The images Lan Xiaobu backtracked weren’t singular but a vast array. With his current strength, retracing events in a low-tier universe, even after a long interval, was within his grasp.
However, his attention soon shifted to an earlier scene. In it appeared a woman in green robes, whom he recognised as Fate Saint Zhen Changyuan.
Zhen Changyuan’s Dao had clearly reached the Creation Saint Realm, making her a top-tier powerhouse in this place.
Beside her was a peculiar-looking man carrying something resembling a winnowing basket on his back. Despite the faint Dao aura in the backtracked image, Lan Xiaobu could sense it was a teleportation array disc.
Carrying a teleportation array disc on the back, rather than storing it in one’s world or ring, suggested two possibilities: either showing off possession of such an array, or the disc’s grade being too high for one’s world to contain.
Since Lan Xiaobu’s backtracked images covered a wide range, the scene with Zhen Changyuan and the man gradually blurred.
Lan Xiaobu decided to backtrack again, this time focusing specifically on the spatial-temporal images around Zhen Changyuan’s location.
In just half an incense stick’s time, a clearer image appeared in the void. Lan Xiaobu saw Zhen Changyuan’s anxious expression and swift movements. The peculiar man gave him a sense of familiarity, though Lan Xiaobu was certain he didn’t know him.
The two entered Eternal Saint Dao City, where the man placed the array disc on the city’s plaza.
At that moment, Lan Xiaobu saw Cen Shuyin, Bei Ji, Bei Ting, Zhao Gongming, Kun Wei, Qian Qi, and others approach, evidently alerted by a message from Zhen Changyuan.
Zhen Changyuan’s expression was urgent, her tone rapid. Though Lan Xiaobu could backtrack images, he couldn’t retrieve the dissipated sound Dao rules. This was partly due to the rapid dissipation of sound and partly because his strength and realm were still lacking. In his view, a true powerhouse could not only retrieve dissipated sound Dao rules but also reverse time Dao rules, effectively undoing events to before they occurred.
He couldn’t do that now, and whether he could in the future, Lan Xiaobu didn’t know.
Though he couldn’t retrieve sound Dao rules, Lan Xiaobu discerned from Zhen Changyuan’s lip movements that a powerful figure was coming to the Great Desolate Divine Realm to destroy it, possibly because someone from the realm had killed that figure’s son.
Lan Xiaobu’s expression darkened. He realised Ku Cai’s destruction of the Great Desolate Divine Realm had nothing to do with him.
It was because her son had been killed by someone from the realm, though he didn’t know who.
Fortunately, upon hearing Zhen Changyuan’s words, Cen Shuyin quickly made a decision, and the cultivators of Eternal Saint Dao City began teleporting.
Watching groups of people teleport away, Lan Xiaobu felt a slight relief. He didn’t know where Zhen Changyuan got her information, but he was grateful for her bringing the means to save people.
Despite the swift teleportation, Lan Xiaobu could sense Zhen Changyuan’s urgency. Clearly, Ku Cai was about to arrive, and teleporting everyone from Eternal Saint Dao City was impossible.
There were simply too many people. When only half had been teleported, Lan Xiaobu saw Zhen Changyuan forcibly send Luo Caisi and others into the teleportation array.
Then, the spatial rules in the image became blurry, fluctuating violently. As a black figure appeared at the image’s edge, Lan Xiaobu saw Zhen Changyuan and the peculiar man vanish with the teleportation array disc.
Later, Ku Cai landed on the plaza of Eternal Saint Dao City. Sensing many had been teleported, she flew into a rage and began a massacre. Her Dao realm was unmistakably at the Fifth Step of the Great Dao, a BUG-like existence in this low-tier universe plane.
Lan Xiaobu finally understood why Zuo Wanyin’s bones were here. She must have arrived at the Great Desolate Divine Realm earlier but left Eternal Saint Dao City for some reason.
Likely, Luo Caisi had sent her a message, and Zuo Wanyin rushed back upon receiving it, but she was too late. Luo Caisi and others had already teleported, and Zuo Wanyin missed it.
Another woman had returned with Zuo Wanyin, someone Lan Xiaobu recognised. He had seen her outside Di Meng Tower, named Zuo Shaoying, who had been pursued but escaped, partly because of him. She had been wary and left without much interaction.
Zuo Wanyin and Zuo Shaoying bore some resemblance, and Lan Xiaobu had suspected a connection. Now, it seemed they were indeed related by blood. Zuo Shaoying, seasoned from years of wandering, immediately activated a talisman upon seeing the devastation in Eternal Saint Dao City. The talisman triggered instantly, and she tried to escape with Zuo Wanyin. Even so, Ku Cai’s Dark Dao rules severed Zuo Wanyin’s legs.
Ku Cai was too far to prevent the talisman’s activation. Lan Xiaobu sighed in relief. Even if Zuo Wanyin had lost her legs or only her soul remained, he had countless treasures to save her.
The key now was finding her.
What seemed like a tree’s shade was, Lan Xiaobu knew, a person concealed by Dark Dao rules. Earlier, overwhelmed by grief and anger, he hadn’t noticed. Now, calmer, nothing escaped his gaze.
It wasn’t Ku Cai. As Lan Xiaobu prepared to seize the figure, a short man abruptly appeared under the tree, and the shaded area lost its Dao aura.
The short man paid no heed to Lan Xiaobu, sizing him up before sneering, “Our Dao Ancestor ordered me to stay here and kill any ants returning to the Great Desolate Divine Realm. You must be one of its stragglers.”
“Was it Ku Cai who told you to stay?” Lan Xiaobu asked calmly, staring at the man.
“Bold, daring to utter our Ku Family Dao Ancestor’s name!” The man slapped at Lan Xiaobu.
Lan Xiaobu didn’t move. The man was bound in the void by invisible Dao rhymes.
Even the densest could see what kind of existence Lan Xiaobu was. Trembling, the man stammered, “Senior…”
“I won’t kill you now. Take me to Ku Cai,” Lan Xiaobu said flatly.
“No, I can’t…” The man, at the Yan Realm level, suspected Lan Xiaobu’s strength neared their Dao Ancestor’s.
Lan Xiaobu sighed in relief. Even if Zuo Wanyin had lost her legs or only her soul remained, he had countless treasures to save her.
The priority was finding her.
Lan Xiaobu stopped watching. If Ku Cai loved slaughter, he’d show her he could do it too, though he preferred not to. She had crossed his line. If he didn’t reduce her to nothing, his cultivation would be in vain.
Wasn’t the pursuit of the Great Dao supposed to render all else illusory?
That didn’t apply to him. If the Great Desolate Divine Realm was massacred and he didn’t retaliate, he couldn’t live with himself.
At the teleportation disc’s former location, Lan Xiaobu collected the teleportation Dao rules, though they were faint. He believed he could find the disc’s destination.
He also gathered the Dao fluctuations from Zuo Wanyin’s escape talisman at her departure point.
Since the teleportation disc’s Dao rules were clearer, he decided to track its destination first. Though Luo Caisi and others had low cultivation, Zhen Changyuan’s Creation Realm strength should protect them.
As Lan Xiaobu prepared to leave, his divine sense fell on a shaded spot.
What seemed like a tree’s shade was a person concealed by Dark Dao rules. Lan Xiaobu didn’t move, and the short man was bound in the void by invisible Dao rhymes.
“You…” Even the densest could see Lan Xiaobu’s power. Trembling, the man stammered, “Senior…”
“I won’t kill you now. Take me to Ku Cai,” Lan Xiaobu said flatly.
“No, I can’t…” The Yan Realm man suspected Lan Xiaobu’s strength rivalled their Dao Ancestor’s. If he led Lan Xiaobu to the Ku Family and the Dao Ancestor was absent, the family would be doomed.
Only then did the man realise that without their ancestor, other powerhouses could destroy the Ku Family.
“If you can’t, so be it…” Lan Xiaobu said.
“Thank you.” The man exhaled, but as he spoke, Lan Xiaobu’s palm touched his forehead, and terrifying Dao thoughts churned in his sea of consciousness.
He was being searched… Fear filled the man’s eyes, yet he couldn’t utter a word.
