Chapter 828: Is It the Fourth Step?

After the Cosmic Cauldron moved far away from the Divine Woman Holy Gate, Ding Huan immediately checked on Bai Yue.

He discovered that Bai Yue's spirit had merely been locked; as long as the soul-binding restriction on him was removed, he could recover on his own.

He was emaciated, skin stretched over bone, entirely worn down by torture.

This torture did not affect his Dao.

After Ding Huan removed Bai Yue's restriction, he placed him inside the Spirit Gathering Array.

Only after letting Bai Yue recover on his own did Ding Huan turn to Guan Huan:

"Brother Ding Huan, this isn't like your usual way of handling things. You didn't strike Jiang Yiyu, nor did you destroy the Divine Woman Holy Gate."

Not only that, Ding Huan had even said at the time that the matter ended there.

It was completely the opposite of how you obliterated the Qu Clan Dao Court with Lei Ting.

Ding Huan asked in a grave tone: "Old Guan, tell me honestly—can a fourth-step Dao master truly not be born in Xiao Tian Xu?"

Guan Huan froze, unsure what Ding Huan meant by this.

He answered instinctively: "Yes, Xiao Tian Xu truly cannot produce a fourth-step Dao master.

Believe me, I've investigated thoroughly, and I've personally

experienced it. There are no conditions here to comprehend the fourth-step Dao.

Brother Ding Huan, are you implying…?"

Guan Huan vaguely guessed something.

Ding Huan nodded: "If I'm not mistaken, Zuo Qiong has stepped into the fourth step of the Dao. He was merely waiting for an excuse.

I slashed the Divine Woman Holy Gate with Dahan Yi Dao, but Jiang Yiyu attacked Bai Yue first, so our actions were justified.

But if we had taken Bai Yue and then moved against the Divine Woman Holy Gate,

Zuo Qiong would likely have used the excuse of mediation or reconciliation to bring all of us to Ji Yuan Dao Court."

Guan Huan fell silent, then said after a long while: "Zuo Qiong appears open and magnanimous, while Chang Yun is narrow-minded.

But Zuo Qiong's scheming is unfathomable—he hides himself extremely deeply…"

Here he paused: "Brother Ding Huan, if you're saying Zuo Qiong has stepped into the fourth step, that's hardly realistic."

"Could it be that Zuo Qiong didn't step into the fourth step within Xiao Tian Xu?" Ding Huan also began to doubt.

He trusted his own comprehension of the cosmic Dao principles was correct.

Guan Huan shook his head: "Still impossible. I've been to every corner of the cosmic void near Xiao Tian Xu—no place has cosmic rules as complete as Xiao Tian Xu's.

If even Xiao Tian Xu, with its perfected cosmic rules, cannot produce a fourth-step Dao master, how could Zuo Qiong achieve it elsewhere?

If my guess is wrong and Zuo Qiong truly stepped into the fourth step outside Xiao Tian Xu, then he must have left Xiao Tian Xu.

When I was captured by Chang Yun, Zuo Qiong had not yet left Xiao Tian Xu.

In just over a thousand years, how could Zuo Qiong have left Xiao Tian Xu, attained the fourth step of the Dao, and returned?"

In other words, Zuo Qiong simply didn't have enough time.

Ding Huan frowned; he accepted Guan Huan's reasoning.

Even advancing one minor level sometimes required hundreds of years.

He cultivated the Great Cosmos Art—so long as he comprehended sufficient cosmic rules and had adequate resources, he could progress.

Zuo Qiong had to not only find a place to comprehend the fourth step of the Dao, but also comprehend it.

After attaining the fourth step, he had to stabilize his cultivation before returning—this thousand-year span was absolutely insufficient.

Yet in reality, Zuo Qiong's Dao had certainly surpassed the third step; if it weren't the fourth, it wouldn't have given off such terrifying energy.

Ding Huan's thoughts circled back to the starting point.

If Zuo Qiong truly was a fourth-step Dao master, would he need a reason to take me and Guan Huan?

Could I be too cautious?

And if Zuo Qiong were a fourth-step Dao master, could he unintentionally let slip the Dao rhythm of the fourth step?

Could a Dao Lord like Zuo Qiong fail to control such a subtle Dao rhythm fluctuation?

Could Zuo Qiong truly not be a fourth-step Dao master?

Was his Dao rhythm deliberately revealed?

For what purpose?

"Brother Ding Huan, why do you think Zuo Qiong is a fourth step?"

Hearing Guan Huan's question, Ding Huan did not hide his thoughts:

"I'm extremely sensitive to cosmic Dao principles. When Zuo Qiong approached, he unintentionally let me sense a Dao rhythm far beyond the third step.

Later, I carefully sensed the surrounding cosmic laws—Zuo Qiong's Dao fluctuations were clearly one level higher than yours. There's no mistake."

Guan Huan fell silent, recalling his previous encounter with Zuo Qiong, searching for anything amiss.

Ding Huan also voiced his speculation: "Now that I think about it, I suspect this old man likely intended for me to sense his Dao rhythm.

But why he would do so—I still haven't figured it out."

Guan Huan said: "Brother Ding Huan, I suspect you're mistaken.

Zuo Qiong may not have deliberately exposed his fourth-step Dao rhythm—he may have simply revealed it unintentionally, and you happened to notice."

Ding Huan's understanding of cosmic rules was deeply admired by Guan Huan.

If Ding Huan didn't possess such comprehension of cosmic Dao principles, he couldn't have casually torn apart the worlds of over a dozen experts.

He couldn't have wielded the Gene Annihilation Law either.

Ding Huan himself probably doesn't fully grasp the extent of his own abilities—Guan Huan knows clearly.

So Ding Huan sensing Zuo Qiong's Dao rhythm could not have been intentional on Zuo Qiong's part.

Because Zuo Qiong himself didn't sense it.

It's also possible—otherwise, there's no benefit to this guy at all. He invited us to Tianji Holy City because he likely plans to ambush us, since that's his territory…

Ding Huan was also carefully recalling.

He had no doubt about Zuo Qiong's cunning and deceit.

But now that Zuo Qiong has revealed his strength, it brings him no advantage whatsoever.

Guan Huan nodded:

"Exactly. And if Zuo Qiong were truly at the Fourth Step of the Dao, he wouldn't bother inviting us to Tianji Holy City—he could have struck us down right inside the Divine Maiden Holy Gate."

Ding Huan brother, don't think just because you can fight above your level—even take on twenty-seven at once—

that you could handle someone at the Fourth Step of the Dao even if you reached the Third Step. The gap between the Third and Fourth Steps is immense."

Ding Huan said nothing. He felt that if he had reached the Creation Sage Realm, he would have attacked Zuo Qiong right then and there.

See how this old bastard would pretend then.

"Zuo Qiong is very likely a Semi-Fourth Step—though not quite at the Fourth Step of the Dao, his power is unquestionably far superior to the Third Step."

Finally, Guan Huan reached this speculative conclusion.

Ding Huan fully agreed with Guan Huan's conclusion.

Zuo Qiong's strength probably exceeds Guan Huan's, but he lacks the ability to overpower both Ding Huan and Guan Huan together at the Divine Maiden Holy Gate, so he wanted to lure them to Tianji Holy City.

"As long as he's not at the Fourth Step, there's no need to worry. Let's go—first to Tianyuan Dao City…"

Ding Huan longed to obtain the Light Dao Scroll as soon as possible.

It's fine that the Great Wheel Trading Guild is in seclusion; after getting the Light Dao Scroll, he could return and resume his seclusion.

Now that he was with Guan Huan, he feared no one.

If he were alone, and a Forever Realm expert showed up, he'd be in serious trouble.

"Big Brother Guan, thank you for saving my life." Bai Yue had already recovered,

though he still looked like a skeleton wrapped in skin.

But Ding Huan could tell Bai Yue's Dao foundation had not been damaged.

Guan Huan laughed heartily: "Bai Yue brother, it was Ding Huan brother who saved you. To be honest with you, I was saved by Ding Huan brother too.

I was pinned outside Tianyuan Dao City for over a thousand years by that brute Chang Yun—if Ding Huan brother hadn't intervened, I'd have perished utterly."

Bai Yue had already seen Ding Huan; upon hearing this, he hurried forward and bowed deeply: "Bai Yue deeply thanks Brother Ding for saving my life."

Ding Huan was puzzled: "Bai Yue, that Jiang Yiyu clearly isn't a decent woman—how did you become friends with her, and let her use you as a pawn?"

Ding Huan had heard about Bai Yue's affairs from Yan Chongjin.

Without Bai Yue, Jiang Yiyu could never have seized her sect's territory.

It was probably Bai Yue who took the territory from some family.

Bai Yue sighed: "I'd rather go blind than become friends with that woman. When we first met, I truly didn't see through her.

But after going through some things together, I long ago knew what kind of person she was.

Still, I owe her a debt—my senior brother was imprisoned in the Tianhuan Abyss by the Holy Maiden of the Tianhuan Women's Palace, and she was the one who rescued him."

Guan Huan exclaimed in surprise: "Bai Yue, is your senior brother alright?"

Bai Yue nodded: "My senior brother was imprisoned in the Tianhuan Abyss by the Tianhuan Women's Palace—Jiang Yiyu told me about it…"

Ding Huan smiled: "So you found out your senior brother was imprisoned in the Tianhuan Abyss, then asked Jiang Yiyu to help rescue him?"

"Yes. I was worried she might not have the ability—after all, she's only a core Divine Maiden, still inferior to a Holy Maiden.

Jiang Yiyu told me she's very close friends with the Holy Maiden Qin Qin.

She said Qin Qin Holy Maiden imprisoned my senior brother not out of her own will, but because the Palace Mistress ordered her to. If she asked, Qin Qin would surely help."

Ding Huan asked again: "How do you know Jiang Yiyu actually rescued your senior brother?"

Bai Yue said: "She showed me an image crystal ball—the recording inside showed Qin Qin Holy Maiden rescuing my senior brother.

Later, she even gave my senior brother a Breakthrough Talisman—I personally saw my senior brother use the Breakthrough Talisman to leave the Lesser Heaven Ruins.

Don't even mention her persuading the Tianhuan Women's Palace Holy Maiden to intervene—just that Breakthrough Talisman alone is priceless."

Guan Huan asked at the right moment: "Was the image crystal ball real?"

This time, Bai Yue answered with absolute certainty: "Definitely real—I'm a Creation Dao expert; I wouldn't mistake true from false."

Here, he sighed deeply: "I never expected that after helping this woman establish her sect, she'd still plot against me…"

"Did you kill Chang Yiding?" Ding Huan pressed on.

Bai Yue froze: "Why would I kill Chang Yiding? I have no grudge against him—I've never even met him. Why would I kill him?"

He knew Chang Yiding was Chang Yun's son.

Chang Yiding was Chang Yun's son—he still knew that.