Chapter 1049: The Third Task

This Lu Ya is in his original form?

He seems to have escaped his predicament?

The words of the Moonlight Bodhisattva echoed in Meng Qi’s mind, like a stone stirring a thousand layers of waves. Could it be that Lu Ya had indeed broken free? How had he managed it? Had another great being helped him?

Of course, this wasn’t the most important matter. The critical issue was that the current Lu Ya was likely at the Creation-level. The gap between them was greater than that between planets and stars. And yet Meng Qi had actually considered using the God-Beating Whip and the Moonlight Bodhisattva to seize the Chart of Immortalization from such a mighty Creation-level expert!

What was the meaning of an ant trying to shake a tree? This was exactly what it meant!

If Lu Ya harbored ill intentions, Meng Qi wouldn’t be coming to seize the Chart of Immortalization, but rather to hand over the God-Beating Whip!

A prickling sensation of imminent danger surged through Meng Qi, as if he had returned to his childhood—weak and helpless, seeing a dry rope on the ground and wanting to play with it, only to approach and discover it was a hideous, triangular, yellowish venomous snake. Its tongue flickered out, its eyes were icy-cold, and the slimy, repulsive sensation seemed to seep directly into his heart.

His Yuan Shen pulsed calmly. Meng Qi’s expression remained unchanged as he said, “I pursued the traces of the Azure Emperor, but found nothing until I was invited by Yuan Hong, the Great Sage of the Golden Tortoise Island. During the banquet, I stumbled upon a battle between the Azure Emperor and Yuan Hong, who held a core fragment of the Dong Huang Bell. I was caught in the aftermath and cast into ancient times. By chance, I entered the Eastern Emerald Pure Land and met the Buddhist incarnation of the Azure Emperor, the Medicine King Buddha.”

“At that time, he was only a preserved relic of his remains, but sensing the aura of my imitation of the Azure Emperor and the fragment of the Supreme Heaven Mirror, upon hearing the words ‘Who am I, and who is me,’ he suddenly entered Nirvana, leaping out of the River of Time. He left behind a Buddhist rosary to protect me on my return journey. As I activated the rosary, I revealed my form to him.”

Meng Qi withheld nothing, for whether as an ally or enemy of the Azure Emperor, Lu Ya appeared to have been involved in this matter and would surely know its outcome and general course. If Meng Qi deliberately fabricated a story, it might provoke Lu Ya’s old and new grievances, making him disregard his struggle against the Demon Buddha and kill Meng Qi on the spot. After all, the Flying Sword of Immortal Slaying was the nemesis of the Eight-Nine Mystical Art.

Even the Moonlight Bodhisattva, despite having ascended to the Creation-level, still paled in comparison to an ancient being like Lu Ya, who had survived at least one cosmic cycle, gained fame in the Primordial Era, and remained a figure of awe in the Ancient Era.

Lu Ya clicked his tongue. “Returning to the past? Countless Creation-level beings have sunk into the sea of suffering, longing to return just once, yet few have succeeded. Only when the Heavenly Emperor’s Stone Tablet was at its peak, close to the Shore Beyond, could such a feat be accomplished. Now, the Seven-Killing Tablet only grants a few dozen breaths of time—what can be done in such a short span? Without the power of a Shore Beyond expert, even contemplating such a feat is like gazing helplessly at the ocean. You two had such an opportunity; no wonder so many Creation-level beings envy you.”

“You two?” Meng Qi became even more convinced that Lu Ya was deeply involved in this matter. Perhaps his escape from captivity had stemmed from this very event, such as being rewarded by a Shore Beyond figure for guiding Meng Qi.

Who could it be?

“The Medicine King Buddha is indeed the Azure Emperor. The ancient era is the present era; all history is but a projection of the current situation. Your task has indeed been completed,” Lu Ya said, his smile fading as he suddenly sighed.

Meng Qi had heard many versions of the saying “All history is contemporary history,” but never had it struck him with such force as now.

Because this was no longer a metaphor—it was a statement of fact!

As long as the balance between the great Shore Beyond figures shifts, history itself will change accordingly. Unless one has reached the peak of the Legendary Realm or mastered time-based cultivation techniques, one cannot even perceive these changes. Even with Meng Qi’s own Shore Beyond characteristics, he could only vaguely recall the original events briefly at first, but as history is completely rewritten, those memories will be entirely forgotten—until the ultimate cause of all effects advances further or he ascends to the Legendary Realm, only then will the altered and forgotten history resurface.

As he sighed, Lu Ya pulled out the list, glowing faintly with golden light, as if manifesting the entire cosmos itself. He smiled slightly. “As usual, let’s talk about the third task first.”

The third task? Lu Ya had escaped his captivity unnoticed, and yet despite his might as a Creation-level ancient being, he still entrusted Meng Qi with a mission. What was his true intention? Meng Qi muttered inwardly while subtly relaxing. At the very least, Lu Ya had no immediate intention of turning hostile. Even if this mission carried further dangers, it wouldn’t threaten his life right away. Likewise, Lu Ya seemed not to have detected the God-Beating Whip, so Meng Qi wouldn’t end up as a treasure-delivering child.

After being warned by the Moonlight Bodhisattva, Meng Qi had immediately reversed the principle of “All Causes and Effects,” severing and obscuring the causal link of the whip.

“Master Dao, please proceed,” Meng Qi said, his expression calm.

He had plotted for so long, planning to reclaim the Chart of Immortalization, yet things had developed to this point. Dealing with an ancient being who had lived through an entire cosmic cycle was no easy task!

Lu Ya smiled and said, “This humble Daoist has an item for you. Go to the Journey to the West world and find the descendant of the Five Tranquility Abbey. Deliver it to him, and the task is complete.”

The Five Tranquility Abbey? The same one belonging to the “Coexisting Sovereign” Zhen Yuanzi? The very same place whose great technique Meng Qi had inherited? As Meng Qi pondered the mission, he speculated on Lu Ya’s motives. But with so few clues, he could only suppress his thoughts and simply say, “Fine.”

Lu Ya took out a green jade box from his sleeve. Its surface was smooth yet weathered, as if it had endured the dust of time without losing its essence. “The item is inside this jade box, sealed with eighty-one layers of enchantments. It must be delivered intact to the descendant of the Five Tranquility Abbey. Of course, if you wish to take a peek, this humble Daoist, under current circumstances, is powerless to stop you. As for the consequences, they are no concern of mine.”

He cast a smiling glance at Meng Qi, as if he had no concern at all that Meng Qi might peek inside.

Cunning and still pretending to be sealed! Meng Qi inwardly grumbled but solemnly replied, “I always keep my word.”

As soon as Meng Qi took the jade box, a sudden tremor ran through his wrist—it was fleeting, but unmistakably from that eerie blood peach!

Little Peach had reacted to the box’s contents? Meng Qi was taken aback. According to Gu Xiaosang, the blood peach was a malevolent remnant from the previous cosmic cycle. And Lu Ya, the son of the ancient Heavenly Emperor of the Primordial Era, was also an ancient being from the same era. Could the item within the box be connected to the Primordial Era?

He maintained his composure and, without showing any reaction, placed the jade box into another sleeve.

At the Earth Immortal level, with his mastery of the Void Seal, he no longer needed a mustard seed ring.

“Well then, whose name do you wish to erase?” Lu Ya pointed at the Chart of Immortalization.

Meng Qi hesitated slightly before replying, “Ruan Yushu.”

She and Zhao Heng had not yet reached the Semi-Creation stage, but she had been acquainted with Meng Qi longer and shared a deeper bond.

He was no emotionless sage, no impartial and selfless being. He had favorites and distinctions in his heart; personal feelings were inevitable.

Lu Ya didn’t care in the least. He swiped his hand across the Chart, and the golden characters “Ruan Yushu” emerged, then shattered. A fragment of true soul broke free, soared into the void, and Meng Qi drew out the Overlord’s Blade, seizing the soul’s trace and piercing through countless barriers. It was both to assist the little glutton in severing her connections to other great beings and to escape quickly, lest Lu Ya changed his mind.

Watching Meng Qi vanish, Lu Ya chuckled and his body suddenly spun, transforming into a point of flame that flew into the small red gourd. Then the gourd leaped and exited this world.

…

In the Langya Ruan Clan, pavilions and towers stood in elegant beauty, brimming with poetic charm.

Ruan Yushu, dressed in white robes, sat behind her desk. Beside her was the Phoenix-Resting Zither, and in front lay a plate of pastries. Beside the pastries were many documents, yet she sat in a daze, neither playing the zither nor eating the pastries, nor attending to family matters.

Suddenly, a tiny object flew in and entered her forehead. Instantly, she felt an unprecedented sense of completeness, surpassing any delicacy she had ever tasted. Her acupoints and inner landscapes reacted instinctively, and her Dharma Body and Yuan Shen emerged. She had already touched the threshold of the third tier of the Celestial Ladder.

At that moment, she saw a familiar figure appear before her. Purple lightning surged, a blade slashed into emptiness, the Realm of Karma emerged, and brilliant starlines illuminated the space. Several threads snapped instantly under the blade’s force.

A feeling of ease washed over her. Ruan Yushu found the key moment, and with her accumulated power complete, she naturally stepped onto the Celestial Ladder, becoming a Grand Master!

She closed her eyes, focusing on breaking through and stabilizing her new state, while Meng Qi smiled and casually sat down, helping himself to the pastries without hesitation, savoring their sweet yet refreshing taste.

Unknown how much time had passed, Ruan Yushu stabilized her cultivation and opened her eyes. Her gaze first landed on Meng Qi’s face, then shifted downward to the plate. She seemed to want to share the pastries with him, as a way to thank him for his efforts.

However, the plate was empty, not a single crumb remained.

Ruan Yushu couldn’t help wrinkling her nose slightly. “Weren’t you trapped on the Golden Tortoise Island these past two years? How did you find time to complete a mission?”

From Jiang Zhiwei’s escape from the cycle of reincarnation and her few scattered hints, she could easily guess the general situation. At this moment, a subtle sense of concern seeped through her words.

“I wasn’t trapped on the Golden Tortoise Island,” Meng Qi chuckled, “but in ancient times.” He spoke with the air of someone about to tell a child a story.

Sure enough, Ruan Yushu became deeply interested. Just as she was about to ask more, she suddenly stood up and hurriedly rummaged through drawers, pulling out a pile of snacks. Listening to a story couldn’t be done without snacks!

Meng Qi leisurely recounted tales of ancient times and their wonders, and Ruan Yushu listened with rapt attention, filled with longing.

Seeing her like this, Meng Qi’s thoughts stirred, and he reminded her, “A great calamity approaches, bringing both opportunities and dangers. You must seize your chances well and not slacken, not only indulging in delicacies and music.”

Ruan Yushu smiled slightly. “I know. Take our Ruan Clan, for example. Once a top-tier aristocratic family, we can no longer maintain that status in today’s world. If we still cling to privileges beyond our current standing, we risk total ruin.”

Meng Qi was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter. “I still thought of you as the little girl from before, never expecting you to have matured so much.”

“These past many years, I’ve been helping Grandfather and Father manage family affairs, gradually taking over the Ruan Clan. I’m no longer that capricious little girl who only thinks of delicacies and music.” She gazed out the window, her eyes deep with thought. “Though in my heart, I’m still that little girl, and I don’t really want to grow up.”

As Meng Qi was about to speak, Ruan Yushu raised her index finger to her lips, flashing him a rare, playful smile. “Don’t speak.”

She summoned the Phoenix-Resting Zither, her hands gliding over it. The music drifted, serene and tranquil, as if the Moon Palace had descended, bathing everything in moonlight.

Unknown how much time passed before the music ended. Meng Qi’s heart was calm and peaceful. Then, Ruan Yushu said softly, “Mmm, Wang Siyuan’s old illness has flared up again. I hear he hasn’t long to live.”