Night had fallen deeply when Yu Banshan and Qi Jinxiu entered the Kunlun Mountains. Proceeding along a once-familiar path upward, the route was filled with abundant spiritual energy, and strange flowers and rare herbs abounded.
Unconsciously walking for an hour, the winding mountain road still stretched ahead without end, and no Daoist temple could be seen, a stark contrast to the time when they had left the mountain quickly.
“Truly a place where clouds run deep and one cannot find the way…” Qi Jinxiu murmured.
Yu Banshan’s expression grew solemn. He expanded his consciousness, sensing the surroundings, but the mountains were tranquil and serene—where was the Jade Void Palace?
He thought for a moment, then flew upward, looking down from above. However, thick fog obscured the night, and his consciousness could not penetrate it.
Returning to the ground, he looked at Qi Jinxiu and said, “Let’s keep searching; we cannot give up easily.”
They wandered along the mountain paths, tired throughout the night. By dawn, Yu Banshan and Qi Jinxiu found themselves back at the foot of the mountain where they had started.
Looking back, clouds and mist covered the peaks, making them appear like a fairyland, yet no trace of immortals could be seen.
“With the loss of this celestial connection, it’s hard to encounter again…” Yu Banshan couldn’t help but sigh.
Qi Jinxiu gazed blankly at the Kunlun Mountains and sighed deeply, “Indeed, celestial blessings are something one meets by chance, not by seeking.”
“Jinxiu, don’t lose heart. Divine techniques of the immortal realms are not hard to obtain, nor is guidance scarce. We can cultivate on our own. Perhaps in the future, when we achieve a breakthrough, we may encounter celestial blessings once more.” Yu Banshan gazed at the mountains and said firmly, “Let’s settle in this city.”
…
Before him, the virtue energy from the Myriad Realms Universal Recognition Talisman swirled, forming illusory copper coins that danced in the air, while Yellow Spring bones stood amidst the scene, with the continuous sound of flowing water.
Meng Qi sat cross-legged on a cloud bed, gazing at his accumulated resources, as if talking to himself, “Can I forge any divine weapons or spiritual treasures from these?”
Forging peerless artifacts is not merely a matter of gathering materials; it also requires favorable timing, suitable location, and harmonious conditions. One must forge during moments of cosmic opportunity and fortune. With the climax of the final calamity approaching, stars falling like rain, and mighty beings returning, this was the perfect opportunity.
At this moment, his left hand slightly moved, and a soft laughter echoed in his mind: “Why are you so distressed, Father? Anyway, you definitely won’t be able to forge it.”
Father… Meng Qi’s lips twitched slightly as he mentally replied, “Why can’t I forge it?”
With the Jinsheng Guo, the Chaos Green Lotus Seed, and the opportunity of his breakthrough into legend, Gu Xiaosang had successfully revived, now endowed with innate virtue. However, the looming threat of the Golden Emperor remained. If discovered, the Jade Void Palace would undoubtedly be besieged by the Twelve Divine Envoys, among whom there might well be great adepts wielding cosmic powers—such as the existence he suspected: the Primordial Ruler, Zhenyuanzi, who coexisted with the world itself!
Therefore, after a brief exchange, Gu Xiaosang hid within the acupoint of Meng Qi’s left hand, using him to conceal her presence while waiting for the right moment, waiting for more mighty beings capable of diverting the Golden Emperor’s forces to return.
Of course, her revival would likely be sensed by the Golden Emperor, who would certainly send spies. Meng Qi would inevitably face severe challenges. Thus, he retrieved his finest materials, hoping to forge another peerless artifact besides the Supreme Blade, something unexpected and decisive.
Gu Xiaosang giggled, “Even if it’s Buddha Jumping Over the Wall, the ingredients have their own compatibility. It’s not just a random stew. How can you, Father, want to use all the good materials together?”
Meng Qi nodded slightly, understanding the principle that haste makes waste. Randomly mixing all materials that were close to or surpassed innate levels might actually hinder each other, turning into an incoherent stew, the result depending entirely on fate. It seemed he must first seek methods of forging weapons or study the compatibility of materials.
Putting this matter aside for now, he turned serious and said, “Don’t call me Father anymore…”
Every time he heard that title, his heart involuntarily trembled, and his scalp tingled. Xiaosang was always full of mischief, clever and unpredictable, always making him feel both amused and frustrated.
After witnessing Gu Xiaosang’s revival, Meng Qi, as a legendary adept, had been constantly examining his own thoughts, thus able to eliminate the interference of nostalgic embellishment. He recalled details he had previously ignored, piecing together her entire scheme with great accuracy. He realized that she had mostly used him, proving herself a genuine demonic girl of the evil path—dangerous yet alluring, like the flower of the poppy.
Similarly, he had been carefully examining his feelings for Gu Xiaosang. A decade of solitary meditation, a decade of torment, a decade of suffering—none of it was an act. Yet upon closer reflection, there were many layers to it. One purpose was to deceive the Demon Buddha, making him believe that Meng Qi had suffered a fatal blow, his heart turned to ashes, losing all will to resist. This allowed Meng Qi to secretly manipulate his Earth-bound body in the Fengshen world to make preparations.
Another aspect was primarily composed of guilt, pity, empathy, and the resulting anger. Facing the same circumstances and shared destinies, it was natural to develop a sense of “kindred spirits” and “fellow sufferers,” approaching the concept of “spiritual companions.” More importantly, Xiaosang had died for him, and the embellished memories had given rise to deep longing and intense emotions.
Now that these matters had returned to their original state, it was clear that she had used him more than she had truly cared. But if one peeled away these layers, would there be nothing left—no trace of affection at all?
Thought after thought was examined—Xiaosang calling him “husband” and “lord,” the Xiaosang who loved to tease him, the Xiaosang who acted in perfect harmony with him, the Xiaosang in her white fur under the dazzling lights, both pure and enchanting, the Xiaosang who always said she would kill him but never seemed to give her all…
Scene after scene flashed through Meng Qi’s mind, and he sighed inwardly.
Even a legendary adept could not clearly distinguish the intricacies of emotions. Yet there was no denying that toward Gu Xiaosang, he indeed harbored some feelings—perhaps beginning with nostalgic embellishment, or maybe even earlier, though their origin was unclear.
As for Gu Xiaosang’s thoughts, with her unfathomable nature as a demonic girl, Meng Qi found it hard to determine whether she had developed any genuine affection for him beyond mere manipulation, due to shared suffering, enjoyable company, or her astonishing growth. Nor could he discern how sincere she had been when she refused the Demon Buddha’s invitation to cooperate.
Perhaps what truly defined the term “demonic girl” was that she was always unpredictable.
However, Meng Qi had noticed one intriguing point: when the demonic girl was primarily using him, she never hesitated to express “love” and “affection,” speaking passionately, calling him “husband” and “lord” effortlessly, saying things like “Would you save me a hundred or a thousand times until you die before me?” in a sorrowful tone.
Yet now, she mostly spoke of schemes and manipulation, teasing him occasionally, but rarely displaying the same depth of emotion as before.
“Oh,” Gu Xiaosang drew out the sound, her voice lowering with a hint of amusement, “It seems my husband enjoys hearing this title at certain special moments…”
…Meng Qi had underestimated the audacity of the demonic girl once again, feeling both amused and helpless. Changing the subject, he asked, “What is so special about that fruit from the Fusang Tree?”
This was the third time he had asked. The previous two times, Gu Xiaosang had deliberately changed the topic, diverting his attention with things that made his face flush.
This only deepened Meng Qi’s suspicion that Xiaosang remained full of mysteries, none of which had diminished since her revival.
Where had she learned the secret uses of the Jinsheng Guo?
How had she managed to enter the domain of the Fusang Tree and reach its summit?
Why could she often display strategies that seemed almost prescient, causing even the Golden Emperor, an unfettered Transcendent being, to suffer a setback?
All these only added to Xiaosang’s allure, making her even more tempting.
Meng Qi even suspected that her choice to hide in his left hand was not random, but because the eerie blood peach from the Peach Garden also resided in his left hand!
But what secrets lay behind it remained unknown for now.
Precisely because of this, her hiding in his left hand could compensate for a major deficiency of his own.
Could the experience and insight of a Transcendent being be anything less than extraordinary?
Gu Xiaosang chuckled lightly, “My husband truly never gives up easily. I was actually planning to find a way in the future to share that fruit with you.”
She paused and continued, “The Fusang Tree was nourished by the blood of the Heavenly Sovereign and Donghuang Taiyi, using the destruction of the previous aeon as fertilizer. Naturally, its fruits are extraordinary. Even that being could not clearly determine their effects, only suspecting that the fruit might contain the broken ‘Inner Realms’ of either the Heavenly Sovereign or Donghuang Taiyi.”
In her speech, she avoided mentioning the Golden Emperor or the Mother Without Birth, to prevent direct detection.
“Inner Realms?” Meng Qi nodded thoughtfully. At the Transcendent stage, the inner world takes shape, evolving into another “Ten Thousand Worlds”?
The “Inner Realms” of the two emperors from previous aeons—this fruit’s value was immeasurable, although he had yet to find a way to utilize it…
The night was peaceful. Meng Qi held the fruit in his hand, examining it carefully, while Gu Xiaosang softly hummed a tune, sounding like a nursery rhyme, lively and carefree, clearly in high spirits after successfully evading the Golden Emperor and reviving.
Listening for a while, Meng Qi smiled, “Why do you sound like a little girl humming a nursery rhyme?”
“Dad, I am a little girl, after all…” Gu Xiaosang replied with a giggle, her voice sweet and playful, before adding with some nostalgia, “This was a lullaby my mother used to sing to me when I was little…”
“Your mother? When you were first affected by A-nan’s Breaking the Precepts Blade Intent, didn’t you also see your mother?” Meng Qi’s thoughts were clear, and memories surfaced at the slightest provocation.
“Mm.” Gu Xiaosang answered softly, then giggled and said, “Husband, do you remember our old promise?”
“If I revived, we’d enjoy each night together…” Her voice trailed off seductively, her tone enchanting. Meng Qi’s body tingled, his heart raced, and he couldn’t help but swallow hard, only to see his left hand’s fingers begin to move slowly downward.
“Stop!” He twitched his eyes.
What kind of “enjoying each night together” was this? With his own left hand?!
Gu Xiaosang said pitifully, “I don’t dare to come out, so I can only comfort my husband like this…”
Meng Qi wiped his forehead with his right hand, then turned serious and looked at the Yellow Spring bones, saying, “There are some things I can do now.”
Luo Shengyi’s reincarnation was held by the Underworld, and before he reached the legendary realm, he couldn’t interfere. Now, with the Yellow Spring bones, he could measure the Underworld!
Would the King of Fengdu really stay awake forever?!
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