It’s unclear whether it was due to the emergence of the Great Evolution Realm or because a single enforcement action by Mengmu Great Evolution led to the fall of over a dozen cultivators, but Lan Xiaobu and his group encountered no obstacles on their journey to the Hundred Zero Universe.
The Hundred Zero Universe was indeed a place where one could come and go freely. When Lan Xiaobu and his companions arrived, they met neither roaming cosmic patrol cultivators nor a cosmic protective array.
Typically, a managed universe or realm would have a cosmic protective array, along with patrolling guards.
According to the information Mo Wuji had purchased about this universe, the Hundred Zero Universe consisted of dozens of planets, but its core was a single planet: Hundred Zero Star. Thus, when people referred to the Hundred Zero Universe, they were essentially talking about Hundred Zero Star.
At this moment, Lan Xiaobu and his group stood outside Hundred Zero Star. From a distance, the planet was protected by a single natural array, but it was severely damaged, clearly having been bombarded countless times.
“Sigh, compared to the Great Evolution Realm, this planet is far inferior,” Thunder Sage remarked, standing outside Hundred Zero Star and gazing at the vast, boundless planet in his sight. Truly, comparison breeds discontent.
Hundred Zero Star was indeed immense. Even from such a distance, their divine sense could only perceive a hazy, dark grey expanse. They had no concept of the planet’s true size, as its boundaries were invisible even from afar.
“Let’s go, we’ll talk more once we’re inside,” Lan Xiaobu said, being the first to land on the void plaza outside Hundred Zero Star.
The void plaza was grandly constructed, but it was obvious it had no role in guarding Hundred Zero Star. The plaza was filled with shops, commercial buildings, and cave abodes. Moreover, its protective array was separate from Hundred Zero Star’s, meaning that even if Hundred Zero Star was breached, the plaza would remain unaffected.
“Should we buy a few jade slips?” Yi Qingshan couldn’t help but ask after landing on the plaza.
Lan Xiaobu replied, “We can each buy some later. Once we enter the Hundred Zero Universe, we’ll split up to find places to enhance our strength. If anything comes up, contact each other with communication beads.”
Their purpose in coming to the Hundred Zero Universe was not only to evade Mengmu Great Evolution but also to find opportunities to improve their cultivation.
Mo Wuji suddenly spoke, “I don’t think we necessarily need to split up. From the introduction to the Hundred Zero Universe, I learned of a place called Beyond Starry Sky. It’s said to be the origin of the universe’s heavenly rules, with extremely dense rules, making it ideal for comprehending the Great Dao.”
“A place like that probably won’t just wait for us to show up, right?” Lan Xiaobu said.
Mo Wuji smiled, “Under normal circumstances, no, it wouldn’t. But this place has something peculiar—chaos qi.”
Thunder Sage’s eyes lit up, “Chaos qi? Wouldn’t that make it even more suitable for us to cultivate there? Besides, what cultivator would refuse chaos qi?”
Mo Wuji explained, “There are two types of chaos qi. One is normal chaos qi, and the other is the part rejected by chaos, known as chaos dregs.”
Upon hearing “chaos dregs,” everyone understood. Chaos qi could nurture all manner of powerful existences—universes, Great Daos, divine abilities, treasures, elixirs, and more. But every existence, even those that split heaven and earth, has a negative side. Chaos dregs were the discarded refuse of creation.
Ordinary malevolent qi, mottled dao rules, and the like were all born from these chaos dregs.
“No wonder no one wants to establish a dao court in the Hundred Zero Universe. I wouldn’t either,” Thunder Sage sighed.
If a universe or realm contained the aura of chaos dregs, anyone cultivating there would inevitably be tainted by it. Over time, their Great Dao would surely be affected. At best, they might fall into deviation or stagnate; at worst, their dao foundation could collapse, reducing them to mindless fiends.
But Lan Xiaobu’s eyes gleamed. While others feared this, Taichuan didn’t.
Taichuan was a chaos unicorn. As long as it proved its dao and stabilised its Great Dao, all things chaotic were treasures to it. When Taichuan cultivated, it didn’t care whether it was chaos qi or chaos dregs.
“Let’s head to Beyond Starry Sky. These chaos dregs may be refuse to others, but to Taichuan, they’re valuable,” Lan Xiaobu said immediately.
Mo Wuji chuckled, “Xiaobu, I saw your beast companion collecting Qianhe’s items earlier. That pet of yours is no ordinary creature—it’s a chaos unicorn, isn’t it?”
Lan Xiaobu sighed, “Taichuan is indeed a chaos unicorn, but I’ve held it back. Chaos qi is where Taichuan belongs, but such places are too rare.”
How could Lan Xiaobu not know how vital chaos qi was to Taichuan? However, if Taichuan’s cultivation was too low, it couldn’t handle chaos qi. Only when Taichuan reached the Fourth-Turn Saint Beast stage could it use chaos qi to rapidly advance.
In the Land of Eternal Life, he’d acquired some dao veins and crystals, allowing Taichuan to break through to the Fourth-Turn Saint Beast in the Eternal Life Realm. Lan Xiaobu had planned to take Taichuan to the Taixu Tomb later, a place brimming with chaos qi. But in the Land of Eternal Life, he was either being hunted or hunting others.
Later, when he had time, the events of the Burial Dao Abyss instilled a sense of crisis in him. He feared the Burial Dao Abyss’s impact could spread across the Land of Eternal Life and affect the universe he resided in.
Now, finding chaos qi—even if it was chaos dregs—was immensely valuable to Taichuan.
Hearing that Lan Xiaobu had a chaos unicorn, everyone was thrilled.
Upon entering Hundred Zero Star, Lan Xiaobu and his group didn’t need to buy any jade slips. They summoned the Seven Realms Stone and called out Taichuan, who immediately sensed the chaotic aura.
Whether it was chaos qi or chaos dregs, it was all treasure to Taichuan. It only needed to follow the direction of the chaotic aura.
Even so, it took the Seven Realms Stone nearly a month to reach a vast, snow-covered mountain range.
The Seven Realms Stone’s speed, even if not at full pace, covered a vast distance in over a month, showing just how enormous Hundred Zero Star was.
Along the way, Lan Xiaobu and his group noticed some simple holy cities and markets. Cultivators were relatively few, with most people coming to Hundred Zero Star to hunt for natural treasures. However, the presence of chaos dregs meant most cultivators didn’t linger long.
Even without cultivating, prolonged exposure would taint one with chaos dregs, which could be fatal to one’s Great Dao.
Still, some came specifically to cultivate here, caring only about boosting their strength. They believed their dao will could withstand the chaos dregs.
Whether they truly could, no one knew. Too many came and left.
…
“Lord Bu, this is the place! I can feel the treasure I need. We must retreat here,” Taichuan said, so excited it could barely speak coherently.
Back at the Taixu Tomb, it had longed to access the chaos qi but was too weak to handle it. Though a chaos unicorn, it couldn’t cultivate in chaos qi at low cultivation.
Lan Xiaobu nodded and turned to Mo Wuji, “Wuji, I don’t think we should let Taichuan devour all the chaos dregs here at once. Though it can’t do that yet, we need a plan. As Taichuan’s strength grows, it will eventually consume all the chaos dregs in this universe.”
Lan Xiaobu’s implication was clear: if the chaos dregs vanished, countless cultivators would flood in, taking over not just the Hundred Zero Universe but also Beyond Starry Sky.
Mo Wuji agreed, “My thought is we first claim an area and let Taichuan absorb the chaos qi there. We’ll prevent the chaos dregs from entering our claimed territory, allowing us to retreat and cultivate. Once we’re strong enough to protect ourselves, we can repair the Hundred Zero Universe’s protective array.
“I’ve studied it—the universe’s natural array, though damaged, is extraordinary, among the finest. If we restore it, we’ll have a mid-tier universe to call our own.”
“Agreed, let’s do it,” Lan Xiaobu said, fully endorsing Mo Wuji’s plan. He’d had the same idea. If they didn’t know about a mid-tier universe, fine, but now that they did, he wanted to bring some people from the Great Desolate Universe here. Otherwise, they’d be stuck in a small corner forever. Worse, if a powerhouse from a mid-tier or higher universe took a dislike to them, a single slap could annihilate a low-tier universe—a terrifying prospect.
