From the dimensional structure of this divine gate, Lan Xiaobu could tell that it could not be refined and taken away. If he tried to refine it, it would surely alert the gate’s owner. The divine gate was someone else’s treasure, and with a mere gesture, the owner could reclaim it.
However, he could set up his Eternal Life Space. By turning the space around the divine gate into his Eternal Life Space and placing a teleportation array outside it, if the gate were retrieved, it would pass through his space, triggering the array and sending the gate to his Eternal Life Realm.
It was like a highway robbery: the gate might belong to someone else, but to retrieve it, it would have to pass through certain places, right? He would intercept it on its inevitable path and seize it. He had the qualifications for this, as his cultivation followed his own Great Path. The spatial barriers he created with his path were fused with his own principles, completely unaffected by external rules.
He didn’t believe the owner was powerful enough to reclaim the divine gate from his Eternal Life Realm. Even someone like Huizhi couldn’t take anything from it.
Seeing Lan Xiaobu’s silence, Ziyuan guessed his thoughts and quickly said, “Benefactor, you must not think of refining the divine gate…”
Lan Xiaobu waved his hand, “Don’t call me benefactor. My name is Lan Xiaobu, just use that. I’m not planning to refine the divine gate.”
To be precise, Lan Xiaobu wasn’t planning to refine it now. The divine gate would be refined, but the time wasn’t right. He hadn’t met its owner yet. If he could bring the gate into his Eternal Life Realm, he could refine it anytime.
“Yes, Brother Lan,” Ziyuan said. “Refining the divine gate now would surely make it escape. The owner no longer needs it to remain here, as its purpose is fulfilled. With this vast universe on the verge of collapse, the gate has no reason to stay.”
Lan Xiaobu nodded, “Do you know anything about the one who suppressed you here?”
Ziyuan shook his head, “I only know his name is Jieti, and his strength is beyond my comprehension. He collects heavenly principles and rules from other vast universes, all the same.”
Lan Xiaobu continued, “I heard that crossing the divine gate grants a position of the Great Path. That can’t be baseless, or it wouldn’t have lured so many people. Who spread this news?”
Ziyuan chuckled, “For Jieti, that’s probably no challenge. A single principle from him could make it happen.”
Lan Xiaobu’s heart tightened, “Friend Ziyuan, are you saying Jieti can integrate his principles into the universe we’re in?”
This alarmed him. The Cosmic Tree could integrate principles into the Great Universe because it was born alongside it. Because the tree incorporated principles favouring the Tianmeng Clan, human cultivators at the eighth step of the Great Path could barely contend with the clan’s seventh step. If Jieti was so powerful as to freely integrate principles into this vast universe, even Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji combined might not stand a chance.
Ziyuan shook his head, “Not as you think, Brother Lan. Jieti can integrate principles, like the memory of gaining a saintly position by crossing the divine gate, but only within this specific space. And only if the gate remains. Without it, he can’t do it.”
Lan Xiaobu exhaled in relief. That was more reasonable. Otherwise, how could he compete with Jieti? Though this was far weaker than integrating principles across an entire universe, Lan Xiaobu still didn’t underestimate his opponent. The divine gate couldn’t be refined, as it would never escape Jieti’s notice. Lan Xiaobu even suspected Jieti might know he’d rescued Ziyuan.
But since the gate was still here, it suggested that even if Jieti knew, he didn’t consider Lan Xiaobu a threat.
Lan Xiaobu began setting up his Eternal Life Space. The only option was to intercept the divine gate when Jieti retrieved it.
He arranged teleportation array patterns within the Eternal Life Space.
“Brother Lan, this approach is meaningless,” Ziyuan said, experienced enough to see Lan Xiaobu’s plan to create a rule-based space to seize the gate. But such a space was hard to establish, and even if successful, it would only exist within this vast universe. The divine gate could transcend planes, rendering Lan Xiaobu’s space ineffective.
The best method was to use barriers, arrays, or treasures to bind the gate, even if only within this plane. How long it could be bound depended on Lan Xiaobu’s skill.
Lan Xiaobu grinned, “Whether it works or not, I have to try, don’t I?”
After completing the setup, Lan Xiaobu used the Chaos Path as the array’s core, feeling it was the most fitting choice.
“What a treasure…” Ziyuan couldn’t help but marvel at the Chaos Path’s inclusion.
A day later, after finishing, Lan Xiaobu said, “Friend Ziyuan, let’s cross together.”
“Alright.” Though unsure of the setup’s purpose, Ziyuan crossed the divine gate with Lan Xiaobu.
Though the vast dissolution hadn’t reached this place, Ziyuan felt it was only a matter of time. He had nowhere else to go. With the divine gate here, he could escape this universe. If Lan Xiaobu didn’t leave, he couldn’t either.
The divine gate was clearly a trans-planar teleportation, possibly between vast universes for Lan Xiaobu.
His plan was no longer guaranteed to succeed. He’d thought the gate’s crossing was within a limited range, allowing him to set up his Eternal Life Space. But this teleportation exceeded that, spanning unknown distances. It wasn’t Jieti’s prowess but the gate’s. What treasure could exist across multiple vast universes? Even his Seven Realm Stone could only move between planes, while the divine gate spanned several universes.
If Jieti wanted to travel between vast universes, he could simply use the divine gate. No wonder it was a chaos-level treasure.
Seeing Lan Xiaobu’s silence, Ziyuan suggested, “You could set up a blocking array here. It might not stop the gate, but it could delay it.”
It was as good as saying nothing, but Lan Xiaobu suddenly thought of Dai Nanjian. Where was she in this place?
His divine sense swept out. The rules here differed from those on the gate’s other side, but with his own Great Path, his sense could cover a hundred thousand miles. Once adapted to these rules, it would reach further.
He was certain Dai Nanjian wouldn’t wander off. If she’d agreed to wait, she wouldn’t leave just because he was slightly delayed.
“Where’s my friend? She only arrived a day earlier,” Lan Xiaobu asked, frowning.
Ziyuan shook his head, “I don’t know. I was suppressed within the divine gate and know little about either universe.”
Lan Xiaobu sent a message to Dai Nanjian and began setting up his Eternal Life Barrier.
Though he couldn’t envelop the entire gate with his Eternal Life principles, there was still a chance to seize it. If Jieti retrieved the gate and it passed through his void teleportation array, it could enter his Eternal Life Realm. The odds were slim, though.
“Brother Lan, the rule-based space you’re setting up here won’t align with the one on the other side, even with your Great Path,” Ziyuan advised, trying to save Lan Xiaobu from wasting time.
Lan Xiaobu suddenly realised something. Others might fail, but he had a chance. By using the Chaos Path as the array’s core and placing the Chaos Plaque here, if the gate were retrieved, the Chaos Path and Plaque could draw it into his teleportation space.
Moreover, his Eternal Life Spaces in both universes could resonate through the Chaos Path and Plaque. The Chaos Path was designed to connect universes, a supreme treasure for such a purpose.
