After Joe Di returned to his quarters, he immediately sealed his Guardian Seat with a forbidden array. He had no intention of leaving again; everything he could gain in the Chaos Skyship, he had already obtained. What he needed most now was to improve his strength and wait to see if Saint Quinn Jett and the others could find a new destination.
If he reached full Convergence Realm and Saint Quinn Jett and the others still hadn't found a new place, then he would have no choice but to leave the Chaos Skyship once more.
Joe Di hadn't been in seclusion for long before Saint Quinn Jett and Saint Tyron arrived outside his Guardian Seat. When they saw the protective array and the 'Do Not Disturb—In Seclusion' sign posted outside, both men frowned slightly.
Once a cultivator enters seclusion, unless it's a matter of life and death, it's taboo to knock on their door. Doing so is tantamount to declaring a mortal feud.
If Saint Quinn Jett forcibly broke through the restrictions outside Joe Di's protective array now, it would mean forging a deadly enmity with him.
"He must be recuperating. Since we're all on this Skyship, let's just wait a bit longer," Saint Tyron suggested proactively.
Saint Quinn Jett nodded in agreement, seeing no need to become mortal enemies with Joe Di. Since Joe Di had returned to heal, he would have to emerge from seclusion eventually. It was not too late to seek him out then.
What Saint Quinn Jett hadn't anticipated was that Joe Di, once in seclusion, had no intention of coming out. But since he hadn't disturbed Joe Di at the outset, he wasn't about to do so midway either. As a top-tier Saint Seat Holder, he still had his principles.
News of Joe Di's return quickly spread throughout the Chaos Skyship. Everyone knew the cultivator with the Dao Veins had come back, but as soon as he returned, he went into seclusion. Even though many coveted Joe Di's Dao Veins, there was nothing they could do. If anyone wanted to make a move on him, they'd have to wait until he emerged.
...
Joe Di estimated that he'd been in seclusion for less than a hundred years when he sensed something amiss. Although the Chaos Skyship was traveling through Chaos, it had always been steady—steadier than even his own home. But lately, the Skyship had begun to shake frequently, at times quite violently.
Joe Di opened his eyes and glanced at the Burning Array Disk, immediately feeling a sense of foreboding.
On the Burning Array Disk, a Divine Ley Line was depleted in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. If the rate kept accelerating, surviving even five hundred years—let alone three thousand—would be impossible.
Joe Di immediately got up and opened his protective array.
Bang! Almost as soon as Joe Di opened his array, a figure flew toward him.
Joe Di had been about to strike with his fist, but a sweep of his divine sense revealed it was Saint Henry Yi. With a twist of his hand, Joe Di helped Saint Henry Yi land safely by his side.
"Henry Yi, how did things get so rough for you?" Joe Di asked, his gaze shifting to the Saint who had just sent Saint Henry Yi flying.
It would be more accurate to say that three people had joined forces to send Saint Henry Yi flying, rather than just one. Two others stood beside the Saint, one on each side, clearly pressing in on Saint Henry Yi with their Dao Domains.
"Joe Di, you've come out of seclusion..." Saint Henry Yi panted, but there was no joy in his eyes.
Joe Di glanced outside his protective array. It was obvious that Saint Henry Yi had been waiting outside for him, and there were traces of formation setup beyond the array.
"So you're Joe Di, the one trying to claim a seat in the Saint Seat Plaza? You spent over a hundred years in the boundless Chaos?" The long-bearded Saint standing in the center—Saint Byron—fixed Joe Di with a hungry gaze, as if he'd been starved and now saw a feast laid before him.
Saint Henry Yi lowered his voice and said, "That long-bearded one is called Byron. The two beside him are Eugene and Star Tang. The Dao Vein you gave me was snatched away by these three..."
Joe Di looked at Henry Yi, speechless. "Henry Yi, you really are too soft. How could you let your Dao Vein get stolen?"
In Joe Di's view, even if Henry Yi wasn't strong enough, once he obtained a Dao Vein and returned to his Guardian Seat, there shouldn't have been any trouble. At the very least, no one would dare attack another's Guardian Seat so casually. His own Guardian Seat had never been attacked.
Henry Yi sighed. "After I got the Dao Vein, I went to exchange some things with another Saint. I never expected Byron to intercept me before I could return."
Joe Di hadn't known about any of this. After giving Henry Yi a Dao Vein, he'd soon left for Chaos. What happened to Henry Yi must have occurred after Joe Di entered Chaos.
Saint Henry Yi continued, "The longer the Chaos Skyship stays in Chaos, the faster it burns through Supreme Dao Veins. At this rate, the ship won't last even a hundred years before it's completely annihilated in Chaos."
Cosmic Dao Veins, on the other hand, remain resilient even in boundless Chaos. That's why their value has skyrocketed—each one is now priceless. I heard you returned, so I waited outside your array, hoping to see you. But then the Skyship started shaking, and you know the rest."
While Saint Henry Yi spoke, Saint Byron and the other two Saints didn't interrupt. When Henry Yi finished, Byron finally spoke coolly, "Joe Di, you must realize the Chaos Skyship can't hold out much longer. The ship is awash in slaughter. Even if you stay in your Guardian Seat, it won't last. Let me give you some advice..."
As Byron continued speaking, Joe Di suddenly sent a voice transmission to Henry Yi: "In a moment, help me hold off Eugene and Star Tang..."
Joe Di didn't wait for a reply. The Azure Veil Blade was already sweeping forth in a pale arc of blade light, slashing toward Saint Byron.
This was the first time Joe Di had made a move since condensing the Dao Tree and cultivating three branches of his Grand Dao. He didn't even use any techniques—just unleashed a single blade strike.
Joe Di used sixty percent of his strength with this strike, wanting to test the gap between himself and these Saints. If this wasn't enough, he'd use his techniques next. If even that failed, he'd have to reconsider his Dao.
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As soon as Saint Henry Yi received Joe Di's transmission, Joe Di swept out in a flurry of blade light.
If Joe Di hadn't attacked, Henry Yi would have tried to persuade him to hold back. On this Chaos Skyship, packed with Saints, force alone couldn't solve anything.
But Joe Di didn't wait for his answer and charged out. In that instant, Henry Yi made his choice—his own artifact flew forth, targeting Eugene and Star Tang at the same time.
As a Saint, Henry Yi knew full well what hesitation would cost. With no room for doubt, he acted without delay.
"You dare..." Byron roared. Seeing Joe Di actually attack, both Byron and the other two Saints were stunned.
It wasn't that fighting was forbidden here, but with Joe Di and Henry Yi teaming up, even the three of them might not stand a chance. To challenge them now—wasn't that sheer madness?
To be honest, if Joe Di hadn't been reserved for Saint Quinn Jett, Byron would have attacked him long ago. Why wait for Joe Di to make the first move?
As soon as Joe Di unleashed the Azure Veil Blade, he sensed a difference. Before, his blade followed his Dao. But now, as the blade swept out, every inch of space harmonized perfectly with his blade's momentum. His Dao rhythm instantly refined the spatial rules for his strike.
With this strike, it felt as if all of space was cooperating with his blade, rather than his blade having to force its way through spatial laws to reach Byron. Wherever his blade went, his Dao followed.
Byron, after shouting his challenge, also summoned his artifact. How could a mere cultivator who hadn't reached the Saint Seat dare attack Byron?
But in the next instant, Byron sensed something was wrong. The space he occupied was part of the Chaos Skyship, yet when he summoned his artifact, he felt completely out of sync with it. Everything here seemed to belong, including Joe Di's blade momentum—as if it had always existed in this space. The only outsider was Byron himself.
Not good—Joe Di's strength was definitely not inferior to Saint Quinn Jett. Byron could never match this mastery over Dao space.
"Stop now!" Byron roared desperately.
Thud! As Byron shouted, the Azure Veil Blade's light had already cleaved down the center of his brow.
"You actually dare..." Byron managed just four words before a massive vortex of darkness swept in. Under this strike, his soul was utterly annihilated.
Joe Di stared blankly at the Azure Veil Blade in his hand. He'd used only sixty percent of his power, and though Byron had been caught off guard, he hadn't resisted at all. The result left Joe Di momentarily stunned.
After constructing the Dao Tree, his strength had reached a terrifying new level. At this moment, Joe Di once again felt the exhilaration of overwhelming his peers—just like in the past, crushing opponents of the same realm.
(End of today's update. Good night, friends!) [Author's Note]