“So powerful?” Joe Di was secretly startled. Fortunately, he had not yet stepped into the Sixth Step. If he had already reached the Sixth Step, going to challenge Quinn King now would only be embarrassing. If he was at the Sixth Step but only had strength comparable to Austin Ninefold, wouldn’t that be a disgrace?
Austin Ninefold nodded without speaking, for Quinn King truly was that formidable. He had witnessed Joe Di’s strength, and perhaps Joe Di still had hidden cards left unplayed, but so did he. Compared to Quinn King, Joe Di was still far behind.
“And who exactly is Max Lune?” After a moment of silence, Joe Di asked again.
Austin Ninefold also fell silent. After a long pause, he finally said, “That person is even more mysterious than Quinn King. I suspect his strength surpasses Quinn King’s. Unfortunately, he has never made a move from beginning to end, so I have no idea of his true background. If he had intervened back then, escaping would have required an even greater price.”
Joe Di nodded. “Your suspicion is reasonable.”
Generally speaking, when two powerhouses travel together and encounter an opponent, the weaker one acts first while the stronger one holds the line. That’s exactly why Joe Di agreed with Austin Ninefold’s reasoning.
Austin Ninefold sighed. “What worries me isn’t Quinn King as he is now, but what he’ll become after advancing further. Quinn King is very likely to reach the level of Convergence of Myriad Ways...”
“What do you mean?” Joe Di didn’t quite catch on at first and looked at Austin Ninefold.
Austin Ninefold explained, “Quinn King’s original Dao was the Way of Life and Death. After comprehending Convergence of Myriad Ways in Chaos, he gained the ability to transform other people’s Dao into branches of his own Grand Way. That’s why he goes around stripping powerful cultivators of their Dao Foundations, then merges them into his own Dao, elevating its level and strengthening his power.”
Joe Di didn’t say anything. He had long suspected that Quinn King had also refined a Grand Way trunk similar to his own Dao Tree. Or perhaps Quinn King hadn’t formed a Dao Tree, but a Dao Sea, gathering countless river branches—a similar principle in the end.
I've always believed that Quinn King was a Seventh Step cultivator, but after fighting you, I began to doubt it. Now I suspect Quinn King isn't at the Seventh Step yet, but rather at the peak of the Sixth Step. If that's true, it's truly terrifying.
Joe Di's heart skipped a beat when he heard this.
He realized he too had fallen into the trap of preconceived notions, assuming Quinn King was a Seventh Step powerhouse. In fact, Austin Ninefold's suspicion might be correct—Quinn King likely hasn't reached the Seventh Step yet. It's precisely because Quinn King hasn't broken through that he's been searching everywhere for supreme Dao Branches, hoping to use them to step into the Seventh Step.
If that's truly the case, then even if Joe Di immediately advanced to the Sixth Step, facing Quinn King would still mean more losses than victories.
Austin Ninefold continued, "Quinn King and Max Lune are together now. I don't know what they're planning, but based on my experience, they're probably searching for top-tier Rule Cosmos Worlds. Their sole objective is likely to destroy these discovered Rule Worlds and strip away their cosmic Dao Laws to perfect their own Dao."
"Lightning..." Joe Di called out without hesitation.
Lightning landed before Joe Di at top speed, fawning, "Great-Grandmaster, what are your orders?"
Cultivating on this Chaotic Flying Star, Lightning's progress was astonishing. If it wanted to break through to an even higher realm, the best way would be to obtain a Cosmic Dao Vein. In fact, even if Joe Di hadn't called for it, Lightning had planned to ask him for a Dao Vein.
Joe Di ignored Lightning and instead looked at Austin Ninefold. "Daoist Austin, could you sketch portraits of Max Lune and Quinn King?"
Without a moment's hesitation, Austin Ninefold waved his hand in the void, and the imposing visage of Quinn King and the ethereal, graceful form of Max Lune appeared in midair.
Lightning took one look at the portraits and immediately exclaimed, "Great-Grandmaster, it's those two! They were wandering around in the Chaos, talking about searching for living Dao Rule universes to perfect the source of their Dao."
Joe Di's expression turned grim. His hand fell onto the lightning mark on Lightning's head. Seeing Joe Di's displeasure, Lightning didn't dare ask for a Cosmic Dao Vein, nor did he dare to move.
After a long moment, Joe Di withdrew his hand and said in a low voice, "I'm certain Lightning has been marked with Dao Laws by Quinn King and Max Lune, but I can't sense it at all. The mark was likely made by Max Lune; I'm familiar with Quinn King's markings."
"Great-Grandmaster..." Lightning looked at Joe Di in confusion.
Joe Di said gravely, "Back in the Chaos, when you were watching those two from the sidelines, someone must have noticed you."
"That can't be. If I'd been discovered, would I still be here?" Lightning asked, puzzled.
Joe Di snorted coldly, "You may be a Seven-Clawed Divine Kun, but that's only valuable in the eyes of some. To true powerhouses, a Seven-Clawed Divine Kun is nothing special. Besides, letting you go was likely a ploy to find out who's behind you—namely, me."
"Ah..." Lightning's eyes filled with terror.
Joe Di took out a ring and handed it to Lightning, saying, "Here are a Cosmic Dao Vein and some Dao Fruits. Go into seclusion immediately and try to break through to the Fifth Step as soon as possible."
"Yes, Great-Grandmaster." Lightning grabbed the ring, flashed, and quickly vanished into the distance.
A trace of urgency flickered in Joe Di's eyes. He looked at Austin Ninefold and said, "Daoist Austin, I must go into seclusion to cultivate immediately and strive for another breakthrough. I want to ask for your help—can you steer the Chaotic Flying Star toward the location of Ninefold Heaven? I'm worried Quinn King and Max Lune may target that place."
Austin Ninefold smiled slightly at Joe Di's words. "They won't. Though they're searching for living Dao universes, Ninefold Heaven isn't their target. I left that place behind, and its Dao Laws can't help Quinn King or Max Lune elevate their Dao. What they're after are higher-level rules..."
Joe Di raised a hand to stop Austin Ninefold, his tone grave. "Daoist Austin, that place is no longer the Ninefold Heaven of old. My two brothers and I built a brand-new Rule Cosmos World in the Chaos, using its vastness as a foundation. The rules of this universe are unrestricted, and because the cosmos itself is still growing, anyone with enough insight can reach great heights."
"What...?" Austin Ninefold was stunned by Joe Di's words. Building a universe world from the boundless Chaos? Even he couldn't do that now.
Joe Di continued, "Daoist Austin, my two brothers' Daos are every bit as strong as mine. The three of us complement one another, and although we're still missing some Dao Laws, we can fully support a universe world. If Quinn King and Max Lune find that world and strip away its fundamental rules, it'll be enough for both of them to reach the Ninth Layer of the Divine Realm..."
Joe Di wasn't exaggerating. He cultivated the Rule Dao, Ye Mo cultivated the Dao of All Things, and Ning Cheng cultivated the Unification Dao.
If Quinn King obtained these three Dao branches, reaching the Ninth Layer of the Divine Realm would only be a matter of time. Not to mention, Max Lune was even more mysterious than Quinn King.
Austin Ninefold's expression changed as well. He muttered to himself, then spoke with certainty, "You're probably right. Whether it's Quinn King or Max Lune, they're both searching for the new universe world you created. I don't know how they found out, but we must go and stop them now..."
Austin Ninefold's words stopped abruptly, a bitter smile appearing on his lips. Yes, they had to stop Quinn King and Max Lune now, but how? With his and Joe Di's current strength, they still weren't a match for Quinn King and Max Lune.
Joe Di understood Austin Ninefold's concern. He waved his hand and said, "Daoist Austin, just focus on getting us there as quickly as possible. I need to go into seclusion for a while. I believe that given a bit more time, I can advance further. If we arrive in time, Quinn King shouldn't have broken through yet, and I believe we can take him down."
"Alright." Austin Ninefold didn't hesitate, agreeing at once and accepting the control talisman Joe Di handed him.
(That's all for today's update. Good night, friends!)