Lan Xiaobu decided to tell the truth, “I didn’t obtain the Great Cosmos Technique by killing Qu Peng. In fact, where I got it has nothing to do with where Qu Peng was in seclusion.”
His implication was clear to everyone, since the Great Cosmos Technique wasn’t taken from Qu Peng, it naturally didn’t belong to Rong Qianyun.
Hearing this, Pei Qionghu’s expression darkened. Truth be told, he valued Lan Xiaobu and had helped him many times, but Lan Xiaobu’s words showed little regard for their friendship.
Before Pei Qionghu could respond, Lan Xiaobu continued, “Where the Great Cosmos Technique came from doesn’t matter. I wouldn’t hesitate to give it to Emperor Pei, let alone sell it. But when I obtained it, I resolved never to let such a dao technique leak out.”
“Heh, it’s just that the Great Cosmos Technique is too powerful, so you want to keep it for your own cultivation,” Tian, the Fanhe Heavenly Emperor, sneered mockingly.
Lan Xiaobu ignored him, looking earnestly at Pei Qionghu, “Emperor Pei, I believe the Great Cosmos Technique is harmful to the heavens. This dao technique casually destroys planets, universes, even vast expanses… I killed Qu Peng because he cultivated it and his methods were too ruthless. He’d destroy clusters of low-level plane universes, bringing endless calamity to them.”
There was one thing Lan Xiaobu didn’t say, that if he grew strong enough, he’d eliminate anyone he saw cultivating the Great Cosmos Technique.
Creation techniques have no good or evil, the Great Cosmos Technique exists solely for extreme dao arts. To the vast cosmos, all things can be annihilated. That’s why there are terrifying destructive dao techniques like the Great Destruction Technique, Great Curse Technique, and Great Cosmos Technique.
The heavens aren’t benevolent, treating all things as straw dogs, perhaps not out of cruelty, but because the heavens never saw anything wrong with it. “The heavens as a furnace, creation as the craftsman; yin and yang as charcoal, all things as copper.” This is the true depiction of life in the vast cosmos. Though Lan Xiaobu hadn’t seen a world-ending calamity leaving a universe’s people homeless and awaiting death, he had witnessed the fragility and insignificance of life under a calamity.
The heavens lack good or evil, but those cultivating dao techniques have it. At least Lan Xiaobu felt that countless cultivators would kill anything blocking their path to the dao, caring little for the destruction of a universe or planet. He wasn’t certain who the Great Cosmos Technique might end up with if given to Pei Qionghu, so it was safest in his hands.
“So, you really killed Peng’er,” Zang Qionghua’s eyes blazed with fury, her hands trembling.
Pei Qionghu sighed, clasped his fists to Lan Xiaobu, and said no more. No one knew what he thought, but as he stepped back, Lan Xiaobu knew Pei Qionghu wouldn’t intervene today.
Lan Xiaobu sighed inwardly, he spoke the truth, and whatever Pei Qionghu thought, he was helpless.
Tian, brimming with killing intent toward Lan Xiaobu, turned to Qu Beige, “Lord Qu, if I’m not mistaken, your main goal is the Great Cosmos Technique on Lan Xiaobu, oh, and the Cosmos Mill. How about we join forces? I don’t need anything from him, I just want him dead.”
Qu Beige said calmly, “Fine.”
With that word, his killing intent locked onto Lan Xiaobu. He knew Lan Xiaobu was at most Sixth Step, and no matter how strong, as long as Tian could keep Fang Zhiqian occupied, he was confident he could kill Lan Xiaobu quickly.
Lan Xiaobu looked at Qu Beige, speechless, “I finally understand why you were cuckolded, you truly deserve it.” A man whose woman cheated on him, teaming up with the one who cuckolded him, truly deserved it.
Qu Beige said lightly, “You mean my woman was taken by someone else, and I’m still teaming up with them? If you think that, you’re wrong. Women are nothing, go to the mortal world, you can buy one with money.”
Lan Xiaobu deliberately raised his voice, “Are you saying you paid to sleep with the Burial Dao Sect’s lord?”
“Haha!” Qu Beige laughed, “She’s not even a bitch in my eyes, how could she be my woman? And I’m not a pig to spend money on such a thing.”
“Tch, you’re a Seventh Step powerhouse…” Lan Xiaobu’s words were cut off as Zang Qionghua roared and lunged at him, “I’ll tear you apart…”
But as she reached him, Lan Xiaobu kicked out. At that moment, Zang Qionghua felt her entire world freeze, everything slowing down.
Her heart turned ice-cold, she knew she wasn’t Lan Xiaobu’s match, but never imagined the gap was so vast. Both at the Sixth Step, she couldn’t even touch his sleeve.
Humiliated by Lan Xiaobu and Qu Beige, if Zang Qionghua remained unmoved, she couldn’t continue as sect lord, or even show her face in the Central World.
But Qu Beige was Seventh Step, she didn’t dare touch him. So she chose Lan Xiaobu, certain that if she attacked, Tian would step in. Lan Xiaobu was Sixth Step, Tian could act before she suffered.
She miscalculated, not because Tian wouldn’t act, but because the gap between her and Lan Xiaobu was too great, Tian had no chance to intervene.
“You dare!” Seeing Lan Xiaobu instantly lock onto Zang Qionghua and kick her, Tian was furious. As he unleashed his treasure, Lan Xiaobu’s kick landed on Zang Qionghua’s chest.
Zang Qionghua wasn’t just a Sixth Step cultivator, she was the Burial Dao Sect’s lord. Yet, in front of Lan Xiaobu, everyone saw she had no ability to resist, not on the same level.
“Crack!” The clear sound of breaking bones rang out, but everyone knew that wasn’t the point. They felt Zang Qionghua’s dao collapsing under Lan Xiaobu’s kick. As blood mist enveloped her and she flew backward, everyone knew she was finished.
“Thud!” Zang Qionghua crashed to the ground, blood seeping from her mouth. She looked merely injured, but everyone saw clearly, Lan Xiaobu’s kick had shattered her dao foundation. Ruthless, that was everyone’s impression of him.
After Zang Qionghua was crippled, Tian calmed down. To him, she was just a tool. He didn’t handle things he disliked or couldn’t do himself, the Burial Dao Sect did. Now, with Zang Qionghua crippled and his son Qu Peng killed, the sect had lost its value. As for Zang Wuhua, a mere Fifth Step, what could she do?
“Very well, let me test Lord Lan’s dao techniques,” Tian said calmly, stepping toward Lan Xiaobu with his Wanfan Hammer.
Qu Beige laughed, “Tian, we agreed, Lan Xiaobu is mine, you deal with Fang Zhiqian.” He stepped in front of Lan Xiaobu, unleashing, to Lan Xiaobu’s surprise, a Cosmos Mill.
Lan Xiaobu’s heart jolted, then he realised it was a replica. He was speechless, knowing the real Cosmos Mill was with him, yet this man dared use a fake against him.
“Fine, he’s yours,” Tian stepped aside.
Lan Xiaobu looked at Fang Zhiqian, about to step up, “Old Fang, you don’t need to join. If he dares make it two against one, don’t hold back.”
“Don’t worry, Master Bu,” Fang Zhiqian trusted Lan Xiaobu completely. He had killed Wang Congjing, an Eighth Step. If Qu Beige knew, would he still dare act?
“Brother Xiaobu, step aside, let me handle this,” Ce Ku Huiyi, just arriving, called out.
“Are you all treating my Jinluo Tower as a fighting arena? Let me be clear, fight if you must, but you’ll pay for damages this time,” Che Zizi said, genuinely angry.
A Seventh Step himself, they’d destroyed his Jinluo Tower once, and now a second time? That was too much. Ku Yichi spoke up, “Lord Che, since we can’t stop their fight, I’ll be your witness today. Whoever damages Jinluo Tower must pay, you set the price.”
“Good, with the Emperor’s word, I’m at ease, or my small territory can’t withstand your chaos,” Che Zizi nodded. Ku Yichi turned to Ce Ku Huiyi, “Emperor Ce Ku, this is a duel between Lord Lan and Lord Qu, we shouldn’t interfere.”
Lan Xiaobu looked at Fang Zhiqian, about to step up, “Old Fang, you don’t need to join. If he dares make it two against one, don’t hold back.”
“Don’t worry, Master Bu,” Fang Zhiqian trusted Lan Xiaobu completely. He had killed Wang Congjing, an Eighth Step. If Qu Beige knew, would he still dare act?
“Brother Xiaobu, step aside, let me handle this,” Ce Ku Huiyi, just arriving, called out.
“Are you all treating my Jinluo Tower as a fighting arena? Let me be clear, fight if you must, but you’ll pay for damages this time,” Che Zizi said, genuinely angry.
A Seventh Step himself, they’d destroyed his Jinluo Tower once, and now a second time? That was too much. Ku Yichi spoke up, “Lord Che, since we can’t stop their fight, I’ll be your witness today. Whoever damages Jinluo Tower must pay, you set the price.”
“Good, with the Emperor’s word, I’m at ease, or my small territory can’t withstand your chaos,” Che Zizi nodded. Ku Yichi turned to Ce Ku Huiyi, “Emperor Ce Ku, this is a duel between Lord Lan and Lord Qu, we shouldn’t interfere.”
Ku Yichi had intended to stop this battle, but he soon realised he couldn’t. Neither Lan Xiaobu, Tian, nor Qu Beige would listen. Now that Qu Beige was duelling Lan Xiaobu, it was surely a fight to the death. No matter how strong Lan Xiaobu was, he was only Sixth Step. If Qu Beige could kill him, that would be ideal.
Even if he couldn’t, as long as Lan Xiaobu was gravely injured, Ku Yichi was confident he could finish him off. Given Pei Qionghu’s stance, he wouldn’t intervene for Lan Xiaobu, and their side’s strength already suppressed Moru Heavenly Court.
