Nine ancient wells stretched into unfathomable depths, their bottoms invisible, with chaotic energy swirling at their dark ends, leading to unknown destinations, adding an air of majesty and mystery to the venerable and ancient Xuanhuang Palace.
As for the palace itself, chaotic vapors resembling true dragons hung from the eaves. Three hundred and sixty-five golden nails were embedded in the vermilion gates, and an aura of ancient solemnity pervaded every corner. The closer he approached, the more Meng Qi sensed the ancient and transcendent nature of the palace’s original master.
He opened his eyes, his gaze passing over Zhao Qian, the former crown prince of Tai Jin, suspected to be a manifestation of Maitreya, and Bi Jingxuan, the Hunyuan Fairy, treating them as if they were nothing. Step by step, he ascended to the gates and slowly raised his right hand.
Deep within Meng Qi’s eyes, the indistinct Dao Yi Liuliao Lamp emerged, radiating faint, illusory black and white light, proclaiming his identity as the “Cause of All Fruits.” His right hand slowly unfurled like a blooming flower, reflecting one yin-yang-reversing vortex after another, chaotic and hazy, seemingly capable of embracing and dissolving all things.
As his hand descended, radiant light shone forth, touching the cold, solid vermilion gates. Each golden nail began to glow, like the most ancient stars from times before primordial antiquity.
In the shifting light and shadow, an imperceptible restriction seemed to dissolve. The vermilion gates emitted a heavy, grinding sound and slowly swung open, revealing the scene within Yuxu Palace:
A vast white jade plaza stretched out magnificently. Statues of divine beasts and celestial birds guarded the path on both sides. On the left and right stood multiple halls, likely residences for disciples cultivating Daoist immortality arts. Looking straight ahead was the hall where Meng Qi had obtained the Yuan Shi Nine Seals. Beyond them, white clouds drifted, pure light transformed into a blue sky, and the majestic, towering main hall exuded an aura of transcendence and ancientness. What lay behind the main hall remained beyond Meng Qi’s current cultivation level to glimpse.
This time, the interior was entirely different from Meng Qi’s previous visits. Yuxu Palace seemed to actively adjust its layout according to the opener’s cultivation and strength, or perhaps it had no tangible form at all, revealing its true appearance only to those who had crossed the other shore, manifesting differently depending on the person and circumstances.
Truly worthy of being Yuxu Palace, surpassing all heavenly realms.
Meng Qi kept his hands lowered, his palms long and strong, not holding the Li Xian Sword, Da Shen Whip, or Ba Wang Jue Dao. With one step, he crossed the vermilion gates.
The moment his body passed through, a subtle sensation arose. Meng Qi discovered that he had mysteriously become lighter, indicating that Yuxu Palace had shielded him from external observation.
Han Guang, the “Master of Devils” admiring the ancient wells, turned around, hands clasped behind his back, leisurely following Meng Qi’s side, walking as easily as strolling in a spring field. Zhao Qian, wearing a warm and sincere smile, stepped on lotuses and maintained a noticeable distance from the “Hunyuan Fairy” Bi Jingxuan, both trailing behind.
The four walked without intrigue or confrontation, their harmonious yet eerie atmosphere filled with strangeness.
They would not reveal their positions unless the situation unfolded, as doing so would expose the intentions of the hidden force behind them. If there were no hidden moves by Gu Xiaosang this time, it would equate to revealing their hands prematurely, making it harder to outwit the Wu Sheng Laomu or Meng Qi’s side next time.
Meng Qi strolled casually, his expression normal, showing no sign of anxiety or worry. He smiled slightly and suddenly asked, “Has the Devil Master escaped reincarnation?”
This unexpected question was startling, nearly shattering the heavens, drawing even Zhao Qian’s sidelong glance.
As he spoke, the “Cause of All Fruits” in Meng Qi’s eyes flared brightly, illuminating the threads of cause and effect around Han Guang.
Han Guang’s expression remained unchanged, as casually as chatting over tea: “Not yet, but the control imposed by the Lord of the Six Dao Reincarnation has been gradually removed.”
He was unafraid of being erased by the Lord of the Six Dao Reincarnation for saying this.
Meng Qi’s observation confirmed it too: the Devil Master had no connection with the Fengshen Bang or Da Shen Whip, nor any causal ties from other great beings. Most striking were three brilliant starlines—one ethereal and majestic, unfathomable as time itself; one deep and black, filled with destruction; and one seemingly ordinary, yet layered with disguises, hiding its true form even from Meng Qi’s current level of “Cause of All Fruits.”
“It seems the Devil Master still intends to use the convenience of reincarnation to seek your other selves, laying a solid foundation for reaching the legendary realm,” Meng Qi said, shrinking the distance with each step, his tone as casual as chatting. “Did you come here today because of a mission?”
He was probing Han Guang’s intentions, watching for any slip.
Han Guang smiled slightly at Meng Qi: “Do you think I would tell you directly?”
“Second Brother?” Zhao Qian’s gaze shifted, glancing left and right cautiously taking a step back. Bi Jingxuan was unsurprised, her expression unchanged.
“Second Brother…” Meng Qi was almost speechless. That joke from the elder brother, whether truly mad or brilliantly clever, had caused him much embarrassment.
As he was about to retort, Han Guang’s gaze shifted forward, seemingly offhandedly saying: “Affected by the impact of the Multiversal Awareness Sphere and your relentless exposure of the reincarnation truth, the Six Dao intends to popularize the jade pillar system within the Immortal Myth.”
“What significance does this hold for them?” Meng Qi slightly frowned.
“That you must ask them directly,” Han Guang replied with a casual smile, seemingly indifferent.
As they spoke, the four had already passed through the disciples’ quarters and arrived at the nine Dharma Halls familiar to Meng Qi.
At this point, Zhao Qian interjected voluntarily: “Master Su, you possess the general outline of the Tathagata Palm and have cultivated its first move. If you obtain the remaining palms, you could sever a true Buddha avatar, breaking through obstacles with infinite utility.”
He did not mention the “One Qi Sanqing” technique, but Meng Qi believed he must know about it, perhaps even aware of the incident where the Great Wisdom Saint Monk used the Human Seed Bag to capture him.
But to what extent had Maitreya descended? Did Zhao Qian still retain self-awareness, or had he fully returned to his original form?
“The Tathagata Palm is a treasure of Buddhism; it’s not so easily obtained,” Meng Qi replied with a smile, testing Zhao Qian’s intentions—whether friendly or hostile.
He would not assume the other party would always be his enemy just because Maitreya had once tried to capture him to prevent the Azure Emperor from taking a crucial step forward. Different events involved different hidden great beings, and Buddhism’s stance naturally varied accordingly.
Zhao Qian smiled warmly, momentarily indistinguishable from that fat monk: “Master Su, you possess wisdom and a Buddha’s heart. If you often visit my ‘Earthly Buddha Land’ or the White Lotus Pure Land to cultivate Buddhist wisdom, the remaining eight Tathagata Palms can be fully transmitted to you.”
Another attempt to recruit him? Like when the monk Jiedu brought the “Six-Syllable Mantra Talisman”? Meng Qi pondered this but chose not to respond, unwilling to waver. Instead, he smiled and said, “I heard that the Bodhisattva Maitreya perished long ago at the hands of the Demon Buddha. Where is this Earthly Buddha Land or White Lotus Pure Land?”
Zhao Qian chuckled: “Buddhists often possess Dharma Bodies and Reward Bodies, merely cultivating them differently as primary or secondary. Sacrificing one body to resolve a fatal calamity is truly a worthwhile trade.”
Can a Reward Body or Dharma Body truly substitute for death? Meng Qi felt puzzled but asked no further, shifting his gaze to Bi Jingxuan: “Fairy Bi, since our parting in ancient times, many years have passed. Your grace has only increased. Yet I must ask, why have you involved yourself in this matter?”
He somewhat understood Bi Jingxuan’s nature and thus chose direct inquiry.
The Lord of Lingbao had long been missing, and the Three Xiao Ladies had long perished. Who did Bi Jingxuan now represent?
Bi Jingxuan replied calmly: “Our sect controls the Hunyuan Golden Basin, a legendary treasure never coveted by anyone throughout millennia. Do you think this is normal?”
“The Three Xiao Isles are not untouched by worldly affairs. Even I, under pressure, once served as the ‘White Emperor’ of the Golden Tortoise Isle.”
“White Emperor”? So she was the “White Emperor” of the Golden Tortoise Isle! Meng Qi was quite surprised.
Bi Jingxuan now revealed this openly, likely because she had returned to ancient times or, after Yuan Hong encountered the Azure Emperor and disappeared, she had broken free from this bondage.
But who helped her break free? Was it the same one who sent her here now?
At this time, the four had already passed the nine Dharma Halls and arrived at the towering main hall, surrounded by drifting white clouds and an endless blue sky.
Before the hall stood a bell tower, hanging an ancient bronze bell, its surface marked with the traces of ages past.
“The ancient bell that Guang Cheng Zi once used to summon immortals…” Meng Qi nodded slightly, directing his gaze toward the main hall. The gates were wide open, the floor made of green stone, its depth unfathomable, seemingly bottomless at a glance.
Han Guang followed his gaze and suddenly sighed, “Dominating an era as Emperor of Heaven, the Three Pure Ones stand even above the Emperor of Heaven…”
Before his voice faded, a terrifying aura suddenly erupted in the distance. Even from afar, it made one’s heart tremble, as if a vast galaxy had flown into the palace, attempting to fill every corner.
“A legendary great being?”
Meng Qi had never experienced the full might of a legend at their peak, but this aura completely surpassed the realm of a Celestial Immortal.
A transcendence of essence!
Could it be that Laomu had truly sent a legendary great being?
Had she awakened him at all costs?
Even within Yuxu Palace, an immortal cannot be omnipresent. The aura rapidly approached. Zhao Qian, Bi Jingxuan, and Han Guang all turned to look, their own auras rising accordingly, though it remained unknown whom they would target.
At that moment, Meng Qi snapped his finger, unleashing a sword beam brimming with sharpness, nearly splitting heaven and earth.
This sword beam targeted no one, but struck the ancient bell!
Dong!
The ancient bell vibrated, its sound shaking all heavens!
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