It was time to go to the Journey to the West world.
As Meng Qi’s thoughts stirred, the handsome young monk sat cross-legged, his entire body emanating pure light like glazed glass, transforming into a golden Buddha—one finger pointing to the heavens, the other touching the earth.
The swordsman in white stood faintly in the distance, enveloped in sword qi, as if he were the origin of time, the inception of emptiness, and the very manifestation of the Dao. His aura was nearly on par with that of a Heavenly Venerable.
Sword light erupted, splitting first into two, then into four, spreading inexorably across all realms without exception.
The heroic figure, glowing with a faint golden purity, had apertures that contained entire worlds within them—indestructible through countless calamities, each movement brimming with boundless power.
These three avatars formed through the “Unity of Three Pure Ones” technique were not arbitrarily created by Meng Qi. Rather, by harnessing this supreme divine ability, he restructured and refined his own cultivation methods. As his mastery of the Dao of Time was insufficient to split his present self into “Past, Present, and Future” forms, he based this transformation on the Primordial Unity, using each cultivation method as a foundation to manifest incomplete avatars: the “Tathagata Golden Body,” the “Heaven-Defying Physique” infused with the Four Swords of Zhu Xian, and the “Immortal Dao Body” of boundless transformations and physical ascension. His primary form retained only the “Yuanshi Daoist,” possessing solely the Nine Seals of Yuanshi and blade techniques unrelated to the Dharma Body.
However, this was merely a temporary solution. After all, the “Primordial Immortal Body” formed by the Immortal Dao Body and the Primordial Daoist constituted a complete Dharma Body, requiring no division. Initially, Meng Qi had intended to sever a “Bodhi Golden Body,” but due to insufficient understanding, he failed and had to temporarily substitute it with the “Immortal Dao Body,” hoping to perfect it at a later time.
After transforming and severing these secondary cultivation techniques into avatars, Meng Qi felt his Dharma body become tranquil and pure, as if he had lifted a burden as heavy as Mount Tai and the sea. His spirit soared freely and joyfully. Nearly half of his apertures naturally expanded into different universes and paradises, resonating with the Dao Rhythm of the “Heaven-Opening Seal.”
This was a crucial phase in cultivation—purifying oneself and revealing one’s true essence. Upon reaching a higher realm, he would need to reintegrate these avatars to embody the concept of Hundun Wuji (Primordial Chaos) and the all-encompassing nature of the Immortal Dao Body. At that stage, the avatars could be severed and reunited seamlessly without hindrance.
Meng Qi opened his eyes, and a chaotic, auspicious cloud rose from his Mud Pill Palace. The Tathagata Golden Body, the Heaven-Defying Physique, and the Immortal Dao Body simultaneously leaped up, entering the auspicious cloud. They sat cross-legged facing each other in the darkness, then returned together to the Mud Pill Palace as the cloud receded.
“With the aid of the supreme divine technique ‘Unity of the Three Pure Ones,’ severing an incarnation is far easier than it was for Han Guang…” Meng Qi sighed, patted his azure robe, changed his attire, and beneath him auspicious clouds arose, enveloping him as he traversed through space and time into the world of Journey to the West.
…
Inside the virtual hall displaying “The Righteous Path of the World Is Full of Trials,” the “Earthly Emperor” Gao Lan had already logged out. Several avatars were enthusiastically experimenting with various functions while seizing the opportunity to discuss martial arts and the Dao. The atmosphere was harmonious and joyful.
At that moment, Master Lu Da, Yun He Zhen Ren, and others heard an emotionless system notification:
“Your friend ‘Yuanshi Emperor’ Su Meng has uploaded ‘The Document on Tiered Construction of Multiversal Awareness.'”
“Your friend ‘Yuanshi Emperor’ Su Meng has uploaded ‘The Plan to Promote Simplified Multiversal Awareness Talismans to the Common People and Martial Artists.'”
“Your friend ‘Yuanshi Emperor’ Su Meng has uploaded ‘The Proposal to Cooperate with the Ink Palace to Restore the Prosperity of the Middle Ages.'”
“Your friend ‘Yuanshi Emperor’ Su Meng has uploaded ‘The Idea of Remote Transactions of Cultivation Techniques and Items via Multiversal Awareness, and the Divine Punishment System for Sellers of Counterfeit Goods’ (Note: Don’t casually curse or swear; ‘Struck by Heavenly Thunder’ is no longer a joke).”
“Your friend ‘Yuanshi Emperor’ Su Meng has uploaded ‘The ‘Virtual Communication Center’ Based on Multiversal Awareness’ (Cultivation discussions, travel experiences, martial legends, and tales can all be shared here).”
…
Clap, clap, clap. Master Lu Da and others watched helplessly as Meng Qi uploaded numerous documents. They recognized every character but couldn’t grasp the meaning when combined.
They exchanged glances, calmed their minds, and began reading the documents.
Suddenly, Meng Qi’s translucent figure flickered, and the emotionless Multiversal Awareness system notification sounded again: “Your friend ‘Yuanshi Emperor’ Su Meng has uploaded his current status.”
Current status? Master Lu Da, Su Ming, Yun He Zhen Ren, and He Qi looked at the screen. The image changed, settling on a scene:
The clouds surged like rolling waves, spiraling into a swirling vortex. The sky stretched endlessly, the earth vast and boundless, with towering mountains and wild, demonic auras soaring into the heavens from all directions.
Upon a majestic peak stood an elegant Daoist, adorned with a Cloud-Patterned Crown, clad in a Water Harmony Robe, a silk sash tied around his waist, and straw sandals on his feet. His temples bore streaks of gray, and his eyes carried the weight of time’s vicissitudes. Gazing into the distance, his robes fluttered in the wind, embodying the essence of the Dao. It was none other than Meng Qi.
Underneath the scene was a line of text:
“This is the Journey to the West world, a chaotic age of demons. The immortals and gods have their own domains. After many years, I return once again.”
…In the Sword Washing Pavilion, the Huamei Villa, the Myriad Manifestations Sect, and the East Sea Sword Manor, Su Ming, Master Lu Da, and others looked at the scene somewhat bewildered, unable to grasp the situation clearly.
Was Xiao Su sharing his travels?
But something felt off. The focus seemed entirely on his image…
After a while, they heard the notification sound again:
“Your friend ‘Yuanshi Emperor’ Su Meng has uploaded his current status.”
The scene shifted. The waters were deep and azure, stretching endlessly into the horizon. Meng Qi, clad in his flowing Daoist robes, stood poised upon the surface of the water. In his grasp writhed a serpentine creature crowned with multiple heads. Yet, paradoxically, though the beast should have loomed large, it occupied but a fraction of the tableau—while the Daoist remained the undisputed focal point: elegant, tranquil, and suffused with the timeless essence of the ages.
(Note: “岁月 (suiyue)” is rendered as “the timeless essence of the ages” to convey its poetic weight, blending the passage of time with enduring wisdom.)
A line of text appeared below:
“Bibo Pond, former dwelling of the demon king Jiutou Chong. Now insignificant, only descendants remain. Time flies, and the years cannot be stopped. I sigh at this moment and leave this as a memento.”
Witnessing this, Master Lu Da, Su Ming, Jiang Zhiwei, Zhao Heng, and others fell into a trance, as if understanding something.
After Meng Qi put away the descendant of Jiutou Chong and adjusted his posture, he smiled toward his “Multiversal Awareness Talisman” and saw a series of notifications:
“Your friend ‘Heavenly Sword Beyond the Heavens’ Su Ming has logged out.”
“Your friend ‘Sword of Unity’ Master Lu Da has logged out.”
“Your friend ‘Sword Madman’ He Qi has logged out.”
“Your friend Jiang Zhiwei has logged out.”
“Your friend Qi Zhengyan has logged out.”
“Your friend Zhao Heng has logged out.”
“Your friend Ruan Yushu has sent a message: Is it edible?”
“Your friend Yun He Zhen Ren has sent a message: Gather more materials!”
“Your friend Yun He Zhen Ren has logged out.”
It was just a status update. Did they really need to react like this… Meng Qi wiped imaginary cold sweat, replied to Ruan Yushu with “Let’s try it later,” then put away the Multiversal Awareness Talisman and steadily stepped into the Western Ox Continent, seeking the former site of the Five Village Hermitage in his Daoist guise.
“That descendant of Jiutou Chong has little intelligence. I need to find a genuine demon king to ask questions,” Meng Qi mused, stroking his chin.
Ah-choo! At that moment, countless demon kings across the Western Ox Continent sneezed inexplicably, feeling a deep chill, as if an indescribable malice was lurking nearby.
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