“Did you place an imprint on the woman who wanted to team up with him?” Jin Yi asked, frowning slightly.
Hu Chuan quickly responded, “I did, but given how cunning this person is, I doubt he’ll seek her out again. The imprint was just a precaution.”
Jin Yi didn’t comment. After a long pause, he asked, “Who released the information that those people know about the Great Derivation Realm?”
A woman stood up, bowed to Jin Yi, and said, “So far, there’s no concrete information.”
Jin Yi’s expression turned cold. “Who else could send messages to the Chaos River bracelets? And you still have no solid leads?”
The woman hurriedly explained, “The Chaos River Holy Alliance is responsible for sending messages to the bracelets. Since the Alliance Leader’s absence, the Third Alliance Leader has been managing the Chaos River Holy Gate’s affairs. The Third Alliance Leader delegated the authority to send messages to the Chaos River Void Market’s Deputy City Lord, Kuang Yi. That means, aside from the City Lord—who is also the Third Alliance Leader—only Deputy City Lord Kuang Yi could send messages to all bracelets. However, according to recent information, the Third Alliance Leader, the City Lord of the Chaos River Void Market, has gone missing, and Deputy City Lord Kuang Yi was killed in the City Lord’s mansion. The message about the Great Derivation Realm was sent out after Kuang Yi’s death.”
Silence fell over the room, and Jin Yi’s frown deepened.
The Chaos River Void Market’s strength was not much weaker than Mengmu Great Derivation’s. The market was established by the Chaos River Holy Alliance, which had one Alliance Leader and two Deputy Alliance Leaders. The Alliance Leader, Xing Yi, was rumoured to be a Fourth Step Great Dao cultivator.
In the entire Haoyuan Universe, there were only two or three Fourth Step cultivators. Some said two: one being the founder of Mengmu Great Derivation, and the other being Xing Yi, the founder of the Chaos River Holy Alliance. Otherwise, how could the Chaos River Void Market have the authority to prevent Mengmu Great Derivation from establishing a dojo there?
But after founding the Chaos River Holy Alliance and the Void Market, Xing Yi disappeared. The Void Market was managed by the two Deputy Alliance Leaders, both formidable figures. One was equivalent to a Cyan-Robed Enforcer of Mengmu Great Derivation, while the other, akin to a top-tier Green-Robed Enforcer like Fang Yu, was the Third Deputy Alliance Leader and also the City Lord of the Chaos River Void Market.
For an organisation as powerful as the Chaos River Void Market to have its Deputy City Lord killed and its City Lord vanish showed just how strong the perpetrator must be.
“Do those people really know about the Great Derivation Realm?” Jin Yi sensed this matter was far from simple. It wasn’t just targeting the Chaos River Void Market’s Holy Alliance—it was also aimed at Mengmu Great Derivation.
The woman hesitated before saying, “We haven’t obtained specific information on this yet, but I believe there’s no smoke without fire. Even if someone is scheming against us, they’d need some truth to back it up. Otherwise, so many cultivators wouldn’t fall for it.”
“Hu Chuan, where do you think these people might go?” Jin Yi turned to Hu Chuan.
Hu Chuan hesitated, then said, “Logically, the Hundred Zero Universe would be their best choice. It’s vast, uncontrolled by any major power, and ideal for rogue cultivators to achieve their Dao or hide. But I have a hunch they won’t go there. Instead, I think they might head to the Fallen Sage Tree. Yet, after reviewing the Fallen Sage Tree, it doesn’t seem likely either. It’s contradictory…”
Jin Yi stared at Hu Chuan. “You made one mistake and now you’re doubting yourself. That’s the greatest taboo in the Great Dao. Follow your instincts—they’re likely heading to the Fallen Sage Tree. If you could predict everything, they wouldn’t still be alive.”
“Yes,” Hu Chuan responded promptly.
Jin Yi stood abruptly. “Hu Chuan, follow your instincts and track down those ants. I need to return immediately. This is no small matter. The Great Derivation Realm is the foundation of our Mengmu Great Derivation, and no outsiders can be allowed to interfere.”
“Yes, rest assured, Sage Enforcer Qing. I will continue tracking them. As long as they’re in the Chaos River, no matter where they go, I’ll find them,” Hu Chuan said firmly.
“Good. One last piece of advice: always trust your Great Dao instincts, or your Dao will bear scars, and you’ll lose faith in yourself,” Jin Yi said, then flashed out of sight in an instant.
After Jin Yi left, a man looked at Hu Chuan and said, “Enforcer Hu, you’re talking big. You’ll find them as long as they’re in the Chaos River? What if they have a top-tier treasure that lets them dive deep into the Chaos River, even to its bottom? Could you still find them?”
Hu Chuan paused, then said coolly, “Tell me, what treasure could reach the Chaos River’s bottom?”
“What about the Great Derivation Cauldron?” the man replied calmly.
Hu Chuan froze for a moment, then smiled. “The Great Derivation Cauldron is in the Great Derivation Realm. Even Mengmu Great Derivation can’t obtain it. It’s a primordial treasure—how could those ants get their hands on it?”
“What about the Seven Realms Stone?” the man added.
At the mention of the Seven Realms Stone, Hu Chuan’s body stiffened. But the man who spoke ignored him and walked out of the meeting hall.
The others glanced at Hu Chuan with pity before leaving the hall one by one. Hu Chuan was capable and cunning, but this failure had shaken his composure. Making bold promises in front of Sage Enforcer Qing? Heh, one more slip-up could cost him his life.
Hu Chuan stood alone in the grand meeting hall, his expression shifting for a while before he let out a humph and walked out.
He still had one hope: he had placed a divine sense imprint on the jade slips Mo Wuji bought. If Mo Wuji took them out, Hu Chuan would be the first to pinpoint his location. If Mo Wuji discovered the imprints, Hu Chuan would head to the Fallen Sage Tree and lie in wait. Sage Enforcer Qing was right—he had to trust his Great Dao instincts.
…
As soon as Mo Wuji entered his Mortal Realm, he took out the dozen or so jade slips he had purchased. Sure enough, he found divine sense imprints on them, the same as the one placed on him.
Mo Wuji was inwardly shocked. He didn’t know the strength of the person who did this, but their imprinting technique was terrifying. In the crowded information tower where he bought the jade slips, placing imprints on them without him noticing was no small feat.
In his Mortal Realm, Mo Wuji had no reservations. He stripped all the imprints, sealed them within the Mortal Realm, and then began examining the jade slips one by one.
When Mo Wuji read that Chaos Stones were the best Dao stones for achieving the Creation Sage Realm, he finally understood why they were so precious. Top-grade Chaos Stones not only aided in comprehending the Creation Sage Realm but also the Great Dao beyond it.
Beyond aiding in the Creation Sage Realm, Chaos Stones could be used to refine magical treasures, Dao pills, and even serve as teleportation Dao rules. But their greatest value lay in refining array flags. With sufficient array mastery, arrays made with Chaos Stone flags could elevate their power to a whole new level.
The Qintian Stones they obtained on the Qintian Ancient Path were likely the lowest-grade Chaos Stones. For the Qin family ancestor to have acquired so many Chaos Stones, he was no ordinary figure.
After some reflection, Mo Wuji took out the jade slip introducing this vast universe. Though he had bought many jade slips, he quickly summarised the key locations: Great Heaven Marsh, Chaos River, Void Cold Jade Mountain, Hundred Zero Universe, Illusory Ruins, Fallen Sage Tree, and others. These were popular destinations for cultivators, with detailed introductions and Dao charm coordinates.
The Thousand Realms Void was mentioned briefly, with no Dao charm coordinates, only noting that it lay beyond the Fallen Sage Tree. Fortunately, the Fallen Sage Tree had Dao charm coordinates, though its name was peculiar. The jade slip’s description was sparse, as few visited it, simply stating that the Fallen Sage Tree was an ancient giant tree.
Putting away the jade slips, Mo Wuji returned to the Seven Realms Stone.
“Well?” Lan Xiaobu asked as soon as Mo Wuji appeared.
Mo Wuji said, “Few people go to the Thousand Realms Void. The jade slips I bought mention that, aside from a handful of reckless cultivators, most avoid it. Once you enter the Thousand Realms Void, escaping is incredibly difficult. Most who go in are lost forever.”
“Right, I’ve heard of the Thousand Realms Void, but it’s true that few go there,” Zhuo Heng chimed in.
“I saw in the jade slips that the Thousand Realms Void and the Fallen Sage Tree are in the same direction, with the Thousand Realms Void beyond the Fallen Sage Tree. Since that’s the case, why don’t we head to the Fallen Sage Tree first?” Mo Wuji suggested.
“Brother Mo, when you bought the jade slips, you were followed. Won’t they guess we’re going to the Fallen Sage Tree?” Thunder Sage, still far from recovered, asked with lingering fear. If they were intercepted by another powerful Green-Robed Enforcer, their chances of survival would be slim.
Mo Wuji smiled faintly. “My guess is they’d never expect us to go to the Thousand Realms Void. If they can’t predict that, they won’t guess the Fallen Sage Tree either. I reckon they’ll assume we’re heading to the Hundred Zero Universe.”
