Within the swirling and surging Nine-Curved Yellow River Formation, Guangchengzi was the only one present at the moment, using treasures like the Heaven-Overturning Seal and the Soul-Falling Bell, along with the Three Blossoms atop his head, to resist the relentless erosion.
The turbulent waves, seemingly the other side of the “Dao,” combined with the Primordial Golden Dipper, could dissolve the illusory paths of condensation and wash away the divine bodies of immortals. Truly, it was one of the supreme forbidden arts of the heavens and earth, the bane of all cultivators.
During the Investiture of the Gods, Guangchengzi and the other eleven Jade Void Immortals had been captured one by one by the Three Xiao Maidens using the Primordial Golden Dipper. Trapped within the Nine-Curved Yellow River Formation, they had their Three Blossoms shaved away and their Five Internal Energies sealed, reverting them to mere mortals. It took immense effort for them to regain their divine powers afterward, a testament to the terror of this formation!
However, times had changed. The Three Xiao Maidens had suffered the calamity of the Investiture List and had only recently been revived with the help of the Primordial Chaos Green Lotus Seed. Their strength was far from their peak. Meanwhile, Guangchengzi, having escaped the calamity, underwent eons of arduous cultivation and gained significant benefits from events like falling from the Heavenly Court and guiding the Human Emperor. He now stood at the pinnacle of divine powers, overlooking most of creation. Thus, even alone, surrounded and trapped within the forbidden formation, he could still hold on tenaciously, preventing his Three Blossoms from withering.
Witnessing this, Meng Qi first wondered why he had detected the Three Xiao Maidens while they remained oblivious to the arrival of the Northern Dipper Chariot. Then, in an instant, he made his decision: he would intervene.
His current strength was sufficient to stand alongside Qiongxiao and Bixiao. Though he might still be slightly inferior to Yunxiao, his Path of Primordial Chaos could counter the Primordial Golden Dipper. With Guangchengzi’s cooperation, an inside-out assault could break the Nine-Curved Yellow River Formation without much difficulty!
Just then, “Nine Heavens Mystic Lady” Liu Luo pointed toward another part of the dark void and transmitted her voice to Meng Qi: “Don’t act rashly.”
Meng Qi focused his gaze and immediately felt his divine sense bathed in the pure white light radiating from the Northern Dipper Chariot, forming a majestic canopy that spread boundlessly, piercing through the void and transcending limits—both domineering and subtle. Then, he discovered a handsome, smiling ancient Buddha hidden within the deep darkness, clad in ancient monastic robes, his skin a faint gold, with a crystal-clear “Buddha” character formed by swastikas on his forehead. It was none other than the Buddha of Immeasurable Life.
He was quietly observing the Nine-Curved Yellow River Formation, like a mantis waiting for the cicada, surrounded by ancient, crystal-like runes resembling Daoist inscriptions. Each seemed to contain immense divine power and might, forming the Six-Syllable Mantra:
“Om! Ma! Ni! Pad! Me! Hum!”
Gazing at this Buddha who seemed to embody boundless freedom and bliss, Meng Qi felt a chill in his heart. Using the phantom of the Northern Dipper Chariot and the remnants of the Heavenly Emperor’s aura, he scanned the surrounding void.
This seemingly empty and silent darkness might hide untold dangers!
At the same time, he understood why the Three Xiao Maidens and the Buddha of Immeasurable Life had not detected the Northern Dipper Chariot—it was far beyond the range of their divine senses. He had only noticed them early due to the amplification from the chariot’s phantom and the Heavenly Emperor’s remnants.
The darkness was silent, as if even time stood still. Yet, Meng Qi discovered another hidden presence: the Heavenly Lord of Treasures, gazing across the Nine-Curved Yellow River Formation at the Buddha of Immeasurable Life!
Clad in dark robes and a tall crown, with a ruddy face and yellow beard, his sword intent was restrained, while behind him, lights of red, cyan, yellow, white, and black flickered in and out, as if protecting him—each seemingly an extraordinary treasure, living up to his title as the “Lord of Treasures.”
Thankfully, he hadn’t charged in recklessly. Had he acted directly, the Buddha of Immeasurable Life and the Heavenly Lord of Treasures might have set aside their differences to eliminate him first. Meng Qi felt a twinge of relief but also a dilemma: how could he rescue Guangchengzi now?
Both of these figures stood at the pinnacle of creation, far beyond what he and the Nine Heavens Mystic Lady could handle. Moreover, the attitude of the Lingbao lineage was perplexing. First, they aided the current Human Emperor, Gao Lan, in successfully establishing the Investiture Altar. Then, they stood by as Han Guang obstructed the Green Emperor’s ascent to the Other Shore, ignoring the potential disruption of Gao Lan’s self-proclamation as a legend. Now, they had trapped Guangchengzi again. Mere words would likely be useless.
Fighting was impossible, and persuasion futile. Would he have to lurk in the shadows, creating an opportunity for the Buddha of Immeasurable Life and the Heavenly Lord of Treasures to clash first?
But orchestrating a confrontation between two perfected beings of creation required perfect timing, location, and circumstances—something that might not arise quickly. Meanwhile, Guangchengzi’s Three Blossoms were gradually withering, as if he had been holding on for too long and was nearing his limit!
The Northern Dipper Chariot continued its swift approach toward the Nine-Curved Yellow River Formation. In mere moments, it would enter the range of their divine senses. Whatever he decided, he had to act now—indecision was no longer an option!
Thoughts collided, sparking inspiration. Meng Qi sensed the ancient vastness of the Northern Dipper stars and the terrifying dominance of the Heavenly Emperor’s remnants. Suddenly, an idea struck him.
He would emulate his earlier tactic of scaring away the Ancient Buddha Dipankara—using the Heavenly Emperor’s majesty to frighten off the Heavenly Lord of Treasures, the Three Xiao Maidens, and the Buddha of Immeasurable Life!
However, Dipankara had mentioned that the Heavenly Emperor might have left contingencies, suggesting he might not be truly dead. That seed of doubt, combined with the Nine Heavens Mystic Lady’s misleading words, had caused Dipankara to instantly “react,” realizing the “danger” and fleeing in panic. The Heavenly Lord of Treasures and the Buddha of Immeasurable Life, even if they harbored suspicions about the Heavenly Emperor’s survival, wouldn’t immediately assume that the approaching Northern Dipper Chariot signaled his resurrection. Their first thought would likely be that they had encountered remnants of the Heavenly Emperor, like the earlier half-buried stele.
In such a scenario, they might not flee immediately. But even a slight delay would allow the chariot to draw closer, making it easier for them to detect the truth!
Meng Qi’s mind churned like boiling water, bubbles of strategies rising and bursting, one after another.
As the Northern Dipper Chariot was about to enter the detection range of the Heavenly Lord of Treasures and the Buddha of Immeasurable Life, he suddenly stepped forward, reaching the center of the chariot beneath the pure white canopy. There, he overlapped with the solitary, mysterious, and overwhelmingly dominant silhouette—the phantom of the Heavenly Emperor’s remnants!
His acupoints shifted, his aura transformed, his body expanded, and his attire changed. In an instant, Meng Qi became a towering deity overlooking all realms, suppressing past and future. Time flowed like water around him as the remnants merged, unleashing an overwhelming presence that swept forward!
The Heavenly Emperor’s remnants already exuded a terrifying aura, capable of sweeping all before it. Now, with the phantom filling out and becoming clearer, it seemed to gain its own spirit—vibrant yet ancient, vigorous yet weathered.
The Eight-Nine Arcane Art—the “Heavenly Emperor” had returned!
…
The Heavenly Lord of Treasures gazed distantly at the Buddha of Immeasurable Life, waiting for him to become the “mantis stalking the cicada,” playing the hunter with endless patience. Suddenly, his heart lurched, and he turned to look into the distance. There, ancient stars lit up one after another, forming the shape of a chariot, draped in a pure white canopy, racing forward with a trail of dazzling radiance.
Upon the ancient starry chariot, beneath the white canopy, stood a faintly discernible figure—aloof and ethereal, gazing down upon all. Ripples of time surrounded him, as if he were eternal.
When the Heavenly Lord of Treasures looked closer, the figure slightly turned its head, revealing a pair of indifferent yet profound eyes—supreme and vast, exquisite and minute—gazing at him as if he were an ant!
The moment this thought arose, an unimaginably dominant aura surged toward him, laden with the dust of ages yet brimming with hidden vitality—eerily familiar.
The Heavenly Emperor’s procession!
It was the Heavenly Emperor’s procession!
From that gaze, the Heavenly Emperor was still alive!
In that instant, the Heavenly Lord of Treasures felt a tremor he hadn’t experienced in hundreds of thousands of years. Had he been mortal, cold sweat would have drenched his back.
Seeing the Northern Dipper Chariot rapidly approaching, the Heavenly Lord of Treasures had no time to think. Survival instincts took over, and he fled in panic.
On the other side, the six crystal-clear golden characters—”Om! Ma! Ni! Pad! Me! Hum!”—around the Buddha of Immeasurable Life trembled violently under the impact of the overwhelming aura that suppressed an era.
Then, the Buddha felt that downward gaze, that invincible dominance, that tangible presence. His carefree smile froze and shattered, his eyes losing their serenity.
The Heavenly Emperor!
He truly was still alive!
The Six-Syllable Mantra spun, and Buddha light enveloped him, hurling him far away in a flash, fleeing without a second thought.
The Three Xiao Maidens also felt a prickling sensation on their backs. As former deities of the Heavenly Court, they were all too familiar with this aura and this figure. Their hearts surged with stormy waves, and without hesitation, they retrieved the Primordial Golden Dipper, transforming into three beams of clear light to flee far away.
They were not the type to remain loyal to the Heavenly Emperor!
The Northern Dipper Chariot cut through the void, approaching the collapsing Nine-Curved Yellow River Formation. Meng Qi stood proudly beneath the white canopy, astonished at how effective his ruse had been—the Heavenly Lord of Treasures and the Buddha of Immeasurable Life had been thoroughly frightened.
Seeing that Guangchengzi was now free, Meng Qi dared not delay, fearing the enemies might realize the truth. He transmitted his voice from afar:
“Guangcheng—”
The moment these two words left his lips, Guangchengzi reacted as if hearing a death sentence. Like a startled hare, he leaped out of the remnants of the formation and vanished into the distance in an instant!
Senior Brother Guangcheng had been scared off too… Meng Qi stood dumbfounded, staring at the empty space, now only dotted with residual muddy waves.
The Northern Dipper Chariot did not stop, trailing its radiance as it continued its journey into the depths.
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