Watching Lan Xiaobu casually tear apart Chen Jue Sage’s world with a single grab, silence fell over the scene.
Xing Hu felt his heart tremble. He’d never seen someone as terrifying as Lan Xiaobu. How profound must one’s mastery of heavenly laws be to rip open a first-turn sage’s world so effortlessly?
Had he lost his mind, thinking he could seize the Eternal Life Realm from such a man and use it as his foundation to ascend to ninth-turn sage?
After Lan Xiaobu stripped everything from Chen Jue’s world, Xing Hu spoke, his voice quivering. “Blue Dao Lord, I, Xing Hu, was blind to your might and offended you…”
Mid-sentence, he sensed something amiss—a faint危機 looming. Without hesitation, he seized a fragment of his soul and swore, “I, Xing Hu, vow from this moment to obey Blue Dao Lord’s every command as my binding oath. Should I defy it, may my soul perish.”
As his oath took hold, a subtle breath of the Heavenly Dao struck his soul. Xing Hu exhaled in relief. He’d done all he could—if Lan Xiaobu still wanted him dead, he could only blame his own folly. His survival thus far wasn’t solely due to strength but knowing when to act decisively. Realising words were futile, he’d opted for concrete action.
Lan Xiaobu paused, impressed by the man’s decisiveness. Truth be told, no matter how Xing Hu pleaded, he’d had no intention of sparing him. He avoided provoking powerhouses like the Three Pure Saints Sect, but with them attacking his doorstep, there was no room for mercy. Besides, he was determined to merge the Eternal Life Realm into the Great Desolate Divine Realm—there was no reconciling with them.
Yet Xing Hu, instead of begging endlessly, had sensed the futility and immediately sworn a Great Dao oath. Such resolve earned Lan Xiaobu’s grudging respect.
A second-turn sage swearing such an oath was worth keeping. Lan Xiaobu’s strength had grown, but he lacked capable subordinates.
“Stand aside for now,” Lan Xiaobu said with a nod, withholding his killing blow.
Xing Hu clenched his fists in excitement, forgetting that just an hour ago, he’d planned to seize Eternal Life Sage City and use the Eternal Life Realm to climb from second-turn to ninth-turn sage.
Now, a mere hour later, spared by Lan Xiaobu—and possibly accepted as a follower—he was overwhelmed with elation.
Life’s twists and turns, the shifting of the mind—so unpredictable.
Nearly a million cultivator troops emerged, along with five first-turn sages and one second-turn sage, all eyeing Xing Hu.
Xing Hu had been the linchpin of this plan, backed by a powerful faction. The intent was to take Eternal Life Sage City, eliminate Kun Wei, and install Xing Hu as the new Dao Lord of the Eternal Life Dao Court.
But these sages had just sensed Xing Hu swearing a Great Dao oath. Though its contents were unclear, given Lan Xiaobu’s ease in crushing Chen Jue, it was likely a pledge of loyalty.
“Blue Dao Lord…” the second-turn sage clasped his fists. Regardless of Xing Hu’s choice, Lan Xiaobu’s strength left them no claim to Eternal Life Sage City.
Lan Xiaobu waved him off, cutting in. “I offer you two paths. First, cripple your cultivation and leave. Second, swear a Great Dao oath to dedicate yourselves to the prosperity of the Great Desolate Divine Realm, upholding all its rules and order. Any violation brings death by tribulation.”
His words stunned everyone. For a divine realm cultivator, crippling one’s cultivation was tantamount to suicide. But swearing to serve the Great Desolate Dao Court with everything—what was the point of cultivating then?
“Blue Dao Lord, this is excessive. We haven’t attacked Eternal Life Sage City—just stationed troops here,” the second-turn sage said, frowning.
Though Lan Xiaobu had effortlessly killed Chen Jue, he believed he could escape via Great Dao laws the moment Lan Xiaobu unleashed his domain. He might not match Lan Xiaobu’s strength, but in evasion, he doubted anyone in the Eternal Life Realm could rival him.
The others stayed silent, awaiting Lan Xiaobu’s response.
Lan Xiaobu said coolly, “If you won’t swear, leave now—but no swift escapes. You must walk out within a ten-thousand-mile radius.”
“Yes, thank you, Blue Dao Lord,” the second-turn sage replied, turning to leave without hesitation. Though walking, he was miles away in mere breaths.
Seeing the Demon Derivation Sect’s second-turn sage depart safely, the remaining first-turn sages who’d considered swearing also followed suit.
Only one first-turn sage and a fraction of the cultivator army remained, all swearing the oath as Lan Xiaobu demanded.
Lan Xiaobu glanced curiously at the lone first-turn sage. Amid the rush of quasi-sages, pseudo-sages, first- and second-turn sages, and troops desperate to flee, this one stayed. The remaining troops likely followed him.
“Feng Kai greets Blue Dao Lord…” The first-turn sage bowed after swearing his oath.
“You’re a demon clan cultivator? Why not leave with the others?” Lan Xiaobu saw at a glance that he hailed from the demon clan.
Feng Kai quickly replied, “Indeed, I’m of the demon clan. The divine beast by your side is a Chaos Unicorn, also of our kind, with unmatched instincts and vision. First, I’m weary of endless strife and wish to aid the Great Desolate Dao Court. Second, I’d rather not oppose the Chaos Unicorn.”
“Good. Organise your troops and integrate them into the Great Desolate Dao Court. From now on, it will unify the Eternal Life Realm. All sects and holy courts unrecognised by the Great Desolate Dao Court are disbanded. You’ll have much to do,” Lan Xiaobu said.
Feng Kai’s allegiance wasn’t mere words. Though Kun Wei remained missing, the Eternal Life Realm needed order. Lan Xiaobu wouldn’t tolerate sects and courts warring as before, heedless of the realm’s stability.
“Yes,” Feng Kai replied, but then sensed something amiss. He looked toward where the Demon Derivation Sect’s second-turn sage had fled, detecting violent spatial fluctuations.
His divine sense swept over, and his eyes filled with dread. The second-turn sage was gone, but two first-turn sages had burst into blood mist.
Not just them—anyone crossing a certain boundary exploded, regardless of cultivation. Clearly, Lan Xiaobu had set a law-strangling array there.
Xing Hu paled, grateful for his choice. He’d sensed something off when the second-turn sage left so easily. A Dao Lord like Lan Xiaobu, if so lenient, wouldn’t last long—nor would the Great Desolate Dao Court, mired in endless conflict.
Now, it was clear. Those who fled burst into blood mist. Lan Xiaobu’s methods were swift and decisive.
The quasi-sages, pseudo-sages, and sages desperate to escape felt terror surge within them.
Realising escape was impossible, many backtracked—only to be torn apart by spatial forces into blood mist.
“Blue Dao Lord, I’ll swear the oath…” a first-turn sage cried in panic, regretting his choice.
But before he finished, his body was crushed by raging heavenly laws, reduced to gore.
The surviving troops who hadn’t fled inwardly rejoiced at their decision. Caution, indeed, paid off.
“Puhe, organise the troops here and prepare to conquer the Eternal Life Realm. Xing Hu, Feng Kai, assist Puhe. From now on, all self-established sects must be recognised by the Great Desolate Dao Court, or they’ll be eradicated. No holy courts may persist, or they’ll be eradicated. Tifo, come with me to inspect the merged boundary of the Great Desolate Divine Realm and Eternal Life Realm,” Lan Xiaobu said, ignoring the troops shredded by his array.
To end the wars of holy sects in the Eternal Life Realm, he’d start with war.
“Yes,” Puhe, Xing Hu, and Feng Kai replied promptly.
“Brother Xiaobu, I’ll help you conquer the Eternal Life Realm,” Zhao Gongming stepped forward without hesitation.
“Brother Zhao, you haven’t reached first-turn…”
Before Lan Xiaobu could finish, Zhao Gongming waved him off. “Brother Xiaobu, my Dao is the Dao of War. I must advance through battle.”
“Xiaobu, I feel I need to roam too. Let me join Brother Zhao and contribute to the Eternal Life Realm. Once it’s stable, I’ll build a manor here,” Xi Nianmo said.
After a brief hesitation, Lan Xiaobu nodded. “Alright, so be it. Puhe will follow your lead. Take these—resources for when you’re ready to break through.”
He handed two rings—one to Zhao Gongming, one to Xi Nianmo. The one for Zhao Gongming was generous: ten chaos divine spirit veins, a hundred top-grade divine spirit veins, and five million divine essence pills infused with a trace of the Heart of the Universe’s aura—enough to propel him to third- or even fourth-turn sage.
Zhao Gongming’s techniques and Dao were sound; his stagnation stemmed from a lack of resources.
“No need to stand on ceremony,” Zhao Gongming laughed, accepting it without reservation. With Lan Xiaobu, there was no need for formalities.
