“Brother Shang, haha, we meet again!” As Lan Xiaobu stepped out of Yongyi Saint Dao Trade Hall after buying an Eternal Life Conference entry talisman, a delighted voice called out.
“Friend Gu, what a coincidence!” Lan Xiaobu laughed, surprised to see Gu Changjian so soon after leaving the trade hall.
Gu wasn’t alone. A refined woman accompanied him—someone Lan Xiaobu recognized from the teleportation from Moru World, likely a conference participant.
The woman, having seen Lan Xiaobu, barely acknowledged him. To her, a low-cultivation figure nearly ousted from the teleportation was beneath notice.
Gu Changjian, however, seemed genuinely interested in Lan Xiaobu. He quickly explained, “Junior Sister Gu, this is my friend, Shang Wei. Brother Shang, this is Gu Yuer from the Great Ice Pan Palace. She was in Moru World investigating her sister’s case but joined us for the Eternal Life Conference.”
Gu Yuer? Lan Xiaobu’s heart skipped a beat. He realized she was Gu Qiang’s sister, whom he had killed. Her presence in Moru World was clearly to avenge her sister. Gu Yuer responded to Gu Changjian’s warm introduction with a cold expression, not even nodding.
Lan Xiaobu, however, was overly enthusiastic, stepping forward with a fervent clasp of fists. “Fairy Gu may not know me, but I deeply admire you. I saw you on the teleportation array but didn’t dare approach. Thanks to Brother Gu’s introduction, meeting you is my fortune. I’ve always revered you and longed to visit the Great Ice Pan Palace.”
His fervor, coupled with evident respect, prompted Gu Yuer to give a slight nod, despite her disdain for someone of his apparent low status.
Gu Changjian was taken aback. Lan Xiaobu’s fawning didn’t match his earlier impression. Had he misjudged him? As he pondered, Lan Xiaobu continued eagerly, “Brother Gu, I know Moru World’s geniuses look down on me. I wouldn’t dare stay with you, lest I affect Fairy Yuer’s mood. If I’d known you’d be escorting her, I wouldn’t have rushed out…”
Though he tried to sound calm, his barely concealed excitement was palpable, even shifting from calling her “Fairy Gu” to “Fairy Yuer.” His unspoken admiration and masculine interest were clear, even to Gu Yuer.
“Friend Shang, since you admire Fairy Yuer, you can cheer for her at the conference,” Gu Changjian said, easing the awkwardness and adopting Lan Xiaobu’s familiar tone.
Lan Xiaobu nodded eagerly, as if calming down. “I heard a Chaos Unicorn was auctioned. I scraped together Dao veins to buy it for Fairy Yuer, but I failed, alas…”
Gu Yuer felt a flicker of vanity but was puzzled. Did someone from Qixing Saint Dao Trade Hall secretly admire her? “We’ve had little interaction. Why treat me differently?” she asked, not taking it seriously. The Great Ice Pan Palace had many disciples, and while she was significant, she wasn’t the most prominent. She enjoyed the spotlight and had appeared at many events, so perhaps Shang Wei saw her at one and was smitten.
Given her status far above his, his timid demeanor wasn’t surprising.
Lan Xiaobu quickly said, “At the Central World’s Qiongye Saint Dao Conference, I saw you from afar. Since then, you’ve been my idol.” The Qiongye Conference, held every millennium, was mentioned in his jade slips. He was certain someone like Gu Yuer would attend, but if she hadn’t, he’d claim a mistake.
Sure enough, Gu Yuer nodded. “Thank you, but the Chaos Unicorn was acquired by my Great Ice Pan Palace.”
“I know,” Lan Xiaobu said, his tone dimming. “I only regret it’s not under your name…”
He was guessing—Gu Yuer’s status was high, but not high enough to own a Chaos Unicorn.
As expected, a trace of melancholy flashed in Gu Yuer’s eyes. “Senior Sister Changyuan is our palace’s top genius. It’s best the Chaos Unicorn is hers. Don’t speak of this again.” Perhaps because Lan Xiaobu’s deference was so extreme, or because she barely regarded him, she spoke with an authoritative tone.
“Yes, I understand. Is Fairy Yuer staying at an inn? I can reserve one…” Lan Xiaobu was elated internally. Changyuan held Tai Chuan—knowing that made things easier.
Gu Changjian was stunned. Was Shang Wei this pathetic? Had he truly misjudged him? Gu Yuer was attractive and prominent, but was this groveling necessary?
“No need. Go handle your affairs. Brother Gu and I have matters to attend to,” Gu Yuer said, waving him off.
She was with Gu Changjian because Moru World’s Emperor had asked him to accompany her. After a day together, she found herself growing fond of Gu. Shang Wei, despite his flattery, was nothing to her.
“Yes, yes,” Lan Xiaobu repeated, then turned to Gu Changjian. “Brother Gu, if you need anything, call me first. I can help with shopping or trade hall matters.”
“I won’t hesitate, Brother Shang,” Gu Changjian replied warmly, despite his doubts.
Bidding farewell, Lan Xiaobu promptly bought a teleportation ticket to Yijing Saint City and left Anluo City.
At Yijing Saint City’s teleportation tower, Lan Xiaobu, dressed in simple cloth robes, emerged unhurriedly. Unlike the throngs flooding Anluo City, Yijing’s tower was nearly deserted. Most were queuing to teleport to Anluo City, with few traveling the reverse route.
Lan Xiaobu had done his research. Though small, Yijing Saint City was significant. Typically, a Dao or saint city having one top-tier sect nearby was notable, but Yijing had three: Zhenyuan Saint Dao, a top-tier sect, and two near-first-tier sects, Great Ice Pan Palace and Guxu Cave. The Great Ice Pan Palace, renowned for its Chaos Ice Origin Dao, produced many powerhouses and thrived in the Central World. Guxu Cave, less famous, was notable because its lord, Saint Guxu, was rumored to be a Seventh Step Great Dao powerhouse.
In the Great Universe’s ten worlds, Seventh Step cultivators were rare; even Sixth Step ones were elite. The qualitative leap from Sixth to Seventh Step made Guxu Cave untouchable, despite its lack of prominent disciples, as it didn’t compete for resources.
Lan Xiaobu came to Yijing Saint City to rescue Tai Chuan from the Great Ice Pan Palace. Initially, upon learning Qi Manwei might be at Saint Sword Palace, he planned to head there, as Anluo City had a teleportation array to Saint Sword Dao City. But after studying his jade slips, he reconsidered.
Saint Sword Palace, built in a chaotic region, likely practiced a chaos-based Saint Sword Dao. Though Lan Xiaobu had reached the Fourth Step in chaos, infiltrating the palace undetected would be challenging. He wasn’t certain if they had Seventh Step powerhouses but was sure of Sixth Step ones. If discovered, he’d not only fail to save Qi Manwei but might be trapped himself.
Thus, he decided to rescue Tai Chuan first, leveraging its abilities to infiltrate Saint Sword Palace. The Great Ice Pan Palace, no weaker than Saint Sword Palace, was located in a Chaos Ice Origin region. Over time, the chaos aura had been assimilated, leaving only ice origin, so disciples sought external opportunities to advance.
