Boom! Severely injured, Qi Zhe Tian barely blocked Wang Congjing’s punch, spitting out a stream of blood on the spot.
Wang Congjing’s killing dao momentum faltered, and he could only watch as Lan Xiaobu’s halberd came crashing down, the terrifying aura of reincarnation dao rules making his heart tremble.
Before being swept into reincarnation by these dao rules, Wang Congjing seemed to glimpse his three lives. Past, present, and future flashed through a cycle in an instant.
One breath, one reincarnation, one halberd crossing three lives!
Crack! In that fleeting moment of reincarnation, Lan Xiaobu’s Longevity Halberd split Wang Congjing’s brow.
A wave of despair surged in Wang Congjing’s heart. He could clearly feel his dao beginning to shatter, his past life collapsing, his present life disintegrating on the Reincarnation Bridge, and his future growing ever fainter…
No! How much had he sacrificed to reach the Eighth Step of the Great Dao? He couldn’t die so inexplicably, he had to live. Wang Congjing’s vitality and dao burned fiercely in this obsession, his Eighth Step’s overwhelming will to survive somehow breaking through Lan Xiaobu’s reincarnation dao rules, allowing a wisp of his lingering soul to escape, unnoticed even by Lan Xiaobu.
Lan Xiaobu reached for the Reincarnation Bridge, expecting to seize Wang Congjing’s world, which would surely be immensely valuable. To his shock, he grasped nothing.
His consciousness scanned the Reincarnation Bridge. Wang Congjing’s body was destroyed, his primordial spirit sent plummeting into the bridge, his three lives extinguished, yet his faint remnant soul had vanished.
Lan Xiaobu realised his carelessness had let Wang Congjing escape. It was because his reincarnation dao rules hadn’t locked down Wang Congjing’s intense will to survive. An Eighth Step cultivator, burning all vitality and dao, did have a chance to slip away. It came down to his own cultivation being too low.
This was the first time someone had escaped after being drawn into his Reincarnation Bridge. Though Lan Xiaobu knew Wang Congjing would likely never reach the Eighth Step again, or even the Seventh, he was still displeased. He also realised his Reincarnation Bridge still lacked the finesse to crush true dao powerhouses. The Six Paths Reincarnation divine ability needed further refinement.
Qi Zhe Tian, forgetting to wipe the blood from his lips, stood in disbelief. Had the great cosmos changed so drastically while he was in seclusion? Were these juniors so formidable now? These youngsters, clearly not even at the Seventh Step, were either challenging Dao Ancestors or slaying Eighth Step powerhouses?
And why were there suddenly so many Eighth Step cultivators? That someone like Wang Congjing could reach the Eighth Step was one thing, but there was also someone nearby nearly at that level.
“Master Bu, brilliantly done, what a kill!” Fang Zhiqian exclaimed with joy. Seeing Lan Xiaobu take down Wang Congjing, how could he be merely happy?
If Wang Congjing had escaped today, Fang Zhiqian’s days would have been grim.
“Wang Congjing likely escaped, but even so, he’s just clinging to life. Well done, young man. And thank you, if not for you and Fellow Fang, I’d have had to retreat today,” Qi Zhe Tian said, unusually praising Lan Xiaobu and offering thanks.
Lan Xiaobu didn’t mind, stowing the Reincarnation Wooden Bridge and saying seriously, “This man was bold enough to attack a Dao Ancestor, so naturally, I had to step in and help at all costs.”
Qi Zhe Tian looked at Lan Xiaobu speechlessly. This kid was just like the one who swindled an ultimate dao vein from him. So respectful, stepping in at all costs? Apart from your fighting being impressive, why can’t I feel that respect in your attitude?
“Well, good job…” Knowing Lan Xiaobu was spouting nonsense, Qi Zhe Tian could only nod, his expression warm as he praised him again.
Lan Xiaobu immediately said, “It’s what I should do. Last time, Old Fang and I helped another Dao Ancestor. That Dao Ancestor was so generous, casually tossing me an ultimate dao vein.”
Qi Zhe Tian was momentarily speechless. He finally understood why Lan Xiaobu helped him, he had his eyes on the Chaos Rule Paste. But this young man did seem to have some sense of justice. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have helped him against Wang Congjing but joined Wang Congjing against him.
Of course, it was also possible it wasn’t justice. Perhaps he feared that killing a Dao Ancestor wouldn’t guarantee access to his world, and thus the Chaos Rule Paste. Helping him defeat Wang Congjing, with him being a Dao Ancestor, he wouldn’t be stingy.
If he truly had Chaos Rule Paste, Qi Zhe Tian wouldn’t mind giving two bottles to these two, but he didn’t have any.
“Here’s a dao vein as a reward,” Qi Zhe Tian said, tossing a ring to Lan Xiaobu before vanishing in a flash.
Lan Xiaobu caught the ring, seeing an ultimate dao vein inside, and chuckled, “This Dao Ancestor is a bit stingy, preferring to give me an ultimate dao vein over some Chaos Rule Paste. I forgot to ask where he got it.”
There was one more thing Lan Xiaobu wanted to ask Qi Zhe Tian, about Shi Changxing’s fate. But Qi Zhe Tian left too quickly, giving him no chance.
Fang Zhiqian grinned, “Master Bu is mighty, saying he’d kill an Eighth Step and doing it.”
Lan Xiaobu stowed the ultimate dao vein and said lightly, “Didn’t you hear the Dao Ancestor? We didn’t kill Wang Congjing, he escaped.”
“Heh, so what if he escaped? He’ll never reach the Seventh Step again, let alone the Eighth,” Fang Zhiqian smirked.
Then, as if recalling something, Fang Zhiqian added, “Master Bu, should we still go to True Derivation Holy Dao?”
Taking down Wang Congjing seemed to have inflated Fang Zhiqian’s confidence.
Lan Xiaobu glanced casually at a patch of wild grass in the distance and said, “Fu Chong was right, my grudge is with Guan Chong, not True Derivation Holy Dao. I won’t attack their protective array, but if they block my revenge, they can’t blame me for being ruthless. Let’s head back for now.”
As Lan Xiaobu and Fang Zhiqian left, a figure suddenly appeared above the grass Lan Xiaobu had glanced at. He watched Lan Xiaobu’s retreating figure but didn’t pursue. He had come to hunt Lan Xiaobu and Fang Zhiqian, but now he didn’t dare.
Lan Xiaobu’s strength seemed even more terrifying than Fang Zhiqian’s Seventh Step. He was certain he couldn’t kill Lan Xiaobu if he chased. And for a powerhouse like Lan Xiaobu, reaching the Seventh Step was a certainty. If he failed to kill him, the feud between True Derivation Holy Dao and Lan Xiaobu wouldn’t be limited to Guan Chong.
By not acting now, there was still room to manoeuvre, as he wasn’t aligned with the four holy lords. If he acted, they’d have every reason to destroy True Derivation Holy Dao.
…
“Master Bu, did you notice something?” Fang Zhiqian asked after they left, not because he sensed anything, but because he wasn’t blind to cues.
Lan Xiaobu sneered, “Besides you, everyone noticed someone was there, lurking not far from us.”
Fang Zhiqian felt like he’d taken a critical hit. Four of them were fighting, and someone had sneaked to the edge of their battle, yet only he hadn’t noticed. Even Wang Congjing, whose body and soul were shattered by Lan Xiaobu, had noticed. Was his Seventh Step fake?
Sensing Fang Zhiqian’s shock, Lan Xiaobu patted him, “Don’t feel bad. Apart from me, whose cultivation is lower than yours, Qi Zhe Tian, Wang Congjing, and the lurker all have higher cultivation.”
“You mean the one who came was from True Derivation Holy Dao…” Fang Zhiqian snapped to attention, asking in shock.
Lan Xiaobu nodded, “No doubt about it, it was definitely Fu Chong from True Derivation Holy Dao. He came to hunt us. The rumours outside about him being gravely injured and hiding somewhere to heal, or even having fallen, are wrong. If you didn’t notice him, even if he hasn’t reached the Eighth Step, he’s got one foot in it.”
“Then why didn’t he act?” Fang Zhiqian was puzzled.
If Fu Chong was scared off by Lan Xiaobu killing Wang Congjing, Fang Zhiqian didn’t quite buy it. Lan Xiaobu’s kill relied heavily on Qi Zhe Tian pinning Wang Congjing down. With Qi Zhe Tian gone, Fu Chong shouldn’t fear him and Lan Xiaobu, right?
Lan Xiaobu chuckled, “You think without Qi Zhe Tian, he’d dare act? He doesn’t have the guts.
He was certain Fu Chong wouldn’t dare pursue. If Fu Chong did, Lan Xiaobu wouldn’t need to wait for the Seventh Step. He’d return to Anluo Sky City and invite Ce Ku Huiyi to act together. Fu Chong, as the lord of True Derivation Holy Dao, daring to hunt him? What’s wrong with him striking back?
