"Joe, wait a moment." Just as Joe Di was about to unleash his rules and escape in a frenzy, a sudden voice called out to him.
Joe Di turned around and looked at the anxious Ethan North, but said nothing. From Nora's words to Ethan North, and their time together, Joe Di already knew that Ethan North was once the true master of the Primordial Realm.
He felt Ethan North was someone worth befriending, which was why he had helped him so much. If Ethan North wanted to use the Primordial Realm to avenge Nora, or tried to stop him from leaving, Joe Di would not hesitate to walk away.
"You seem anxious—do you have something urgent? Though I'm not what I used to be, I still have some abilities in the Primordial Realm. Why don't you tell me, and I'll see if I can help?" Ethan North approached Joe Di, completely unconcerned.
Joe Di felt a warmth in his heart. Not everyone chooses self-interest over loyalty when the two are in conflict.
He did not hide anything from Ethan North. "Old North, my wife is in trouble. I need to get to her as soon as possible."
"Where is she? I'll go with you." Ethan North knew that, although his strength had not fully recovered, his experience far surpassed Joe Di's. He was confident he could help Joe Di.
Joe Di shook his head. "No need. If I'm not mistaken, she should be in another realm. I need to enter the Celestial Beyond, then find a way to return."
Right now, Joe Di could only vaguely sense that Nora was in the Dao Domain, but he had no idea where exactly. Even if it was the Dao Domain, he had no good way to return directly. He could only first go to the Celestial Beyond, then ask Yu Xiangbing or some knowledgeable cultivators there if there was a way to return to the Void Market.
Only after reaching the Void Market could he search for a way back to the Dao Domain.
Ethan North frowned. "Joe, if you go about it this way, who knows when you'll actually find your wife. Wait a moment..."
As he spoke, Ethan North suddenly tapped his forehead several times, then spat out a jet of blood. Immediately, he produced a pale golden talisman.
"Joe, take this. I came upon this talisman by chance—it's refined by Fletcher Rune and can break through a realm's boundary. It's a Locator Realmshatter Talisman." Ethan North handed the talisman to Joe Di, not even bothering to wipe the blood from his lips.
The talisman radiated profound Dao resonance on its surface. Joe Di knew immediately that this talisman was far beyond what ordinary treasures could buy.
If it were for any other reason, Joe Di might have been polite about accepting it. But at this moment, he took the Realmshatter Talisman at once and said gratefully, "Old North, thank you. When I return to the Celestial Beyond, if you ever need anything, just send word, and I'll come immediately."
Joe Di knew just how rare and precious this Locator Realmshatter Talisman was. Its grade alone was something ordinary people would never even dare to dream of.
It was even harder for Ethan North to bring out this Locator Realmshatter Talisman. His Purple Mansion had been locked by Shadowsteel for countless years, and his soul sea was severely wounded. After just escaping the Silent Abyssal Magma, it was nearly impossible to retrieve the talisman. Ethan North had to burn his soul and divine sense, harming himself, just to get it out.
Moreover, since Ethan North had hidden the Locator Realmshatter Talisman in his soul sea, it must have been his last resort for escaping danger. Giving it to Joe Di now showed just how loyal and righteous he was.
Ethan North waved his hand. "Go quickly, your wife is waiting for your help. If my cultivation were restored, I'd definitely go with you."
Joe Di tossed a ring to Ethan North. "Old North, no need for formalities. You just got out—take these things. Until we meet again."
After saying this, Joe Di unhesitatingly activated the Locator Realmshatter Talisman in his hand.
The void was torn open by the Locator Realmshatter Talisman, and Joe Di rushed inside without hesitation. The rift vanished without a trace the next moment.
Only after Joe Di had completely disappeared did Ethan North sigh and say, "Brother Joe Di will surely stand at the very peak of this universe someday. I must work hard as well."
After saying this, his divine sense finally landed on the ring. When he scanned its contents, he was nearly stunned.
He thought Joe Di, being a Dao Pill Saint, would just give him some healing pills.
But inside the ring was one Supreme Ley Line, ten Prime Immortal Ley Lines, and a pile of Divine Crystals. As for Dao Pills, just as he had guessed, there were over a dozen bottles.
Yet these were not the most valuable items. What Ethan North found most precious was a jade slip and a Starstone Jade Vial set aside separately.
With a wave of his hand, the jade slip landed in Ethan North's palm. On it were a few characters: 'Spirit Shift'.
Ethan North drew a sharp breath. He had heard of this escape technique before. With it, he could travel anywhere his spiritual sense could reach—much more valuable than the Locator Realmshatter Talisman.
He knew exactly why Joe Di had given him this technique: because he had given Joe Di his life-saving Locator Realmshatter Talisman, and Joe Di wanted to repay him.
The Starstone Jade Vial and Spirit Shift technique placed together were clearly no ordinary items. As Ethan North picked up the vial, even before his spiritual sense penetrated it, he felt a vast, boundless aura—like standing atop the universe, gazing down with perfect clarity and harmony.
This was absolutely not an ordinary treasure. When Ethan North's spiritual sense passed through the restriction and touched the vial's contents, he nearly cried out in shock. Even before he was schemed against, he had never obtained such a treasure.
He knew what this was—it was the Cosmic Essence.
Legend had it that the Cosmic Essence was on Alliance Star, but everyone only knew it was within the Alliance Dao Tower, and no one had ever obtained it.
And now, Joe Di had gifted him a single drop. Ethan North felt a bit ashamed—compared to what Joe Di had given him, and all that Joe Di had done for him, his own debt to Joe Di only grew deeper.
Yet these things were extremely useful to him. That single drop of Cosmic Essence would allow him to restore his body and soul sea at the fastest possible speed. Once his body recovered, his strength would quickly return.
...
When Joe Di entered the void rift, preparing to use his spiritual sense to search for the Dao Domain's location, he immediately sensed the Locator Talisman generating an invisible Dao resonance. The resonance wrapped around him and tore open a new void rift, sending him through.
Bang! As soon as Joe Di's feet touched the ground, he realized he had returned to the Dao Domain. He cultivated the Laws of Dao, and the Dao Domain's heavenly laws were so familiar to him that he could sense them the moment he arrived.
At this moment, Joe Di was secretly shocked. Just who was Fletcher Rune, to be able to refine such a terrifying talisman? He had only confirmed Nora Xiu's vague location, and the Locator Talisman had wrapped him up and delivered him straight there.
Joe Di let out a breath. The name Fletcher Rune sounded familiar to him, but he couldn't recall the details—he could ask Ethan North about it later. For now, he had to find Nora Xiu's exact location as quickly as possible.
The message Nora Xiu sent him only mentioned the Dao Domain, and it wasn't very clear. As for her exact location within the Dao Domain, Joe Di couldn't sense it at all.
He was puzzled. By all rights, with his cultivation and the connection between him and Nora Xiu, he should be able to vaguely sense her presence in the Dao Domain as soon as he arrived.
But in reality, even after arriving in the Dao Domain, he had no idea where Nora Xiu was.
(This chapter was typed on my phone. The second update will definitely be late.)