Seeing Tifo stammering, Lan Xiaobu waved a hand dismissively. “Friend Tifo, I know what you’re trying to say, but don’t worry. The Great Curse Technique? It’s not that impressive—I know it too.”
“You know it too?” Tifo stared at Lan Xiaobu in shock before quickly adding, “That’s impossible.”
He said it was impossible because, at most, Lan Xiaobu might know a minor curse technique. To master the Great Curse Technique, one needed the original Heavenly-Opening Dao Scroll of the Great Curse Technique—otherwise, any imitation would just be a lesser version.
Gu Du, however, was utterly horrified. He believed Lan Xiaobu was telling the truth. Lan Xiaobu had used the Great Severance Technique to cut off his connection to the fate of the Great Desolate Divine Realm—and not just that, he’d severed much of Gu Du’s own fate too. How else could Gu Du have fallen to such a pitiful state?
Since Lan Xiaobu knew the Great Severance Technique, it wasn’t unthinkable that he could also wield the Great Curse Technique. For others, it might be impossible—but for Lan Xiaobu, it wasn’t.
“Nothing’s impossible,” Lan Xiaobu said casually before decisively calling Liu Xing out.
Since arriving here, Liu Xing hadn’t contributed much but had enjoyed top-tier cultivation resources. That wouldn’t do. It wasn’t that Lan Xiaobu was stingy—Liu Xing was a scheming sort, not exactly a good person. Surely Lan Xiaobu couldn’t go out risking his life while Liu Xing stayed behind, comfortably secluded and advancing his realm?
The cave’s restrictions stirred under Lan Xiaobu’s divine sense, forcing Liu Xing to emerge. In just a few decades, he’d reached the peak of the quasi-sage realm. For a reborn powerhouse like him, recovering cultivation was effortless with enough resources and time.
“Congratulations, Friend Liu Xing, on advancing your cultivation yet again,” Lan Xiaobu said, inwardly relieved he’d dragged this guy out. Given a few more years, Liu Xing would surely have proven himself a First-Turn Sage.
Cultivating in a place with such clear heavenly rules and abundant divine spiritual energy, Liu Xing wouldn’t linger at the pseudo-sage level—he’d leap straight to First-Turn Sage, no question.
Take Puhe Divine Emperor, for example. If he’d stayed in the Rootless Divine Realm, even tens of thousands of years might’ve left him a pseudo-sage. But here, in just one or two centuries, he could ascend to First-Turn Sage.
Liu Xing was inwardly displeased but knew he couldn’t complain. This was Lan Xiaobu’s turf—if he said anything, Lan Xiaobu would surely kick him out.
“Mutual congratulations! Lord Lan’s progress is astonishing—I can’t keep up,” Liu Xing laughed heartily, his expression showing no trace of resentment, even radiating joy and delight.
“Friend Liu Xing, someone’s set up a curse aura spanning millions of miles outside my territory—and worse, they’ve abducted my friend. How can I tolerate this? I’m planning to charge over there right now and show them why flowers are so red,” Lan Xiaobu said seriously.
Liu Xing cursed inwardly—*What’s this got to do with me? If you want to charge in, I’m not stopping you. Why drag me into it?*
But he could only think such things. On the surface, he put on a look of righteous indignation. “Utterly shameless—setting up a curse here of all places…”
Mid-sentence, something seemed to click, and he asked in surprise, “Lord Lan, a curse aura? Could it be the Great Curse Technique? Is this the work of the Cursed Sage Fang Zhifan?”
When it came to curse sages, most powerhouses first thought of Fang Zhifan—few considered the pseudo-sage Ming Changxiao.
“Exactly, it’s that bastard Fang Zhifan. I’m off to deal with him now. Friend Liu Xing, come with me—I need your help,” Lan Xiaobu said, leaving no room for Liu Xing to wriggle out.
Liu Xing’s divine sense had already swept outward, detecting the boundless curse aura. He rubbed his hands together, even showing a hint of excitement. “Great, I’ll go with you. A mere Cursed Sage daring to scheme against Lord Lan? I’ve got a small request, though—hope you’ll indulge me.”
Lan Xiaobu waved a hand. “Speak freely, Friend Liu Xing. Even if it’s handing over Fang Zhifan’s entire world and everything in it to you, I’d agree.”
He didn’t need Liu Xing to say it—Lan Xiaobu already knew what he wanted. A guy like Liu Xing was after Fang Zhifan’s Great Curse Technique. Lan Xiaobu could only chuckle inwardly—*Liu Xing, you’re dreaming too big.*
“Ah…” A wave of overwhelming delight hit Liu Xing—he almost thought he’d misheard. He’d only planned to ask for Fang Zhifan’s Great Curse Technique, but Lan Xiaobu had dropped an even bigger bombshell, offering him everything in Fang Zhifan’s world.
Since it was Fang Zhifan’s world, the Great Curse Technique was obviously included. Did Lan Xiaobu think he couldn’t unlock Fang Zhifan’s world? *You’re underestimating me, then.*
“Many thanks, Lord Lan! I’ll give my all to help you teach this Fang Zhifan a lesson—let him see that the Dao Lord of the Great Desolate Divine Realm isn’t someone to mess with lightly,” Liu Xing declared, thumping his chest resoundingly.
“Xiaobu, I’ll come help too,” Xi Nianmo rushed out.
Lan Xiaobu handed her a few array flags. “Senior Sister Xi, stay here and guard the place. If anyone comes, let them settle outside the Eternal Life Sacred Dao City—they can even set up temporary shops. But for now, they’ve no right to enter the city. What qualifications they’ll need to get in, I’ll decide when I’m back.”
“Alright, I’ll stay here,” Xi Nianmo replied, realising from Lan Xiaobu’s words that guarding this place was a heavier task than leaving.
…
As they landed outside the protective array, Lan Xiaobu immediately felt the heavenly rules blur. Fighting Fang Zhifan here would weaken his strength by ten percent. The Eternal Life Realm’s rules were indeed unfriendly to him.
While Lan Xiaobu pondered the difference in heavenly rules, Tifo and the others extended their domains. The air was thick with the Great Curse’s aura—one slip, and it could seep in. Their domains would block its invasion.
Lan Xiaobu probed with his divine sense—sure enough, it was the Great Curse Technique. He knew it too, though his version likely wasn’t at Fang Zhifan’s level. Still, he had one advantage over Fang Zhifan: he possessed the Great Curse Technique’s Dao Scroll.
Stepping onto his Reincarnation Pot, Lan Xiaobu stood in the void, his hands weaving incantations. In less than half an incense stick’s time, he began drawing in the endless curse aura.
At first, Tifo and the others could only sense the curse aura weakening where their divine senses reached. As time passed, they could clearly see a faint grey vortex forming around Lan Xiaobu, pulling in boundless grey Dao aura—the curse aura, swirling into a vortex.
That wasn’t even the most shocking part. Eventually, the grey vortex turned black, then an inky black…
Yet Lan Xiaobu’s hands kept weaving, ceaselessly drawing in the surrounding curse aura.
As he absorbed Fang Zhifan’s curse aura, Lan Xiaobu felt his own Great Curse Technique rising to new heights. It reminded him of when he’d cultivated the Great Destruction Technique—amid the apocalyptic aura of a world-ending calamity, his technique had soared. This dense curse aura was clearly doing the same for his Great Curse Technique.
What a method! Lan Xiaobu knew full well that cultivating the Great Curse Technique was terrifying. No great divine ability could be fully grasped through study alone—it required practice. But Lan Xiaobu couldn’t curse an entire planet just to refine his skill. Unlike Fang Zhifan, who saw all lives outside his own as ants to be crushed at will, Lan Xiaobu couldn’t do that. So, while he knew the technique, he’d never sought to advance it—until now, with this rich, fearsome curse aura giving him the chance to deepen his mastery.
Tifo calmed from his shock, certain now that Lan Xiaobu had obtained the Great Curse Technique’s Dao Scroll—how else could he wield it? Truly worthy of an ancient powerhouse, even possessing such a rare Heavenly-Opening divine scroll.
Liu Xing’s eyes, however, darkened. He too realised Lan Xiaobu likely had the scroll. If so, what could Liu Xing gain from Fang Zhifan’s world, even if he unlocked it?
Lan Xiaobu’s eyes, meanwhile, grew brighter. Absorbing this curse aura not only boosted his Great Curse Technique but also revealed something else. When facing Fang Zhifan, he’d have no need to fear him—not because his mastery surpassed Fang Zhifan’s, but because he had the Dao Scroll. If Fang Zhifan unleashed the Great Curse Technique, Lan Xiaobu could deploy the scroll and, with his Great Severance Technique, strip away Fang Zhifan’s curse aura.
Even if Fang Zhifan didn’t die, losing his curse aura would rob him of the Great Curse Technique entirely—unless he had his own scroll to relearn it, which Lan Xiaobu would never let slip away.
Indeed, a Heavenly-Opening divine scroll was a treasure in itself.
In just five days, Lan Xiaobu swept away all the curse aura around the Eternal Life Sacred Dao City. Scanning with his divine sense, he saw修士 corpses littering the landscape.
Fang Zhifan, that bastard, was ruthless—treating lives like weeds. No, to him, lives weren’t even that. If it benefited his Dao, he’d likely destroy the entire Eternal Life Realm without a second thought.
This kind of person had to be killed—and fast.
“Let’s go to the Eternal Life Dao Court’s stronghold,” Lan Xiaobu said, landing on the Reincarnation Pot, his tone laced with killing intent.
Never before had he felt such an urgent need to eliminate someone. Fang Zhifan was beyond disgusting—hardly human at all.
