“Wuji, do you think this guy is the one scheming against us? His strength is impressive, but he’s hardly qualified to take on Mengmu Great Derivation, right?” Lan Xiaobu transmitted to Mo Wuji.
Their group trailed behind the others. If Mo Wuji hadn’t spoken up first, they wouldn’t have stood out at all.
Mo Wuji chuckled, “He definitely doesn’t have the qualifications. There’s someone behind him. If he didn’t have backing, we’d be getting as far away as possible right now.”
Lan Xiaobu agreed. If this man had no one behind him, after killing a Green-Robed Enforcer and over a dozen Yellow-Robed Enforcers, Mengmu Great Derivation’s Cyan-Robed Enforcers—or even their Fourth Step powerhouse—would have shown up. If a Cyan-Robed Enforcer appeared, who here could stand against them?
The fact that no Cyan-Robed Enforcer or Fourth Step cultivator had emerged suggested either Mengmu Great Derivation’s top experts were tied up or they were too preoccupied to act.
Almost as soon as Mo Wuji finished speaking, a shower of blood rained down from the sky.
The blood carried a profound Dao charm and a powerful Great Dao will.
“A Fourth Step cultivator has fallen?” Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji were both shocked.
Many cultivators rushed forward to collect the falling blood, and Zhuo Heng’s eyes gleamed as he prepared to join them.
“You’d better not go,” Mo Wuji said calmly.
Zhuo Heng, trembling with excitement, replied, “This is definitely the blood of a Fourth Step powerhouse. I suspect it might be Mengmu Great Derivation’s Fourth Step cultivator slain here. This is a rare opportunity for us—why not go?”
Lan Xiaobu chimed in, “I think Brother Mo is right. If this is the blood of a Fourth Step Great Dao cultivator, the will within it is far beyond what ordinary cultivators can handle. Using this blood to cultivate or comprehend the Dao is like putting the cart before the horse. Even if your Dao doesn’t suffer, you might be stuck at that level forever.”
“That’s fine by me! Becoming a Fourth Step cultivator would make me laugh in my dreams,” Zhuo Heng said, still thrilled.
Lan Xiaobu continued, “There’s another possibility: the will of a Fourth Step cultivator could be so overpowering that using their blood for cultivation might disrupt your soul, turning you into their puppet.”
“That’s just a possibility. For the sake of my Dao, I think it’s worth the risk,” Zhuo Heng said through gritted teeth.
He knew the hardships he’d endured over the years. With low cultivation in a mid-tier universe, he was nothing.
Lan Xiaobu sneered, “Besides, this blood’s Dao charm doesn’t even belong to a Fourth Step cultivator. It surpasses a Creation Sage’s but lacks the transcendent aura of the Great Dao.”
Mo Wuji nodded, “Exactly. The fallen cultivator wasn’t at the Fourth Step.”
Zhuo Heng calmed down. If it was a Fourth Step cultivator’s blood, he’d take the risk. But for a non-Fourth Step cultivator’s blood, what was the point of rushing in?
He sighed, “I heard Mengmu Great Derivation has one true Fourth Step and two pseudo-Fourth Steps, both Cyan-Robed Enforcers. I wonder if this fallen cultivator was one of their Cyan-Robed Enforcers.”
Boom! A more violent explosion of Dao charm tore through the void, and Mo Wuji and the others could vaguely see two powerhouses battling in the distance. Though far away, the killing Dao rules sent shivers through everyone’s hearts.
The void itself trembled, as if it could be torn apart and destroyed at any moment.
“This is a true Fourth Step battle,” Lan Xiaobu said, his eyes burning with determination. He had to reach the Fourth Step.
If Qian He and Fang Yu, who had blocked them before, had unleashed such powerful Dao charm, they wouldn’t be standing here now.
Amid this terrifying battle, something in the void seemed to tear open—or rather, the void before them cleared up automatically.
Looking ahead, a vast, verdant realm appeared in the distant void. Even from afar, the majestic heavenly rules were palpable, with Dao rules so clear they were almost visible to the naked eye.
“That’s the Great Derivation Realm! It has to be!” someone in the crowd shouted, their voice trembling with uncontainable excitement.
In moments, everyone surged toward the vibrant realm—the Great Derivation Realm they’d been seeking. As Mo Wuji had said, anyone daring to block them now was obstructing their Great Dao, and they’d fight to the death.
Zhuo Heng, previously persuaded by Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji, threw caution to the wind and rushed forward with the crowd. Mo Wuji didn’t even have time to call him back.
Gong Qin’s team, which had traveled with Mo Wuji and Lan Xiaobu, had already rushed ahead to collect the supposed Fourth Step blood. Now, with the Great Derivation Realm in sight, they charged forward with the frenzied crowd.
“Brother Mo, Brother Lan, let’s go too!” Du Bu’s voice was equally excited.
Still, he knew who had led them this far and saw Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji as the guides, so he waited for their word before charging.
Yi Qingshan was also thrilled, waiting eagerly. She’d spent so many years on the Qintian Ancient Path for the Creation Sage Realm, and now she felt it was within reach if she rushed forward. But she too waited for Mo Wuji and Lan Xiaobu to speak, knowing she wouldn’t have made it here without them.
Lan Xiaobu remained silent, sensing something off. The Dao rules were too clear—clear enough to be seen with the naked eye.
Mo Wuji suddenly spoke, “I don’t think we should go.”
“Why not?” Du Bu asked urgently.
Mo Wuji’s tone grew sharp, “Xiaobu, deploy the Seven Realms Stone now. We’re leaving.”
Lan Xiaobu summoned the Seven Realms Stone at top speed. As everyone boarded, the stone shot out of the space, and in moments, the vibrant Great Derivation Realm vanished from sight and divine sense.
Though Du Bu and Yi Qingshan were reluctant, they trusted Lan Xiaobu and boarded the Seven Realms Stone without hesitation. Thunder Sage and Qi Manwei didn’t pause for a second.
After half a day of frantic escape, Lan Xiaobu finally slowed down.
“Brother Mo, why couldn’t we enter the Great Derivation Realm?” Du Bu asked, still unwilling despite the distance.
Mo Wuji exhaled, “That Great Derivation Realm is suspicious. And did you notice where the middle-aged cultivator who led the charge went?”
“Where?” Du Bu asked instinctively.
Mo Wuji said gravely, “When everyone rushed toward the Great Derivation Realm, he did too, but he vanished midway. He used an escape talisman.”
Mo Wuji had initially thought the man entered the Great Derivation Realm, but after checking with his divine sense, he realised the man had used an escape talisman. With the Great Derivation Realm right there, no talisman was needed to enter. His use of one meant something was wrong.
Du Bu fell silent, finding Mo Wuji’s reasoning a bit weak. He wondered if he could go to the Great Derivation Realm alone, though after so much time, he wasn’t sure if it was still accessible.
Mo Wuji continued, “Also, in all your years of cultivation, have you ever seen Dao rules so clear they’re visible to the naked eye?”
Du Bu froze. He was right—Dao rules visible to the eye? What need was there for comprehension then? The Great Dao was something to be intuited, not spoken of. If it could be seen so clearly, was it still the Great Dao?
“Brother Mo, are you saying the Great Derivation Realm was fake?” Yi Qingshan couldn’t help but ask.
Mo Wuji shook his head. “No, it was likely real. Its heavenly rules could easily let ordinary cultivators step into the Creation Sage Realm. But without enough strength, the Great Derivation Realm isn’t for us. Xiaobu, where do we go now?”
Mo Wuji didn’t voice another thought: beyond the suspiciously visible Dao rules, the Great Derivation Realm was indeed an ideal cultivation ground. He was certain that reaching the Fourth Step there wasn’t a myth but a reality. Yet, two Fourth Step powerhouses were fighting outside it, clearly for control of the realm. Whether one was Mengmu Great Derivation’s ancestor or not, it showed the Great Derivation Realm held immense value even for Fourth Step cultivators.
What did Fourth Step cultivators pursue? Higher Daos, perhaps even the Fifth Step. If the Great Derivation Realm could enable the Fifth Step, would it still be a mid-tier universe?
Such a place wouldn’t be meant for ordinary Creation or Derivation Realm cultivators like them. Someone had gone to great lengths to lure them there, clearly to use them.
“We go to the Hundred Zero Universe,” Lan Xiaobu said without hesitation.
They had originally planned to go there, and now, with no other options, it was the clear choice.
