Chapter 815

Ding Huan was about to summon the Cosmic Pot when his spiritual sense detected a man rapidly approaching.

This man Ding Huan knew—he was the quasi-saint at peak completion from the Great Wheel Marketplace, one step away from entering First Transformation Saint.

Ding Huan halted his actions; this fellow's arrival meant something was up.

"Greetings, fellow cultivator," the male cultivator said upon reaching Ding Huan, clasping his fists in salute.

Ding Huan returned the gesture: "What brings you to me?"

He detected no murderous intent from this fellow.

Yet this fellow's physique was slightly asymmetrical.

Like an over-muscled bodybuilder—his upper torso looked normal, broad-chested and round-bellied, with limbs excessively thick.

Ding Huan had just killed members of the Qu family in the Great Wheel Marketplace, so he was wary of everyone here.

Even if the opponent were a Divine Lord, he would still investigate.

After all, the Qu clan had established the Qu Dao Court here.

"My name is Zaina. This marketplace was actually purchased by me…" As Zaina spoke, he sensed Ding Huan's spiritual sense observing him.

He made no protest, continuing: "I came here solely

to find a Seven-Leaf Reincarnation Herb. Only Mount Great Wheel holds the Seven-Leaf Reincarnation Herb.

But the Qu clan is too arrogant—I live in constant fear. Fellow cultivator, you killed someone from the Qu clan; you will surely face endless pursuit from them."

Ding Huan retracted his spiritual sense from Zaina.

He was certain Zaina was not a human cultivator.

He was extremely sensitive to cosmic laws and universal principles—if Zaina were human, he would have sensed it immediately.

The Dao aura emanating from Zaina had nothing to do with humanity.

But that was nothing unusual; in the vast universe, many demonic or other race cultivators, after achieving cultivation, deliberately shaped Dao bodies.

Though humanity's innate talent was inferior to many races,

it could not be denied that humanity possessed the most perfect Dao body.

At lower stages, one might not notice, but to elevate one's Dao to higher levels, a perfect Dao body is essential.

"Thank you, Zaina Daoist."

Ding Huan merely expressed gratitude; he suspected the Seven-Leaf Reincarnation Herb Zaina sought was the very thing he had found atop Mount Great Wheel.

He had no intention of producing it.

"Where are you planning to go?" Zaina asked again.

Ding Huan grew wary. He had never met this fellow; a prior warning could be explained as cultivating goodwill, but asking his destination was excessive.

"I have no fixed destination—just wandering. I've been in seclusion for so long, I'm unfamiliar with the Lesser Heaven Ruins. Do you happen to have a directional sphere for the Lesser Heaven Ruins?" Ding Huan said casually.

Zaina pulled out a directional sphere and handed it to Ding Huan: "I only have one for the Great Wheel Dao Court—I rarely go elsewhere."

Ding Huan took the sphere without ceremony: "Then thank you, Zaina Daoist."

Zaina added: "May I ask your name? Where are you headed?"

This was the second time he'd asked Ding Huan where he was going.

"I'm Ding Huan. Heading to the Heaven Abyss Dao City," Ding Huan replied. He had no intention of befriending Zaina, but the man had just given him the directional sphere.

To ignore him entirely would seem uncivil.

He could always go elsewhere.

For him, seclusion and cultivation could happen anywhere suitable—he didn't need to go to Heaven Abyss Dao City.

Zaina smiled: "Ding Daoist, I have nowhere to go either. Let's travel together to Heaven Abyss Dao City.

Heaven Abyss Dao City is under the Great Wheel Dao Court's control; even the Qu clan must tread carefully there. We'll be safe once we arrive."

Ding Huan stared at Zaina in surprise: "You're coming with me? Aren't you afraid of being implicated?"

Zaina sighed: "When you killed Qu Huaiyang in the Great Wheel Marketplace, I was already implicated."

Ding Huan accepted this logic—the Qu clan's arrogance and brutality were well known.

This marketplace belonged to Zaina; Qu Huaiyang was killed here. If the Qu clan didn't blame Zaina, that would be strange.

"Then alright. Let's go to Heaven Abyss Dao City together." Knowing he had implicated Zaina, Ding Huan no longer refused.

Zaina beamed: "We can first go to Qianyu Divine City, then take a teleportation array from there to Heaven Abyss Dao City."

Ding Huan nodded. Traveling with someone familiar indeed saved much time.

Seeing Zaina summon a top-grade flying artifact, Ding Huan climbed aboard without hesitation.

Zaina, seeing Ding Huan board his flying artifact without the slightest hesitation, became even more certain that Ding Huan's strength likely exceeded his expectations.

Otherwise, Ding Huan would never have dared to board.

Seeing Ding Huan land on his flight-type treasure without the slightest hesitation, Zai Na became even more certain that Ding Huan's strength was likely even greater than he had imagined.

From his observations, Ding Huan had likely been in seclusion atop Mount Great Wheel.

If Ding Huan had trained atop Mount Great Wheel, he must know about the Seven-Leaf Reincarnation Herb—he might even have it on him.

But since he and Ding Huan were strangers, he couldn't ask outright.

Now that he was traveling with Zaina, Ding Huan wouldn't hide anything: "Zaina Daoist, you're not human, are you?"

Zaina smiled awkwardly: "I'm not human—I'm Tianmeng." He didn't know who else had noticed he wasn't human, but Ding Huan was the first to ask to his face.

It was just that he and Ding Huan had met by chance, and he couldn't bring himself to speak.

Zaina went on: "Where I live, my Tianmeng people and humans had some conflicts—we fought for a time. But then the Great Calamity came…"

Zai Na chuckled awkwardly: "I'm not a human cultivator—I'm from the Tianmeng tribe." He didn't know who else had noticed he wasn't human, but Ding Huan was the first to ask to his face.

Tianmeng tribe?

Zai Na decided to speak plainly: "Where I live, our Tianmeng tribe and the human race had some friction—we clashed for a time. But then the Great Calamity came…"

Zai Na sighed: "Before the cosmic calamity, no matter what race, all are doomed. I escaped with my life—pure luck within luck."

"What dispute sparked it?"

Ding Huan wouldn't be swayed by Zai Na's few words.

He came from Earth; he understood well the principle that those not of our kind have different hearts.

Though he and Zai Na now called each other brothers and spoke warmly, it was only surface-deep.

Zai Na sighed again: "What else? It's always about territory. Both the human race and the Tianmeng race wanted that place—so you schemed against me, I schemed against you, endlessly..."

Ding Huan sneered inwardly; he knew Zai Na simplified it—the truth was certainly far more complex.

Territory? In plain terms, it was about survival land.

Who would give up their own land to survive? This wasn't just a minor dispute—it was a fight to the death.

Clearly, unless the cosmic calamity arrived, one side would have to be wiped out before it stopped.

Yet Ding Huan didn't believe the Tianmeng race could stand against the human race; human powerhouses emerged endlessly—what could the Tianmeng race use to oppose them?

Better not ask about this—lest Zai Na find it hard to speak.

"A place that sparks conflict between two races must not be ordinary, right?"

Ding Huan pressed further.

Zai Na didn't want to continue this topic, but he had just met Ding Huan and they were still in the phase of mutual inquiry.

Ding Huan's question forced him to answer: "Yes, it's a high-level universe—one capable of birthing the Eighth Step of the Dao, even the Ninth Step."

Fortunately, Ding Huan hadn't asked about who won the war between humans and Tianmeng—otherwise, Zai Na truly wouldn't have known how to answer directly.

Had no sudden change occurred, the human race of the Great Universe should have been wiped out by the Tianmeng race.

Ding Huan drew a sharp breath—this was exactly the place he needed.

"Brother Zai, where is it?"

"The Great Universe."

Ding Huan froze the moment he heard "Great Universe"—he had heard of this place.

Several people had mentioned the Great Universe to him before; it was indeed a high-level universe.

But back then, he was still in a low-level universe, and those who spoke of it didn't know how to reach a high-level one.

Now he was in a mid-level universe; since Zai Na mentioned a high-level universe, he must know the way.

Ding Huan bowed: "Brother Zai, I wish to visit the Great Universe—do you know a way?"

Zai Na shook his head: "I do know how to get there, but it would do you no good."

The origin of this cosmic calamity is the Great Universe. You know the mid-level universe realm—almost no intact star-lands remain.

Xiao Tian Xu still exists only because of the protection of the cosmic wall. Without the cosmic wall, Xiao Tian Xu would have been destroyed long ago.

So you can imagine the Great Universe—it must be utterly annihilated."

Ding Huan smiled: "I'm merely curious—please, Brother Zai, enlighten me."

As he spoke, Ding Huan prepared to pull out a Seven-Leaf Reincarnation Grass to trade with Zai Na.

Even if the cosmic laws of the Great Universe were shattered beyond repair, it didn't matter to Ding Huan.

As long as there were shattered cosmic laws from a high-level universe, that was enough.

Besides shattered cosmic laws, the law-governed world of the Great Universe should be even more advanced.

Zai Na frowned—he claimed humans and Tianmeng had only minor disputes, but he knew better than anyone: their enmity was irreconcilable.

Though the Great Universe had been destroyed by the cosmic calamity,

he knew intimately how the Great Universe formed, and what it bordered.

The Great Universe was directly connected to true boundless chaos.

No matter how terrifying the cosmic calamity, it could never destroy true boundless chaos.

When the cosmic calamity arrived, the human cultivators and the Tianmeng race made utterly different choices.

The human cultivators chose to abandon the Great Universe, seeking higher-level—or more suitable—universe worlds for human survival.

The Tianmeng race told every disciple fleeing the Great Universe: remember, when you gain strength, you must return to the Great Universe.

They knew that as long as chaos existed, the Great Universe would one day reform as a high-level star-land.

When the Great Universe reformed as a high-level star-land, there would be a chance

to continue its lineage.

Thus, every Tianmeng disciple possessed a method and path to return to the Great Universe.

How could Zai Na possibly reveal this secret to a human cultivator?

As he prepared his words to refuse, the four characters "Qian Yu Divine City" appeared in his spiritual sense.

"Brother Ding, we've arrived at Qian Yu Divine City—take the teleportation array from there to reach Tian Yuan Dao City," Zai Na said, making small talk.

He avoided mentioning the Great Universe entirely.

Ding Huan sneered inwardly—the fool hadn't seen a thing.

He had seen clearly: two Qu clan elders waited outside Qian Yu Divine City.

One was at the Second Transformation Saint realm, the other at the Third Transformation Saint realm.

On their sleeves, both bore embroidered the character "Qu."

No doubt—they had come to cause trouble for him.

If they came for him, they'd come for Zai Na too.

He'd see how Zai Na got out of this.