Two clear path principles suddenly burst forth from the depths of the Kusheng Chaos Zone, tearing through the chaotic region, allowing the scenery outside to be seen clearly.
Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji simultaneously broke their barriers, their bodies surrounded by flowing path rhymes, the aura of the seventh step of the Great Path swirling around them.
“Congratulations on both stepping into the seventh step,” Qi Manwei’s voice came. She stood above the Chaos Rule Pulp pool, with Taichuan by her side.
Clearly, she and Taichuan had stopped cultivating long ago and had been waiting here for Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji.
“Haha, thank you. Xiaobu, we can head to Anluo Heavenly City now,” Mo Wuji laughed heartily. Having reached the seventh step, he felt confident he could hold his own against Qizhoutian.
“Let’s go, let’s meet that Dilan. That pretty boy’s no good,” Lan Xiaobu said, brimming with confidence.
Originally, he’d planned to take down Fanhe Heavenly Court’s Heavenly Emperor Yan with one punch, but he’d been forced to reason with him. Now, he shouldn’t need to bow to a Path Ancestor’s face and hypocritically play at reasoning, right?
If he hadn’t fought a Path Ancestor before, Lan Xiaobu might not know his own strength, but having clashed with one, though his foundation might not match a Path Ancestor’s, his combat strength was definitely not inferior to Qizhoutian’s. When he fought Wang Congjing, he’d already sensed what made the eighth step so formidable.
It was the degree of control over one’s own path under another’s path domain, as well as mastery over all rules in the surrounding space.
Sometimes, it’s that simple. Facing the eighth step, if you can’t even control the space, how can you fight back? But now, a Path Ancestor could no longer lock their path space. Since their space couldn’t be locked, they could strike back.
“Junior Sister Qi, congratulations on reaching the seventh step too,” Mo Wuji had already noticed that Qi Manwei had also stepped into the seventh step.
Lan Xiaobu said with delight, “I thought your progress was too fast, and since it’s not your own path, you wouldn’t break into the seventh step so soon. I didn’t expect you to actually make it.”
“A chaotic path body cultivating in chaos, with supreme path veins and Chaos Rule Pulp, will definitely progress faster than us. As for whether it’s one’s own path, it makes no difference here. In fact, cultivators without their own path might advance even more easily here,” Mo Wuji explained.
In Mo Wuji’s view, a chaotic path body with such rich cultivation resources failing to advance within ten thousand years would indicate a serious flaw in their path.
“Great, that’s fantastic,” Lan Xiaobu was thrilled. Qi Manwei cultivated a spatial path, specifically one rooted in his Longevity Path. Having reached the seventh step, her combat strength would surely surpass that of an ordinary seventh-step cultivator.
“Master Bu, there’s me too! I’ve advanced as well,” Taichuan hurriedly said, realizing it had been overlooked as if it were invisible.
Lan Xiaobu indeed noticed that Taichuan had become a sixth-step chaotic sacred beast. Time had been short; with enough time in this environment, Taichuan might even have a chance to become a seventh-step sacred beast.
“Taichuan, have you developed your own divine ability?” Lan Xiaobu, who had bought many jade slips when he first arrived in the Great Universe, knew that sacred beasts reaching the sixth step were rare, but once they did, they naturally formed their own path divine abilities.
Taichuan said proudly, “My divine ability is the Chaos Domain.”
As it spoke, Taichuan’s path rhymes surged, its sacred beast domain expanding. Instantly, Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji felt as if they were back in chaos—space blurred, rules faded, and even their own path principles began to dissolve.
Lan Xiaobu waved his hand, surprised that it didn’t directly tear apart the Chaos Domain, only fragmenting it. It took a full breath for the domain to dissipate completely.
Mo Wuji, watching from the side, was delighted, “This divine ability is impressive.”
A single breath at the eighth step gave either Lan Xiaobu or Mo Wuji enough time to kill or severely injure an opponent.
Could someone who’d stepped into the seventh step be weak? Plus, this chaotic unicorn was Lan Xiaobu’s beast companion.
So, Lan Xiaobu could shatter the chaotic unicorn’s Chaos Domain with a wave, but for another seventh-step cultivator to do the same? That was a pipe dream.
As they were still talking, a figure suddenly dove from the void, rushing straight toward the Chaos Rule Pulp pool.
Clearly, when Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji broke into the seventh step, their seventh-step principles had torn open the Kusheng Chaos Zone, leaking the Chaos Rule Pulp’s aura. This figure must have sensed it and rushed to seize it.
Lan Xiaobu didn’t even move, simply throwing a punch.
The red-robed man charging down immediately felt himself locked by a terrifying path domain, unable to move as the aura of death swept over him. He cried out desperately, “I’m Zhan Ting, the First Sage of Fanhe World. Fellow Daoist, spare me…”
*Splatter!* Blood exploded. Zhan Ting only had time to state his identity before Lan Xiaobu’s punch shattered his body. Without even needing to tear it open, Lan Xiaobu accessed Zhan Ting’s world. With a wave, he swept away everything inside.
“You…” Zhan Ting’s remaining wisp of primordial spirit cried out in disbelief and terror.
Lan Xiaobu waved again, and a ball of flame engulfed Zhan Ting. “I’ll even kill Fanhe World’s Heavenly Emperor Yan later. If that so-called Path Ancestor dares to act, I’ll kill them too. A mere sage not even at the seventh step dares to come here to steal? Truly overestimating yourself.”
Zhan Ting suddenly realized who this was—definitely Lan Xiaobu—but his consciousness was extinguished.
Qi Manwei watched in shock as Lan Xiaobu casually struck. Zhan Ting’s strength was nearly at the seventh step. She could easily kill him too, but not with the effortless crushing ease Lan Xiaobu displayed.
Then she realized Mo Wuji’s strength was no less than Lan Xiaobu’s. With her and Taichuan, their current power meant they’d have no issues entering Anluo Heavenly City.
“There’s about a tenth of the Chaos Rule Pulp left here. Xiaobu, you take it,” Mo Wuji pointed at the pool.
“I’ve already reached the seventh step and don’t need it for now,” Lan Xiaobu said, knowing the value of this resource. Mo Wuji had already been generous enough to share it for their cultivation; taking the rest would be too much.
Mo Wuji laughed, “There was originally a whole pool here. I took half before I started cultivating, so I’ve got plenty of this stuff.”
Hearing this, Lan Xiaobu didn’t hesitate. With a wave, he collected all the remaining Chaos Rule Pulp in the pool.
Ten days later, Lan Xiaobu guided the Seven Realms Stone to land outside Anluo Heavenly City.
As Lan Xiaobu, Mo Wuji, Qi Manwei, and Taichuan stepped off the Seven Realms Stone, Lan Xiaobu suddenly called out, “Friend Qizhoutian, long time no see.”
Lan Xiaobu hadn’t expected to encounter Qizhoutian before even entering Anluo Heavenly City.
Qizhoutian was equally surprised to run into Lan Xiaobu here. But then he saw Mo Wuji beside him, and his initial surprise turned to delight. He stepped forward, reaching to grab Mo Wuji, his eighth-step sage domain overwhelmingly locking onto him.
He could estimate how much Chaos Rule Pulp Mo Wuji had. Having met him now, how could he let Mo Wuji slip away?
Mo Wuji snorted coldly and threw a punch.
*Crack!* Qizhoutian watched in shock as his sage domain was easily torn apart. A terrifying wave of path principle force swept toward him.
*Boom! Crack!* Qizhoutian felt his grasping principles shatter, and an overwhelmingly powerful backlash snapped his hand bones.
“You’ve reached the seventh step?” Qizhoutian finally snapped out of his fixation on the Chaos Rule Pulp. If Mo Wuji hadn’t reached the seventh step, he couldn’t possibly have blocked that grab, especially since Qizhoutian was fully healed and at his peak.
“What do you think? With your level of skill, you dare try to steal my things? Believe it or not, I’ll make Qizhoutian’s Path Ancestor find a replacement,” Mo Wuji said with a mocking smirk.
Qizhoutian muttered, “I knew it.” When he was gravely injured, he’d fought Mo Wuji, who was only at the sixth step then, yet he’d had a premonition. If Mo Wuji reached the seventh step, his strength might not be inferior. That exchange just proved he wasn’t wrong.
Though he hadn’t used his full strength or his trump cards, it was clear Mo Wuji hadn’t either—not even bringing out that great halberd.
“Qizhoutian, that’s not very honorable. Back then, I helped you out by killing Wang Congjing. Not only do you not thank me, but you attack my friend the moment you show up. What’s that about?” Lan Xiaobu said, displeased.
“You’re at the seventh step too?” Qizhoutian realized, looking at Lan Xiaobu, that he had also reached the seventh step. Recalling that Lan Xiaobu had killed Wang Congjing, he could imagine Lan Xiaobu was no less formidable than himself.
These were the two most impressive juniors he’d encountered on this trip, and they were friends. The thought of two figures rivaling Path Ancestors standing before him sent a shiver down Qizhoutian’s spine. If they teamed up, the Great Universe was about to change.
