As soon as the words of the Demon Buddha A-nan fell, a myriad of dazzling lights soared within the palace walls, as if thousands of pear blossoms had bloomed in a riot of colors, converging to form a small, dim seal.
This seal was divided into six facets: above, the realm of celestial beings; below, the torments of the Nine Nether; ahead, the mortal world of humanity; behind, the sorrowful lands of beasts; to the left, the myriad creatures of the demon race; and to the right, the lament of evil demons. Its radiance was restrained, exuding an air of profound mystery.
The Seal of Samsara!
In ancient times, the Benevolent Sage Empress Houtu, moved by compassion for the suffering of the world, used her own body as a cauldron, the Nine Nether as fire, and her half-step Dao Fruit as material to forge this peerless divine weapon. From then on, the cycle of reincarnation began in the world, and it had always been the Demon Buddha’s most treasured possession!
To prevent Meng Qi from sensing it, A-nan had entrusted it to the current emperor, Xiao Xuan.
As soon as the Seal of Samsara appeared, the capital instantly darkened. The celestial realm loomed above, the Nine Nether yawned below, and the phantoms of humans, demons, beasts, and evil spirits flickered in the sky, endlessly cycling, evoking an eerie and unsettling sensation.
Seeing this, Meng Qi knew things had taken a turn for the worse. Just as he was about to make a decision, the shifting phantoms in the sky froze—on his current form!
With a thunderous roar, his mind plunged into chaos. His heart-lake seemed on the verge of stillness, his consciousness and body seemingly torn from the material and spiritual worlds, dragged into a mysterious and bizarre alternate realm.
The Seal of Samsara began to rotate slowly, and the frozen image of Meng Qi in the sky twisted and transformed. Along with it, the body of Yunji Zhenren and his own consciousness seemed to traverse the bitter sea, enduring countless cycles of reincarnation, about to be cast into one of its forms—beast, demon, or human.
This sensation of enduring reincarnation did not merely affect Meng Qi’s “borrowed corpse for revival” form. Through an obscure and hidden connection, it also pulled at his true self, who was sealed away, overlooking the vicissitudes of the world.
His true self, which had merged with the Primordial Projection of this universe!
In an instant, even the sealed Meng Qi felt the bitter sea surging toward him, submerging his being. His thoughts slowed, his scrutiny faltered, and the innate spiritual light residing at infinite heights was on the verge of being dragged down by the power of reincarnation!
If he failed to resist the terror of the Seal of Samsara, he would immediately lose his Legendary essence, fall into the dust, and undergo illusory reincarnation, becoming either a mortal human or a mundane beast. In that case, the Demon Buddha A-nan would effortlessly complete his devouring and fusion, mending his sole flaw.
The “Primordial Projection” sealed here was not for the struggle of the Other Shore—it was patiently waiting for Meng Qi to arrive!
A dazzling streak of purple light erupted, as if heaven and earth had flipped. Lightning enveloped Meng Qi’s body, extending to his innate spiritual light, shielding him from the power of reincarnation.
The Tyrant’s Saber against the Seal of Samsara!
Both were peerless weapons of the Other Shore!
A tug-of-war ensued. Both had awakened to the Creation Realm, but this was the Seal of Samsara’s domain of expertise, and it had awakened further than the saber—beyond the initial stages of Creation. Thus, it held a clear advantage. Moreover, Meng Qi’s attempts to channel power, wield the Cause of All Effects, and sever the connection of reincarnation were thwarted by the seal’s existence.
As for the connection within the seal, it was the focal point of the Seal of Samsara’s power. It had to be eroded before it could be severed.
Meanwhile, the sliver of consciousness possessing Yunji Zhenren was growing dim, his strength waning. Only because Meng Qi’s true self was locked in stalemate with the Seal of Samsara’s power did the twisting transformation slow.
If things continued as they were, relying on the Tyrant’s Saber and his own “Cause of All Effects,” Meng Qi was confident he could erode part of the Seal’s divine power within ten breaths, sever the mysterious connection within the seal, and escape this predicament.
However, when he saw the Demon Buddha A-nan’s serene, ripple-free smile, his heart suddenly lurched. If he kept fixating on severing the connection and escaping in ten breaths, he would undoubtedly face a devastating blow within one or two breaths—plunging him into true peril.
Because the Demon Buddha was not fighting alone!
Setting aside whether the sliver of consciousness he had leaked through the seal could harness near-Legendary power to seal the dormant Primordial Projection here, the mere words “Jade Void Palace” made it clear that he could not enter the ancient well on his own.
This was the Daoist sanctum of the most ancient Other Shore existence, the Primordial Heavenly Venerable!
Back when the Demon Buddha A-nan disguised himself as the Lord of the Six Paths of Reincarnation, didn’t he have to wait patiently for the Jade Void Palace to open on its own?
Thus, someone with deep ties to the Jade Void Palace must have helped him enter and seal the “Primordial Projection.”
At this moment, if Meng Qi did not immediately extricate himself, the malevolent figure lurking behind the Demon Buddha would surely strike, leaving him no room for retreat.
In ten breaths, he might already be dead!
What should he do?
The Demon Buddha withdrew his hand from the black box, clasped his palms together, and said with pity and compassion, “Namo Amitabha. Enter the cycle of reincarnation, benefactor.”
Strange lights blazed across heaven and earth. The Seal of Samsara, as if bearing the weight of the universe, accelerated its rotation with a solemn heaviness.
Scenes of the celestial realm, the Nine Nether, humans, demons, beasts, and malevolent spirits flashed by…
The Nine Nether… malevolent spirits… Suddenly, Meng Qi’s heart stirred. He formed a hand seal, yin and yang coalescing into fish, black and white swirling into a scroll, condensing into a diagram of life and death.
Guided by this, the sliver of consciousness possessing Yunji Zhenren mirrored the gesture. Though his power was sealed, he suddenly borrowed the deathly energy of the Nine Nether’s malevolent spirits around him.
Using the truths of life and death gleaned within the “Origin of Life and Death” to tug at the deathly aspect inherent in the Seal of Samsara itself!
Vitality faded; deathly energy surged. The face of Yunji Zhenren, possessed by Meng Qi, turned deathly pale, his aura rapidly dissipating. His once-immortal flesh began to rot in an instant.
Without a trace of fear, he locked eyes with the Demon Buddha A-nan, smiled faintly, and performed a Daoist salute.
Before the Demon Buddha could react, Yunji Zhenren’s body perished completely, the consciousness within vanishing like scattered ashes. The connection to his true self was severed!
With the connection broken, the power of reincarnation lost its momentum. A flash of saber light from Meng Qi shattered the encroaching darkness and dispelled the inexplicable cycle.
Then, before the hidden expert could strike, Meng Qi retreated, escaping the seal and leaving that universe behind.
He did not attempt to re-enter. Instead, he turned and leaped out of the ancient well.
Now that he knew this was a trap—not a “classroom” for competing with the Other Shore’s projected consciousness in a simulated universe—he had to adopt another approach: the foremost of the Jade Void Palace’s three supreme techniques.
“Calling for backup!”
Or rather, calling for a senior!
In a flash, Meng Qi left the Jade Void Palace and arrived at the Fusang Ancient Tree Domain at the eastern edge of the sea—the current abode of the Green Emperor.
As soon as he entered the domain and beheld its restored paradisiacal beauty, before he could even request an audience, the scenery shifted. Unaware, he found himself atop the Fusang Ancient Tree.
A figure stood beneath layers of mulberry leaves, clad in a green robe, hair loose, features handsome and jade-like, exuding the vitality of burgeoning plant life. This was the only Other Shore existence who could still walk the mortal world—the Green Emperor Taihao, one of the ancient Five Emperors!
He seemed utterly ordinary, devoid of any divine aura.
“Esteemed Green Emperor, I come bearing news of the Seal of Samsara’s whereabouts,” Meng Qi said bluntly, cutting to the chase.
Though the events had transpired within the Jade Void Palace, beyond even the Green Emperor’s perception, as soon as Meng Qi spoke, the emperor smiled faintly. “I understand. Take this seed with you.”
With just those words, he seemed to grasp the entire situation. A wisp of green light flew from his sleeve, landing in Meng Qi’s palm and condensing into a vibrant emerald seed brimming with vitality.
Meng Qi hesitated only for a moment before cupping his hands in gratitude. “Many thanks, Senior Green Emperor.”
With that, he departed the Fusang Ancient Tree Domain, ascended to infinite heights, and re-entered the Jade Void Palace.
Passing through the ancient well and into the universe, he returned to the site of the seal and tossed the emerald seed forward.
The moment the seed touched the seal, it took root, sprouting shoots and branches that fed on the seal itself, growing rapidly.
In mere moments, the seal silently dissolved. The tree then contracted, transforming into something akin to a Bodhi tree, and flew into Meng Qi’s palm.
It shimmered with flowing colors, brimming with vitality, as if it were no temporary construct.
Holding this branch, Meng Qi—now the creator-god of this realm—manifested directly above the capital on that distant star.
Of course, he knew full well that after his escape, the Demon Buddha would not dare linger. He must have already fled with the Seal of Samsara, beyond pursuit. But Meng Qi could still uncover who had aided his entry into the Jade Void Palace!
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