Startled by Tree Saint’s words, Fei Lian’s expression turned uneasy. “Big Brother, if there are so many strong people here and we can’t outsmart them, why don’t we just leave?”
Tree Saint shook his head. “Why did we come here? For the Heart of the Universe, of course. We can’t leave without it. Besides, where would we go? If we get the Heart of the Universe, we might have somewhere to head.”
“Big Brother, where would we go with the Heart of the Universe? Why do we need it to leave?” Fei Lian asked, bewildered.
Tree Saint looked helplessly at his simple-minded brother. “Back then, we escaped for our freedom. But now that we’re out here, we’ve realized surviving isn’t just about strength—especially when ours doesn’t even match theirs. If we want to return, we need to offer the Heart of the Universe to our master, proving we’ve been searching for treasures for him. Only then will he not be angry.”
“Then, Big Brother, let’s just endure it until we get the Heart of the Universe,” Fei Lian said, nodding along to whatever Tree Saint suggested.
Tree Saint sighed again. “I’m afraid that won’t work anymore. Today, I saw that woman—her strength is definitely above ours. If she were weaker, we could suppress her even if she caught onto our plan. But with her cultivation surpassing ours, how could she let us infuse the Heart of the Universe with saintly dao charm and then strip it away?”
“What do we do then?” Fei Lian’s mind was clearly just for show, offering no ideas.
Tree Saint fell silent for a long moment before gritting his teeth. “At this point, our only option is to forcibly take the Heart of the Universe. Otherwise, losing our deterrence here will be fatal for us.”
“I’ll follow your lead, Big Brother. Whatever you say, I’ll do,” Fei Lian said, thumping his chest.
Tree Saint nodded. “I used to have more reservations—like about the Curse Saint and the Reincarnation Saint. But today, seeing the Curse Saint, he seems crippled. Compared to the rumors, he’s a shadow of himself—not worth mentioning. The young man who blasted his cave, though—he’s the one who seems formidable.”
“So what if he’s formidable? We grab the Heart of the Universe and go back. In this vast cosmos, who’d dare yap in front of our master? One slap from him, and they’re ash,” Fei Lian declared loudly.
“You’re right about that,” Tree Saint said, agreeing with Fei Lian for the first time.
—
Lan Xiaobu returned to the black-clad woman’s shop. Once again, he saw it standing there. Previously, after he’d rented the cave, her shop had vanished. He later learned it was due to the Rules of Darkness—any space under them could be hidden at will. Even he had to inwardly marvel; every dao principle had its unique strengths.
“Friend, please come in,” the woman’s eager voice called from inside as he stood outside.
Stepping in, Lan Xiaobu clasped his fists. “Lan Xiaobu greets you, friend. May I know your name?”
He wanted to probe her background. If she intended to trade with him, she couldn’t ignore his question.
Sure enough, after a pause lasting a dozen breaths, she spoke slowly. “My name is Ku Cai. I believe you already know what business I want with you. I need one more chaotic divine spirit vein. As for the cave I leased to you before, I can sell it to you outright—the price is one chaotic divine spirit vein.”
Lan Xiaobu replied calmly, “Friend Ku Cai, what you’ve stated is only your need. Needing a cave was my demand decades ago—my needs have changed since then. If it’s business, it should address both sides’ desires.”
Ku Cai understood immediately and nodded. “Fair enough. Please, go ahead.”
Chaotic divine spirit veins were crucial to her, so as long as it was within her power, this deal could succeed. She reckoned she couldn’t snatch one from him by force—if she could, she might’ve tried.
Lan Xiaobu said, “Friend Ku Cai, you came here because you know about the Heart of the Universe, right?”
Ku Cai replied evenly, “If you’re here for the Heart of the Universe, I’d suggest rethinking that. If it were so easy to take, it wouldn’t be the Heart of the Universe.”
Fearing he didn’t grasp her meaning, she added, “Saint Island draws so many saints because of the Heart of the Universe. With it here, you can sense all sorts of rules with incredible clarity, as if they exist independently. Plus, these rules carry the aura of the cosmos’ origin. Comprehending Great Dao divine arts here is as easy as breathing. That’s why I’ve stayed.”
Lan Xiaobu frowned. He did want to take the Heart of the Universe, but he trusted Ku Cai wasn’t lying—it was indeed hard to claim.
“Then why aren’t the Tree Saint and Mad Saint here to take it?” he asked.
Ku Cai smirked mockingly. “They *are* here for that. They even opened Saint Island to let countless saints in, hoping the Heart of the Universe would absorb their dao charm and eventually be stripped from this space. But they’re just two fools with sky-high ambitions and paper-thin cunning. At least a hundred people here know their plan. Ever wonder why no one’s stepped up? Because everyone knows they’re dreaming. The moment they actually disturb the Heart of the Universe, someone will intervene.”
Hearing her call them “fools,” Lan Xiaobu glanced at her in surprise. Wasn’t that term unique to Earth? Yet here it was too.
If she was telling the truth, those two were indeed idiots. The Mad Saint and Tree Saint were lost in their fantasy of seizing the Heart of the Universe, oblivious that their “secret” was common knowledge. That so many powerhouses hadn’t stopped them only showed they maintained order on Saint Island without harming anyone’s interests.
“So when they make their move, will you step in to stop them?” Lan Xiaobu asked gravely.
Ku Cai nodded. “Not just me—there’s another whose cultivation rivals mine who’ll do the same. Right now, those two island masters are smart enough not to disrupt anyone’s cultivation, so no one bothers them. If they ever did, someone would’ve dealt with them long ago.”
“If the Heart of the Universe offers so many benefits, why do those powerhouses allow pseudo-saints and quasi-saints to cultivate here and absorb its dao charm?” Lan Xiaobu asked, puzzled.
Ku Cai chuckled. “That’s the Heart of the Universe’s nature—the more people cultivate, the greater the benefits for everyone. If only a few practiced here, you wouldn’t even sense it. So, friend, forget taking it away. Even if I didn’t stop you, that other powerhouse would—along with others here who’d all stand in your way.”
“I still want to try,” Lan Xiaobu said after a long silence.
Ku Cai looked at him calmly. “I’d advise against it right now. We all need the Heart of the Universe’s dao charm to cultivate. If you try, it’ll flee into the vast cosmos, never to be found again. Even for yourself, you’d be better off seizing this chance to cultivate before it escapes and you’re left regretting it. If you must check it out, at least wait until you’ve cultivated here for a while.”
She continued, “In Golden Saint Dao City, the three best spots for absorbing the Heart of the Universe’s dao charm are my place, your place, and that monk’s place. These spots let you clearly feel and absorb its charm. The monk’s spot is the best, yours is second, and mine’s just third.”
Lan Xiaobu didn’t argue. He knew his leased cave did indeed offer a clear sense of the Heart of the Universe’s dao charm—otherwise, he wouldn’t have progressed so fast.
Ku Cai took a breath and went on, “The Heart of the Universe is a cosmic entity—it hates being enslaved. You can use it to cultivate, but don’t think about taking it. Even if you did, your world couldn’t contain it. And if a universe lost its Heart, do you think it’d still have a soul?”
Her other words were noise to Lan Xiaobu, but that last line struck him. Whether Ku Cai meant it sincerely or not, he felt she was right.
If a universe lost its Heart, would it still have a soul? What he didn’t understand was why the Heart of the Universe didn’t stay fixed in one place, instead wandering the cosmos.
“Fine, in that case, sell me your cave. Here’s one chaotic divine spirit vein.” Without hesitation, Lan Xiaobu tossed her a ring and turned to leave.
Ku Cai stared at the ring, stunned. She now realized Lan Xiaobu likely had more than ten such veins—why else would he hand it over so casually?
It also proved something else: he wasn’t afraid of her. He’d given her the vein without asking for any handover procedures or array-breaking methods for the cave. He clearly wasn’t worried.
Taking a deep breath, Ku Cai suppressed a flicker of greed.
Lan Xiaobu’s strength wasn’t something she could just take from. Rather than clash with him now, she’d be better off using all her time to cultivate toward eighth-revolution sainthood.
The chance to practice with the Heart of the Universe might only come once in a lifetime.
