“Wuji, do you think someone as cunning as Qin Qingtian would realize we didn’t go to the Qin Tian Ancient Path and might guess we’re hiding here to ambush him?” Lan Xiaobu suddenly raised a concern. Qin Qingtian was a master schemer, wouldn’t he anticipate that others might scheme against him?
Mo Wuji fell silent for a moment before replying, “I’ve been thinking about this. If I were Qin Qingtian, I’d probably consider it. People like him, used to manipulating others, would suspect a trap the moment something unexpected happens. But I can’t figure out what he’d do if he guessed we’re lying in wait.”
Lan Xiaobu chuckled, “You overthink things. At best, he might suspect we’re hiding here, but he can’t be certain. If he’s only guessing, he’ll probe before entering. If it were me, the best way to probe would be using a Great Path Law.”
“Exactly. He might use Meng Yuan as a shield. Our barrier and explosive arrays are set to lock onto Great Path Laws. If the barrier locks onto Meng Yuan first, over ninety percent of the blast’s power will hit her, and Qin Qingtian will likely escape unscathed… No, Xiaobu, we need to revise our setup. We can’t let it trigger automatically on a law. It’s reliable but won’t necessarily catch the one we’re targeting.” Mo Wuji sensed something was off.
They’d assumed Qin Qingtian would be the first to enter their explosive array, triggering the barrier’s law lock. But what if he sent someone else in first?
Acting on the thought, they emerged and reworked all the explosive barriers, arrays, and the Chaos Heavenly Poison Heart’s detonation restrictions. They opted for manual control, risking a delayed trigger that might let Qin Qingtian escape. Against someone like him, they had to take that chance.
To ensure simultaneous detonation, Mo Wuji would control the barrier and array explosions, while Lan Xiaobu handled the Chaos Heavenly Poison Heart.
After reconfiguring everything, they went back into hiding.
“I kept feeling something was off before, but now I’m more at ease… Wait, no, it’s still not right. We absolutely can’t just lurk in the shadows,” Mo Wuji exhaled, cutting himself off as another issue struck him.
Lan Xiaobu caught on, “Right. If they forcibly tear open our outermost low-level barrier and we don’t react, that’s unnatural. The normal response would be to flee immediately, using the Seven Realms Stone.”
“I have an idea. I’ll set up two puppets to make it look like we’re fleeing the moment the barrier is breached,” Mo Wuji suggested.
Lan Xiaobu shook his head, “Your puppets aren’t high-grade enough… But if we infuse them with our Great Path Laws and use my Seven Realms Stone as their escape treasure, that’ll do.”
“Easy enough. We each imbue a puppet with one of our Great Path Laws. It’ll only fool Qin Qingtian for a dozen breaths at most, but that should be enough. I don’t believe he’d see the Seven Realms Stone about to escape and not rush to intercept. With his speed, a dozen breaths is plenty to enter our explosive barrier.”
They got to work again. Mo Wuji produced two puppets equivalent to First-Turn Sages, and each infused one with their Great Path Law. Lan Xiaobu even placed the real Seven Realms Stone on one puppet, programmed to activate it and attempt escape the moment the barrier was torn.
“Now, no matter how clever Qin Qingtian is, he’ll be drinking our bathwater,” Lan Xiaobu smirked, pleased with their refinements.
Mo Wuji was equally satisfied. He was about to message the Heavenly Poison Sage when his heart skipped a beat. He immediately suppressed all his law auras.
Less than ten breaths later, a man and a woman appeared outside the Mo Lan Universe’s cosmic barrier. It was Qin Qingtian and Meng Yuan, fresh from the Qin Tian Ancient Path. Qin Qingtian hadn’t brought Meng Yuan’s two followers, clearly deeming their cultivation too weak.
Staring at the seemingly empty void, Meng Yuan gasped, “This is a cosmic barrier? How was it set up? No wonder those two felt safe staying here. Can you break it?”
“If my Qin Tian Ancient Path were here, I could tear it open easily. Unfortunately, it’s not,” Qin Qingtian sighed.
“Then how do we get in?” Meng Yuan looked at him.
She hoped they couldn’t enter, so she could ditch this guy sooner. She’d come to hunt the culprits who destroyed Meng Mu Da Yan’s dojo, not to get herself killed.
Qin Qingtian smiled faintly, “There’s another way. I can use Qin Tian Stones to set up a Rift Array, and you contribute a Great Dream Law to it. That’ll force the barrier open.”
Meng Yuan’s face darkened. “Why is it always me giving up my Great Dream Law? Can’t you contribute yours?”
Qin Qingtian replied with mock apology, “I could, but if you can set up a Rift Array, I’d happily contribute my law instead.”
Meng Yuan’s expression grew uglier. She clearly couldn’t set up a Rift Array. But she had no choice, she had to help him breach the barrier, or she might not even escape.
“Fine, get started,” Meng Yuan said, inwardly vowing that if she made it back, she’d achieve the Fifth Step and tear Qin Qingtian to shreds.
Qin Qingtian began placing array flags. He effortlessly transformed Qin Tian Stones into flags. Though Meng Yuan was a Fourth Step powerhouse, she couldn’t discern how he crafted them. Her heart sank. Even if she reached the Fifth Step, could she really crush him? Was he Fourth Step, Fifth Step, or somewhere in between?
In the time it took an incense stick to burn, Qin Qingtian held a handful of flags. “When I place the seventeenth flag, send in your Great Dream Law, ideally with the aura of a Fourth Step powerhouse.”
“Alright,” Meng Yuan agreed, seeing no point in arguing.
Qin Qingtian tossed out flags one by one. After the seventeenth, Meng Yuan saw her cue and sent out a Great Dream Law without hesitation.
Qin Qingtian threw the eighteenth flag, and a terrifying tearing force erupted, so powerful that even Mo Wuji, Lan Xiaobu, and the Heavenly Poison Sage, hiding far away, felt its impact. Their resolve held firm, and they didn’t let a wisp of their auras leak.
*Boom!* The barrier ripped open, revealing a faint emerald hue to Qin Qingtian.
Instead of rushing in, he said, “Friend Meng, go in and block their escape. I’ll set up a seal to ensure they can’t flee.”
Almost as his words fell, a shadow tore through the domain, bursting from the planet’s depths.
“Seven Realms Stone?” Qin Qingtian’s eyes lit up. He was certain it was the Heaven-Opening Treasure, its aura unmistakable even without divine sense.
“Seven Realms Stone?” Meng Yuan recognized it too. Though not as seasoned as Qin Qingtian, she knew its significance.
Without Qin Qingtian’s urging, she charged toward it. If she secured the Seven Realms Stone, even he would think twice before crossing her.
But her speed paled beside Qin Qingtian’s. He overtook her in moments, reaching the forefront in a few breaths. Inwardly, he relaxed, thinking he’d overestimated Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji. The Seven Realms Stone could cross domains, but he was confident his Chaos Array could stall it for a dozen breaths, enough to seize it.
Yet as he neared, something felt off. The emerald hue should’ve grown clearer, but it didn’t change much.
A Shifting Barrier? The place he saw wasn’t where he was heading. It was a simple trick, but who’d think of it in the heat of the moment?
Qin Qingtian tensed, sensing that Mo Wuji and Lan Xiaobu’s auras were too weak, mere surface traces, not true Great Path auras. Everything, except the Seven Realms Stone, was wrong.
He’d been played.
Despite the Stone’s allure, Qin Qingtian halted and tried to retreat.
But in the next instant, waves of devastating energy locked onto him. He was certain it targeted him alone, ignoring Meng Yuan trailing behind.
He’d used Meng Yuan as a shield, yet he’d bear the full brunt himself.
