Zhunti? If not for reaching the legendary realm where he could scrutinize his own thoughts, Meng Qi might have already lost control over his shock and fear.
This is most likely a figure from the Other Shore!
Had he just encountered one of the ancient Other Shore beings?
Meng Qi first learned of the Daoist Zhunti from *The Investiture of the Gods*, a book suspected to be a projection of the “Ancient Investiture War.” Most of the characters in it were real entities across the myriad realms, such as the Primordial Heavenly Venerable, the Moral Heavenly Venerable, and the Lord of the Numinous Treasure.
Thus, he had long suspected that the two leaders of the Western Sect, comparable to the Three Pure Ones in the book, were also reflections of ancient Other Shore beings. He speculated that the Daoist Jieyin was Amitabha Buddha, while the Daoist Zhunti was the Ancient Bodhi Buddha.
And who was the Ancient Bodhi Buddha? A mighty figure from the Primordial Era who surpassed Dipankara and achieved the Other Shore!
After the Investiture War, his deeds became obscure. Like the Primordial and Moral Heavenly Venerables, he lurked in the shadows, biding his time—yet today, he suddenly appeared before Meng Qi!
Setting aside fear and shock, Meng Qi’s thoughts raced as he meticulously reviewed the encounter from start to finish.
In an instant, inspiration struck, and wisdom emerged. He arrived at several judgments:
Daoist Zhunti was spying on the ancient Other Shore battlefield, clearly searching for traces of the Primordial Heavenly Venerable or the Lord of the Numinous Treasure!
With the power of an Other Shore being, if he had truly awakened and returned, how could the seal of Yang Jian—which even Meng Qi had broken—pose any difficulty?
Even if he hadn’t known of the existence of the Qingwei Realm before, why would he merely observe silently after discovering it by following Meng Qi?
Thus, the Zhunti before him was likely just a projection, lacking substantial strength.
In the blink of an eye, Meng Qi, with his legendary realm insight, made his judgment. Dispelling his shock and fear, he smiled slightly at Daoist Zhunti and said, “So it is the manifestation of the Ancient Buddha. This junior failed to welcome you properly.”
*Please don’t say I have a connection with the Western Sect…* he silently grumbled.
Daoist Zhunti, gaunt yet free-spirited, smiled warmly, his expression like a spring breeze. He spoke slowly, “Young friend, your potential is remarkable, repeatedly astonishing others. Were it not for your early recruitment by the Jade Void, this humble Daoist would inevitably feel the urge to cherish such talent. To see the Tathagata in one’s heart and embody Bodhi is no empty boast.”
After this polite remark, he continued with a smile, “This humble Daoist knows you seek the whereabouts of the Primordial and the Numinous Treasure, and that you do not yet trust me. But when you reach the highest layer of the Nine Heavens and still lack clear answers, you may come to inquire of me.”
*Daoist Zhunti doesn’t seem entirely ignorant of the Primordial and Numinous Treasure’s whereabouts…* Meng Qi felt a surge of doubt, momentarily unsure how to respond.
With a flick of his right hand, Daoist Zhunti conjured glimmering crystalline light, forming four Sanskrit characters. Their exact meaning was unclear, and they carried no profound aura—merely a name.
“When the time comes, if you wish to seek this humble Daoist, simply silently recite these four Sanskrit characters, and you will receive a response. There is no need to enter the Bodhi Pure Land,” he said with a smile before his translucent, illusory form dissipated with the wind.
Watching the four crystalline Sanskrit characters fade, Meng Qi pondered and ultimately decided to memorize them. *Let’s see what game Zhunti is playing.*
Dividing his divine sense—part vigilant, part probing into the acupoint in his left hand—he addressed Gu Xiaosang: “Is Daoist Zhunti truly the Ancient Bodhi Buddha?”
He didn’t use indirect references, as he was speaking to himself. Even if Daoist Zhunti sensed it, he couldn’t directly probe Meng Qi’s inner state through his dharma body and true spirit—both out of caution for other Other Shore beings and his own incomplete awakening. At most, he’d know Meng Qi mentioned his name, not the context.
Gu Xiaosang’s lips curled into a faint, enigmatic smile. “Husband, first seal and suppress those four Sanskrit characters before we speak further.”
“Seal and suppress them?” Meng Qi was slightly taken aback.
“Yes. Forget them. Erase them. Seal and suppress them deep within your memories. Otherwise, every time those four characters flash in your mind, you’ll unconsciously connect to him, leaking secrets.” She leaned back slightly, tilting her chin up, her ethereal smile now tinged with authority.
*At the Other Shore level, merely thinking of their specific names—without speaking or silently reciting—allows them to sense and even pry into secrets through the connection?* Meng Qi felt a chill.
*Daoist Zhunti’s move was cunning. If not for having my wife—no, Gu Xiaosang with the memories and insights of the Golden Emperor—by my side, I’d have fallen into his trap! Truly insidious!*
His innate radiance blazed, illuminating the sea of his mind from an infinite height. Countless thoughts surged forth, each scrutinized. All memories related to the four Sanskrit characters were enveloped by the intent of Primordial Chaos and the light of the Cause of All Effects, sealed layer by layer at the depths of his mental sea.
Once done, Meng Qi tried recalling the four Sanskrit characters—only to find he had indeed “forgotten” them.
As for why he didn’t outright destroy the memories, his long experience with Gu Xiaosang made her intention clear:
At a critical moment, he could lift the seal, recall the four characters, and feign an accidental thought—feeding false secrets to Daoist Zhunti for great gain.
*Devious! I like it!*
When Meng Qi’s divine sense returned to the acupoint, Gu Xiaosang rested her chin on her hand and said, “He was a prominent figure in the Buddhist sect during the Primordial Era, forging the path of the Bodhi Golden Body before severing his Three Corpses to ascend to the Other Shore.”
“Some say the Three Corpses represent good, evil, and attachment; others claim they are past, present, and future. Daoist Zhunti is one of them—either the evil or attached corpse if the former, or the past incarnation if the latter.”
*Daoist Zhunti is just one of the Ancient Bodhi Buddha’s Three Corpses?* Meng Qi listened intently to this ancient secret and asked curiously, “What of the other two corpses?”
*Are there other illustrious figures who are part of the Ancient Bodhi Buddha’s Three Corpses?*
Gu Xiaosang smiled faintly and shook her head.
“The other two are shrouded in mystery. Beyond a select few, no one knows—not even ‘me.’”
When something could be described as “mysterious,” it often carried the weight of the unknown and fear. Meng Qi couldn’t help but suspect that certain events were tied to the other two corpses, sending a shiver down his spine.
Suppressing these thoughts, Meng Qi speculated, “Initially, he likely had no leads on the two’s whereabouts, hence secretly following me into the ancient battlefield. But from the traces there, he gleaned something and formed a hypothesis, hence intercepting me with persuasive words. The four Sanskrit characters were just an afterthought.”
*Scheming against a mere legend like me doesn’t fit the demeanor of an Other Shore being. I lean toward Daoist Zhunti merely placing a casual move.*
“Indeed, husband, you grow ever wiser.” Gu Xiaosang clapped lightly, her smile playful.
Long accustomed to her teasing, Meng Qi brushed it off. After exchanging a few more words about Zhunti, he shifted topics: “Do you know of any secret entrances to the third layer of the Nine Heavens, leading to the gray stone hall?”
Only from there could one access the highest layer.
Gu Xiaosang chuckled, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at Meng Qi. After a long pause, she said, “There used to be, but that layer was destroyed by a certain brute. No secret entrance remains functional.”
*Blame the Great Dao Tree!* Meng Qi forced a dry laugh and frowned. “Then how else can I reach the gray stone hall?”
Gu Xiaosang pondered briefly. “Resonance. If Gao Lan succeeds in constructing the Fengtian Platform, unifying humanity under heaven, it will naturally resonate with the Nine Heavens, revealing the highest layer and the gray stone hall. Similarly, if someone gains partial authority of the Celestial Emperor and establishes a celestial court of sufficient scale, resonance will also occur, unveiling the highest layer. Of course, how long it lasts is uncertain.”
*I see…* Meng Qi nodded thoughtfully.
At least there was a direction to strive for.
Then, Gu Xiaosang stretched lazily, her movements graceful and unrestrained, before smiling brightly. “Husband, your wife must now enter seclusion to refine the Innate Virtue, using its essence to elevate her innate radiance and return to the infinite heights, naturally projecting across all realms. Do stay wise and avoid too many losses—or your wife’s heart will ache.”
Her eyes shimmered like stars, ambiguous in their affection.
Just as Meng Qi was about to speak, Gu Xiaosang suddenly beamed. “Don’t slack in seeking the Green Emperor. It will benefit your future glimpses into what’s to come.”
*And implicitly benefit you as well…* Meng Qi pretended not to notice and sighed. “Because it involves Other Shore beings and great supernatural powers, my divination of the future is nearly blank. I can’t see any possible futures, let alone one where the Green Emperor exists. How am I supposed to contact him?”
In this era, who could glimpse certain futures?
Not him, not Qi Zhengyan, not even Young Master Wang—unless he reclaimed the Luo Book and it awakened to the Creation level. And Guangchengzi and the others hadn’t fully returned yet.
Gu Xiaosang, unsurprised, replied with a knowing glint in her eyes, “The traditions of the Six Heterodox Masters—Zhexu Mountain, the Fate-Stealing Sect, and the No-Thought Sect—are all skilled in divination. If you meet their founders, you should glimpse certain future possibilities.”
She smiled. “It’s precisely because they foresaw futures dominated by Other Shore beings that the Fate-Stealing Sect grew convinced of predestination, becoming the ‘Fate-Stealing Sect.’ The No-Thought Sect, seeing too many uncertain futures and an even more elusive Great Dao, embraced agnosticism…”
As Gu Xiaosang elaborated on the Six Heterodox Masters, two figures flashed through Meng Qi’s mind: Yue Ziqing of Zhexu Mountain and the Destiny Daoist of the Fate-Stealing Sect. The former’s whereabouts were untraceable, while the latter had vanished from the Destiny Temple shortly after the Golden Turtle Island incident.
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