Inside Lan Xiaobu’s cave on Sage Island, his aura continued to rise steadily. The merit power within the Dao Lord Seal seemed inexhaustible, endlessly drawn in by Lan Xiaobu, solidifying his sage Charm of the Dao.
“Boom!” It was as if something had been torn apart. Lan Xiaobu felt entirely different.
Opening his eyes, he suspected that with a mere gesture, he could grasp any law between heaven and earth. Though he knew it was an illusion, after proving his path to the second-turn sage realm with merit, his strength had increased several times over.
He sensed the rumbling of laws in the Eternal Life Realm, their self-perfection accelerating rapidly. Now that he’d stepped into the second-turn sage realm, the laws of the Eternal Life Realm surpassed even those of the Rootless Divine Realm he’d once visited.
The Chaos Unicorn stared dumbfounded at the earth-shaking changes in the Eternal Life Realm. Even without cultivating, its own aura was rising.
Lan Xiaobu inwardly rejoiced. Thankfully, he’d chosen to prove his path with merit; otherwise, even if he’d reached the second-turn sage realm, he wouldn’t have the profound foundation he possessed now. The benefits of merit-based ascension to his world were unimaginable.
At that moment, dazzling purple light erupted around the unicorn, and dense heaven-and-earth vitality gathered around it. Lan Xiaobu had never encountered the aura of laws swirling in the space around the unicorn.
Had it awakened its divine beast Dao laws?
Feeling the unicorn’s aura steadily climb, Lan Xiaobu was certain it had awakened its Great Dao laws. He quickly set up a spirit-gathering divine array for it and tossed over a dozen top-grade divine spirit veins around it before exiting the Eternal Life Realm.
The unicorn was currently a sixth-rank divine beast. Once it reached the seventh rank, it might even be able to speak.
At this moment, Lan Xiaobu felt torn. In just a hundred years, he’d proven his path to the second-turn sage realm with merit. Should he return to the Great Desolate Divine Realm to check on things, or stay here to pursue the third-turn sage realm?
Deep down, he desperately wanted to go back and see. With his current strength, returning to Eternal Life Sage City wouldn’t take long. But an intuition gnawed at him—if he left Sage Island now, he’d never again have the chance to cultivate atop the Heart of the Universe. The Heart wouldn’t linger here much longer; once it slipped away, he’d miss a monumental opportunity.
After just a few breaths of hesitation, Lan Xiaobu decided to stay and pursue the third-turn sage realm. An opportunity like the Heart of the Universe, once lost, would never return. Proving his path to the third turn later might take ten times longer—or more.
As for Eternal Life Sage City, though he wasn’t there, with Tifo, Puhe, and the now-warned Kun Wei present, there’d be no issues.
Running the Eternal Life Technique, Lan Xiaobu prepared to continue comprehending his sage Great Dao.
Just then, primal Dao laws—so clear he could almost touch them—appeared in his consciousness. He even saw a tiny planet, within which he sensed boundless laws, each one tangible and within reach.
Time, space, the five elements, wind, thunder, ice…
While he’d eventually comprehend these laws fully, the vivid presence of darkness, light, divine path, and nether laws left him utterly stunned.
Could this be the Heart of the Universe? In an instant, Lan Xiaobu confirmed it—absolutely, this was the Heart of the Universe.
He was ecstatic. Thank goodness he hadn’t left immediately. Without this chance, he now considered not just cultivating in this cave but entering the Heart of the Universe itself.
In that moment, Lan Xiaobu decided to step into the Heart of the Universe and use these vivid, tangible laws to prove his path to the third-turn sage realm.
The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. Proving his path with the myriad laws of heaven and earth would make his strength far exceed that of other third-turn sages. This was an unparalleled opportunity.
Just as he prepared to enter the Heart of the Universe, his cave shuddered with a sudden impact. The connection he’d felt with the Heart dulled slightly.
Someone was attacking his cave? Lan Xiaobu’s fury erupted. He was on the verge of seizing his greatest opportunity, and someone dared to strike his cave.
He stepped out in a single stride, radiating killing intent. To a cultivator, disrupting someone’s opportunity was tantamount to taking their life.
Emerging from the cave, Lan Xiaobu quickly calmed himself. Two figures stood outside, neither displaying the arrogance of someone seizing a cave. On the contrary, they appeared cautious and guarded. Though their expressions were calm, Lan Xiaobu sensed their deep wariness and fear of him.
He didn’t have time to ponder why they’d attack his cave despite their apprehension. Wary himself, he extended his sage domain.
The man facing him wasn’t just stronger than him—his power was beyond any sage Lan Xiaobu had encountered. His skin was pale, a long sword strapped to his back, and he wore cloud-stepping boots, standing as if not truly grounded. It wasn’t a levitation aided by Dao techniques but a natural stance atop the laws of heaven and earth—terrifyingly so.
In terms of cultivation, Lan Xiaobu estimated he was no higher than a fifth-turn sage, likely just a fourth-turn. Yet he was certain that even if Bu Ju reached the seventh turn, he’d be nothing before this man. This was the most formidable fourth-turn sage he’d ever seen—several times more terrifying than the Reincarnation Sage.
It was pure instinct, no reasoning needed.
Before ascending to the second turn, Lan Xiaobu would’ve abandoned the cave without hesitation. Even after reaching the second turn, without sensing the Heart of the Universe’s accessibility, he’d have let it go. But now, he absolutely wouldn’t relinquish it. The Heart was within reach, and he was about to use the laws of heaven and earth to ascend to the third turn.
Anyone who stole this opportunity was an enemy for life or death.
“What do you mean by this, friend? Why attack my cave? Don’t you know that striking another’s cave is a mortal enmity?” Lan Xiaobu’s tone was calm as he spoke, his gaze casually shifting to the second figure.
This man seemed like a mere lackey to the sword-bearing figure, unremarkable and unlikely to draw attention. Indeed, with his head bowed and shoulders hunched, he appeared to be just that—a follower.
But when Lan Xiaobu’s eyes landed on this hunched man, he nearly lost control of his emotions. If the sword-bearing man was already a fearsome figure Lan Xiaobu preferred to avoid, this hunched man exuded a suffocating aura of death. He was like a sword—sharper than any blade—yet he’d concealed his edge.
Wait, something’s off. How could someone this powerful be a mere lackey to the sword-bearer?
The sword-bearer was strong, but not stronger than this hunched man. And that hunch was fake—standing straight, he’d outshine the sword-bearer, radiating a presence like an unsheathed blade.
Could the sword-bearer not see how extraordinary this man was? As Lan Xiaobu considered this unlikely, he suddenly noticed the hunched man’s aura revert to that of an ordinary sage follower.
Lan Xiaobu understood. He could see it because this was the Eternal Life Realm, soon to merge with the Great Desolate Divine Realm, where he was the Dao Lord. The laws and fortune here were deeply tied to him.
That’s why he could discern the hunched man’s true nature, while the sword-bearer, clearly an outsider, couldn’t.
The sword-bearer, who’d moments ago boldly attacked Lan Xiaobu’s cave, now seemed exceedingly cautious. He clasped his fists toward Lan Xiaobu and said, “Friend, we’d like to borrow your cave for a brief stay. Please grant us this convenience.”
Lan Xiaobu replied calmly, “How should I address you?”
“I am Guang Ye Chang…” the sword-bearer answered earnestly.
Guang Ye Chang? The name felt vaguely familiar to Lan Xiaobu. His gaze shifted to the sword on Guang Ye Chang’s back.
This weapon was undoubtedly of a higher grade than his Eternal Life Halberd. Though his halberd could still be upgraded, until it reached a certain level, it wouldn’t match Guang Ye Chang’s sword. Perhaps sensing Lan Xiaobu’s scrutiny, Guang Ye Chang said unabashedly, “This is my treasure, the God-Slaying Sword.”
God-Slaying Sword? That sounded familiar. Lan Xiaobu frowned, thinking for a moment before recalling it. There was a divine ability sword diagram called the God-Slaying Sword Diagram. The God-Slaying Sword was the only treasure activated by that diagram, said to trap its target with no chance of survival.
Guang Ye Chang’s origins were clearly extraordinary. Though Lan Xiaobu hadn’t heard of him, he was surely an ancient powerhouse.
Anger was pointless against such a figure. Lan Xiaobu smiled faintly. “Friend Guang, do you have a Dao companion?”
Guang Ye Chang paused, caught off guard, then replied casually, “I had one long ago.”
Lan Xiaobu nodded. “May I see an image of your Dao companion?”
Guang Ye Chang frowned. If Lan Xiaobu refused to lend the cave, he’d simply act. But Lan Xiaobu hadn’t refused—he was just asking questions.
With that thought, Guang Ye Chang waved a hand in the air, conjuring the image of a stunningly beautiful woman in the void.
Lan Xiaobu was momentarily stunned. He’d seen countless beauties, but this woman’s appearance and aura were among the finest.
Quickly regaining his composure, he said, “Friend Guang, your Dao companion looks impressive. I’ve taken a liking to her—could I borrow her for a few nights?”
