Lan Xiaobu had barely reached the entrance of Kucai’s cave and hadn’t even knocked when the cave door opened. He paused, startled. Was Kucai waiting for him?
“Friend Lan, please come in,” Kucai said with a slight smile, showing no trace of surprise.
Lan Xiaobu realized she had indeed been expecting him. This woman knew he’d come to her—clever indeed.
Entering Kucai’s cave, Lan Xiaobu didn’t sense the aura of chaotic divine spirit qi, meaning she hadn’t planted that Chaos Divine Spirit Vein for cultivation. If so, why did she want it?
“Greetings, Friend Kucai. Do you know why I’m here?” Lan Xiaobu asked, clasping his fists.
Kucai’s body faintly radiated a dissipating charm, a sign her foundation hadn’t recovered. Restoring it with a Chaos Divine Spirit Vein seemed unlikely.
Kucai said calmly, “If I’m not mistaken, that monk Buju will likely team up with the Samsara Saint against you. I don’t know the reason, but it’s probably just about benefits.”
Lan Xiaobu’s heart jolted—not from her accurate guess, but from realizing he’d overlooked something. If Kucai also knew about the treasures he carried, she’d surely side with Buju too. Her choosing him now was likely because of the Chaos Divine Spirit Vein he had, and more importantly, she didn’t know his full background.
“I do have good stuff. I possess a Samsara Scroll, which the Samsara Saint wants. After partnering with me, he’d never get it back. As for Buju, he thinks I have the Seven Realms Stone Boundary Flags, but that’s a misunderstanding—I don’t. He doesn’t believe me, though, so before he acts, I plan to take him out first,” Lan Xiaobu said gravely.
He knew even without investigating, Kucai was aware he’d won a flag at the auction. He had to make her understand why the Samsara Saint chose Buju over him—not because of unknown creation techniques or top treasures, but the Samsara Scroll.
“You have the Samsara Scroll? No wonder,” Kucai’s eyes lit up with a strange gleam at his words.
His explanation dispelled her doubts. What could make the Samsara Saint and Buju team up? If she were the Samsara Saint, partnering with Lan Xiaobu would be ideal. Both were weaker than Buju, so naturally, you’d ally with someone of similar strength, not someone stronger.
Now she got it—it was the Samsara Scroll.
Lan Xiaobu sighed inwardly. Good thing Kucai didn’t know his origins or the full extent of his treasures. If she knew about his Great Destruction Technique, Great Severing Technique, Great Curse Technique, Great Death Technique, Book of Life and Death, Yin-Yang Mirror, Samsara Pot, Five-Needle Pine, and more, she’d probably kill him on the spot.
Just revealing the Samsara Scroll had sparked her greed. If the rest leaked, she’d likely strike immediately.
He sighed aloud, “I do have the Samsara Scroll. If Friend Kucai needs to see it, I can lend it to you first. After our cooperation ends in a day, you can return it. ”
“Besides the Samsara Scroll, I’ll need a Chaos Divine Spirit Vein,” Kucai replied without hesitation or shame, her tone firm.
Lan Xiaobu agreed instantly, “Fine, as long as you help me ambush Buju and then take down the Samsara Saint.”
Kucai said, “I need the items first before acting.”
“How can I trust you?” Lan Xiaobu’s tone remained calm. If she insisted, he’d return to his cave, grab his things, and leave Saint Island. No Cosmic Heart? He’d survive.
“I’ll swear to help you—how’s that?” Kucai’s voice stayed steady.
Without pause, Lan Xiaobu produced a ring, “Here’s the Samsara Scroll and a Chaos Divine Spirit Vein. Swear, and the scroll stays with you for a day. The vein is yours.”
This woman’s foundation hadn’t healed, and he doubted another vein would fix it.
He could help her, though—with five different Five-Needle Pine Dao Fruits, a Jialan Dao Fruit, and a Chaos Rule Crystal atop a vein, her foundation would recover.
She likely didn’t know he’d mentioned a Jialan Dao Fruit at the auction. If she did, she’d demand it.
If she pried more, it wouldn’t just be the Jialan Dao Fruit she’d want—she’d learn of his top treasures and his preemptive kills of Puheng and Heku Saints.
“I, Kucai, swear: if I receive the Samsara Scroll and a Chaos Divine Spirit Vein, I will join Lan Xiaobu to ambush Buju and the Samsara Saint. Whether we succeed or not, I’ll give my all. If I break this oath, my foundation will never recover,” Kucai vowed without hesitation after her divine sense confirmed the ring’s contents.
Though she didn’t use the Great Dao’s language, she felt a shift in the space around her after swearing, as if a principle’s power had latched onto her.
Kucai frowned slightly. She should’ve been able to shrug off such an oath easily, but this force felt odd.
She dismissed the thought, having no intent to break her word. Taking the ring, she said, “Friend Lan, this shouldn’t wait. Let’s act now.”
Her time was precious; she wouldn’t waste days on this.
Lan Xiaobu sneered inwardly. If she weren’t facing him, she might’ve succeeded. But he was the Dao Lord of the Great Desolation Divine Realm, and with the Eternal Life Realm soon merging into it—per its Dao Court Lord’s decree—any oath sworn before him in either realm would be etched into the Heavenly Dao.
This woman was slippery. He’d only agreed to let her read the scroll for a day, yet her oath claimed she’d “receive” it—a blatant overreach. And saying she’d give her all “whether they succeeded or not” seemed reassuring but was another trick.
It meant as long as she joined the ambush and didn’t hold back, she’d fulfill the oath—success or failure.
Lan Xiaobu didn’t call her out. If he did, she’d likely turn on him, keeping the items. She was too confident in breaking her own oath.
“Thanks, Friend Kucai. I have some ideas—do you know any transformation techniques?” he asked.
Seeing he didn’t nitpick her oath, Kucai relaxed slightly. She planned to keep the scroll after fulfilling her promise, but she didn’t want a fight now. Once done, keeping it wouldn’t affect her.
“I know a bit of transformation, though it’s not a top technique—just something I crafted using dark principles,” she replied.
Hearing “dark principles,” Lan Xiaobu’s mind stirred.
His original plan was for Kucai to transform into him and approach Buju’s cave. Buju and the Samsara Saint would spot her and attack, letting him strike from behind. But with dark principles, he thought it better to transform himself.
Kucai could hide nearby with her dark principles. If someone ambushed him, she’d counterattack, doubling their success rate.
He said quickly, “Friend Kucai, I know some basic transformation skills. I’ll transform and approach Buju’s cave. He’ll notice and, with the Samsara Saint, ambush me. Once they strike, you hit them—how’s that? Target Buju first, then the Samsara Saint.”
“You know transformation skills?” Kucai ignored the plan, surprised he had such a technique.
Lan Xiaobu chuckled, “Yes, a friend who knew Earthly Transformation taught me. It’s a minor skill among minor skills—easily seen through. If you’re interested, I could teach you.”
“So that’s it. Never mind—when do we move?” Kucai said, disappointed.
If Lan Xiaobu’s skill was so basic, teaching her would yield something even worse. She had no interest in such low-tier stuff.
“I’ll go now. Transform into a dark principle and stay close,” Lan Xiaobu said.
Kucai’s character was questionable, but her dark principles were formidable. Hidden nearby, even a Ninth-Turn Saint like Buju might not notice—especially since he hadn’t reached Seventh-Turn, by rumor.
…
Buju’s cave wasn’t at Golden Saint Dao City’s center but sat on its edge. His strength secured him a large territory—ten miles around his cave, free of shops or streets.
