The more Lan Xiaobu refined, the more shocked he became. The Seven Realms Stone was far more than just a stone capable of teleporting across seven realms. Once refined, it could function as a flight treasure, carrying its user through all planar voids, even crossing into another vast existence.
In Lan Xiaobu’s understanding, the smallest scope was a realm, encompassing planets, domains, and various small worlds. Countless such realms and voids formed a plane.
A plane contained many realms, be it mortal realms, cultivation realms, immortal realms, saint realms, or similar rule-based domains, as long as they existed under the same plane, they were considered co-planar. For example, the Jiu’ang Divine Realm, Tianmo Divine Realm, and the precursor to the Great Desolate Divine Realm, Buqing Divine Realm, though not the same domain, were all under one plane.
There were countless such planes, and countless planes and voids formed a universe.
The plane housing Lan Xiaobu’s Great Desolate Divine Realm, the plane of the Wugen Divine Realm, and those containing top-tier planetary domains like Lizhou Palace and Tianmo Hall, together formed a universe.
There were countless universes, and countless universes, voids, or chaos formed a vast existence.
How many universes existed within a vast existence, Lan Xiaobu didn’t know, nor did he know if the Land of Eternal Life and their current location were in the same universe or different ones.
But he was certain that once he fully refined the Seven Realms Stone, transforming it into a flight treasure, it could traverse such vast existences.
With his current strength, he could tear through realms and planes but not universes, let alone vast existences.
The Seven Realms Stone’s ability to cross vast existences was likely unknown even to eternal life powerhouses.
Once refined, the Seven Realms Stone could not only cross vast existences but also serve as a teleportation hub, directly transporting someone from one universe to another.
After the shock came excitement. With the Seven Realms Stone, even if he wasn’t a match for creation powerhouses, he wouldn’t be chased with nowhere to escape.
Unfortunately, though he hadn’t fully refined the Seven Realms Stone, Lan Xiaobu knew that with his current strength, even if he refined it, controlling it to escape instantly would be impossible.
The moment he activated the Seven Realms Stone, an eternal life powerhouse might already have him under control.
Fortunately, he had the No-Rule Escape Technique and Rule Escape Technique. If he could escape using these techniques, creating distance from an eternal life powerhouse, he could then use the Seven Realms Stone to flee.
Knowing the heaven-defying nature of the Seven Realms Stone, Lan Xiaobu redoubled his efforts, frantically refining each of its restrictions and rules. Only by making it truly his would he feel secure.
Years later, Lan Xiaobu had only refined about half of the Seven Realms Stone when he sensed the Great Desolate Divine Realm’s protective array being triggered.
It was a malicious trigger, someone attempting to locate the array’s core. Lan Xiaobu was furious but couldn’t leave, so he sent a voice transmission to Zhen Changyuan, “Senior Sister Zhen, someone is attacking the Great Desolate Divine Realm’s protective array. You and Blood River Saint, please check it out. Tai Chuan can stay here.”
“Alright,” Zhen Changyuan responded without hesitation, ceasing her Dao comprehension. She turned to Blood River Saint, also immersed in rule comprehension, “Friend Blood River, someone’s attacking the Great Desolate Divine Realm. Junior Brother Xiaobu can’t leave, let’s go take a look.”
“Yes, yes,” Blood River Saint quickly agreed. Though unaware of the Seven Realms Stone’s full capabilities, he sensed from Lan Xiaobu’s refining aura that it was likely more powerful than he’d imagined. Having made a mistake before, he couldn’t afford to displease Lan Xiaobu again.
Besides, for Blood River Saint, what powerhouse could come to this plane? Even a Ninth-Turn Saint would be courting death. He was a peak Ninth-Turn Saint, and Zhen Changyuan was a Creation Dao Saint, one of the stronger ones. With them guarding, who would dare stir trouble in the Great Desolate Divine Realm, if not seeking death?
“Crack!” As Zhen Changyuan stepped out of the Great Desolate Divine Realm’s protective array, she heard the sound of bones breaking, followed by a Quasi-Saint realm cultivator hurtling toward her.
Zhen Changyuan caught him with a wave of her hand, setting the Quasi-Saint on a void platform outside the array.
“Friend Zhong Keng, what happened?” Zhen Changyuan asked, looking at the cultivator struggling to rise.
Having spent time in the Great Desolate Divine Realm and explored outside, she recognized this guardian cultivator, Zhong Keng, a Quasi-Saint at the Fourth Layer.
Unlike other divine realms, where few volunteered to guard planets, in the Great Desolate Divine Realm, powerhouses competed for the role. Guarding planets earned high contribution points from the Great Desolate Mission Hall, which could be exchanged for Dao fruits, Dao pills, top-tier treasures, even the chance to reside in the Eternal Life Holy Dao City or claim a saint position in the Great Desolate Divine Realm.
Such a coveted role was naturally in high demand. And with the Great Desolate Divine Realm’s acknowledged strength in this plane, who would dare act arrogantly here?
“No need to ask him, ask me directly,” a calm voice interjected.
It was a man in grey robes, his appearance ordinary, yet upon closer inspection, slightly blurry, as if he existed in a different space.
Zhen Changyuan didn’t respond, she had already noticed him, he was the one who injured Zhong Keng. He likely spared Zhong Keng’s life, or Zhong Keng would already be dead.
“I, Zhong Keng, greet Senior. This man demanded I hand over the array flag to enter the array. I refused, and he tried to forcibly open my world. My companion was already killed by him,” Zhong Keng said, voice filled with grief. He recognized Zhen Changyuan as the Dao Lord’s friend.
Zhen Changyuan’s gaze shifted farther out, where no traces remained, but she could tell a cultivator had been killed there. It seemed the man spared Zhong Keng to access his world.
Blood River Saint, following behind, sneered, “Heh, I’ve seen fools, but none as foolish as you. You can’t even break a domain’s protective array, yet you think this planet’s master is simple, idiot.”
The grey-robed cultivator’s expression remained calm. He’d seen many with strong array skills but weak strength. A top-tier planetary protective array didn’t mean the master was powerful. Besides, the Great Desolate Divine Realm was anchored by a treasure surpassing innate-grade, he wasn’t unable to break the array, it would just take too long, and he was unwilling to spend that time.
“You two aren’t from the Great Desolate Divine Realm either, are you? Step aside, and I, Ji Congkong, won’t hold your offense against you. Otherwise, don’t blame me for killing you both,” the grey-robed man said, his tone growing colder.
He could tell Zhen Changyuan and Blood River Saint were strong, Blood River Saint likely a Ninth-Turn powerhouse, which gave him some caution. As for Zhen Changyuan’s cultivation, he wasn’t certain, sensing she might surpass Ninth-Turn, but then dismissing it as unlikely, this wasn’t the Land of Eternal Life, how could there be an eternal life saint here?
“Ji Congkong,” Blood River Saint repeated the name, then murmured, “Why does that name sound familiar?”
Zhen Changyuan said calmly, “Because he’s the Space Saint, that’s why it’s familiar.”
“You know me?” Ji Congkong frowned, staring at Zhen Changyuan and Blood River Saint, surprised. Those who knew him were no ordinary figures. He hadn’t appeared in ages, not since falling in the Land of Eternal Life, not even during the Wangshuang Desert Sea incident.
His first task upon returning was to reclaim his Space Array Disc, which he knew had been taken by the Great Desolate Divine Realm, specifically by Lan Xiaobu.
Before even reaching the Great Desolate Divine Realm, he had gathered information, Lan Xiaobu was its Dao Lord, and the realm had become the most coveted divine domain in this plane. But in the eyes of Space Saint Ji Congkong, the Great Desolate Divine Realm was about to become history.
What thrilled Ji Congkong more was that, outside the Great Desolate Divine Realm, he sensed the fleeting aura of a cosmic creation treasure surpassing top-tier treasures. He wanted to refine the entire realm to uncover what it was.
But finding someone here who recognized him felt unbelievable. In the Land of Eternal Life, it would be normal, but in this void, it made him wary.
Blood River Saint sneered, “You, Space Saint, are nothing. Brother Lan is busy now, but if he came, you wouldn’t even have soul fragments left.”
Ji Congkong quickly regained his composure, staring at Zhen Changyuan and Blood River Saint, “Who are you?”
Blood River Saint chuckled, “So much nonsense, taste my Blood River!”
With that, a vast, boundless blood river descended from the void, its overwhelming charm locking onto Ji Congkong.
Sensing a soul-tearing aura of reincarnation charm, Ji Congkong snapped to attention, “You’re connected to Yellow Spring Dao Ancestor, you’re his disciple?”
“Your eyes aren’t blind,” Blood River Saint said disdainfully.
Ji Congkong laughed, a long blade appearing in his hand, its body faint, almost invisible, with no trace of blade gleam, “I, Ji Congkong, don’t fear your master, Yellow Spring Dao Ancestor. A mere Ninth-Turn Saint dares to trouble me?”
Blood River Saint retorted with equal disdain, “Talking as if you’ve achieved eternal life. That was probably your past life, since you’re not in the eternal life realm, stop yammering.”
The phrase “yammering” Blood River Saint had picked up from Lan Xiaobu, and using it now felt satisfying.
