Chapter 883: Sword Splits the Dao Lord

"Master Yan, the Blue Star Sect was actually founded by me, because my home planet is Blue Star…"

Ding Huan said only one sentence, and Yan Zhuo understood immediately.

No wonder Baihe always talked about the Blue Star Sect—so this Blue Star Sect really did exist long ago.

He sighed: "The Blue Star Sect I founded is long gone. I return this sect name to you, Brother Ding. If you wish to rebuild the Blue Star Sect, I, Yan Zhuo, will risk my life to help you accomplish it."

Ding Huan waved his hand: "The Blue Star Sect will definitely be rebuilt, but your life is still yours."

Jia Baihe felt a pang of guilt—she had used Yan Zhuo slightly.

She had kept mentioning the Blue Star Sect hoping Yan Zhuo would name his sect after it: one reason to satisfy her own longing, and another—if one day Ding Huan arrived in the Grand Universe?

Just as Jia Baihe was about to explain, Yi Jie's voice came:

"Master Huan, Wanda City has arrived."

The Cosmic Cauldron slowed its speed.

Ding Huan had already seen Ling Zhuzhen—Ling Zhuzhen stood outside Wanda City, as if fused with the entire space.

Had Ding Huan not been hypersensitive to the laws of all things, he might not have noticed Ling Zhuzhen at all.

Ding Huan immediately took control of the Cosmic Cauldron and brought it to a stop before Ling Zhuzhen.

Seeing Ding Huan step out of the Cosmic Cauldron, Ling Zhuzhen laughed heartily: "Brother Ding Huan, congratulations on advancing again! Hahaha…"

He had not been mistaken after all.

With his current strength and his former Eighth Step of the Great Dao's perception, he could no longer discern Ding Huan's true realm.

On the surface, Ding Huan appeared to be in the Creation Realm—but that seemed unlikely.

He remembered when they parted, Ding Huan had still been in the Dao Creation Realm.

How much time has passed?

Only a few thousand years.

No matter how talented Ding Huan was, he could not have advanced so swiftly.

Even he, once the Eighth Step of the Great Dao, after restoring for several thousand years, had only reached the Fifth Step.

Ding Huan also smiled: "Old Ling, your cultivation far surpasses mine. Congratulations to you too—your full strength will return soon."

Ling Zhuzhen shook his head: "I reached the Fifth Step by exhausting all my reserves. Without a Dao Vein, I can hardly… sigh."

Ling Zhuzhen did not continue.

Without a Dao Vein, it would be extremely difficult for him to enter the Eighth Step of the Great Dao.

And in this newly emerged Grand Universe, how immensely difficult is it to reach the Eighth Step of the Great Dao?

In the past, a low-grade Dao Vein lying on the road, he wouldn't even bother to pick it up. Now he craved even a single Dao Crystal, let alone a Dao Vein.

"Old Ling, don't rush. Once this matter is settled, I'll take you to get rich. I know a guy who has countless Dao Veins."

Ding Huan stepped forward and slapped Ling Zhuzhen on the shoulder.

Ling Zhuzhen's heart leapt.

Though he and Ding Huan were old friends, when Ding Huan struck him, he felt not the slightest trace of it—could Ding Huan's Dao truly be nothing but his own personal Dao?

But he was quickly drawn in by Ding Huan's words: "Brother Ding, you really have a lead on this?"

"Rest assured—I guarantee he has a pile of Dao Veins. He's from the Tianmeng Clan, and he's currently in the Wanda Mountain Range."

Ding Huan gave Ling Zhuzhen a definite answer.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go now!" Ling Zhuzhen said without hesitation.

Without a Dao Vein, his restored vision was like seeing flowers through mist.

Ding Huan chuckled: "Old Ling, how strong are you now?"

Ling Zhuzhen thought Ding Huan believed his Fifth Step of the Great Dao was too weak to match the Tianmeng cultivator, so he immediately slapped his chest:

"Brother, don't worry—even if the few Dao Ancestors here showed up, I could take down one of them."

Ding Huan had originally planned to bring Ling Zhuzhen to confront Qing Sha Dao Ancestor, but he hadn't thought Ling Zhuzhen's Fifth Step was much stronger than himself.

Now hearing Ling Zhuzhen's words, he was astonished: "Old Ling, don't lie to me—you're really that strong?"

The Dao Ancestors here, aside from that Purple River Dao Ancestor, are all Seventh Step, right? You're only Fifth Step—how can you fight a Seventh Step?"

Don't you know the difference between Seventh Step and Fifth Step of the Great Dao?"

Upon entering the Eternal Dao, there are two true chasms: one between Fourth Step and the Creation Realm.

The second is between Seventh Step and Sixth Step.

Though they differ by only one level, their strength and Dao comprehension are worlds apart.

That's precisely why Ding Huan thought Yu Xing was so weak.

He cultivated the Grand Universe Art, and as a Saint, he had achieved Twelve Transmutations. After attaining the Creation Realm, he had forged his own cosmic world.

So Ding Huan believed he was no weaker than a Fourth Step.

But he was not strong enough to kill Yu Xing with a single slash.

He had killed Yu Xing with one slash—and nearly shattered his own confidence.

Not his confidence in his own strength, but his confidence in his understanding of the Dao.

Ling Zhuzhen, at Fifth Step, could never possibly stand against a Seventh Step Dao Ancestor—let alone match him.

Now Ling Zhuzhen claimed he could fight a Seventh Step Dao Ancestor—this was pure boasting.

Seeing Ding Huan doubt him, Ling Zhuzhen sneered: "Do you think the Seventh Step here now compares to the Seventh Step of our time?"

"What do you mean?" Ding Huan asked, puzzled.

Ling Zhuzhen softened his tone: "I've discussed the Grand Universe Dao with you before, but now I'll tell you plainly.

After the Grand Universe's Nirvana, the laws of heaven and earth reformed. Though they appear similar, their underlying foundation is vastly inferior."

After the Great Universe underwent Nirvana, the celestial and terrestrial laws here re-evolved and took shape; though they appeared somewhat legitimate, their underlying foundation was vastly inferior.

Do you know why I told you to try not to attain the fourth step of the Great Dao here?

Once you attain the fourth step of the Great Dao here, the Great Dao will have no potential left.

The seventh step of the Great Dao attained here — its Dao rhyme and comprehension of the rules of heaven and earth — is at best equivalent to the fourth or fifth step of the Great Dao from before.

I'm not bragging; in fact, I'm being very modest…"

At this point, Ling Zhuzhen paused before continuing:

"Before the Calamity of Measure, the Greater Universe once produced two ruthless people, and both of them were Great Daos unto themselves.

Once they grew up, even though I was at the eighth step of the Great Dao at the time, I was far inferior to them…"

Yan Zhuo, who had been following Ding Huan all along, heard Ling Zhuzhen's words and his eyes widened considerably.

The eighth step of the Great Dao?

This person is at the eighth step of the Great Dao?

No, wait — why does this person look so familiar?

Right, he's that city guardian outside North Journey Heaven City.

Back then, this man was stooped, his Dao rhyme in utter disarray, a bag of bones.

Now his Dao rhyme is rounded and full, almost merged into heaven and earth. He's also gained quite a bit of weight — no wonder I didn't recognize him at first.

Upon learning that Ling Zhuzhen was at the eighth step of the Great Dao, a look of respect appeared in Yan Zhuo's eyes — an instinctive reverence for the strong.

"If those two people were here, I reckon even if they were only at the Creation Realm, either one of them could easily suppress

the Dao Ancestors here.

Now do you know what the difference between one Dao and another is?

My greatest regret is that after the Calamity of Measure arrived, I stayed here to take shelter, which caused my Great Dao to stagnate.

But now my greatest fortune is that after the Calamity of Measure arrived, I didn't leave — I hid here.

Otherwise I would never have understood these principles, nor told you that you should leave the Greater Universe to attain the fourth step of the Great Dao."

Hearing Ling Zhuzhen's words, Ding Huan understood a few things.

No wonder the Tianmeng Clan people killed so many human strong practitioners in the Ten Thousand Dao Mountain Range.

As it turns out, the human Dao is actually inferior to the Tianmeng Clan's.

Just like that Yu Xing — he only needed Dahan Yi Dao to cleave him down.

But when he faced that burly man of the Tianmeng Clan, he actually suffered a loss.

By that reckoning, he really did want to go test that Qingsha Dao Ancestor.

"Fine, Old Ling, I believe you. Since you have this ability, let's go to Ten Thousand Dao City and meet that Qingsha Dao Ancestor.

That woman is hunting me at every turn — if I don't kill her, I won't feel right."

Ding Huan made his decision on the spot.

Ling Zhuzhen laughed heartily: "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go, together."

Ding Huan said to Ling Zhuzhen: "Jia Baihe you know — she's my Dao companion. This one is Yan Zhuo, also Baihe's life-saving benefactor and adoptive father, Sect Master Yan Zhuo of Blue Star Sect."

Yan Zhuo, who had long wished to meet Ling Zhuzhen, hurriedly bowed and saluted upon seeing this: "Yan Zhuo greets Senior. My Blue Star Sect is long gone — I'll wait for Sect Master Ding to rebuild his Blue Star Sect."

Ling Zhuzhen laughed loudly: "My name is Ling Zhuzhen, and I'm now brothers in life and death with Ding Huan.

You're Ding Huan's friend, so you're my friend — drop the 'Senior' business. Let's go, we'll head to Ten Thousand Dao City together and meet those so-called Dao Ancestors."

When speaking of the Dao Ancestors, Ling Zhuzhen truly could not keep a sneer from curling at the corner of his mouth.

With this little bit of ability, they dare call themselves Dao Ancestors?

They'd do better as city lords.

What difference is there between these people and frogs at the bottom of a well?

……

Ten Thousand Dao City has no City Lord Manor — only a Dao Lord Manor.

Because this place was built for the contest over Dao veins, every Dao Ancestor in Ten Thousand Dao City remains here at all times.

None of them are willing to leave Ten Thousand Dao City and lose their share of the Dao veins.

Only by staying in Ten Thousand Dao City can one claim a portion of the Dao veins here.

Even the wounded Dao Ancestors Feng Pu and Yiqi never considered leaving Ten Thousand Dao City.

The Dao Lord Manor is where they discuss matters.

At this moment, in the Dao Lord Manor of Ten Thousand Dao City, Qingsha Dao Ancestor's face was ashen — clearly she had just thrown a tantrum.

Tianzi World Dao Ancestor Feng Pu said blandly:

"Fellow Daoist Qingsha, this matter has not yet been fully investigated. Whether the one who killed your subordinate was actually a human cultivator, we don't know — it could also have been a Tianmeng Clan cultivator."

"Impossible."

Qingsha Dao Ancestor unhesitatingly rejected Feng Pu's words: "My people were on human territory, and they carried transmission talismans. Even if Tianmeng Clan people had infiltrated, they couldn't have killed them."

There was another point everyone knew in their hearts.

Tianmeng Clan cultivators lurking in the human-held areas of the Ten Thousand Dao Mountain Range generally only want the Dao veins.

Once targeted by Tianmeng Clan cultivators, one only needs to hand over the Dao veins to basically guarantee one's life.

"Then we can't recall all the defenders from the line at this time just to hunt down a culprit we may never find, can we?"

Feng Pu's tone was somewhat displeased.

He had long been unable to stomach this woman's arrogance; his injuries were no

light matter — he was simply helpless against this woman.

Just at this moment, everyone felt violent ripples through space.

A terrifying aura of slaughter and warfare exploded outward.

Immediately, a blade-light descended from the void.

Boom!

The defensive restrictions and the great gate of the Dao Ancestor Hall crumbled to dust beneath that curtain of blades.