He Can Do Nothing

Facing a ruthless and vicious outlaw, with no means of counterattack, the optimal choice to avoid greater losses is to calmly sit down and negotiate.

The Azure Heaven Dao was, of course, rational. It quickly suppressed its turbulent origin, dispersing the net of azure heavenly lightning and calming the overwhelming fluctuations of its laws, reverting to its feeble, pseudo-immortal-level aura.

"State your demands. As long as you release the Young Mistress, anything can be arranged!" The Azure Heaven Dao coldly stared at the faintly visible shadowy figure.

"Don't rush!" Chen Yi, watching the Azure Heaven Dao expertly disguise itself, was immediately intrigued. "First, answer me—why pretend to be such a weak, cowardly fool? Is there a reason?"

"Before you release the Young Mistress, I have the right to remain silent," the Azure Heaven Dao replied firmly.

"You have no choice!" Chen Yi’s tone was equally unyielding.

After a moment of silence, the Azure Heaven Dao wisely answered: "Disguising myself is for self-preservation. The Myriad Realms are like a dark forest, teeming with countless thieves. Only the mighty Upper Realms shine like the sun. If the Azure Cloud Continent stands out too much, it will only attract more covetous eyes!"

"Hmm?" Chen Yi was puzzled and asked bluntly, "So it’s not fear of suppression from the Upper Realms? And what are these thieves you speak of? The Abyssal Fiends?"

"I’ve already answered one question. Now, I need confirmation that the Young Mistress is unharmed. Otherwise, I refuse to respond!" The Azure Heaven Dao lowered its demands but grew even more resolute.

"Relax, she’s just asleep. But if you keep refusing to cooperate, your Young Mistress will suffer dearly!" Chen Yi’s calm voice carried a cruel edge.

Han Qianxue absolutely could not emerge from the isolation pouch right now—not only was the Azure Heaven Dao agitated, but the Chat Group was also in a frenzy, even dispatching an inspection system to handle the situation!

But a performance must be thorough. Just because the inspection system was on his side didn’t mean he could act recklessly. After all, the Chat Group’s anchor point in Han Qianxue’s mind belonged to Group One, and within Group One were ten ancient beings directly overseen by the Primordial Chaos Creation Disk’s central authority!

This direct line to the highest echelons wasn’t yet under his monopoly. Until he fully researched the issues with Han Qianxue and devised countermeasures, she could not leave the isolation pouch!

Unaware of these intricacies, the Azure Heaven Dao’s celestial dome twisted in fury, its voice savage:

"You won’t even grant such a simple request? What have you done to my Young Mistress? Is she truly just asleep, or has she slept into death?!"

Chen Yi remained unperturbed. "Don’t ask what you shouldn’t. As an elder Dao, you should be able to discern the truth in my words. Stay calm, answer honestly, and it’ll be better for everyone."

The Azure Heaven Dao: ......

What could it do?

Risk mutual destruction?

But this mysterious outlaw had pierced the heavens with a single halberd strike—even if the net broke, this great fish wouldn’t die!

Even with its full strength, it couldn’t win. What else was left?

It was powerless. It was useless!

It could do nothing......

After a long struggle, the Azure Heaven Dao finally yielded: "As long as you don’t harm the Young Mistress, I’ll cooperate fully. I’ll answer every question!"

"First question: My disguise isn’t out of fear of suppression from the Upper Realms. The Upper Realms disdain suppressing those below—they rely on their superior environments and higher law thresholds to attract beings from countless lower realms willingly."

"For example, this realm’s peak can produce Celestial Immortals, but that’s its limit. To advance further would require at least three epochs of accumulation. Meanwhile, the Upper Realms need only lower an Ascension Passage to recruit this realm’s pillars effortlessly."

"The Upper Realms call themselves the homeland of immortals, making countless heroes from the lower realms fight tooth and nail to enter. But do those so-called immortals even remember their true origins?"

"Ah, but in the end, Azure Cloud’s foundation is too shallow. How could I stop them from seeking a brighter future?"

By the end, the Azure Heaven Dao’s tone was laced with bitterness—resentment, helplessness, and melancholy.

Chen Yi nodded slightly, understanding now. He pressed on: "If the Upper Realms don’t suppress you, then your disguise is to guard against these so-called thieves? Are they the Abyssal Fiends, or something else?"

The Azure Heaven Dao paused, its tone tinged with oddity: "Yes. Thieves refer to all entities that steal a world’s fortune, not just the Abyssal Fiends. Their senses are keen—once they detect a world in its prime, they latch onto it like leeches, draining its fortune to strengthen themselves and hasten its decline..."

"At first, I thought you were one of them. But now, it seems you know nothing. Who are you? What do you want with my Young Mistress?"

"No, by your definition, I am a thief!" Chen Yi dropped the act. "Your foundation is immense. Hand over half of your True Immortal-level law origin!"

A Heavenly Dao’s world-grade law origin encompasses all things—it’s fundamentally different from the law origin cultivated by individual practitioners.

If a practitioner’s law is like plucking a leaf from the tree of laws, then the Heavenly Dao is the soil that nurtures the entire tree!

The Great Dao numbers fifty, but the heavens derive only forty-nine. This "forty-nine" isn’t just a count—it’s the ultimate number, encompassing all aspects, leaving nothing out!

Thus, for a Heavenly Dao to ascend, the time and effort required far surpass that of any practitioner!

Even with the current Ziwei Heavenly Dao powered by the Flying Star Core and supported by numerous celestial officials sharing the burden, advancing from pseudo-immortal to True Immortal would take millennia at minimum!

Chen Yi couldn’t wait that long. He wasn’t a conventional man—he walked the wild path, accustomed to speed, utterly incapable of slowing down!

So, the wild path had its own methods. If the orthodox route was too slow, he’d simply "borrow" origin from well-developed worlds to nurture Ziwei. Efficient and effective!

The Azure Heaven Dao: ......

And you claim you’re not a bandit?!

Ordinary thieves at most siphon fortune, stir chaos, or devour lives—they rarely touch the foundation, lest they kill the goose that lays golden eggs.

But you, damnable outlaw, not only kidnapped Azure Cloud’s pillar but now demand its Heavenly Dao’s law origin?!

If granted, Azure Cloud would at best regress in rank—at worst, see its sun and moon dim, its heavens collapse!

But if refused, this bandit would take it by force... and who knew if it could withstand him?

Ah, damnable bandit—how damnable you are!

"Fine. I’ll give it to you. But in exchange, you must release the Young Mistress. Otherwise, I won’t yield—even if it means sinking Azure Cloud!"

The Azure Heaven Dao made the wisest choice.

Though it couldn’t resist this bandit, it could ensure he gained nothing!

Yet the moment the words fell, the dark heavens were violently torn asunder.

A sinister, eerie burst of laughter followed close behind.

"Kekekekeke..."

"So that’s why the Azure Heaven’s Dao erupted for no reason—it turns out that damned woman Han Qianxue is gone! Kekeke... Now, who’s left to stop me? Who dares to stand in my way?! I’ll feast to my heart’s content!!!"