Chapter 745: Shu Xian

Although the explosion of Wu Liang was restricted to the smallest possible scope within Ding Huan's world, Xing Jia far away still felt it.

Infinite fragments of Dao principles were torn apart, and some of them touched Xing Jia's tiny space, causing him to involuntarily shudder.

This was the self-destruction of a near-Everlasting Realm powerhouse.

No, this was Ding Huan's consciousness universe—how could such a powerful being self-destruct here?

And why did the aura of these Dao fragments feel so familiar to him?

It seemed like…

Xing Jia finally remembered—it was the aura of Wu Liang's Cycle Dao principle.

This was clearly Ding Huan's world—how could there be the aura of Wu Liang's Cycle Dao principle?

The more Xing Jia thought, the more uneasy he became.

Wasn't Wu Liang the one who had driven Ding Huan into a corner with no escape, forcing him to hide in his own world?

Then how could there be fragments of Wu Liang's self-destruction aura inside Ding Huan's world?

Could it be…

Xing Jia dared not continue the thought, for in his view, this was absolutely impossible.

How could Wu Liang possibly appear in Ding Huan's world—and even self-destruct within it?

Yet apart from this, he could not conceive of any other explanation.

Recalling how Ding Huan had previously asked him for the method to open the Saint's World, Xing Jia suddenly understood.

That was it—Ding Huan had captured Wu Liang and brought him into his own world.

Because Ding Huan wanted to strip away Wu Liang's world principles and open Wu Liang's world, Wu Liang, in despair, had self-destructed.

This was the most reasonable explanation—and yet the most impossible.

How could a half-Everlasting Saint, no matter how much his cultivation had declined, possibly be captured by Ding Huan?

He himself was imprisoned here only because he was merely a remnant soul.

For Ding Huan to imprison Wu Liang, Wu Liang would have to enter Ding Huan's domain and be tricked by him.

How could a crafty old fox like Wu Liang possibly enter Ding Huan's domain and fall for his scheme?

The more Xing Jia couldn't understand it, the more terrifying Ding Huan seemed.

…

Ding Huan had obtained the hide scroll; he recognized most ordinary items, but this tree, he could not find an answer for.

Ding Huan didn't care—he simply planted the tree in his consciousness world.

More than eight years remained until the Divine Vein contest; if he could enter the Union Soul Realm, he would at least be able to protect himself.

After sensing the divine spiritual energy in this cave dwelling, Ding Huan implanted another top-grade Divine Spiritual Vein and another top-grade Starry Divine Spiritual Vein.

After several Zhou Tian cycles of the Great Cosmos Art, Ding Huan's cave dwelling was entirely shrouded in divine spiritual energy.

With such dense divine spiritual energy, advancement should have been merely a matter of time.

But Ding Huan stopped cultivating after only three days.

He couldn't continue cultivating like this—if he kept progressing at this rate, in eight or nine years he might barely reach Divine King Ninth Layer, and even then only with some luck.

Ding Huan's divine sense fell upon the half-Dao Vein he had sealed within his own world.

That Dao Vein should be of mid-grade quality; if he cultivated using it, he would surely enter the Union Soul Realm within ten years.

Yet Ding Huan quickly calmed himself—he could not cultivate using the Dao Vein here.

It wasn't that he was reluctant to use it.

Cultivation resources existed to be turned into cultivation; there was no such thing as reluctance.

Ding Huan feared that if he used the Dao Vein, he would be discovered by powerful beings immediately.

In the Ancient Desert Goddess Sect, there were Saints—should they discover his Dao Vein, he would be finished.

Dao Veins were extremely precious cultivation resources even to Saints.

If he possessed a Dao Vein, even as a member of the Ancient Desert Goddess Sect, he would be seized immediately.

Abandoning the Dao Vein, Ding Huan pulled out dozens of crystals and placed them around himself.

These were low-grade Dao Crystals.

Seeing the Dao Crystals in his hand, Ding Huan couldn't help but sigh—Wu Liang was truly a gift-bringer.

Both the Dao Vein and the Dao Crystals on his person had been given to him by Wu Liang.

Letting Wu Liang self-destruct directly within his own world was truly a pity.

Ding Huan performed another Zhou Tian of the Great Cosmos Art, and immediately felt his cultivation surging upward.

The spiritual source of the Dao Crystals seemed born specifically for his Dao—making the world's principles clearer and vastly increasing both the speed and volume of divine spiritual energy absorption.

No matter how much divine spiritual energy there was, it could be effortlessly converted into cultivation.

In just half a year, Ding Huan reached Divine King Eighth Layer.

Three years later, Ding Huan entered Divine King Ninth Layer.

After that, Ding Huan's cultivation pace never slowed, until his cave's sealing array was triggered.

Ding Huan looked at the Dao Crystals beside him—dozens of low-grade Dao Crystals had been almost entirely consumed, leaving only fragments.

Even if no one had triggered his seal, he would have had to stop cultivating.

Although he had not yet reached Divine King Twelfth Layer, he was only one step away.

His divine sense swept out and discovered it was not Ye Lu—it was that woman named Shu Xian.

Ding Huan felt puzzled—could Wu Liang possibly have some connection with this woman?

But the last time he met her, she hadn't shown any sign of familiarity.

Ding Huan could only open the seal and met her at the door: "Sister Shu, have you come to see me for some reason?" He did not know her actual surname.

That woman's cultivation has progressed quite quickly though—it's only been a little over seven years, and she's already at the Divine King realm.

Pang Shuxian said with a worried expression: "Senior Brother Wuliang, don't you know that Senior Sister Luye has gotten into trouble?"

Ding Huan was stunned. Isn't Luye in closed-door cultivation using a Luck Stone? What could have happened to her?

Seeing Ding Huan's bewildered look, Pang Shuxian immediately said: "Jia Baihe's Sword Dao came to propose marriage on behalf of their sect's genius Ji Bucheng. Ji Bucheng wants to become Dao companions with Senior Sister Luye.

He also gifted a Connate Treasure as the betrothal gift. Originally, Senior Sister Luye planned to give the Setting Sun Arrow to Ji Bucheng, but who would have thought that Senior Sister Luye actually couldn't produce the Setting Sun Arrow…"

Ding Huan was very puzzled. Even if Luye couldn't produce the Setting Sun Arrow, that wasn't Luye's fault.

The Setting Sun Arrow was originally Luye's property; she could handle it however she pleased.

Pang Shuxian observed Ding Huan's expression as she continued:

"Luye couldn't produce the Setting Sun Arrow, which enraged Jia Baihe's Sword Dao. They believe the Ancient Wasteland Goddess Gate simply didn't take Jia Baihe's Sword Dao seriously at all, and even toyed with the number one genius of the Hunyi God Realm, Ji Bucheng, in the palm of their hand.

Our Goddess Gate can't afford to offend Jia Baihe's Sword Dao. The Luye Goddess has been confined. She explained that she lost the Setting Sun Arrow because she exchanged it for two Luck Stones.

Senior Sister Luye said that the Setting Sun Arrow was taken by you to make the exchange, and the Luck Stones were also brought back by you to Senior Sister Luye. Right now, in the sect's Law Enforcement Hall…"

No errors in any chapter—new content first, every time!

Having said this much, Pang Shuxian did not continue.

Although Pang Shuxian's tone was calm, and her words sounded like idle chatter,

her meaning was that he was now in extreme danger.

Ding Huan fully understood.

This Pang Shuxian had come to take him to meet the upper echelons of the Ancient Wasteland Goddess Gate. Should he go or not?

Pang Shuxian's attitude clearly suggested she meant to let him go.

Ding Huan sneered inwardly.

On the surface, this woman wanted to let him go—or rather, wanted him to think his prospects looked bleak, so that he would have no choice but to flee immediately.

If he really dared to leave, this woman would probably be the first to make a move against him.

By that reasoning, his situation might not be as perilous as the other party made it sound.

Rather, this woman wanted him to leave, so she could use the opportunity to deal with him.

"No, I need to explain this matter to the Sect Master and the Law Enforcement Hall. The Luck Stones belong to Ding Xiaotu, and the Setting Sun Arrow is also on Ding Xiaotu. If it really comes down to it, I'll go find Ding Xiaotu and get the item back."

"Senior Brother Wuliang, are you planning to leave the sect right now?"

Ding Huan looked at Pang Shuxian in confusion: "Junior Sister Shuxian, why would I leave the sect now? I still need to go see the Law Enforcement Hall elders and help Junior Sister Luye explain this matter clearly.

After all, I'm also a deacon. In a matter like this, it's my duty to help Junior Sister Luye clear her name—this isn't Junior Sister Luye's fault, since she didn't do it on purpose."

"Wuliang, I'm afraid you won't be able to leave. Today you must come with me to see the Law Enforcement Hall elders. Otherwise, you'll have to step over my corpse."

Pang Shuxian suddenly summoned her longsword and slashed directly at Ding Huan.

Ding Huan seemed to have never expected the other party to strike. That sword qi tore open his chest, and fresh blood spurted out.

Pang Shuxian was taken aback. She was certain that this sword strike couldn't have harmed Ding Huan.

Her sword qi had locked down Ding Huan's cave abode. For Ding Huan to dodge this strike, he would have had to charge out of the cave abode's range.

In reality, Ding Huan's reaction speed and response were completely different from what she had anticipated.

What shocked her even more was that Ding Huan actually pressed the sect's ambush-alert button.

In just a breath's time, two shadows rushed down from the distance.

"What's the matter?"

Before Pang Shuxian could speak, Ding Huan, his face pale, pointed at Pang Shuxian: "She knocked on my cave abode's restriction, then suddenly struck at me in a sneak attack."

"You—"

Pang Shuxian was completely thrown off by Ding Huan's move.

Is this guy insane?

The sect assembly is waiting for him to confess his crimes, yet instead of fleeing, he's actually calling over Law Enforcement Hall elders—is this something a sane person would do?

"Two Law Enforcement elders, I invited him to the Law Enforcement Hall. He suddenly tried to escape, so I struck to intercept him, and only accidentally injured him."

Pang Shuxian hurriedly explained.

"What exactly happened?" one Law Enforcement elder said coldly, staring at Ding Huan.

Ding Huan offered no explanation. He knew explaining here would be pointless.

Pang Shuxian, however, recounted the entire cause and effect from beginning to end.

The two Law Enforcement elders' gazes toward Ding Huan immediately changed.

According to Pang Shuxian's account, Ding Huan had motive to flee, and escaping was indeed the best option for him.

"Do you have anything to say?" one Law Enforcement elder looked at Ding Huan.

Ding Huan spread his hands, utterly unbothered that the blood on his body hadn't even stopped flowing: "There's nothing worth saying. Let's discuss everything at the Law Enforcement Hall. I trust the Sect Master and the Law Enforcement Hall elders."

He was certain an ordinary saint shouldn't be able to sense the aura of the Great Cosmos Art's Dao rhythm.

His simulation of Wuliang's Great Dao aura was a complete manifestation of genuine Dao rhythm laws.

Unless the other party was more familiar with Wuliang than he was.

That was unlikely. Wuliang had joined the Goddess Gate only a few days before being taken out by him; no one here could possibly be familiar with Wuliang.

By that reasoning, going to the Law Enforcement Hall would be safe for him.

"Then let's all go to the Law Enforcement Hall together." The other Law Enforcement elder nodded. The two, one in front and one behind, took Ding Huan and Pang Shuxian to the Law Enforcement Hall.

Pang Shuxian kept staring at Ding Huan's back, truly unable to figure out what Ding Huan was thinking.

(End of this chapter)