“I know about Du Bu. I heard that he’s very arrogant and he wanted to dominate the entire Five-Element Universe,” said Di Jiu.
Cao Xi shook her head. “Actually, Du Bu is arrogant, but saying that he wanted to dominate the entire Five-Element Universe is not accurate. Du Bu must have wanted to dominate the Five-Element Universe and become the Master of the Universe. He did not want to take the Five-Element Universe for himself. The person who was truly ambitious was his disciple, Du Mo. He really wanted to take and refine the Five-Element Universe for himself. However, his ambition was greater than his capability. Thus, his failure was inevitable.”
“What kind of person is Du Mo?” Di Jiu was very curious about Du Mo, as many things were related to this guy.
Cao Xi replied, “I’ve actually never seen Du Mo. When Du Mo was dominant, I had already perished. In other words, before Du Mo became Du Bu’s disciple, I was already dead. The reason that I’ve heard about Du Mo is that I’ve inquired about Du Bu after I was reborn using the Primordial Laws.”
“You had perished?” Di Jiu subconsciously repeated before he understood. Cao Xi must have been reborn. If Cao Xi was so terrifying after being reborn, once Du Bu was reborn, how terrifying would he be? Moreover, Du Bu wouldn’t have died just like that.
Di Jiu looked at Cao Xi doubtfully. This woman was really pretty and was also a well-known figure from the same generation as Du Bu. She couldn’t have been on close terms with Du Bu, right?
Cao Xi, who clearly didn’t know what Di Jiu was thinking, said, “Back then, I only obtained one Primordial Dao Law, while Du Bu obtained eight Primordial Dao Laws. Du Bu wanted me to give him this Primordial Dao Law so that he could have a complete understanding of the universe.”
“You should have given it to him, right?” Di Jiu knew that Du Bu had eventually acquired nine Primordial Dao Laws. He had obtained this piece of information from the Ninth Dao Law.
Cao Xi shook her head. “I didn’t give him the Primordial Dao Law I obtained. I was prepared, so when Du Bu tried to snatch it, I wouldn’t let him have it even if I died along with the Primordial Dao Law. I didn’t expect that Du Bu would not just want the Primordial Dao Law. He also wanted me to become his cultivation partner. He said that I was the only one who was a good fit for him and he even gave me a day to consider it.
“I had never thought of becoming anyone’s cultivation partner. However, I was also aware that I was not Du Bu’s match. As long as Du Bu wanted to, I wouldn’t be able to break free from his clutches in the Five-Element Universe no matter where I escape to. I only considered it for three seconds before I chose to kill myself and the Primordial Dao Law.”
Di Jiu suddenly thought of the Ninth Dao Law. While the Ninth Dao Law had been escaping, he had really thought that the Ninth Dao Law would escape from the clutches of the Master of the Universe. However, that wasn’t the case now. This wasn’t because Du Bu couldn’t find the Ninth Dao Law but because Du Bu’s disciple had plotted against him. Otherwise, no matter how far the Ninth Dao Law escaped, it wouldn’t be able to escape from Du Bu’s clutches.
Cao Xi added, “I died very simply and I didn’t plan on being reborn. In my opinion, it’s good enough to have lived once. Plus, I was born in the Five-Element Universe. When I perished, everything disintegrated back into the Five-Element Universe and went back to wherever it had come from.”
Di Jiu looked at Cao Xi in confusion. Since she was so straightforward, he wondered if she was really standing in front of him.
Cao Xi could see that Di Jiu was puzzled and laughed self-derisively. “Although I died so simply, I…”
Di Jiu immediately understood what Cao Xi meant and asked in shock, “Did you use the Primordial Dao Law to be reborn?”
Cao Xi nodded. “Yes, I indeed used the Primordial Dao Law to be reborn. Although Du Bu gathered all nine Primordial Dao Laws later, one could only say that he gathered eight Primordial Dao Laws. I believe that Du Bu should have understood this afterward. When that happened, he could have stripped away the Primordial Dao Law that had helped me get reborn so that I couldn’t be reborn.
“In fact, Du Bu didn’t do that. I think there are only two possibilities. One, Du Bu did not get the chance to do so because the joined forces of his disciple, Du Mo, and many other experts had plotted against him. Two, Du Bu might perhaps have let me off once on account of the fact that we were all cultivators with heaven-opening Dao runes that had been born by the condensation of the heaven-opening essence.”
Di Jiu was silent. He had heard of another rumor. Back then, after the Chaotic Inner Realm that Du Mo had integrated with the Primordial Dao Laws had been opened, eight Primordial Dao Laws had appeared. These eight Primordial Dao Laws had been snatched away by eight experts. Since Cao Xi had said that, it meant that an expert had not snatched the Primordial Dao Law. He should have only taken half of it.
“Did you still need to look for the other half of your Primordial Dao Law?” asked Di Jiu.
Cao Xi nodded. “After I was reborn, I immediately went to inquire about Du Bu. As long as he was still alive, I would rather find a secluded place and die there. After all, if Du Bu knew I was still alive, he wouldn’t give me a second chance to die. I would have nowhere to escape to.”
Di Jiu indeed believed that Du Bu was so crazy that he wouldn’t even give someone else the chance to die. However, since Di Jiu hadn’t died, shouldn’t he be Du Bu’s match?
Di Jiu shook his head right away. He was sure that he was not Du Bu’s match now, not even if he was at the same level. He knew that Cao Xi was nothing compared to Du Bu either. At the perfected Dao Integration Realm, Cao Xi could crush an early-stage Dao Integration expert.
At this thought, Di Jiu felt his mood worsen. These people came out one by one, and he had seen a bunch of them. He didn’t know when Du Bu would come out. Once Du Bu appeared before him, what should he do? After he set up his own cosmic laws and perfected his Dao Integration, would he really be able to deal with Du Bu?
Cao Xi, who did not notice Di Jiu’s bad mood, said, “After I discovered that Du Bu had perished, I didn’t want to perish. Just like you said, I tried my best to look for the other half of the Primordial Dao Law. I hoped that after I reached the third step, Du Bu would only be at the Dao Integration. This way, I would still have a chance.”
“Did you discover his whereabouts?” Di Jiu quickly asked.
He couldn’t wait for Cao Xi to quickly perfect her Primordial Dao Law and reach the third step either. That way, if he encountered Du Bu in the future, Cao Xi might be able to assist him.
Cao Xi shook her head. “I’m sure that half of the Primordial Dao Law was snatched away and hidden by that person. Otherwise, if it was in the Five-Element Universe, I would be able to sense it.”
Di Jiu sighed. He wasn’t even in the mood to talk. Compared to the true threat of Du Bu, the huge people who were constraining him were nothing.
After some time, Di Jiu said unhurriedly, “If Du Bu has been reborn, I’m afraid that both of us will become his prey. Isn’t there anyone in the universe who can restrain him?”
Cao Xi was silent for a while before she said all of a sudden, “When I was hiding from Du Bu, I met an expert who possessed true wisdom. I suspect that he was a cultivator who could absorb the epoch-making Dao runes and condense the essence of the universe, just like us. However, he never revealed his origins. I think that if anyone can deal with Du Bu, it might perhaps be that man.”
“Who is he?” Di Jiu asked.
Cao Xi didn’t answer directly. Instead, she said, “When I met him in the past, I was convinced by his vast wisdom. After he answered many of my questions, he told me something that I still remember to this day.”
“What’s that?” Di Jiu, who was in a bad mood after sensing a threat like Du Bu, grew impatient.
Cao Xi didn’t care about Di Jiu’s urgency. “I’m neither a Dao nor a person. It is an ordeal to take pity on someone. After I was reborn, I understood what this means,” she answered.
