“Yes, too many people come to Longevity Sacred Dao City. If everyone were allowed in, the entire city wouldn’t be able to hold them. The rules are on the stone tablet beside the gate, go read them yourself,” the guard cultivator said, casting a sidelong glance at the tablet by the city entrance.
Luo Caishi led Gu Dao over and immediately saw the contents clearly.
Only after staying outside Longevity Sacred Dao City for ten years could one apply to enter, and this entry wasn’t for permanent residence but for things like shopping or attending auctions. To settle in the city, one needed sufficient contribution points to the Great Desolate Dao Court. Of course, with enough points, one could enter freely without waiting a decade.
Luo Caishi returned to the gate. Before she could speak, the guard frowned and said, “Didn’t I tell you you’re not qualified to enter?”
Luo Caishi quickly replied, “Big brother, could you help me report something? I’m Luo Caishi, the wife of the Great Desolate Dao Court’s Dao Lord, Lan Xiaobu. Just pass the message to the Dao Lord.”
The Dao Lord’s wife? The guard jolted, not daring to think she was lying. Who would dare make such a claim falsely? It could be verified instantly, and if found out, it’d be a death sentence.
“Nonsense, daring to impersonate the Dao Lord’s wife? Courting death!” A massive handprint lunged toward Luo Caishi. She couldn’t move an inch, nor could Gu Dao.
Even a fool could tell the handprint’s owner believed she was Lan Xiaobu’s wife. This must be an enemy of Lan Xiaobu, aiming to seize her as leverage.
The two guards sensed something amiss too. Whether this woman was the Dao Lord’s wife or not, she couldn’t be taken now—at least not without questioning. Yet this black-robed man acted without asking, and they’d never even seen him before.
“Let her go!” One guard punched the handprint, shouting loudly. He knew if this wasn’t handled right today, his life might be forfeit.
The other guard triggered the highest-level alert Longevity Sacred Dao City’s defenders could send.
*Crack!* The guard’s fist shattered against the handprint, his bones splintering inch by inch, but the handprint wasn’t affected in the slightest.
*Boom!* A beam of light shot from afar, striking the unstoppable handprint. It paused briefly, and Gu Dao seized the moment to pull Luo Caishi out of its binding domain, retreating to the side.
The one who acted was a Quasi-Saint Ninth Layer cultivator, not from Longevity Sacred Dao City. He’d heard Luo Caishi’s words and knew the black-robed man had ill intent. But his strength was far inferior. Though his spear strike cracked the handprint and saved Luo Caishi, he spat blood and flew backward.
At that moment, Lan Xiaobu, standing at the Great Desolate Divine Realm’s array gate exit preparing to leave, sensed something wrong. Longevity Sacred Dao City’s alarm had triggered—an alarm from arrays he’d set up himself. How could he not know it?
His divine sense swept over, and he saw the black-robed man lunging at Luo Caishi.
Furious, Lan Xiaobu punched through the void, his figure vanishing from the gate.
The black-robed man’s overwhelming power had already intimidated those who might’ve intervened. Just as he thought he could easily capture Luo Caishi, the space stuttered, slowing his advance. Then a massive fist imprint crashed down.
Trouble! The black-robed man countered with a punch, desperately trying to retreat.
*Crack!* His hand bones shattered, blood spurting from his mouth. In the next instant, a man in a green robe landed before him.
“Xiaobu…” Luo Caishi’s eyes reddened with emotion as she saw him.
“Lord Bu…” Gu Dao shouted excitedly.
“Dao Lord…” Saints Puhe, Kun Wei, Zhen Ti, and Tiangang rushed out.
The highest alert the city’s guards could issue had been triggered. How could this be? The Fallen Saint incident had only just settled—another one like him, and the Great Desolate Divine Realm would have no time to recover.
“Caishi…” Lan Xiaobu was equally moved. He’d planned to go to the Five Universes Immortal Realm, but whether he’d find Luo Caishi there was uncertain. Her arrival at Longevity Sacred Dao City with Gu Dao was what mattered most to him now. He regretted not checking earlier if she’d already entered the realm.
“Xiaobu, if not for these two guards and this big brother, I’d have been taken…” Luo Caishi pointed at the crippled guard on the ground and the Quasi-Saint Ninth Layer cultivator who’d helped.
Though the guard knew he’d done right, despair gnawed at him. His meridians were severed, his Dao foundation destroyed—his cultivation was finished.
Lan Xiaobu tossed a pill into the guard’s mouth, saying, “Thank you. Don’t worry, I’ll restore your Dao foundation soon…”
Before finishing, he turned to the cautiously retreating black-robed man, “What, you think you can still get away?”
The man clasped his fists, “I meant well but acted poorly. I thought she was an imposter. Please, Dao Lord, see the truth.”
“Dao Lord, this is my fault…” Saint Puhe said, shaken. He’d pieced it together—the Dao Lord’s wife returned to Longevity Sacred Dao City and nearly got taken. As the city’s overseer, he’d failed miserably. If the Dao Lord was displeased, he could be dismissed anytime.
Lan Xiaobu waved it off, eyeing the black-robed man again, “Your cultivation’s grown fast, huh? Not just fast, but you’re good at running and bold too. Zhu Ku, think proving the Second Turn makes you untouchable, daring to strut around my turf?”
Lan Xiaobu broke into a cold sweat. Though Zhu Ku was only a Second-Turn Saint, his Dao was terrifying. He was certain neither Puhe nor Tifo could match him. Tiangang might suppress him, but killing him? Impossible. If Lan Xiaobu weren’t here, his people would be in real danger.
Zhu Ku’s guts churned with regret. He’d investigated thoroughly—Lan Xiaobu left the Great Desolate Divine Realm a year ago and shouldn’t have returned so soon. What went wrong? He hadn’t even grabbed Luo Caishi, and Lan Xiaobu showed up?
“Dao Lord Lan, you know I cultivate the Severance Dao with billions of clones. After reaching the Second Turn, you can’t kill me. I swear I’ll never target your people again,” Zhu Ku said, removing his disguise mask.
He knew escape was impossible now. Under Lan Xiaobu’s watch, within Longevity Sacred Dao City’s trapping array and the outer realm-protecting array, no amount of skill could get him out. His only concern was how to reach reincarnation.
“The last guy who said that was the Fallen Saint. Let’s see if your Five-Colored Severance Pearl’s improved,” Lan Xiaobu sneered.
Zhu Ku’s heart skipped. Something felt off. Before he could figure it out, a terrifying Dao law bound him, leaving him pale and immobile. His Severance Dao was formidable, but his cultivation was still too low.
“Dao Lord Lan, I know the secret of the Great Dao. You’re stronger now, but if I reach your level, you won’t stand a chance. Let me go, and I’ll share it,” Zhu Ku transmitted, abandoning pleas.
Lan Xiaobu had intended to kill Zhu Ku outright and use spatial cosmic laws to wipe out all his clone souls. But Zhu Ku’s words made him pause. He locked Zhu Ku up, sealing him in a small world. He had a vague sense Zhu Ku might be right—this needed clarification.
“Thank you, friend,” Lan Xiaobu said, clasping his fists to the Quasi-Saint Ninth Layer cultivator.
“No need. I just happened to see it. My strength’s far below his—I didn’t help much,” the man replied, bowing quickly. He knew the foe aimed to capture, not kill, or he’d be dead a hundred times over.
“Puhe, give this friend 100,000 Dao Court contribution points and permission to establish a cave abode in Longevity Sacred Dao City,” Lan Xiaobu said casually.
Before Puhe could respond, the Quasi-Saint trembled with excitement. A cave in the city was beyond even saints’ dreams, and 100,000 points was unimaginable wealth. Acting decisively had paid off.
The surrounding cultivators, hearing such rewards, regretted not stepping in or reacting too slowly.
Lan Xiaobu took out a Jialan Dao Fruit, feeding it to the crippled guard, saying, “Each of these guards gets 50,000 contribution points and a cave abode in the city.”
“Yes,” Puhe replied promptly.
The fruit melted instantly. The guard felt his ruined Dao foundation rapidly mending. Hearing he could settle in the city, he was overwhelmed—it felt unreal, beyond even dreams, yet it was now reality.
