"Thank you, thank you..." Maya Mu was nearly speechless. This was the first time she had seen a cultivator as bold and forthright as Joe Di. If it were her, she might not be willing to hand over a Duality Blossom to someone she wasn't deeply connected with.
Joe Di waved his hand, "I was the one who got you involved this time. I happened to have a Duality Blossom, so I could bring your burnt body back. Otherwise, I could only feel guilty about it."
After thanking Joe Di again, Maya Mu said, "Having the Duality Blossom is a blessing in disguise for me. But I can't use it to recover just yet. Once I do, I'll definitely condense my Dao Seed and successfully undergo Dao Forging."
Dao Forging with the Duality Blossom was almost guaranteed to succeed. This wasn't the first time Maya Mu had heard of it.
Maya Mu didn't need to say the rest—Joe Di understood. If she underwent Dao Forging here, it would surely be discovered.
Joe Di chuckled, "Go ahead and forge your Dao. I guarantee no one will know you've succeeded here."
As long as Richard Ni didn't forcibly intrude on his territory, the law array he set up would completely isolate the aura of Dao Forging. No matter how domineering or ruthless Richard Ni was, he wouldn't barge into a low-level cultivator's worm domain residence—doing so would harm his reputation.
Besides, in Richard Ni's eyes, Joe Di was still just an ant who had taken the Dao Ascension Pill.
"Fellow Daoist Di, once I succeed in Dao Forging, I will do everything I can to help you remove the Dao Ascension Pill from your body..." Maya Mu said earnestly.
Joe Di might not know how terrifying the Dao Ascension Pill was, but Maya Mu knew all too well. Once consumed, there was no saving the cultivator—two years later, they would become nothing but a pill.
This pill absorbs all of the cultivator's vital essence, Dao intent, and significant memories, ultimately ending up in the hands of the one who provided the pill.
The reason Joe Di was forced by Richard Ni to take a Dao Ascension Pill was because he obtained a formation disk that wasn't meant for him. Otherwise, his fate might have been the same as Maya Mu's—killed by a wind blade and disposed of.
Joe Di smiled gently, "Don't worry about me. Go ahead and forge your Dao."
Joe Di didn't care about the Dao Ascension Pill he'd taken. Under the law restrictions, the pill couldn't even dissolve. Even if it did, his Rule Cycle could easily neutralize it.
...
Whether or not Richard Ni could enter the wormhole, Joe Di was certain he wouldn't be able to find Ryan Ni. Ryan Ni had been killed by Joe Di, and the last trace of his soul was in Joe Di's hands. For now, Joe Di didn't intend to destroy it—one day, he would seek out the Qian Yuan Trading Guild.
A month passed with no news, so Joe Di knew Richard Ni must have left the wormhole region.
The Duality Blossom was clearly a top-tier treasure. In just half a month, Maya Mu had completely restored her physical body, and her Primordial Soul and flesh were perfectly fused.
This was because Joe Di hadn't destroyed her body entirely, but had brought back a portion of it.
Just as Maya Mu expected, as soon as her body recovered, she began to condense her Dao Seed. Another month passed, and clear Dao Patterns swirled around her. The aura of a Dao far surpassing that of an Immortal Emperor enveloped her.
Joe Di knew that Maya Mu was about to undergo Dao Forging. Once she succeeded, she would become a true powerhouse in this realm.
Joe Di didn't use his divine sense to observe Maya Mu's Dao Forging. He had his own Dao and never intended to borrow traces from another's path. He only used his law array to completely conceal the aura of her Dao Forging. Although Joe Di's cultivation was only at Immortal Emperor Perfection and he hadn't condensed his Dao Seed, his mastery of arrays far surpassed the ninth-grade Immortal Array Emperor. His law array easily shrouded all traces of Maya Mu's Dao Forging.
While Maya Mu was forging her Dao, Joe Di didn't disturb her. He simply studied the Elemental Veil technique on the side.
The Elemental Veil was originally Jaden Dai's. Joe Di suspected something was wrong with it, but after years of study, he still couldn't pinpoint the issue.
Nearly another month passed. A surge of clear, excited howls rang out—Joe Di knew Maya Mu had truly succeeded in Dao Forging. He lifted the restriction and saw Maya Mu stepping out.
Compared to a few months ago, Maya Mu now radiated a grand Dao Rhythm, her confidence stronger than ever.
Joe Di clasped his fists and said, "Congratulations on your success in Dao Forging, Fellow Daoist Mu."
Maya Mu said excitedly, "Fellow Daoist Di, if not for you, I would have perished long ago and missed my chance at Dao Forging. I swear to help you remove the Dao Ascension Pill."
Joe Di smiled, "Thank you, Fellow Daoist Mu. The Dao Ascension Pill is nothing to me. I just received a message to guard the wormhole, so I'll be heading there. Since you need to keep a low profile, stay here and cultivate for now."
Maya Mu thought that anyone who could produce a Duality Blossom and emerge from the wormhole must be extraordinary. If Joe Di was truly that exceptional, perhaps he really didn't fear the Dao Ascension Pill. With that, she clasped her fists, "Very well. In the future, if you ever need anything, just say the word. Even if I must risk my life, I will never refuse."
The Duality Blossom was an extremely important treasure for Joe Di, yet he had handed it over without hesitation to help Maya Mu rebuild her body and undergo Dao Forging. Maya Mu was not the type to ignore such a favor—she would surely repay it with her life.
Joe Di waved his hand, "Fellow Daoist Mu, I have another question. My Dao companion is named Nora Xiu. She ascended before me—have you ever heard of her?"
Nora Xiu? The name flashed through Maya Mu's mind, and she suddenly understood. So that's why Joe Di killed Ni Luan—back then, Serena Heng had been kicked into the wormhole by Ni Luan.
Serena Heng was later rescued by Joe Di. Maya Mu guessed that Joe Di must have thought Ni Luan killed Nora Xiu, which is why he dealt with Ni Luan. If that was true, then Ni Luan truly deserved his fate.
"I've never heard of Nora Xiu. If she ascended in the last hundred or two hundred years, I suspect she didn't appear in this wormhole guard sector..."
[Irrelevant system message, skip translation.]
Joe Di immediately interrupted Maya Mu, asking in surprise, "Fellow Daoist Mu, are there really many wormholes?"
Maya Mu nodded, "That's right. There are many Ascension Pools in the Dao Domain. Not every pool has a wormhole, but many do, and guarding them is a common task."
Joe Di's heart sank. It seemed that if he wanted news of Nora Xiu, he would have to go to the Dao Domain, strengthen himself, and then search each sector one by one.
"Thank you. I'm off to guard the wormhole. You should focus on your cultivation." Joe Di had no mood to continue speaking.
Maya Mu asked, "Joe Di, I've heard that Lake Defiance is uninhabitable, and that if you stay too long, your Dao foundation will collapse and you'll die..."
She'd wondered about this for a long time. Not only had she restored her body in the forbidden Lake Defiance, she'd also succeeded in Dao Forging. That was the strange part. Maya Mu knew the rumors about Lake Defiance weren't false.
Joe Di replied unconcernedly, "You can stay and cultivate here however you like. Just trust me."
With that, Joe Di turned and left the cave residence, sealing it again with law restrictions. To other cultivators, this place was a forbidden zone—especially since Joe Di had arranged layer upon layer of defensive and trapping arrays. As long as Maya Mu didn't leave on her own, she would be safe.
When Joe Di emerged from the cave, Zane Wu was already waiting outside.
Upon seeing Joe Di, Zane Wu said at once, "There's a rumor about you outside..."
Joe Di waved it off, unconcerned. "Zane, let them talk. Whatever they say doesn't affect me."
Zane Wu nodded. Though he hadn't known Joe Di for long and they barely knew each other's backgrounds, he trusted Joe Di wasn't one to beg for his life.
"Alright, let's go. I heard Captain Shane is leading this time." Zane Wu didn't ask further.
When Joe Di and Zane Wu arrived at the gathering place, most of the cultivators assigned to guard the wormhole were already there. Captain Shane Rivers glanced coldly at Joe Di and said, "Now that everyone's here, let's move out."
(That's all for today's update. Good night, friends!)