Boom! Joe Di felt as though his entire body was being cleansed. In that instant, his cultivation reached the pinnacle of True Transformation. Even if he used more immortal crystals or spirit veins, he could not advance any further. Yet Joe Di paid this no mind. Standing above Wuchuan, his heart surged with excitement.
He had regained all his memories, and now understood exactly why he had come here.
After Cassie Cao perfected his Dao Heart, she departed, but Joe Di had thoroughly grasped a vital truth: as long as his cultivation was strong enough and his Dao was bold enough, even time itself could be reversed. Even if Cassie Cao could no longer reincarnate, he would find her.
Unfortunately, he still could not enter the Ninth World. It was not because his strength or cultivation was lacking. Now, as a ninth-level True Transformation cultivator, he feared no Integration cultivator. His first priority was not to seek Dominic Du, nor to continue restoring his power, but to find his Lethe Bridge. As long as he reached the Lethe Bridge and crossed it once more, he would complete this cycle of reincarnation.
At that moment, he would face Dominic Du. Because as soon as he stepped out from his Lethe Bridge again, Dominic Du would surely realize he had been outmaneuvered.
Unable to enter the Ninth World or obtain anything from it, Joe Di was unconcerned. His current strength required no cultivation resources or treasures. The only regret was that his Azure Veil Blade was also trapped in the Ninth World.
With a wave of his hand, a mass of blazing red iron crystal swiftly transformed into a blade in Joe Di’s grip. Though it was not the Azure Veil Blade, it made no difference to him. At his current level, he had no need for any magical weapon. Carrying a blade was merely a habit—and a way to constantly attune himself to the Dao of the Blade.
What Joe Di did not realize was that being unable to retrieve the Azure Veil Blade had unknowingly saved him once. Dominic Du was watching him, and naturally knew all about the Azure Veil Blade. If Joe Di dared to take it out, Dominic Du would instantly know his location—and even realize he had been outwitted. Until Joe Di had fully returned from the Lethe Bridge, he could not conceal the blade’s aura.
With a flick of his hand, Joe Di effortlessly tore apart the boundary before him and vanished into the void.
He truly had no idea which domain Dominic Du had originally lured him into, but that did not stop him from searching for the Lethe Bridge. The Lethe Bridge belonged to him—now that his memory had returned, he could sense its vague direction. The only thing limiting him was his cultivation realm. At the True Transformation level, even if he could challenge any powerhouse, he could not tear through planes at will.
......
Along the way, Joe Di tore through countless voids. Each time he ripped open a new domain, he could faintly sense himself drawing closer to the Lethe Bridge.
As for the inhabited planets he passed, Joe Di had lost count. No matter how many worlds he encountered—be they cultivation realms or immortal realms—he never stopped for even a moment.
A hundred years slipped by in this endless cycle of tearing open void domains and traveling onward. Sometimes, he would rip open one domain and immediately tear into another. Other times, he would rush a distance after breaching a void, then change direction and open a new domain.
On this day, Joe Di had just torn open a void domain and had barely gone far when a powerful blade light slashed toward him. At the same time, an Immortal King Domain locked the space around him. Clearly, someone intended to finish Joe Di with a single strike.
Joe Di had never imagined such a way of attacking. Normally, even if someone wanted to kill and rob, they would at least check what treasures their target possessed. He was only carrying an ordinary top-grade blade—a mere artifact from the cultivation realm—and didn’t even have a flying ship beneath his feet. Yet his attacker struck to kill without hesitation; it was excessive.
Joe Di couldn't be bothered to think further. With a wave of his hand, he unleashed a blade light in return.
"Puff!" A burst of blood exploded as a beautiful young woman in purple was split in two by Joe Di’s blade.
Only then did the two middle-aged men who had been accompanying the young woman snap to attention, their faces pale as they stared at Joe Di. One even pointed at him with a trembling finger, "You—you actually killed Minnie Fay! You..."
Joe Di nearly laughed in exasperation. This woman had attacked him the moment she saw him, without a single word—was he not allowed to fight back?
One of the men was likely a late-stage Immortal Lord, the other a mid-stage Immortal Lord. Joe Di shook his head; he had no time to waste words with them. With a flash of blade light, he prepared to finish them both off.
The late-stage Immortal Lord suddenly spoke, "Friend, for you to kill Minnie Fay in one strike while we were unprepared, your strength must far exceed ours—at least at the level of an Immortal Emperor. But even if you kill us, it will be a dead end for you. Of course, we won't survive either."
Joe Di looked at the late-stage Immortal Lord in surprise. "If I don't kill you, would two Immortal Lords really fail to escape?"
"So you really are hiding your cultivation in the True Transformation Realm." When Joe Di revealed their cultivation rank, the late-stage Immortal Lord shook his head. He was speechless at Joe Di's eccentricity. If Joe Di hadn't concealed his strength as an ant from the cultivation realm, Minnie Fay would never have attacked him directly.
Minnie Fay was indeed arrogant and reckless, even ruthless, but she was no fool. This was not the territory of the Grand Cloud Blade Sect; she would never attack someone whose cultivation far surpassed her own.
"Just kill yourselves. I can't be bothered." Joe Di spun his blade and slung it across his back.
The late-stage Immortal Lord chuckled, utterly unconcerned about life or death, and said calmly, "Even if you kill us, you won't escape the Grand Cloud Blade Sect's pursuit. We’re dead either way. But because Minnie Fay died, at least hundreds of thousands of innocent cultivators will perish. Though you didn't kill them, it’s because of you they’ll die."
The other Immortal Lord immediately understood his companion’s meaning and said, "Minnie Fay came out this time because several major sects in the Juhu Immortal Domain invited her to hunt in the void. Now, with Minnie Fay killed and the Grand Cloud Blade Sect so powerful, they will surely wipe out everyone connected to her death."
Joe Di smiled faintly. "You want me to go to the Grand Cloud Blade Sect, right? Fine. My time is precious—I’ll give you a little. Lead the way."
The two Immortal Lords never expected their pointless words to provoke Joe Di into action—and even agree to let them lead the way.
The late-stage Immortal Lord cupped his fists and said, "Friend, you are truly magnanimous. I, Feng Huan, admire you."
Joe Di replied coolly, "Enough talk. If you keep rambling, I’ll lose interest in visiting this so-called Juhu Immortal Domain with you."
Hearing this, the two Immortal Lords dared not say another word and hurried to lead the way.
One of them sent a message back, but Joe Di acted as if he hadn’t noticed, simply following behind. In truth, both Immortal Lords knew—even if they didn’t send word, the Grand Cloud Blade Sect would learn of Minnie Fay’s death immediately.
Minnie Fay was the daughter of Byron Fay, Sect Master of the Grand Cloud Blade Sect. Though Byron Fay had many children, he cherished Minnie Fay most of all.
With Minnie Fay dead, nearly half the Juhu Immortal Domain knew at once. The sects that had invited her to the void hunt were terrified. They quickly decided that every sect master involved would personally lead their elders and disciples to the Grand Cloud Blade Sect.