Not only Zhuo Xuantian, but the surrounding crowd was also momentarily stunned.
What kind of place was Jiu Shuo Void City? Someone dared to kill here? It wasn’t unheard of, but past killers had their flesh stripped away, their souls burned outside the city for nine hundred and ninety-nine years before being utterly annihilated.
And that wasn’t the end, the killer’s family, sect, and even their entire planet would be wiped out, not a blade of grass left standing.
Moreover, the person Lan Xiaobu killed seemed to hold some status here, a shopkeeper reportedly close to one of Jiu Shuo Void City’s deacons, making the consequences even graver.
So, after Lan Xiaobu’s act, the area fell into a brief silence. Jiu Shuo Void City was always bustling, and the quiet drew more onlookers.
Lan Xiaobu pulled out the Samsara Pot, “Hop on, we’ll head to Da Mo Xuan Star first.”
Zhuo Xuantian sighed, “Senior Lan, I’m afraid we can’t leave.”
He knew full well the repercussions of Lan Xiaobu killing someone here, it was too severe. Not just Lan Xiaobu, but his family, sect, and friends would all be slaughtered. That included Zhuo Xuantian and his Xuan Yuan Dao Sect, none would escape.
Even Da Mo Void Star would likely have to pay a steep price. Fortunately, Jiu Shuo Void City had significant influence there, so Da Mo Void Star itself wouldn’t be eradicated.
“He’s right, you’re not going anywhere,” a cold voice cut through, followed by two figures landing before Lan Xiaobu and Zhuo Xuantian.
One was a Seventh Turn powerhouse, the other an Eighth Turn.
Zhuo Xuantian sent a voice transmission to Lan Xiaobu, “Not only you, but me and my sect will likely be wiped out by Jiu Shuo Void City too.”
Lan Xiaobu paused, so ruthless? His divine sense swept out, detecting over a dozen formidable auras, each rivaling Shan Bu’ang, some even stronger. Even if not all belonged to Jiu Shuo Void City, their strength was clearly substantial.
He realized that his earlier slap hadn’t saved time, it had wasted more, dragging Zhuo Xuantian into the mess too.
This wouldn’t end easily today, the old saying held true: haste makes waste. Still, Lan Xiaobu knew that sparing the green-haired man wouldn’t have freed Zhuo Xuantian either, it’d still cost time.
Sighing, Lan Xiaobu decisively tossed out 108 ruleless array flags. If it came to a fight, he’d go all in, wipe them out completely. He hated dragging Zhuo Xuantian into his troubles. Last time on Li Zhou Star, he’d underestimated his own strength and the threat of his ruleless flags, today he’d test if he could annihilate them all against a host of Ninth Turn powerhouses.
The Eighth Turn Sage sensed Lan Xiaobu throwing something but couldn’t make it out. To him, it was probably just a distress signal, a joke in Jiu Shuo Void City.
He fixed his gaze on Zhuo Xuantian, “You’re Zhuo Xuantian? Sect Master of Xuan Yuan Dao Sect?”
By now, he pieced together why this happened. Zhuo Xuantian knew of the Cosmic Mill and could locate it, a near-open secret. He thought to himself, with such a massive secret, showing your real face here is just begging for death.
“Correct, I am Zhuo Xuantian, Sect Master of Xuan Yuan Dao Sect,” Zhuo Xuantian clasped his fist, knowing concealment was futile.
He was now weighing Lan Xiaobu’s strength against Jiu Shuo Void City’s. With his help, Lan Xiaobu could likely secure the Cosmic Mill on Da Mo Xuan Star before its four major sects could encircle him. Those sects had five or six Ninth Turn Sages, though two or three might not be present. Based on Lan Xiaobu’s display on Yong Ye Star, Zhuo Xuantian figured Lan Xiaobu had a ninety percent chance of success.
But Jiu Shuo Void City was another beast. Its entrapment arrays outclassed Yong Ye Lan’s, no question, and even surpassed Da Mo Void Star’s.
Beyond that, Jiu Shuo Void City’s power was several times Da Mo Void Star’s. It boasted twelve Ninth Turn Sages alone: one city lord, four vice lords, and seven supreme elders.
As for Eighth and Seventh Turn Sages below Ninth, they were countless. And that wasn’t the full extent. Jiu Shuo Void City’s true might included planets like Da Mo Xuan Star, Bei Yin Star, and Qi Nian Star, each with star-level sects.
If a fight broke out, those planets’ Ninth Turn Sages could teleport straight to Jiu Shuo Void City. Then, its real strength would be seven or eight times Da Mo Xuan Star’s. Rumor had it the city lord, Ji Yige, was already half a step into the Eternal Realm.
That was the intel from before Zhuo Xuantian fled Da Mo Void Star, now, Jiu Shuo Void City’s power was likely even greater, not weaker.
Still, Blood River Sage’s earlier words eased him slightly. Per Blood River, no one in this plane could reach Eternal Sagehood. So Ji Yige’s “half-step” was likely exaggeration, a deterrent.
Lan Xiaobu and Zhuo Xuantian were locked by the two powerhouses’ domains. The Seventh Turn Sage eyed Lan Xiaobu, “Will you walk to the city gate yourself, or do we drag you there?”
“City gate?” Lan Xiaobu looked at Zhuo Xuantian, puzzled. Shouldn’t captives go to a city dungeon, not the gate?
Zhuo Xuantian transmitted, “Normally, they’d strip our flesh and burn our souls at the gate for nine hundred and ninety-nine years.”
“You’d strip my flesh and burn my soul?” Lan Xiaobu stared at the Seventh Turn Sage.
No one laughed, no one found it amusing.
“You guessed it, I’m here to burn…” Mid-sentence, the Seventh Turn Sage reached for Lan Xiaobu.
Lan Xiaobu acted without hesitation, no supernatural skills, just his domain surging out as he threw a punch.
The two Sages before him had no resistance under his domain. Their own domains were less than ripples against his, their faces paling instantly. In that moment, they knew Jiu Shuo Void City had hit a steel wall.
Though mere executors here, even City Lord Ji Yige couldn’t bind them motionless with a domain. This young man not only did that but nullified theirs effortlessly. Even a fool could tell he wasn’t a First Turn Sage.
Boom! One punch, two bursts of blood mist. As they died, they heard Lan Xiaobu, “I’m kind, no soul-burning, but compensation’s due.”
Next, their worlds were torn open, everything inside swept away by Lan Xiaobu.
What strength was this? Onlookers froze. Living in Jiu Shuo Void City, they’d seen countless fights, but never someone one-punching a Seventh and Eighth Turn Sage with zero resistance. Even a Ninth Turn Sage would give those two a chance to struggle.
A shrill alarm blared, the city’s protective arrays activated, followed by killing and entrapment arrays.
Panicked spectators retreated as the arrays unleashed waves of dread. They knew the stronger Lan Xiaobu was, the worse the fallout.
If killing a shopkeeper was a spectacle, slaying two city deacons was earth-shattering.
Lan Xiaobu ignored them, etching void runes nonstop, not for a standard entrapment array, but to bolster his 108 ruleless flags into a grand killing array. A basic void entrapment was useless against these powerhouses unless upgraded.
He refused to believe that, with his array skills beyond divine level and flags forged from ruleless cocoons, Jiu Shuo Void City could still threaten him.
“Senior Lan…” Zhuo Xuantian started but stopped, sensing Lan Xiaobu’s divine sense weaving freely, clearly up to something bold. Better not interrupt.
He’d meant to warn Lan Xiaobu about the city’s fearsome arrays, but Lan Xiaobu’s focus suggested he already knew.
As Lan Xiaobu built his ruleless killing array, powerful auras surged toward them.
