The Palace of Eternal Joy was vast and deep. Gao Lan stood upon the imperial steps, his wide robes draped behind him, yet there was no trace of joy from having finally mastered the “Human Path Governing Heaven.” His majesty was self-evident.
Meng Qi stepped into the hall with a smile, cupping his hands as usual. “Congratulations, Your Majesty. The Human Path Governing Heaven, a grand achievement for the ages, accomplished in a single stroke. The threshold of Creation is not far.”
“Accomplished in a single stroke?” Gao Lan’s expression flickered slightly, his thin lips forming a distinct line as he sighed, “Looking back, it has already been a hundred years…”
A century of time stretched long—how could the path of the Human Emperor be easy?
Without waiting for Meng Qi to speak, he continued, “You came to Eternal Joy City before returning to the Jade Void Palace. You must have a request. Is it to revive Chonghe?”
Meng Qi laughed freely. “None knows me better than Your Majesty.”
Before Gao Lan, he had long grown accustomed to laziness, unwilling to waste words explaining. He immediately bowed solemnly. “I beg Your Majesty’s favor.”
Gao Lan’s tone remained unperturbed. “In the past, I called Chonghe a withered bone in the grave, with little time left. That was indeed my true opinion. But I never expected him to be part of the Samsara, the leader of the Immortal Trace, secretly mastering the ‘Three Pure Ones in One’ and the ‘Sword Array of Slaying Immortals.’ It was beyond my expectations. Yet just as I began to take him seriously, he chose righteousness over life, sacrificing himself heroically—once again surprising me…”
He spoke frankly of his past misjudgment, showing no trace of embarrassment or anger, only a faint hint of admiration.
Meng Qi was not surprised. Back then, Gao Lan’s “comical elder brother” persona had been chivalrous and passionate. Chonghe’s actions would have resonated deeply with him. Though that persona had since merged, such sentiments had not entirely vanished.
“Decades have passed. Even if Chonghe is revived, he would only be an Earth Immortal, long unable to keep up with the current tide. Not just him—Lu Zhiping is the same. Time is the cruelest, and fate has always played tricks. Before I could even challenge them to a decisive battle, they had already fallen behind my footsteps.” Looking back, these were the great rivals Gao Lan had engraved in his heart, using them to spur himself onward. Now, his words carried an inevitable sigh. “At this point, why would I fear Chonghe’s revival?”
With that, he pointed two fingers like a sword, tracing golden runes in the air that coalesced into a small, coiling dragon of profound yellow. It flew into the Altar of Sealing Heaven, vanishing into its core.
Golden light surged, and the name “Chonghe Daoist” emerged before being erased. A wisp of ethereal true spirit drifted out, heading straight for Meng Qi.
Meng Qi flicked his sleeve, re-establishing the cosmos, and swiftly collected Chonghe’s true spirit. Since his physical form had yet to be reconstructed, prolonged exposure to the myriad worlds risked contamination by the will of Samsara.
“Many thanks, Your Majesty.” Meng Qi smiled sincerely before exiting the palace. Inwardly, he mused, *Big Brother rambled on for so long just to find a decent excuse to revive Chonghe. Who knew he had such a ‘tsundere’ side?*
Leaving Eternal Joy, he immediately chanted the name of the Moonlight Bodhisattva and was drawn into the Eastern Pure Lapis Lazuli Land.
Seeing his old acquaintance, the Moonlight Bodhisattva, still seated in meditation beneath the Withered-Flourishing Bodhi Tree, contemplating the Buddhist path of impermanence, Meng Qi flashed his trademark grin:
“Bodhisattva, I’ve come to trouble you again.”
*Huh, why does that sound familiar?*
“You…” The Moonlight Bodhisattva sighed in mock exasperation, gesturing toward the nearby Pool of Perfect Merit. “Go about your business. Don’t disturb my meditation.”
“Many thanks, Bodhisattva.” Meng Qi strolled to the edge of the Eight Treasures Merit Pool, where the water shimmered like pure gold and lapis lazuli, embodying all virtues, flawless and complete, exuding an almost primordial aura.
He waved his sleeve, releasing the wisp of true spirit into the pool. Buddhist treasures glowed in succession, golden ripples spreading as the water slowly coalesced into the form of an elderly Daoist with snow-white hair and skin like an infant’s.
Seeing the success, Meng Qi grinned wider and cupped his hands. “Welcome back, Senior.”
Chonghe seemed dazed, unsure of the present. After staring at Meng Qi for a long moment, he glanced around the vibrant green Pure Land before hesitantly asking, “This old Daoist remembers perishing in the war against Guduo’s invasion. May I ask where this is?”
As a Daoist, even if his soul hadn’t dispersed after death, he should have ascended to the Great Crimson Heaven. Why was he in a Buddhist Pure Land?
Meng Qi laughed heartily, explaining succinctly, “Senior was trapped in Samsara. How could you transcend after death? Your true spirit was ensnared by the List of Deification, controlled by the Lords of the Six Paths of Samsara. After a struggle among mighty figures, the List fell into the hands of the current Human Emperor. I shamelessly requested it and used this Pool of Perfect Merit to reconstruct your Dharma Body.”
Understanding the gist, Chonghe bowed solemnly. “Thank you, Little Friend Su, for saving me. I never imagined you would still remember this old Daoist.”
Half-curious, half-sincere, he added, “The Pool of Perfect Merit must belong to a Perfect Reward Body Pure Land. Is this Amitabha’s Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss? I’d like to express my gratitude in person.”
“Not at all. This is the Eastern Pure Lapis Lazuli Land of the Medicine Buddha. The Green Emperor has already attained the Other Shore. If you wish to give thanks, simply offer a few more incense sticks to the Heavenly Venerable of Supreme Oneness and Salvation.”
“The Green Emperor has attained the Other Shore?” Chonghe was visibly shocked. The Other Shore represented the pinnacle of all realms—another had ascended!
Suppressing a smile, Meng Qi added, “Not just that. The Real World has also seen upheavals. The Great Zhou has annexed the Great Jin.”
“What? The Great Jin has fallen? Is the current Human Emperor Gao Lan?” Chonghe recalled Gao Lan wielding the Human Emperor’s Sword.
“Indeed.” Meng Qi nodded.
Chonghe’s expression shifted before settling into a wry smile. “How long has this old Daoist been dead?”
“Roughly thirty years.” Meng Qi understood the feeling of waking to a world transformed.
“Only thirty years, yet so much has changed…” Chonghe studied Meng Qi closely, then smiled. “Little Friend, you seem unfathomable—no longer an Earth Immortal, nor even just a Celestial Immortal. Have you self-verified as a Legend?”
“By luck, I’ve just stepped into Creation.” Meng Qi had no reason to hide such prideful news.
Chonghe froze. “A great supernatural power already? In just thirty years…”
Even among the innate Legendary deities of ancient times, few could match this! For his generation of martial artists, thirty years might not even suffice to reach the Grandmaster level.
“Since the Final Calamity, the heavens’ restrictions have loosened, and opportunities abound. I was merely fortunate.” Meng Qi feigned humility.
“And the current Human Emperor—Gao Lan—has he self-verified as a Legend?” Chonghe instinctively inquired about familiar figures.
“Indeed.” Meng Qi summarized, “Senior Su Wuming has also attained Legend. Senior Lu has forged his own path, temporarily stalled at the Celestial Immortal realm, but his way is clear. He’ll break through soon, with immense future potential…”
Chonghe listened quietly before sighing deeply. “Today, this old Daoist truly grasps the meaning of ‘time brings great changes.'”
At his age, he had bid farewell to countless peers, but the passage of time had always been gradual. Only upon reflection did the scale of change become apparent. Now, waking after two or three decades, the transformations in those he knew struck him with overwhelming force.
After thanking the Moonlight Bodhisattva, the two left the Eastern Pure Lapis Lazuli Land, heading for the Pure Yang Sect. Midway, Chonghe suddenly spoke, “There’s a city below. Would Little Friend Su accompany this old Daoist for a stroll? I’d like to see how the world I once fought to protect has fared.”
“Gladly.” Meng Qi clapped his hands, and they descended into the city. It was noon, the sun scorching, yet rows of lush trees lined the streets, their canopies intertwining to create cool shade.
The few pedestrians bore an air of vitality, and not a single beggar was in sight.
After walking for half an hour, Chonghe finally spotted a few beggars, with green-robed divine clerks sketching their forms in the void nearby.
“What’s this?” Chonghe looked to Meng Qi.
“Gao Lan, having unified the Human Path, erected the Altar of Sealing Heaven, merging it with the List of Deification. He can now appoint City Gods, Earth Deities, Mountain Spirits, and River Lords. They receive worship while safeguarding their domains, overseeing local officials and the Six Fan Gates. Of course, divine law cannot interfere in human affairs—they merely record incidents, reporting to superiors for official handling. Currently, the Mohists and trade routes lack manpower. Unless one is deliberately lazy or afflicted, begging should be unnecessary…” Meng Qi explained.
Chonghe nodded, then pointed to a distant building. “That must be a government office.”
To martial artists, the structure radiated a faint red-gold light, repelling ghosts and spirits.
“Indeed. After unifying the Human Path, officials of different ranks are granted human-path power, forming fortune. This aids their cultivation and suppresses ghosts, demons, and spirits.” Meng Qi smiled.
Chonghe sighed. “Even a Grandmaster would find their strength diminished under such human-path suppression.”
They continued into the main street, where more pedestrians bustled. Goods from across the world and beyond were displayed, though vendors were few, and shops mostly served daily needs like taverns and general stores.
Chonghe noticed many commoners holding strange objects—some speaking into them, others grinning at them.
“What are those?” he asked without hesitation.
“All-Knowing Tokens—a little invention of mine. They allow communication across thousands of miles, facilitating exchange…” Meng Qi produced one, detailing its functions.
Chonghe listened in stunned silence before murmuring, “Truly miraculous. Even mortals wield something akin to Legendary powers, surpassing ancient times…”
Recalling the vitality of the people, despite some hardships, he exhaled in relief. “Better than I ever hoped…”
Without lingering, they took flight toward the Pure Yang Sect, but as they neared, Chonghe hesitated, unable to bring himself to land.
Meng Qi casually updated him on the changes among sects and families, concluding, “The Pure Yang Sect’s legacy endures, but with martial arts now widespread, recruiting outstanding disciples is no longer easy.”
Chonghe pondered briefly. “No matter. Our sect teaches virtuous scholars, seeking the Dao of Nature. This will weed out those false Daoists lacking patience and perseverance.”
*Senior Chonghe’s magnanimity is truly admirable,* Meng Qi thought.
Just then, light flashed as Golden Horn Child manifested, announcing solemnly, “By the decree of the Great Lord of Dao and Virtue, Chonghe is summoned to the Tushita Palace for cultivation.”
“Who is this?” Chonghe whispered to Meng Qi.
“The Golden Horn Child, attendant of the Heavenly Venerable of Dao and Virtue.”
Chonghe’s face lit with joy, as if a weight had lifted. He laughed freely, chanting,
“All my life’s wishes fulfilled—
Henceforth, I walk the path of immortals and gods!”
With a final bow to Meng Qi, he flew to Golden Horn Child, and the two vanished into the sky.
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