“Brother Zhao, are you also planning to return to the Intercept Sect?” Lan Xiaobu noticed Zhao Gongming’s unusual expression and immediately asked.
Zhao Gongming took a deep breath and said, “No, I’ve already promised to work with you to create a new era, to establish the Great Desolate Dao Court in this realm and make it thrive for generations.”
Lan Xiaobu walked up to Zhao Gongming and said, “Brother Zhao, you’re different from the others. We’ve been through hardships together, and I can tell something’s on your mind. Speak up, is there something I don’t know?”
Zhao Gongming hesitated for a moment, then sighed and said, “If I don’t return to the Intercept Sect, I can’t achieve the Saint realm. My fate is tied to the Intercept Sect’s fortune. Now that the Intercept Sect has been reestablished, unless I become a Saint, I won’t be able to break free from the sect’s influence.”
Lan Xiaobu sighed inwardly. He knew Zhao Gongming wouldn’t lie to him. Zhao Gongming was an important figure in the Intercept Sect, and it was natural for his fate to be tied to the sect’s fortune.
“Brother Zhao, you should return to the Intercept Sect for now. Just remember, when the war comes, don’t be as reckless as before. You need to learn to protect yourself. The Intercept Sect’s mission can’t be accomplished by you alone risking your life. Last time, you weren’t weaker than Lu Ya, but you were too careless, which led to your downfall when Lu Ya teamed up with others to ambush you.”
After saying this, Lan Xiaobu took out a ring and handed it to Zhao Gongming. “Here are some cultivation resources. Consider them a gift.”
“I can’t accept this,” Zhao Gongming immediately refused. “The fortune of the Eternal Realm is surging, and the realm is stabilizing. Besides, as a disciple of the Intercept Sect, I have plenty of spiritual energy to cultivate.”
Lan Xiaobu waved his hand. “No, the fortune of the Eternal Realm is indeed surging, and the spiritual energy is abundant. But you don’t have much time. You need to achieve the Saint realm as soon as possible, or you might end up in a situation similar to last time. The world has changed, and this realm might no longer be the Great Desolate Realm. But regardless, a great war is imminent, and you won’t have much time to seclude yourself for cultivation.”
From the way the various Holy Courts were established with ease and gained the recognition of the Heavenly Dao, and from the declaration that the Eternal Realm was no longer bound by the Heavenly Dao, Lan Xiaobu knew that his early advantage was completely gone. He didn’t know if this was caused by the Heavenly Dao or if someone had deliberately interfered. If it was the latter, then that person’s power was truly terrifying.
Zhao Gongming was straightforward and direct in his actions, which was one of the reasons he had been ambushed before. Otherwise, the Investiture of the Gods war wouldn’t have involved him.
“Thank you, then,” Zhao Gongming said, accepting the ring. He had traveled through the Mo Xuan Immortal Domain with Lan Xiaobu and knew his character.
“Brother Xiaobu, there’s something I want to say, but I’m not sure if you’ll be willing to hear it,” Zhao Gongming said, seeing that Lan Xiaobu seemed down.
“Between us, there’s nothing we can’t discuss. Just say it,” Lan Xiaobu replied. His low spirits weren’t because of Zhao Gongming but because he was worried about the Great Desolate Realm. If the Primordial Dao Rules truly merged the Great Desolate Realm with the Eternal Realm, then the Great Desolate Realm’s current strength would be no match for the Holy Courts of the Eternal Realm. In the war between the Holy Courts, it would be common for the beings of the Great Desolate Realm to be slaughtered.
Zhao Gongming nodded. “Actually, my master’s ideals are somewhat similar to yours. The Intercept Sect also teaches without discrimination, treating everyone equally and fairly…”
Before Zhao Gongming could finish, Lan Xiaobu understood what he was getting at and waved his hand. “Brother Zhao, are you asking me to join the Intercept Sect?”
“Yes, that’s my idea. Don’t worry, my master is a true Great Saint. With his help, achieving the Saint realm won’t be too difficult for you. Besides, our ideals align, so why not?” Zhao Gongming spoke earnestly.
Lan Xiaobu smiled. “It’s different. You’ll understand in time.”
“Why is it different?” Zhao Gongming asked. If he didn’t know Lan Xiaobu’s character and that Lan Xiaobu wasn’t attached to the position of Dao Lord, he might have suspected that Lan Xiaobu was reluctant to give up his title.
Lan Xiaobu looked into the distance and said calmly, “The Western Church preaches equality for all beings, but do you think they truly practice equality?”
Zhao Gongming instinctively shook his head. Clearly, the Western Church didn’t practice equality for all beings. Not even equality among humans, let alone all beings.
Lan Xiaobu said quietly, “I know a powerful figure, someone from the era of creation, who also had a beautiful ideal. For his ideal, he was even willing to destroy everything. But in reality, his ideal was just as illusory. In my opinion, whether in the vast Saint Dao or the ordinary mortal world, there is never true equality—only relative fairness.”
He was referring to Zhu Sun, the previous owner of the Cosmic Dimension Model. Even such a top-tier figure had ultimately met his end.
There was one thing Lan Xiaobu didn’t say: freedom without constraints could never achieve equality. Just like the current Eternal Realm, it was only the beginning of chaos and war. The Intercept Sect’s freedom was also without constraints, so how could there be equality?
The fortune of the Eternal Realm was surging, and it looked beautiful. But this beauty was like a昙花 (ephemeral flower), and soon the realm would be riddled with scars and ruins. No matter how strong or perfect the Eternal Realm was, with so many top-tier experts fighting here, how long could it last?
This reminded him of Earth, where he had once lived. He was certain that one day, Earth would be destroyed by the very humans who lived on it.
“Then after I achieve the Saint realm, I’ll come back to help you,” Zhao Gongming said, seeing that Lan Xiaobu had made up his mind.
Lan Xiaobu knew that Zhao Gongming’s words were different from He Ku Saint’s. When He Ku Saint said he would help, it was just empty talk. But when Zhao Gongming said it, he truly meant it.
“Brother Zhao, don’t worry about me. Right now, I’m thinking about how to escape this great war. If I can escape it, and if you ever find yourself in a difficult situation, you can come to the Great Desolate Realm to find me,” Lan Xiaobu said.
He was certain that Zhao Gongming wouldn’t have a chance to leave. Once this war began, there would be no respite. The Intercept Sect was strong, but were the other Holy Courts weak? Kun Wei was a Great Saint on par with Zhao Gongming’s master, and his faction was full of talented individuals. And in the entire Eternal Realm, who knew how many experts like Kun Wei there were?
“I just received a summons from my sect. I have to go now. Take care, brother,” Zhao Gongming said with a hint of sadness.
Not only had he received a message from his sect, but he had also learned that everyone who had been suppressed on the Tongtian Pillar had been released. Those who could recover their physical bodies had done so, and those who couldn’t were now seeking opportunities in the Eternal Realm. This should have been good news, but he couldn’t feel happy about it.
“Leader Zhao, we’ll go with you,” seven or eight people stepped forward as Zhao Gongming prepared to leave.
This time, Zhao Gongming’s expression darkened. Although he knew these people were from the Dao Court Alliance, he was leaving out of necessity. If all these people followed him, what would Lan Xiaobu think?
Before Zhao Gongming could speak, Lan Xiaobu said, “Brother Zhao, let them go with you. In such a war, it’s good to have familiar people by your side. Besides, how many of your old brothers from the Intercept Sect are still around? You don’t even know.”
Zhao Gongming sighed. He knew this was an unavoidable situation.
“Let’s go,” Zhao Gongming said, leading the eight cultivators away quickly. If he stayed any longer, he might really consider giving up his pursuit of the Saint realm.
The once lively group was now reduced to just seven people. Besides Lan Xiaobu and Qian Qi Saint, there was also Bu Yi Saint.
To Lan Xiaobu’s surprise, Tu Wang, Bei Ji, and Xuan Hui, who had been a spy for Kun Wei, had also stayed. There was also a Unity God cultivator he didn’t recognize.
Lan Xiaobu looked at Xuan Hui. “You’re free now. Why are you still here?”
Xuan Hui bowed. “Dao Lord, I have nowhere else to go. I am willing to follow you to the Great Desolate Dao Court.”
Lan Xiaobu didn’t ask why Xuan Hui wanted to follow him. Instead, he turned to Tu Wang. “Brother Tu Wang, you’ve seen much of the world. Can’t you see that with the changes in heaven and earth, the Great Desolate Dao Court has no future? Why are you still here?”
Tu Wang chuckled. “What I see is not the Great Desolate Dao Court, but you, Dao Lord. I am willing to follow you and fight by your side. Even if it means my death, I have no regrets.”
He had seen much of the world and knew that the Eternal Realm would become a battlefield. What was the point of staying here? Life and death—he had seen too much of it. Lan Xiaobu was undoubtedly a man of great fortune. How could following him be a bad choice? That He Ku Saint was a fool, while Bu Yi Saint was much wiser.
“And you?” Lan Xiaobu turned to Bei Ji.
Bei Ji bowed. “I hope Dao Lord can save my sister, Bei Ting, once. My life is yours.”
“Save your sister?” Lan Xiaobu repeated, puzzled.
Bei Ji said respectfully, “Yes, my sister Bei Ting was ambushed and fell into the Nether Path. I only hope that one day, Dao Lord can find the Book of Life and Death and use it to save my sister.”
The Book of Life and Death? Lan Xiaobu thought to himself that the Book of Life and Death was already in his possession. But this wasn’t the time to discuss it. He would deal with it later.
“What if I can’t obtain the Book of Life and Death?” Lan Xiaobu asked calmly.
Bei Ji sighed inwardly. If this had been before, he would have thought Lan Xiaobu was being too modest. A Dao Lord of a realm couldn’t possibly fail to obtain the Book of Life and Death. Even if he couldn’t, he could at least find out who had it. But now, he wasn’t so sure. The Eternal Realm had changed drastically, with fortune, rules, and spiritual energy all different from before. The once-unique Great Desolate Dao Court now seemed to be the weakest faction.
Still, he said, “As long as Dao Lord does his best, that’s enough. I, Bei Ji, have made my choice and won’t change it. Besides, Dao Lord saved my life.”
“Good, I promise you this,” Lan Xiaobu nodded. The Book of Life and Death was in his possession. He would figure out how to use it to save someone later.
Finally, Lan Xiaobu turned his attention to the last Unity God cultivator. This was a cultivator who didn’t look very old, still maintaining the appearance of a youth. He was slightly thin, with a starry knot in his hair and calm eyes.
He had likely been at the Unity God realm for a long time, as his foundation was very solid.
“I don’t know how to address you, but aside from Bu Yi Saint, Bei Ji, and Tu Wang, you’re the only one who hasn’t left me after escaping the Great Path Gorge Valley,” Lan Xiaobu said.
