Chapter 00319: Making a Brother
# Making a Brother
Chapter 319
Novel: Abandon The Universe
Chapter 319: Making a Brother
In the blink of an eye, Lan Xiaobu transformed into a streak of golden light and landed beside the shattered remnant of a soul.
"Ah, the mighty tiger has fallen to the plains... Huh?" The fragmented soul, halfway through its lament, suddenly paused and exclaimed in surprise, "You... you're the one who saved me back then, aren't you? Lan Xiaobu from Mobei?"
Lan Xiaobu laughed heartily, "That's right, it's me! But how come after all these years, your soul is still in such a sorry state? It doesn't seem to have improved much."
The fragmented soul chuckled wryly, "Improved? If anything, it's worse than before. Who would've thought the Great Desolate Universe would undergo such drastic changes? If not for that, I wouldn't be in this sorry state today..."
"Nowhere to run now, huh?" A harsh voice interrupted, as two men landed on either side of Lan Xiaobu, surrounding him and the fragmented soul.
Lan Xiaobu laughed again, "Ah, Immortal Officer Qi, congratulations on your progress! But why are you chasing after my friend?"
The newcomers were none other than Qi Yunshu, a minor officer from the Forbidden Immortal Bureau of the Jiangyan Immortal Path, and a third-grade immortal official, who was at the Great Yi Immortal level.
"You're Immortal Officer Lan?" Qi Yunshu's eyes widened in shock before he exclaimed in delight.
The third-grade immortal official quickly stepped forward and bowed, "Greetings, Immortal Officer Lan."
"What's going on here? Why are you chasing my friend?" Lan Xiaobu asked, his impression of the fragmented soul being that he didn't seem like an evil person.
Qi Yunshu hurriedly explained, "There have been Nightmare Demons appearing all over the Mo Xuan Immortal Domain. He emerged from a group of them and even killed Shi Bu, the son of the city lord of Lezhen Immortal City, Shi Qi."
The fragmented soul protested, "That guy was trying to kill me and wanted to lock up my soul! Was I supposed to just let him?"
Lan Xiaobu waved his hand dismissively, "Let's just drop this matter. I'll explain it to the Grand Immortal Officer later."
Qi Yunshu quickly added, "Immortal Officer Lan, you *are* the Grand Immortal Officer now."
"I'm the Grand Immortal Officer?" Lan Xiaobu looked at the two men in confusion.
Since when had he become the Grand Immortal Officer?
Qi Yunshu explained, "The Eleventh Prince has made great contributions and is now the heir to the throne of the Star Ascension Immortal Court. The Jiangyan Immortal Path falls under his jurisdiction, so he handed the position of Grand Immortal Officer over to you. The Eleventh Prince said that no matter when you return, you will always be the Grand Immortal Officer of the Forbidden Immortal Bureau."
Lan Xiaobu laughed, "Well, that's even better. You two can go ahead. I'll take care of things here and return to the bureau later."
"Yes, sir," Qi Yunshu replied.
Though he and Lan Xiaobu had both been minor officers before, Lan Xiaobu had suddenly become his superior.
However, Qi Yunshu wasn't the least bit displeased.
He was more than happy to work under Lan Xiaobu, who was known for his decisiveness and lack of hesitation.
More importantly, he had heard that Lan Xiaobu was a seventh-grade Immortal Alchemy King.
A seventh-grade Immortal Alchemy King! During the beast tide, Qi Yunshu had gained some benefits and was now at the peak of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm.
All he needed was the right immortal herbs, and he could ask the Grand Immortal Officer to refine the Immortal King Pill for him.
Only a fool wouldn't want to work under Lan Xiaobu.
Not every Great Luo Golden Immortal had the privilege of following a seventh-grade Immortal Alchemy King.
After Qi Yunshu and the immortal official left, Lan Xiaobu turned to the fragmented soul and asked, "I never got your name. How did you end up in the Mo Xuan Immortal Domain after leaving the outer void of Yuan Continent?"
"My name is Zhao Gongming..."
As soon as the fragmented soul uttered his name, Lan Xiaobu exclaimed in shock, "You're Zhao Gongming?!"
"You know me?" Zhao Gongming looked at Lan Xiaobu in confusion.
This was his first time in this immortal domain, so how could someone recognize him? Wait, this Immortal Officer Lan seemed to have come from the Great Desolate Universe as well.
Lan Xiaobu quickly replied, "Of course I know you! Who hasn't heard of your name? My admiration for you is like the endless flow of a great river, or like..."
"Wait, Immortal Officer Lan, I don't deserve such high praise. Where exactly have you seen me before?" Zhao Gongming quickly interrupted Lan Xiaobu's flattery, though he couldn't shake the feeling that Lan Xiaobu wasn't just making things up.
"Senior Zhao, weren't you ambushed back then, and your soul was sent to the Fengshen Bang to be deified?" Lan Xiaobu asked, puzzled.
Zhao Gongming waved his hand, "You've saved me twice now, and you seem like a decent person. Don't call me 'senior.' If you think highly of me, just call me brother."
"Then, Brother Gongming, could you tell me what really happened back then?" Lan Xiaobu didn't mind the informality.
Zhao Gongming was known for his chivalry and loyalty, and he had been betrayed because of his loyalty to his friends.
Zhao Gongming sighed, "It's all just empty talk about benevolence and righteousness. Deification? Hah! As you can see, I was guarding the Heaven-Piercing Pillar. If it weren't for your help, I'd still be trapped there. I'll settle the score for what happened back then, but I've already caused too much harm to innocent people. It's a long story, and until I've avenged myself, I'd rather not talk about it."
Lan Xiaobu understood that this involved the separation and abandonment of the Nine Heavens of the Great Desolate Universe, so he didn't press further.
Instead, he asked, "Brother Gongming, what are your plans now?"
Zhao Gongming replied, "I have nowhere to go now. Out of nowhere, these Nightmare Demons started appearing everywhere. Since you're the Grand Immortal Officer of the Star Ascension Immortal Court, I was hoping to stay under your protection for a while. Would that be possible?"
Lan Xiaobu laughed, "If you're not afraid of danger, you're more than welcome. Let me tell you, though, I've made quite a few enemies..."
Lan Xiaobu briefly recounted the people he had offended, even mentioning that the Immortal Court King of Mo Xuan, Teng Jilou, might come after him, and that the Zhi family was particularly mysterious.
Zhao Gongming laughed, "If I were afraid of death, I wouldn't have been locked up in the Heaven-Piercing Pillar. It's just that my cultivation is hard to recover. Otherwise, a mere Immortal Emperor would be nothing more than an ant to me."
Lan Xiaobu believed Zhao Gongming.
This man was definitely not someone who feared death.
He quickly asked, "Brother Gongming, how can you recover your strength?"
Zhao Gongming's spirit seemed to deflate as he shook his head, "I need to restore my physical body, but the treasures required for that are incredibly rare. I heard that someone in the Star Ascension Immortal Court of the Mo Xuan Immortal Domain had obtained a Nine-Colored Void Lotus, so I went through countless hardships to get here, only to find out it was a trap."
Hearing this, Lan Xiaobu laughed, "Well, it just so happens that I have a Nine-Colored Void Lotus. It's perfect for restoring your body."
"You have a Nine-Colored Void Lotus? And you're willing to give it to me?" Zhao Gongming stared at Lan Xiaobu in disbelief.
Having a Nine-Colored Void Lotus was already an incredible stroke of luck—such a treasure was usually only spoken of in legends, never seen.
But to have one and be willing to give it to a stranger? That was unheard of.
"Of course. A friend gave it to me after I helped him out. Giving it to you means we can help each other out in the future," Lan Xiaobu said.
Though he had his own plans for escaping from an Immortal Emperor, he wasn't entirely sure how effective they would be.
Zhao Gongming's strength was definitely not inferior to an Immortal Emperor's.
If Zhao Gongming could recover his strength, then even if Teng Jilou came, it wouldn't matter.
The Nine-Colored Void Lotus that Xiao Yueshui had given him was about to prove its worth.
Lan Xiaobu didn't trust Teng Jilou's character, but he did trust Zhao Gongming's.
Many members of the Jie Sect acted without regard for right or wrong, but they were all true to their nature.
Zhao Gongming was the kind of person who would go to the ends of the earth for his friends.
If not for that, he would have been living a carefree life by now.
"Thank you, Brother Xiaobu. From now on, you're my closest brother," Zhao Gongming said, his voice filled with emotion.
It had been so hard for him to find a way to restore his body.
Lan Xiaobu grinned and asked, "Brother Gongming, even though you're just a soul now, with your abilities, wouldn't it be easy for you to possess someone else's body?"
Zhao Gongming's expression turned serious, "I, Zhao Gongming, have principles. If I were to possess someone else's body, would that person be willing? Just as I wouldn't want to be enslaved, I wouldn't do that to someone else. Besides, possessing someone else's body would make me feel uncomfortable."
"Good! Old Zhao, I've decided you're my brother. Let's go find a place for you to restore your body," Lan Xiaobu said, clapping his hands.
He felt that Zhao Gongming's principles aligned with his own.
If he were in Zhao Gongming's position, he wouldn't possess someone else's body either.
"Should we go to your Forbidden Immortal Bureau?" Zhao Gongming asked with a grin, his spirits lifted.
As the Grand Immortal Officer, who would dare mess with them there?
Lan Xiaobu shook his head, "Not yet. If I go back now, Teng Jilou will probably show up at the bureau soon after. Let's wait until you've recovered your strength before we return."
Lan Xiaobu's guess was correct.
As soon as Teng Jilou learned that Lan Xiaobu was alive and about to return to the Forbidden Immortal Bureau, he immediately dropped everything and rushed to the Jiangyan Immortal Path's Forbidden Immortal Bureau with his entourage.
...
Meanwhile, Lan Xiaobu and Zhao Gongming had set up a temporary shelter deep within a desolate mountain range, far from the Forbidden Immortal Bureau.
Zhao Gongming took the spatial ring Lan Xiaobu had given him and began the process of restoring his physical body, while Lan Xiaobu focused on improving his own cultivation.
Zhao Gongming was truly moved.
He hadn't expected to make such a generous and straightforward friend like Lan Xiaobu.
When he used his divine sense to inspect the contents of the spatial ring, he was stunned.
Inside the ring was not only a perfectly preserved Nine-Colored Void Lotus but also a top-grade immortal spirit vein, millions of top-grade immortal crystals, and even an extremely rare supreme-grade immortal crystal.
There was also a treasure—a Heaven-Illuminating Seal, a weapon that had once belonged to Luo Xuan.
How had it ended up in Lan Xiaobu's hands?
This was truly a brother worth having, someone who would give away such precious treasures without hesitation.
Zhao Gongming was deeply grateful and resolved to recover his strength as quickly as possible.
He wouldn't let Teng Jilou bully his newfound brother.
As Zhao Gongming began the process of restoring his body, Lan Xiaobu laid out a top-grade immortal spirit vein and surrounded himself with mountains of immortal crystals.
He was preparing to break through to the fifth level of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm.
(End of Chapter)