When that hand gripped the unmatched saber, the darkness, without the illumination of the Traveler’s Lamp, suddenly boiled over. It took the form of a chaotic ocean, tearing, rolling, surging, and twisting, flowing and gathering along the palm, outlining a figure towering infinitely high, donning a dark Daoist robe, wearing the crown of a Heavenly Venerable, dim and profound, as if the Primordial Unity had descended into the world.
“Su Meng!”
“Yuan Huang!”
Shao Xuan and Xi E each felt a stirring in their hearts, instantly recognizing this figure—Kunlun Mountain’s Jade Void Palace, “Yuan Huang” Su Meng!
He, who had only recently lent the unmatched saber to himself, had actually proven his legend?
The “Heavenly Venerable” raised the saber, and his body suddenly expanded. The dark robe fragmented and transformed into battle armor, deeply covering his body, majestic and awe-inspiring.
“Light the Lamp!”
Meng Qi roared, purple lightning flashed, and a single line of saber light cleaved through the undifferentiated darkness. Clear energy rose, turbid energy descended, and the elements of earth, fire, wind, and water condensed. Heaven and earth were separated, revealing the slightly pale face of the Lampbearer Divine Envoy.
“Light the Lamp!”
Meng Qi raised the saber again, clad once more in black battle armor, roaring once more. Red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and violet lightning emerged, coalescing from the chaos into a mighty saber beam, directly slicing toward the Lampbearer Divine Envoy, a momentum as imposing as a prison, without the slightest hesitation or restraint.
The Lampbearer Divine Envoy’s expression grew solemn. Instantly, numerous vortex-like, profound universes appeared around him. Within each vortex lay a figure, each forming a seal, transforming into a river of stars that gathered at his palm, forming a dazzling “circular mirror” to meet the saber beam that contained divine lightning from all realms.
Boom!
The sound preceded the light, shaking the ancient Fusang tree.
Crash!
The saber light struck the “circular mirror” in the Lampbearer Divine Envoy’s palm, sparking a dazzling dance of chaotic electricity.
Crackle!
The mirror developed deep cracks, then shattered into pieces. The Lampbearer Divine Envoy’s body was directly cleaved backward, crashing into the tree trunk. His breath flickered like a candle in the wind, threatening to extinguish at any moment.
Realizing the danger, the Lampbearer Divine Envoy forcefully activated his life-saving ability, completing a spatial shift even within the domain of the Fusang tree, appearing sideways to evade the follow-up saber beam. Then he saw Meng Qi, clad in magnificent armor, step forward directly toward the tree’s summit, like a rolling flood, not even glancing at him, not sensing his presence at all.
In Meng Qi’s eyes, he seemed like an ant, utterly unworthy of attention. After cleaving a path, Meng Qi simply ignored him.
“If it weren’t for the fact that I had just exhausted myself battling Shao Xuan and Xi E to the point of collapse, even extinguishing the Traveler’s Lamp, and if I hadn’t awakened prematurely with my strength no longer at its peak, how could I have come to this!” the Lampbearer Divine Envoy lamented.
Yet his rationality told him that chasing Meng Qi and attempting to stop him would surely lead to his death.
At the top of the Fusang tree, Sha Wujing had nearly exhausted his strength and willpower, finally managing to place the strangely colored, dark fruit into a specially crafted jade box, green and vibrant, adding layers of seals and inscribing several Daoist runes.
He turned his head, gazing toward the tombstone reading “Tomb of My Husband Meng Qi” and the pile of white flowers. He raised his left hand, ready to casually wave and reduce them all to ashes.
Just then, a sudden roar reached his ears:
“Sha!”
“Wu!”
“Jing!”
The three furious shouts, distant yet rapidly approaching, merged into one. When they reverberated through the skies and echoed in Sha Wujing’s mind, causing him to tremble, a magnificent figure clad in dark battle armor had already descended remotely, using the inscription “Tomb of My Husband Meng Qi.”
“Sha Wujing!”
The cry reverberated. Meng Qi extended his right hand, purple lightning erupting, forming a magnificent giant hand covering the skies. Five fingers spread wide, overturning heaven and earth!
Sha Wujing’s expression changed. His treasure staff whirled around him, countless figures emerging, each employing their abilities, forming the Two Worlds and Ten Directions Womb Sealing Formation with a single person’s strength.
Crash!
The purple lightning palm pressed down, heaven and earth overturned, and the Womb Sealing Formation shattered directly. Sha Wujing was smashed into the tree trunk, his treasure staff dropping, the jade box rolling away.
The might of Yuan Huang had reached such a level!
Meng Qi’s left hand reached out, retrieving the jade box. He glanced at Sha Wujing, his expression calm and indifferent, saying, “I shall spare your life for now. You showed some kindness to me last time.”
Without another glance at Sha Wujing, his armor dark and profound, he turned to face the tombstone reading “Tomb of My Husband Meng Qi.”
Sha Wujing remained stunned, barely managing to pull himself free. His expression slightly dimmed as he picked up his treasure staff, dragging it down the tree trunk, muttering to himself, “Am I still unable to stand on my own…?”
In Qingqiu, there was a grave covered in white flowers, annually worshipped… Meng Qi closed his eyes briefly, recalling the playful promise he had made with Xiao Sang in Bayan Valley.
Unfortunately, the “Tomb of My Husband Meng Qi” had not buried him, and her preparations had gone unused.
The grave was here, but he was alive.
As for why Gu Xiaosang knew his original name, Meng Qi could only temporarily guess that she must have had some level of cooperation with the Buddha of Evil back then, or perhaps she had been allowed to develop her own awareness by Yuan Shitianzun, who had split from Jin Huang.
Taking a deep breath, Meng Qi felt anticipation rise. His right hand extended, gently slicing open the grave, revealing the dark pool within, where a Primordial Azure Lotus seed was planted.
Just as a smile began to appear on Meng Qi’s face, the lotus seed suddenly decayed, as if it had never contained any life, turning into dust with the wind.
“Another feint…” Meng Qi clearly understood that disappointment would be useless, but he still couldn’t suppress the wave of disappointment and melancholy.
Perhaps this had once been Xiaosang’s contingency plan, but in the end, she had abandoned it.
Standing silently before the grave of “himself,” Meng Qi once again felt the loneliness he had experienced before.
I have become a legend, yet you have not returned.
Flowers fill the grave, where is the beloved?
…
After retrieving the jade box and thanking Shao Xuan and Xi E, Meng Qi left the Fusang tree domain, stepping directly back to Kunlun Mountain’s Jade Void Palace. There, Da Qinggen was already kneeling at the gate, waiting for his return.
“Congratulations, Master, on proving your legend, the only one across all realms!” Da Qinggen shouted loudly, filled with reverence and flattery.
Meng Qi nodded slightly, then said, “You may withdraw now.”
He walked past the screen wall, crossed the courtyard, and returned to the main hall, where the statue of the Heavenly Venerable stood silently, as if unchanged since ancient times.
Sighing softly, Meng Qi exited through the side door, arriving at the lotus pond where deep within lay the Primordial Chaos. Around it, the flowers had already bloomed, their fragrance filling the air. Two Azure Lotus seeds remained unchanged.
The world may rise and fall, but this scene was visible every year, the lotus still smiling in the summer.
Sitting down casually, Meng Qi seemed to fall into tranquility, temporarily forgetting even the contents of the jade box that Jin Huang desired.
Just then, he suddenly felt a tremor in his legendary body. A connection hidden deep within time abruptly surfaced, stirring the Chaos Azure Lotus seed used for his resurrection.
“What is this…?” After ascending to legend, before he had time to inspect his body and eliminate potential dangers, this event occurred. Yet his heart stirred, and he did not attempt to stop it, calmly waiting for the change.
The lotus seed grew rapidly, sprouting and flourishing in an instant, containing innate virtue.
Petal by petal, the lotus bloomed, pure and refined. Within, a point of spiritual light emerged, absorbing the innate virtue and the surrounding dark chaos, outlining a graceful figure clad in white. Her demeanor was ethereal and refined, her delicate features exquisite, her lips curving in a half-smile, so familiar yet so unfamiliar.
“Xiao Sang…” Meng Qi murmured, feeling as though what lay before him was a dream, not real.
Was this truly the blooming lotus revealing me?
Had Xiao Sang simply and effortlessly revived?
Thoughts flashed through his mind, memories surging, then each one examined. He suddenly understood, revealing a confident and insightful smile.
Indeed, this was the blooming lotus revealing me!
Within the lotus, the graceful white figure, ethereal and serene, tilted her head slightly, smiling, “My dear, you’re not the least bit surprised?”
Time had passed, yet her tone remained unchanged, as if memories had come true.
Meng Qi smiled slightly, “As a legend, I can examine the past with different modes of thought, eliminating emotional experiences and other disturbances. When I saw the lotus bloom, I already understood the truth. The ‘Three Lives Fruit’ that you and I each consumed was your true contingency plan, the real means of your revival. It wasn’t merely for awakening each other upon meeting again.”
“In Bayan Valley, you left the lotus seed, and in the Jade Void Palace, you looked at the Chaos Azure Lotus again, subtly hinting that I should obtain an Azure Lotus seed. Because when you returned using the Three Lives Fruit, you needed a Chaos Azure Lotus seed to reshape your body, gaining innate virtue, nearly reaching the level of a legend.”
“As for why the Three Lives Fruit’s ability could deceive Jin Huang, I guess it belongs to a secret, known to only a few among the highest beings. You received guidance from one of them, understanding this, and thus laid out your plan around it.”
The white-clad figure was indeed Gu Xiaosang. She had truly revived, smiling faintly, “My dear, you truly see through everything. After consuming the Three Lives Fruit, you and I are indeed destined for three lifetimes. After our dual cultivation, with me, there is you; with you, there is me. A spark of my original spiritual light could be nurtured within your true spirit. Without seeing beyond appearances, without examining every thought, one cannot detect it. Once you proved your legend, the spiritual resonance was drawn, and my spark, nourished by your breakthrough’s Daoist blessings, naturally began to revive. Then, I could reshape a body with innate virtue using the Chaos Azure Lotus seed.”
“To escape from someone like Jin Huang, a meticulously crafted plan with every detail would absolutely not work. Once there’s the slightest mistake, they would trace it back immediately. My plan’s key points were only three: a husband watched by many great beings, whom Jin Huang couldn’t directly search; each consuming a Three Lives Fruit and dual cultivation; subtly hinting for you to obtain the Chaos Azure Lotus seed.”
“As long as these three steps were completed, it was just laying a feint and patiently waiting. The simpler, the more effective.”
Meng Qi listened quietly to Gu Xiaosang’s explanation, a smile on his face, showing no trace of the shame or anger he might have felt before upon realizing he had been used during their dual cultivation. He seemed to have already seen through everything, composed and unbothered.
After finishing her explanation, Gu Xiaosang still wore a faint smile, tilting her head slightly, “My dear, aren’t you angry?”
She deliberately asked this, as if wanting to see Meng Qi, usually so calm and composed, show some emotional reaction.
Meng Qi replied leisurely, “Striving for survival with great effort can only earn admiration. Moreover, you never harmed me. I always gained benefits, achieving the bond of husband and wife.”
Re-examining thoughts, reviewing past experiences, stripping away embellishments and emotions—many things truly revealed their original appearance.
This was the enhancement of one’s mental state brought by becoming a legend.
“Moreover, your choice to consume the Three Lives Fruit and dual cultivate with me was likely out of necessity,” Meng Qi added with a smile.
Gu Xiaosang’s eyelashes fluttered slightly as she smiled lightly, “My dear, how do you know that?”
“After entering the Nine Heavens, you had already anticipated Han Guang’s arrival, even guessing he would invite Tai Li as assistance, planning to use this to escape from the Dharma King of Salvation. Why escape from the Dharma King of Salvation? Because he was a watcher, and you didn’t want him to see that you had obtained two Three Lives Fruits—two fruits that, if consumed together, could directly sever the connection.”
Meng Qi smiled confidently, “The effect of the Three Lives Fruit would likely take a very long time to manifest. If the Dharma King of Salvation had learned of this and reported to the Mother of Nonexistence, you would have trapped yourself.”
“Everything was going smoothly at first, but the ally Han Guang invited turned out to be Gao Lan, who possessed the Human Emperor’s Sword. Thus, things were no longer under your control, and you couldn’t escape from the Dharma King of Salvation. Because of this, after obtaining the two Three Lives Fruits, you began considering an alternative plan: each consuming one, capable of awakening each other, clearly within Jin Huang’s tolerable range.”
“My dear, truly insightful into people’s hearts,” Gu Xiaosang said with a smiling nod, confirming the truth.
Meng Qi remained unfazed, still leisurely, “I just want to know, when you refused the Buddha of Evil’s request for cooperation, how much of it was confidence in your plan, how much was unwillingness to deal with a tiger, and how much was sympathy for me?”
Gu Xiaosang pursed her lips, smiling, “Guess?”
Meng Qi was about to speak when Gu Xiaosang’s gaze shifted, fixing on his face, “There’s something else I must tell my dear.”
“What is it?” Meng Qi asked confidently in return.
Gu Xiaosang smiled faintly, “My original spiritual spark, nurtured within your true spirit and born from you, probably should call you…”
She lowered her head slightly, her eyes glimmering, her cheeks blushing, shyly and tenderly calling out, “Father!”
“Father!” Meng Qi’s mouth slowly opened wider, losing the leisurely composure of a legendary being.
At that moment, high above, the stars shifted in the sky. Numerous great beings began returning, their brilliant forms streaking across the heavens, illuminating Gu Xiaosang like a dream.
The east wind blows, flowers bloom on a thousand trees, and even more fall like stars in the rain.
I have searched for him a thousand times among the crowd, but only upon turning back suddenly do I see him where the lights are dim!
[End of Volume 6]
Volume 7: Heaven’s Will Is Hard to Question
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage