Lan Xiaobu smiled at Qizhoutian without speaking. He had a decent impression of Qizhoutian, finding him more straightforward than Shi Changxing. If he had to choose between Qizhoutian and Shi Changxing as a friend, he’d pick Qizhoutian, who seemed far less scheming.
Qizhoutian took a deep breath. He knew that, let alone facing both Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji, he couldn’t handle even one of them. The Great Universe appeared calm on the surface but was turbulent beneath, and no one knew if the next moment would still see the Ten Great Worlds with Path Ancestors reigning supreme.
This very premonition drove him to want to eliminate Shi Changxing to reclaim the Qizhou Kaitian Technique and Qizhou Heavenly Star, to boost his strength and secure more influence for Qizhou World. Unfortunately, Shi Changxing’s strength was no less than his, and he was hard to outwit, meaning Qizhoutian’s plan to take him down had already failed.
In the Great Universe’s shifting chaos, forming alliances with reliable people was the way forward. The Poxu Sacred Path would have been a good choice, with its Path Master Lei Yunhan, though not a Path Ancestor, being at the eighth step and no weaker than himself. But having teamed up with Lan Xiaobu to kill Poxu’s second Path Master, Wang Congjing, not only was an alliance impossible, but he’d gained an enemy.
Realizing this, Qizhoutian clasped his fists, softening his tone, “I didn’t know this fellow Daoist was a friend of Daoist Lan. For this, I, Qizhoutian, offer my apologies. I’ve always thought highly of Daoist Lan and hope we can become friends.”
Back then, Lan Xiaobu was a junior in his eyes, but now, he could no longer treat him as such.
Taichuan scoffed, “You clearly saw Mo Ye standing next to Bu Ye, so they’re obviously friends, yet you still attacked. Probably for that… what was it? Right, Chaos Rule Pulp.”
Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji hadn’t hidden their conversation from Taichuan, so it overheard everything and had cultivated with the Chaos Rule Pulp itself.
“Taichuan, if you can’t speak properly, don’t speak at all. In Xiaobu’s words, ‘life’s tough, don’t expose it.’ Your EQ is too low,” Qi Manwei chided.
Lan Xiaobu gave Qi Manwei a speechless glance. ‘Life’s tough, don’t expose it’ was true, but did she have to say it to his face? He quickly realized, though, that Qi Manwei did it on purpose.
Qi Manwei knew she shouldn’t say those words outright but was annoyed that Qizhoutian attacked Mo Wuji on sight. Knowing Mo was Lan’s friend and still acting, then claiming ignorance afterward, was shameless.
Qizhoutian acted as if he hadn’t heard Taichuan or Qi Manwei, staring at Taichuan in surprise, “You’re a sixth-step sacred beast?”
Taichuan grinned proudly, “Of course, a chaotic sacred beast, no less. Lucky you didn’t keep fighting earlier, or I’d have locked you down already.”
Having gained the Chaos Domain, Taichuan was eager to test it against an eighth-step powerhouse, but Qizhoutian had stopped.
“Daoist Lan, the Great Universe is changing rapidly. Not just Path Ancestors, but even some Heavenly Emperors are uneasy. I’ve been looking to team up with others. Though you and your friend aren’t at the eighth step, you’re definitely not weaker than it. How about we join forces?” Qizhoutian proposed directly.
Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji exchanged a glance. Seeing Mo Wuji nod, Lan Xiaobu laughed, “Path Ancestor, your words align with my thoughts. This is my friend Mo Wuji, my partner Qi Manwei, and my sacred beast Taichuan.”
“Greetings, Path Ancestor Qizhoutian,” Mo Wuji clasped his fists in salute.
A Path Ancestor seeking an alliance deserved respect. Though he and Lan Xiaobu didn’t fear Path Ancestors, many would attend the Longevity Conference. Teaming up with Qizhoutian was naturally welcome.
Hearing Lan Xiaobu call her his partner, Qi Manwei’s eyes sparkled with joy. She clasped her fists, “Qi Manwei greets the Path Ancestor.”
Having reached the seventh step, Qizhoutian couldn’t tell Qi Manwei had a chaotic path body, but as Lan Xiaobu’s partner, he didn’t dare act superior and quickly returned the salute to both Mo Wuji and Qi Manwei.
“Friend Qizhoutian, I’m somewhat acquainted with Shi Changxing. Why are you after him?” Now allied with Qizhoutian, Lan Xiaobu spoke openly. In his mind, if Shi Changxing joined them, no one at the Longevity Conference would dare make a move.
Qizhoutian sighed, “The grudge between me and Shi Changxing is known across the Great Universe—it’s over the Qizhou Kaitian Technique and Qizhou Heavenly Star. When we found the technique, we agreed to each study it first. But Shi Changxing used trickery, snatching it before finishing, and I’ve always wanted to take it back.”
“Then you’re not cultivating the Qizhou Kaitian Technique. Why do you still want it?” Lan Xiaobu was certain Qizhoutian wasn’t using it.
Qizhoutian shook his head, “My technique, though not the Qizhou Kaitian Technique, derives from it, and I created a new path technique. But at the eighth step, I’ve hit a bottleneck. I have a feeling that without reclaiming the Qizhou Kaitian Technique, I can’t progress. Besides, as Qizhou’s Path Ancestor, cultivating a technique not from Qizhou’s origin is laughable.”
Mo Wuji, listening quietly, chuckled, “Friend Qizhoutian, you’re actually quite lucky, at least in my view, luckier than Shi Changxing.”
Qizhoutian looked at Mo Wuji, puzzled. Losing the Qizhou Kaitian Technique and Heavenly Star, yet being Qizhou’s Path Ancestor, was already a joke. Luck? He didn’t see it.
Mo Wuji continued, “Xiaobu and I are at the seventh step, while you, a Path Ancestor, are at the eighth, right? To be blunt, you, an eighth-step Path Ancestor, likely couldn’t gain an edge over either of us alone. Even with all your tricks, it’d be a draw at best. Believe it?”
Qizhoutian nodded, “I do. You and Daoist Lan cultivate your own paths. Self-created paths are easy early on but get harder, even to reach sagehood. Yet their strength is unmatched, crushing peers…”
As he spoke, Qizhoutian seemed to grasp why Mo Wuji called him lucky, and it wasn’t mockery.
Mo Wuji went on, “You’ve moved beyond the Qizhou Kaitian Technique, creating your own path technique from it. I can imagine, if you continue, your technique will keep improving, possibly even becoming a self-created path. But Shi Changxing, cultivating the Qizhou Kaitian Technique, can never evolve it into his own path. So, if you fully develop your own path, not just Shi Changxing, but even the mightiest Path Ancestors might not faze you, right?”
Exactly! Mo Wuji’s words struck Qizhoutian like a thunderbolt. Why hadn’t he thought of a self-created path? If he could forge his own, what was Shi Changxing? Even Dilan wouldn’t matter.
Why were Mo Wuji and Lan Xiaobu so formidable? Because they had self-created paths. But such paths were incredibly difficult, especially since his own derived from the Qizhou Kaitian Technique.
He hadn’t considered it because he cultivated a derivative of the Qizhou Kaitian Technique. Subconsciously, he believed he needed the true technique to advance, never thinking to abandon it entirely and forge his own path—both difficult and nearly impossible.
But Mo Wuji’s words woke him. Even if he reclaimed the Qizhou Kaitian Technique, he’d only match other Path Ancestors, not surpass his current self. So why bother?
Mo Wuji added, “I’ve heard of a path fruit called the Cosmic Path Fruit. If you obtained it, plus Chaos Rule Pulp, and secluded yourself, you might break through to cultivate a self-created path. Of course, that’s incredibly hard at your level, but there’s still a sliver of hope. If you seize that hope, your path would surely outshine the Qizhou Kaitian Technique, no?”
Qizhoutian wasn’t foolish. With Mo Wuji spelling it out, if he didn’t get it, he wouldn’t deserve to be a Path Ancestor. Cultivating the true Qizhou Kaitian Technique might improve him slightly, but not much. Forging his own path would be a transformative leap.
The Cosmic Path Fruit, though legendary, wasn’t unattainable. And who had the most Chaos Rule Pulp? Mo Wuji, right in front of him. Though their bond wasn’t deep, Qizhoutian knew Mo Wuji and Lan Xiaobu weren’t the type to scheme maliciously, even if they didn’t like losing out. Mo Wuji’s words implied that if Qizhoutian proved his worth as an ally, some Chaos Rule Pulp might come his way.
Understanding this, Qizhoutian clasped his fists, “Thank you, Daoist Mo, for the insight. I’ll stop chasing the Qizhou Kaitian Technique. But when I work toward my own path, I’ll need both your help.”
Lan Xiaobu was thrilled, “No problem. Let’s head to Anluo Heavenly City, settle in, and talk more.”
Qizhoutian cautioned, “Right now, in Anluo Heavenly City, Dilan is likely waiting for you two. He craves the Chaos Rule Pulp even more than I do and has declared he won’t let you leave the city alive.”
Lan Xiaobu laughed, “He’d need the ability to back that up. Come on, I’m entering the city now. Let’s see what he can do to me.”
