Chapter 120: Preparation

The main gate of the Grand Hall, Duan Xiangfei, Luo Qing, Che Wanxiu, and others watched Meng Qi step forward gradually, their wandering thoughts converging as they focused entirely on observing this battle.

A clash between Zhen Ding, the monk transcending Grandmasters, and Zai Shi Tian Mo, who had simultaneously opened his three secret treasures, promised to be a fight from which they, mere Grandmasters themselves, could gain much insight.

Each had experienced firsthand the divine subtlety of “Fall into the Mortal World,” and none doubted for a moment that Zhen Ding would defeat Zai Shi Tian Mo. The only question was how far Gai Yuan had advanced after opening all three secret treasures, and whether he could pose any challenge to Zhen Ding.

Therefore, they all unconsciously hoped that Zhen Ding would unleash his full strength, leaving Gai Yuan no opportunity to exploit any weakness, and ending the battle swiftly.

“If Venerable Zhen Ding had not held back his ‘Divine Blade,’ this old man would surely have perished under his strike. Even though Gai Yuan has unlocked an additional secret treasure of Yuan Qi, enabling his inner force to circulate endlessly, it is not particularly remarkable. It does not signify a fundamental breakthrough. I suspect he still cannot withstand Zhen Ding’s blade. The only concern is that, with all three secret treasures unlocked, Gai Yuan seems to have become a self-contained entity, distinct from his former self,” Duan Xiangfei pondered.

Luo Qing pondered briefly and succinctly responded, “One slash.”

As long as Zhen Ding remained unaffected by illusions, with his blade techniques surpassing even that terrifying sword style, Gai Yuan would find it difficult to withstand a single strike.

Che Wanxiu took a deep breath: “I also believe it will be one slash.”

This was based on her experience of “Fall into the Mortal World.” Gai Yuan, having fallen into the path of the demon, with his extreme emotions, would be easily affected by such unimaginable blade techniques.

Thinking of this, she suddenly recalled her own past indulgence, and a faint blush once again surfaced on her lightly made-up face.

“Amitabha Buddha, this humble monk greets Lay Devotee Gai,” Meng Qi stopped in front of Gai Yuan, recited the Buddhist chant, then lowered his eyes, gathered his mind, and internalized all the momentum he had built with each step.

Gai Yuan grinned, his voice icy: “I’ve long heard of the Venerable monk’s reputation. Let me test his strength.”

He had unlocked all three hidden treasures, his confidence surging. He didn’t entirely trust the rumors. He acknowledged Zhen Ding’s strength, but in his eyes, Zhen Ding was merely a cultivator who had opened all three secret treasures—not some celestial immortal capable of shattering the void and moving freely through dimensions.

Without further ado, he expanded in size, transforming into a two-zhang-tall demon wreathed in black qi. The demon split into two, then into four, and attacked Meng Qi from all directions.

With all three secret treasures opened, the range of his illusionary influence expanded, nearly covering the entire plaza, causing many spectators to tremble with fear, as if a true Tian Mo had descended into the world!

Terrifying!

Truly terrifying!

Meng Qi poured his entire essence, energy, spirit, and will into the Red Sun Subduing Evil Blade, his entire body becoming like a wooden statue or clay figure—”empty and hollow.”

At the same time, a purple lightning mark appeared on the back of his left hand, exuding a faint pressure as if it had descended from the highest heavens.

Testing the blade, he was going to test its full power!

Boom!

The overcast sky seemed to respond, suddenly erupting with a thunderclap. Gai Yuan’s heart trembled, as if the heavenly punishment had arrived, and he felt an urge to kneel and beg for mercy.

Duan Xiangfei shuddered, stepping back involuntarily, his legs weak, sweat beading on his forehead. Luo Qing trembled all over, gripping his sword tightly. Che Wanxiu’s face turned deathly pale, her left hand tightly clutching her husband’s, as if she had returned to her childhood, regressing into the little girl who had once been terrified of thunder.

Others fared even worse. Some slid directly from the trees, others collapsed to their knees on the rooftops, experiencing for the first time in their lives the awe-inspiring might of “the Thunder God’s Wrath!”

Boom!

Facing Gai Yuan’s “four palms” crashing down, Meng Qi suddenly lifted his head, his eyes blazing with golden light, streaks of golden brilliance converging. His ears twitched slightly, the sounds of wind and slapping clearly distinguishable. His forehead felt swollen, his spirit gradually dispersing outward.

Under the Four Apertures and the Illusory Form Technique, Gai Yuan’s Heavenly Demon illusions could no longer affect Meng Qi. The accumulated essence, energy, spirit, and will erupted violently.

A dazzling arc of light, as if it contained everything each person longed for in their hearts.

Ten zhang of the mortal world unfolded in their minds, ensnaring them completely. Some flushed, some reddened their ears, some became excited, some laughed maniacally—various states of loss of composure abounded.

Boom!

Another thunderclap shattered the brief stillness, awakening the crowd and bringing an even more terrifying majesty.

In the plaza, Gai Yuan stood motionless. Golden lotuses drifted down from the air, but Venerable Zhen Ding was already gone.

What happened? Everyone was shocked and bewildered, straining their eyes to see the thin blood line appearing on Gai Yuan’s forehead, growing wider and longer, spreading downward until it reached his throat.

Plop—he fell backward, lifeless, his eyes wide with frozen terror, seemingly still unable to comprehend what had occurred.

“One slash to transcend the divine, one slash to transcend the divine!” someone cried out, breaking the brief silence.

“One slash to transcend the divine! Venerable Zhen Ding has slain Gai Yuan with a single strike, shattering the void!”

…

White mist swirled, divine beasts surrounding him. Meng Qi reappeared on the Wheel of Reincarnation Plaza, and his satchel, no longer held by anyone else, floated beside his feet.

This time, there was no one else. The entire Wheel of Reincarnation Plaza belonged solely to Meng Qi, silent and cold, giving him a sense of isolation from the world.

He let out a breath, sat down right where he was, closed his eyes, and began to meditate. The slash he had just executed was the pinnacle of his essence, energy, spirit, and will, fused with “Descend into the Mortal Realm.” It had drained an immense amount of energy and triggered severe backlash. Temptations surged within him, and he had barely managed to hold on to his composure.

Therefore, after delivering that decisive strike, he immediately chose to depart, avoiding any chance of being taken advantage of by others. He had no desire to resort to the Yama Note or the Self-Sacrifice Formula. Moreover, even without these methods, how could the serene and transcendent Venerable Zhen Ding, who had just achieved enlightenment with a single strike, face the female martial artists coming to congratulate him with lustful gazes? Where would his dignity and image stand then?

After a while, Meng Qi suppressed his lustful thoughts, picked up his satchel, and walked to the central light pillar, tossing it inside.

“A total of one hundred and seventy-six Virtue Points.” The Master of the Six Paths of Reincarnation was like an old ragpicker, calculating the value of these martial arts manuals.

With Duan Xiangfei’s help, the numerous personnel and channels of the Snow Palace, and two months of time, Meng Qi had naturally collected far more martial arts manuals than Jiang Zhiwei. If it weren’t for the limitations of ordinary manuals, there might have been even more.

Meng Qi thought for a moment, then tossed in the “Melted Snow Pressure Point Hand” manual and Luo Qing’s notes as well. He had already memorized the contents, and his pressure point techniques were nearly at the introductory level, so he no longer needed to carry them.

“‘Melted Snow Pressure Point Hand,’ a Qi-Opening Stage technique, worth one hundred and twenty Virtue Points.”

“Luo Qing’s sword techniques and insights into the secret treasure of spirit, Qi-Opening Stage, worth one hundred and eighty Virtue Points.”

Meng Qi had originally planned to share Luo Qing’s notes with Jiang Zhiwei and others, but after thinking, time was pressing. He had no idea when the next mission would come, and his Golden Bell Shield Fifth Stage was nearing completion. Perhaps he could seal himself off for cultivation soon, while he still had no idea where his master had gone in his fight with the Crying Elder. If he wanted to cultivate the Sixth Stage, he would have to rely on himself.

Therefore, he chose to exchange everything with the Master of the Six Paths of Reincarnation, earning a total of four hundred and seventy-six Virtue Points. Adding the remaining five, he had a total of four hundred and eighty-one Virtue Points. Then he spent four hundred Virtue Points to exchange for the secret manual of the Sixth Stage of the Golden Bell Shield.

“Eighty-one Virtue Points remain. What should I exchange for next?” Meng Qi still had many things he needed to exchange. He had not yet reached the stage where he could afford to save Virtue Points as a reserve, so he began to think hard.

At that moment, he noticed the “Ice Gate Sword” hanging at his waist and had an idea: “Now I wield the sword with my right hand. If I want to become equally proficient with both sword and saber in the future, I must train my left hand.”

With this thought in mind, he quickly began searching. After a full hour, he finally found a suitable option—he had returned early, with a day still remaining, giving him ample time to search.

“Left Hand Proficiency, Talent Technique, direct infusion requires seventy Virtue Points…” Meng Qi considered that upon returning, facing An Guoxie, he might have to use the Yama Note, and might even switch to a sword. Therefore, if he were to cultivate the technique, it would be too late. It would be better to indulge a bit and directly infuse the skill. Of course, he would have to frequently train his left hand afterward to compensate for the instability of the foundation granted by the Master of the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

This Left Hand Proficiency belonged to the lower tier, meaning Meng Qi could only use his left hand relatively skillfully when not using his right. If he used both hands simultaneously, he would become flustered and clumsy. To improve further, he could exchange for the “Ambidextrous Combat Technique,” which required five hundred Virtue Points for infusion.

Meng Qi walked into the light pillar swirling with immortal energy. Soon, he felt a tingling sensation like countless ants biting him, but it quickly subsided.

He stepped out, drew the “Ice Gate Sword” with his left hand, and began practicing sword techniques. Sparks of sword light danced, quite a sight to behold.

“Hmm, with another day of practice, I should be barely sufficient,” Meng Qi judged, casually placing the Ice Gate Sword back into the light pillar to have its value appraised.

“Ice Gate Sword, a superior weapon made by combining ice essence with refined iron, transparent and reflective, capable of dazzling the eyes. Its blade is sharp, exuding a chilling aura that causes blood to freeze upon injury, worth one hundred and forty Virtue Points, exchangeable for seventy Virtue Points.”

“Not bad,” Meng Qi retrieved the sword, sat cross-legged to meditate and recover his energy.

Afterward, he spent half a day practicing his left hand and then had a peaceful, restful sleep, fully restoring his energy.

When it was nearly time to leave, he changed into his monk’s robe and requested the Master of the Six Paths of Reincarnation to provide a disguise—pretending to have a shattered dantian and a broken right hand—because revealing the existence of the reincarnation world would lead to annihilation, so the Master of the Six Paths of Reincarnation also provided a “restoration disguise” service for free, preventing someone from appearing spotless after being covered in blood.

Last time Meng Qi had been injured by the Banruo Palm, he had also disguised himself upon returning, thus avoiding detection by the Head of the Discipline Hall.

Seeing his pitiful “appearance,” Meng Qi took a deep breath and whispered, “Deliver the Red Sun Subduing Evil Blade and the Ice Gate Sword beneath the incense table at the temple where I stay.”

“Place the Bei Su Qing Feng on the other side of the temple and release the poison directly.”

This was the “open bottle” service offered by the Master of the Six Paths of Reincarnation for a fee of ten Virtue Points. Meng Qi did this to further divert An Guoxie’s attention, making him believe someone else had used poison to rescue him, thereby completely overlooking Meng Qi’s threat.

“Return,” Meng Qi placed the antidote of Bei Su Qing Feng under his nose, inhaled deeply, and slowly exhaled.

It really stank!

The light and shadow shifted, the surroundings darkened, and when Meng Qi awoke again, he had already returned to the dilapidated temple. Outside, it was quiet and peaceful, without the sounds of wild beasts. Inside, the incense table was beside him, and An Guoxie was meditating in recovery, unchanged from before his departure.