After refining the two array disks, Lan Xiaobu set them up. He didn’t cultivate but took out the Seven Realms Stone Boundary Flag, waiting for the monk to show. He already had two flags, and with this one, he’d have three.
The flag was wrapped in restrictions. As he unraveled them, something felt off. In an instant, he knew—this Seven Realms Stone Boundary Flag was a fake.
He had two genuine flags; the difference between them and this counterfeit was stark.
This fake bore a faint trace of the Seven Realms Stone Boundary Flag’s Dao charm, clearly added deliberately. The charm was real, suggesting its creator either owned a true flag or had encountered one, stripping its Dao charm to graft onto this forgery for deception.
Though Lan Xiaobu needed the First Boundary Flag to obtain the Second, he wasn’t certain the Third required the Second. Sensing the Dao charm initially convinced him this was real.
Spending dozens of top-grade spirit veins for just an array disk soured his mood. He’d never taken such a loss.
Ninety percent chance the monk had put this up for auction. That thought fueled his desire for the monk to come to his cave soon.
Outside, he might not best the monk, but here, he had a sixty percent chance of taking him down.
—
Three days had passed since the auction incident. The monk sat in his cave, his expression shifting unpredictably, two corpses before him.
If Lan Xiaobu were here, he’d recognize these unlucky souls: Pu Heng Saint and He Ku Saint.
After spilling everything about Lan Xiaobu, they’d been killed by the monk. These Pseudo-Saints had dreamed of becoming First-Turn Saints, only to meet death instead.
The monk’s excitement stemmed from what he’d learned from them. Lan Xiaobu possessed the Great Curse Technique, the Great Severing Technique, the Reincarnation Pot, the Book of Life and Death, the Yin-Yang Mirror, and Chaos Iron Mother. Beyond that, he had Heavenly Transformation, a fortune array disk, a Five-Needle Pine Dao Fruit, and even a supreme treasure predating the universe’s opening.
This alone was maddening, but Lan Xiaobu’s other identity was even more so: Dao Lord of the Great Desolate Divine Realm, acknowledged by the Heavenly Dao. That meant he bore a Dao Lord Seal—a realm’s Dao Lord Seal. The monk knew its significance better than anyone.
Everyone thought him a Seventh-Turn Saint, but he’d been stuck at Sixth-Turn for countless years. The gap between Sixth and Seventh was just one turn, yet he understood it was a chasm.
If he claimed Lan Xiaobu’s treasures, he’d surely leap past Sixth-Turn into Seventh-Turn. No—these could propel him beyond Ninth-Turn to Longevity Saint.
The thought ignited a fire in his heart, urging him to grab Lan Xiaobu and crack his world open. Yet he forced himself to calm down. His investigation revealed Lan Xiaobu had dealings with that black-clad woman, whose cultivation might exceed his own. Facing both her and Lan Xiaobu together was a risk he couldn’t take.
As for why the Reincarnation Saint sought Lan Xiaobu, he knew—it was for the Reincarnation Pot.
From his findings, Lan Xiaobu had survived countless Saint sects’ pursuits, even proving himself a Saint. Even if his strength was average, he was no ordinary figure—especially now that it wasn’t.
For an average person with average treasures, the monk would’ve abandoned the hunt by now.
His rise to Sixth-Turn stemmed from talent, luck, ruthlessness, caution, and care. He never spared threats—like Pu Heng and He Ku, mere ants he could’ve ignored. But any hint of risk, and he struck without hesitation.
Lan Xiaobu had to die, but how was the key.
With Lan Xiaobu’s cunning, he’d surely expect a visit. So, the monk wouldn’t go. His investigation showed acting in Lan Xiaobu’s cave was disadvantageous. The best move was to wait for Lan Xiaobu to leave, lure him into a trap-killing divine array, and strike unexpectedly.
Calming himself, he exhaled. No rush—he could wait decades, even millennia.
He was the hunter, his prey locked. Why hurry? He’d lingered at Sixth-Turn for a million years; a few more wouldn’t matter. These treasures were worth another million-year wait.
The more urgent it felt, the calmer he had to be.
—
Lan Xiaobu waited five days, but the monk didn’t come—contrary to his expectations. He’d figured the monk would strike fast, unable to resist for even two days, let alone five or more.
Five days gone meant no short-term visit.
Frowning, he wondered where he’d miscalculated. Putting himself in the monk’s shoes—if he could crush a target, would he act immediately?
If he were that reckless, he wouldn’t have survived this long on Saint Island. First, he’d investigate the target’s background and actions. Lan Xiaobu wouldn’t, but would the monk? Despite his bravado, the monk was likely more cautious than anyone.
Investigate his background?
Lan Xiaobu thought of Pu Heng, He Ku, and Ku Cai, his trading partner. Ku Cai’s strength matched the monk’s, so he wouldn’t dare probe her—leaving Pu Heng and He Ku.
If the monk questioned them, he’d learn Lan Xiaobu’s identity: Dao Lord of the Great Desolate Divine Realm. Even without further digging, the monk would know the treasures he carried.
With such prizes, no powerhouse would let him go. Yet no move after five days suggested the monk knew the stakes, recognized the difficulty, and was now scheming.
To confirm, he’d check on Pu Heng and He Ku. Pu Heng bore his mark; He Ku was easy to track by residence.
Deciding to act, he couldn’t just wait. If the monk was plotting and avoiding his cave, there was no point in lingering. He’d seclude himself to break into Second-Turn Saint. With the Cosmic Heart here, wasn’t that why he stayed? Without it, he’d have returned to his Longevity Saint Dao City and linked it to the Great Desolate Divine Realm.
With his current strength, few in the Longevity Realm could threaten him. He couldn’t waste time here—he couldn’t afford to.
Before he could disguise himself and leave, his cave’s restrictions buzzed.
The monk? No—too polite. His divine sense revealed the Reincarnation Saint.
Not the monk or Ku Cai, but the Reincarnation Saint?
Unafraid, he opened the restrictions.
“Jun Li pays respects to Daoist Lan,” the Reincarnation Saint said courteously, clearly not here for trouble.
The name change didn’t faze Lan Xiaobu. Once inside, he resealed the cave. “Daoist Jun Li, what brings you here?”
The Reincarnation Saint bowed again. “Daoist Lan, I investigated you and learned you’re the Dao Lord of the Great Desolate Divine Realm. With a Dao Lord, the realm’s fate aligns, its rules perfect, ushering in prosperity. You’re a man of great wisdom, doing great things.”
Lan Xiaobu brushed off the flattery. This one had once harbored killing intent toward him. Investigating him likely led to Pu Heng and He Ku too.
“I dug further,” the Reincarnation Saint continued. “Pu Heng and He Ku were taken by Daoist Bu Ju—”
“Bu Ju?” Lan Xiaobu interrupted.
“Bu Ju’s the monk who attacked you. He’s at Sixth-Turn Saint, a step from Seventh,” they explained.
Not Seventh? Lan Xiaobu’s confidence grew. If Bu Ju was this strong at Sixth, Ku Cai’s damaged Dao foundation must be real.
“If I’m right, Pu Heng and He Ku didn’t survive. Once Bu Ju learned your identity and what you might carry, he won’t let you go,” the Reincarnation Saint said earnestly.
Lan Xiaobu pondered. He knew Bu Ju wouldn’t spare him, but what was the Reincarnation Saint’s angle? Not here for the Reincarnation Pot?
