Almost the moment Lan Xiaobu left, a figure rushed over—it was Ling Zhuzhen, hurrying back in a panic. Ling Zhuzhen stared at the spot where the Cosmic Heart Shield had vanished, his heart bleeding. He had been seizing Cosmic Tree branches when he suddenly thought of the shield. Realising its importance, he rushed back, but he was still too late—less than half an hour too late.
Lan Xiaobu sensed Ling Zhuzhen’s return but didn’t slow down. The Seven Realms Stone continued at maximum speed.
This time, Lan Xiaobu didn’t travel far. In less than a day, he stopped again.
He had found the Cosmic Tree. He wasn’t the first to arrive; at least a dozen others were already at its periphery. Among them were familiar faces, including Hui Zhi.
Hui Zhi, instead of recovering from his injuries, dared to come for the Cosmic Tree—truly reckless.
Besides Hui Zhi, there were two other familiar figures: Chang Yi, the Dao Ancestor of the Xiutuo World, and Fu Chong, the Dao Lord of the Zhenyuan Holy Dao. Another person seemed vaguely familiar to Lan Xiaobu, likely a Dao Ancestor he thought had been killed by the Tianmeng Clan. Yet here he was, alive and carefree, vying for the Cosmic Tree.
As for the Cosmic Tree itself, Lan Xiaobu’s divine sense could only perceive a wall of branches. The trunk was so massive that even his divine sense couldn’t encompass it fully.
Such an immense Cosmic Tree was beyond even Lan Xiaobu’s ability to take.
“Greetings, Brother Lan,” Chang Yi said, hurrying to greet him.
He knew Lan Xiaobu well. If not for Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji choosing him as an ally back then, he’d likely be without a body now. Look at those who opposed Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji—Di Lan, Lin Jie, Quan—how many were still unscathed?
“Not bad, Dao Ancestor Chang Yi. Your cultivation has improved,” Lan Xiaobu said with a chuckle, though inwardly he somewhat disdained the man. The Xiutuo World was gone, yet Chang Yi lived so freely.
Chang Yi understood Lan Xiaobu’s temperament and sensed his mild contempt for surviving so comfortably without the Xiutuo World. Inwardly, he grumbled: Do you think everyone’s as freakishly powerful as you and Mo Wuji? The Tianmeng Clan had the Cosmic Tree and the Dimensional World’s help, with countless strong fighters. What could I do? Surviving was already a feat—what more do you expect?
Hui Zhi stared coldly at Lan Xiaobu. If looks could kill, he’d have slain Lan Xiaobu a thousand times over.
Lan Xiaobu approached Hui Zhi, who instinctively stepped back, unaware that his Dao heart had developed a crack.
“Wanwan, long time no see,” Lan Xiaobu said with a grin.
“What do you want?” Hui Zhi’s tone was icy.
The surrounding powerhouses were stunned. This was Hui Zhi, the Dao Ancestor of the Great Dream Dao, capable of crushing peers. Even the Ten Dao Ancestors stepped aside for him.
Chang Yi watched, cold sweat trickling down his back. He knew Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji were formidable, but that was measured by their strength in the Great Cosmos.
Everyone knew the Great Cosmos’s rules, influenced by the Cosmic Tree and Tianmeng Clan, were hostile to human cultivators, even suppressing them. So it wasn’t surprising that someone like Lan Xiaobu, with his own Great Dao, could defeat them despite being a step below. But outside the Great Cosmos, the power dynamics were unclear.
Hui Zhi and Huan were different. If they sent their forces out, the Ten Dao Ancestors would have no standing.
Two Eighth-Step Great Dao powerhouses, who had been in secluded cultivation, gaped as Hui Zhi seemed wary of Lan Xiaobu, their worldviews shattered.
They’d heard of Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji, known to rival Dao Ancestors. But in the Great Cosmos, Hui Zhi and Huan were exceptions. Though limited to the Eighth Step, their strength far surpassed ordinary Dao Ancestors and Eighth-Step cultivators.
Lan Xiaobu said calmly, “Wanwan, let’s make a deal. Give me that bow, and I’ll return one item from your storehouse—your choice.”
“Dream on…” Hui Zhi began, but Lan Xiaobu cut him off.
“Wanwan, you know whether it’s a dream or not. You’re gravely injured. If you anger me and I chase you down, forsaking the Cosmic Tree, where can you flee? Do you have a second Space-Breaking Talisman? And what use is that bow in your hands? It just takes up space and adds to your sorrow. You might think you’ll one day reclaim the arrow and reunite bow and arrow. I don’t mean to belittle you, Wanwan, but is that likely? True wise men and powerhouses invest all resources in the present to boost their strength. If you’re killed, are you saving those treasures for someone else? Oh, I saw Huan recently—his strength has grown, and I think he could crush you now, heh.”
Lan Xiaobu wasn’t sure if there was a rift between Huan and Hui Zhi, but as the Great Cosmos’s two top powerhouses, he doubted they lacked competition. He found it odd that Hui Zhi, having escaped with a Space-Breaking Talisman, returned to the Great Cosmos.
The only explanation was that Hui Zhi’s talisman was anchored to the Great Cosmos or allowed him to choose his destination. If so, Hui Zhi had wasted a treasure. Had he offered the talisman and explained its function, Lan Xiaobu might have spared him.
If Hui Zhi knew Lan Xiaobu’s thoughts, he’d curse: I’d trust you, my foot.
Hui Zhi’s face darkened, but he didn’t refute. He knew Lan Xiaobu’s words held no lies.
Though he believed he could escape even if Lan Xiaobu attacked—since there were no trapping formations here—Lan Xiaobu’s logic was sound, and he couldn’t leave now.
With the Voidless Bow in his hands, given Lan Xiaobu’s displayed strength and dominance, reclaiming the Voidless Arrow was nearly impossible. Even if it were, it’d be countless years later. By then, if he reached the Ninth Step, would Lan Xiaobu have stayed stagnant?
Moreover, there was Mo Wuji, no less formidable, and closely tied to Lan Xiaobu. Though he and Huan were the Great Cosmos’s top powerhouses, their harmony was superficial, with underlying tensions.
“After the trade, you swear you won’t attack me?” Hui Zhi asked calmly, sighing inwardly, impressed by Lan Xiaobu’s persuasive tongue.
Though Lan Xiaobu hadn’t said it outright, Hui Zhi knew that if Lan Xiaobu got the Voidless Bow, his strength would rise further. But what could he do? Gravely injured, he was no match for Lan Xiaobu. With the Cosmic Tree at stake, being driven off now would leave him with nothing, falling further behind.
Lan Xiaobu, seeing a chance, laughed. “Wanwan, rest assured, my word is my bond. As long as you stop using the Great Dream Laws to harm innocent planets and cultivators, I won’t touch you. But if I catch you harming others or developing those demonic planets, forget what I said—I’ll still kill you.”
Hearing Lan Xiaobu’s conditions, Hui Zhi relaxed. He feared Lan Xiaobu making a promise without an oath, only to renege after getting the bow.
Before meeting Lan Xiaobu, he hadn’t taken him seriously, believing he could easily handle him.
After meeting him, that notion vanished. They’d all set traps in the Seven Realms Void Plaza, but Lan Xiaobu had outmanoeuvred him, showing his cunning. With an equally strong ally, Hui Zhi was reluctant to remain enemies unless absolutely necessary.
Unbeknownst to Hui Zhi, after Lan Xiaobu destroyed his arms, a seed of fear had taken root, cracking his Dao heart. In the past, he’d never have thought this way.
“Fine, I agree. I want two things: the Primordial Chaos Law and the Primordial Chaos Seed,” Hui Zhi said immediately.
The Primordial Chaos Seed was essential for him to reach the Ninth Step.
Lan Xiaobu said calmly, “Wanwan, remember this is a trade. What I offer can help you reach the Ninth Step. What use is what you’re offering to you now? So you don’t get to make demands—you can only choose one.”
