Lan Xiaobu was now infinitely close to the chaotic zone. By continuously using the cosmic model to construct dimensional structures of the residual chaotic space at the zone’s edge, he had become familiar with the various incomplete Dao principles formed by the chaos. This was undoubtedly a great advantage for him.
He knew that once he fully entered the chaotic zone, he might not even be able to connect with his Dao veins. Though he had two top-grade Dao veins, if he couldn’t access them, even two hundred would be useless.
To avoid losing consciousness in the chaotic zone and being reduced to nothingness, as he nearly was last time, Lan Xiaobu constantly maintained contact with his two top-grade Dao veins.
The moment the chaos fully engulfed him, Lan Xiaobu frantically drew on the vitality of the two top-grade Dao veins in his Longevity Realm. Under the cycles of his Longevity Dao, he continuously refined his Dao principles.
At this point, Lan Xiaobu couldn’t move forward an inch. Submerged in chaos, he felt his consciousness blurring, his domain being devoured by the chaos. He even sensed his physical body slowly disintegrating.
The only reason he could still feel his body was because, as a Creation Saint, the chaos hadn’t fully assimilated him immediately.
The faint thread of will left told Lan Xiaobu his chance lay in the brief moment before his body and primordial spirit were completely merged with the chaos.
Fortunately, his Longevity Dao kept running. The clear Dao principles and vitality from the top-grade Dao veins continuously nourished his Dao and body, preventing him from being fully assimilated by the chaos.
In the chaos, Lan Xiaobu had no idea of his body’s state, but he clearly felt that without those two top-grade Dao veins, he’d be in grave danger.
When the concept of time returned to his perception, Lan Xiaobu was overjoyed. He knew he had survived. Having a sense of time meant he had carved out a Longevity Dao principle belonging to him in this chaos.
Outside the Jiuyuan Chaotic Zone, no cultivators remained. As Lan Xiaobu had guessed, every few years, the chaotic suppression in the zone weakened significantly. The Listening to the Dao exploited this period to let cultivators search for treasures at the zone’s edge.
Deep in the chaos, Lan Xiaobu had forgotten he was still in the chaotic zone. He frantically absorbed the vitality of the top-grade Dao veins, refining his Dao. A golden Dao tree shadow appeared behind him—his Longevity Dao Tree. At this moment, it was surrounded by various Dao principles.
These included principles he had already mastered: Longevity Spatial Dao, Time Dao, Five Elements Dao, Fortune Dao, Fate Dao, and more.
But most were fragmented principles, many of which he had sensed through the cosmic model’s structures at the chaotic zone’s edge. Others came from battles with cultivators or encounters in the void.
Every Dao principle Lan Xiaobu had encountered—whether fragmented or complete, old or new—now orbited his Longevity Dao Tree.
In the chaos, Lan Xiaobu’s body remained curled like an infant, but with his Longevity Dao constantly running and the vitality from the black and white top-grade Dao veins, he wasn’t crushed into nothingness.
As time passed, nourished by the Longevity Dao and the Dao veins’ vitality, Lan Xiaobu’s understanding of the Dao deepened. The countless Dao principles orbiting his Longevity Dao Tree began to transform. What were once fragmented principles gradually became complete as his comprehension grew.
One, two…
More and more of the fragmented principles around the Longevity Dao Tree became whole. The tree grew more solid, its principles almost tangible. Lan Xiaobu’s aura grew stronger. Though his body hadn’t yet stood, new Dao principles began forming around him.
The Longevity Dao Tree continued to grow, and the orbiting Dao principles multiplied.
The chaotic aura was gradually separated by the Longevity Dao. Some transformed into chaotic vitality or origin Dao principles, absorbed by Lan Xiaobu. Others were discarded, condensed into new principles, or swept back into the chaos, vanishing. The space around Lan Xiaobu expanded, and his body slowly stood upright.
—
In the vast Great Universe, the ten major worlds had no explicit ranking, but everyone had an unspoken hierarchy. The Central World and Yuzhou Heaven World were among the top. The Great Desolate World, one of the ten, was said to have an ancestor at the pinnacle of the Great Universe’s Dao. But having arrived late to the Great Universe, it lacked deep foundations and relied on the ancestor’s prestige to establish itself.
Whether by official or unspoken rankings, the Fanhe World was among the top ten.
In the Fanhe World, countless Dao sects thrived, with top-tier Dao fields connected one after another. The Burial Dao Sect was one such sect.
Its founder, Zang Qionghua, was a formidable figure even before establishing the sect. After founding it, few dared provoke her. Her background commanded respect, even from the Fanhe World’s Heavenly Court. Within the Burial Dao Sect, besides Zang Qionghua, the most powerful was Zang Youhua. Neither was originally surnamed Zang, but both changed their names after comprehending the Burial Dao principles.
At a void star platform square, an entrance to the Great Universe, a silver light shot in and landed on an open spot.
Though the square was filled with people fishing for newcomers to exploit, the sight of the silver light made many cultivators step back.
Most recognized the silver light as Zang Qionghua’s flight treasure, the Burial Dao Prism. Its name alone suggested trouble. Once, someone had clashed with the Burial Dao Sect’s leader and her Dao field, only to vanish overnight.
The Great Universe valued peaceful development, and such an incident naturally violated the Fanhe World’s Heavenly Court. The court dispatched several seventh-step powerhouses, but the matter mysteriously fizzled out. The Burial Dao Sect emerged unscathed, thriving in the Fanhe World.
Though many cultivators avoided the silver prism, a stunning man in a red skirt rushed toward it. Amid the crowd’s surprise, an equally beautiful man stepped out of the silver prism.
“Sister, did you catch that ant?” the red-skirted man asked eagerly, clearly Zang Youhua, Zang Qionghua’s younger sister. The man from the silver prism was Zang Qionghua.
Zang Qionghua’s face was grim. Hearing her sister’s question, she shook her head, “No, I was a step too late. The two ants who escaped are cunning—no wonder Dang’er fell to them.”
Zang Youhua knew why her sister was late. Anywhere else, the vast distance wouldn’t have delayed them. But in the Great Universe, no matter how powerful they were, they couldn’t extend a Dao essence handprint across multiple realms to seize someone. Even in their own vast region, such a feat was impossible.
After learning of Qu Peng’s death, Zang Qionghua had used two talismans to leave the Great Universe and lower universe realms, enabling her to extend her handprint to capture someone.
One could imagine the value of talismans that allowed direct departure from the Great Universe. Even using the Great Universe’s existing exits, such talismans were exorbitantly precious.
Zang Qionghua had obtained these talismans, comparable to sky-opening treasures, when she comprehended the Burial Dao in a chaotic zone. She had only eight, yet used two at once. If those two had caught her daughter’s killer, it might have been worth it. But using two such precious talismans, she only caught a nobody.
“That’s not right, Sister. Even if they escaped immediately, they couldn’t evade your Dao intent, could they?” Zang Youhua asked, puzzled.
Zang Qionghua shook her head, “I searched for centuries but found no trace. I don’t even know how they escaped my senses or removed the Dao intent marks I left.”
“Sister, they left marks and still escaped us?” Zang Youhua asked in disbelief.
Zang Qionghua nodded grimly. Even in the lower universes, no one could escape her marks, let alone in the Great Universe.
Zang Youhua’s expression grew serious, “Sister, should we ask Brother-in-law for help?”
Zang Qionghua’s tone turned icy, “Don’t mention that man.”
