*Crack!* Chong Jiu heard her domain shatter, followed by a terrifying killing intent locking onto her entire aura.
Despite her countless techniques to break this intent, under the overwhelming domain suppression, she couldn’t deploy any of them.
Chong Jiu frantically burned her dao laws and summoned her treasure—a long hook. But Lan Xiaobu had already gained the upper hand, forcing her to retreat desperately, trying to escape his killing range before counterattacking.
Onlookers, unaware that Shi Changxing’s domain restrained most of her strength, saw only that Chong Jiu could fight back, but her efforts were negligible against Lan Xiaobu’s Longevity Halberd surges. His strength was proven—he’d clashed with Ku Yichi in the Central Dao Hall without losing ground. So, seeing him push Chong Jiu back was surprising but acceptable.
“Stop!” a furious roar echoed, but Lan Xiaobu ignored it. His Longevity Halberd slashed down from Chong Jiu’s shoulder.
*Splatter!* Blood sprayed as Chong Jiu’s body was cleaved in two, her dao foundation visibly fracturing in that instant.
Before Lan Xiaobu could finish her, a black long spear swept in. His domain and halberd surges collapsed instantly, and a more terrifying killing aura locked onto him, threatening to drag him into a vortex of death.
The spear tip, like a devouring black snake, charged at Lan Xiaobu while its domain carved away the space around him.
Lan Xiaobu, horrified, retreated frantically. He knew Guan Chong had arrived—a seventh-step powerhouse, or he wouldn’t pose such a threat. In that moment, Lan Xiaobu hoped Shi Changxing would intervene.
Shi didn’t disappoint. Guan Chong’s killing aura failed to lock Lan Xiaobu, dissipating entirely, and Lan Xiaobu landed near Shi.
Guan Chong caught Chong Jiu, whose halved body had reformed, but her pale face showed her dao foundation was shattered, her injuries far worse than Pang Jie’s. Recovering to the seventh step would be nearly impossible.
“Dao Master Changxing, True Derivation Saint Dao has always respected you. Why did you injure our Saint Master?” Guan Chong didn’t advance further, knowing without Shi’s domain, he’d have crippled Lan Xiaobu.
Shi Changxing’s narrowed eyes snapped open, staring at Guan Chong with an icy tone. “Are you blind? I stood here without moving. If True Derivation Saint Dao dares spew nonsense again, don’t blame me for flattening your sect.”
Guan Chong shivered, realizing this man, equal to a Dao Ancestor, could indeed destroy True Derivation Saint Dao if provoked. Swallowing his anger, he bowed. “I spoke rashly in my agitation. Please forgive me, Dao Master.”
Shi Changxing snorted, ignoring him.
Lan Xiaobu stared at Chong Jiu. “You injured Moru World’s Saint Minister. Today, I’m just collecting interest. As for the principal, heh, I’ll visit True Derivation Saint Dao again. Brother Changxing, let’s go.”
Calling him “Brother Changxing” nearly made Shi stumble. In the Great Cosmos, only Dao Ancestors dared address him so casually; even emperors called him Dao Master. Lan Xiaobu’s audacity was shamelessly bold.
Shi didn’t bother responding. After today, his daughter’s debt to Lan Xiaobu was cleared.
Some, aware of the situation, followed Lan Xiaobu, expecting him to head to Chaos One World’s Great Vault Silence Dao next. He’d declared in the Central Dao Hall he’d confront both Chong Jiu and Great Vault Silence Dao, and true to his word, he’d already crippled Chong Jiu.
But to everyone’s surprise, Lan Xiaobu neither went to Great Vault Silence Dao nor stayed at Moru’s residence. He returned to his cave residence briefly—less than half an incense stick’s time—before leaving Jinluo Tower with his pill attendant, without even meeting Emperor Moru, and departed Anluo Heavenly City.
…
After learning Lan Xiaobu, with Shi Changxing, had disciplined Chong Jiu at True Derivation Saint Dao’s residence, Chaos One Heavenly Court, from top to bottom, was gripped by fear and unease.
Lan Xiaobu kept his word. He’d warned Chong Jiu in the Central Dao Hall, then promptly went to her residence, not only confronting her but tearing her body and shattering her dao foundation. It was almost certain she’d never recover to the seventh step.
Knowing Lan Xiaobu’s connection to Shi Changxing, who accompanied him to True Derivation Saint Dao, Chaos One’s emperor, officials, and sect representatives, including Great Vault Silence Dao, were on edge. Clearly, Lan Xiaobu’s next target was them.
Wan Xunhua was furious with Great Vault Silence Dao. If Feng Qi and Zeng Yueqian hadn’t coveted Lan Xiaobu’s token, this wouldn’t have happened. He’d rather give up his own token than face this.
Shi Changxing—who’d have thought Lan Xiaobu could command him?
If Lan Xiaobu brought Shi Changxing to their doorstep, who could they call? Besides a Dao Ancestor, who could handle Shi?
They waited anxiously for half a day, but Lan Xiaobu didn’t show. As Wan Xunhua and Gu Jin puzzled over this, they received news: after crippling Chong Jiu, Lan Xiaobu had left Anluo Heavenly City.
In Chaos One’s temporary council hall, Gu Jin asked Wan Xunhua, confused, “Emperor, what’s this Lan up to?”
Wan Xunhua frowned, equally baffled. A court pillar spoke up. “I suspect Overseer Lan is fishing. True Derivation Saint Dao suffered a huge loss—how could they let it go? If Guan Chong sees Lan Xiaobu leave alone, he’ll likely follow and attack.”
“You mean Shi Changxing is secretly trailing Lan Xiaobu, waiting for Guan Chong to take the bait?” Gu Jin asked skeptically. Unless Guan Chong was foolish, he wouldn’t follow, not everyone was as reckless as Chong Jiu.
Wan Xunhua frowned, uncertain, but no other explanation made sense for Lan Xiaobu leaving the city instead of confronting them. If he feared Chaos One, even Wan Xunhua wouldn’t believe it.
After pondering fruitlessly, Wan Xunhua said to Gu Jin, “We’ll meet force with force. Everyone, return to your posts. If something happens, we’ll face it together. I refuse to believe Lan Xiaobu can overturn the heavens in Jinluo Tower.”
…
Lan Xiaobu had intended to confront Chaos One’s residence after dealing with Chong Jiu, but Shi Changxing’s words reminded him: Great Vault Silence Dao had a Chaos Dao Body. Since they opposed him, he’d take her, leaving the Longevity Conference without one. What could they do to him?
But he knew going directly to Chaos One’s residence, even if he humbled Great Vault Silence Dao, he couldn’t touch the Chaos Dao Body. Doing so would trap him, not save her. With the Longevity Conference nearing, taking her would provoke universal outrage.
So, after dealing with Chong Jiu, he left Anluo Heavenly City without hesitation. If he was gone, anything happening in the city couldn’t be tied to him, right?
Anluo Heavenly City was laden with restrictions and top-tier arrays, making silent entry or exit impossible for most. But Lan Xiaobu, with his Cosmic Dimension Model and mastery of cosmic arrays, had studied the city’s barriers. By transforming into a dao law, he could slip in unnoticed.
After hesitating, he abandoned the idea. During his brief stop at his residence, he’d disguised a puppet as himself, sending it with Taichuan out of the city. He, meanwhile, transformed into an intangible dao law.
His dao transformation, perfected after reaching the fifth step with a fully condensed dao tree, was nearly flawless. In Jinluo Tower, only Shi Changxing might see through it, but Shi rarely emerged and wouldn’t meddle, making Lan Xiaobu’s disguise safe.
