Watching Joe Di disappear into the vast expanse of the Grand Ruins, Serena Cheng wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. Must I really go to the Grand Ruins?
"Serena Cheng, you really are here." A sudden voice interrupted her hesitation.
A young man in coarse linen robes approached, carrying an unsheathed blade on his back. His skin was tanned, clearly weathered by countless storms and hardships.
"Senior Brother Dylan Lethe, you're alright?" Upon seeing the linen-robed youth, Serena exclaimed with joy.
Dylan Lethe's eyes were also filled with emotion. He nodded, "Yes, I barely escaped with my life. I'll explain later. Are you heading to the Grand Ruins?"
Serena Cheng shook her head. "I was planning to go to the Grand Ruins, but now I suddenly don't want to. Senior Brother Dylan, why don't we leave together instead?"
"Alright. Actually, I came here to find you. I'd heard you were heading to the Grand Ruins, so I rushed over, thankfully not too late. The Grand Ruins is far too dangerous—once inside, the odds of dying are high. Our cultivation isn't strong enough yet; unless absolutely necessary, we shouldn't go." Dylan Lethe agreed.
Every day, countless cultivators enter and leave the Grand Ruins. The departure of two ordinary cultivators draws no attention at all.
The two moved swiftly. Within days, they had already left the Grand Ruins far behind.
Only now did Serena dare to ask, "Senior Brother Dylan, how did you escape? Any news about your father? I heard the Immeasura Palace Lord is now so powerful she can tear through the Dao Domain at will—even top cultivators can't withstand her for more than half a stick of incense."
Dylan Lethe snorted, "Once my father arrives, that old woman will be nothing but a speck of dust."
Serena Cheng shook her head. "Senior Brother Dylan, your father may have already left the Dao Domain. I can't shake the feeling that staying here is dangerous, but our cultivation is too low—we're not qualified to leave."
Dylan Lethe replied, "No, we have a chance to leave this place."
"How can we leave?" Serena looked at Dylan in surprise.
Dylan pointed into the distance. "Lostlake. We can leave through Lostlake."
"That's the Lake of the Lost. With our strength, going to Lostlake is as good as courting death." Serena still shook her head.
Dylan Lethe laughed heartily. "Back when my father was at the Dao Nurturing stage, he dared to enter Lostlake. Now that I'm at late Dao Nurturing, why should I fear it? Besides, I have another way out. Sister Serena, do you know how I survived before? I escaped into Lostlake and was rescued."
Serena gazed at Dylan, her mind echoing with uncertainty. Back then, there were seven or eight powerful cultivators hunting him—the strongest among them had already reached the Prime Realm.
Dylan continued, "I had nowhere else to run, so I fled into Lostlake. What I didn't expect was to encounter a pair of Azure Peacocks..."
"Azure Peacocks are priceless..." Serena blurted out instinctively.
Dylan Lethe shook his head. "That pair of Azure Peacocks was incredibly strong—one of them was likely at the Prime Realm. I was completely hopeless, but to my surprise, the Azure Peacocks were quite friendly to me. The one at the Prime Realm could even communicate telepathically. They took me to a hidden place in Lostlake and gave me cultivation resources. Otherwise, I couldn't have reached late Dao Nurturing so quickly..."
"Why did the Azure Peacocks help you?" Serena was increasingly amazed.
Dylan replied, equally puzzled, "I don't know either. I've heard that Azure Peacocks and cultivators are natural enemies—cultivators hunt them mercilessly. So when an Azure Peacock becomes strong, it kills any cultivator it meets. But that pair didn't kill me; instead, they led me to a Portal Array, gave me resources, and taught me how to survive in Lostlake..."
"Then why didn't you teleport away? The Dao Domain is no good—it's dangerous here. You barely escaped those pursuers, only to come back again. That's just crazy." Serena said.
Dylan looked at Serena, his tone softening. "Sister Serena, you've helped me more than once. Even that time when I escaped into Lostlake, it was thanks to you. I know the Dao Domain is no good, so I came to find you—I want to take you away with me. Will you leave this place with me?"
Serena gazed gently at Dylan. "I will. Thank you for risking so much to come for me."
"Let's go. One day, I, Dylan Lethe, will return. So what if the Immeasura Palace Lord is powerful? I refuse to believe I can't kill her in the future." Dylan declared, brimming with confidence.
......
Joe Di stopped. He was now on the fourth layer of the Grand Ruins, but he felt he should leave for a while. His thoughts turned to Cynthia Xing, who seemed to be connected to him. Yet her past life was so disappointing that he shook his head and resisted the urge to go.
The fourth layer of the Grand Ruins—its chaotic laws and undisturbed solitude made it the perfect place to refine the Lethe Frost Crystal. If anything went wrong, it wouldn't affect his Ninth World.
The Lethe Frost Crystal is no trifling matter. One misstep could spell disaster for his Ninth World. There were too many treasures in his Ninth World—none more precious than the World Tree, a peerless treasure in the entire universe.
The World Tree had yet to fully mature. If it were harmed by the Lethe Frost Crystal, he would regret it for the rest of his life.
Joe Di set down array banners one after another, inscribing Law Array Banners as well. To refine the Lethe Frost Crystal here, he had to be absolutely certain of his preparations.
It took nearly a month of setup before Joe Di finally nodded in satisfaction. With this arrangement, bringing out the Lethe Frost Crystal should pose no problem.
Joe Di sent a message to Baker Wynn in the True Spirit World via his divine sense.
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Baker Wynn had received a Prime Dao Fruit and was in much better spirits than before—at least he could speak without gasping for breath.
"Friend Di, thank you for the Prime Dao Fruit. I'm much better now. In a little while, I may even begin to recover my cultivation." Feeling Joe Di's divine sense sweep in, Baker Wynn quickly stood and clasped his hands in gratitude.
Joe Di smiled. "Old Baker, we're partners—mutual benefit. I saved you once, and you share your knowledge with me. No need to be so formal. Sorry to disturb your healing, but I have a few things to ask you."
Baker Wynn thumped his chest. "Ask away, Friend Di! If I know the answer, I promise not to leave out a single word."