“Friend Mo, when Friend Gu Jin brought this woman here, he surely didn’t know she was your acquaintance. But this is the Eternal Life Conference, and you must understand how much the Chaos Dao Body means to countless cultivators. I, Lin Jie, guarantee that if you let this matter go, after the Chaos Dao principles are comprehended, I’ll ensure this woman’s safety. Moreover, I’ll take responsibility for resolving the grudge between you and Friend Quan for killing Gu Jin. I believe you’ll earn everyone’s gratitude,” Lin Jie, the Dao Ancestor of Fanhe World, unexpectedly spoke to Mo Wuji in a conciliatory tone.
To others, Lin Jie’s words didn’t seem unreasonable. In the eyes of Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji, however, they were utterly absurd, like nonsense.
To most cultivators, Zhuang Xiyue and Mo Wuji clearly weren’t close, perhaps just acquaintances who hadn’t seen each other in years. In such a situation, Mo Wuji risking his life to protect Zhuang Xiyue seemed unwise. What did cultivators pursue? Eternal life and freedom. A mere woman couldn’t sway a cultivator’s quest for those.
For the sake of the Eternal Life Conference, letting the Chaos Dao Body go was the sensible choice. Otherwise, if the crowd turned against him, who could predict the consequences?
Mo Wuji nodded, “Friend Lin, you’re quite right. By the way, does Friend Lin have a Dao companion, family, or parents?”
Lin Jie frowned slightly, and Fang Zhiqian interjected, “The Dao Ancestor of Fanhe World, Lin Jie, not only has a Dao companion but two, plus a daughter.”
Mo Wuji chuckled, eyeing Lin Jie up and down. “You’re half-buried in the ground and still have two Dao companions? Don’t they get lonely at night? I have a fine suggestion: why not bring your companions and daughter here, strip them bare, and let others comprehend their Dao principles?”
“Courting death!” Lin Jie’s eyes turned cold. With a flick of his hand, he grabbed a white bamboo segment, radiating waves of deadly rule aura even before it was activated.
Mo Wuji, already impatient with the banter, unleashed his Longevity Halberd, stirring a torrent of light that transformed the sky into a vast desert. Yellow sand swirled, tearing Lin Jie’s saintly domain with crackling sounds.
Though fed up with these opponents, Mo Wuji transmitted to Lan Xiaobu, “Xiaobu, I suspect the Cosmic Tree is about to appear. It’s a strange feeling. Don’t join the fight yet, and I won’t go all out either. When the Cosmic Tree emerges, besides seizing its fruits, we must ensure Di Lan doesn’t take the tree.”
Lan Xiaobu understood immediately and transmitted to Qize Tian and Chang Yi, “Attack me now, and make it real, or it’ll be too obvious.”
Qize Tian and Chang Yi summoned their treasures, their domains and killing Dao principles locking onto Lan Xiaobu, clearly ready to take him on fully.
Xing Jia also summoned his treasure, appearing to target Qize Tian and Chang Yi, but Lan Xiaobu knew he was planning to sneak attack him.
Lin Jie’s mind darkened; Mo Wuji’s desert divine ability affected him, and his saintly domain held no advantage against Mo Wuji’s.
Just as Lin Jie considered calling for help, and Quan prepared to assist, Di Lan suddenly declared, “Stop! The Cosmic Tree is about to appear.”
Di Lan was shocked. By all accounts, the Cosmic Tree should only emerge after sacrificing the Chaos Dao Body and pressuring it with a million Eternal Life Dao principles. The conference had just begun, with only the Cosmic Tree’s Eternal Life Dao sound cleansing experienced. Why would it appear now?
Its appearance now was highly disadvantageous for him. He had schemed exhaustively for the Cosmic Tree, not just against Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji but also his allied Dao Ancestors, intending to claim the tree for himself. He hadn’t planned to share much, not even the Cosmic Dao Fruits.
If the Cosmic Tree appeared now, his plans would be useless, as the timing wasn’t right to trigger his contingencies. The venue itself was a Cosmic Zhou Tian Grand Array, but it couldn’t be activated yet.
The array required activation after the ten-thousand-person discussion.
Hearing the Cosmic Tree was about to appear, everyone’s attention shifted to the void. Help Lin Jie? Unlikely. Even without Di Lan’s call to stop, no one would act now. Lin Jie barely escaped Mo Wuji’s domain, tearing through the desert intent, but would Mo Wuji let him slip away easily?
After the desert, there was no sunset, but a finger struck. The stark shift in intent caught Lin Jie off guard.
Seven Realms Finger, Mortal World.
“Crack!” Lin Jie felt his domain shatter instantly, the finger breaking through all his protective domains. Before he could sense the mortal world’s arrival, the thought that he was just a mortal flashed, and the finger shattered his body.
“Pfft!” Blood sprayed as Lin Jie, pale, flew back, a gaping hole in his chest, blood pouring out. Mo Wuji’s killing Dao principles lingered at the wound, preventing it from closing. Ignoring everything else, Lin Jie grabbed a starlight-emitting Dao fruit from his world and swallowed it.
The starlight fruit slowed the bleeding, halting Mo Wuji’s killing Dao aura.
Mo Wuji didn’t pursue. His Mortal World technique once required time to draw opponents into its intent. After reaching the seventh step of the Great Dao, he could either lure them or force them into the mortal intent, instantly crippling them. Lin Jie had been forced into it, his body broken by a single strike.
“Mo Wuji, I told you to stop. Didn’t you hear?” Di Lan, seeing Lin Jie gravely wounded, glared at Mo Wuji, his voice stern.
Mo Wuji swept his Mortal Halberd, unleashing a wave of unrestrained killing light, and said coolly, “Who do you think you are, ordering me to stop?”
Di Lan was speechless. Used to dominance, even among Great Universe Dao Ancestors, he realised he had no authority to command Mo Wuji.
Not only that, he was certain that one more word would prompt Mo Wuji to attack him without hesitation.
Di Lan took a deep breath, suppressing his intense killing intent. The Cosmic Tree was his priority; everything else could wait. Once he had it, no matter how far Mo Wuji and Lan Xiaobu fled, he’d crush them to dust, their souls shattered.
“Fairy Zhuang, go over there; it’ll be dangerous here,” Mo Wuji said to the still-dazed Zhuang Xiyue.
“Yes, thank you, Brother Mo,” Zhuang Xiyue replied, snapping back and rushing to the lotus Mo Wuji had indicated—his previous seat.
Her heart was in turmoil. She was certain the opponent Mo Wuji fought was a powerhouse, far beyond her reach, yet Mo Wuji had wounded him in moments. Could Mo Wuji truly rival a Dao Ancestor? They’d both come from True Star, and her realm had advanced rapidly, making her think she was True Star’s top cultivator. Why was she still so far behind Mo Wuji?
“Xiyue, stay here and don’t move. No one dares fight here,” Qi Manwei said, noticing Zhuang Xiyue’s distraction and offering comfort.
“You’re…” Zhuang Xiyue finally recognised Qi Manwei.
Qi Manwei smiled. “We were trapped together in the Saint Sword Palace. It’s fate we meet again.”
“Thank you, Sister…” Zhuang Xiyue said, then recalled earlier events and asked, “Sister, who was the person fighting Brother Mo?”
“The Dao Ancestor of Fanhe World, Lin Jie. Don’t worry, he’s no match for Brother Mo,” Qi Manwei replied.
It was indeed a Dao Ancestor. Zhuang Xiyue’s heart churned like a spilled spice jar. Though she hadn’t been in the Great Universe long, she knew Dao Ancestors were supreme, untouchable, and undefeatable. Even with endless cultivation and opportunities, she thought she’d never reach their level. Yet Mo Wuji had effortlessly wounded one, shattering her worldview.
Her gaze fell on Mo Wuji’s back. She suddenly realised how wise her past desire to become his Dao companion had been. Sadly, her feelings were unrequited. She wondered how his Dao companion, Cen Shuyin, was doing now.
