After imprinting his will on the Cosmic Dimensional Model, Lan Xiaobu stepped out of it.
Bamboo Shoot, this guy, was a primordial deity. Lan Xiaobu still had many questions to ask him. Since he had spared Bamboo Shoot’s life, he might as well extract some payment.
Bamboo Shoot stood dazed within Lan Xiaobu’s restriction, his expression blank. For as long as he could remember, he had always been accompanied by the Seven Tones Model, which handled everything for him. Now, after being reborn without the Seven Tones Model, he felt completely lost.
“Bamboo Shoot, out of respect for the Cosmic Dimensional Model, I can let you go,” Lan Xiaobu said, his tone far from respectful. This guy had used the resources Lan Xiaobu had painstakingly gathered to resurrect himself, yet he showed no gratitude. He was nothing but an ingrate.
Although their conversation had been brief, Lan Xiaobu could tell that Bamboo Shoot had extremely low emotional intelligence—or perhaps none at all. Despite having cultivated for countless years and being a primordial deity, emotional intelligence wasn’t something that improved with age. It was tied to one’s upbringing and real-world interactions. Bamboo Shoot, being a mere bamboo shoot, had no such upbringing. Moreover, he had spent countless years in isolation, completely oblivious to what others thought. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been foolish enough to take the Cosmic Dimensional Model to meet the Dao Ancestor, only to be thrown out by the Dao Ancestor’s disciples.
Just listen to what this guy had said: inside the Cosmic Dimensional Model, he had threatened Lan Xiaobu’s life. In contrast, Lan Xiaobu had offered Bamboo Shoot a way out.
The Cosmic Dimensional Model, though not alive, had consciousness and might even develop a spirit. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have remained neutral. Even if it didn’t know how to choose, it understood that if it recognized Lan Xiaobu as its master, Bamboo Shoot would live. But if it recognized Bamboo Shoot, Lan Xiaobu would die. By remaining neutral, it clearly didn’t want either of them to perish.
In the end, it chose Lan Xiaobu, hoping he would spare Bamboo Shoot. While Lan Xiaobu had ostensibly spared Bamboo Shoot’s life, given Bamboo Shoot’s current strength, cultivation level, and low emotional intelligence, surviving the impending calamity would be no easy feat.
“Where can I go?” Bamboo Shoot muttered.
“Didn’t you want to perfect your Great Dao and create an ideal Dao order? Go fulfill your ideals,” Lan Xiaobu said indifferently.
If he still had the Seven Tones Model, Bamboo Shoot would have been full of ambition. But without it, he realized he was nothing. The vast universe was filled with beings far stronger than him. At best, he was just older. How could he talk about ideals or establishing a new cosmic order?
Seeing Bamboo Shoot’s confusion, Lan Xiaobu decided to probe further. “You were able to resurrect not just because of the treasures I left in the Cosmic Dimensional Model, but also because of the surge in cosmic fortune, right?”
Bamboo Shoot nodded. “Yes, the surge in cosmic fortune means a great calamity is coming. Those who seek to seize this fortune will stop at nothing. Soon, the universe will be drenched in blood…”
Lan Xiaobu knew that Bamboo Shoot’s concern about bloodshed wasn’t out of compassion. In his ideal Dao order, such a scenario wouldn’t occur. He believed his Dao philosophy was far superior to others’. If bloodshed were necessary to achieve his ideals, he wouldn’t hesitate to let the universe drown in blood.
“Why fight over fortune? With the current surge, anyone can carve out their own territory and claim their share of fortune. I believe that in the vast Eternal Realm, everyone can benefit,” Lan Xiaobu said, not fully understanding.
He hadn’t experienced the great struggles over the Dao, the battles for fortune, or the cosmic calamities, so he couldn’t grasp the full picture.
Bamboo Shoot glanced at Lan Xiaobu and said indifferently, “Because your cultivation level is too low. Once you become a Sage, you’ll do anything to reach the pinnacle of power, to control the vast universe, to achieve eternal life. Those who obey you will prosper; those who defy you will perish. You’ll join the bloody struggle too.”
Lan Xiaobu’s eyes lit up. He quickly pulled out two stone stools, gestured for Bamboo Shoot to sit, and poured him a cup of divine tea. “I’d like to ask you, Bamboo Shoot, does becoming a Sage require fortune? And what are the levels of the Sage Realm?”
Previously, Ye Baiyi had mentioned some things, but his explanations were vague, and Lan Xiaobu hadn’t fully understood.
Bamboo Shoot looked at the divine tea before him. It was clearly brewed with Chaos Qi and contained Dao fruits. He took a sip but didn’t answer Lan Xiaobu’s question directly. Instead, he sighed and said, “You’ve started to guard against me, haven’t you? Otherwise, I wouldn’t have seen many of these treasures before. This divine tea contains things I’ve never encountered, like the aura of the Emperor Rest Tree.”
Lan Xiaobu didn’t hide it. “Yes, I have started to guard against you. You tried to kill me twice and even attempted to manipulate my mind. Sparing your life now is an act of mercy.”
Lan Xiaobu had always wondered why Bamboo Shoot had chosen this moment to resurrect. If he had waited until Lan Xiaobu was in seclusion or severely injured, Lan Xiaobu might not have been able to deal with him.
Bamboo Shoot shook his head. “The first time wasn’t my doing. I had only just begun to develop a sliver of consciousness. Whoever tried to harm you back then was likely dealt with by you.”
Lan Xiaobu nodded inwardly. Bamboo Shoot was probably referring to Ji Yun, the master of the Fortune Array Disk.
“The second time was when my consciousness fully awakened. I wanted to eliminate you because I felt that if I delayed any longer, the Seven Tones Model might no longer recognize me as its master. Besides, the resources you left in the Seven Tones Model were enough for me to resurrect,” Bamboo Shoot said with a sigh.
Lan Xiaobu cursed inwardly. This old fool had been plotting against him all along. Thankfully, he hadn’t left the Emperor Rest Tree in the Seven Tones Model. Otherwise, Bamboo Shoot might have used it to resurrect, and Lan Xiaobu wouldn’t have been able to defeat him inside the Cosmic Dimensional Model.
Without waiting for Lan Xiaobu to ask more questions, Bamboo Shoot continued, “I had no choice but to resurrect now. The surge in the Holy Realm’s fortune means the great calamity is approaching. Given your opportunities and cultivation speed, you’ll soon reach the Quasi-Sage Realm. Once you do, I won’t be able to hide in the Seven Tones Model anymore. If it were anyone else, I might have been able to use the Seven Tones Model to stop them from advancing.
“But I can’t understand you. Isn’t the cultivation method constructed by the Seven Tones Model the best? Yet you abandoned it and created your own Eternal Art. It’s just…”
Bamboo Shoot wanted to curse. Lan Xiaobu’s initial version of the Eternal Art had been a complete mess. Yet, it was precisely this mess that made it impossible for Bamboo Shoot to manipulate Lan Xiaobu. Since the Eternal Art wasn’t tied to the Seven Tones Model, Bamboo Shoot couldn’t use it against him.
Lan Xiaobu ignored Bamboo Shoot’s complaints. If he had relied on the Cosmic Dimensional Model to construct his cultivation method instead of creating his own, Bamboo Shoot might have already taken control of him. While the Eternal Art was rough, it had improved as Lan Xiaobu’s understanding of the Dao deepened. Lan Xiaobu preferred a self-created method that could grow and evolve over a static one constructed by the Seven Tones Model.
Divine abilities could be upgraded with the help of the Seven Tones Model, but cultivation methods were better off being self-created.
However, Lan Xiaobu understood that Bamboo Shoot had chosen to resurrect now because he knew he couldn’t hide any longer. This was likely the weakest Lan Xiaobu would be before the great calamity. As Bamboo Shoot feared, once Lan Xiaobu reached the Quasi-Sage Realm, he could easily crush Bamboo Shoot.
Seeing Lan Xiaobu’s displeasure, Bamboo Shoot seemed to realize his precarious situation and sighed again. He took the initiative to explain, “Becoming a Sage isn’t easy. The two Sages by your side—I sensed them earlier—aren’t real Sages. They haven’t even truly attained the Dao. They’re just deceiving themselves.”
Lan Xiaobu was pleased. This was the information he wanted. “Bamboo Shoot, could you explain what it truly means to attain the Sage Realm? How many levels are there in the Sage Realm? I’ve heard that to reach the pinnacle of the Sage Realm, one needs merit. But with the rise of various Holy Courts in the Eternal Realm, it’s certain that blood will flow like rivers. Won’t that create endless karma? How can one attain the Sage Realm with such immense karma and causality?”
Lan Xiaobu himself had slaughtered countless Nightmares. He worried that his past actions might create insurmountable karma, preventing him from truly attaining the Sage Realm.
Bamboo Shoot scoffed. “Karma? Hah. In the vast universe, any being with a Dao concept has the potential to attain the Sage Realm and complete the Nine Revolutions. What’s a little karma?”
“Wait, are you saying there are Nine-Revolutions Sages? Does that mean one must reincarnate nine times, attaining the Sage Realm each time?” Lan Xiaobu asked immediately.
Perhaps he would learn this when the Eternal Realm’s rules became clearer, but for now, he needed answers.
Bamboo Shoot said indifferently, “Who told you that Nine-Revolutions Sages need to reincarnate nine times? That’s just one path to becoming a Nine-Revolutions Sage. As for the karma you mentioned, it can also lead one to become a Nine-Revolutions Sage. Otherwise, how do you think divine abilities like the Great Destruction Art, the Great Death Art, the Great Curse Art, the Great Severing Art, and the Great Planet Art came into existence?”
Lan Xiaobu gasped. Was this a competition to see who could kill the most people and accumulate the most karma to become a Nine-Revolutions Sage? That was insane!
Bamboo Shoot continued, “Of course, karma is just one path to becoming a Nine-Revolutions Sage. There are also paths like fortune attainment, causality attainment, merit attainment, reincarnation attainment, wish force attainment, Primordial Dao Rule attainment, and corpse severance attainment. All of these can lead to the pinnacle of the Sage Realm.”
“Is the Nine-Revolutions Sage the strongest?” Lan Xiaobu quickly asked.
