The black sun hung high, with demonic mists drifting about. Beyond the crimson mountains, an eerie mix of cold and scorching heat intertwined, where the bizarre coexisted with the abyssal darkness. Six sinister and terrifying sensations lurked silently in the infinite distance, hidden within mystery and the unknown, making it impossible to imagine what horrors and spine-chilling dangers one might encounter upon contact.
Even with the Green Emperor’s approval, Meng Qi had no desire to provoke the four ancient beings—the Nine Chaos Heavenly Venerable and the Black Heavenly Emperor. It was well known that within the Nine Nethers, they possessed the strength of pseudo-Othershore beings. By harnessing the power of the Nine Nethers, they could condense their illusory Great Dao—whether of destruction and chaos or of icy death—into half a Dao Fruit. They could manipulate the River of Time within the Nine Nethers, peering into the past and glimpsing the future. With just two of them joining forces, they could potentially hold off the Green Emperor entirely.
Under such circumstances, once exposed, the consequences would be unimaginable!
What pseudo-Othershore beings lacked compared to true Othershore beings was their sphere of influence—they could not extend beyond the Nine Nethers. They could only glimpse the future and perceive fate, unable to seize various possibilities. Their divine abilities of foreboding and manipulating heavenly secrets were inferior, making them vulnerable in these aspects. Additionally, their overall strength was slightly weaker than that of true Othershore beings.
Of course, if pseudo-Othershore beings like the Nine Chaos Heavenly Venerable were to ascend to true Othershore status, the enhancements provided by the Nine Nethers would drastically diminish, no longer capable of elevating them by an entire level—at best, offering a slight boost. The reason was that the Nine Nethers, in essence, belonged to the normal Othershore realm and could not touch the embryonic form of the Dao Fruit. Similar to the former Celestial Court, it had little effect on beings of the same realm.
Earlier, Meng Qi had managed to deceive everyone and infiltrate the crimson mountains for two reasons. First, his own realm had been elevated by the Nine Nethers, reaching the mid-level of Creation. The Primordial Chaos concealed his existence and all traces, allowing him to evade even the most powerful beings when his body and mind were in harmony. Second, the four ancient beings’ abilities of foreboding were far inferior to those of true Othershore beings. With the Eight-Nine Arcane Art obscuring heavenly secrets and the Cause of All Effects severing related connections, coupled with the disturbance caused by the Wheel of Life and Death in the Yellow Springs diverting attention, and the mutual constraints among the Black Heavenly Emperor and others, Meng Qi had narrowly succeeded.
But now, as he sought to mimic Qi Zhengyan’s aura to deceive the Othershore seal, the Primordial Chaos within him would no longer be flawless. A slight “discord” would emerge between his inner and outer selves, increasing the risk of detection manifold.
As for seeking help from fellow disciples like Guang Chengzi to divert the attention of the ancient beings, Meng Qi dismissed the idea. Such a move would trigger a chain reaction—once they acted, other forces would inevitably sense it, plunging the situation into chaos and drastically increasing the difficulty.
Thus, he had to find a way to leave without relying on the Green Emperor’s assistance.
After much contemplation, Meng Qi adjusted his Taoist crown, and from his Mud Pill Palace emerged the Supreme Primordial Chaos Cloud. Above the cloud, profound darkness gathered with pure qi, coalescing into three forms: the “True Calm Tathagata,” the “Su Meng Heavenly Venerable,” and the “Qingyuan Dao Lord”—manifestations of the Great Divine Ability, “Three Pure Ones from One Qi.”
The “Qingyuan Dao Lord” descended from the cloud, standing before Meng Qi. His aura shifted, and his features subtly adjusted, now bearing some resemblance to Qi Zhengyan. He reached out and took the List of Deification. As a manifestation rooted in the Eight-Nine Arcane Art, he would be responsible for deceiving the seal of the Ancient Buddha of Bodhi.
Once the “Qingyuan Dao Lord” secured the List of Deification, Meng Qi waved his right hand, storing him within his sleeve. Then, the “True Calm Tathagata” and the “Su Meng Heavenly Venerable” descended from the cloud, each wielding the divine wonders of the Tathagata’s Divine Palm and the Seven Swords of Severing Heaven, concealing their auras and traces as if they did not exist.
Originally, the “True Calm Tathagata” was stronger than the “Su Meng Heavenly Venerable.” However, after witnessing the True Martial Emperor’s sword techniques in the Origin of Life and Death, Meng Qi gained deeper insights into the art of severing, enhancing the strength of the “Su Meng Heavenly Venerable.”
Next, the Supreme Primordial Chaos Cloud above Meng Qi’s head suddenly enveloped him, shrinking rapidly into a “tiny point” where time was distorted and space curled, as if containing infinite possibilities. It was a chaotic existence that seemed out of place in the world, unable to completely erase its traces. Even in concealment, a slight “discord” remained—the “Qingyuan Dao Lord,” holding the List of Deification, carried an aura distinct from Meng Qi’s own, preventing perfect unity.
This tiny point of discord slipped into the body of an outgoing demon, hiding within its potent stomach acid. As the demon stepped beyond the crimson mountains’ barrier into the domain watched by the six sinister sensations, Meng Qi activated the “Cause of All Effects” and turned the “Wheel of Life and Death” once more.
Whoosh!
The black-and-white treasure wheel slowly rotated, with wings of despairing death and vibrant life unfurling, stirring the Origin of Life and Death. The Yellow Springs, originating and ending here, surged again in tumultuous waves. The blood-brown waters obscured the black sun, revealing countless twisted faces trapped in eternal suffering, their wails piercing the air.
The second disturbance in the Yellow Springs within a short time drew even more attention from the demonic gods. Naturally, it also deepened their suspicions, prompting them to remain vigilant against each other while keeping an eye on their surroundings.
At that moment, three figures moved: the six-armed demon carrying Meng Qi’s true self, the seemingly empty “True Calm Tathagata,” and the ethereal “Su Meng Heavenly Venerable.” The first followed the path outward, acting as a decoy while Meng Qi’s true self silently ascended toward the higher reaches of the Nine Nethers. The other two chose separate directions, fleeing while maintaining their concealment.
Meng Qi’s plan was threefold: first, the Yellow Springs disturbance diverted attention; second, the six-armed demon’s residual traces served as a decoy, confirming the ancient beings’ suspicions of misdirection; third, the two concealed avatars, once detected, would disrupt the pseudo-Othershore beings’ search—once enemies were spotted, the instinct was to capture them first.
This triple-layered strategy bought Meng Qi ample time to escape the Nine Nethers.
Whoosh!
As the Yellow Springs surged, the Xuanming Ghost Emperor’s icy consciousness swept the area first, driven by an insatiable desire for the Yellow Springs and the Origin of Life and Death. The Black Heavenly Emperor, the Nine Nethers Blood Demon, and the Nine Chaos Heavenly Venerable soon followed with their unique wills, searching for clues. The Demon Lord and the Seven Killings Taoist were slightly slower.
However, as the six-armed demon neared the edge of the crimson mountains, its body suddenly turned ashen, rotting inch by inch until all life was extinguished. Then, its bones and decaying flesh turned against each other, annihilating into nothingness.
“You cannot escape!” The Xuanming Ghost Emperor’s voice, capable of freezing Dharma Bodies into ice sculptures, echoed illusorily, turning the surrounding void into layers of amber-like crystal.
Had it not been certain that the Demon Emperor’s Claw remained deep within the crimson mountains, it would have attacked without restraint.
Meanwhile, the Nine Chaos Heavenly Venerable let out a maddened roar filled with chaos, sending invisible ripples outward. The Demon Lord and the Black Heavenly Emperor, ever vigilant, had already noticed the six-armed demon’s anomaly.
The cold spread, and the ripples expanded—all unfolding in an intangible, illusory manner. Within the crimson mountains, aside from the Great Freedom Heavenly Son and Qi Zhengyan wielding the Demon Emperor’s Claw, no other beings noticed a thing.
Just as the blanket-like consciousness sweep was about to reach Meng Qi, who was stealthily ascending, two bursts of light flashed in the distance—the “True Calm Tathagata” enveloped in Buddhist radiance and the “Su Meng Heavenly Venerable” wielding razor-sharp sword energy were forcibly revealed.
Their connection to Meng Qi’s true self had long been altered by the Cause of All Effects, pointing instead to the depths of the Yellow Springs.
Whoosh!
A bloody ocean materialized, crashing toward the “True Calm Tathagata” as he prepared to unleash the “Salvation of All Beings” palm. Twisted and sinister Primordial Demon Sword Qi intercepted the divine palm.
A curtain of cold and death descended upon the “Su Meng Heavenly Venerable.” Guided by sword energy, the Seven Killings Taoist swung the Nethersea Sword, while the Nine Chaos Heavenly Venerable split into two, each striking with palms aimed at annihilating everything before them, heedless of the Demon Lord or the Xuanming Ghost Emperor.
Under such a siege, Meng Qi foresaw his two avatars being obliterated in mere moments—but they had bought him the time he needed.
The higher reaches were within sight. Once he broke through to another layer, he could escape the Nine Nethers through a secret entrance and return to the Jade Void Palace.
Suddenly, an extreme sense of danger struck Meng Qi, sending chills down his spine. In the depths of his consciousness, he saw a pair of ancient, indifferent eyes.
The eyes of the Black Heavenly Emperor!
It had seen through all deception and spotted him directly!
A hand reached out, piercing through the void. Meng Qi’s scalp tingled as his Othershore traits activated involuntarily. An illusory river materialized around him, flowing slowly.
Within the River of Time and Fate, he “saw” his own figures from the past few moments, forming a “line” from the crimson mountains to the higher reaches of the Nine Nethers.
And the Black Heavenly Emperor’s hand was reaching into the past, into the upstream of the River of Time, toward the moment when he had just activated the Wheel of Life and Death and sent his avatars into hiding.
Escape the present, but not the past!
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage