He must have awakened long ago, yet for some reason remained hidden until now… The Emperor of Fengdu felt an inexplicable dread, as waves of eerie light—black, white, and ghostly green—continuously surged from his body, each radiating profound and terrifying mysteries. At this life-and-death juncture, he could no longer afford to hold back, unleashing all his life-preserving divine abilities and treasures as if they were worthless.
However, in a battle against an evenly matched opponent, making such a mistake and being struck by a full-force sword strike—especially without cultivating a defensive art like the *Eight-Nine Arcane Art*—naturally left the Emperor of Fengdu severely wounded. Every thought of his was tossed into the tempest of sword light, while Zhenwu, now fully restored in intellect and surpassing even his former peak strength, showed no restraint, dismantling each of the Emperor’s desperate survival techniques and escape treasures with precise counters.
Purple qi soared, sword light split and struck, weaving through the battlefield with unstoppable force. Even as the Emperor of Fengdu rapidly cycled through “samsara,” he found no true escape, gradually dissolving into nothingness, leaving only faint echoes of lingering obsession.
The sword energy swept past, and Zhenwu did not spare even these remnants of obsession.
Thus, one of the Three Corpses of the Ancient Buddha of Bodhi perished!
The Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree trembled in place before erupting with boundless radiance, briefly severing Zhenwu’s connection to the scroll and leaping out of the Origin of Life and Death.
During this process, Gu Xiaosang’s fourth anomaly, “Eternal Rest,” gradually faded as she fully ascended to the Legendary realm, synchronizing perfectly with Meng Qi to conclude their refinement.
At this moment, going further would be overkill. Continuing to refine the Origin’s deepest layers risked assimilation, a fate neither could escape.
Standing in the depths of death, Meng Qi felt the surrounding “abstract concepts” no longer affecting him, and joy surged uncontrollably in his heart.
This venture had yielded immense rewards. Not only had Xiaosang successfully self-verified her Legendary status and manifested a fourth anomaly, but he himself was now on the cusp of the Creation realm. Once he refined and consolidated his other divine abilities, integrating them into the near-Tao Primordial Chaos, and elevated the *Cause of All Effects* and *Heaven-Splitting Seal* to the same level, he would immediately step into Creation, becoming a Great Divine Ability holder.
In fact, he could break through now if he were willing to forgo perfection. But his path had always been one of encompassing all mysteries and changes within the Primordial Beginning and the Limitless. How could he abandon it midway? Moreover, the crucial *Cause of All Effects* and *Heaven-Splitting Seal* still required time to advance.
Though the apocalypse loomed and Great Divine Ability holders were returning one after another, he couldn’t let haste disrupt his foundation. The martial path demanded both boldness and patience—knowing when to advance and when to hold back, adapting to circumstances and his own condition.
After all, the mighty figures of the Other Shore wouldn’t return anytime soon, and as the true master of the Jade Void Palace, he had Creation-level senior brothers and sisters to rely on in times of trouble. There was no need to panic.
As joy swelled, Meng Qi suddenly felt as though their recent triumph was a dream.
Their scheme had actually ensnared one of the Three Corpses of an Other Shore mighty figure—not just any Great Divine Ability holder!
It felt surreal yet filled him with immense pride.
Of course, had Zhenwu not awakened prematurely for reasons unknown, he and Xiaosang would have at best resisted the Emperor of Fengdu’s counterattack using the Origin’s near-Tao power, fleeing once her fourth anomaly faded. Never had they imagined slaying such a terrifying Great Divine Ability holder.
This much self-awareness, he possessed.
Having refined part of the Origin, Meng Qi and Gu Xiaosang could now peer through the settling abstract concepts, watching Zhenwu stow away the ancient purple *Yuanyang Ruler* and collect the Emperor of Fengdu’s remnants, his gaze deep as an abyss as it turned toward them.
Gu Xiaosang stood like an orchid in a secluded valley, radiating ineffable sanctity, smiling silently as Meng Qi stepped forward and bowed. “Many thanks for Senior Black Emperor’s assistance.”
At this, Meng Qi grew slightly uneasy, his eyes flicking toward the *Tree of the Great Dao*, which was “sipping” at the Origin.
This belonged to the Demon-Subduing Heavenly Lord and was crucial to the apocalypse. Would Zhenwu demand its return?
Little Meng was ever the pragmatist.
Zhenwu chuckled. “You helped this old Taoist eliminate his malevolent thought. It is I who should thank you.”
*Consider this your reward. As one of the Five Ancient Emperors and the Nine Taoist Venerables, would I stoop to reclaiming gifts?*
After this silent exchange, Meng Qi relaxed slightly and smiled. “Truly, the unpredictable prevails. For Senior to awaken fully at such a critical moment—could it be due to the Tree of the Great Dao’s stimulus?”
Zhenwu glanced at him, then at Gu Xiaosang, sighing with amusement. “This old Taoist awoke long before the Yellow Springs’ return.”
He then grinned mischievously. “Little Friend Su, think back. Why was the sword I used to slay the Yellow Springs *‘Dao Extinguishes, Dao Arises’*, yet the one that struck Fengdu was *‘Severing the Dao to See the Self’*?”
*What?* Meng Qi was stunned, his thoughts racing as fragments connected.
Had that first strike not been *Dao Extinguishes, Dao Arises*, and had Zhenwu not wielded the *Yuanyang Ruler’s* power, he could never have shattered the Yellow Springs’ bones or refined the Origin’s abstract concepts into the *Wheel of Life and Death Across the Myriad Realms*—a contingency that proved vital today.
Had Zhenwu used *Severing the Dao to See the Self* against the Yellow Springs’ reincarnation, Meng Qi’s divided consciousness would have perished instantly.
Both strikes were guided by “qi resonance,” yet one aided him perfectly. While statistically possible, the odds were vanishingly slim—practically a coincidence.
But in matters involving Other Shore mighty figures, there *are* no coincidences.
Thus, Zhenwu had long been awake, biding his time to trap the Yellow Springs, aid Meng Qi, and ultimately slay one of the Ancient Buddha of Bodhi’s Three Corpses.
Countless questions rose in Meng Qi’s throat, but all he said was, “I never imagined Senior could free himself from near-assimilation by the Dao. Truly awe-inspiring.”
Zhenwu shook his head. “Not so. Long before the Yellow Springs’ return, a friend entered this place and roused me.”
“Someone else has been to the Origin?” Meng Qi exclaimed.
Zhenwu replied calmly, “Though exceedingly rare, the Origin is not impossible to find without the Yellow Springs as a guide. The Buddha came, as did Fu Xi. That others preceded you is no surprise.”
“Who was it?” Meng Qi pressed.
Zhenwu smiled wordlessly, and realization dawned on Meng Qi. The pride he’d felt at outmaneuvering an Other Shore mighty figure’s incarnation soured into something far more complex.
*This* was the true reason for the Emperor of Fengdu’s demise in the Origin.
Was this… the “will of heaven”?
Zhenwu clasped his hands behind his back, stepping away from the depths. “With this matter concluded, this old Taoist must retreat to seclusion.”
Meng Qi hurriedly added, “Senior, might you help conceal today’s events?”
Originally, he and Gu Xiaosang had prepared for the inevitability of her resurrection becoming known. Though they couldn’t kill the Emperor of Fengdu, her Legendary ascent had proceeded unimpeded by the Golden Empress, laying a solid foundation. Moving forward, they’d rely on the Jade Void Palace’s influence to stall the Luo Sect’s envoys while seeking support from other Other Shore figures to counter the returning Empress.
But with Zhenwu slaying Fengdu, new possibilities emerged. Perhaps they could prolong their secrecy. And if Zhenwu ascended to the Other Shore, they’d gain another powerful ally!
Zhenwu laughed heartily. “Fear not, Little Friend Su. This old Taoist is no gossip.”
With that, his figure vanished from the Origin.
Meng Qi exhaled inwardly, turning to Gu Xiaosang, who remained serenely divine, like a flawless statue.
“Did you ever suspect Zhenwu had awakened early?” he asked casually.
The corners of her lips curled as sanctity gave way to playful slyness. “Of course.”
“But whether he awoke or not, our plan would’ve succeeded. Had he regained sanity earlier, given your karmic ties, his aid was assured. Even had he become an instinct-driven monstrosity, he’d have targeted the greater threat—Fengdu.”
“So why dwell on it?”
Her smile bloomed, radiant and knowing.
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