Though everyone in Time Mountain Plaza stood within Lan Xiaobu’s entrapment divine array, their thoughts diverged wildly. Just then, the oppressive killing intent surrounding them vanished abruptly, leaving the entire space clear and bright.
Looking around, they saw that, apart from Lan Xiaobu standing in the distance, not a single Beast Soul Sect member remained.
Not just people—no corpses, no bones, not even a drop of blood stained the ground. If they hadn’t just witnessed the sky filled with blood mist, they might’ve thought the Beast Soul Sect had simply left.
The Yellow Spring Ancestor narrowed his eyes. Others might not have noticed Lan Xiaobu summoning the Reincarnation Bridge, but he was certain of it.
He cultivated the Yellow Spring Great Dao. If he could obtain the Reincarnation Bridge, it would be like adding wings to a tiger, greatly boosting his chances of stepping into the Eternal Realm. “Many thanks to Lord Lan for coming to our aid. On behalf of Li Zhou Palace, I, Shan Bu’ang, sincerely invite Lord Lan to be our honorary Palace Master.”
Seeing Lan Xiaobu approach, Shan Bu’ang led a group of Li Zhou Palace cultivators forward, bowing in gratitude.
Lan Xiaobu nodded but hadn’t yet spoken when the sect masters of Sky Desert Hall, Saint Wasteland, and Yellow Spring Sacred Sect all came over to greet him. Lan Xiaobu’s strength was simply too outrageous—beyond what numbers could overwhelm. He returned their courtesies politely, declined Li Zhou Palace’s honorary title with tact, and then walked toward the Yellow Spring Ancestor.
The Yellow Spring Ancestor’s heart skipped a beat. He was the only one coveting Lan Xiaobu’s Reincarnation Bridge. For Lan Xiaobu to single him out after ignoring everyone else—had his intentions been discovered?
The more he thought about it, the colder his back grew. The Beast Soul Sect’s fate was a fresh lesson, its blood not yet dry. No matter how strong Yellow Spring Sacred Sect was, he didn’t dare claim it surpassed the Beast Soul Sect. Even if it did, so what? Though Lan Xiaobu had halted the killing array, it hadn’t been dismantled—it still loomed outside, watching them like a predator.
“Your sect is Yellow Spring Sacred Sect?” Lan Xiaobu asked, eyeing him.
The Yellow Spring Ancestor hurriedly clasped his fists, “Indeed. Lord Lan’s strength is unparalleled in this plane. If you’d grace my humble Yellow Spring Star with a visit, my sect would roll out the welcome mat.”
Lan Xiaobu replied coolly, “Visiting Yellow Spring Sacred Sect isn’t out of the question. But what technique do you cultivate?”
Hearing this, the Yellow Spring Ancestor’s fear spiked. He was now certain Lan Xiaobu had sensed his greed for the Reincarnation Bridge—it was terrifying. Despite his dread, he frowned slightly before answering, “I cultivate the Yellow Spring Great Dao. That’s common knowledge.”
As a star-level sect master, if he showed no displeasure at being questioned about his technique, he’d look too spineless. “Oh, I see. And your treasure—what is it? Could I take a look?” Lan Xiaobu pressed.
If anyone else dared ask this, the Yellow Spring Ancestor would’ve attacked.
But Lan Xiaobu? He didn’t dare.
Suppressing his anger and discomfort, he waved a hand, summoning a vast Yellow Spring. “This is my treasure—Heavenly Dao Yellow Spring.”
Cowardice was better than death or sect annihilation. In the distance, Saint Wasteland’s Da Xuanqiong and Sky Desert Hall’s Zhen Changtian couldn’t fathom why Lan Xiaobu targeted the Yellow Spring Ancestor. But neither was willing to speak up for him. They resolved that if Lan Xiaobu attacked, they’d strike the array immediately. Who knew if Lan Xiaobu was picking them off one by one?
As the Yellow Spring descended, countless tormented souls wailed within, its murderous aura nearly saturating the planet. Lan Xiaobu said lightly, “That’s enough.” He’d confirmed it—the Yellow Spring Ancestor’s treasure was a counterfeit.
Yet this counterfeit’s power was fearsome, likely rivalling his Great Destruction Technique or Great Curse Technique in combat. Lan Xiaobu rarely used those two primal divine abilities, leaving their primal Dao scrolls gathering dust since acquiring them. To him, unleashing them wouldn’t crush top-tier powerhouses but would devastate weaker cultivators over a vast area.
To Lan Xiaobu, this wasn’t about accruing karma—it was against the harmony of the heavens. When he’d gone to the Beast Soul Sect’s planet, most proven powerhouses would’ve razed it entirely after wiping out the sect for peace of mind. But Lan Xiaobu left right after destroying the sect, not even killing all its members.
This was his底线 in cultivation. Otherwise, one Great Destruction Technique, and the whole planet would’ve been obliterated.
Using Great Destruction or Great Curse in a plaza like this, unable to unleash them fully while controlling their kill range, felt stifling to Lan Xiaobu. Combat should be unrestrained, which was why he opted for the Reincarnation Bridge and Horn Tone Kill. As the Yellow Spring Ancestor retracted his Heavenly Dao Yellow Spring, barely catching his breath, Lan Xiaobu spoke again, “Sect Master Yellow Spring, if you’ll heed my advice: don’t indulge in excessive slaughter. Otherwise, the retribution will eventually fall on your own head. Also, you coveted my treasure. Today, I’ve seen yours—let’s hope there’s no next time.” The Yellow Spring Ancestor’s scalp tingled. He’d been right—his fleeting greed for the Reincarnation Bridge had landed him in Lan Xiaobu’s sights.
Recalling how the Beast Soul Sect vanished for stealing Lan Xiaobu’s beast companion, he shuddered. After warning the Yellow Spring Ancestor, Lan Xiaobu turned to the others. Within his ruleless array, he’d kept tabs on everyone. When he’d summoned the Reincarnation Bridge, the Yellow Spring Ancestor’s naked greed was impossible to miss—how could Lan Xiaobu not notice?
He wasn’t worried about whether he could destroy Yellow Spring Sacred Sect. He simply didn’t want to rack up too many enemies, hence the warning. Sects like Beast Soul and Yellow Spring clearly had powerful backers. When he’d refined the Great Dao Purifying Pool at the Beast Soul Sect, he’d been threatened. As his cultivation grew and his Dao surpassed certain thresholds, he’d inevitably cross paths with those powerhouses. If so, fewer enemies meant less trouble. Seeing Lan Xiaobu spare the Yellow Spring Ancestor, Da Xuanqiong and Zhen Changtian breathed sighs of relief.
With Lan Xiaobu’s displayed strength, they’d avoid clashing with him unless absolutely necessary. Suddenly, Lan Xiaobu waved a hand, and all the flags of the Cocoon Entrapment Array outside Time Mountain were swept away. Everyone felt an immense relief wash over them.
Da Xuanqiong and Zhen Changtian, who’d been eager to leave, now abandoned that urge. Lan Xiaobu removing the array flags signalled he wouldn’t act against them. If he wouldn’t, befriending such a powerhouse was worth considering. Just then, over a thousand figures were blasted down, crashing onto Time Mountain Plaza. Everyone understood—after the Time Tree fled into the void, something shifted on Time Mountain, ejecting those atop it. Climbing it again would be easier, but with the Time Tree gone, and only a fraction of the original tens of thousands returning from the initial rush, no one cared to try.
As the Beast Soul Sect’s Han Yue Shan and Tang Qi landed, two figures lunged at them. Everyone saw clearly—it was two Ninth-Turn Sages from Li Zhou Palace, one being the Second Palace Master, Chen Jiutian.
Under the crushing domains of these sages, Han Yue Shan and Tang Qi paled. Geniuses though they were—a Sixth-Turn and a Fourth-Turn—they could only sense death against Ninth-Turn might. Worse, no Beast Soul Sect powerhouses came to their aid. “Sect Master Qiong, Hall Master Zhen, Senior Yellow Spring, Li Zhou Palace is attacking our disciples. Are you just going to let them…” Tang Qi’s plea was cut short as a violent domain shredded his words.
“Pfft! Pfft!” Two bursts of blood erupted. Han Yue Shan and Tang Qi didn’t last a few breaths before the Ninth-Turn sages slew them. Lan Xiaobu nodded. Even if Li Zhou Palace hadn’t killed them, he would’ve. Their action showed some discernment. If they’d left such trivial matters to him, Li Zhou Palace wouldn’t have been worth saving. “Brother Lan…” Zhi Yi spotted Lan Xiaobu instantly, then saw Taichuan beside him. In that moment, she understood everything—Lan Xiaobu reclaiming his beast companion meant he’d destroyed the Beast Soul Sect. Without destroying them, he couldn’t have retrieved it.
The Beast Soul Sect’s tyranny wouldn’t willingly surrender a captured beast.
With no Beast Soul Sect cultivators in Time Mountain Plaza, they’d either fled or been eradicated by Lan Xiaobu. Zhi Yi wasn’t surprised he’d destroyed them—given how he’d thunderously crushed Tai Xu Hall’s powerhouses, wiping out the Beast Soul Sect seemed par for the course. “Thank you, Brother Lan, for coming to our aid. I’m ashamed—I’d grasped the Time Tree, but my fortune was too shallow to keep it.”
Zhi Yi bowed, genuinely embarrassed. She’d meant to gift it to Lan Xiaobu but failed to secure it. Shan Bu’ang, who’d approached to speak, felt awkward too. He’d planned to offer the Time Tree as well, made the promise, yet now delivered nothing. Lan Xiaobu waved it off, glanced at Time Mountain, and said, “Friends, wait a moment. I’ll check Time Mountain. When I return, I’d like to discuss the Great Dao with you.” He intended to ask about the Eternal Great Dao, but with the Time Tree tied to Time Mountain, he wanted to investigate himself, even if it had fled.
Shan Bu’ang, Zhen Changtian, Da Xuanqiong, and the Yellow Spring Ancestor all responded with polite eagerness, assuring they’d await his return.
