“I can sense the location of the Cosmic Tree,” Taichuan suddenly said.
“Taichuan, lead the way, we’ll leave this lotus pod immediately,” Lan Xiaobu responded quickly upon hearing Taichuan’s words.
The reason they could still perceive the lotus pod was because they were standing on it. However, Lan Xiaobu had a feeling that this lotus pod wasn’t their path to escape.
Upon hearing Lan Xiaobu’s words, Taichuan immediately rushed out of the lotus pod, and the others hurriedly followed.
While they were on the lotus pod, they hadn’t noticed anything unusual, but now, having left it, they instantly felt the space contracting even more rapidly. It was as if they were trapped within a rope that was tightening with the passage of time.
Taichuan had a strong sense of direction and stopped after just half an incense stick’s time. In truth, even if Taichuan hadn’t stopped, they wouldn’t have been able to continue fleeing, as the compression in the void was becoming increasingly terrifying, making movement itself difficult.
At this point, without Taichuan saying anything, everyone could clearly see the scene before them.
Forty-nine innate treasures formed a trapping array, with a mountain-shaped treasure at its centre. At a glance, it was clear this treasure was no less than a world-opening supreme treasure.
In the middle of this trapping array stood a small green plant, less than a foot tall. Di Lan was frantically circling this plant, his hands weaving with the principles of the Dao. It was obvious that he was attempting to refine this plant.
Lan Xiaobu had initially wondered why Di Lan didn’t simply dig up the plant and take it away, but he soon realised it wasn’t that Di Lan didn’t want to, but that he couldn’t get close to it. However, with each circle he made while refining it, he drew one step closer to the plant.
Seeing this, Mo Wuji was instantly furious. Without hesitation, he stepped forward and unleashed a finger strike.
This guy was utterly despicable. It was certain that if Di Lan succeeded in refining this plant, he would survive, but no one else would. There was no need to ask, this plant was clearly the spirit of the Cosmic Tree.
As Mo Wuji unleashed his finger strike, Lan Xiaobu swiftly threw down dozens of array flags.
Di Lan, immersed in refining the Cosmic Tree’s spirit, was oblivious to everything else until Lan Xiaobu locked down his refining array. Only then did he snap awake, but by that time, Mo Wuji’s Creation Finger had already struck.
This was clearly his place for refining the Cosmic Tree, yet in an instant, it had transformed into a frenzied, burning cauldron. Within this cauldron, Di Lan was merely one of the myriad things about to be incinerated.
A terrifying, scorching aura of death swept over him, and Di Lan was horrified. No one should have been able to find this place, so how was Lan Xiaobu here?
There was no time for him to think further. He had been too deeply immersed in refining the Cosmic Tree, and he hadn’t noticed Mo Wuji’s attack until it was too late. Now, he was utterly unable to resist this finger strike.
“Pfft!” Blood splattered as Di Lan’s physical body rapidly collapsed under the Creation Finger, while his primordial spirit turned into a streak of escaping light and vanished in an instant.
“He escaped?” Mo Wuji frowned slightly. By all accounts, Di Lan shouldn’t have been able to get away.
“Wuji, something feels off about this place. It seems like here, you can only destroy the physical body of someone at the Eighth Step of the Great Dao, but not their primordial spirit,” Lan Xiaobu said, frowning as he watched Di Lan escape.
Those below the Eighth Step of the Great Dao didn’t count, as more than a few had perished. But among those at the Eighth Step, including Xing Jia, Lin Jie, Quan, and now Di Lan, four had been dealt with, and all had only lost their physical bodies, not their primordial spirits.
“It’s likely related to the Cosmic Tree. The Cosmic Tree is the first tree of the Great Cosmos, the vein and foundation of its existence. As long as one is within the Cosmic Tree’s space and has reached the Eighth Step of the Great Dao, they can sense the vitality principles of the Cosmic Tree just before death and use those principles to escape with a sliver of life. Otherwise, Xiaobu would have already obliterated Xing Jia’s soul entirely. Just like now, if Di Lan hadn’t sensed the vitality principles granted by the Cosmic Tree, he wouldn’t have found the right direction to escape,” Shi Changxing explained.
As an Eighth Step cultivator, though he hadn’t faced life-or-death situations here, he vaguely sensed this truth.
“Wasn’t Lei Yunhan also at the Eighth Step of the Great Dao? How did we manage to kill him?” Mo Wuji asked, puzzled.
Shi Changxing frowned, and Lan Xiaobu said, “Could it be because when we killed Lei Yunhan, Di Lan had already activated the grand array to bind the Cosmic Tree’s spirit, locking down the vitality of the Cosmic Tree’s space?”
Mo Wuji nodded, thinking it was indeed possible. Regardless, he didn’t want to stay in this place any longer. “Let’s get out of here first and talk later.”
Mo Wuji began breaking the restrictions binding the Cosmic Tree’s spirit. As he and Lan Xiaobu continuously dismantled the array flags and collected the innate treasures, everyone felt the spatial principles binding them loosen more and more.
“It seems that before the Eternal Life Conference even began, Di Lan already knew about this place and had planned everything. Those lotuses and lotus pods were likely array flags he set up. He didn’t dare to fully activate them because he hadn’t yet taken the Cosmic Tree’s spirit. His desire for a chaotic Dao body to sacrifice was merely to speed up his refining of the Cosmic Tree’s spirit,” Qi Zhe Tian remarked with a sigh.
“There’s definitely a contingency he set up here. The reason he didn’t activate it was probably because the conditions weren’t met. Regardless, if he had succeeded in refining the Cosmic Tree’s spirit, everyone at the conference would likely have perished,” Lan Xiaobu said with a cold laugh. Di Lan was truly insidious. Not only were the Dao Ancestors of various worlds present at the conference, but also the Heavenly Emperors and geniuses of the Central World.
Once Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji completely removed the restrictions binding the Cosmic Tree’s spirit, the surrounding space instantly cleared. Their divine senses extended unimpeded, and at the edges of their senses, thousands of cultivators were frantically fleeing, rushing out of this space.
Clearly, just as they had been trapped here, other cultivators had been as well. Now that Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji had broken the restrictions binding the Cosmic Tree’s spirit and destroyed the array refining it, the Cosmic Tree’s space no longer contracted as fiercely as before.
“The Cosmic Tree’s spirit has left. Let’s go too,” Mo Wuji said, relieved, as he saw the spirit vanish into the void.
He was certain that Di Lan’s ability to find the Cosmic Tree’s spirit and bind it with an array of innate treasures involved some coincidence. Otherwise, the spirit wouldn’t have been so easily trapped.
Moreover, Di Lan hadn’t fully controlled the timing of the Cosmic Tree’s appearance, or he wouldn’t have been so passive.
After rushing out of the Eternal Life Conference venue, the white jade steps had long vanished. The central plaza of Anluo Heavenly City was in chaos, filled with slaughter and fighting.
“We need to leave this place,” Lan Xiaobu immediately understood the reason for the fighting. Leaves of the Cosmic Tree were drifting down from the void, and these leaves were the cause of the conflicts.
“Mo Wuji and I plan to visit the Great Desolation World. What are your plans?” Lan Xiaobu asked, stopping the Seven Realms Stone after they were far from Anluo Heavenly City.
In this battle at the Eternal Life Conference, though they hadn’t killed any Dao Ancestors, those who had lost their physical bodies posed no threat to them.
Shi Changxing stepped forward with his daughter, Shi Wanrong. “I plan to go into seclusion. Thank you, Wuji and Xiaobu. Without you, I’d likely never have had the chance to step into the Ninth Step of the Great Dao.”
Shi Changxing said this because he had obtained a Ten-Patterned Cosmic Dao Fruit.
Lan Xiaobu took out a jade bottle and handed it to Shi Changxing. “Brother Shi, though we destroyed the physical bodies of several Dao Ancestors this time, I feel the Great Cosmos is still on the verge of great change. This bottle of Chaos Rule Sap is for you. Actually, I didn’t have this myself, it was given to me by Wuji.”
“Thank you, thank you both…” Shi Changxing was thrilled, grasping the Chaos Rule Sap tightly. He had already been somewhat confident in stepping into the Ninth Step, and now with the Chaos Rule Sap, his chances had doubled.
Seeing Chang Yi looking eagerly, Lan Xiaobu took out another bottle of Chaos Rule Sap. “Friend Chang Yi, we owe much to you this time. Without you, Di Lan might not have given up so easily. Perhaps we’ll work together again in the future, and I hope you’ll stand with us then.”
Chang Yi quickly took the Chaos Rule Sap and thanked them. “Thank you. I’m just relieved that you two chose to work with me. Otherwise, the one with a shattered body might have been me.”
He had followed them all this way hoping for some Chaos Rule Sap. As for the Ten-Patterned Cosmic Dao Fruit, he knew it was too precious, but with Chaos Rule Sap and a Nine-Patterned Cosmic Dao Fruit, he wasn’t without hope of reaching the Ninth Step.
“Not ‘might have been,’ it definitely would have been,” Qi Zhe Tian chuckled. He knew Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji’s style well. If Chang Yi hadn’t cooperated, he wouldn’t have had the chance to attend the Eternal Life Conference.
Chang Yi gave an awkward smile before taking his leave.
Lan Xiaobu took out a Ten-Patterned Cosmic Dao Fruit and a bottle of Chaos Rule Sap, handing them to Qi Zhe Tian. “Friend Qi Zhe Tian, will you join us in the Great Desolation World, or go into seclusion?”
“He’s a Dao Ancestor, of course he’ll stay in the Seven Realms Heaven World,” Mo Wuji said with a smile.
Qi Zhe Tian quickly took the items. Though he knew Lan Xiaobu wouldn’t shortchange him, he was still thrilled. The importance of choosing the right side! If he had sided with Di Lan, he wouldn’t be standing here now. He had witnessed the combined strength of Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji, and as long as they appeared at the Eternal Life Conference, they surely had a way to deal with Di Lan.
“I’ll go into seclusion for a while, not because I’m the Dao Ancestor of Seven Realms Heaven, but because my Dao is at a critical juncture. Honestly, being a Dao Ancestor means little to me now. The real opportunities come with you two. After this seclusion, I’ll head to the Great Desolation World to find you both,” Qi Zhe Tian said sincerely.
A dozen breaths later, they were far from Anluo Heavenly City.
