Behind the middle-aged man walked several young men clad in the same coarse robes, each carrying an iron sword on their backs. From their appearances, it was clear that they bore a six or seven-part resemblance to the man in front—clearly blood relatives. Their auras were strikingly similar as well. Upon closer inspection, however, one could easily tell that these three youths were consciously mimicking the mannerisms of the man ahead. When they looked upon his back, their eyes revealed admiration and reverence.
"Who goes there!"
At that moment, a flash of golden light streaked past, and the imposing figure of the Domain Guardian General, Realm King Shen, appeared before the domain gate. He stood tall and broad-shouldered, exuding an icy, authoritative pressure as he barked a sharp command.
"Forgive the interruption, General," said a voice.
From within the domain gate, light flickered—and Hu Xueyan stepped out, holding several tokens in his hand.
"These guests have been invited by me. Notifications were already sent to the Ministry of Households and Rites, and permission has been granted for their passage. These are their temporary travel permits. Please verify them."
The tokens bore ancient seal-script characters authorizing free passage.
"Verification complete. Access granted."
The Domain Guardian General gave a nod after inspection and then vanished silently without a trace.
"Such a powerful Domain Guardian General… So this is the Holy Court of Da Yi."
A grave glint passed through the middle-aged man's eyes. The being who had just appeared gave him an overwhelming sense of danger. That pressure was unmistakable—this was not just a peer-level expert, but something far more fearsome. What was more terrifying was how the general had appeared and disappeared without a sound, as if omnipresent in this world.
"Please, Mister Dugu, this way."Hu Xueyan smiled at the middle-aged man.
"This place is one of Da Yi's central hubs—built to connect the Eternal World and various other realms. It lies within the Cube Realm, part of Da Yi's Thirty-Three Heaven Cloud Realms. The one you saw just now was a Domain Guardian General, responsible for defending the gate. Without express permission, anyone attempting to pass through would be immediately suppressed."
"Thirty-Three Heaven Cloud Realms…"
The three young men behind the middle-aged figure exchanged astonished glances. Just this one Cloud Realm already seemed vast beyond imagination—no less than a Minor World, possibly even larger.
To think there were thirty-three such realms…
The scale of it was simply terrifying.
"This time, I petitioned the Sacred King himself to approve your visit. Da Yi warmly welcomes your travels, Mister Dugu. Our Sacred King is eager for talents from across the Human Race—geniuses and elites alike. The terms we offer are second to none. The resources we possess—elixirs, cultivation tools, and opportunities for battle or debate—are unmatched. Should you earn merit, noble ranks await you. Those honors can be passed down to descendants for generations, even dozens of generations."
Hu Xueyan spoke with a smile.
"Thank you for the effort, Mister Hu. This time, Dugu simply wishes to travel through Da Yi freely. I will return before the agreed date."
The middle-aged man—Dugu—replied calmly.
"Please rest assured. The travel permits you hold temporarily substitute for Da Yi citizenship. You may travel unimpeded through any celestial city. Moreover, Da Yi welcomes any elite from the Human Race. Should you wish to formally join, you may register at the Da Yi Heavenly Registry Hall and receive a celestial citizen card—thereafter enjoying all the benefits of a true citizen. You will also be able to access the StarNet and witness the true scope of Da Yi."
"Thank you, Mister Hu. We will seriously consider it."Dugu nodded in acknowledgment.
Without further words, Hu Xueyan led them out of the Cube Realm and into the Xuanhuang Holy City.
Saint King's Palace – Hall of Knowledge and Action
Hu Xueyan arrived and began to report what he had seen and learned from the Zhenwu Realm.
"Our Xueyan Trading Company has now rooted itself firmly in the Zhenwu Realm. Using a Da Yi Celestial City as our headquarters, we dispatched skilled agents to major cities to set up branches. Thanks to the vast supply of pills from the Myriad Treasures Hall, our businesses have been widely embraced by local cultivators and martial artists. We also made polite overtures to various sects and offered them token gifts. After a brief show of strength, our branches now operate unhindered across the realm.
Moreover, our transactions openly use Eternal Coins, which has led many sects to suspect a connection to Da Yi. For those with potential for recruitment, we've quietly revealed a few hints."
"The Dugu Clan has decisively chosen to travel to Da Yi this time. According to what I've learned, the Dugu family is a group utterly obsessed with the sword, reveling in combat. In the Zhenwu Realm, mentioning them sends chills down people's spines. The mere name 'Dugu' invokes fear. Ask anyone, and they'll tell you—they're sword maniacs."
As he spoke of the Dugu Clan, Hu Xueyan's expression turned strange.
According to local reports, the patriarch of the Dugu family was none other than Dugu Qiubai, the Sword Demon. After the fusion of the myriad realms, he pulled off a wild stunt: to ensure the inheritance of his sword path, he married 365 wives in one year—one for each day of the year. By the following year, hundreds of children were born. In mere decades, the family's population exploded.
From an early age, all Dugu children—boys and girls alike—trained their bodies in the Sword Pool, forging sword bones. By age five, they were made to fight wild beasts. By ten, they fought fierce beasts. At fifteen, they carried iron swords and left the clan to challenge the world. Whenever they encountered fellow cultivators, they challenged them. If an elder tried to suppress them with superior cultivation, Dugu Qiubai himself would show up, iron sword on his back, and challenge the sect.
In fair duels, even if a Dugu child died, there would be no retaliation—unless bullying or oppression occurred. In that case, blood would be repaid with blood.
Almost every member of the Dugu Clan was a sword maniac.
At first, no one paid them much attention. But after enough Dugu members challenged and defeated countless sects, their name spread like wildfire. People would flee at the mere sight of a Dugu warrior.
These sword maniacs fought without concern for their lives.
Worse yet, they were all terrifying sword talents. With innate sword bones and battle-hardened experience, they grew stronger through combat. It was practically their bloodline trait to breakthrough mid-battle.
In just a few decades, the Dugu Clan rose at an alarming pace.
Now, they had reached their third generation.
Dugu Qiubai was the patriarch. His children were the first generation, their children the second, and now even his great-grandchildren—the third generation—had grown up. The clan now had over ten thousand members.
To the other sects and clans in the Zhenwu Realm, the Dugu Clan was a headache. Just imagining a row of iron-sword-wielding lunatics showing up to challenge them was a nightmare.
"Dugu Qiubai… The Sword Demon truly lives up to his name," muttered Yi Tianxing, intrigued."What level has his cultivation reached now?"
He remembered witnessing Dugu Qiubai during the First Martial Arts Grand Tournament—his sword intent had been unstoppable.
"Based on what I've heard, Dugu Qiubai is at least a Seventh Tribulation Sword Cultivator now. His strength is overwhelming. Rumor has it, he has never lost a duel. The sword intent he forged is called the 'Seeking Defeat Sword Intent'—his lifelong goal is to find someone who can defeat him."
To seek defeat… is to never be defeated.
Who in the world could grant him that?
"Excellent. Continue your efforts in the Zhenwu Realm. Deepen our ties with all sects and recruit those who are trustworthy. One can never have too much talent."
Yi Tianxing nodded in approval.
Though Da Yi could not yet fully intervene in the Zhenwu Realm, preparations were already underway. With domain gates in place, expansion was inevitable. The Zhenwu Realm, rich in Human Race talent, was ripe for future integration.
Hu Xueyan bowed and departed.
Moments later, the Child Emperor arrived.
"Quietly leak news through spies in the Calamity Hall—inform Dugu Qiubai that Da Yi is about to launch an assault on the Dark Ring and the Shushan Realm. Let him know we will be sending elites to assassinate the Dark Demon Lord Sauron, and that we will be challenging the major sects of Shushan to open duels. Knowing his temperament, he will not miss such an opportunity."
Yi Tianxing smiled.
Dugu Qiubai was a battle fanatic—he wouldn't pass up a chance to face top-tier opponents. Assassinations, sect duels—this was his dream scenario. As long as he was interested, everything else would follow.
Since he craved combat, Da Yi would give it to him.
As many battles as he wanted—Da Yi had them all.
"It's about time."
Yi Tianxing looked into the void, eyes deep and far-seeing, as if watching realm after realm fall under Da Yi's banner.
"Time for Tongtian Pavilion to shine."Inside the pavilion, its cultivators were readying their blades.
"This time, we will use our swords to win Da Yi a few more realms. We're not here just to sit and eat!"