Lan Xiaobu didn’t use the Heavenly Transformation technique for his disguise; instead, he employed the False Form technique from the Earthly Arts. Not only was False Form inherently inferior to the Fetal Transformation of Heavenly Transformation by several tiers, but Lan Xiaobu deliberately left it imperfect. To Kucai, such a method was utterly worthless.
Though Kucai dismissed his False Form as beneath notice, Lan Xiaobu was inwardly shocked by her dark principle concealment technique.
He wasn’t clueless about dark principles anymore, yet even with his understanding, if he hadn’t known Kucai was nearby, he wouldn’t have detected her in the moment.
If she used this to ambush him, it might very well succeed.
Kucai’s dark principle concealment heightened Lan Xiaobu’s wariness. After dealing with Buju, he resolved to master dark principles himself—and their cultivation methods.
Disguised as a Saint Island patrol deacon, Lan Xiaobu approached Buju’s cave as if on routine duty. His divine sense picked up the perimeter’s revealment array, meaning he was now exposed to Buju’s scrutiny.
Kucai, watching his choice of disguise, was speechless. She wondered if she’d overestimated him. Transforming into anything else would’ve been better than a Saint Island deacon. With both island masters gone, posing as their staff was a dead giveaway—he might as well announce he was a fake.
But Kucai didn’t bother pointing it out. She’d agreed to cooperate only to fulfill her oath; whether Lan Xiaobu lived or died was none of her concern. If they took down Buju and Lan Xiaobu was gravely injured or near death, she wouldn’t mind finishing him off to peek into his world.
In her view, Lan Xiaobu had a ninety percent chance of being crippled.
His arrogance was the reason. His strength wasn’t weak, but knowing Buju and the Samsara Saint would recognize and ambush him, yet still approaching in disguise—what was that if not suicidal?
She was certain he couldn’t fully evade their attack.
Could you dodge an ambush just because you knew it was coming? That depended on who was ambushing you.
Conversely, she hoped he’d get hit. If he did, her chance to kill Buju would rise—his focus would be on Lan Xiaobu, and a wounded Lan Xiaobu only benefited her.
Lan Xiaobu cautiously lingered outside Buju’s protective array, tossing out array flags. An hour later, he breached a gap in the array and slipped inside.
He knew three people were watching him: Kucai in hiding, and Buju and the Samsara Saint, undoubtedly poised to strike.
Unlike Kucai’s assumptions, Lan Xiaobu had no intention of waiting for their move before dodging. Their ambush would be a lightning strike—he wasn’t arrogant enough to counter or evade after they acted.
Buju and the Samsara Saint were no small fry. They’d start with a domain to bind him. The moment his sixth sense tingled with danger, whether they’d moved or not, he’d flee. With his short-range teleportation, even a Seventh-Turn Saint like Buju couldn’t touch him.
Inside the array, he revealed the Samsara Saint’s mark.
What stunned him was Kucai. His divine sense tracked the gap he’d opened, and he was sure she hadn’t entered—yet he still felt her nearby, waiting. The dark principles were terrifying.
…
“Friend Samsara, what’s Lan Xiaobu playing at? Why disguise as a Saint Island deacon we can spot instantly?” Buju, hidden in the shadows, wasn’t surprised Lan Xiaobu approached disguised, but the choice baffled him. Only an idiot would pick that.
The Samsara Saint chuckled, “Don’t worry. He knows you’ll see through him, so he didn’t bother hiding it. Maybe he’s using this to lower your guard, waiting for me to ambush you.”
Buju sensed it wasn’t that simple but set aside distractions. First, he’d take down Lan Xiaobu.
…
Ten yards from Buju’s cave, Lan Xiaobu’s hair stood on end—a deathly threat loomed. Without hesitation, he prepared to teleport, but then switched tactics, using Heavenly Transformation’s Five Elements Escape, fleeing via earth principles.
Boom! Crack!
As he escaped, the space he’d occupied was locked by a terrifying domain. A blade aura capable of shredding space tore through his afterimage. Simultaneously, a gray samsara aura flooded the area, reducing everything to nothingness.
Buju and the Samsara Saint appeared on either side, just as Lan Xiaobu predicted—striking together.
Kucai marveled at his reaction speed—faster than hers. Judging in an instant that teleportation wouldn’t work here showed unmatched combat instincts.
She knew this wasn’t the time to hesitate. Her hands traced dozens of black threads, firing them the moment Lan Xiaobu fled.
Rip! A sound like tearing fabric erupted as Buju and the Samsara Saint’s domains shattered. Dark principle domains then bound them.
They’d been so focused on ambushing Lan Xiaobu that they hadn’t anticipated his swift recruitment of a stronger ally. Caught off guard, neither could resist.
Trouble! The Samsara Saint realized Lan Xiaobu had a powerful helper. These black threads, effortlessly shredding their combined domains, were peak dark principles—not some artifact.
Worse, this ally had been right beside them, undetected despite Buju’s arrays. How strong was she?
He’d underestimated Lan Xiaobu. Time to run.
Without considering a counter, he burned his essence blood the moment he confirmed the helper’s presence.
A gray samsara passage opened before him, and he vanished instantly.
Though weaker than Buju in cultivation, his escape tricks outclassed him by miles.
Seeing him flee, Kucai ignored him. She and Lan Xiaobu had agreed—Buju first. Her dark principle threads locked onto Buju.
Buju’s face paled. He’d thought Kucai was weaker, but she was stronger. Her damaged foundation masked her true power, not her divine abilities.
These terrifying dark threads, forged from dark principle essence, were unbreakable for him.
Pfft! Two threads pierced his chest, spraying blood.
He had to flee—any delay, and he’d be done. Ignoring the Samsara Saint’s betrayal, spatial ripples surged around him.
Kucai was stunned—her threads couldn’t pinpoint him. She soon realized it was a spatial escape, using water principles but distinct from Five Elements Escape—a true spatial technique.
As the ripples spread, Buju’s form faded.
Kucai knew she had to act fast or lose him. She unleashed a black blade aura, shattering the space where he’d stood, scattering rules and blood. But Buju was gone.
He escaped?
Before she could process it, a scream pierced the air. Buju’s body plummeted from the void.
Kucai clearly saw Lan Xiaobu retract a halberd, then unleash hundreds of rule threads, fully binding Buju before his body vanished—tossed into a small world.
Though fought by powerhouses, the clash lasted mere breaths.
Without ambushes, in a fair fight with techniques and treasures, Buju might’ve escaped even if outmatched. This trap ensured his doom.
“Friend Lan, impressive tactics,” Kucai said coolly. She knew how he’d done it—using an array disc from the island masters to lock the space. No matter how strong Buju’s escape was, it couldn’t instantly breach that defense.
Lan Xiaobu clasped his fists, “Thanks, Friend Kucai. How about we head back now? In a day, you can return the Samsara Scroll.”
Kucai frowned, itching to kill him on the spot.
Return the scroll? Never. She’d done the heavy lifting yet gained nothing. But she couldn’t complain—Lan Xiaobu had been clear: he wanted Buju and the Samsara Saint captured, and she hadn’t asked for Buju’s loot.
Her plan assumed Buju would be crippled and hers to take, with Lan Xiaobu too wounded to object. Instead, Buju was crippled—but claimed by Lan Xiaobu.
