“Should we go after the Eternal Life Saint and the Thunder Saint next?” Lan Xiaobu suggested as they left Guanyun.
Mo Wuji shook his head. “Not for now. If I’m not mistaken, those two likely know we took out the Reflective Path Saint. If they’re still at their dojos, they’re probably setting traps for us. We’ve underestimated Creation Saints a bit, and even if we went, we wouldn’t gain much advantage.
If they’ve fled their dojos, there’s no point in going. Besides, we’re both still injured. Even if we want to deal with them, we should wait until we’ve stepped into the Derivation Realm.”
“Still head to the Burial Path Great Plain to reach the Derivation Realm? I feel it’s the most suitable place for us. But I also have a hunch that we shouldn’t break through in the Land of Eternal Life, including the Burial Path Great Plain, since it’s still part of this place,” Lan Xiaobu said.
Mo Wuji nodded. “Exactly, that’s what I was going to say. Have you noticed how the Creation Saints here are perfectly aligned with the Land of Eternal Life’s universal laws? Not only that, when a Creation Saint falls, it triggers a resonance with the universal laws, which isn’t normal. I even suspect that whether it’s the Heaven and Earth Saint or the formidable Reflective Path Saint, if they left the Land of Eternal Life, they wouldn’t be able to touch us. But here, after we ambushed them, even with several primordial treasures suppressing them, they still managed to injure us.”
Lan Xiaobu’s heart stirred. Back when he was far from the Derivation Realm, he had faced Derivation Realm cultivators elsewhere, like Huang Buzhi and Meng Qi. In truth, neither had seemed particularly impressive.
Mo Wuji continued, “I had planned to settle here and invite my friends from the Mortal Realm, but now I’ve changed my mind. The Land of Eternal Life’s universal rules are indeed higher and more complete than the plane we came from—that’s a fact. But it feels oddly petty, lacking the vast, eternal grandeur I imagined. There’s no sense of standing at the pinnacle here. To put it bluntly, this place feels like… well, like my Mortal Universe. And my Mortal Universe’s rules can still improve over time, while the rules here seem static.”
Lan Xiaobu nodded, sharing the same feeling. He didn’t voice another thought: since arriving, he hadn’t seen Hongjun, the Three Pure Ones, or any of the prominent figures from the Great Desolation Universe. That was abnormal.
“What’s your plan?” Lan Xiaobu asked.
Mo Wuji said, “Right now, the Creation Saints here no longer pose a threat to us. I plan to leave and return to my Mortal Universe to check on things. I got three Eternal Life Talismans—here, take one.”
He handed a talisman to Lan Xiaobu.
Lan Xiaobu waved it off. “I’ve got one, and my Seven Realms Stone is designed to cross realms.”
Mo Wuji realised he was right—Lan Xiaobu’s Seven Realms Stone was far superior to the talisman. He put it away and asked, “What about you? Leaving the Land of Eternal Life now?”
Lan Xiaobu shook his head. “I can’t leave yet; I still have friends to find. But in time, I plan to leave too. You’ve studied the Heavenly Mechanism Bone, right? I want to find out who left it and where they came from to reach the Burial Path Great Plain. I feel that’s where the true secret of eternity lies.”
Mo Wuji smiled faintly. “Good. Once I’ve settled things in the Mortal Universe, we’ll go together. I can hitch a ride on your Seven Realms Stone. I suspect we’ll only sense that kind of Great Path aura after reaching the Creation Saint realm. Our current strength is still too low to perceive many laws.”
…
The two exchanged communication beads and parted ways. Lan Xiaobu headed back to the City of Eternal Life. His injuries were still severe, and he couldn’t go to the Burial Path Great Plain until he recovered.
Only two Creation Saints remained in the Land of Eternal Life: the Eternal Life Saint and the Thunder Saint. Whether they stayed or not, Lan Xiaobu was confident they wouldn’t dare trouble him in the City of Eternal Life. Even if they exceeded his expectations and came, he had plenty of ways to escape.
After the attack by four Creation Saints on Mo Wuji and Lan Xiaobu, the City of Eternal Life felt desolate. When Lan Xiaobu arrived, it was completely empty.
Without hesitation, he began setting up protective arrays.
“May I ask if you are Lord Lan?” As Lan Xiaobu was arranging the arrays, a man approached, bowing respectfully from a distance.
Sensing that Lan Xiaobu’s realm was lower than his and unsure of his status, he addressed him as “Lord.”
“Who are you?” Lan Xiaobu looked at the man, a Derivation Realm cultivator he didn’t recognise.
“I’m Zeng Feiyu, with the saint title Yuqiong,” the man said, his tone deeply respectful. Lan Xiaobu could tell the respect was genuine.
Lan Xiaobu clasped his fists. “So it’s Saint Yuqiong. What brings you here, Friend Zeng?”
Zeng Feiyu quickly said, “In the Land of Eternal Life, my status is similar to that of the Ten Thousand Paths Saint, Heavy Sword Shan, and the Chaos Saint, Cheng Qinghan—Derivation Saints groomed by Creation Saints like the Eternal Life Saint, with the potential to claim a Creation Fruit in the future.”
Lan Xiaobu raised an eyebrow. A lackey of the Creation Saints? With only two Creation Saints left after he and Mo Wuji’s actions, what was this lackey doing here?
Zeng Feiyu bowed again. “I came today for two reasons: to thank Lord Lan for avenging my friend Kong Jia, and to request to stay in the City of Eternal Life.”
Kong Jia? Lan Xiaobu immediately recalled. “You mean Kong Jia, the Karma Saint?”
Zeng Feiyu nodded. “Yes, Kong Jia was the true Karma Saint. But Kong Yangshan ambushed him, stole his Karma Scroll, and dared to call himself the Karma Saint. I was too weak to avenge Kong Jia.”
Lan Xiaobu nodded. He had initially thought Kong Yangshan was the Karma Saint, but later learned Mo Wuji killed him and that he wasn’t the true Karma Saint. Zeng Feiyu’s words didn’t surprise him.
“You want to live in the City of Eternal Life? This place was attacked by Creation Saints. I’m planning to go into seclusion here. You’re not afraid they’ll come for me again?” Lan Xiaobu looked at Zeng Feiyu, puzzled by his reasoning. The Land of Eternal Life had plenty of good places—why choose to live in the same city as him?
Zeng Feiyu hurriedly said, “It’s precisely because Lord Lan is here that I dare to stay. There are likely only two or three Creation Saints left, and one is your friend. I believe they wouldn’t dare come here to trouble you. Moreover, we’ve seen the character of you and Lord Mo. When four Creation Saints attacked the city, you didn’t flee but used your treasures to shield other cultivators from their pressure. That kind of spirit is what I, Zeng Feiyu, admire most.”
When Zeng Feiyu mentioned a Creation Saint friend, Lan Xiaobu didn’t take it seriously. What Creation Saint friend did he have here? But since the city’s dao veins were intact and Zeng Feiyu wanted to stay, he didn’t mind.
Lan Xiaobu said, “When I go into seclusion, no one is allowed within fifty miles of my cave mansion. You can act as the city lord for now and allow other cultivators to enter. But you must follow the City of Eternal Life’s original rules.”
“Thank you, Lord! That’s exactly what I meant. Please focus on your seclusion, and leave the rest to me,” Zeng Feiyu said joyfully.
Lan Xiaobu smiled at him. “If I’m not mistaken, you’ve sensed the opportunity to become a Creation Saint and want to stay here to refine your dao heart, right?”
Zeng Feiyu clasped his fists. “Lord, your insight is keen. I have indeed sensed the opportunity. But my dao philosophy differs from many cultivators. I don’t like the law of the jungle. The City of Eternal Life showed me a new kind of dao city—no forced transactions, no bullying the weak. It’s the true dao city I seek. Unfortunately, the attack by the four Creation Saints cost me a chance to gain insight. I’ve been waiting here, and thankfully, I waited for your return.”
Lan Xiaobu nodded. “Good. Do as you plan, then. I’m going into seclusion.”
“Yes, thank you, Lord!” Zeng Feiyu responded excitedly. To him, the City of Eternal Life of old was his ideal, the key to his Creation Saint opportunity. With Lan Xiaobu’s approval as city lord, he was determined to restore the city to its former state, paving the way for his own breakthrough.
