Joe Di completely ignored Dustin Ping, instead clasping his fists toward the other cultivators affected by his sixth blade and said, "Fellow Daoists, my cultivation is limited. Sometimes I can't restrain my blade's momentum, and it ends up affecting others. Please forgive me."
If Joe Di hadn't warned Benjamin Edge earlier that his attack might affect him and the others, his words now would definitely be seen as the height of arrogance.
Fortunately, Joe Di had already spoken beforehand, and just now, when he couldn't restrain his divine ability, several of his friends, including Benjamin Edge, were also impacted.
So at this moment, when Joe Di took the initiative to apologize, everyone hurriedly clasped their fists and replied, "We wouldn't dare, Fellow Daoist Joe. Your divine abilities are truly awe-inspiring, leaving us all in admiration."
These people could see clearly now—Dustin Ping was no match for Joe Di at all, not even close. More importantly, they understood Joe Di's divine abilities; he wasn't afraid of fighting a group.
Who would want to offend someone as ruthless as Joe Di? Didn't you see how he disciplined Queenie Shaw, that fierce woman, and after severing her arm, she still had to bow and apologize?
After greeting the crowd, Joe Di stepped forward, stopping a few feet in front of Dustin Ping. "Master Dustin, I said before that I would destroy your trashy manor, and now I've accidentally done just that. Do you have any objections?"
Dustin Ping was furious, but since he was no match for Joe Di, he could only clasp his fists and say, "I didn't realize there are always people stronger than oneself. I set rules presumptuously and offended Fellow Daoist Joe. This is my fault. In your anger, you destroyed the manor, and that's understandable."
Joe Di chuckled, "It wasn't an accident—I destroyed it on purpose."
Dustin Ping wants to save face, but I refuse to let him. What can he do about it?
Dustin Ping took a deep breath. He wanted nothing more than to summon his magic treasure and fight Joe Di to the death. But he knew he couldn't do that—Joe Di was far stronger than him. If he dared to summon his treasure, he might truly die here. Most frightening of all, Joe Di didn't seem afraid of fighting a group.
Even if he tried to escape, where could he go? Besides, since Joe Di dared to speak to him this way, he clearly wasn't worried about him running away.
"Fellow Daoist Joe, just say what you want. If I, Dustin Ping, can bear it, then I will." Dustin Ping was, after all, a local overlord and master of Cedarwood Manor. If he continued to grovel, he'd lose all dignity. So he didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood—if he couldn't bear it, they'd fight to the bitter end.
Joe Di's tone turned cold. "My attack just now drained me greatly. I'm not as wealthy as Master Dustin."
Dustin Ping actually breathed a sigh of relief. So it's just compensation. He opened his hand, revealing a ring, and handed it to Joe Di. "Fellow Daoist Joe, there are some things in this ring. See if they're to your liking."
Joe Di grabbed the ring and instantly swept it with his divine sense. When he saw what was inside, he was overjoyed.
There were nearly a thousand Third Step Dao Fruits inside, and all of them were top-grade, precious Dao Fruits. He only had a dozen or so inferior Third Step Dao Fruits on him.
Besides the Third Step Dao Fruits, there were also two Divine Marrow Veins—these were excellent treasures. Divine Marrow Veins are formed from cosmic divine marrow, and their use in cultivation far surpasses even supreme divine spirit veins. Supreme divine spirit veins are already rare and nearly impossible to find, let alone Divine Marrow Veins.
That wasn't all—the thing Joe Di valued most was a piece of Genesis Ironmother. Joe Di currently lacked a good magic weapon; his Tiansuo Blade was left in the Chaotic Universe. This piece of Genesis Ironmother was enough for him to forge a new blade.
"Out of respect for Master Dustin's sincerity, I'll let this matter drop. Brother Benjamin, let's go." Joe Di put away the ring.
Seeing that Joe Di didn't ask for anything more, Dustin Ping finally breathed a sigh of relief. Although the items he gave Joe Di were precious, they weren't enough to hurt him deeply. What he feared most was Joe Di asking for the Five Elements Pearl or a top-tier Creation Treasure. Thankfully, Joe Di was inexperienced and didn't know about those things.
"Brother Joe, I never expected you to be so powerful. Even Quinn Yan might not be a match for you." As soon as they left Cedarwood Manor, Cameron Yan said excitedly.
Previously, they thought Joe Di was the weakest among them, but now he turned out to be the strongest.
Joe Di smiled. "Whether I can beat Quinn Yan, we'll only know after we fight. I always thought Quinn Yan had stepped into the Creation Realm, but now I'm sure he hasn't. Since he hasn't, our chances of victory have increased."
"Brother Joe, tell us your plan. We'll work together." Benjamin Edge was now much more confident. Previously, he'd always been hiding from Quinn Yan despite appearing everywhere. With Joe Di around, he probably wouldn't need to hide anymore and could show himself openly.
Joe Di casually cast a Barrier Seal and looked at the other four. "I plan to break the Continental Guardian Array of this landmass..."
"Brother Joe..." The four of them were stunned by Joe Di's words. Was he aiming for the impossible?
Breaking the Continental Guardian Array here—everyone knew the chaotic aura was completely bound by the array. Why did so many powerful cultivators stay here on the Chaotic Continent to cultivate? Aside from the few who wanted to leave but lacked Rift Dao Tokens, most cultivators stayed because of the abundance of chaotic energy.
If Joe Di really broke the protective array, he'd become the target of everyone's wrath. No matter how strong he was, he'd be torn to pieces.
"Brother Joe, why do you want to do this? Do you realize the consequences? If the cultivators of the Chaotic Continent have nowhere to go, their only choice will be to band together and hunt you down. At that point, there will truly be no way out. Besides, the chaotic energy here benefits us too." Benjamin Edge's voice was calm; he didn't understand why Joe Di would do something so self-destructive.
Joe Di's tone grew serious. "You should know I come from Beyond the Chaos Gate. In fact, only when you combine what's Within the Chaos Gate and Beyond the Chaos Gate can you call it the true Five Elements Universe."
"I know a little about that," Benjamin Edge nodded.
Joe Di continued, "I've left the Five Elements Universe before..."
"Brother Joe, you've left the Five Elements Universe?" Hu Muji exclaimed in shock. The others didn't speak, but they all looked at Joe Di with excitement.
Even though they'd reached the Dao Fusion Realm, leaving the universe was still incredibly difficult.
"You didn't leave through the Gate of Destiny, did you? I've heard that once you enter the Gate of Destiny, you can never come back." Benjamin Edge looked at Joe Di in confusion.
Joe Di said, "No, I left through the Cosmic Ladder. After leaving the Five Elements Universe, I realized that in the vast chaos, the Five Elements Universe is nothing special. Moreover, compared to cultivators from other universes, those from the Five Elements Universe are always a step behind. Only after learning about the Chaos Gate did I understand why. All the chaotic energy in the Five Elements Universe is locked within this Chaotic Continent, making cultivation difficult for everyone else."
"So you want to let the chaotic energy disperse throughout the entire universe?" Ray Lawson frowned slightly. Although he was friends with Benjamin Edge, he wasn't sure he wanted to leave the Chaotic Continent.
Joe Di nodded, hiding nothing. "The Five Elements Universe isn't just lacking chaotic energy—it's also missing Cosmic Law. The rules of heaven and earth here are incomplete, split in two by the Chaos Gate. That's why, whether you're Within the Chaos Gate or Beyond the Chaos Gate, you can't step into the Creation Realm in the Five Elements Universe. The only advantage for cultivators Within the Chaos Gate is that they can easily reach the Dao Fusion Realm. For those Beyond the Chaos Gate, even reaching the Third Step Dao Fruit stage is extremely difficult. The only way to perfect the universe's laws is to break the Chaos Gate."
"Is what you're saying true?" Benjamin Edge's eyes lit up. He finally understood why he hadn't reached the Creation Realm. If Joe Di was right, he'd risk his life to help break the Chaos Gate and destroy the Continental Guardian Array of this landmass.
It wasn't just Benjamin Edge—Cameron Yan, Hu Muji, and Ray Lawson were all breathing rapidly. They'd all reached the Dao Fusion Realm, but were stuck, unable to advance.
If Joe Di was telling the truth, did it mean they might have a chance to enter the Creation Realm?