Lan Xiaobu nodded, confident that with the experience and methods of Reincarnation Sage and Eternal Night Sage, they were likely safe. As for Greenwood Sage…
He looked at Jiao Qingxu lying on the ground, sighing inwardly. In terms of strength, Jiao Qingxu far surpassed Reincarnation Sage, who was only at the Sixth Turn Sage level, and was not much weaker than Eternal Night Sage. Yet he was the one who didn’t escape, showing how critical experience was.
Blood River Sage’s failure to escape didn’t surprise Lan Xiaobu. Being the closest, he bore the brunt of Meng Qi’s attack, naturally caught off guard.
With a sigh, Lan Xiaobu summoned the Reincarnation Bridge.
As the bridge appeared, vast reincarnation dao rhythms surged forth, leaving Blood River Sage in awe. Reincarnation Sage also cultivated the Great Dao of Reincarnation, but compared to Lan Xiaobu’s dao rules, it was worlds apart. If Lan Xiaobu used this bridge to bind him, Blood River would be helpless. Then he shook his head—against him, would Lan Xiaobu even need the bridge?
“Junior Brother Xiaobu, are you using the Reincarnation Bridge to save this friend?” Destiny Sage Zhen Changyuan immediately grasped his intent, looking at him in surprise.
Lan Xiaobu nodded, “Yes, I’ll try. Greenwood Sage hasn’t been possessed for long. If Meng Qi didn’t destroy his soul, there’s a slim chance. If his soul is gone, I’m powerless.”
Blood River Sage quickly added, “Friend Greenwood’s soul is definitely intact. Meng Qi needed his body to retain its dao spirituality for possession. If the soul were destroyed, Meng Qi wouldn’t have such strength.”
Lan Xiaobu agreed, as this was his reasoning. Since Meng Qi didn’t intend to use Greenwood’s body permanently, he wouldn’t destroy the soul, giving Lan Xiaobu a chance.
The Reincarnation Bridge stretched across the void, its dao rhythms soaring, spanning millions of zhang in moments, one end tearing through this void into an unknown realm.
Though they didn’t scan with divine sense, Blood River and Zhen Changyuan sensed an underworld aura from the bridge, both awestruck—it had connected to the netherworld.
Yet even linking to the netherworld, finding Greenwood’s remnant soul would be no easy task.
While they pondered how Lan Xiaobu would locate it, he grabbed Jiao Qingxu and stepped onto the bridge. Instantly, six cyclic dao rules unfurled, forming a massive Six Paths Reincarnation Vortex.
Countless yin soul auras flickered within the vortex. Lan Xiaobu summoned a booklet—the Life-Death Ledger.
“Life-Death Ledger!” Blood River marveled inwardly, feeling he’d wasted his life compared to Lan Xiaobu. He too had innate treasures, but none matched the ledger, bridge, or the Cosmic Mill.
Though Lan Xiaobu had used the ledger before, only now did it shine. Its life-death dao rules swept through endless remnant souls, isolating one tattered fragment struggling in the vortex, sending the rest back into reincarnation.
Before the ledger could act further, Lan Xiaobu seized the fragment, guiding it into Jiao Qingxu’s body. He then infused dao rules, a Jialan Dao Fruit, and a wisp of primordial life essence into him.
As Lan Xiaobu retracted the bridge and ledger, faint signs of life stirred in Jiao Qingxu.
All eyes were on him. In less than half an incense stick’s time, Jiao Qingxu opened his eyes, quickly grasping the situation. Struggling to sit, he clasped his fists to Lan Xiaobu, “Many thanks, Dao Lord, for saving me. Otherwise, Jiao would be utterly lost.”
Without Lan Xiaobu, Jiao Qingxu’s rebirth was uncertain. Though he’d left a soul fragment elsewhere, his unique path to Eternal Realm meant even rebirth wouldn’t fully restore his memories.
He was genuinely grateful, saying little more. Since Lan Xiaobu’s first rescue, he’d pledged his life to him.
Lan Xiaobu waved it off, “Brother Jiao, your soul is incomplete. Rest and recover. If you don’t mind, you can recuperate in my world. I’m off to find that Gray Dragon—I worry Meng Qi will flee.”
Jiao Qingxu had no objections. His soul was damaged, and full recovery would take at least a century.
Instead of sending him to the Longevity Realm, Lan Xiaobu placed Jiao Qingxu in the Cosmic Dimensional Model.
“Brother Lan, we tore through the Seven Realms Desert to reach the Gray Dragon’s realm. After Meng Qi restrained me, he returned here, likely learning of you from Greenwood’s memories and setting a trap,” Blood River said, suggesting the desert as the easiest route to the Gray Dragon’s realm.
Since that realm and the Rootless Divine Realm were on the same plane, a Ninth Turn Sage could find it with rule traces.
“No need, I have a way,” Lan Xiaobu said, casually tearing open the void.
With his current mastery of rules, he didn’t need the desert. A void rift opened, and his divine sense penetrated, spotting the Cosmic Ferry Dao City and the giant mountain where the Gray Dragon resided.
Blood River and Zhen Changyuan’s senses confirmed it. Though Zhen Changyuan hadn’t known the Gray Dragon’s location, she saw it was gone. Vast dragon aura lingered on the mountain, indicating a hasty departure.
“He’s probably left,” Blood River sighed, frustrated. Bound by Meng Qi’s rules, he’d suffered and hoped Lan Xiaobu could settle the score, but Meng Qi, ever cunning, fled upon realizing he couldn’t defeat Lan Xiaobu.
Then Blood River added, “Brother Lan, can you track where he went by his aura? His dao here is likely incomplete. I suspect he hasn’t gone far, just hiding, waiting for you to leave before returning.”
Before Lan Xiaobu could reply, Zhen Changyuan said, “No chance. He escaped via an Eternal Great Talisman, likely to the Eternal Lands. I think the Seven Realms Sage was spooked. His plan was to reach Derived Realm on that mountain before heading to the Eternal Lands for self-preservation. But Xiaobu’s strength and the loss of key soul fragments were a fatal blow, so he didn’t dare stay.”
“If he’s in the Eternal Lands, so be it. I’ll deal with him there. Let’s head back,” Lan Xiaobu said, tearing open another void plane and stepping through.
Once, traveling from the Rootless to the Great Desolate Divine Realm was a tortuous journey. Now, a casual tear sufficed, a testament to his refined Great Dao after mastering rules and rulelessness.
Blood River and Zhen Changyuan followed.
“What a complete divine realm,” Zhen Changyuan marveled upon entering the Great Desolate Divine Realm.
Blood River agreed, “Cultivating here, with enough fortune, one could reach Ninth Turn Sage.”
Though a Ninth Turn Sage himself, Blood River knew how arduous that path was, built on countless trials and fortunes. The vast cosmos seemed full of Ninth Turn Sages, but they accumulated over eons, nearly unkillable, growing in number over time.
Zhen Changyuan’s divine sense had already spotted the Longevity Sage Dao City, guessing Lan Xiaobu’s destination. “Xiaobu, I’ll explore the Great Desolate Divine Realm. Let me know when you leave.”
Blood River quickly added, “I’ll explore too.”
The realm’s rich destiny and perfect rules could elevate their daos. Knowing Lan Xiaobu wouldn’t stay long, they wanted to seize the chance to refine their dao bases, bolstering their shot at Eternal Realm.
