As a top-tier sect, the Saint Sword Palace was vast beyond measure. While searching for Qi Manwei, Lan Xiaobu continuously set up various void array patterns.
On the eleventh day, he sensed a faint trace of Qi Manwei’s dao charm. He immediately stopped laying array patterns and swiftly followed the trace.
Half a day later, Lan Xiaobu stood before a massive ancient tree. He couldn’t gauge its inner size, but its outer circumference was at least ten thousand metres.
The tree was lush, surrounded by clear sword path laws and vibrant vitality. Its leaves were sword-shaped, and Qi Manwei’s aura emanated from within.
Though Lan Xiaobu was currently in a dao law state, he could clearly sense the tree’s sentience. Forcing his way in would alert the tree first.
He began constructing the tree’s dimensional model. In just half an incense stick’s time, he understood the protective array around it. The tree had its own restrictions, and someone had added hidden trigger array patterns. Approaching would inevitably alert others.
Though sentient, the tree’s intelligence couldn’t discern Lan Xiaobu’s disguised spatial dao law. Its cultivation was also low, barely at the level of a first-turn saint tree.
Lan Xiaobu easily passed through the restrictions, entering the tree.
Inside, he saw a jade bed with a beautiful woman in a pale yellow dress lying on it, eyes closed as if asleep. Her long lashes furrowed slightly, as if troubled, evoking pity.
To Lan Xiaobu’s shock, this wasn’t Qi Manwei. Though her beauty rivalled Qi Manwei’s, she was definitely not her.
Something was off. He had followed Qi Manwei’s dao charm to get here, so why wasn’t this woman her? Where did the aura come from?
As he prepared to search further, a fluctuation appeared in the air. A young man in golden robes stepped in, clearly arriving via a spatial array talisman.
The moment he entered, he moved to tear the yellow-dressed woman’s clothes. A crisp, childlike voice rang out, “Young Palace Lord, this woman is meant for the Eternal Life Conference. You can’t touch her.”
Though Lan Xiaobu was in a dao law state, he recognised the voice as the tree spirit’s. For such a massive tree, its spirit sounded like a little girl.
The golden-robed man chuckled, “I know. I’m just undoing her clothes to sense the Chaos Dao Body, preparing to break through to the fourth step. I won’t do anything else.”
The tree spirit’s voice sounded again, “Young Palace Lord, you can only sense one Chaos Dao Body. A better one is already prepared for you, to help you reach the fifth step. Sensing another now would harm your path.”
With those words, Lan Xiaobu pinpointed the tree spirit at the edge of an array pattern, likely guarding another room. Though his divine sense hadn’t penetrated it, he was certain Qi Manwei was there.
His spatial dao law solidified instantly. In the next moment, he stood in the room, his domain locking down the space.
“Who are you?” The golden-robed man stared at Lan Xiaobu in shock, unable to comprehend what had happened.
The Sword Palace Tree was the safest place in the Saint Sword Palace; no one could enter silently. Yet someone had, standing right before him. The tree spirit tried to send a message but found herself restrained, unable to move.
Lan Xiaobu walked over and tore through the cave mansion’s restrictions guarded by the tree spirit. As they fell, he saw Qi Manwei, bound to a vine, eyes wide, staring at the entrance.
“If you dare touch me, I’ll end myself, and you’ll never…” Qi Manwei began to shout as the restrictions opened, but her words halted mid-sentence. Though the man before her looked unfamiliar, she felt a strange familiarity. No, this was Xiaobu.
She was certain it was Lan Xiaobu, and her excitement surged, regardless of how he’d entered.
Before she could speak, Lan Xiaobu said, “Don’t ask who I am. I’m taking you away. You must agree, or I’ll act now. Besides, even if you refuse, staying here won’t end well. You might as well come with me.”
Qi Manwei, a fourth-step Great Path cultivator who had seen much, understood immediately. She fell silent. She didn’t know how Lan Xiaobu got here, but she was certain that after he rescued her, a powerhouse might trace the timeline. If she called out his name now, he’d be hunted later.
Lan Xiaobu spoke to prevent temporal tracing by other powerhouses.
Qi Manwei closed her eyes, as if too weary to speak.
Lan Xiaobu nodded. “Good.”
With those words, he waved his hand, effortlessly severing the restrictions binding Qi Manwei. The tree spirit watched, mouth agape. Those were dao threads—only a top-tier powerhouse or the one who placed them could break them so easily. Yet this man did it with a wave.
Lan Xiaobu sent Qi Manwei into the Longevity Realm, then turned to the golden-robed man. “Young Palace Lord?”
The man had calmed down, sensing death’s grip on him. He didn’t dare move, instead clasping his fists. “Friend, I don’t know how my Saint Sword Palace offended you to bring you here.”
His tone was calm, showing no anger despite Lan Xiaobu’s killing intent. He knew his life was in Lan Xiaobu’s hands.
Lan Xiaobu glanced at the yellow-dressed woman on the jade bed and said coolly, “Chaos Dao Body—so rare, a single world might not have one. Your Saint Sword Palace is impressive, capturing two. You should know why I’m here, right?”
“Senior, your strength far surpasses mine. You must know we didn’t capture these Chaos Dao Bodies,” the golden-robed man began.
Lan Xiaobu waved him off. “Answer my questions. Where did you get these two Chaos Dao Body women?”
“Senior, we didn’t cap—”
A spray of blood erupted as Lan Xiaobu blasted the man’s legs into gore.
Rage burned in the man’s heart. To dare act so brazenly in the Saint Sword Palace—if the palace discovered this, he’d tear this man apart piece by piece, or he wasn’t fit to be Young Palace Lord.
But he knew he had to answer quickly, or his arms would be next. “My Saint Sword Palace traded with the True Realm Saint Path. We paid a great price for the Chaos Dao Bodies…”
Before he finished, he felt death’s aura sweep over him. He tried to scream, “I answered your question!” but couldn’t utter a word. Death smothered his vitality, his body exploded, and his primordial spirit faded. The last words he heard were, “You’re not very useful.”
“I’m just a tree…” The tree spirit, seeing Lan Xiaobu kill the Young Palace Lord without hesitation, grew nervous as he turned to her.
Lan Xiaobu said coldly, “Is being a tree spirit impressive?”
The tree spirit wanted to say she was indeed remarkable but didn’t dare. To her relief, Lan Xiaobu took the yellow-dressed woman and left silently without killing her.
She struggled to break free of the restrictions, desperate to inform the Saint Sword Palace. They needed to pursue the madman who killed the Young Palace Lord.
This wasn’t just about his death. He’d taken a Chaos Dao Body. If the Saint Sword Palace couldn’t deliver it at the Eternal Life Conference, they were finished.
