“A Dao Ancestor-level powerhouse…” Ding Chongchen stared at Lan Xiaobu in shock. Who else but a Dao Ancestor-level expert could so effortlessly send him flying with a single dao rule handprint?
“I’m not particularly inclined to give you my Seven Realms Stone,” Lan Xiaobu said with a chuckle, looking down at Ding Chongchen, who had just struggled to his feet.
Ding Chongchen hurriedly bowed, “This junior dares not offend. I apologise for my earlier disrespect, Senior. I swear I had no intention of killing you. The only reason I sought the Seven Realms Stone was because it’s of great use to me, otherwise I would never have intercepted you.”
“Sit and speak. Why are you wandering the unmanned void of the vast expanse with so many people? And do you know the direction to the Great Universe?” Lan Xiaobu asked. Getting to the Great Universe was his top priority.
Sensing no killing intent from Lan Xiaobu, Ding Chongchen waved his hand, dismissing all the guards from the hall before cautiously taking a seat. “May I ask if you three came from the Great Universe?”
Lan Xiaobu nodded, “Indeed, we’re from the Great Universe and wish to return as soon as possible. Don’t worry, I won’t kill you. After you provide the direction to the Great Universe, I’ll ask a few questions, and then we’ll leave on our own.”
“Thank you, Seniors,” Ding Chongchen said gratefully, producing a directional jade slip and handing it to Lan Xiaobu. “This is a jade slip I inscribed after leaving the Great Universe. I planned to return one day, so the directions are accurate and clear.”
Lan Xiaobu was delighted to receive a genuine directional jade slip. “Thank you, this is a great help. I’ll let bygones be bygones.”
Ding Chongchen sighed, “I suggest you don’t return to the Great Universe. It will eventually be overtaken by the Tianmeng Clan. Going back is tantamount to seeking death.”
“You know about the Tianmeng Clan?” Lan Xiaobu looked at Ding Chongchen in confusion. The Tianmeng Clan had inscribed the Forgetting Dao Rule in the Great Universe, so how could Ding Chongchen know about them?
Ding Chongchen immediately realised something and looked at Lan Xiaobu in puzzlement. “The Tianmeng Clan originated in the Great Universe, they shouldn’t appear elsewhere. How do you know about them, Senior?”
“We know about the Tianmeng Clan, but it’s a long story,” Lan Xiaobu said, unwilling to elaborate. “First, explain why you advise against returning to the Great Universe.”
While Lan Xiaobu could choose not to explain, Ding Chongchen had to answer. “The reason my Star Prosperity World was destroyed wasn’t solely due to the Weiju Dao Gate. A single Weiju Dao Gate didn’t have the power to annihilate my Star Prosperity World. The main reason was that our Dao Ancestor disagreed with the rules established by the other worlds in the Great Universe.”
“I heard the Great Universe’s rules prohibit fighting and promote peaceful coexistence. Why would anyone object?” Lan Xiaobu asked, puzzled.
Ding Chongchen gave a self-deprecating smile. “Prohibiting fighting is merely a restraint for ordinary cultivators, a joke to true powerhouses. Even so, the rule isn’t bad, but the issue lies elsewhere. Are you aware, Senior, that the Great Universe has two supreme daos: the Great Universe Dao and the Great Dream Dao?”
Lan Xiaobu nodded, “I’ve heard of them. The Great Universe Dao is said to be cultivated by someone named Qu Beige, though he didn’t master it, only grasping a superficial version. He didn’t achieve much but destroyed plenty of planets. Later, he founded a sect in the Great Universe called the Great Harmony Universe Dao. As for the Great Dream Dao, I heard it was cultivated by Zang Qionghua of the Burial Dao Gate, though she too only grasped a fraction and later created the Burial Dao, founding the Burial Dao Gate. There’s also a Mengmu Dayan sect said to cultivate the Great Dream Dao Rule.”
Ding Chongchen scoffed, “Qu Beige? He’s hardly worthy of cultivating the Great Universe Dao. The true cultivator of the Great Universe Dao is Huan, who possesses the Universe Mill and cultivates the Heaven-Opening Great Universe Dao. The cultivator of the Great Dream Dao is Hui Zhi, whose Mengmu Dayan lineage stems from his Great Dream Dao. Qu Beige, I’ve heard, was a disciple of Huan, but his Great Universe Dao is far inferior, certainly not the true teachings.”
Why hadn’t Lan Xiaobu heard of Huan cultivating the Great Universe Dao? If the Universe Mill was in his possession, didn’t that mean Huan had long set his sights on him?
“Is Huan dead?” Lan Xiaobu asked, noting that he’d possessed the Universe Mill for so long without anyone confronting him. Perhaps Huan had already been killed.
Ding Chongchen shook his head, “I believe someone like him wouldn’t die easily. Even if killed, he’d likely choose reincarnation. Because Huan cultivates the Great Universe Dao, he requires countless planets to fuel his nirvana. Every few years, Huan annihilates billions of lives. My Star Prosperity World’s Dao Ancestor, Qin Chun, couldn’t tolerate such a beast existing in the Great Universe. So, when the Great Universe’s worlds were establishing order, he proposed uniting to eliminate Huan. But Di Lan and others argued against it, saying Huan’s strength was too terrifying, infinitely close to the Ninth Step of the Great Dao. If they turned against him, more worlds in the Great Universe could be destroyed by him. They also claimed that with more planets arriving in the Great Universe, keeping Huan would balance cultivation resources, as too many planetary domains would overwhelm the Great Universe.”
“Rubbish,” Lan Xiaobu couldn’t help but curse.
The Great Universe was boundless, with its developed areas merely a tiny fraction of its entirety. How could there be too many planets for it to handle?
Ding Chongchen immediately agreed loudly, “Exactly, my Star Prosperity World’s Dao Ancestor felt the same, that Huan absolutely couldn’t be allowed to exist. Because Qin Chun insisted on eliminating Huan, he offended many. When the Great Universe’s rules were set, they excluded Star Prosperity World from participating. Not only that, they incited the Weiju Dao Gate to act, destroying my Star Prosperity World…”
Lan Xiaobu frowned, “Emperor Ding, are you saying Di Lan and others were behind the destruction of Star Prosperity World?”
Ding Chongchen stated firmly, “If Di Lan and Quan hadn’t ambushed him, Dao Ancestor Qin Chun would never have fallen. After Qin Chun’s death, the Weiju World suddenly rose, annihilating our Star Prosperity World. However, the Weiju World’s rule-breaking weapons clearly suppressed the Great Universe’s cultivators. Di Lan and the others likely created their own trap, unleashing an entity capable of devouring them.”
Lan Xiaobu nodded inwardly. Ding Chongchen was right. If he and Mo Wuji hadn’t intervened, the Weiju World would have destroyed Anluo Heavenly City before the Eternal Life Conference even began.
“Though the Weiju World is a technological world, they couldn’t possibly create rule-breaking cannons on their own. Not to mention anything else, they couldn’t even establish a rule library. The reason they could build a rule library and create rule-breaking weapons by collecting various rules was because of the Tianmeng Clan’s help,” Ding Chongchen said, growing more agitated, his tone rising with passion.
Lan Xiaobu fell silent, as he knew Ding Chongchen’s claims were likely true. But how did Ding Chongchen know this? Was the Forgetting Dao Rule ineffective on him?
“It’s likely that over ninety-nine percent of the Great Universe’s cultivators are unaware that the Great Universe’s World Tree is linked to the Tianmeng Clan, and the Weiju World’s numerous rule sources are tied to the World Tree. Otherwise, with their technology alone, creating rule-breaking weapons for the Great Universe? They’re dreaming,” Ding Chongchen said with disdain.
“Where is Huan?” Lan Xiaobu asked.
Ding Chongchen was silent for a moment before saying, “After Star Prosperity World was destroyed, Di Lan and others indulged Huan, even designating which planets could be annihilated by his dao at specific times. This enraged the Dao Ancestor of the Great Desolation World…”
“Who is the Dao Ancestor of the Great Desolation World?” Lan Xiaobu immediately asked.
Ding Chongchen replied, “It’s Dao Ancestor Hongjun.”
Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji exchanged glances. Clearly, the Hongjun Ding Chongchen mentioned was the true Dao Ancestor of the Great Desolation World. As for why Yang Tian became the Dao Ancestor and Hongjun disappeared, something was definitely amiss.
Lan Xiaobu looked at Ding Chongchen, “I know the Great Universe has the Forgetting Dao Rule, which includes the Tianmeng Clan and Dao Ancestor Hongjun. If that’s the case, how do you know about the Tianmeng Clan and Hongjun?”
Upon hearing about the Forgetting Dao Rule, Ding Chongchen’s eyes lit up. “As expected, Senior is no ordinary person, even aware of the Forgetting Dao Rule and Dao Ancestor Hongjun. In the Great Universe, few still remember the Tianmeng Clan and Hongjun. It’s likely that one day, the Tianmeng Clan will wipe out the human cultivators of the Great Universe, and the human cultivators won’t even know where the Tianmeng Clan came from.”
