However, Lan Xiaobu didn’t immediately proclaim a Dao Oath merging the Eternal Life Realm under his title as the Great Desolation Dao Court’s Dao Lord. Doing so now would likely provoke a swarm of powerhouses to attack him.
The saint sects and courts here were numerous, and none would tolerate being ruled by another. Even in the Great Desolation Divine Realm, the Heavenly Court only governed its own small patch. The Western Sect, Jie Sect, Chan Sect, Human Sect, various emperors, and dojo masters—how many bowed to the Heavenly Court?
This place was a nexus of cosmic powerhouses, each a titan from their own realm. Expecting them to accept domination was absurd.
Back when Lan Xiaobu founded the Dao Court in the Great Desolation Divine Realm, aiming to absorb the Eternal Life Realm, they’d had no choice. Now, with perfected rules and surging destiny, the Eternal Life Realm could stand alone. No one wanted it fused with another realm—let alone under a Dao Lord. That was something no sect or court would stomach.
As Lan Xiaobu strode toward the Primordial Chaos Law’s location, disciples and immortal officers from various sects and courts didn’t dare intervene. The Kun Chen Saint Court’s Divine King had merely blocked him, barely uttering a word, before Lan Xiaobu’s halberd obliterated him—and tore open his world.
Many relied on arrogance knowing they could revive if killed, hiding a soul strand in their world for rebirth. But when your world got ripped apart, how could you come back? Hadn’t they seen the Kun Chen Harmony God slink away silently after realizing Lan Xiaobu was a Dao Lord?
Everyone assumed he’d head straight to dismantle the cloaking arrays hiding the Primordial Chaos Law’s entrance. What others feared, the Great Desolation Dao Lord wouldn’t hesitate to do.
No one doubted his audacity. He’d once sparked a war among a dozen saint sects single-handedly, felling several Pseudo-Saints. He’d even stormed Taihan Saint Mountain, charging into Great Saint Kun Wei’s Gobi Valley—who else dared?
Even Tifo Saint, trailing him, figured Lan Xiaobu would crack the arrays to check the law’s status.
But near the arrays, Lan Xiaobu abruptly summoned the Eternal Life Halberd. A cascade of halberd beams erupted, shattering the space with explosive law ruptures.
A cluster of teleportation arrays outside the Primordial Chaos Law’s site crumbled to dust under the onslaught.
These arrays were grouped to save materials and boost stability. Too bad Lan Xiaobu was an eighth-rank divine array master with a deep grasp of spatial laws—how else could he teleport? One strike, no second needed, reduced the array cluster to rubble.
Tifo’s eyes gleamed. An ancient powerhouse indeed, thinking steps ahead. Destroying the teleportation arrays meant no sect or court powerhouses could arrive quickly. For now, no one here could challenge Lan Xiaobu, leaving him free to act.
Tifo didn’t think himself weaker, though. He hadn’t considered the arrays not because he lagged behind, but because he didn’t need to fear. A Second-Turn Saint, he’d face any teleported foe head-on. If he couldn’t win, he’d flee—no one in this cosmos could trap his escape.
Lan Xiaobu was different. He couldn’t run—he had to stay and guard the Primordial Chaos Law.
Seeing the arrays shatter, a fifth-layer Quasi-Saint stepped forward. “Dao Lord Lan, what’s this mean?”
If Lan Xiaobu hadn’t hit the arrays, the sects’ and courts’ elites would’ve teleported in once he attacked the law’s cloaking arrays. No matter how strong, could he fend off that many?
Now, smashing the arrays meant those elites couldn’t return soon. Worse, anyone mid-teleport might get flung into unknown voids or shredded by spatial dislocations.
Spotting the Quasi-Saint’s chatter, Lan Xiaobu skipped the nonsense. The Eternal Life Halberd unleashed killing laws, locking the space instantly. Time was tight—he had no patience for jabber. Disagree? Fight.
“Stop, Dao Lord Lan, I just wanted to ask—” The Quasi-Saint felt death’s crush and backpedaled, shouting.
Stop? No chance. Lan Xiaobu could already crush a fifth-layer Quasi-Saint easily, and this fool retreating instead of resisting only hastened his end.
As the Quasi-Saint sensed Lan Xiaobu’s domain lock him down with no escape, it was too late.
He’d barely summoned his treasure when two halberd beams pierced his brow, blood blooming in the void. Before his primordial spirit could flee, the halberd pinned him to the ground.
Simultaneously, Lan Xiaobu’s hands wove countless spatial laws, rippling the space. In less than half an incense stick’s time, he cracked open the Quasi-Saint’s world.
As he swept its contents away, silence fell over the onlookers.
Strong—insanely strong. Even a First-Turn Saint couldn’t dispatch a fifth-layer Quasi-Saint so fast. Lan Xiaobu didn’t just kill—he looted the world too.
Tifo went quiet. He’d sparred with Lan Xiaobu once and thought the gap between them was small—he couldn’t kill him, but that was it. Now, he questioned that. Could he take down a fifth-layer Quasi-Saint this effortlessly, even one rattled before fighting? He doubted he’d outdo Lan Xiaobu.
No questions, no reasons—just slaughter. The Kun Chen Harmony God who’d dodged earlier now dripped with cold sweat, feeling he’d snatched his life back. A split-second slower, and he’d be dead.
Lan Xiaobu slung the halberd over his back, glaring at the Quasi-Saints who’d stepped forward then retreated after the kill. “From now on, everyone back off a thousand miles. Ten breaths to leave—or die.”
A domineering decree. The crowd exchanged looks, but no one budged first.
They figured Lan Xiaobu was fearsome, but if someone led a charge, their numbers might overwhelm him.
Too bad no one volunteered. Dozens of sects, big and small, and none wanted to stick their neck out.
“Ten, nine, eight…” Lan Xiaobu counted down briskly, barely pausing half a breath between numbers.
Smaller sects started retreating—Lan Xiaobu was too much for them. A Dao Lord, unkillable, would hunt you down eventually if provoked.
One sect moved, then others followed. Only a fool would linger. With the arrays gone, reinforcements were half a month away at best.
Once the sects and courts pulled back, Lan Xiaobu clasped his fists to Tifo. “Friend Tifo, I need your help again.”
Tifo grinned. “Of course I’ll help. I came to assist Dao Lord Lan. When the fight starts, I won’t lag behind.”
Lan Xiaobu said, “Thanks, Friend Tifo—I knew you were a stand-up guy. I want to build a new Saint Dao City within a thousand-mile radius. Please help with the city’s grand array.”
“Haha, no problem—small stuff for me,” Tifo laughed, agreeing without a care.
Xi Nianmo piped up, “I’ll help too.”
“Thanks, Senior Sister Xi,” Lan Xiaobu replied.
Pu He, his subordinate, needed no prompting—he’d pitch in naturally.
Meteor hesitated but relented. “I’m an old friend of Dao Lord Lan—helping’s only right.”
Lan Xiaobu handed out rings. “Here’s some materials. First, set a protective array for ten thousand miles, then build the Saint Dao City’s array within a thousand.”
He lacked many things, but not materials—Shen Buqing’s world had been a goldmine.
As they started on the protective array, Lan Xiaobu approached the cloaking arrays around the Primordial Chaos Law. With a decisive swing of the Eternal Life Halberd, he struck.
Boom! Crack!
One blow shattered the arrays, revealing the Primordial Chaos Law’s state before him.
