Saint Kun Wei shot a glance at the two First-Turn Saints beside him and abruptly lunged at Lan Xiaobu.
No need to bother with anything else—just capture Lan Xiaobu, and everything would fall into place. Though he’d heard Lan Xiaobu had killed the Pseudo-Saint Pavilion, he didn’t take it seriously. Pavilion hadn’t been defeated by Lan Xiaobu himself but by a Pseudo-Saint at his side, with Lan Xiaobu merely delivering the final blow.
Catching Kun Wei’s signal, the two First-Turn Saints simultaneously pounced on the others around Lan Xiaobu. Their aim was to block anyone from aiding Lan Xiaobu—if no one stopped Kun Wei, Lan Xiaobu would be clay in his hands.
Tifo, enraged that two mere First-Turn Saints dared obstruct him, grabbed array flags without hesitation, ready to activate the freshly repaired defensive array and personally teach them a lesson.
But before he could deploy the flags, Lan Xiaobu said, “No need,” and unleashed the Eternal Life Halberd, its killing intent surging as it roared toward Kun Wei.
Kun Wei wanted to test him? Fine, he’d see what Kun Wei was made of too.
“Well said, a Dao Lord is a Dao Lord!” Tifo laughed heartily, feeling his own realm paled beside Lan Xiaobu’s. A Second-Turn Saint himself, his first instinct wasn’t to fight but to trigger the array.
Boom! A violent clash of Great Dao rhythms erupted, laws fracturing one by one. Kun Wei’s expression shifted—his domain not only failed to bind Lan Xiaobu’s but allowed Lan Xiaobu to invade his, striking directly.
Even without full force, Kun Wei realised he’d missed his best chance to kill Lan Xiaobu back at Gobi Valley. He’d let it slip.
Now, Lan Xiaobu had fully matured, and from today, he’d likely never fear Kun Wei again.
Kun Wei knew the struggles he’d endured to become a Second-Turn Saint, yet Lan Xiaobu had risen from a mere Divine King to this level in a short time. How could he suppress him in the future?
Worse, Lan Xiaobu was the Great Desolation Divine Realm’s Dao Lord, standing at the Primordial Chaos Law’s entrance, untouchable.
More critically, his rash move had exposed Lan Xiaobu’s true strength in this clash. Those sects and cultivators already wary of this promising Dao Lord would likely hesitate to oppose him now.
If Kun Wei had killed Lan Xiaobu, it’d be done and dusted. But since he clearly couldn’t, Lan Xiaobu’s status as Dao Lord gained weight.
Sure enough, as Lan Xiaobu withstood Kun Wei’s strike without losing ground, one of the First-Turn Saints charging Tifo slowed noticeably.
Tifo didn’t hold back—eighteen prayer beads flew out.
One of the First-Turn Saints rushing Tifo was from the Star-Listening Divine Sect. Seeing Lan Xiaobu’s prowess, he eased off. His sect had no deep grudge with Lan Xiaobu, and avoiding further provocation might leave room for reconciliation. But Jiang Yizhan, a First-Turn Saint from the Myriad Dao Saint Sect, loathed Lan Xiaobu and charged straight at Tifo.
Tifo’s eighteen beads formed a multi-layered Buddhist domain, enveloping Jiang Yizhan instantly. A fearsome saintly domain swept over, paling Jiang’s face.
Though a newly minted First-Turn Saint and the Myriad Dao Sect’s strongest, he was nothing before Kun Wei, a Second-Turn Saint. Yet this monk seemed even mightier.
Where had Lan Xiaobu found such a powerhouse, willingly serving him? Someone this strong couldn’t be unknown, yet Jiang didn’t recognise him.
Boom! Crack!
Tifo’s beads blasted Jiang Yizhan’s longblade treasure aside, his domain ripping through Jiang’s First-Turn Saint domain.
Tifo’s strength and cultivation far outclassed Jiang’s—Jiang had no means to resist.
Sensing the Star-Listening Sect’s saint hadn’t followed, Jiang’s first thought was retreat.
But then, a terrifying soul attack struck his consciousness. As he realised he’d been ambushed, Tifo’s bead-formed rhythmic world fully ensnared him, leaving him unable to struggle.
After blocking Kun Wei’s strike, Lan Xiaobu didn’t press the attack, instead landing a soul pierce on Jiang Yizhan.
For a foe like Jiang, one sneak attack sufficed—multiple soul pierces might not outperform a single one. Tifo already dominated Jiang; with this ambush, if Tifo couldn’t finish him, he wouldn’t deserve to be one of the Eight Saints.
Realising Lan Xiaobu’s strength and his inability to kill him quickly, Kun Wei halted. Pointless moves weren’t his style—continuing would only boost Lan Xiaobu’s reputation.
Victory over Lan Xiaobu was expected, nothing notable. Losing would doom Taihan Saint Mountain. A draw would still dent his sect’s standing while elevating Lan Xiaobu’s.
He hadn’t expected Lan Xiaobu to dare ambush Jiang Yizhan after he’d stopped.
Too late to settle scores, Kun Wei lunged at Tifo without hesitation. He couldn’t let Tifo kill Jiang before him—he’d seen that not only was Lan Xiaobu a match, but this monk was no weaker. Without help, Jiang was doomed.
But as he moved, Lan Xiaobu’s Eternal Life Halberd swept in, no longer a flurry of strikes but a single trace of killing law locking onto him.
As a Second-Turn Saint, Kun Wei recognised this as true mastery—casual strikes condensing into divine techniques, the mark of a fearsome foe.
His Hell Fan conjured a defensive space, clashing with Lan Xiaobu’s killing momentum, shattering laws into fragments across the sky.
Boom! Boom! Boom! The void groaned, cracks spiderwebbing through it as if their power might soon tear it apart.
Splat! A burst of blood erupted in the distance.
Kun Wei’s face darkened—he didn’t press on. Jiang Yizhan was finished; that blood spray marked his end.
“Friend Kun Wei, save me…” Jiang’s desperate cry rang out.
Kun Wei knew he couldn’t save him but had to try, aware Jiang’s plea was likely deliberate by his foe. Yet as he darted toward Jiang, Lan Xiaobu’s halberd shadowed him again.
Lan Xiaobu relished this moment—teaming with a cunning veteran like Tifo was effortless. Jiang’s plea was surely Tifo’s doing; with Tifo’s strength and his soul pierce, Jiang shouldn’t have had the chance to cry out.
Jiang’s plea forced Kun Wei into a bind: not aiding him would shred his reputation, no one would trust him again; aiding and failing would still cost him dearly.
Boom! Laws exploded as Kun Wei was blocked by Lan Xiaobu once more.
Distant onlookers stayed back—none were fools. Lan Xiaobu’s wings had spread; aiding Kun Wei now was madness unless brain-dead. If Kun Wei were the Eternal Life Realm’s Dao Lord, they might swarm in.
Now, Kun Wei wasn’t the Dao Lord—Lan Xiaobu was. Who knew the Eternal Life Realm’s fate? With Lan Xiaobu’s proclamation, if it faltered, finding a foothold in this domain meant turning to the Great Desolation Divine Realm. Opposing its Dao Lord now was sheer lunacy.
“Haha…” Tifo’s hearty laugh rang out. “Dao Lord, my strength’s lacking, I can’t crack this fellow’s world—over to you.”
With that, Tifo positioned himself opposite Kun Wei, shielding Lan Xiaobu.
Lan Xiaobu didn’t hesitate, rushing to Jiang Yizhan’s lingering soul. True or not, he’d take Tifo’s favour.
He’d just cracked a Pseudo-Saint’s world, brimming with loot. Jiang, a proper First-Turn Saint, would have even more.
Facing Tifo, Kun Wei knew staying was pointless. To punish Lan Xiaobu and control the Eternal Life Realm, he had one path: establish an Eternal Life Dao Court and become its Dao Lord.
Not just him—other sects and courts realised this too. Only as the Eternal Life Realm’s Dao Lord could one rival the Great Desolation’s, uniting its sects and courts.
Lan Xiaobu’s prior proclamation had spurned the Eternal Life Realm, enraging its Heavenly Dao. Now, becoming its Dao Lord was easier—provided you could topple the myriad sects and courts.
No sect or court believed they could crush all rivals to claim the Eternal Life Dao Court alone. It demanded alliances with mighty courts.
As Kun Wei summoned his flight treasure, a thought struck him, trembling with excitement and self-reproach—he wanted to slap himself for his stupidity.
