Beside the quiet chamber, lotus flowers filled the pond, their buds still tightly closed. Meng Qi sat cross-legged on a cloud-like cushion, silently gazing out the window, his mind echoing with the words spoken by Wang Siyuan earlier.
Gu Xiaosang, after years of meticulous planning, would she not leave behind a contingency plan?
Among the rare treasures capable of completely eradicating hidden dangers and reshaping a Dharma Body, there existed something akin to the Primordial Green Lotus Seed…
Back in the days of mutual enmity in Bayan Valley, Xiaosang had once given him a lotus seed, telling him to plant it beside an ancient lamp and Buddha, promising that when the flower blooms, she would appear…
The ruins of the Taiping Zhenren were discovered and looted completely by the Reborn Ones…
Could this lotus seed actually be the legendary Primordial Green Lotus Seed used by Nezha in ancient times to reform his Dharma Body and obtain innate virtue?
Meng Qi’s gaze instinctively shifted to the clusters of unopened lotus flowers, his thoughts churning.
Yet, he was no stranger to the legend of Nezha. He had considered this possibility before. During his ten years of sitting meditation, wouldn’t he have examined the seed?
It had seemed ordinary, showing no signs of supernatural power!
More importantly, Xiaosang had always been under the watchful eyes of the Demon Buddha and Wusheng Laomu. Could their all-seeing gazes have missed her giving him a lotus seed? If the seed had hidden dangers, wouldn’t they have detected it?
Therefore, this seed likely wasn’t the Primordial Green Lotus Seed. Perhaps Xiaosang had given it to him as a hint, indicating she had hidden another lotus seed somewhere else—a genuine Primordial Green Lotus Seed that could be used to resurrect her, “the flower blooming to reveal me,” and even break through previous limitations. Just like Wang Daxiongu, who always implied more than he said, this was probably meant to avoid detection by the Demon Buddha and Wusheng Laomu.
Meng Qi’s heart trembled. The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. The Gu Xiaosang he knew was absolutely not someone who would passively await her doom. She was far-sighted, enigmatic, and her schemes were intricate and brilliant. Among this generation, she was the only one capable of rivaling Wang Daxiongu in such matters, yet she was even more ruthless, unpredictable, and unbound by moral constraints. Had she been the one to oversee the Jiangdong Wang Clan, she might have sacrificed even the hidden bloodlines and other sacred realms to ensure absolute authenticity, leaving not the slightest suspicion in the eyes of the King of Fengdu and the so-called “Celestial Dao.”
Wang Daxiongu avoided emotional entanglements but bore great responsibility, while Gu Xiaosang never cared about responsibility, making her nearly flawless in her schemes. The only possible exception might be himself.
If that were the case, where would she have hidden her contingency plan, concealing the true Primordial Green Lotus Seed?
Meng Qi fell into deep contemplation: “To remold oneself using the Primordial Green Lotus Seed, one must evade the scrutiny of beings like the Demon Buddha and Wusheng Laomu. There are very few places capable of hiding from such transcendent observers: one is the depths of one’s own mind; another is the abodes of other transcendent beings, such as the Jade Void Palace or the Verdant Pavilion; and the third is the rare special places in the Ninth Heaven, such as the secret passage of the Three Lives Hall or the gray-stone hall leading to the highest level, both of which are connected to the Jade Emperor and Yang Jian…”
He would need to find an opportunity to revisit these places and search for any traces left behind by Xiaosang.
Leaving aside the Verdant Pavilion, he would have to re-enter the Jade Void Palace, for it was there that the Golden Emperor attained enlightenment, transformed into the Wusheng Laomu, and thus bore a deep connection.
Suddenly, Meng Qi stood up, walked out of the quiet chamber—not descending into the Fengshen World, nor searching for another entrance to the Ninth Heaven—but heading toward Huamei Villa.
Xiaosang’s relationship with Wusheng Laomu was similar to his own with the Demon Buddha: if one were resurrected, the other would be denied completion. They were mortal enemies locked in mutual decline and growth. More importantly, while the Demon Buddha was imprisoned and powerless to act, Wusheng Laomu had merely exited the River of Time and was sleeping within the Primordial Chaos. If word of his search for the Primordial Green Lotus Seed were to leak, at a critical moment, Laomu might recklessly awaken prematurely, descending her true form. At that point, life and death would rest entirely in her whim.
Therefore, this was an extremely risky endeavor. He must prepare mentally for the possibility of death. Before that, he should complete whatever tasks he could, to avoid regrets—such as seeking out the Five Immortal Shrines, fulfilling Luyan’s request to help Zhao Laowu escape reincarnation, then discussing with Luyan strategies to free other familiar immortals like Doumu Yuanjun, visiting elders like Master Lu of the Orthodox Dao to discuss matters concerning the Southern Wilds, striving to resolve conflicts, and launching the “Myriad Worlds Cognizance Sphere” he had long planned…
…
Behind Huamei Villa, in a grass-thatched hut, exotic flowers bloomed in dazzling colors.
Master Lu sat within the hut, his sword Yi Xin placed beside him. Standing slightly ahead and to the side was “Fairy of Cold Ice,” Ye Yuqi.
Opposite them stood an elderly man with sparse, withered yellow hair. Though his body radiated immense power undiminished by age, his face was deeply wrinkled, his aura tinged with decay, clearly a powerful Exterrestrial expert who had endured the passage of countless years.
“Zhiping, Yuqi, I’ve come, swallowing my pride, to ask you to uphold justice,” the elder spoke in a tone of seniority, his voice concealing his anger.
Master Lu smiled gently: “Uncle Fang, what urgent matter could bring you here, someone who should be enjoying peaceful retirement?”
This Uncle Fang was an old friend of the Ye family from years past, the former Sect Leader of the “Martial Prime Soul Sect.” After the death of Ye’s patriarch, he had greatly supported Ye Yuqi and her sister, and had helped the young Master Lu on many occasions.
Uncle Fang trembled slightly as he spoke: “It’s all because of that Southern Wilds Demon Emperor! Several young talents who originally intended to join our sect were lured to the Southern Wilds and fell into the demonic path. Moreover, several outstanding disciples within our sect, along with their families, have successively vanished, seemingly also heading toward the Southern Wilds!”
“If this continues, our Martial Prime Soul Sect will have no successors, unable to pass on our legacy. The Demon Emperor is uprooting the very foundation of the Orthodox Dao!”
Ye Yuqi frowned slightly: “It’s understandable for those not yet initiated to choose the Southern Wilds, for who would want to start at a disadvantage in cultivation techniques? But for them to recruit even initiated disciples is truly excessive. Uncle Fang, you should write a letter to the Southern Wilds demanding they return the traitorous disciples. If Qi Zhengyan refuses, our Huamei Villa will personally intervene on your behalf.”
“T-th-this… this isn’t the main issue,” Uncle Fang stammered.
Ye Yuqi immediately understood—the disciples’ departure to the Southern Wilds likely involved covert encouragement from the Martial Prime Soul Sect, aiming to secretly learn supreme techniques and return!
Straightening his back, Uncle Fang lamented bitterly: “The real issue is that they directly teach supreme techniques! How can ordinary sects like ours compete for disciples? Although the Southern Wilds is distant and perilous, deterring many from going now, as news spreads and more succeed, will we still be able to attract disciples? Without disciples, how can we preserve the legacy left by our ancestral patriarchs? Zhiping, Yuqi, the Demon Emperor is destroying the very foundation of the Orthodox Dao! If you still do not act, the Orthodox Dao will inevitably perish!”
Master Lu pondered for a moment before saying: “Uncle Fang, please rest here at the villa for now. Allow me to contact the other Dharma Bodies and discuss this matter.”
“Very well. You are the pillar of the Orthodox Dao. This matter rests on you,” Uncle Fang smiled, preparing to leave the mountain’s rear.
At that moment, he saw a streak of light descend, transforming into a man in a green robe, his aura profound, his temples slightly graying.
It was him? Uncle Fang composed his expression, bowing respectfully: “Greetings, Master Su.”
He didn’t dare to act recklessly towards Su Meng, a notorious executioner among the Dharma Bodies. Rumor had it that countless ancient Gu spirits had fallen at Su’s hands—even those older than himself.
It was said that his strength ranked among the very top among the Dharma Bodies of the world!
Meng Qi nodded slightly, returning the bow without further words, and walked toward Master Lu. Before he could speak, his eyes lit up: “Congratulations, Senior, on ascending to the rank of Immortal.”
Master Lu had unknowingly broken through!
“This journey to the Ancient Era brought many revelations to me,” Master Lu smiled gently, “firmly confirming my path. Upon returning, I sat in meditation for a day, and my Dao power flowed naturally, transforming my inner realm into a sacred realm.”
This journey to the Ancient Era had solidified his conviction, eliminating all doubts, making his breakthrough a natural progression.
“Have you come regarding the Southern Wilds matter?” Ye Yuqi interjected, knowing Meng Qi’s relationship with Qi Zhengyan.
Meng Qi nodded: “This junior wishes to hear the Senior’s stance.”
Master Lu pondered for a moment: “Not clinging to one’s own teachings, widely spreading supreme knowledge—this reminds me of the Ancient Sages’ philosophy of universal education and open lectures. This, in itself, is a good thing. Yet recently, many seniors and friends have come to me with complaints, saying the Southern Wilds has left their sects in disarray. Nothing seems more dangerous than this demonic influence. I find myself confused, unsure who is right or wrong. Your arrival gives me hope—can you enlighten me?”
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