Lan Xiaobu said, “It’s just Zhuang Xiyue, though I don’t know how she was captured by them. But as a Chaos Dao Body, to cultivate to the Creation Saint Realm and come to the Great Universe is no small feat. In the future, however, you must be more cautious. The Great Universe may seem peaceful on the surface, but it’s not much better than other places. Many things are simply done in secret.”
With Lan Xiaobu’s insight, he could tell at a glance that the charm of Zhuang Xiyue’s Dao was not that of a native Great Universe cultivator.
Zhuang Xiyue’s eyes dimmed, “I wasn’t born with a Chaos Dao Body. It was through a fortuitous opportunity that I later developed it. Because of these opportunities, my cultivation soared, reaching the Creation Realm in a short time…”
As she spoke, an image of a young man in blue robes surfaced unbidden in Zhuang Xiyue’s mind. Back then, to prove herself worthy of him, she left True Star. After reaching the Immortal Realm, she left there too, determined to show that she, Zhuang Xiyue, relied not on her appearance…
She couldn’t recall how many times she escaped death or endured countless hardships. Until one day, she gained an opportunity and achieved a Chaos Dao Body. From then on, her cultivation skyrocketed, unstoppable even by the universe itself. She left the low-tier universe, found a mid-tier one, and eventually arrived in the Great Universe…
The man she once admired likely had cultivation far inferior to hers now. He might think himself at the pinnacle of his world, unaware that it was merely a low-tier universe, beyond which lay mid-tier universes and even the Great Universe.
A sense of melancholy rose in Zhuang Xiyue’s heart. If she faced him again, how would he see her? Would he, as he did back then, leave Tianchi Manor with that carefree silhouette, leaving her with a back she could never reach?
The past was gone. Zhuang Xiyue suddenly recalled a phrase, though she couldn’t remember where she’d heard it: “This feeling can be cherished in memory, but back then, it was already lost in vain.”
Lan Xiaobu was a bit speechless. He was reminding Zhuang Xiyue to be cautious in the future, as a Chaos Dao Body was a dangerous existence.
But Zhuang Xiyue had drifted off in thought. He could only prompt her again, “Zhuang Daoyou, what are your plans moving forward?”
Zhuang Xiyue snapped out of her distant memories, realizing that if not for the man before her, she would have no future. What did her cultivation matter? In the Great Universe, she was still an ant.
“I plan to find a place to seclude myself and break through to the fourth step of the Great Dao. I’ve accumulated enough. If you, Big Brother, ever need my help, just send me a message, and I, Zhuang Xiyue, will risk my life to assist,” she said, bowing again.
Lan Xiaobu waved his hand, “I don’t need your help. With the Immortality Conference approaching, as a Chaos Dao Body, you’d best stay far from here. One more thing: when traveling in the future, the stronger your cultivation, the better. In my view, you shouldn’t venture out until you reach at least the fifth step.”
In truth, Lan Xiaobu believed that anything less than the eighth step of the Great Dao was dangerous for her.
“Thank you, Big Brother, for the advice. May I ask your name?” Zhuang Xiyue said, taking out her communication bead. “This is my communication principle. Though my cultivation is low now, I believe I can soon reach the fourth step of the Great Dao. I may be able to help you in the future.”
Lan Xiaobu took the communication bead. He didn’t doubt Zhuang Xiyue’s words. As a Chaos Dao Body, her cultivation would progress rapidly in the later stages, much like Qi Manwei, who, after reaching the Creation Saint Realm, advanced to the fourth step of the Great Dao in just a few hundred years. In the Great Universe, her progress would only accelerate.
Storing Zhuang Xiyue’s communication bead, Lan Xiaobu handed her his own communication principle, saying, “My name is Lan Xiaobu. I wish you a swift breakthrough to the fourth step of the Great Dao.”
Zhuang Xiyue took the communication bead, thanked him again, and then activated her flying treasure, disappearing into the distance.
“She’s not a Great Universe cultivator either, she came from elsewhere,” Qi Manwei sighed, watching Zhuang Xiyue’s retreating figure.
Despite the Great Universe’s surface prohibitions on fighting and killing, no one would care if an outsider cultivator was killed here.
Lan Xiaobu summoned the Seven Realms Stone, saying, “Let’s go, we’ll head to the outskirts of True Derivation Holy Dao to take a look.”
Dubu, after all, had fought alongside him and always trusted him. Knowing Dubu was in Guan Yuxue’s hands, Lan Xiaobu couldn’t justify not trying to save him.
As the Seven Realms Stone activated, a thought struck Lan Xiaobu: why did he have to kill Guan Chong himself? He could find someone to help. Otherwise, by the time he cultivated to a level capable of killing Guan Chong, who knew how many years would pass?
In the Great Universe, the only one he could ally with was Mo Wuji, but he didn’t know where Mo Wuji was. Even if he found him, without improving their cultivation, they couldn’t hope to defeat Guan Chong.
“Xiaobu, where are we going now?” Qi Manwei asked, noticing his silence.
“To the Great Ice Palace,” Lan Xiaobu said suddenly.
Qi Manwei was shocked, “Xiaobu, didn’t you just rescue Taichuan from the Great Ice Palace? Going there now is like walking into a trap. Besides, the Great Ice Palace must be heavily guarded now.”
Lan Xiaobu smiled, “Not necessarily. I’m going to the Great Ice Palace to wait for someone. If the Great Ice Palace isn’t destroyed within ten years, we’ll leave.”
Lan Xiaobu was going to wait for Shi Wanrong. He had rescued her, and as long as Shi Wanrong wasn’t foolish, she would tell her father, Shi Changxing, about being captured by the Great Ice Palace. The Great Ice Palace clearly feared Shi Wanrong’s father, indicating that Shi Changxing’s strength was formidable.
If a powerhouse learned their daughter was captured, tortured, and interrogated about Great Dao techniques by a sect, it would be surprising if they didn’t act. Lan Xiaobu planned to wait for Shi Changxing at the Great Ice Palace. If Shi Changxing came to destroy it, Lan Xiaobu wouldn’t mind lending a hand. After helping Shi Changxing, he could ask for a favor in return: to help kill Guan Chong.
With the favor of saving Shi Wanrong and assisting Shi Changxing in destroying the Great Ice Palace, it shouldn’t be difficult to enlist his help against Guan Chong.
Countless billions of miles away, in a desolate Dao city, a yellow-haired woman hid among broken walls and rubble. This was Shi Wanrong, whom Lan Xiaobu had rescued.
Shi Wanrong knew better than anyone that the Great Ice Palace was likely hunting her down. She had to find her father before they found her, or she would surely be captured again.
She recognized this desolate Dao city. Years ago, she and her father had passed through it. It was called the Cursed Dao City, rumored to ensnare any cultivator who entered with a curse principle, leading to the collapse of their Dao foundation, the dissolution of their soul, and their reduction to nothingness.
Due to the many deaths in the Cursed Dao City and its negative impact on the Great Universe, the Heavenly Court of the Central World intervened, and the Heavenly Emperor Ku Yichi personally reduced the city to ruins.
Even so, few dared to visit the ruins of the Cursed Dao City, as it was said to bring all sorts of misfortunes. When Shi Wanrong passed through with her father, he had said it was merely a curse principle, already destroyed by Ku Yichi, making the city safe.
Shi Wanrong hid here because she felt an overwhelming sense of danger, as if she could be recaptured by the Great Ice Palace at any moment. The Cursed Dao City’s outskirts had a defensive principle that blocked external perception.
She suspected the Great Ice Palace had placed a thought imprint on her, but she couldn’t locate it.
Because of this feeling, Shi Wanrong dared not flee further. If she did, she would surely be caught and silenced by the Great Ice Palace.
Though divine sense couldn’t penetrate this place, Shi Wanrong trusted her father would find her and rescue her.
Hiding in the ruined city, Shi Wanrong recalled her father’s words that the Cursed Dao City was safe. Yet, thinking of its ominous reputation and the strange occurrences associated with it, she couldn’t shake her unease.
As the saying goes, what you fear comes to pass. Despite holding her breath, Shi Wanwei felt an impending crisis, like an icy whip coiling around her neck, making it hard to breathe.
“Who’s there…” Shi Wanrong, terrified, spun around, but behind her was only a broken stone, nothing else.
