A Quasi-Saint shook his head. “No, this is definitely a Quasi-Saint tribulation. I’ve never seen a First-Turn Saint tribulation, but it’d surely involve arcs of law-infused lightning. And I suspect First-Turn Saints might not even face a tribulation…”
He trailed off, uncertain. As a mere First Layer Quasi-Saint, his notion that First-Turn Saints might skip tribulations was pure speculation—he’d never sensed or confirmed it. Nor had anyone in the Rootless Divine Realm, for that matter. There were no First-Turn Saints here.
The dense aura of Divine Essence Pills, fully unleashed, drew more and more cultivators with its chaotic pill energy. Yet no one dared rush forward to snatch the mountain-like pile of pills.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Another eighteen arcs of lightning crashed down. Even the onlookers, standing far off, instinctively retreated further.
The lightning striking Lan Xiaobu fused with the Indestructible Technique and Eternal Life Technique, blending with the endless pill qi to shatter his Quasi-Saint barrier in one surge.
The moment he broke through, the vortex of pill qi around him expanded tenfold. His consciousness and divine essence surged, his perception of the Great Dao sharpening.
His Eternal Life Realm expanded too, its laws far more refined than at Unity God. Though he hadn’t acted, Lan Xiaobu felt he could raise a hand and stir the charm of the heavens. This was mastery over the Dao, a deeper grasp of divine abilities.
The gap between Quasi-Saint and Unity God was staggering. Facing Pseudo-Saint Pu Heng now, Lan Xiaobu reckoned he could end him in a few breaths.
But against Kun Wei, a true Saint? That outcome was uncertain.
Casting a few Dust-Cleansing Techniques on himself, Lan Xiaobu’s divine sense caught two powerful figures rapidly approaching. Ignoring them, he set up a Concealment Array, cleaned himself, and changed clothes.
Such a fierce tribulation had only left him with minor injuries, which vanished as he stepped into Quasi-Saint.
Boom! He’d barely finished changing and hadn’t even collected his remaining pills and spirit veins when his array was torn apart.
Two cultivators stood before him. One, he recognized—the Quasi-Saint Fourth Layer from the auction who’d fled after seeing him effortlessly kill a First Layer Quasi-Saint. This time, the man’s courage had apparently grown, daring to face him, perhaps eyeing the pills.
The other was a Quasi-Saint Fifth Layer, exuding potent charm—a clear powerhouse. He’d ripped apart Lan Xiaobu’s array.
“Not bad, crossing a Quasi-Saint tribulation here. Looks like you struck it rich. Where’d you get all these Chaos Divine Essence Pills?” the Fifth Layer said, having missed the terrifying lightning, his tone teasing. He’d only seen the unused pills.
The Fourth Layer, recognizing Lan Xiaobu, paled with terror, stepping back instinctively. Had he not feared Lan Xiaobu targeting a fleeing foe first, he might’ve bolted outright. He’d witnessed Lan Xiaobu’s prowess—slaying a First Layer Quasi-Saint with ease. If he’d lingered last time, he’d be dead. Now, post-tribulation, Lan Xiaobu was surely stronger. What if it was a First-Turn Saint tribulation? He’d have no chance to escape.
Lan Xiaobu ignored the Fifth Layer, casually collecting his remaining pills and broken spirit veins.
The Fifth Layer spoke coolly, “I suggest you hand over those pills. Since we’re all Quasi-Saints, I’ll let your spirit veins slide. But pills are for sharing. That stash you just grabbed—over a hundred million, right? Maybe you’ve got more. Don’t worry, I won’t take it all.”
Lan Xiaobu still ignored him. This fool had torn his array—already a dead man in his eyes. Turning to the Fourth Layer, he chuckled, “Last time I waited, but you slipped away. Back today—feeling guilty, maybe? Here to compensate me?”
The Fourth Layer bowed hastily. “Greetings, Fellow Daoist. I bear no ill will and have always admired you…”
He regretted not fleeing the moment he recognized Lan Xiaobu. Could Lan Xiaobu catch him if he ran now?
“Last time, you bid a Nest Gold Dao Fruit, five top-grade spirit veins, ten high-grade spirit veins, and fifty million high-grade divine crystals. Hand them over,” Lan Xiaobu said flatly, extending his domain to lock the Fourth Layer in place.
The man felt death looming, closer than ever since reaching Quasi-Saint. Without a second thought, he offered a ring. “Fellow Daoist, here’s everything from my last bid.”
“Kuang, you know—” the Fifth Layer began, shocked at his companion’s behavior. He’d planned to teach Lan Xiaobu a lesson for ignoring him, but this threw him off.
Lan Xiaobu scanned the ring with divine sense, confirmed the contents, and said coldly, “Get lost. Be honest from now on—no crooked ideas.”
“Yes, thank you for the lesson,” the Fourth Layer—Kuang—replied, not sparing the Fifth Layer a glance. As Lan Xiaobu released his domain, he fled, vanishing in a breath.
“Fellow Daoist, it seems you and Kuang—” the Fifth Layer sensed something amiss, clasped his fists, and tried to smooth things over, preparing to retreat.
Kuang hadn’t dared fart, slinking off with a pile of goods left behind. This guy being simple would be absurd.
“How do you want to die?” Lan Xiaobu cut him off, his tone dripping with killing intent, his domain fully locking the Fifth Layer.
Feeling death’s pressure, the Fifth Layer’s charm faltered under the tightening grip. His face drained of color.
Lan Xiaobu didn’t bother with the Eternal Life Halberd, throwing a bare fist instead. He felt the qualitative leap from Unity God—his Dao flowed freely, his strike effortlessly elegant. A First-Turn Sainthood would bring another such transformation.
No divine ability, yet the punch carried the charm of laws. In his domain, it embodied the killing path of heaven and earth.
Still struggling against the domain, the Fifth Layer faced the oncoming fist, his face whitening further.
This wasn’t a First Layer Quasi-Saint. He, a mid-tier Quasi-Saint, shouldn’t be so helpless against one.
“I’m with the Twelve Divine Emperors. Kill me, and Emperor Pu He will know instantly…” Panic laced his voice as escape slipped away.
He regretted his arrogance. Someone boldly crossing a chaos-infused tribulation here couldn’t be simple. Death looming, he realized he’d been invincible in the Rootless Divine Realm too long.
Lan Xiaobu’s fist didn’t waver. Pu He? Never heard of him. Even if he had, so what? He was a realm’s Dao Lord—appointing a few divine emperors was nothing.
The fist’s aura engulfed the Quasi-Saint, tearing bones apart with a sickening crunch.
Splat! Blood sprayed as the Fifth Layer’s body shattered under one punch.
Lan Xiaobu’s hands wove, channeling laws to rip open the man’s world in a dozen breaths. After looting piles of goods, the broken corpse fell.
Onlookers snapped awake, fleeing in a frenzied rush without Lan Xiaobu needing to speak.
Many knew the slain Fifth Layer—a top-tier powerhouse. Yet he’d crumbled in one punch. These Unity God cultivators? Less than ants before this man.
To their relief, he didn’t pursue or attack.
Lan Xiaobu glanced at the scattering crowd, unbothered, and stayed put. Quasi-Saint First Layer could dominate the Rootless Divine Realm, but in the Eternal Life Realm, it was lacking. He aimed for Quasi-Saint Seventh Layer—late Quasi-Saint. That’d let him return openly, confronting the arrogant Ten Thousand Dao Sacred Sect and Eternal Life Sacred Dao. Taihan Sacred Mountain? Not yet.
Back at his cave, he pulled out more pill piles and a Chaos Divine Spirit Vein.
