This was a second-turn sage. With a sweep of his divine sense, Lan Xiaobu instantly discerned the man’s cultivation. His Charm of the Dao was robust, his strength clearly formidable.
Before the purple-robed man could speak, someone flew out from Eternal Life Sage City, standing in the void. “Xing Hu, why bother? You can’t breach Eternal Life Sage City. Now that the fortune of the Heavenly Dao is recovering, you’re wasting time here instead of cultivating.”
The purple-robed man, Xing Hu, replied, “Tifo, if Lan Xiaobu doesn’t return, are you all just going to keep guarding this place? The primal chaos laws have fused the domains of the Great Desolate Divine Realm and the Eternal Life Realm. Your priority shouldn’t be staying here but heading to the Great Desolate Divine Realm. Beyond merging with the Eternal Life Realm, it might even assimilate other domains. If you linger here, the Great Desolate Divine Realm could already be claimed by others.
“Besides, the affairs of the Eternal Life Realm should be left to us, its cultivators. You’ve stayed here and built a Sage City—what’s that about?”
“Get lost, stop yapping, or Lord Zhao here will slap you dead,” a gruff voice interrupted. Zhao Gongming’s figure appeared beside Tifo. He had no patience for Xing Hu’s nonsense—fight if you want, what’s with all the chatter?
“Zhao Heihu, we’re technically from the same lineage. Yet you’re helping an outsider here? You should be on our side, rebuilding the Great Desolate Cosmos,” Xing Hu said, his tone displeased.
“Haha…” Zhao Gongming laughed heartily, though his eyes held no mirth. Pointing at Xing Hu, he cursed, “Who do you think you are? You dare claim kinship with me? Forget that you’re a stray—even if you were truly from Xuandu’s lineage, in my eyes, you’re nothing but air.”
Lan Xiaobu stepped forward, overjoyed. “Brother Zhao, we meet again!”
“Xiaobu?” Zhao Gongming roared with laughter. A man of deep loyalty, he’d only returned to his sect after the Great Radial Gobi Valley to repay a debt of gratitude.
But after the Intercept Sect seized some spoils, his sect left the Eternal Life Realm, summoned by their grandmaster. Feeling his ties with the Intercept Sect were fulfilled—having repaid and done all he could—Zhao Gongming decided to pursue his own path, free from being led.
Unexpectedly, he’d been captured by the Eternal Life Dao Court. Fortunately, they feared Lan Xiaobu and later apologised, releasing him.
So, Zhao Gongming stayed in Eternal Life Sage City, where he felt most at ease with Lan Xiaobu, their bond the strongest. Here, he was truly free.
“The Dao Lord’s back!” Tifo exclaimed, elated. He’d been right—aligning with Lan Xiaobu was the best decision. Though Lan Xiaobu’s Charm of the Dao was subdued, Tifo sensed he’d ascended to first-turn sage. Back when Lan Xiaobu was a quasi-sage, he’d already been unafraid of Tifo. Now, as a first-turn sage, Xing Hu wouldn’t stand a chance.
Puhe Sage, Xi Nianmo, Gu Du, and others rushed to greet him, though Lan Xiaobu noticed Meteor was absent.
“Blue Dao Lord,” Xing Hu said, clasping his fists politely.
Lan Xiaobu’s divine sense scanned the encampments outside. Beyond the numerous cultivator armies, there were seven or eight first- and second-turn sages. These camps belonged to various holy courts.
They were clearly poised to wage war on his Eternal Life Sage City—and on Great Desolate Divine Realm territory, no less.
“Who’s this?” Lan Xiaobu asked Tifo, ignoring Xing Hu.
Before Tifo could reply, Zhao Gongming chuckled. “He claims to be under Senior Brother Gu Du’s lineage, but he’s just a fringe figure. My master and two martial uncles were summoned by our grandmaster and left the Eternal Life Realm for greater opportunities. This guy wasn’t up to par, so he stayed behind. Seeing the Eternal Life Realm’s fortune and laws improving, he got restless. He rallied a dozen holy courts to seize Eternal Life Sage City, probably dreaming of becoming a Dao Court Lord. Pity—big ambitions, mediocre strength.”
Tifo added, “They’re mainly upset that the Eternal Life Realm is merging into the Great Desolate Divine Realm. They besieged Friend Kun Wei, demanding he relinquish the Eternal Life Dao Court’s Dao Lord position because he supports the merger.”
“Where’s Kun Wei?” Lan Xiaobu asked. Kun Wei had kept his word—worthy of the mercy he’d shown.
“No clue. After these bastards chased him off, he vanished,” Tifo said bitterly.
He wasn’t worried for Kun Wei but frustrated by his absence. With Kun Wei here and Lan Xiaobu back, merging the Eternal Life Realm into the Great Desolate Divine Realm would be seamless. Kun Wei, as Dao Lord, could oversee it.
Without him, merging was tricky. The Eternal Life Realm was a distinct domain with its own Heavenly Dao laws and Dao Lord. Even Lan Xiaobu couldn’t merge it unilaterally—it required the Dao Lord’s cooperation under the witness of the Heavenly Dao.
“Blue Dao Lord’s pretty arrogant, huh?” a shrill voice cut in.
“He was a guest sage at Golden Pot Palace, titled Chen Jue. After ascending to first-turn sage, he killed their palace lord, Chun Hu Sage. Heh, just a petty schemer,” Puhe Sage remarked.
Golden Pot Palace? Lan Xiaobu recalled Pu Heng Sage, also from there, who’d joined Kun Wei, fled to Sage Island after Kun Wei couldn’t protect him, and died as cannon fodder.
“You want to steal my treasures?” Lan Xiaobu asked bluntly.
Chen Jue Sage blinked, stunned. Was this Blue Dao Lord an idiot? Who flaunts their treasures so openly?
Before Chen Jue could respond, Lan Xiaobu’s massive handprint shot out, aiming for his neck.
Even Tifo froze. Grabbing a first-turn sage’s neck with a handprint? Not even a seventh-turn sage would dare such a move so casually. What gave Lan Xiaobu such confidence?
Chen Jue, seeing this, laughed in fury. Even as a pseudo-sage, Lan Xiaobu wouldn’t have dared this—let alone now as a first-turn sage.
Enraged, Chen Jue prepared to unleash his Green Pot treasure, but his expression shifted. Terror gripped him, choking his breath.
He felt utterly detached from his space, locked in a deathly aura, unable to move. Suppressed to immobility by mere domain momentum—what realm, what power was this?
As the speechless onlookers watched Lan Xiaobu’s handprint seize Chen Jue’s neck and lift him, their expressions froze.
Xing Hu’s face paled instantly. Lan Xiaobu was stronger than his master—a terrifying existence he’d dared to challenge.
Instinctively, Xing Hu tried to retreat. Had he known Lan Xiaobu’s strength, he’d never have coveted the Eternal Life Realm or Eternal Life Sage City.
But then he froze—his space was locked too. He couldn’t escape. Lan Xiaobu wasn’t just strong; he was horrifyingly so. Grabbing Chen Jue’s neck was shocking enough, but suppressing a second-turn sage like him with his domain?
Xing Hu wanted to break free, yet he hesitated. He could, but feared Lan Xiaobu turning hostile.
“There was a guy named Pu Heng, tied to Golden Pot Palace too, but he’s long gone. You’re a bit late, though just in time,” Lan Xiaobu said, tightening his grip.
“Spare me, Blue Dao Lord! I swear to serve the Great Desolate Divine Realm. My cultivation’s modest, but I can do much for you. I know secrets about Golden Pot Palace’s plots against you…” Chen Jue panicked. He didn’t want to die—after clawing his way to first-turn sage, he hadn’t even savored the peak before facing death. What rotten luck.
*Crack!* Lan Xiaobu squeezed harder. Chen Jue’s eyes filled with dread and regret as he heard his bones snap, his sea of consciousness and soul shatter.
Life’s highs and lows—his pride at ascending to first-turn sage vanished in an instant.
“Wait until you betray me like you did Chun Hu Sage?” Lan Xiaobu sneered, casually tearing open Chen Jue’s world…
