Although Lan Xiaobu killed a Dao Master of the Broken Ruins Sacred Dao in Anluo Heavenly City, despite the city’s rules prohibiting fighting and killing, and despite the central world’s main principle also forbidding slaughter, let alone destroying Jinluo Tower and killing a Dao Master, Lan Xiaobu remained unharmed, residing peacefully in Jinluo Tower after these events.
If it were before, Lan Xiaobu would certainly have been surprised, as this was a blatant violation of a world’s rules and order. However, after surviving in the Great Universe for so many years, Lan Xiaobu had long understood that these rules and orders only applied to those who could not resist them. For someone like him, unless a Dao Ancestor spoke out, the rules did not apply.
While Ce Ku Huisheng was reorganising the Moru Heavenly Court, Lan Xiaobu returned to his room. Although his status was not yet on par with the Heavenly Emperor, his treatment in Jinluo Tower was no less than that of the Emperor.
The cave residence had seven rooms, and even with Qi Manwei, Tai Chuan, Fang Zhiqian, and Dubu each taking one for cultivation, there were still rooms to spare.
“Master Bu, I’ve been keeping an eye on that Guan Chong. That guy’s such a coward, he didn’t dare show his face. I was waiting for him to step up so I could take him out directly,” Fang Zhiqian chuckled, rubbing his hands.
Though Lan Xiaobu held his life in his hands, Fang Zhiqian felt that Lan Xiaobu was relatively easy to deal with. At least compared to Ku Yichi, who was far worse, Lan Xiaobu didn’t use his life as leverage for other demands, only requiring him to be a reliable fighter. Ku Yichi, on the other hand, wanted him to kill endlessly to fulfil his ambitions. So, following Lan Xiaobu had been relatively comfortable so far. Previously, though he controlled a city, he still had to bow to someone like Ku Yichi. Now, aside from Lan Xiaobu, he didn’t need to care about anyone else’s opinion.
Lan Xiaobu said, “That Guan Chong and Chong Ying have probably left Anluo Heavenly City to return to their sect. Guan Chong insulted my friend and even raped and killed them. Do you think I should repay them for that?”
Having already set up monitoring array patterns in a place of intrigue like Anluo Heavenly City, Lan Xiaobu was fully aware of Guan Chong and Chong Ying’s departure.
If he were only at the Sixth Step of the Great Dao, Fang Zhiqian might have tried to dissuade him. But now, hearing Lan Xiaobu’s words, Fang Zhiqian immediately patted his chest and said, “No need to ask, of course we settle the score.”
Back when Lan Xiaobu hadn’t even reached the Fifth Step of the Great Dao, he dared to lead Fang Zhiqian to storm the True Yan Sacred Dao and abduct someone. Now, at the Seventh Step, Lan Xiaobu’s strength was certainly no less than his. With the True Yan Sacred Dao left with only two Seventh Step cultivators, settling the score would be no issue.
“Good, just as I thought. In Anluo Heavenly City, I couldn’t make a move, but now that they’ve left, what’s there to fear?” Lan Xiaobu stood up as he spoke.
“Are we going now?” Fang Zhiqian asked eagerly.
He knew that beneath the True Yan Sacred Dao lay top-grade Dao veins, and with the grandeur of the sect’s four Sacred Masters, there were at least four such veins. Once Lan Xiaobu struck it rich, surely some benefits would trickle down to him. Reaching the Seventh Step of the Great Dao had cost him dearly, aside from the cursed Dao seed, which he had risked his life to obtain in the chaos zone.
“Of course, we go now. Revenge delayed overnight is only for the truly helpless. I’ve waited centuries to settle the score with True Yan Sacred Dao, how could I hold back any longer?” Lan Xiaobu said calmly.
“Should we call Emperor Ce Ku?” Fang Zhiqian thought that since True Yan Sacred Dao was their home ground, the more people they had, the stronger they’d be. Given the relationship between Ce Ku Huisheng and Lan Xiaobu, Ce Ku would surely agree to join.
Lan Xiaobu waved his hand, “No need. Ce Ku is a Heavenly Emperor. If he were to destroy someone’s Dao sect in the central world, it would be a fatal blow to Moru Heavenly Court if the matter blew up, so we can’t involve him.”
“But aren’t you also a Division Master of Moru Heavenly Court?” Fang Zhiqian looked at Lan Xiaobu, puzzled.
Lan Xiaobu smiled, “I’m not. Because once we destroy True Yan Sacred Dao, a Dao Ancestor will definitely step in and investigate. They’ll find I’m not any Division Master of Moru Heavenly Court, so my destruction of True Yan Sacred Dao is a personal vendetta, unrelated to any Heavenly Court. Let’s go, lingering here and chattering is just a waste of time.”
After giving instructions to Qi Manwei and the others, Lan Xiaobu opened the room’s restrictions. The first person he saw was Shi Wanrong.
Seeing Shi Wanrong looking weary with worry in her eyes, Lan Xiaobu asked, puzzled, “Fairy Wanrong, is something troubling you?”
He wondered how Shi Wanrong, whose father was Shi Changxing, could have any worries in a place like this.
Shi Wanrong urgently said, “Big Brother Lan, I know you’re very capable. Please, save my father.”
Lan Xiaobu frowned immediately. Save Shi Changxing? Shi Changxing was a figure akin to a Dao Ancestor, what qualifications did he have to save him? And what could endanger someone like Shi Changxing?
“Wait, Fairy Wanrong, take it slow, don’t rush,” Lan Xiaobu invited Shi Wanrong into the room, had her sit down, and gestured for her to explain calmly.
Shi Wanrong steadied herself and said, “My father was delighted when he saw you kill Xie Chuanqi and planned to meet you to offer his help…”
“Dao Master Shi wanted to help me?” Lan Xiaobu looked at Shi Wanrong in surprise. Was this a mistake? He was staying in Jinluo Tower, who would dare provoke him now? A Dao Ancestor? If a Dao Ancestor came for him, even Shi Changxing wouldn’t be able to help.
Shi Wanrong continued, “My father didn’t think highly of you before, so after helping you break into Chong Jiu’s cave residence, he didn’t want much contact with you. But after seeing you kill Chen Huangzi, he thought he should connect with you more. I know what he meant, he’s worried that I’ll be alone in the Great Universe without friends to help me. He believes you’ll definitely become one of the Great Universe’s top powerhouses. Though you have more enemies, your friends are also growing in number.”
Lan Xiaobu didn’t care much for Shi Wanrong’s words. To be honest, he had needed Shi Changxing’s help before, but after stepping into the Sixth Step of the Great Dao, whether Shi Changxing helped him or not wasn’t that important. Even a Seventh Step cultivator couldn’t just kill him at will.
Shi Changxing, in his view, was someone who prioritised his own interests above all else, not someone worth befriending. Shi Wanrong, however, was quite loyal. Lan Xiaobu even suspected that if it weren’t for Shi Wanrong, Shi Changxing might not have gone with him to find Chong Jiu last time.
He believed Shi Wanrong’s words, though. Why would someone of Shi Changxing’s calibre bother befriending a mere Sixth Step cultivator like him? It was truly a case of a parent’s heart, whether mortal or saint.
“Though my father didn’t see you kill Chen Huangzi, he witnessed you slay Xie Chuanqi this time, so he’s even more optimistic about you. But he told me that the real trouble for you is coming,” Shi Wanrong continued.
“My real trouble?” Lan Xiaobu asked, confused.
Shi Wanrong explained, “The Broken Ruins Sacred Dao is not comparable to True Yan Sacred Dao. Their second Dao Master, Wang Congjing, is at the peak of the Seventh Step, almost half a step into the Eighth. He hasn’t appeared in years because he’s been seeking the Eighth Step’s opportunity in the Great Universe’s chaos forbidden zone…”
Lan Xiaobu knew well that the Great Universe’s chaos forbidden zone was a place no one had ever ventured into. The Great Universe was vast beyond measure, and the Ten Directions World, though immense, was less than a ten-thousandth of it, perhaps even a hundred-thousandth or millionth, as no one knew the true extent of the Great Universe, only estimating such figures.
Much of the unexplored regions were chaotic, and some were forbidden zones even Dao Ancestors couldn’t enter.
“As for the Broken Ruins Sacred Dao’s main Dao Master, Lei Yunhan, his strength is second only to a Dao Ancestor. Now that you’ve killed Xie Chuanqi, Lei Yunhan will surely come looking for trouble. My father was about to help you deal with Lei Yunhan, but someone got to him first…”
Lan Xiaobu had heard of Lei Yunhan, whose strength likely surpassed the Seventh Step. But who could confront Shi Changxing? A Dao Ancestor?
“Who dares to confront your father? Are they not afraid of death?” Lan Xiaobu blurted out.
“It’s Qizhou Tian, the Dao Ancestor of the Qizhou Tian World. My father told me that if he doesn’t return in seven days, I shouldn’t go back to the Qizhou Tian World and should head to the Moru World instead. Though he didn’t say it outright, I know he wants me to seek your help,” Shi Wanrong said, her tone filled with worry.
Lan Xiaobu knew of Qizhou Tian, the Dao Ancestor of the Qizhou Tian World, whose relationship with Shi Changxing was complex and entangled.
Qizhou Tian’s most powerful technique was the Qizhou Heaven-Opening Art, yet it was Shi Changxing who cultivated it, not Qizhou Tian. The Qizhou Tian World’s greatest treasure, the Qizhou Tian Star, was also in Shi Changxing’s possession.
In Qizhou Tian, a popular saying went, “Changxing’s path is long and slow, Qizhou breaks the heavenly robe.”
Qizhou refers to the Qizhou Tian Star, and the heavenly robe is the Qizhou Tian Mourning, a long spear and heaven-opening treasure currently in Qizhou Tian’s hands. The saying implies that Shi Changxing’s Qizhou Tian Star could counter the Dao Ancestor’s Qizhou Tian Mourning. Any Dao Ancestor with someone like Shi Changxing in their universe would likely feel uneasy.
