The red-robed female cultivator had clearly believed Qin Qingtian’s words, and couldn’t help but ask, “I only have a rough understanding of this place, so where do you think they might be hiding?”
Qin Qingtian’s voice came through, “In this vast expanse, the best places for cultivation are the Haoyuan Universe and the Dayan Realm. The Dayan Realm is generally inaccessible under normal circumstances, and even if one could enter, these two wouldn’t choose to go there because few know it has a master. But I believe Mo Lan and his companion would absolutely not go there.”
“Why?” the red-robed woman frowned and asked.
Qin Qingtian originally didn’t want to explain, but since they were to collaborate, he had to clarify, “Because these two had the chance to enter but backed out halfway.”
He had learned this from Qin Yuansha, who had heard it from Zhuo Heng. This showed that Mo Wuji and Lan Xiaobu had a strong sixth sense, detecting danger and thus abandoning their plan to enter the Dayan Realm.
“By that logic, if they can’t enter the Dayan Realm, the Haoyuan Universe would be the best choice for them. In fact, they definitely wouldn’t be in the Haoyuan Universe either, so the remaining options are few.
The Chaos River, though a place where one could achieve the Creation Realm, has somewhat chaotic universal rules, making it less than ideal. The Great Sky Marsh, Void Cold Jade Mountain, and Illusory Ruins are also suitable for attaining the Creation Saint Realm, but these places have a fatal flaw: their universal laws are imperfect. That leaves only two places for these two to choose from.”
“Which two places?” Before Qin Qingtian could finish, the red-robed female cultivator instinctively asked. After asking, she realised she had already accepted Qin Qingtian’s reasoning. But she didn’t mind; her main purpose here was to capture those who destroyed the Mengmu Dayan Dojo and retrieve the items they took from the Mengmu Dayan treasury.
“Since we’re collaborating, we naturally need to know each other’s strengths. Before I reveal these two places, may I ask, friend, about your strength and your status in Mengmu Dayan?” Qin Qingtian didn’t directly answer the red-robed woman’s question.
In his heart, he was puzzled. If Lou Wuchen hadn’t been injured, his strength would have surpassed this woman’s. With Lou Wuchen’s power, he was still taken down, so why did Mengmu Dayan send this woman? But this was Mengmu Dayan’s business, perhaps they knew Lou Wuchen had been weakened from clashing with a fourth-step cultivator.
The red-robed woman, already convinced by Qin Qingtian’s words, clasped her fists and said, “You can call me Meng Yuan. I’m considered a protector in Mengmu Dayan. This time, I brought two green-robed enforcers, both quasi-fourth-step cultivators. They’re currently gathering information in this chaotic expanse. I believe it won’t take long for me to find out where these two are ultimately headed.”
Qin Qingtian inwardly scoffed, “You think you can find out? If I hadn’t told you, it’d be a miracle if you could.” And what’s this about quasi-fourth-step? They’re just failures who couldn’t reach the fourth step, stuck forever in this awkward in-between state. Call it nicely, it’s quasi-fourth-step; call it bluntly, it’s the defective product of a failed breakthrough.
But he didn’t say this aloud. Instead, he spoke calmly, “Friend Meng, since we’re collaborating, we naturally need to first clarify how to divide the spoils. Otherwise, how can we continue to work together?”
Meng Yuan replied without hesitation, “If these two have genesis treasures, I need one genesis treasure. Secondly, I want everything taken from the Mengmu Dayan treasury, and of course, I need to see their cultivation techniques.”
Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji were so extraordinary that she was eager to know what kind of techniques they practised.
Hearing Meng Yuan’s words, Qin Qingtian knew she had no idea what Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji had done or investigated about them. Though he inwardly despised her ignorance, he quickly said, “Good, I agree. But if they have more than one genesis treasure, I’ll take all the remaining ones, and you can have one.”
Meng Yuan said indifferently, “As long as there’s more than one genesis treasure, that’s fine. As for the items from the Mengmu Dayan treasury, I’ll provide a list, including the heart of the Dayan Cauldron. If you don’t trust me, I can place the list with restrictions in your keeping now.”
Qin Qingtian said generously, “Since I’m collaborating with Protector Meng, I naturally trust every word you say. Now, let me tell you the two places where Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji are most likely to be. The first is the Bailin Universe…”
“The Bailin Universe? Isn’t that place said to be overrun with poison dao laws, completely uninhabitable? To achieve the Creation Realm there, you must be mistaken, right?” Meng Yuan frowned upon hearing the Bailin Universe.
Qin Qingtian wasn’t surprised by her reaction and continued, “The second place is Daoyuan Mountain. Its universal rules are even more perfect than those of the Haoyuan Universe, and its universal energy is astonishingly rich.”
“You’re right, I’ve heard of that place. The reason Lou Wuchen could achieve the fourth step was because he cultivated at the foot of Daoyuan Mountain for a year. But Daoyuan Mountain has a cosmic barrier, it’s simply…” Meng Yuan’s words suddenly stopped.
Strictly speaking, the Mengmu Dayan treasury was akin to a small barrier. Since Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji could enter the Mengmu Dayan treasury and take everything, they might also be able to enter Daoyuan Mountain, though the possibility was slim.
Lou Wuchen hadn’t even reached the peak of Daoyuan Mountain, only comprehending for a year at its edge, yet he qualified to step into the fourth step. This showed how attractive Daoyuan Mountain was to cultivators.
Qin Qingtian said, “It seems you’ve thought of it too. Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji have a chance to enter Daoyuan Mountain, and that chance is not small, likely over ninety percent.”
“How could they possibly?” Meng Yuan exclaimed in shock.
If Daoyuan Mountain were easy to enter, she’d want to go there herself to comprehend the great dao laws.
Qin Qingtian said slowly, “I’ll be honest with you. They might have the Seven Realm Stone, and besides the Seven Realm Stone, other genesis treasures…”
“The Seven Realm Stone?” Meng Yuan’s voice suddenly rose, “You’ve said all this just because you want the Seven Realm Stone, don’t you? You think I don’t know?”
Qin Qingtian’s tone remained unhurried, “If I hadn’t told you, you wouldn’t even know about the Seven Realm Stone. And even if I tell you where they are, you’d need my help to catch them. Without me, I guarantee you and those two green-robed enforcers won’t catch them.”
Meng Yuan took a deep breath, “Even if they have the Seven Realm Stone, they shouldn’t be able to enter Daoyuan Mountain because they don’t have the positional dao laws for Daoyuan Mountain.”
Without positional dao laws, the Seven Realm Stone could only cross realms by chance, and the odds of landing in Daoyuan Mountain were practically zero.
Qin Qingtian said, “They may not have the positional dao laws, but Lou Wuchen does.”
Meng Yuan suddenly realised. Lou Wuchen had been to Daoyuan Mountain and comprehended the fourth-step dao laws there. Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji, having destroyed the Mengmu Dayan dojo, had clearly subdued Lou Wuchen. For someone like Lou Wuchen, who had been to Daoyuan Mountain, it was impossible not to have left positional dao laws. If Lou Wuchen had left the positional dao laws for Daoyuan Mountain, Mo Wuji and Lan Xiaobu could have obtained them.
“Alright, I’ll collaborate with you. Tell me, if they’re in Daoyuan Mountain and we don’t have the Seven Realm Stone, how do we get in?” Meng Yuan quickly calmed down.
Qin Qingtian was silent for a while before saying, “But I feel they’re more likely to be in the Bailin Universe.”
Qin Qingtian had no idea that Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji didn’t even know Daoyuan Mountain existed.
Meng Yuan looked at Qin Qingtian in astonishment. Unless they were fools, with Daoyuan Mountain as an option, would they go to the Bailin Universe? And isn’t the Bailin Universe unsuitable for cultivation, overrun with poison dao laws?
Qin Qingtian’s tone grew serious, “If these two don’t fall midway, their future achievements will definitely surpass yours and mine.”
In truth, in Qin Qingtian’s heart, if Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji didn’t fall, their achievements would far exceed Meng Yuan’s by many times. But to say they’d surpass him, Qin Qingtian, he wouldn’t believe it. No one knew what he, Qin Qingtian, had done or why he was still in the Haoyuan Universe, even in a primordial spirit state. He was here because he was Qin Qingtian, with ambitions far beyond what others could imagine.
Meng Yuan didn’t speak, knowing Qin Qingtian would continue.
Sure enough, Qin Qingtian went on, “If you judge Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji by ordinary standards, I guarantee they’ll make you die a gruesome death. The poison dao laws of the Bailin Universe aren’t ordinary poison dao laws but are formed from the chaotic dregs of the universe. Otherwise, do you think the Heavenly Poison Saint, Kuang Can, would have achieved his dao there and made the Bailin Universe his dao star?”
“The Heavenly Poison Saint? He’s the master of the Bailin Universe?” She had heard of this figure, a very powerful fourth-step cultivator, likely beyond her ability to withstand his heavenly poison dao laws.
Qin Qingtian replied, “That’s right. The Heavenly Poison Saint is Kuang Can, the master of the Bailin Universe. He achieved the fourth step because of the chaotic dregs dao laws of the Bailin Universe. Apart from him, no one else can achieve their dao there, but I believe Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji aren’t ordinary. They might be able to achieve their dao in the Bailin Universe, even stay there permanently.”
“On what basis are you so certain?” Meng Yuan’s tone turned cold. Qin Qingtian’s words were baseless, mere speculation.
Qin Qingtian chuckled, “Based on the fact that they could enter your Mengmu Dayan treasury, or that after they entered the Mengmu Dayan treasury, the Bailin Universe’s primary star, Bailin Star, suddenly vanished.”
“Bailin Star vanished?” Though Meng Yuan knew a bit about this vast expanse, it wasn’t much. Hearing that the Bailin Universe had vanished shocked her. A mid-tier universe, even if unsuitable for cultivation, doesn’t just disappear like that.
