Before reaching One Pure Saint City, Lan Xiaobu sensed that the Dao principle imprint he had left in the curse Dao seed was being fused. As expected, Fang Zhiqian couldn’t resist the temptation of the curse Dao fruit, not even waiting a few days. Likely, after losing his cultivation, he had been bullied too much.
Lan Xiaobu knew that once his Dao principle imprint was fused, unless he personally intervened, Fang Zhiqian would never remove it in his lifetime. The Dao principle imprint, developed after Lan Xiaobu mastered cosmic boundaries, was even harder to strip than a Dao intent imprint, existing almost as part of one’s own Dao.
Once Fang Zhiqian fused with this imprint, his life and death would be in Lan Xiaobu’s hands. Even the thought of betrayal would trigger the imprint, which was etched with his Dao’s intent, to erupt.
Upon arriving at One Pure Saint City, Lan Xiaobu immediately sensed something off about the city’s atmosphere. He didn’t need to inquire—listening to the discussions among nearby cultivators was enough to understand what had happened.
The Great Ice Palace had been annihilated, razed to the ground. This was no small matter. While the Great Universe was rife with underhanded dealings, on the surface, it maintained peace. Let alone destroying a Dao sect, even personal vendettas weren’t to be pursued openly. Issues were to be reported to the Heavenly Court for judgment.
Following the destruction of the Holy Sword Palace, the Great Ice Palace’s annihilation raised questions: was the era of peace in the Great Universe over?
Unlike the Holy Sword Palace’s covert destruction, where no one dared to openly claim responsibility, Shi Changxing had made no effort to conceal his actions when he destroyed the Great Ice Palace. Moreover, he declared that any Great Ice Palace member he saw would be killed without mercy.
While the Holy Sword Palace’s leader, Qian Wen, survived, along with the talented disciples she brought to Anluo Heavenly City for the Immortality Conference, the perpetrator hadn’t pursued them for a massacre. In contrast, after destroying the Great Ice Palace, Shi Changxing teleported to Anluo Heavenly City and killed nearly all Great Ice Palace members there.
If anyone else had done this, the Central Heavenly Court would have hunted them down, regardless of their reasons. But with Shi Changxing, the Central Heavenly Court didn’t dare issue a warrant.
Who was Shi Changxing? In the Seven Realms Heavenly World, he was second only to its Dao Ancestor. Rumours even suggested that the Seven Realms Dao Ancestor’s strength might not match his. How could such a person be hunted or apprehended? Would the Central World’s Dao Ancestor step in?
Even if the Central World’s Dao Ancestor did, they might not be able to take down Shi Changxing.
For the first time, the Central Heavenly Court issued an unconventional announcement. Instead of pursuing or condemning Shi Changxing, it listed the Great Ice Palace’s misdeeds: imprisoning Shi Changxing’s daughter, Shi Wanrong, and forcing her to use her vitality and Dao to construct Shi Changxing’s Seven Realms Origin Dao. Due to the Great Ice Palace’s heinous actions, Shi Changxing was acting on behalf of justice, and the Great Ice Palace deserved its fate.
However, the perpetrator of the Holy Sword Palace’s destruction was still being hunted by the Central Heavenly Court, suggesting they knew it wasn’t Shi Changxing.
After learning the details, Lan Xiaobu sighed inwardly. Strength was everything. If his power matched Shi Changxing’s, who would dare pursue him for destroying the Holy Sword Palace?
Still disguised as Shang Wei through his transformation technique, Lan Xiaobu settled in One Pure Saint City. He wouldn’t revert to his true appearance until he dealt with Guan Yuxue.
In One Pure Saint City, Lan Xiaobu didn’t cultivate. Instead, he studied cosmic boundaries and restrictions while refining his transformation Dao principles.
Previously, his transformation principles left traces. To perfect them, he repeatedly experimented, summarised, and tried again.
Two years later, his transformation principles could blend seamlessly with the surrounding spatial rules. Unless someone meticulously searched his space and compared it repeatedly, Lan Xiaobu was confident that few could detect his current transformation.
However, against a powerhouse like Shi Changxing, whom he suspected was at the eighth or ninth step of the Great Dao, he wasn’t entirely sure.
In Anluo Heavenly City, as the Immortality Conference approached, the crowds grew. The destruction of the Holy Sword Palace and Great Ice Palace became the city’s hottest topics. Likewise, the conference’s highlight—observing and comprehending a chaos Dao body—was cancelled. With the Holy Sword Palace, which possessed the chaos Dao body, gone, what was there to comprehend?
Some astute cultivators noticed a connection: both the Great Ice Palace’s chaos unicorn and the Holy Sword Palace’s chaos Dao body seemed to originate from the same person—Guan Yuxue, granddaughter of Guan Chong, a saint of the True Derivation Holy Dao’s Great Derivation Dao.
If the Great Ice Palace’s destruction hadn’t been pinned on someone, some might have suspected the True Derivation Holy Dao of destroying the Holy Sword Palace. On the surface, they sold the chaos unicorn and chaos Dao body to the Great Ice Palace and Holy Sword Palace, only to secretly destroy both sects.
Such speculations remained unspoken, as no one dared voice them. Besides, Shi Changxing was responsible for the Great Ice Palace’s destruction, and his status was beyond even the True Derivation Holy Dao’s reach.
In the most luxurious room of Anluo Heavenly City’s Jinluo Tower, a lanky man with a grim expression sat—Guan Chong, one of the four saints of the True Derivation Holy Dao.
Two years had passed since the Holy Sword Palace’s destruction, yet he found no clues. After its fall, he had traced the spacetime there, becoming more familiar with the perpetrator than most. He was certain their cultivation didn’t exceed the fifth step of the Great Dao.
A cultivator below the fifth step, wielding the Great Curse Technique, Great Destruction Technique, Great Severing Technique, Great Annihilation Technique, and even a true reincarnation Dao, was astounding. He thought he’d find them within six months, but over two years later, he hadn’t even traced where these origin divine abilities had been used.
He suspected Shi Wanrong’s rescuer might be the culprit. Why else was the Holy Sword Palace destroyed shortly after her rescue? Both the Holy Sword Palace and Great Ice Palace shared a connection: their chaos unicorn and chaos Dao body came from the Great Derivation Realm. Guan Chong wondered more than once if the chaos unicorn’s original owner had returned.
This deepened his suspicions. If the chaos unicorn’s original owner was responsible, it would make sense. But why was the Great Ice Palace destroyed by Shi Changxing?
If it were anyone else, he could question them directly. But Shi Changxing? He didn’t have the standing to confront him.
Sighing, Guan Chong regretted not soul-searching the chaos Dao body woman or the heavenly charm body woman he had killed. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so clueless. At his level, he disdained soul-searching mere ants.
Wait—there were two others from the Great Derivation Realm: one who cultivated heavenly poison principles, likely aligned with Yuxue, and another named Dubu or something…
He hadn’t killed them; they were still with his granddaughter Yuxue. Thinking this, Guan Chong prepared to send a message ordering Guan Yuxue to bring Dubu and the heavenly poison saint to Anluo Heavenly City immediately.
“Saint Guan, the Heavenly Emperor of the Central Heavenly Court requests your presence to discuss the Immortality Conference,” a respectful voice came from outside before he could send the message.
Guan Chong frowned slightly. For lesser matters, he’d ignore it. But with the Immortality Conference and the Heavenly Emperor’s invitation, he had to go.
The Central Heavenly Court’s Emperor, Ku Yichi, was no ordinary figure. Many considered him the strongest below the Dao Ancestor. Though Guan Chong was reluctant to admit it, he felt Ku Yichi’s strength surpassed his, and not by a small margin. With Ku Yichi’s invitation, he had to attend.
In One Pure Saint City, Lan Xiaobu was growing impatient. His transformation principles were nearly flawless, and he was ready to act. Fang Zhiqian was dawdling—over two years, and he still hadn’t shown up.
Just as Lan Xiaobu considered sending a message to Fang Zhiqian, he sensed his Dao principle imprint. Fang Zhiqian had arrived.
Lan Xiaobu thought to send a message but decided to wait for Fang Zhiqian to find him. Sending one now would reveal that he could sense Fang Zhiqian’s location.
Moreover, he wanted to see if Fang Zhiqian was worth the curse Dao fruit he’d invested.
