The flame fell onto the Universe Tree, and Lan Xiaobu’s heart immediately sank. It wasn’t that the flame couldn’t burn the Universe Tree, but that his flame couldn’t affect it.
His flame was too weak; after burning for a dozen breaths, it left only a faint mark on the tree.
Lan Xiaobu decisively withdrew the flame and unleashed a Great Severing Technique. Regardless of its effectiveness, he intended to cycle through his divine abilities. Waiting any longer, he risked being expelled by the Universe Tree. If the Great Severing Technique failed, he would try the Great Destruction Technique, and if that didn’t work, the Seven Notes Kill.
As the Great Severing Technique was cast, its slicing principles tore through all obstacles in an instant.
“Pfft!” A golden sap burst forth. Lan Xiaobu was thrilled to find that his Great Severing Technique cut through the Universe Tree like slicing tofu, instantly creating a massive gash in its centre. The technique was so swift and precise that it even severed the tree’s wood essence.
Lan Xiaobu didn’t hesitate. The Great Severing Technique transformed into countless slicing principles, ravaging the Universe Tree. In mere moments, it carved out a section of trunk spanning hundreds of cubic metres. Lan Xiaobu promptly stored the trunk in his Universe Dimension Model and leapt into the space he had carved out.
He then stowed the Universe Dimension Model. Knowing the Great Severing Technique was effective against the Universe Tree, Lan Xiaobu relentlessly continued his assault.
Wave after wave of Great Severing Techniques bombarded the tree, and Lan Xiaobu collected its wood essence as well.
A sudden thought transmission came, carrying an intent that—
Lan Xiaobu showed no mercy. Not only did the Great Severing Technique not slow, it grew faster.
The Universe Tree, fleeing through the void, halted and began to shrink. In the blink of an eye, it reduced to an ordinary tree, merely tens of metres tall.
Lan Xiaobu rushed out of the Universe Tree, his principles swirling as he completely bound the shrunken tree.
Seeing the Universe Tree had no chance to escape, Lan Xiaobu breathed a sigh of relief. He knew the tree’s resilience and wouldn’t relax until it was fully secured.
“Friend Lan, for my sake, would you release the Universe Tree?” Just as Lan Xiaobu prepared to store it, an abrupt voice sounded in his ear.
Lan Xiaobu paused, his divine sense sweeping outward, but he detected no one in the surrounding space.
Had he misheard? Just as he thought this, the voice spoke again, “You should know me. We both come from the distant Great Desolate World. After arriving in the Great Universe, I still…”
Lan Xiaobu snapped to attention.
This time, no voice responded, but the Longevity Principles binding the Universe Tree began to slowly unravel.
Lan Xiaobu laughed and said, “So it’s you, old friend.”
As he spoke, his Longevity Principles surged, and he swept the Universe Tree into his Universe Dimension Model.
The Universe Tree, perhaps believing Lan Xiaobu had agreed to release it, relaxed slightly. But in the next moment, it was whisked away. Where was the promised camaraderie? The supposed understanding?
Releasing the Universe Tree? Lan Xiaobu had never considered it. No matter who came, he was determined to take the tree.
After securing it, Lan Xiaobu extended his divine sense again but sensed nothing. It was as if the voice claiming to be from Hongjun Ancestor—or rather, someone from the same origin—had never appeared. Yet Lan Xiaobu hadn’t heard the name Hongjun Ancestor explicitly; the voice had only implied a shared origin.
Unable to detect the speaker, Lan Xiaobu grew wary. Where was the voice hiding to transmit to him? For safety, he locked the World Tree within his Universe Dimension Model with additional restrictions.
Ignoring the mysterious speaker, Lan Xiaobu thought, So what if their concealment is strong? His own was just as formidable. He decided it was time to return to the Great Universe. Though he had been pulled away from it again, the harvest was worthwhile: not only had he obtained the Universe Tree, but also Huan’s star core planet.
But where was he now? As his divine sense extended, he sensed the void’s rules collapsing rapidly.
Lan Xiaobu was stunned. It couldn’t be, could it? If the Universe Tree caused issues, only the Great Universe’s rules should collapse. This was the void, certainly not within the Great Universe, so why were the rules breaking down?
Soon, Lan Xiaobu confirmed that the cosmic rules in this vast void were indeed collapsing.
He quickly summoned the Seven Realms Stone and retrieved the directional principles of the Great Universe. He needed to return there as swiftly as possible.
To his dismay, the directional principles showed no trace of the Great Universe’s location.
Something was wrong. Lan Xiaobu realised this wasn’t a high-level universe. Had the Universe Tree broken through space and entered another vast universe?
He immediately activated his Longevity Principles and discovered he was not in a high-level universe but a mid-level one.
Lan Xiaobu hadn’t spent much time in mid-level universes and didn’t know how many existed in this vast expanse. However, he and Mo Wuji had one mid-level universe here: the Mo-Lan Universe, with its main star, Mo-Lan Star.
Yet, standing in this void, though it felt familiar, Lan Xiaobu sensed no life-bearing planets. Logically, if the Mo-Lan Universe were in this expanse, he should have detected it, given it was a planet he and Mo Wuji had fortified with their own barriers.
Anxiety crept into Lan Xiaobu’s heart. If the void’s rules were collapsing, would the Mo-Lan Universe collapse too? Its collapse wouldn’t be a great loss, as it was sparsely populated, with only the Thunder Sage present. A cunning figure like the Thunder Sage would likely flee at the first sign of cosmic collapse. But if it affected low-level universes or the Land of Eternal Life, the consequences would be dire.
The Great Desolate Universe was in a low-level universe, as was the mortal universe Mo Wuji had entrusted to his care.
To reach a low-level universe now, Lan Xiaobu would need to pass through the Land of Eternal Life.
He gave a wry smile. When he had left the low-level universe for the Land of Eternal Life, he thought finding the Chaos Path would perfect his Chaos Road, allowing him to traverse the cosmic thunder.
Now, taking out the Chaos Tablet, Lan Xiaobu aimed to sense the Chaos Path, or Qin Tian Ancient Road. But the moment he did, he first sensed the four Chaos Paths left on the other side of the universe wall.
Overjoyed, Lan Xiaobu realised that sensing the other four Chaos Paths meant he could find his way back.
The Chaos Tablet didn’t disappoint. He soon sensed the Chaos Path, though the signal was faint and fluctuating.
This posed no issue for Lan Xiaobu, as he had the Seven Realms Stone.
Activating the stone, he followed the Chaos Tablet’s directional sense and sped forward. In a short time, the Seven Realms Stone crossed several shattered void planes.
The Chaos Tablet’s signal grew clearer, and Lan Xiaobu’s excitement mounted. He even sensed Qin Qingtian’s presence.
Eliminating Qin Qingtian was also Lan Xiaobu’s goal. Qin Qingtian was dangerous, and as long as he remained, Lan Xiaobu would never feel at ease. Killing him would not only perfect the Chaos Road but also remove a threat.
Half a month later, Lan Xiaobu’s sense of the Chaos Path sharpened. He directed the Seven Realms Stone to break through the boundary and enter the Chaos Path.
This wasn’t a high-level universe, so the Seven Realms Stone could ignore any boundaries or planes. Though the Chaos Path was of high grade, it was incomplete, and with the Chaos Tablet in hand, the Seven Realms Stone easily breached its barrier.
As the Seven Realms Stone entered the Chaos Path, Lan Xiaobu saw a vast island surrounded by gently rippling seawater, resembling a docile lamb. Yet, a luxurious cave dwelling stood on the island.
Lan Xiaobu knew the island and seawater were manifestations of the Chaos Path. He stowed the Seven Realms Stone and stepped onto the island, heading straight for the cave dwelling.
The surrounding restrictions shattered under his steps. Qin Qingtian, seated at the centre of the dwelling, looked up at Lan Xiaobu in confusion, as if wondering how this could be his territory.
Before him knelt a dozen men and women.
After a few breaths, Qin Qingtian snapped to his senses, standing abruptly. His face pale, he stared at Lan Xiaobu and said, “Lan Xiaobu?”
