At the Great Vault Silence Dao’s residence in Jinluo Tower, Gu Jin returned to his cave abode with a trace of exhaustion. If he could do it over, he’d never have provoked that Lan fellow. He’d never heard of such a ruthless figure from Moru World—Lan Xiaobu seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Though he heard Lan had left Anluo Heavenly City, Gu Jin remained uneasy. Who knew what that man would do next? What if he came for Great Vault Silence Dao?
“Dao Master Gu Jin, it’s been a while,” a sudden voice interrupted his anxious thoughts.
Gu Jin spun around. “Who’s there?”
He didn’t need to ask—he saw Lan Xiaobu, the very Overseer he’d just encountered.
“How did you get in?” Gu Jin, ready to send a distress signal, stared at Lan Xiaobu in disbelief.
“Is it hard to get in here? If I wanted, I could enter even the Central Heavenly Court Emperor’s abode,” Lan Xiaobu said nonchalantly.
He wasn’t sure about the emperor’s abode, but Jinluo Tower’s restrictions were mere decorations, like a gentleman’s lock—only effective against the honorable. Before Lan Xiaobu smashed Chong Jiu’s residence restrictions, no one dared break another’s in Jinluo Tower.
Lan Xiaobu had done so with Shi Changxing by his side. Without Shi, even with Emperor Cebai Huisheng, Jinluo Tower would have detained him.
Lan Xiaobu didn’t consider himself a villain, nor a gentleman. Jinluo Tower’s restrictions, even without his Cosmic Dimension Model, couldn’t stop him.
“If you dare send any message, I guarantee Great Vault Silence Dao will vanish from Chaos One World. Whether Chaos One Heavenly Court survives depends on your Dao Ancestor’s stance,” Lan Xiaobu warned.
Before Gu Jin could respond, Lan Xiaobu continued, “You should know, Brother Changxing and I can destroy Saint Sword Palace and Great Ice Palace. We can do the same to your Great Vault Silence Dao. Don’t believe me? Try me.”
Gu Jin’s heart trembled. So, Saint Sword Palace’s fall was tied to Shi Changxing. If Lan Xiaobu hadn’t said it himself, no one would dare suspect Shi’s involvement.
Calming himself, Gu Jin guessed Lan Xiaobu wouldn’t dare act. Lan’s strength might slightly surpass his, but in a fight here, it would draw attention. Lan’s stealthy exit and entry suggested he wanted to avoid detection.
Gaining some confidence, Gu Jin clasped his fists. “Overseer Lan, our Great Vault Silence Dao, in grief over losing two geniuses, misjudged and caused a misunderstanding with Moru Heavenly Court. Now that it’s cleared, I apologize for our recklessness. As they say, resolve grudges, don’t deepen them. We’re willing to offer sincere compensation.”
Lan Xiaobu said calmly, “Fine, let’s talk. I heard your Great Vault Silence Dao acquired a Chaos Dao Body…”
At the mention of the Chaos Dao Body, Gu Jin’s face changed. Other conditions were negotiable, but the Chaos Dao Body was untouchable—it wasn’t just about his sect but the entire Great Cosmos’s Longevity Conference. And now, he didn’t even have it.
“I know the Chaos Dao Body is vital to you. I don’t expect to take her, just to see her and observe for a bit,” Lan Xiaobu said, sounding reasonable.
Gu Jin didn’t see it that way. Facing such an outrageous demand, he could only say earnestly, “Overseer Lan, if I could produce the Chaos Dao Body, I’d let you study her now. But I can’t—she’s not here.”
Lan Xiaobu frowned. All this risk and planning for nothing?
Before he could speak, Gu Jin added, “Overseer Lan, think about it. After Saint Sword Palace’s incident, when word spread that we acquired a Chaos Dao Body, what would Emperor Ku do if he were you?”
Lan Xiaobu knew he’d been convinced. Ku Yichi wouldn’t let Great Vault Silence Dao keep the Chaos Dao Body or bring her to Anluo Heavenly City. He’d personally retrieve her and present her at the Longevity Conference.
“Where is she now?” Lan Xiaobu’s tone turned icy, his space tinged with killing dao laws.
Though Gu Jin believed Lan wouldn’t act, the killing aura made him tremble. This man was a lunatic who’d clashed with Ku Yichi and smashed a seventh-step Saint Master’s residence restrictions in Jinluo Tower. Fighting here wasn’t unthinkable.
Lan Xiaobu continued, “I’ve set restrictions here. Lie, and I’ll make sure you die horribly. Everyone knows I’ve left Anluo Heavenly City. I can kill you before anyone saves you, and no one will know it was me.”
So his name was Lan Xiaobu? Gu Jin realized his predicament. With anyone else, he’d bet they wouldn’t act, but with this man, he had no confidence.
Gu Jin chose honesty. “Since word got out about our Chaos Dao Body, we couldn’t hide it. We planned to offer her to the Longevity Conference. When Emperor Ku learned, he sent someone to our sect to take her.”
Though he’d suspected as much, Lan Xiaobu was disappointed. With Ku Yichi holding her, he couldn’t demand her release.
He stared at Gu Jin, debating whether to kill him. But killing Gu Jin without alerting anyone in Jinluo Tower, teeming with powerhouses—including seventh-step cultivators—was impossible. If he failed, he could escape, but Moru World would suffer.
Sensing Lan Xiaobu’s hesitation, Gu Jin said quickly, “Everything today, every word, I, Gu Jin, swear not to reveal to a third party. If I break this oath, my dao halts here, never reaching the seventh step.”
Lan Xiaobu said coolly, “I trust you’ll keep your word.”
His form faded and vanished. Gu Jin was shocked—Lan Xiaobu disappeared before him, and he couldn’t tell how. Had he become a cosmic rule? Impossible, too horrifying.
As Gu Jin reeled, his residence restrictions were knocked. Opening them, he saw Emperor Wan Xunhua.
Wan Xunhua, visibly relieved, said, “I thought it over. That Overseer Lan isn’t easy to deal with. Everyone saw him leave, but I worried he’d sneak here, so I came to warn you. Be cautious—he’s not one to swallow insults.”
Gu Jin thought, *You’re too late. If the Chaos Dao Body were here, he might’ve attacked already.*
But he wouldn’t say that. He’d sworn an oath, and revealing Lan Xiaobu’s visit was pointless, especially with Shi Changxing involved—a figure neither he nor Chaos One could afford to offend.
“I know, but I think Overseer Lan truly left. We lost two geniuses and need to prepare for the Longevity Conference,” Gu Jin replied.
…
Unable to rescue the Chaos Dao Body woman, Lan Xiaobu had Taichuan and his disguised puppet return to Jinluo Tower.
“Lord Bu, the Heavenly Poison Heart is up for auction! Qixing Saint Dao and Yongyi Saint Dao are co-hosting it. Besides the Heart, there’s lots of good stuff, even a supreme dao vein. Tickets are hard to get—we need to hurry to buy them,” Taichuan said excitedly upon returning.
“Let’s go now,” Lan Xiaobu said. The Heavenly Poison Heart was one of his goals in Anluo Heavenly City, and a supreme dao vein was unmissable. It was vital for him, and he might head to the Great Cosmos Valley to cultivate before the Longevity Conference ended.
“Lord Bu, I also saw an immortal named Liu Li enter Anluo Heavenly City. Not sure if she’s the Liu Li you’re looking for…” Taichuan added in a low voice as they left Jinluo Tower.
