Chapter 1251: “The Book of Life and Death”

Soaring through the clouds and traversing the azure void are the abilities of celestial beings, but at the legendary realm, a mere thought can shrink vast distances to mere inches. After leaving Kunlun Mountain, Meng Qi’s figure instantly appeared within the world of *Journey to the West*.

Due to the presence of the Moral Heavenly Venerable maintaining order in this world, few other forces dare to openly interfere here. According to the information provided by Gu Xiaosang, the remnants of the Netherworld established by the ancient Buddhist and Daoist sects are most abundant in this realm.

Of course, whether Sha Wujing, who awakened prematurely and ascended Spirit Mountain while carrying a mysterious corpse, also explored the *Journey to the West* world and took fragments of the Netherworld, Gu Xiaosang could not say for certain. Her memories and knowledge as the Golden Emperor were severed at the moment of her previous death.

Meng Qi raised his head to gaze at the heavens, performed a brief divination, and then flashed toward the Northern Continent of Jambu, following the path of greatest hope and possibility.

Here, demonic mist had transformed into thin clouds, shrouding the entire boundless continent. A bone-chilling yin energy permeated the air, and the savage, ferocious aura was so dense it seemed tangible, coalescing into mirages in the sky that depicted scenes of brutal carnage.

Just witnessing such a sight evoked the sensation of stepping into the eighteen layers of hell.

Meng Qi nodded slightly, having already calculated the outcome with certainty, and his figure vanished from the sky.

Inside a cave, piles of bleached bones lay scattered about. A sinister, frigid aura swirled into a faint black whirlwind, howling as it swept up from the depths of the cavern.

A winding passage descended downward, resembling a fissure torn into the earth. As one ventured deeper, the cold intensified, forming a thin layer of ice on the walls and ground, its chill piercing straight into the soul.

At an unfathomable depth, yin energy condensed into a rolling mist, forming an obstructive “sea of clouds.” Nearby stood an iron-black zombie, inhaling and exhaling the frigid, deathly aura to temper its own body.

Ever since gaining sentience, it had known this place was an ideal location for cultivating ghostly arts.

However, it dared not venture deeper, remaining only at its current position. It wasn’t the bone-freezing cold that deterred it—though that alone could turn ordinary beings into ice sculptures—but an instinctive awareness that the sea of clouds concealed a terrifying threat. Once caught within, its consciousness would be erased, reducing it back to a mindless walking corpse, a vengeful ghost driven by obsession.

Suddenly, its eyes snapped open as it sensed the yin-energy sea churning violently, like boiling water, exuding a warm, scorching yang aura.

A deep, resonant hum echoed from the earth’s depths, shaking the surroundings violently. Rocks and dirt crumbled as the sea of clouds parted, revealing an endless descending path.

Then, the iron-black zombie caught sight of a figure—wearing a feathered crown and a flowing robe, exuding an air of effortless grace—before it vanished in an instant, as if it had been a trick of the eye.

“Which secluded immortal from a hidden grotto-heaven was that?” The zombie gasped in shock.

Even the mighty Neng Heavenly Emperor, who once dominated the Northern Continent of Jambu, had failed to breach this yin-energy sea and was forced to retreat. Yet that figure had just strolled through it with ease—not forced its way, but walked as if on a leisurely stroll!

The yin-energy sea parted layer by layer before Meng Qi, as if welcoming its master, docile and obedient, allowing him to pass through effortlessly. His vision suddenly expanded.

At a depth of tens of thousands of feet, there lay a plain-like expanse—dark soil stained with crimson, a vaulted ceiling shrouded in mist, resembling a starless night sky.

From the depths of the plain came the agonized wails of ghosts, enough to make one’s scalp crawl. Standing there, a bone-scraping yin wind howled against his face, carrying a disorienting sense of temporal distortion.

With his enlightened vision, Meng Qi pierced through the yin wind and black fog, spotting a broken stele at the far end of the plain, inscribed with ancient script:

**”Naihe Bridge.”**

The stele remained, but the bridge was gone.

Nodding, Meng Qi suddenly flicked his left sleeve.

A gale roared, chaos engulfed the heavens and earth as the former Netherworld plain convulsed violently, resonating with the earth itself—yet to no avail. It was slowly uprooted, shrinking until it was swallowed into Meng Qi’s sleeve, leaving behind only an unfillable void.

Yin mist surged and churned, obscuring the emptiness.

Without pause, Meng Qi flashed to another location in the Northern Continent of Jambu.

What had just transpired seemed effortless, but that was only because he possessed characteristics of the Nirvana realm. By subtly manipulating fate, he had made the perilous yin-energy sea retreat on its own—it contained remnants of the shattered Netherworld’s spatial-temporal turbulence. The bone-scraping winds before the Naihe Bridge were no trifling matter either; without comprehending the essence of life and death, progress would have been arduous. Had another legendary figure attempted this, success would still be assured, but the process would have been far more prolonged and fraught with danger.

With relentless momentum, Meng Qi collected the three remaining fragments of the ancient Netherworld he could locate, then silently recited the name of the Moonlight Bodhisattva.

Azure light rose, and the aura of enlightenment flourished as he found himself within the Eastern Pure Lapis Lazuli Land. There, beneath the twin trees of withering and flourishing, sat the Moonlight Bodhisattva. To his right, the eight kinds of self-natured merit water shimmered with iridescent hues, exuding purity and latent vitality.

Before Meng Qi could speak, the Moonlight Bodhisattva said, “The Medicine King Buddha has already instructed. Take the Seven-Treasure Cup, scoop a measure of merit water, and place it beneath the twin trees along with two fragments of the ancient Netherworld.”

*So the Green Emperor has been watching my actions all along…* Meng Qi bowed in gratitude, then approached the Eight-Treasure Merit Pond. Picking up the cup crafted from Buddhist treasures, he dipped it into the water.

The act felt like overturning rivers and seas—Meng Qi even had the sensation of lifting an entire ocean. The pond’s surface visibly receded by a full layer.

After placing the cup beneath the twin trees, he kept the fragment bearing the Naihe Bridge stele and set down the other two. Strangely, though both fragments were originally the size of provinces, they did not expand in the wind, remaining no larger than a pair of hands on either side of the cup.

Then, facing the Moonlight Bodhisattva and the twin trees, Meng Qi recounted his pact with the Emperor of Fengdu and his previous exploration of the Origin of Life and Death in detail—though he omitted any mention of the *Cosmic Wheel of Life and Death* and Gu Xiaosang’s involvement. Finally, he said, “While one should harbor no ill intent, neither should one lack caution. Given my current circumstances, I must swallow my pride and ask the Green Emperor to forge an artifact that can briefly shield me from ‘assimilation by the Dao.'”

A ripple of azure-blue light emanated from the twin trees’ crowns as the Medicine King Buddha’s solemn voice echoed from infinite points:

“Your compassion is commendable.”

The lapis lazuli radiance enveloped the Seven-Treasure Cup and the two fragments, within which mist swirled, shadows flickered, and treasure flames danced.

As he waited, Meng Qi engaged in lighthearted banter with the Moonlight Bodhisattva, who teased him for even knowing the meaning of “swallowing pride.” Meanwhile, his mind analyzed a crucial matter.

Given the current clues, even Gu Xiaosang couldn’t determine which Nirvana-realm being backed the Emperor of Fengdu. Thus, Meng Qi exhaustively listed all known Nirvana-realm figures, hypothesizing each as Fengdu’s patron, then deduced what kind of aid they might provide—thereby scrutinizing whether his and Gu Xiaosang’s plans had any oversights.

For instance, if the Emperor of Fengdu’s backer was the Demon Emperor, would their plan hold? If it was Amitabha Buddha, would complications arise?

Only through meticulous consideration could he eliminate surprises and variables.

*If Fengdu’s patron is the Moral Heavenly Venerable, given the current circumstances, he would bear me no ill will—meaning no further plans would be needed. If it’s the Numinous Treasure Heavenly Venerable, then I must guard against the Zhuxian Sword Array…*

As he analyzed each possibility, a sudden realization struck him, his gaze turning icy. Had he not suppressed his emotions and thoughts immediately, the Moonlight Bodhisattva might have detected his agitation.

*If this is truly the case, things are far more troublesome than imagined…*

*Xiaosang shouldn’t have overlooked this. Her schemes clearly account for it—her silence likely stems from the risk of detection if voiced…*

*Of course, it’s also possible she retains her old instincts, habitually concealing critical details to maximize self-preservation, never fully entrusting hope to others…*

*There’s another issue—the power Zhenwu Great Emperor wielded when severing the Yellow Springs was peculiar, unlike his own…*

As his thoughts churned, Meng Qi’s eyes grew even more profound, subtly altering certain notions within his mind.

At that moment, the azure-blue light receded like a tide, leaving behind a single page infused with black-and-white divine essence, inscribed with the ancient words:

**”Book of Life and Death.”**

Of course, this was not the original tome from Fengdu’s Netherworld, but a one-time artifact.

Storing the page away, Meng Qi bowed solemnly before departing the Eastern Pure Lapis Lazuli Land and returning to Kunlun Mountain’s Jade Void Palace.

…

Years passed in the blink of an eye. Ruan Yushu secluded herself in meditation, preparing to breach the barrier to the Human Immortal realm.