Lan Xiaobu knew that many were watching him now, but he didn’t care. Even if Di Lan wanted to deal with him, it would only happen when the Eternal Life Conference began. Acting now would be asking for trouble. Everyone knew Lan Xiaobu didn’t play by the rules. If Di Lan targeted him now, there was no guarantee Lan Xiaobu wouldn’t storm the Heavenly Court Hall of the Central Heavenly Court, or even Di Lan Mountain itself.
As Lan Xiaobu stepped out of Anluo Heavenly City, he saw a bearded man slap a small old man, sending him flying, nearly losing half his face.
“Heh, a mere ant dares to steal my turf,” the old man spat a blood arrow, lying on the ground, unable to get up for a long time.
Seeing the stall smashed to bits, Lan Xiaobu realised this was a territorial dispute, like a clichéd tale of a bully tormenting the weak. He chuckled inwardly. Wasn’t the Central World supposed to have strict rules against casual fighting? How was this happening?
Before the Eternal Life Conference in Anluo Heavenly City, many cultivators who couldn’t enter set up stalls outside to trade resources. During the conference, nearly anyone with ability came to Anluo Heavenly City, making it possible to find items usually unavailable.
Lan Xiaobu didn’t intervene. As he was about to leave, two enforcers stopped the old man.
“You stole someone else’s spot. You have two choices…”
Before the enforcer could finish, the old man struggled up, offering a ring, “I’ll compensate and apologise to this friend.”
Perhaps unwilling to hassle an old man, or because of the crowd watching, the enforcers took the ring and nodded, “If this happens again, you’ll be banished billions of miles from Anluo Heavenly City.”
“Yes…” the old man replied.
Lan Xiaobu guessed the old man had indeed tried to take someone’s spot. He looked like a mediocre cultivator, so why would he dare? Then Lan Xiaobu’s gaze fixed on him, and his heart skipped a beat. This man was at the eighth step of the Great Dao, his cultivation highly refined, far surpassing someone like Wang Congjing.
Was this a Dao Ancestor in disguise? Could it be Lei Yunhan?
No, Lei Yunhan, with his arrogance, would never let himself look so wretched.
Lan Xiaobu didn’t linger, turning to leave quickly. Whoever this was, it had nothing to do with him. If it was one of Di Lan’s Dao Ancestors, they’d settle it in a fight later.
After escaping a million miles from Anluo Heavenly City, preparing to use the Seven Realm Stone to speed up, Lan Xiaobu sensed someone following him. He stopped, calmly waiting for the tracker.
In an instant, a white figure landed before him. Lan Xiaobu looked in surprise, “You?”
It was the old man who’d been beaten, an eighth-step Great Dao cultivator.
“You must be Lan Xiaobu, right?” the old man said with a warm smile, showing no malice.
Lan Xiaobu nodded, “Indeed, I am Lan Xiaobu. Why are you following me?”
He and Mo Wuji had destroyed Jinluo Tower multiple times and confronted Di Lan in Anluo Heavenly City. It’d be strange if someone didn’t recognise him.
The old man nodded, “I’m Kong Xinjian. Have you heard of me?”
Kong Xinjian? Lan Xiaobu immediately understood and clasped his fists, “So it’s the Dao Ancestor of the Bucheng World. I was blind earlier, forgive my offence.”
Kong Xinjian smiled, “No, you already saw through my cultivation. You just weren’t sure who I was.”
Lan Xiaobu didn’t explain. He had indeed noticed Kong Xinjian’s cultivation but couldn’t fathom if Kong Xinjian was a masochist or playing the pig to eat the tiger. Yet, after playing the pig, he hadn’t become a tiger, just got bullied and became a real pig.
“If I said I was waiting for you outside, would you believe me?” Kong Xinjian said.
“Waiting for me?” Lan Xiaobu looked at him sceptically. They’d never met or had any dealings. Though he’d considered seeking Kong Xinjian as an ally after Qi Zhou Tian’s suggestion, the Bucheng World was too far, so he’d dropped the idea.
“Friend Kong, if you wanted to find me, you could’ve just gone to Anluo Heavenly City,” Lan Xiaobu said, frowning. He didn’t believe someone like Kong Xinjian couldn’t enter the city.
Kong Xinjian spoke casually, “If you didn’t come out, finding you would’ve been pointless.”
Lan Xiaobu frowned, not understanding.
Kong Xinjian continued, “I’ve looked into the situation in Anluo Heavenly City. To put it bluntly, during the Eternal Life Conference, you and Mo Wuji might face Di Lan and his allies. If you didn’t leave, it’d mean you weren’t aware of the danger. Finding you would be meaningless, just adding injury to injury.
Moreover, it’d mean Qi Zhou Tian was siding with Di Lan, and you didn’t notice. In that case, why would I seek you out? Wouldn’t that be asking for trouble?”
Lan Xiaobu sucked in a breath. Kong Xinjian’s words showed he knew Di Lan’s plans. Only seven Dao Ancestors were at Di Lan’s meeting. Without him and Mo Wuji freeing Qi Zhou Tian from the Dao realm oath, he might’ve suspected but wouldn’t know Di Lan planned to use Xing Jia against him. As for the Cosmic Tree, he only knew because Shi Changxing told him.
So how did Kong Xinjian know?
Kong Xinjian said calmly, “You’re probably wondering how I know, maybe even suspecting I’m with Di Lan.”
Before Lan Xiaobu could respond, Kong Xinjian explained, “Rest assured, I’d ally with anyone but Di Lan. That man’s two-faced, the biggest trash in the Great Universe. Aligning with him would tarnish my name. Before I explain how I know, let me clarify something else. If you hadn’t seen through my Dao Ancestor-level cultivation after I was slapped, I still wouldn’t have come to you. It’d be pointless. But that glance you gave me told me you saw my strength, and your power likely surpasses most Dao Ancestors. That’s why I decided to approach you.”
Lan Xiaobu didn’t comment, waiting for Kong Xinjian to explain how he knew Di Lan’s plans.
Kong Xinjian smiled, “You’re heading out now, likely because you know things aren’t simple and are seeking allies. Let me guess, you’re probably looking for two people. First, Fu Chong from Poxu Holy Dao…”
Lan Xiaobu grew puzzled. He was indeed seeking Fu Chong, but why did Kong Xinjian say two?
“The other is Gu Xu Saint from Guxu Cave…”
“Gu Xu Saint?” Lan Xiaobu looked at Kong Xinjian in surprise. He knew of him, but Gu Xu was only at the seventh step of the Great Dao, and a weaker one at that.
Seeing Lan Xiaobu’s expression, Kong Xinjian understood, sighing, “It seems I overestimated you, or rather, Qi Zhou Tian and Shi Changxing. Gu Xu Saint isn’t at the seventh step but has entered the eighth. His strength isn’t weak; he’s hiding it. Clearly, Qi Zhou Tian doesn’t know.”
Lan Xiaobu said calmly, “Friend Kong, if I’m not mistaken, though your strength remains, your lifespan seems near its end. What’s going on?”
As a Dao Ancestor, Kong Xinjian should have an endless lifespan, yet Lan Xiaobu sensed a decaying aura, indicating his lifespan was nearly exhausted, which puzzled him.
Kong Xinjian sighed, “I was schemed against by Di Lan. If not for the Dao Ancestor of the Great Desolate World, I’d be gone from the Great Universe. Let’s not dwell on that. I’m here to lend you a hand.”
“Please enlighten me,” Lan Xiaobu clasped his fists.
Kong Xinjian said seriously, “You know about the Cosmic Tree, don’t you? Even that it’ll appear at the Eternal Life Conference.”
Lan Xiaobu nodded, “Indeed, I know of the Cosmic Tree and that it’ll appear at the conference…”
He paused, as if realizing something, and said in surprise, “Could it be that Shi Changxing learned about the Cosmic Tree from you?”
Kong Xinjian nodded, “Correct. I told Shi Changxing. Rest assured, he won’t side with Di Lan.”
Lan Xiaobu stayed silent, feeling something was off.
Kong Xinjian continued, “Di Lan’s ambitious. He doesn’t just want the Cosmic Dao Fruit; he wants to take the Cosmic Tree. Do you know what it means for the Great Universe if he does?”
Lan Xiaobu remained silent, sensing he’d been manipulated by Kong Xinjian.
Kong Xinjian didn’t mind, continuing, “If Di Lan takes the Cosmic Tree, the Great Universe will collapse. The Cosmic Tree is the universe’s lifeline, its foundation.”
Lan Xiaobu gradually understood, almost certain he’d been used as a pawn by Kong Xinjian. This was to make him stand against Di Lan and stop him from taking the Cosmic Tree. Even if he hadn’t left today, Kong Xinjian wouldn’t have stayed out of it as claimed. He’d surely act while Lan Xiaobu and Di Lan fought.
Whether Kong Xinjian wanted to protect the Cosmic Tree or take it himself, Lan Xiaobu no longer cared. What concerned him was, if Kong Xinjian planned to use him as a pawn, why come forward to connect with him?
