this!

A fifth level <Divine Sovereign> becoming a tenth level <Divine Master> in but a span of few breaths... There has never been such an incident before in the entire <God Realm>!

"Master, we have finished absorbing the core," Esdeath said in delight.

"Um. Go ahead and fight some beasts to test out your new strength." Issei nodded lightly in their direction.

"Ha!" Then three of them immediately set off to do what he said.

-After a while-

Issei thought for a moment before he created a giant runic magic circle.

He started taking out multiple materials from the <GoB>. Ranging from a Divine tier item to a Phantasmal one.

He then started to fuse those materials into one. From the Ultima stone, Improved Yggdrasil branch, Tera elemental crystal, etc...

By the end of it, Issei took out more than a hundred types of materials from the <GoB>.

Issei frowned since he's still quite lacking in materials while Qianye Ying'er can't be more amazed by the things Issei took out from his treasury.

Just... Just what are those?! Each and every single one of those things is emitting a huge amount of energy she never sensed before!

This is the second time that she felt like a frog at the bottom of the well... There's still a lot more stuff that she doesn't know about...

When Issei is done fusing everything, he took out a single crimson purplish orb containing his and Nyarlathotep's modified <Chaos> he prepared beforehand... And last but not least... Issei reluctantly took out his personal <Sword> gifted by Kyou and Kinou from before.

After giving the <Sword> a last longing look... he merged them all towards the <Sword>...

Will it be the second <Chaosbane> or something else... He will find out soon enough.

[I speak of the beginning. Heaven and earth are divided and nothingness celebrates Creation. The vortex that turns the stars, this heavenly hell signifies the end of the eve of genesis. Subside with <Death>.]

[Shin'ou Shinzo Heiso(Godking Divine Construct)] Issei said in a language foreign to Qianye Ying'er.

<Shin'ou Shinzo Heiso> or <Godking Divine Construct> is how Issei created the <Chaosbane> before. He invented this skill when he was learning the art of smithing with Goddess Hephaestus.

<Noble Phantasms> are armaments that surpass human limits and hold tremendous power which is something the Heroic spirits possess. They are armaments not created by human hands, artifacts defined as a God, or a "comparable being".

And now... Issei will create a second <Ultimate Noble Phantasms> with two 'different' <Chaos> element combined into one...

*ZZZTTTTT!!!*

The whole space around Issei started to constrict and it let out a terrifying crackling sound accompanied by red and purple thunderous lightning fighting against each other.

The sky above the <God Realm of Absolute Beginning> started to darken and it also seems like it is shaking to its very core.

The whole 'heaven' themselves are trembling greatly with the beginning of the creation of something that shouldn't have been born in the first place...

But they didn't dare to try to stop it from happening... All they can do is look on in fear...

Qianye Ying'er's teeth started clattering on their own while her whole body is trembling greatly.

Esdeath's group who are in the distance sensed this anomaly and they immediately returned to Issei's side but when they saw Issei's current condition, they decided to stay put in their place since they know that their Master is currently in the middle of something...

Issei who saw the space around them started to twist immediately created a multi-layer barrier encasing him and the 'thing' he's trying to create.

[Oh?] Nyarlathotep sensed the disturbance and a wide grin adorned her face almost immediately: [Ehehehe... Ahahahahaha! Is that how you want to kill me, Dragon King?! Good... Good! You never make me feel bored! Ahahahahaha! Even I never thought of making something like this!]

Instead of feeling fear, Nyarlathotep felt exhilarated... She let out a burst of maniacal laughter filled with glee!

After what feels like forever, the trembling space within the <God Realm of Absolute Beginning> started to subside... but the sky outside of it is still 'trembling'...

Nobody sensed this anomaly thanks to Issei's multi-layered barrier.

Out of the thousand barriers he created, more than 98% of them have been destroyed...

Leaving only two layers of barrier that could barely hold themselves together...

Issei himself is sweating quite a bit and his breathing is a bit ragged but his eyes are still calm and sharp as before.

There's a single 'sword' in his hand...

It has an abnormal shape that doesn't match what would normally be classified as something specialized like your typical sword.

It is something that was born before the appearance of the concept that the world calls a "sword," so it is not something that can truly be called a sword or have the shape of any known blade.

While it has a grip, handguard, and is the same length as a longsword, the section that should contain a blade deviates from the normal form of an edged weapon.

The "blade" itself and the tip of the sword, spun in a spiral shape. It has the shape of a cylindrical, drill-shaped pillar made up of three independently rotating segments engraved with crimson cuneiform lettering that spin slowly in an alternating direction like querns, the middle segment spinning clockwise and the top and bottom segments spinning counterclockwise.

The "Sword" is divided into three different colored sections, starting from golden, purple, and lastly crimson... Its three sections respectively represent life, chaos, and death. It exemplifies the world's way of being by having each one of them rotate in opposite directions. The "cosmos" is thus represented by matching all three of these representations. Everything together represents the universe.

[...] Nyarlathotep herself has become dumbfounded at the sight of this sword.

[...How... beautiful...] Nyarlathotep muttered after a while.

[When I look at this sword... I felt as if the 'World' was born a million times and destroyed a million times... It's extremely beautiful... Especially seeing how perfectly... "balance" it is. There's <Death> and <Chaos> within it but there's also... <Creation> and... <Love>...] She dreamily muttered feeling fascinated by the sight of this sword.

"...<Chaos Slayer>... From henceforth... You shall be named <Chaos Slayer>." Issei said with glistening eyes.

(AN: If anyone has a suggestion for the name sword, please do tell. I was thinking of <Genesis> beforehand but... yeah).

<Chaos Slayer> let out a bright glow as if it's feeling happy with the name its master has given it.

While it let out its glow, the 'heaven' outside started to shook even more greatly and if it can let out a sound, it will let out a sound filled with fear and terror.

<Chaosbane> which is Millet's sword can only resist <Chaos> but <Chaos Slayer> can literally absorb and devour <Chaos> themselves... It is basically an unrivaled divine weapon in the whole multiverse.

"Guh..." Issei staggered slightly soon after.

"Master!" Esdeath's group hastily went to Issei's side supporting him.

"I'm fine... I'm just a bit tired..." Issei said softly: "*Sigh*... <Return>..."

<Chaos Slayer> then went inside his body... That's right, it went inside his body instead of going to the <GoB> because it's basically a part of him and nobody else. Not even Nyarlathotep could control it...

He has finally succeeded in merging his <Chaos> with Nyarlathotep's <Chaos>!

[Fufufu, congrats, dear husband... So what now? Are you going to kill me after you sever our 'connection'?] Nyarlathotep asked with a chuckle. She doesn't feel the slightest bit nervous even though Issei could kill her anytime he wanted to now.

[...] Issei went silent a bit before saying: [...No.]

[...Oh?] Nyarlathotep asked in surprise.

[As I said before, I don't mind you hanging around me as long as you don't hurt my loved ones. Seeing that so far you have kept your word, I don't see any reason to kill you.] Issei said simply.

[...Fufufu, how naive... but... I don't hate that side of yours...] Nyarlathotep muttered in a low voice.

Issei smirked slightly at her statement and then he sits cross-legged on the floor before he started to recover his lost mana...

He greedily absorbs the surrounding energy.

Esdeath's group who saw this instantly stand before Issei guarding him.

"Woman... It's best if you leave now or I will kill you!" Esdeath said coldly at Qianye Ying'er.

"...Will he be okay?" Qianye Ying'er asked while frowning. She doesn't know what she just witnessed but... it's safe to say what he just created is something extremely powerful beyond her wildest imagination.

Just recalling that 'sword' send a shiver down to her spine.

"Of course our master will be fine. But that doesn't concern you... Now leave!" Altair chimed in with the same cold tone as Esdeath.

Sirius doesn't say anything but she took out her halberd ready to kill anyone who dares to come close to his master. Her eyes are locked onto Qianye Ying'er figure since she's the only one who's an outsider here.

"...Can I somehow serve him alongside the three of you? I don't have any ill intention towards him." Qianye Ying'er tried asking. If she could somehow become one of his close aides then...

"Huh? Hahahaha! Does it matter if you have any ill intentions or not? Even if you do, there's nothing you can do to him with us here!" Esdeath laughed mockingly before she continues saying: "As for you wanting to serve him... Heh, why should Master accept you? There's nothing he could gain from making you his servant. The three of us are more than enough, we don't need some unknown woman joining our ranks!"

"..." Qianye Ying'er clenched her teeth since what Esdeath said is true... The only one who gains profit here will be her and not Issei.

"...Since I clearly pose no threat to him then it should be fine for me to stay here, right? You yourself said that with the three of you here, there's absolutely no way I could get close to him." Qianye Ying'er tried to reason with Esdeath.

"Glib tongue... but, you're an eyesore to me. That alone is enough reason for us to drive you out." Esdeath then grinned: "If you want to stay then it's not impossible... I can make use of your body as my experiment subject. How about it? Do you still want to stay?"

Qianye Ying'er frown deepened before she decided to not push her luck... She can just come back when he's recovered.

With that said, she immediately left the place...

"Hmph, clearly a toad wants to eat the meat of a swan!" Esdeath scoffed at the disappearing figure of Qianye Ying'er.

"Heheh, if Master were to know that you just described him as a 'swan', he would've punished you for it." Altair chuckled.

"...That might be not so bad... being punished by Master..." Esdeath muttered with her cheeks reddening.

"...Pervert." Sirius muttered but Esdeath ignored her.

Issei is basically ninety percent recovered by this point... It seems that he can go back sooner than he expected...

...

A few days later...

Bing'er is with Mu Xuanyin while Mu Feixue is currently in closed-door cultivation.

"Inside your body is the divine soul of Ice Phoenix that was personally bestowed by me in the past, and that divine soul contains the source of my power. It would take an extremely long time to merge the source power of a god into oneself with the body of a human, even if there's just a wisp of it. You spent a long ten thousand years to only succeed in awakening thirty percent of it, but I can help you awaken seventy percent of its power."

"Having reached your current level, it would be tremendously difficult to make the slightest bit of progress. It would be very normal to make no progress for a thousand years. Try to hide it from others if you could... If you succeeded, then reaching the <Divine Extinction Realm> is guaranteed."

"..." Mu Xuanyin's chest heaved heavily for a moment: "Then, I thank you in advance, Lord Ice Phoenix God."

Bing'er nodded lightly: "But you must not forget that even if you can reach the <True God Realm> itself, you still must not go against 'him'. And don't do anything unnecessary unless he asked you for it." She warned Mu Xuanyin.

"Un, I understand. I will surely not go against 'him' and won't do anything unnecessary anymore," Mu Xuanyin vowed in a serious voice.

"It's good that you understand..."

It's almost time for the <Profound God Convention>.

...

The Profound God Convention is about to begin in three days.

Mu Bingyun and Mu Huanzhi brought the disciples and Xia Qingyue's group along with them...

Flying within the seemingly inexhaustible snow blowing all over the place, the profound ark covered forty percent of the territory of the Snow Song Realm, and finally landed on the boundless snowfield.

This was the southern region of the Snow Song Realm, which was quiet and desolate all year long with only snow flying everywhere. But in the last few months, layer after layer of footmarks had covered the snow piled up at this place.

The majority of star realms of the God Realm had been opened to others. Profound practitioners from every big star realm, including those from the lower realms, could freely enter or leave them. But it was basically not allowed for anyone from the outside to step into the existences such as king realms, except for those from the Western Divine Region.

The whole area had the same pale white color, without exception. There was only a dimensional profound formation, which was engraved at the place at some unknown time, rotating at a slow speed. Although it wasn't releasing a strong profound light, it was still particularly eye-catching.

"All of you must feel confused why there's no one else here even though the nearby star realms would also be connected to this dimensional profound formation so that they could go to the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm." Mu Huanzhi started explaining: "And that's because they have already gone over: "The Profound God Convention is about to begin in three days. There's no way those young profound practitioners, who are going to participate in the Profound God Convention, or the people from other star realms who have received invitations, would leave for the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm at such a late date."

"This dimensional profound formation was set up here three months ago. Therefore, people from other star realms must have already gone over a long time ago. Arriving there a month before the convention would not be considered early at all. Even the profound practitioners from other sects of the Snow Song Realm, that possess the qualifications to participate, have also gone there quite a long time ago. Among all the lower and middle star realms, we are likely the ones who will arrive last," Mu Huanzhi said with a chuckle.

"Oh?"

Mu Bingyun raised her brows all of a sudden and turned around. As if they had also sensed something, Mu Huanzhi and others also turned around at the same time and looked at the sky behind them.

"This aura… Could it be that…"

Very soon, in the distance, a vague crimson silhouette appeared high in the sky. The crimson silhouette grew increasingly larger as an enormous crimson profound ark appeared before their eyes, which continued to come nearer and nearer. It was actually giving rise to more and more intense heatwaves in the midst of the extreme chilliness that was ever-present within the bounds of the <Snow Song Realm>.

"It��s the Divine Phoenix Wings Ark of the Flame God Realm's Phoenix Sect!"

The crimson profound ark flew straight to the area in the sky above the dimensional profound formation and moved in a circle before flying away in the opposite direction. At the same time, several thousand figures descended from the sky. Most of these people were dressed in red and each of them had an incomparably pure and strong aura of fire on their bodies. Following their descent, the snow drifting in the air became much thinner and the chilliness of the place also got driven far away.

Leading those figures were two people, who were actually Yan Juehai, the sect master of the Phoenix Sect, and Huo Rulie, the sect master of the Golden Crow Sect!

Feng Xue'er and Huan Caiyi are standing behind them to fool the other eyes. They don't want anyone to know that they both are their realm king just yet so they act like they're a disciple instead...

"Sect Master Yan, Sect Master Huo? You both…" Mu Huanzhi and others were all dumbfounded to see Yan Juehai, Huo Rulie, and the members of the three sects of the Flame God Realm at their back.

Yan Juehai and Huo Rulie also had surprised looks on their faces. Both parties greeted each other before Yan Juehai swept his gaze over the people of the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect and asked in doubt, "People from your esteemed sect are only just setting off for the Profound God Convention? Since the dimensional profound formation was been set up in the Snow Song Realm, I expected that you all would have already left quite a long time ago."

"It's truly a coincidence for us to meet here," Mu Huanzhi replied. He was also similarly doubtful about why the people from the Flame God Realm were leaving at such a late date.

"Where is the young lord?" Huo Rulie started to look around searching for Issei's figure.

"Young master said that he has some business to take care of so he won't be coming with us at the moment." Feng Qianhui said.

"Oh... I-" Huo Rulie nodded understandingly.

Huo Rulie's voice paused suddenly. Staring at them as his eyes widened at once.

But soon he calmed down since it's 'them' they're talking about here...

Xia Qingyue and Chu Yuechan are already at the peak level of the <Divine Spirit Realm> while Feng Qianhui, Gong Yuxian, Cang Yue, and the others are at the seventh level... at least in the onlooker's eyes that is...

Mu Xiaolan sadly has only recently reached the <Divine Tribulation Realm> since she was too late to join the 'party'. But even then it's already fast enough by this realm standard.

All the elders and the core disciples from the Flame God Realm had already focused their attention on Xia Qingyue's group, openly or secretly.

They sigh bitterly to themselves seeing how abnormal these girls are... Well, at least their realm king is also abnormal just like them. Both Feng Xue'er and Huan Caiyi will also be participating in the <Profound God Convention>

How old were they? Around nineteen to twenties? But here they are already at the <Divine Spirit Realm>... If that's not a monstrous genius, they don't know what is...

The age restriction for the participants of the Profound God Convention has always been below sixty, but the profound strength restriction was Divine Soul Realm which has been raised to Divine Tribulation Realm this time. Although there's only one realm difference, it'll shrink the number of participants by nearly ten thousand times.

The Profound God Convention usually had several hundred billion profound practitioners participating in the past, but there won't be any more than fifty million this time.

This profound strength restriction, in particular, is extremely harsh on the young profound practitioners of the lower star realms. It could be even called a fatal requirement for them. There are only a handful of lower star realms in the Eastern Divine Region that have at least a hundred people with the required qualifications for participating in the Profound God Convention, and many of the weak star realms don't even have a single qualified person.

As for the middle star realms, places like the <Flame God Realm> likely have as many as ten thousand people with suitable qualifications. But there aren't that many middle star realms that have qualified people in such large numbers. And as for the <Snow Song Realm>, they are one of those with lower numbers of participants among the middle star realms.

But Quality over Quantity.

"Truly amazing... As expected of our young lord I guess..." Huo Rulie said while sighing in admiration.

Huo Poyun and the other male disciples from the <Flame God Realm> can only look bitterly at their disparity... They don't dare to be disrespectful towards Xia Qingyue and the others since they're related to Issei.

Feng Xue'er and Huan Caiyi are basically a goddess-like existence for the entire <Flame God Realm> but they can only look from afar not daring to look at them straight in the eye...

Feng Xue'er is known for her gentleness and kindness while Huan Caiyi is known for her intelligence and wits.

Besides Huo Poyun, Yan Mingxuan, the grandson of Yan Juehai, and Yan Zhuo, the son of Yan Wancang, were also present among the disciples from the Flame God Realm. As they all stepped backward, the group from the Snow Song Realm discovered that there were no less than six thousand disciples from the Flame God Realm that were going to the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm in order to participate in the Profound God Convention.

It was almost ten times the participants from the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect!

This number was still only the total disciples from the Vermillion Bird Sect, the Phoenix Sect, and the Golden Crow Sect. Besides those from the three ruling sects in the Flame God Realm, there were also people from other powers that were no weaker than the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect. If their people were also included in the calculation, the difference in the number of participants from the two sides would be much greater than ten times.

The difference in the overall strength of the Snow Song Realm and the Flame God Realm was clear at a glance... not that it really matters since they're basically allies at this point.

The disciples from the Flame God Realm stepped back and lined up behind the group from the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect.

Time slowly passed by and the snowstorm didn't show any signs of stopping, not even for a second. It had been an hour but the dimensional profound formation hadn't begun to shine yet.

It was at this time that their spirit sense caught something. They had an indescribable feeling as if the heaven and earth had undergone a subtle change. In front of them, Mu Bingyun had already shifted her eyes slightly sideways as she looked high above in the sky to the south. First, a doubtful expression surfaced in her pupils, which then gradually turned to seriousness.

People from the Flame God Realm, Huo Rulie, Yan Juehai, and others also shifted their gaze to the sky, one after another.

They sensed an aura that was barely detectable in the beginning but could still be felt getting closer and closer to them, in an indistinct manner. The gazes of Mu Bingyun, Huo Rulie, and others became increasingly serious. As they looked at each other, they suddenly changed their expressions at the same time.

"This sword aura… Could it be…"

Feeling something in his surroundings, the disciples raised his head all of a sudden.

Far-off, high up in the sky, two figures had appeared at some unknown point in time. Or perhaps, the two of them had been there this whole while.

The old person in the front was dressed in black clothes and had a fair, clean, and gentle looking face, but his hair was pale-white like snow. There was a placid look in his eyes like an old well that hadn't made a sound for ten thousand years. They seemed as if they had seen a hundred generations and it was simply impossible for there to be even the slightest fluctuations of emotions in them.

With both hands at his back, his hair flying and clothes fluttering, he appeared like a celestial being from an ancient realm that had stepped into the mortal world.

Even if a profound practitioner didn't deliberately release his profound energy, the naturally flowing aura and its field around the practitioner would undoubtedly have an indistinct influence on the snowstorm. But the cold wind blowing past him didn't deviate in the least and the ice and snow stuck on his body didn't melt away either. It was as if there was no aura present on his body, or perhaps, his mastery of controlling aura had already reached great heights, making it possible for his aura to be a part of nature itself.

Standing quietly behind him was a girl that seemed to have come out of a painting. She had an absolutely beautiful face, which also looked indifferent like a clear and deep pool. She was clad in white garments that were even whiter than the cold snow falling all over the place and had a large sword diagonally on her back. The scabbard and the hilt of the sword were bronze-colored and weren't emitting any aura, but no matter who looked at it they would indescribably get the feeling of primitiveness and antiquity belonging to ancient times.

"Mu Bingyun from the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect of the Snow Song Realm pays respect to Senior Sword Sovereign."

"Mu Huanzhi from the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect pays respect to Senior Sword Sovereign. The arrival of Sword Sovereign here is an undeserving glory to our Snow Song Realm."

"Yan Juehai, sect master of the Phoenix Sect in the Flame God Realm, pays respect to Senior Sword Sovereign. It's my good fortune to be able to witness senior's celestial figure at this place."

Mu Bingyun was only second to Mu Xuanyin in the Snow Song Realm while not including Issei into the calculation.

Huo Rulie and Yan Juehai were two of the three great rulers of the Flame God Realm. But they were all bowing to the old person before their eyes and were incomparably respectful.

Seeing such a scene, all the disciples from the Flame God Realm and Divine Ice Phoenix Sect were so taken aback that they were flabbergasted. But the moment they very clearly heard the two words "sword sovereign," immediately their jaws dropped to the ground in shock.

"Sword… Sword Sovereign?"

"Is this for real…? Why would Sword Sovereign come to this place…?"

"Oh my heavens…"

"Don't tell me that person beside Sword Sovereign is…"

The expression of shock appeared on the face of each and every one of them. They looked so stiff, as if they had been frozen by the cold air of this place. Their pupils were quivering as if they were looking up at a deity from above the nine heavens. It was only Xia Qingyue's group who had no idea what was going on, as they had never heard the name "Sword Sovereign."

Although, even if they know, they won't really care that much. Is there any person greater than their young master? The answer is clearly none... Even this so-called "Sword Sovereign" won't be able to lay a single finger on their young master...

But without the shadow of the doubt, the old person was absolutely an unimaginably terrifying individual, looking at the attitude of Mu Bingyun and the rest, and the way everyone was extremely shocked at his arrival.

The old person in black didn't move in the slightest. He smiled faintly, but there was no fluctuation of emotions in his eyes, "This old man had brought his disciple to a distant place to cultivate. We are passing through your esteemed Snow Song Realm in order to borrow this formation to head to the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm. I'm very thankful for the help."

"What are you talking about?" Mu Huanzhi said excitedly. "The arrival of Senior Sword Sovereign is the good fortune of the Snow Song Realm. There is nothing to be thankful about."

While speaking, Mu Huanzhi prudently shifted his gaze to the girl dressed in white beside the old person. "Could this… be…"

"Haha," The old person in black clothes laughed lightly, as a doting look flashed in his eyes. "She is the little disciple I was talking about, Lei'er."

The girl carrying the sword gave a slight nod, "Xilei pays respect to the seniors." The expression and tone of the girl were extremely indifferent but Mu Bingyun and the others don't really care much.

The gaze of the old person swept over the crowd of people when he suddenly showed a faint surprise. "Oh? Why do I not see Realm King Xuanyin?"

"Reporting to Senior Sword Sovereign. Sect Master is occupied with some matter, so she won't be participating in this Profound God Convention." Mu Huanzhi turned his head. "Bingyun, promptly report to Sect Master that Senior Sword Sovereign has arrived here in Snow Song."

"There's no need for that," the old person in black said in an indifferent voice.

"No, the arrival of senior has brought light to our humble Snow Song Realm. Sect Master would absolutely not want to miss such an auspicious opportunity. Furthermore, Sect Master has always extremely revered senior. She would be certainly overjoyed to meet you here in Snow Song."

By the time she finished her words, there was an ice phoenix engraved jade grasped in her palm, on which chilly rays were flickering.

"Haha." The old person let out a faint laugh and didn't stop her again. He quietly stood in the sky, without releasing the least bit of his aura. But it seemed as if he was the only existence left in the word, and even heaven and earth had become a background to his existence.

"The profound formation hasn't activated yet. Looks like we will need to wait for a while." The old man said in a light tone. His gaze swept downward and suddenly stopped at Xia Qingyue's group. Clear fluctuation appeared in his eyes that had always been calm and peaceful until now. Soon after, a slight smile emerged on his face, "And these girls are?"

"Ah, they're our sect disciples." Mu Huanzhi hurriedly answered.

"...I see." The old man nodded with a slight glint in his gaze. How weird, he thought to himself... There's something a bit off about them but he couldn't put his hand around it...

The girl in white beside him also followed his gaze and a look of surprise flashed across her eyes, however, it only existed for an instant before disappearing without a trace.

Then, her face returned to its former state, with indifference and no expression on it.

"Lei'er, we'll be waiting here for a while."

With his voice drifting in the air, the figure of the black-clothed old person landed on the ground. The girl behind him also followed suit and stood proudly in the midst of the snowstorm with the ancient sword on her back.

As the Sword Sovereign moved away with the girl, the others naturally didn't bother them either.

"He is Jun Wuming, a tremendously well-known peak expert in the God Realm. People call him the 'Sword Sovereign,'" Mu Bingyun narrated.

"Sword Sovereign… Does that mean that he is the sovereign among all sword practitioners?" Gong Yuxian asked.

"Correct," Mu Bingyun nodded as she responded in the affirmative. "He is widely acknowledged as the number one sword practitioner in the Eastern Divine Region. It is said that his sword cultivation has reached such a mythical realm that it is unimaginable and unrecognizable by an ordinary person. Not only can he use everything in the world as his sword, but he can also use his will and space as a sword. Moreover, he can even produce a sword from 'nothingness.' It's impossible for even me to understand the kind of realm he has reached."

Xia Qingyue who heard this remembered about the training she had with Issei before. Before long, she concluded that this 'Sword Sovereign' is still below her young master in terms of strength and sword art alike.

"Not only has the sword mastery and profound strength of Jun Wuming reached the pinnacle, but his seniority is also the highest in the Eastern Divine Region… He has already lived for fifty thousand years. As for a successor… that girl carrying the 'Nameless' Sword on her back is his one and only successor." Mu Bingyun continues saying: "She is also one of the 'Four God Children of the Eastern Region, Jun Xilei, the one who is called 'Sword Princess Wu Lei'. And she will also likely be the next 'Sword Sovereign' of the God Realm."

RIIIP!

Intense spatial fluctuation could be sensed all of a sudden from high above in the sky. Soon, a very long spacial crack appeared, after which a chilly aura, that was strong enough to freeze the heaven and earth, gushed out at once.

"It's Sect Master!" Mu Huanzhi and others turned around in a hurry.

The spacial crack split apart as Mu Xuanyin slowly walked out of it. Her unmatched, magnificent appearance caused all the ice and snow to instantly lose both luster and color.

Her cold eyes took in the group from the Divine Ice Phoenix Divine Sect, but she didn't say anything and began to walk in the sky. With soundless footsteps, she came over to Jun Wuming and greeted him while bowing slightly. "Mu Xuanyin of Snow Song pays respect to Senior Sword Sovereign and also wishes him a good day. It has been many years since we last met, and senior seems even more splendid than before. Senior arrived in Snow Song, but Xuanyin still didn't come to welcome you until now. I hope that senior will forgive Xuanyin for the lack of courtesy."

Mu Xuanyin greeted him as a junior. Although she displayed deep respect, she didn't lose her bearing as a Realm King.

"Ah, You're too considerate." Jun Wuming nodded in approval.

"It's such a pity that the Profound God Convention is going to begin in three days. Otherwise, Xuanyin would certainly have senior stay here for a few days to allow Xuanyin show her respect, and so as to let the air in the Snow Song come in contact with senior's immortal aura as much as possible."

Jun Wuming said in a soft voice, "It's enough that you feel so about me. More importantly, many people may be disappointed, since you'll not be going to the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm this time, haha."

"Lei'er, this is the Realm King of Snow Song whom Master mentioned to you before."

Mu Xuanyin not only had an absolutely glamorous appearance, the aura around her and her majestic presence was definitely not something that Huo Rulie and others could be compared to. Facing Mu Xuanyin, Jun Xilei also didn't act as indifferently and casually as earlier, and greeted with a deep bow, "Jun Xilei pays respect to the Snow Song Realm King."

"This king has long heard the resounding reputation of 'Sword Princess Wu Lei.'"Mu Xuanyin nodded at Jun Xilei lightly, and then her cold eyes turned to Jun Wuming. "I have yet to congratulate Senior Sword Sovereign on finding such a heaven-blessed successor."

Hearing the words of Mu Xuanyin, a faint smile appeared on the face of Jun Wuming. "Lei'er is still young, but definitely hasn't ever disappointed this old man. My wish has been fulfilled to be able to get such a successor in my lifetime."

It was easy to make out that not only did Jun Wuming dote on this successor of his but he was also extremely satisfied with her. Coming from his mouth, the five words "my wish has been fulfilled" carried no less weight than a ten thousand meters high mountain.

CLANG!

In the midst of the pale-white surroundings, an even paler profound light shot into the sky all of sudden. The dimensional profound formation everyone had been waiting for so long had finally activated.

Once they stepped into it, they would arrive at the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm that they've dreamt of.

"The profound formation is active now. Bingyun, Huanzhi, bring all the disciples inside the formation." Mu Xuanyin said.

"Let's enter the formation." Mu Bingyun flicked her snow-white sleeve as she lightly carried the disciples towards the dimension of profound formation.

Jun Xilei was about to stop them from going first but Jun Wuming immediately stopped her since he somehow has a feeling that if he were to let her do as she please... her life will be forfeit.

...

"Master, why did you stop me just now?" Jun Xilei asked while frowning clearly feeling dissatisfied seeing how they enter the portal first before her master.

"...Master has a feeling that if I were to let you do as you please, we will both lose our lives." Jun Wuming said a single drop of sweat dropped from his face.

"How… How is that possible?" Jun Xilei blurted out in shock.

Jun Wuming said with a sigh. If he were to turn around at this time, Jun Xilei would be able to see the trace of fear on his face. "Snow Song Realm King Mu Xuanyin, she… gave me the terrifying feeling that it was impossible to win against her."

There were only a handful of people in the entire Eastern Divine Region that could make Jun Wuming say the word "terrifying."

"But the reason for my restlessness was not because of her but rather something else..." He paused for a second: "There's something... something about those veiled girls that make me feel fear. It's not they themselves that cause it but rather... something behind them!"

"…" Jun Xilei was thoroughly dumbfounded. She stayed that way for a long while before speaking dazedly, "That should be… a misperception. Perhaps… they employed some kind of trick to put up a false appearance to trick you..."

"Haha." Jun Wuming laughed bitterly at her words. "Master has lived for fifty thousand years and is familiar with so many methods that could trick one's eyes, show a fake appearance, or give off a deceptive impression. There is no doubt that the feeling they gave off could not be false."

"Even their current cultivation is clearly a fake!" He said in a dire voice.

"What?!" Jun Xilei exclaimed in shock once again.

"That's right... their cultivation is not what it seems... Even Master can't really tell for sure just what is their true cultivation realm is..." Jun Wuming sighed.

Listening to these words directly from Jun Wuming, Jun Xilei finally understood the reason for him stopping her back then. But she still found it unbelievable and difficult to accept.

"Even if… Even if 'they' are truly so powerful, and even that Mu Xuanyin, when it comes to seniority and reputation in the Eastern Divine Region, she is still far, far inferior to Master. Back then, when this disciple visited the Eternal Heaven God Realm with Master, even the Eternal Heaven God Emperor was extremely courteous to you..."

Jun Wuming responded with a slow shake of his head. "Lei'er, you need to understand something. In this world, your dignity will forever rely on your strength. The place of birth or seniority of a person is of no substance in the face of absolute strength. Do you truly think it's because of my seniority that Master is so respected and worshiped by the masses? If not for the heights that I have reached in the cultivation of the profound way and achievements in sword mastery, even if my seniority was ten times higher than the other party, they wouldn't even want to look at me with seriousness."

Jun Wuming said in a helpless tone. "If the one we were dealing with was just an ordinary middle star realm, let alone affronting the inhabitants, you could even trample them. They wouldn't resent you in the slightest and instead would be extremely terrified and see you off respectfully but... some things just can't be explained with simple words... Perhaps it was my misconception but what if it isn't? If you truly die just because of one simple mistake, it will be all too late for regret... sometimes, you have to follow your instinct above everything else."

"It doesn't matter whether you were born earlier or later, you'll be respected regardless if you become a true achiever. It's all right to look down upon the weak, but offending the strong will result in suffering fatal consequences… This is also the reason for countless living creatures in the world pursuing a higher and higher profound way in their lifetimes."

It wasn't the first time that Jun Xilei was listening to such words, but they shook her heart a hundred times stronger than in the past. However, she was still unable to accept the outcome as she said in a low voice, "It's impossible for this disciple to have such a high outlook like Master but I will try my best..."

"Um... Good." Jun Wuming nodded feeling gratified: "But... Seven hundred years ago, although the cultivation level of Mu Xuanyin was astonishing, it was far inferior to mine. It's absolutely impossible for her to have reached her current realm in the short period of a few hundred years by ordinary means. The reason she isn't going to the Eternal Heaven God Realm is certainly because she doesn't want to draw the attention of others... is her sudden rise in strength is related to the those veiled girls?" Jun Wuming said while pondering.

Jun Wuming decision has indeed saved them because if Jun Xilei were to do what she's about to do then... Her life will be over in an instant.

And the reason for that is because there's an <Abyssal Human> in the shadows protecting Xia Qingyue's group...

Even if there wasn't, Xia Qingyue and the others would 'see' the attack right away and they will be able to dodge it easily. If their opponent is too much for them then they still have their protective charm... So it's almost impossible for anyone to harm them much less killing them.

It was just Issei being overprotective as usual...

...

As they entered the teleportation profound formation, they traveled through vast space, after which their vision brightened all of a sudden. A brand new world had gradually appeared before their eyes.

The world before their eyes made them dumbfounded.

It was completely different from all their imaginations. The world before their eyes was pale in color and seemed spacious and empty. They couldn't see the grandeur or prestige of a king realm, and there wasn't even a ground to be seen.

Their surroundings were white and spacious, with no end in sight. Even under their feet was… actually a flat-screen of light.

There were even rays of light slowly moving inside the screen of light.

However, there were no unusual expressions on the faces of Mu Bingyun, Mu Huanzhi, and the rest. Mu Huanzhi turned around, "This is an outside world that the Eternal Heaven God Realm has temporarily opened for the Profound God Convention this time. Even though this isn't the real Eternal Heaven God Realm, this place is very close to it."

"Follow closely behind me. This isn't the Snow Song Realm, no one is allowed to wander away by themselves," Mu Huanzhi said in a solemn tone.

Behind him, Huo Rulie also flew out with Huo Poyun and walked along with the group from the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect.

The name Eternal Heaven God Realm alone made people feel an enormous sense of oppression. All the disciples of the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect that had arrived here were the topmost existences among the young generation of the Snow Song Realm who could go wherever they wanted in their own realm. But once they got here, a feeling of being a lowly existence was elicited in their hearts, even before they could step into the real Eternal Heaven God Realm. With almost every step forward, the feeling grew stronger and stronger.

Not only the disciples, the auras of all the distinguished elders and palace masters were also clearly experiencing restraint in this place.

Above the endless screen of light that served as the ground, they could also vaguely see the silhouettes of other profound practitioners. Some were moving in a big group, others only had a few people walking together, and there were even those who were all alone.

"The Eternal Heaven God Realm was the last one to be ranked as a king realm among the four king realms of the Eastern Divine Region," Mu Bingyun told them in a low tone. "It was originally an upper star realm, but around six hundred thousand years ago, an ancestor with an extremely special physique appeared in the Eternal Heaven God Realm. In the legends from the ancient times, it was said to be a heaven-bestowed physique that received the protection of the heavens, and later it was proved that what was said about the physique was truly more than just a legend."

"That ancestor who had the heaven-bestowed physique stumbled upon the Eternal Heaven Pearl and even became its owner. Afterward, the entire star realm received the blessing of the Eternal Heaven Pearl, and its name was changed to 'Eternal Heaven Realm.' Thenceforth, the might of the realm soared rapidly. Not only was it ranked as a king realm, but its overall strength also surpassed that of the Star God Realm and the Moon God Realm. Eventually, it even became the most respected king realm in the Eastern Divine Region."

"When the Eternal Heaven Ancestor passed away, the Eternal Heaven Pearl still continued to protect the Eternal Heaven God Realm day and night. There are even some absurd rumors that go around frequently, saying that the Eternal Heaven Ancestor from six hundred thousand years ago hasn't passed away yet, and is assisting the Eternal Heaven Pearl in maintaining its power until now instead. They say the ancestor is hidden within the Eternal Heaven Pearl, which why it has been protecting the Eternal Heaven God Realm all this time."

"Hahahaha," Listening to Mu Bingyun's explanation, Mu Huanzhi, who was at her side, began to laugh. "It's just some casual, fabricated nonsense of some idlers. Only those from the dragon race could have a lifespan of several hundred thousand years. There is no way a human could live for so long."

Xia Qingyue and the other's body twitched ever so slightly when they heard the word 'Dragon' since it's one of their young master's true identity...

The world before their eyes was incomparably spacious and empty, and their line of sight was hindered by a layer of smoke, making it impossible for them to look too far. Xia Qingyue and others followed behind Mu Huanzhi and Mu Bingyun and walked for a long time, but there was still no end in sight.

"It seems that we really have come too late and the great majority of visitors have already entered the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm. I still remember when we arrived at the last Profound God Convention, the whole place was full of noise and activity, and there were as many people as galaxies," Mu Huanzhi said with a sigh.

"That's only one of the reasons. Now that the cultivation level of the participants has been restricted to the Divine Tribulation Realm and above, it has resulted in an extreme reduction of their numbers, and is the primary reason for so few people to be here at this time," Mu Bingyun said.

"Palace Master Bingyun, what is that?" One of the disciples asked.

"That is the Eternal Heaven Tower," Mu Bingyun replied. "It's the tallest tower in the God Realm, towering fifteen thousand kilometers into the firmament."

"Fifteen… thousand kilometers?" Hearing the words, all the disciples from the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect gasped in shock.

The distance of fifteen thousand kilometers was very high even for profound practitioners of divine way, and such a height could only be described as inconceivable.

"Hahaha," Huo Rulie laughed aloud as he came over with big strides. "The Eternal Heaven Tower isn't a 'true' tower, but actually a special projection from the Eternal Heaven Pearl. It is said that its true self is located within the 'Eternal Heaven Divine Realm,' the internal area inside the Eternal Heaven Pearl. The Eternal Heaven Pearl is right below the Eternal Heaven Tower that you're seeing right now."

With that, Huo Rulie shifted his gaze sideways as he said loudly, "Poyun, if you can get the qualification to enter the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm at this Profound God Convention, then you'll most likely be cultivating inside the Eternal Heaven Tower for three years… Oh, no, no, three years according to the passage of time in the mortal world, which will be three thousand years in the Eternal Heaven Tower. Being able to cultivate inside the Eternal Heaven Tower will definitely be far better than cultivating for ten thousand years in the outside world. Do you get it?"

Huo Poyun said with a solemn look, "Master, rest easy. Poyun will certainly not fail Master's expectations or his own self."

"That's good to hear, hahahaha." Huo Rulie let out a loud laugh and continued to walk forward with big strides.

They didn't bother trying to give some encouraging words to Feng Xue'er and the others because they don't need to... Do they even need it at this point when their backer is 'him'?

They mean, look at it... it's just a few weeks ever since their last arrival on the God Realm and their cultivation was at the bottom but here they are already at the second-highest amongst them...

Trying to encourage them will only bring shame upon themselves...

Then they resumed their journey...