Lan Xiaobu knew time was of the essence. After discussing with the Eternal Night Saint and Blood River Saint, he immediately decided to leave Eternal Night Abyss to search for the fourth Seven Realms Stone realm flag.
The Eternal Night Saint and Blood River Saint had originally only hoped for a chance to enter the Eternal Life Realm. Now, with Lan Xiaobu’s appearance, that possibility became tangible. When Lan Xiaobu departed, the two eagerly left Eternal Night Abyss with the others. For them, heading to the Eternal Life Realm meant the higher their cultivation, the better. If they could comprehend the grey dragon’s Eternal Life charm, their strength would undoubtedly rise to a new level.
Once outside Eternal Night Abyss, Lan Xiaobu parted ways with the group. The Eternal Night Saint, Blood River Saint, Qingmu Saint, and Samsara Saint were leaving this planar domain to seek the grey dragon, while Qin Qiongshan and Zou Yiner returned to their sect.
Lan Xiaobu resolved to find the Seven Realms Stone realm flags, then retrieve the Seven Realms Stone from Zhan’ai Holy Dao City before heading to the Eternal Life Realm.
While others frantically bolstered their strength, he had to hasten his pace. Who knew if the Great Cosmos Saint might unleash another Cataclysm of Annihilation on the Great Wilderness Divine Realm’s plane? Even if the Great Cosmos Saint hadn’t matured, who could say there weren’t other saints out there?
“Senior Lan…” As Lan Xiaobu summoned the Samsara Cauldron, a slightly panicked voice called out.
Lan Xiaobu turned, puzzled, “Why didn’t you leave?”
This was one of the people he’d rescued from the sand prison. Since the man hadn’t given his name but had opened his world, Lan Xiaobu had saved him on a whim. As for the other cultivators still in the prison, they’d likely never escape in their lifetime.
“Junior Zhuo Xuantian thanks Senior for saving my life,” Zhuo Xuantian said, bowing deeply with utmost respect upon seeing Lan Xiaobu’s confusion.
Noting Zhuo Xuantian’s demeanor, Lan Xiaobu realised the man had withheld his name in the prison for some hidden reason. But he wasn’t particularly interested in that.
Lan Xiaobu nodded, “You stopped me—do you have something to say?”
Zhuo Xuantian quickly replied, “Yes. I didn’t dare reveal my name in the sand prison—first, I didn’t know Senior’s strength was so extraordinary; second, I feared others with ill intent might overhear. Senior didn’t react to my name, so you’re clearly not from this planar domain.”
“True, I’m not from this plane. What do you want to say now?” Lan Xiaobu said.
Zhuo Xuantian explained, “I heard Senior mention seeking the Seven Realms Stone, so I boldly called out. Does Senior know of the three supreme treasures of the cosmos, born alongside its creation?”
“Oh? Which three?” Lan Xiaobu asked.
Zhuo Xuantian replied respectfully, “The first is called the Cosmic Stone. I suspect the Seven Realms Stone might be it, though I’m not certain. The second is the Cosmic Dimension Model, a treasure lost for ages, known only in legends…”
Cosmic Dimension Model? Lan Xiaobu thought, *What a coincidence.* It resided in his consciousness sea. Though he rarely used it now, without it, he wouldn’t have reached this point.
“The third is the Cosmic Mill, the only offensive treasure among the three. It can grind away all divine abilities and laws,” Zhuo Xuantian finished in one breath.
Lan Xiaobu didn’t interrupt. Since Zhuo Xuantian had brought up the three cosmic treasures, he wouldn’t stop there. Sure enough, Zhuo Xuantian continued, “I dared not reveal my name because once I did, everyone would want to capture me—just as Meng Qi knew the Seven Realms Stone’s location. Only I know of the Cosmic Mill’s existence, and only I can help someone find it.”
Lan Xiaobu nodded. Truthfully, he wasn’t particularly interested in the Cosmic Mill. He had offensive treasures and auxiliary ones alike—the Cosmic Dimension Model was the ultimate auxiliary treasure, though he seldom used it now.
Sensing Lan Xiaobu’s lukewarm interest, Zhuo Xuantian pressed, “With Senior’s current strength, the Cosmic Mill might offer little help—you don’t even need it. But once you reach the Eternal Life Realm, it becomes crucial. Without it, Senior might not stand among Eternal Life powerhouses.”
“What do you mean?” Lan Xiaobu asked, puzzled.
Zhuo Xuantian explained, “Senior, though everyone knows the cosmos’s creation treasures number three, I’ve heard something else: in the vast expanse, Creation Saints cannot exceed nine, so the top cosmic treasures are nine, not three. We only know three because the others have never surfaced. An Eternal Life Saint with a cosmic treasure is nearly invincible. Senior’s divine abilities are boundless, but against an Eternal Life Saint wielding a creation treasure, even if you can hold your own, you might not achieve greater victories.”
His words were tactful, but the meaning was clear: even if Lan Xiaobu one day stepped into Eternal Life and boasted immense combat power, facing a Creation powerhouse with a cosmic treasure would leave him on the losing end.
“Hm, go on,” Lan Xiaobu said, finding Zhuo Xuantian’s reasoning sound. His current strength made him nearly unmatched in this cosmos, but in the Eternal Life Realm, where Eternal Life Saints abounded, even the grey dragon’s aura had overwhelmed him—and it was merely the weakest Creation Realm.
Zhuo Xuantian continued, “I come from a mid-tier sect on Da Mo Void Star, the Xuanyuan Dao Sect, where I’m the sect leader…”
Lan Xiaobu interrupted, “I know every planet has a stellar sect. Which is Da Mo Void Star’s?”
Zhuo Xuantian nodded, “Da Mo Void Star doesn’t have one stellar sect, but four: Da Pan Dao Gate, Qian Xu Holy Path, Purple Cloud Valley, and Hundred Paths River.”
Lan Xiaobu looked at him, puzzled, “I’ve heard a planet can have at most two stellar sects. How does Da Mo Void Star have four?”
Zhuo Xuantian replied, “Because Da Mo Void Star is dozens of times larger than typical planets, and the Cosmic Mill is there. Everyone knows it’s on Da Mo Void Star, but no one can find it. That’s why they’re all after me, hoping I’ll lead them to it.”
“Then why can you find it?” Lan Xiaobu stared at him.
Zhuo Xuantian sighed, “I was just an ordinary cultivator. After becoming the Xuanyuan Dao Sect’s leader, my cultivation reached the Fourth-Turn Realm. By chance, I glimpsed the Cosmic Mill. Overjoyed, I tried to take it, but a primal spirit attempted to possess me…”
Cultivating the Longevity Path, Lan Xiaobu could tell if someone had been possessed. Zhuo Xuantian showed no signs of it.
“I fought desperately against the possessing spirit. It had just gained sentience and seemed gravely injured. In my struggle, it shattered, and I gained part of its memories and a small stele…”
As he spoke, Zhuo Xuantian handed Lan Xiaobu a palm-sized stone tablet.
Lan Xiaobu took it and saw the words “Cosmic Mill” etched on it.
Zhuo Xuantian said, “Senior saved my life, so this stele is yours. The broken spirit that tried to possess me was the Cosmic Mill’s artifact spirit. That’s how I learned some of its secrets.
“I have one more request: please go to Da Mo Void Star and publicly claim the Cosmic Mill. I can’t rest easy about the Xuanyuan Dao Sect—it’s where I proved my path. If I don’t stay there, I’ll never advance further in this lifetime.”
Lan Xiaobu understood. If the Cosmic Mill remained unclaimed, Zhuo Xuantian’s return would draw immediate attention. By publicly taking it, Lan Xiaobu would shift the stellar sects’ focus onto himself, relieving Zhuo Xuantian’s crisis.
“How did others know you obtained the Cosmic Mill’s spirit?” Lan Xiaobu pressed. With the spirit, finding and refining the mill should be easy.
Zhuo Xuantian explained, “When I clashed with the mill’s spirit, the entire valley where it happened was steeped in its aura, and the memories and charm of the mill I gained spread out…”
No further explanation was needed—Lan Xiaobu got it. The valley radiating the Cosmic Mill’s charm and memories was like a public announcement: “I have the mill’s spirit-stele, and only I can find and refine it.”
“With immense willpower, I blocked the spirit’s possession, then used a sealing talisman to flee Da Mo Void Star. I hid my identity and avoided its outskirts until I was captured and thrown into the Eternal Night Sand Prison…” Zhuo Xuantian finished, wiping his face to reveal his true appearance—a middle-aged man with slightly dark skin and an unremarkable look.
Lan Xiaobu nodded. The man had used the Earth Fiend Illusion Technique, and he’d mastered it well. “In that case, take me to Da Mo Void Star. If you returned now, your Xuanyuan Dao Sect might already be gone.”
Zhuo Xuantian beamed, “I can sense my sect still stands. The four stellar sects haven’t touched it—likely thinking as long as it remains, I’ll return. And they’re right. If it were destroyed, I wouldn’t go back.”
“Good. Wait a moment,” Lan Xiaobu said, pulling out his three Seven Realms Stone realm flags. As he placed them in the vast void, they instantly condensed three immense auras, merging into an arrow…
