After refining a thousand mid-grade blades, Joe Di could no longer bear to stay and left the Ninth World.
Even though Joe Di rushed straight for the staircase to the fourth layer as soon as he arrived at the surface of the Grand Ruins Fifth Layer, he was once again struck by an unknown terrifying force from the fifth layer, coughing up blood several times as multiple ribs shattered into fragments. The injuries looked severe, but for Joe Di, now possessing the Sacred Physique, they were hardly worth mentioning.
Fortunately, once he reached the Grand Ruins Fourth Layer, Joe Di was truly safe. With his Sacred Physique and cultivation along the Path of Laws, he felt no pressure at all in the fourth layer.
Joe Di was eager to find a place to break through to the Transformation Realm, so even though the Grand Ruins Fourth Layer held many treasures, he had no interest in searching for them.
But when Joe Di reached the staircase between the fourth and third layers, he suddenly paused. He vaguely sensed something was off, and immediately sent his divine sense onto the stairs.
There was nothing on the staircase, and his divine sense detected no anomalies.
Joe Di opened his Dao Eyes again, but still found nothing unusual.
Even with no visible anomalies, Joe Di grew cautious. He kept feeling that someone had been here. In fact, he believed that even a Hunyuan expert would struggle to reach the fourth layer without attaining the Sacred Physique. Who would come to such a place?
After descending from the Grand Ruins Fourth Layer to the third, Joe Di hurried back to the Dao Fruit Orchard where he had once dug up the Dao Fruit Tree.
Just standing outside the concealed formation, Joe Di didn’t need to use his divine sense or Dao Eyes to know that someone really had been searching for him—and had even visited the Dao Fruit Orchard.
Only he and Serena Yu knew about this Dao Fruit Orchard. He was certain he hadn’t leaked the information, and he trusted Serena Yu would never betray it either.
That meant his earlier suspicions were correct—when he took the Primordial Chaos Essence, a powerful cultivator sensed it and tracked him here. Joe Di had been cautious, escaping straight to the Grand Ruins Fifth Layer. The pursuer reached the entrance to the Grand Ruins Fourth Layer but didn’t enter, likely believing no one could survive there. Little did they know, he had gone to the fifth layer.
Knowing someone was searching for him, Joe Di became even more vigilant. He fused his Lawstride technique into the surrounding shattered laws. Over a month later, he arrived at the entrance between the Grand Ruins Third and Second Layers.
He was, after all, a Fourth-Rank Array Grandmaster. With the Five Direction Banners, he could even set up formations close to sixth-rank. He immediately spotted an extremely well-hidden surveillance array at this spot.
Joe Di sneered inwardly. The person who set up this hidden array was also an Array Grandmaster. That person probably thought Joe Di was at most a third-rank array master, so they used a fifth-rank hidden array to monitor him.
Joe Di’s guess was spot on. In Jaden Dai’s mind, Joe Di’s array skills definitely didn’t exceed third-rank. The only reason Joe Di could open the hidden array concealing the Primordial Chaos Essence in the third layer was by relying on the Five Direction Banners. Jaden Dai even suspected that Joe Di had completely refined his banners.
Joe Di didn’t touch the hidden surveillance array. Now that he’d discovered it, he had plenty of ways to avoid its detection.
What disappointed Joe Di was that his array skills were still inferior to the person who set up this surveillance array. If he were more skilled, he would have set up a counter-surveillance array here to see who was after him.
If there was a hidden surveillance array between the third and second layers, there would definitely be one between the second and first layers too. Sure enough, when Joe Di reached the entrance to the second layer, he found another hidden array.
Joe Di once again avoided the hidden array and sped up—he had to leave this place as quickly as possible.
Half a month later, Joe Di stopped not far from the Array Gate outside the Grand Ruins. His divine sense clearly detected a Transformation Realm cultivator guarding the entrance. He didn’t need to guess—the guard was waiting for him.
Should he rush out, or change his face and sneak away?
For Joe Di, changing his appearance was no challenge. His Lawstride disguise technique was far beyond what an ordinary Transformation Realm cultivator could see through.
All he needed to do was find a trial cultivator in the first layer and disguise himself as that person to leave.
But Joe Di quickly made up his mind—he refused to disguise himself. Did a mere Transformation Realm cultivator think they could stop him? Ridiculous. What he wanted to know was who had sent this guard.
Joe Di took out four of the Five Direction Banners and swaggered out through the Array Gate. Only after he left did the Transformation Realm cultivator recognize him and shout, “It’s you?”
When he was stationed here, Jaden Dai had instructed him to investigate the origins and destinations of every cultivator who came out.
Jaden Dai had also given him two portraits. One was of Joe Di, the other showed Joe Di and Serena Yu in disguise as a weathered middle-aged rogue cultivator.
And the person who’d just emerged was that very weathered middle-aged rogue. The Transformation Realm cultivator was thrilled. He’d been waiting here for over a hundred years, and honestly, if it weren’t for the Hall Master’s orders, he wouldn’t have bothered with such a tedious job.
“That’s right, you finally caught me—congratulations...” Joe Di smiled. As he said this, he tossed out the four Five Direction Banners, and a flurry of trap array flags shot out as well.
The Transformation Realm cultivator immediately shot out a flying sword. Even though he believed he could crush Joe Di with ease, the Hall Master’s orders were clear: whenever this man appeared, he was to send a flying sword message at once.
Bang! The flying sword was caught by the Spatial Severance Array Joe Di had just set up, and he grabbed it, storing it away in the Ninth World.
“Who were you trying to send a message to, you bastard?” Joe Di’s Azure Veil Blade appeared in his palm.
The Transformation Realm cultivator stared at Joe Di in shock. “You actually blocked the Hall Master’s flying sword?”
“Which bastard Hall Master?” Joe Di barked.
“Hmph, so what if you blocked the flying sword? You’re just a Dao Nurturing—” The cultivator suddenly stopped. Just a moment ago, he could clearly sense Joe Di was only at the Dao Nurturing stage, but in the blink of an eye, he couldn’t sense his cultivation at all.
“Take my blade!” Joe Di took a single step forward. Instantly, the space around them vanished, and his terrifying blade intent locked onto the Transformation Realm cultivator.
The cultivator’s soul nearly left his body. He never expected Joe Di to be so powerful—this seemingly ordinary slash had completely locked down his space.
Even though he hadn’t attacked yet, just from that one slash, he knew he was no match for Joe Di.
“Stop! I was ordered to stay here by Hall Master Jiang! If you dare touch me—”