Though Lan Xiaobu could sense the faint aura of the Primordial Chaos Law, it was barely perceptible. He could clearly feel a realm taking shape—before him seemed to be a forming void array gate… no, not quite. It was more like a tangible Great Dao materializing. At this rate of rule refinement, it was only a matter of time before this Great Dao solidified.
It was easy to imagine that, as time passed, this avenue birthed by the Primordial Chaos Law would fully link the Great Desolation Divine Realm and the Eternal Life Realm. Whether it would connect them via a Primordial Chaos avenue or merge them entirely remained uncertain.
Stepping into the law’s location, Lan Xiaobu noted the void vortex—once a clear passage—had grown hazy, likely due to the imminent fusion. Without hesitation, he began setting up arrays. Returning to the Great Desolation Realm now was pointless without securing the Eternal Life Realm first.
Eighth-rank divine arrays, even void ones, couldn’t stop the realm’s saints. Fortunately, as the Great Desolation Dao Lord, he could commune with the Primordial Chaos Law.
Back then, he’d used it to craft a cloaking array, letting the law hide itself and keeping its exact spot elusive to powerhouses.
Now, he aimed to do the same—tap the law to bolster his defensive arrays.
At first, he tried coaxing the law to spawn defensive array flags. But though he could still sense it, its presence was too faint, diluted by the nearing fusion.
Lan Xiaobu sighed. Tifo might’ve been right—his past success with the law could’ve stemmed from its favor toward him. Perhaps it chose to sprout here and fuse the realms because of him, starting with the Great Desolation Realm.
To Eternal Life cultivators, their realm’s rules were perfecting, its destiny soaring, absorbing cosmic domains. In truth, it wasn’t the Eternal Life Realm driving this—it was the Great Desolation Realm, with the Eternal Life Realm as just a part.
After several failed attempts, Lan Xiaobu pulled out his Destiny Dao Lord Seal.
When his divine sense linked to the law through the seal, everything snapped into focus. To his delight, he could now effortlessly wield the law to craft arrays.
First came a cloaking array. His long absence and the Eternal Life Realm’s lack of recognition had let the old one fade, exposing the law’s site to the sects. Now back, he’d cloak it again and force that recognition.
With the cloaking array set, he layered defensive, trapping, and killing arrays, all powered by the law.
The faint Primordial Chaos aura vanished completely, and the law’s space disappeared from view. Now, only Lan Xiaobu could reach it.
Tifo Saint sensed the law’s retreat first. Glancing at Lan Xiaobu’s spot, he marveled inwardly. This ancient saint’s origins might outstrip even his guesses. Should he tweak his plans and hitch his wagon to Lan Xiaobu?
Before the World-Ending Calamity, such a thought would’ve been unthinkable. As a Heavenly Dao-recognized saint—one of the Eight—he’d been a pinnacle figure in the Rootless Divine Realm’s plane. Across the vast cosmos, he was supreme, equal among the Eight, untouchable.
But that pre-calamity war had shown him his smallness. Too many outclassed him—Ice Ying, Luo Xu, Qing Yuan, to name a few. They could beat him, but not crush him outright.
Then there were Mo Wuji, Luo, Lei Hongji—titans who could obliterate any of the Eight with ease.
Where was the once-mighty Luo Xu Saint now?
Surviving the calamity, Tifo knew he’d never rule a realm or cosmos—his strength fell short.
Why not latch onto someone stronger? It’d secure his survival through the next cosmic upheaval.
Look at saints like Tian Hen, Huan Ti, Sheng Gu, Tong Ming—each outshone him. Why? They’d clung to the right thighs.
Lan Xiaobu, a mere Quasi-Saint, wielded such might—rivaling those past terrors. If he reached sainthood, or even Ninth-Turn, how fearsome would he be?
Joining him now, while he rose, beat groveling later when he peaked. Aid in need stuck in memory—favors in prosperity didn’t. Miss this leg, and no bigger one would come.
With that, Tifo sped up his array work, pulling out materials to forge Saint Dao City’s walls.
A saint-crafted wall, each brick etched with array patterns, screamed durability.
Meteor blinked, stunned. What was Tifo up to? This was genuine effort—beyond just arrays, using his own materials and burning divine essence and sense without a care?
Meteor puzzled, but Pu He Divine Emperor couldn’t stay calm. He’d been laboring hard, yet Tifo outdid him, even crafting walls with his own stash. This was a bid to outshine him before Lan Xiaobu—with his soul mark bound, how could he let a saint overshadow his loyalty? His strength lagged Tifo’s already; losing in devotion too left him no standing.
Fired up, Pu He matched Tifo’s pace, pulling out his own materials for walls and arrays.
Xi Nianmo, already earnest, lacked materials but poured her all into the walls.
When Lan Xiaobu finished the law’s arrays, he found the thousand-mile zone half-built into Saint Dao City.
Pu He and Xi Nianmo’s wholehearted aid, even using their own resources, made sense. But Tifo’s fervor stumped him. Tifo’s array mastery outpaced Pu He and Xi Nianmo combined, and his self-supplied walls were top-notch.
Lan Xiaobu couldn’t fathom why Tifo was so committed, but it benefited him. He grabbed materials and joined in.
Five powerhouses—weakest at Quasi-Saint second-layer—built the city fast. In thirteen days, the thousand-mile Saint Dao City stood complete.
As Lan Xiaobu planted divine spirit veins, the city’s arrays activated, enveloping it in a protective shroud.
Though Tifo’s team had set outer arrays, Lan Xiaobu kept going—eighth-rank trapping, killing, defensive, void illusion, spirit-hiding, and gathering arrays piled up outside.
He aimed for a massive interlocking array cluster.
Before he finished, the outer defensive arrays, set by Tifo’s group ten thousand miles out, took a hit.
Lan Xiaobu paused, grinning at Tifo. “Friend Tifo, time to work. Let’s go.”
Tifo laughed, fingering his prayer beads. “I love a fight. This so-called Eternal Life Realm—I’ll see how many powerhouses it’s got.”
The outer arrays were struck just once, then left alone.
The attacker was a wiry man, his aura swirling with Great Dao rhythms—a top-tier powerhouse. He’d stopped after testing the ninth-rank defensive and trapping arrays, realizing their maker matched or exceeded him.
“Pavilion Saint, five came, led by Great Desolation Dao Lord Lan Xiaobu. He’s arrogant—killed a fifth-layer Quasi-Saint from Gu Kun Saint Pool on arrival, and a Kun Chen Saint Court Divine King without asking why…” a first-layer Quasi-Saint reported, bowing.
Pavilion, a saint of Silver Void Saint Sect—bitter foes with Lan Xiaobu—had rushed here upon hearing of his return. The wrecked teleportation arrays cost him over ten extra days. Silver Void nearly warred with Mo Yan Saint Sect over Lan Xiaobu once, restrained only by mutual caution.
