“Xiaobu, the Chaos River’s depths are unknown. Even on the Seven Realms Stone, reaching the bottom isn’t easy,” Mo Wuji said.
Lan Xiaobu sighed, “Even so, we have no choice but to head to the river’s bottom.”
Mo Wuji chuckled, “I know, but before we go, we can collect some interest.”
“What do you mean?” Lan Xiaobu perked up, guessing Mo Wuji planned to target the two green-robed enforcers chasing them.
Those enforcers were likely top-tier Creation Sages.
Mo Wuji said, “Mengmu Dayan thinks they’re all-powerful, sending two green-robed enforcers after us. If we could kill the yellow-robed enforcer, why not these two? We’ll have to face Mengmu Dayan eventually—killing one now means one less later.”
Lan Xiaobu laughed, “Great idea. Back in the Land of Eternity, we took down several Creation Sages slowly. Now it’s just two. Shame my array skills are limited, or I’d set monitoring array patterns on their path to see what they’re up to.”
Mo Wuji smiled, “No worries, I’ve set monitoring patterns. Those two guessed our flight treasure is the Seven Realms Stone and both want it. Because they’re competing, they haven’t reported our stone or our dive into the river’s depths. Plus, they’ve split up, giving us the perfect chance to take them out one by one.”
Mo Wuji didn’t mention that, while Zuo Heng knew some about Mengmu Dayan, it wasn’t enough. He wanted to soul-search the green-robed enforcers to know their enemy better for survival.
Zuo Heng quickly said, “Green-robed enforcers are fearsome due to their top-tier killing techniques. If we act rashly and fail to kill them, exposing our position, the consequences will be endless.”
Lan Xiaobu brushed off Zuo Heng’s caution, casually asking, “Besides green-robed enforcers, what’s Mengmu Dayan’s strongest?”
“The strongest are the cyan-robed enforcers. Mengmu Dayan has only three, each touching the fourth step of the dao. They also carry talismans from fourth-step powerhouses, equivalent to a fourth-step strike,” Zuo Heng replied.
“No problem then,” Lan Xiaobu said offhandedly, then transmitted to Thunder Sage, “Friend Thunder, you and Manwei act together later. As Creation Sages, even if you can’t kill the green-robed enforcer, you can pin him down. Then Wuji and I strike.”
Thunder Sage, seasoned, knew Lan Xiaobu didn’t want Zuo Heng and the others to know he was the main force. He nodded subtly, transmitting back to assure Lan Xiaobu.
Lan Xiaobu was pleased. With an old hand like Thunder Sage, a glance was enough to coordinate. If Zuo Heng or Yi Qingshan knew Thunder Sage and Qi Manwei would strike first, their expressions or divine sense might betray them.
Qi Manwei trusted Lan Xiaobu completely. If he said to act first, she would, no questions asked.
Mo Wuji transmitted, “Xiaobu, slow the Seven Realms Stone and head upward. One green-robed enforcer should reach us in half an hour.”
Lan Xiaobu understood. To kill the enforcer, they had to slow down. If they dove too deep and the enforcer lost them, their plan would fail.
As the Seven Realms Stone slowed and rose, Lan Xiaobu sensed a faint crisis, unnoticed by the others. He knew his and Mo Wuji’s self-cultivated dao gave them sharper instincts.
The green-robed enforcer didn’t expect them to cultivate their own dao because such cultivators rarely achieved eternal sagehood. Those who did were ancient powerhouses.
The Seven Realms Stone surfaced, skimming the Chaos River’s waves. Lan Xiaobu couldn’t help but ask, “Friend Zuo, why do I feel increasing oppression the deeper we go, with my dao even starting to fray?”
Zuo Heng was stunned. It was common knowledge that the deeper the Chaos River, the stronger the dao suppression, and fraying was normal. Yet he wondered how Lan Xiaobu managed it—on the Seven Realms Stone, he felt no such oppression or fraying.
Still, he answered, “Yes, the deeper you go, the stronger the dao suppression. No matter your dao, enduring long in the depths is tough. That’s why people hunt Chaos Stones on the surface. Otherwise, countless would dive for them.”
“If not the river’s bottom, where should we go? And when will Mengmu Dayan catch up?” Mo Wuji asked gravely.
He’d sensed a green-robed enforcer lurking less than a thousand zhang away, disguised as a droplet among the river’s billion waves, approaching stealthily. Most wouldn’t notice.
Without Mo Wuji’s near-perfect void array patterns, he’d have missed it. A thousand zhang was nothing to a Creation Sage, even above the Chaos River—a blink away.
“Xiaobu, at the stone’s current speed and the enforcer’s caution, he’ll close in within half a stick of incense and strike,” Mo Wuji said, then paused, sensing something off.
Lan Xiaobu said, “Wuji, something’s wrong. If both want the Seven Realms Stone, why do I sense only one? Their strength gap shouldn’t be this big.”
Mo Wuji had just thought the same. Frowning, he extended his divine sense network across the river’s surface.
With his void array patterns and divine sense network, he detected a difference in moments.
“Xiaobu, I found him. The other one likely cultivates water-based dao. His concealment is scarier. The first blends into the waves like a droplet, but has faint rule fluctuations. This one is a droplet, undetectable without my methods,” Mo Wuji transmitted.
Lan Xiaobu nearly used a rift rule pattern to check but stopped, hearing Mo Wuji had found him.
“Xiaobu, let’s name them. The one striking in half an incense stick is Green Robe A. The closer one, hidden in the waves, is Green Robe B. I think B knows A’s plan and is watching him, but A doesn’t know B is closer. B plans to profit when A attacks. We need to adjust our plan, or the stone might be taken,” Mo Wuji transmitted.
Lan Xiaobu thought briefly and said aloud, “Everyone, a green-robed enforcer is nearing and will likely strike soon. Here’s the plan: Zuo Heng, Du Bu, Yi Qingshan, you three block him for one breath to give us a sneak attack chance.”
“Alright, but we don’t know where he is,” Du Bu said first.
Yi Qingshan readied her treasure, clearly trusting Lan Xiaobu. Zuo Heng sighed, summoning his treasure. He had no way out. If not killed in the ambush, he’d die if the group failed against the enforcer. Both paths led to death—why not choose the bolder one?
“Don’t worry. I’ll toss an array flag where the enforcer appears. Act when it lands,” Lan Xiaobu said.
He then transmitted to Thunder Sage and Qi Manwei, “They’ll act when my flag drops. You two sense my dao rhythm and strike with your strongest techniques where it appears. You’re not targeting the same person as them.”
“Brother Lan, don’t worry,” Thunder Sage replied, brimming with confidence in Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji. Two Creation Sages? Even four wouldn’t faze them, especially with him and Qi Manwei helping.
