Lan Xiaobu paid no attention, his hands conjuring dozens of rules, swiftly unlocking the sealed array disc in moments. Zhen Changyuan was the first to rush out, but before she could deploy her treasure, she recognised Lan Xiaobu and exclaimed with delight, “Xiaobu, how did you find this place?” She was well aware of Lan Xiaobu’s strength, far surpassing her own and others’. His presence here suggested he had no fear of Peng Guan. Indeed, she noticed Peng Guan trailing behind Lan Xiaobu, dejected, without a trace of his usual aura, likely disciplined by Lan Xiaobu. Following Zhen Changyuan was a man with an odd appearance, who had initially prepared to act but, upon hearing her words, approached and clasped his fists, saying, “So it’s Friend Lan. I’m Yinlingzi.” Zhen Changyuan quickly added, “Xiaobu, without Big Brother Yinlingzi, we would’ve been slaughtered by that woman long ago.”
Yinlingzi? As Lan Xiaobu pondered the familiar name, he spotted Luo Caixi and Su Cen rushing towards him.
Luo Caixi’s eyes brimmed with longing, ignoring all surrounding gazes as she threw herself into Lan Xiaobu’s arms, holding him tightly.
What was cultivation for? Wasn’t it to gain longer lifespans, to be together forever? Yet, the higher she and Lan Xiaobu advanced, the more time they spent apart. It would be impossible to say she harboured no resentment. From today onward, no matter where, she wished to stay by Lan Xiaobu’s side, no longer waiting through endless years, risking death in unforeseen accidents without even a chance to reunite. Feeling Luo Caixi’s trembling body, Lan Xiaobu felt deep guilt. He knew that without striving to improve his strength, they might both have turned to dust long ago. Yet, that sense of indebtedness lingered. After some time, Luo Caixi calmed from the overwhelming emotions of their reunion. As she released Lan Xiaobu, she noticed Su Cen standing nearby.
Unlike Luo Caixi, Su Cen kept her passion restrained, her reserved nature holding back her emotions despite gazing at Lan Xiaobu. Only when he approached and called her “Cencen” did she finally give in to her trembling heart, clinging to him tightly.
Unlike Luo Caixi, Su Cen knew she owed Lan Xiaobu much from her past life. Being by his side was enough for her, without asking for more.
“Xiaobu, I’m sorry, Wanyin didn’t make it back in time, I…” Luo Caixi thought of Zuo Wanyin, her tone heavy with self-blame. She had messaged Zuo Wanyin to return so they could leave the Great Desolate Divine Realm together, but Wanyin hadn’t made it back before that woman attacked the Longevity Sacred Dao City. Lan Xiaobu released Su Cen and patted the guilt-ridden Luo Caixi, saying, “Wanyin is blessed and should be fine.” He knew Zuo Wanyin and Zuo Shaoying had left, but he still worried, fearing she might not have fallen to Ku Cai but to the cosmic dissolution. After greeting Luo Caixi and Su Cen, Lan Xiaobu met with the others: Shi Yi, Jing Ziju, Yan Ying, Xiong Nanfeng, Zhao Gongming, Qian Qi, Bei Ji, and others, even Qin Ku, Qin Xu, and Hu Qingjia. Seeing them all brought some comfort to his heart.
Seeing Peng Guan standing meekly behind Lan Xiaobu like a chastised grandson, everyone knew what had happened: Lan Xiaobu’s strength had clearly overwhelmed Peng.
Qin Xu handed Lan Xiaobu an array disc, saying, “Xiaobu, here’s the array disc and flag you asked me to keep. Take it back now.”
Lan Xiaobu smiled, declining, “Sister Xu, these are no longer useful to me. Keep them. Thank you for staying in the Longevity Sacred Dao City to protect Caixi and Su Cen.”
With her Derived Realm strength, Qin Xu could have left the Longevity Sacred Dao City to explore, yet she stayed to protect Luo Caixi and Su Cen’s growth.
Qin Xu smiled, “No need for formalities between us. If you don’t need it, I’ll keep it. This time, we owe thanks to Friend Zhen and her friend Yinlingzi. Without them, we wouldn’t have made it here. That woman was just too strong.”
As a former divine realm lord, Qin Xu had seen all kinds, but never someone like Lan Xiaobu. From their first meeting, she knew he was a trustworthy friend. She didn’t know how far he would go, but she considered him a true friend. Her ability to reach the Derived Realm in a low-level universe and survive multiple near-death experiences relied on the second scroll and the Thirty-Six Transformations of Tiangang, both given by Lan Xiaobu. Thus, she stayed in the Great Desolate Divine Realm until Luo Caixi and Su Cen reached the Creation Realm. She hadn’t expected such a powerful enemy to come seeking vengeance, one she couldn’t resist.
Lan Xiaobu approached Yinlingzi again, bowing, “Though it’s my first time meeting you, I won’t forget your kindness…”
He paused, then said, “Friend Yinlingzi, didn’t I see you once on Tian Street?”
Yinlingzi smiled, “You remembered, Friend Lan. Indeed, we met briefly when you visited Tian Street. I’ve always remembered your impressive presence.” Lan Xiaobu sighed, “Last time at Tian Street, I didn’t get to know you. That was a mistake.”
In truth, during his last visit to Tian Street, Lan Xiaobu had only befriended Brother Guan Huan. Others, like Mi Ji, whom he met recently, were for transactions. He hadn’t seen Guan Huan since and wondered how he was. Yinlingzi laughed, “Though we didn’t meet then, it’s not too late now. I deeply admire you, Brother Lan. Back when you were only at the Heavenly God Realm, you dominated Tian Street. Truly admirable…”
Lan Xiaobu suddenly recalled something, exclaiming, “Friend Yinlingzi, are you the Bright Demon Beast Yinlingzi, one of the ten great divine demons of Huaxia?” He no longer saw Huaxia’s legends as mere tales. Zhao Gongming, the God of Wealth, was here, and he’d heard of Ancestor Hongjun multiple times. These myths weren’t baseless; ancient powerhouses had existed. If this Yinlingzi was the Bright Demon Beast, he was one of the two divine beasts to survive the ancient divine-demon war, famed for his escape arts and foresight, explaining how he led others to safety here. Moreover, the Bright Demon Beast was kind, avoiding conflict and killing. Yinlingzi, as if anticipating Lan Xiaobu’s words, sighed, “When we left our original universe, we realised how insignificant we were.”
Lan Xiaobu fell silent, sharing the sentiment. No matter how strong he became, moving from low-level to mid-level to high-level universes, as Yinlingzi said, only by leaving one’s universe did one realise their true insignificance. The only exception he’d encountered was Hongjun, whose strength remained unmatched at any level. Zhen Changyuan added, “When I learned Ku Changyuan of the Ku family was killed by Mo Nianyan of the Great Desolate Divine Realm, I knew trouble was coming. The Ku family’s ancestor is formidable and vengeful, often annihilating entire planets for offences. I immediately sought Friend Yinlingzi, and we teleported to the Great Desolate Divine Realm, but we were still too late.”
Zhen Changyuan felt guilt; had she arrived earlier, more from the Great Desolate Divine Realm could have escaped.
Mo Nianyan? Lan Xiaobu’s eyes and heart surged with killing intent. She wasn’t even part of the Great Desolate Divine Realm. He suspected she killed Ku Changyuan to frame the realm. Suddenly, he sensed violent spatial fluctuations. His divine sense swept out, revealing a massive army approaching. “Heh, bringing an army to destroy Human Yellow City? Let’s see how strong the Dayuan Clan is.” Lan Xiaobu stepped out, standing beyond the city. The others followed, while Peng Guan, though tempted to flee, dared not.
