The jade slip didn’t provide directional dao principles. In the Great Burial Dao Plain, no directional dao principles could take form. The jade slip merely instructed Lan Xiaobu to head toward the area where the burial dao was most intense. After three years, he would find the only Bone Valley in the Great Burial Dao Plain.
A valley in the Great Burial Dao Plain? This was the first Lan Xiaobu had heard of it. In all his years in the plain, he had never known of a valley, let alone a Bone Valley. Wasn’t the Great Burial Dao Plain just a vast, flat expanse?
However, Lan Xiaobu trusted that the cultivator wouldn’t deceive him. He quickened his pace. All cosmic dao principles in the Great Burial Dao Plain would be eroded, and he was eager to discover what kind of bones could resist this erosion and even form a valley.
For ordinary Creation Realm cultivators, traveling in the Great Burial Dao Plain came with many restrictions. Divine sense couldn’t extend far, and divine essence couldn’t be fully projected. In truth, cultivators with greater physical strength had an advantage here.
Ordinary escape techniques couldn’t be used, or were heavily restricted, but for someone like Lan Xiaobu, who cultivated his own great dao, ruleless escape techniques were completely unaffected. The Great Burial Dao Plain buried all daos, but burial required dao principles. Ruleless escape techniques had no dao principles to circulate, so how could they be buried?
The Creation Realm cultivator had said it would take about three years, but Lan Xiaobu, not even traveling at full speed, reached his destination in just ten days. There, he saw a massive white bone. This enormous bone stood a million metres tall, extending over a hundred thousand miles on either side. Shaped like a V, it indeed resembled a valley from a distance.
What kind of being was this? Lan Xiaobu had encountered the Giant Clan, but even they didn’t have bones this large—not even close.
Are you here to study my Cause and Effect Dao Scroll? As Lan Xiaobu was observing the giant bone, an abrupt voice interrupted.
Only then did Lan Xiaobu notice a cave dwelling at the base of the bone. Rather than being built atop the bone, it seemed to have been carved directly beneath it.
The voice came from within the cave. Lan Xiaobu scanned it with his divine sense, but as soon as his sense reached the entrance, it was blocked by a restriction.
Lan Xiaobu didn’t forcibly tear through the cave’s restriction—doing so would be tantamount to declaring war. Instead, he clasped his fist and said, May I ask if you are Fellow Daoist Kong Jia, the Cause and Effect Sage?
A voice from the cave replied, Whether I’m Kong Jia or not doesn’t matter. If you want to see the Cause and Effect Dao Scroll, bring ten dao veins, including at least one mid-grade dao vein. Otherwise, leave. This is my territory.
Lan Xiaobu thought to himself, This guy’s arrogance is something else. Perhaps he sensed that Lan Xiaobu hadn’t yet reached the Eternal Life Realm. If an Eternal Life Realm powerhouse came, would this person still be so brazen? As for dao veins, Lan Xiaobu had only one—a low-grade one.
That dao vein had been wrapped in a restriction by Jin Hua, and Lan Xiaobu had only discovered it later.
Fellow Daoist, I don’t have dao veins, but I do have the Time Dao Scroll. Would you like to view it? If so, we can trade viewings, Lan Xiaobu said, clasping his fist with a sincere tone.
You have the Time Dao Scroll? The voice from the cave rose slightly. If Lan Xiaobu’s perception weren’t so keen, he might not have noticed.
Indeed, I have the Time Dao Scroll. If you’re willing to let me see the Cause and Effect Dao Scroll, I’m willing to let you see the Time Dao Scroll, Lan Xiaobu said.
I agree. You may view the Cause and Effect Dao Scroll. As the voice spoke, a black space appeared at the cave’s entrance. A golden Cause and Effect Dao Scroll floated within it. Lan Xiaobu scanned it with his divine sense and confirmed it was the genuine article. Moreover, his divine sense could flip through its pages.
Lan Xiaobu took out the Time Dao Scroll and constructed a white space in the void before him. Within this white space floated a grey Time Dao Scroll.
For heaven-opening dao scrolls like these, merely viewing them with divine sense made it difficult to grasp their great dao charm. Cultivating from such a viewing might not yield the true heaven-opening dao principles. Thus, Lan Xiaobu needed to hold the Cause and Effect Dao Scroll in his hands to comprehend its cause-and-effect great dao principles. He was certain that once the other party saw the Time Dao Scroll, they would alter the trade terms.
You need to send the Time Dao Scroll into my cave, the cultivator in the bone cave said flatly, his tone carrying an undeniable authority, with no hint of changing the trade terms.
Hearing this, Lan Xiaobu knew this person was no saint. They expected him to hand over the Time Dao Scroll without any intention of letting him hold the Cause and Effect Dao Scroll. In this person’s mind, the Time Dao Scroll was merely payment for the chance to glance at the Cause and Effect Dao Scroll, with no expectation of returning it.
Lan Xiaobu had been slightly hesitant before, but now he had no doubts. He immediately began constructing the dimensional model structure of the Cause and Effect Dao Scroll using his Cosmic Dimensional Model.
The Cause and Effect Dao Scroll was a top-tier heaven-opening dao scroll, on par with the Great Cosmic Dao Scroll or the Great Destiny Technique Dao Scroll. Because of this, when Lan Xiaobu had previously tried to construct the Great Cause and Effect Dao Scroll using the Lesser Cause and Effect Dao Scroll with his Cosmic Dimensional Model, he hadn’t even come close.
Now, with the genuine Cause and Effect Dao Scroll before him, Lan Xiaobu didn’t hold back. He began constructing its dimensional model structure, using his sole dao vein to supply cosmic vital energy to the Cosmic Dimensional Model.
As the Cosmic Dimensional Model began its construction, Lan Xiaobu confirmed the Cause and Effect Dao Scroll was authentic. If this person was indeed the Cause and Effect Sage Kong Jia, then many had likely underestimated Kong Jia’s true strength. If they weren’t Kong Jia, then the real Kong Jia might have already been eliminated.
What, unwilling? The voice from the cave grew colder, and as it spoke, the black space vanished, along with the Cause and Effect Dao Scroll.
Lan Xiaobu remained unperturbed. His Cosmic Dimensional Model was nearly complete, so even the disappearance of the Cause and Effect Dao Scroll wouldn’t hinder him from fully constructing the true Cause and Effect Dao Scroll.
You’re right, I’m unwilling, Lan Xiaobu said, turning to leave.
He was certain this person wouldn’t let him go, so he had already prepared for combat before departing. Elsewhere, he might have been cautious, but here, he had no fear—unless this person was already a Creation Sage. Lan Xiaobu was confident that they weren’t, likely secluded here to break through to the Creation Sage realm.
Why else would they be trading for so many dao veins?
Wait, the voice called out, as expected, the moment Lan Xiaobu turned to leave.
Lan Xiaobu said coldly, What else?
Let’s stick to the original plan. We both place our dao scrolls in fixed spaces and view them with divine sense, the voice from the cave said, its tone softening.
Are you the Cause and Effect Sage? Lan Xiaobu didn’t respond to the proposal, instead pressing for the person’s identity.
Whether I’m the Cause and Effect Sage doesn’t matter. What matters is that we can trade. If you must know, you can assume I’m the Cause and Effect Sage, the voice replied.
Lan Xiaobu said, Fine, Cause and Effect Sage, I have one more question. What is this white bone your cave is built under? Why does it feel somewhat familiar?
Lan Xiaobu’s claim of familiarity was deliberate—he felt no such thing. However, he had heard that the Heavenly Mechanism Sage’s dojo was at White Bone Mountain, which was also a single bone. He wondered if the bone at White Bone Mountain and the one here came from the same being.
The Cause and Effect Sage was silent for a moment before saying, This has nothing to do with the trade, but I’ll tell you. You feel familiarity because this bone and the one at the Heavenly Mechanism Sage’s White Bone Mountain share the same origin. Now, can we trade?
Lan Xiaobu said flatly, Sorry, I’m not interested in trading anymore. Farewell.
This time, Lan Xiaobu didn’t linger after speaking and swiftly departed.
You’re courting death… A terrifying dao principle surged forth, instantly locking down the space around Lan Xiaobu.
The dao principle carried a potent cause-and-effect aura. The cause was that Lan Xiaobu had come here, seen the Cause and Effect Dao Scroll, and asked numerous questions. With the cause established, there must be a result. The result was Lan Xiaobu’s life—only by taking it would this cause-and-effect killing dao principle be resolved.
Lan Xiaobu had initially planned to use his Longevity Halberd to counter, but upon sensing the intense killing aura of this cause-and-effect dao principle, he changed his mind. This cause-and-effect dao principle was far too terrifying. Even if he blocked it with the Longevity Halberd, the opponent would likely remain unscathed.
That alone was bad enough, but the real issue was that he himself might be harmed. This cause-and-effect dao principle could entangle his Longevity Great Dao. Given the Cause and Effect Sage’s understanding of the Great Burial Dao Plain’s burial dao, Lan Xiaobu might struggle to have the cause-and-effect dao principle buried if it latched onto his Longevity Great Dao.
If, one day, this cause-and-effect dao principle affected his great dao, he’d regret it too late. Before mastering the Cause and Effect Great Dao, he had to use decisive measures to erase this cause-and-effect dao principle.
With this in mind, Lan Xiaobu directly summoned the Cosmic Mill.
