As soon as Lan Xiaobu removed the binding principles from the planet, three cultivators rushed out.
Upon seeing Lan Xiaobu, they immediately recognised him as a powerhouse. The leader was a woman. Though she was only a Sixth-Turn Saint, her aura was formidable, clearly marking her as a top-tier expert. Lan Xiaobu reckoned that neither the Tiangang Saint nor the Samsara Saint, at the same realm, would be her match.
Behind her were two men, both Fourth-Turn Saints, with equally impressive auras.
“Lian Yingxian greets the senior. Was it you who saved our Mortal Star?” the woman said, clasping her fists toward Lan Xiaobu.
Lan Xiaobu waved his hand, “I’m no senior. My name’s Lan Xiaobu. I came to this planet looking for something, but I saw it bound by a powerful destructive principle that seemed intent on destroying it. I couldn’t stand by, so I tore it apart.”
He was here for the Five Realms Stone flag. Regardless of what help he’d offered, he wasn’t about to act superior on someone else’s planet. Besides, he wasn’t old anyway. What puzzled him was why there were no Ninth-Turn Saints here—the strongest was just a Sixth-Turn Saint, and a woman at that.
Realising it was indeed Lan Xiaobu who’d saved their planet, the woman and the two men behind her bowed in gratitude. They knew full well that without external force breaking the destructive binding principle, they’d have been trapped, forced to watch the planet perish along with them.
To tear apart such a Great Path principle meant this man was a powerhouse among powerhouses.
“In that case, Brother Lan, why not visit our sect first? I’ll have someone accompany you to search. Tong Ming, go with Brother Lan to find what he’s after…” Lian Yingxian’s last sentence was directed at one of the Fourth-Turn Saints behind her.
Lan Xiaobu waved his hand again, “No need. I’ll search on my own. By the way, do you know why this planet was bound by such a powerful destructive principle, even to the point of annihilation?”
Lan Xiaobu was genuinely curious. He wanted to know who’d provoked what might be a Creation Realm expert.
Lian Yingxian hesitated briefly before saying, “It’s possible our sect leader angered a powerhouse. What worries me now is whether, after Brother Lan destroyed that principle, that Creation expert might bind our planet again.”
Suddenly, Lan Xiaobu tossed out over a hundred ruleless array flags, unleashing a flurry of arcane hand seals. Then, from the void, he seized a massive talisman.
“What kind of talisman is this?” the Fourth-Turn Saint named Tong Ming asked, staring in shock at the talisman in Lan Xiaobu’s hand.
Lan Xiaobu’s divine sense scanned the talisman before he said, “This should be an Eternal Life Talisman. It seems the other side isn’t omnipotent after all—they had to rely on this to lock down Mortal Star.”
The Eternal Life Talisman given to him by the Destiny Saint had been refined and was small, but this one was unrefined and enormous. Lan Xiaobu didn’t hold back—he bound it up and tossed it into his Longevity Realm.
“Friend Lan, does this mean that once this talisman is taken, Mortal Star won’t be bound by those principles again?” Tong Ming asked eagerly.
Lian Yingxian and the other Fourth-Turn Saint also looked at Lan Xiaobu with tense anticipation.
Lan Xiaobu hesitated before replying, “If I’m not mistaken, they can’t keep using Eternal Life Talismans to control a planet—these aren’t common goods. With this one taken, the odds of them locking Mortal Star again are low. But low doesn’t mean zero. When I leave, I’ll set up a teleportation array for you just in case. My array will ensure that even if they bind Mortal Star with the same principles again, you can teleport out without issue.”
“Thank you, Brother Lan,” Lian Yingxian said, quickly offering a salute. Her greatest fear was Mortal Star being bound by that terrifying principle a second time. No one on the planet could break such a thing.
“Pick a spot for the teleportation array first. I’ll go search for what I need,” Lan Xiaobu said, stepping into Mortal Star and vanishing in an instant.
“What a powerhouse,” Tong Ming said, awestruck.
Lian Yingxian was silent for a moment before speaking slowly, “His strength is sky-high. I suspect he’s already stepped into the eternal realm. How else could he casually shatter the binding principle outside?”
“He doesn’t seem malicious. If he were, he could’ve wiped us out with a flick of his hand,” the other Fourth-Turn Saint said.
Lian Yingxian nodded, “Tian Hen’s right. He feels a bit like Wuji—both carry an aura of a Great Path that transcends this cosmos.”
“What about the sect leader? I wonder if Ice Ying Saint’s guess was right—that this destructive principle targeting Mortal Star is tied to him,” Tian Hen sighed.
Lian Yingxian smiled faintly, “It’s definitely related. But don’t worry. If those people could handle Wuji, they wouldn’t resort to such underhanded tactics.”
“Back then, the sect leader went to stop an apocalyptic calamity and ended up in the Land of Eternal Life. Should we go there too? Maybe we could help him,” Tong Ming suggested.
When Mortal Sect’s leader left Mortal Star, he hadn’t mentioned the Land of Eternal Life—just a higher plane he’d discovered. After the apocalyptic calamity ended and Mortal Star’s cultivators could come and go, they realised that place might well be the Land of Eternal Life.
Lian Yingxian shook her head, “Though Mortal Star has complete rules, it’s still young. Forget Ninth-Turn Saints—we don’t even have a Seventh-Turn Saint. Going to the Land of Eternal Life would be suicide, or at best, a burden to the sect leader. Besides, we can’t just waltz in there. If anyone could, it wouldn’t be so exclusive.”
…
After stepping into Mortal Star, Lan Xiaobu swiftly arrived at a canyon rife with demonic energy. The planet seemed sparsely populated, yet its heavenly rules were perfect, with dense spiritual energy—ideal for ordinary cultivators.
Looking at the demon-charged canyon, Lan Xiaobu hadn’t expected the fifth Seven Realms Stone flag to end up here.
Despite the demonic energy, he knew it was still a natural barrier. With the four Seven Realms Stone flags, he could enter without even breaking it.
Sure enough, as soon as he produced the other four flags, the demonic barrier split open. Lan Xiaobu stepped into the canyon.
The wild demonic energy surged toward him but was entirely blocked by his domain. He now saw the Five Realms Stone flag, floating in the void where the demonic energy was thickest, surrounded by slots for the other four flags.
Lan Xiaobu planted the four flags into their positions and, with a sweep of his hand, plucked the Five Realms Stone flag into his palm.
Overjoyed, Lan Xiaobu realised he’d now secured five of the seven Seven Realms Stone flags. The remaining two wouldn’t be too difficult—with their locations, he could retrieve them easily.
After sending the five flags into his Longevity Realm, a question struck him. The Five Realms Stone flag had been deep in the Seven Realms Desert of the Rootless Divine Realm. After he took the Three Realms Stone flag, it had fled. Mortal Star had been locked by a powerhouse’s binding principle—so how had the Five Realms Stone flag ended up hidden in this demon-filled canyon?
As Lan Xiaobu was about to investigate the canyon, a gentle voice sounded, “Greetings, fellow Daoist.”
With that gentle voice came a crystal-clear demonic Great Path principle.
“Have you transformed into a demonic Great Path principle, fellow Daoist?” Lan Xiaobu asked, stunned as he stared at the principle before him. It carried an immensely rich aura of the Great Path. Whoever could refine such a demonic principle was likely at the peak of Ninth-Turn Sainthood.
“Indeed. My name is Hou Yucheng. When my friend used Mortal Star to shelter survivors of an apocalyptic calamity, I transformed myself into its demonic rules to perfect the planet. Over the years, I’ve benefited from Mortal Star’s complete heavenly rules and abundant cosmic energy, fully refining my Great Path. I can now easily manifest demonic principles, but…”
Hou Yucheng hesitated, unsure whether to continue.
But Lan Xiaobu understood his meaning and felt a surge of respect. Hou Yucheng had sacrificed himself to become a demonic principle and perfect Mortal Star—a noble act that earned Lan Xiaobu’s admiration.
The Charm of the Dao lies in giving, not gaining. When you sacrifice what’s most precious to benefit all beings, you don’t think of future rewards. That’s true giving—only then can you gain far more than you’ve lost.
Hou Yucheng had given his life to become a demonic principle for Mortal Star without expecting anything in return. Yet, in that sacrifice, he’d been reborn through misfortune, proving the true Demonic Path.
Now, Hou Yucheng could casually conjure demonic principles for the planet and free himself. But back when he’d transformed, his cultivation was likely low, and he’d had no treasures. To escape now, he’d have to destroy Mortal Star.
That he still refused to do so spoke volumes of his integrity.
Hou Yucheng might lack treasures, but Lan Xiaobu didn’t. Without hesitation, he pulled out a seven-footed white jade seal, “Friend Hou, take this Saintly Dao Platform to refine your demonic principles and perfect Mortal Star.”
The Saintly Dao Platform Lan Xiaobu offered was no trifle—it was the Beast Soul Path’s star-suppressing treasure, a top-tier artifact surpassing innate levels.
“Ah…” Hou Yucheng was floored by Lan Xiaobu’s generosity. With his current strength, he instantly recognised the platform’s power. Even as a detached soul, he hadn’t expected someone to offer a treasure like the Saintly Dao Platform to aid his demonic refinement.
