“Wow! Great Sage!”
Hearing this thunderous roar, Meng Qi felt a mixture of shock, excitement, exhilaration, fear, and disbelief. Could it be that he had directly encountered the Great Sage Sun Wukong himself?
He was Meng Qi’s childhood idol!
If he could learn the complete Ba Jiu Xuan Gong or the True Longevity Technique from him, Meng Qi would achieve fame and fortune, transcending the Three Realms and the Five Elements, reaching the pinnacle of life…
With too many thoughts swirling in his mind, Meng Qi momentarily lost his composure.
The thunderous voice rolled on repeatedly, echoing persistently in Meng Qi’s ears, as if flowing from a distant, ancient past, never ceasing, connecting past and present.
“Is it the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong?” Jiang Zhiwei recalled the background introduction of the Westward Journey from the Master of the Sixfold Samsara.
Meng Qi suddenly snapped back to reality, realizing the cries of “In my life, I do not cultivate for the next life!” were echoing repeatedly, layering like overlapping reverberations.
“That should be the case,” Meng Qi frowned slightly. Could this be a remnant from the battle at Ling Mountain centuries ago?
The Great Sage’s roar imprinted upon heaven and earth, enduring ceaselessly until today?
Dark fissures crisscrossed everywhere, lightning danced wildly, azure lotuses covered the landscape, and fierce winds obscured vision. Despite straining his eyes, Meng Qi couldn’t see clearly what lay near the Golden-Hooped Staff, unable to discern the exact situation.
Looking at the scene before him, Ruan Yushu suddenly spoke: “This staff seems to be pressing down on something…”
“Is that so?” Meng Qi replied casually. Considering how the Golden-Hooped Staff had expanded to this scale, reaching from the heavens to the earth, he had similar suspicions, as it indeed looked like it was suppressing something.
Could it be an ancient Buddha or Bodhisattva?
Was it the Great Sage himself at the other end of the staff? Then why didn’t he use the Heaven and Earth Manifestation technique?
Jiang Zhiwei pursed her lips: “The battle at Mount Ling has become a mystery; any explanation is possible. Shall we continue deeper?”
Meng Qi gazed at the countless fissures tearing through the void, the visible hurricanes, and the lightning and azure lotuses that seemed to contain entire universes within them. Taking a deep breath to suppress his excitement, he spoke solemnly, “Given our current strength, we shouldn’t venture any deeper. We should skirt along the periphery and find a concealed spot to hide. Even if the outer gates don’t disperse and monsters chase us inside, the complexity of this environment will allow us to hold out until the eighth day for our return.”
Their team didn’t even have a half-step beyond the Outer Scenery cultivator. Forget about the lightning and the Azure Lotus—even encountering one of those dark fissures would likely result in complete annihilation. Moreover, considering the ancient battle between the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, the Great Sage, and the Demon Kings, there might even be spatial collapses or self-generated black holes hidden within. Venturing deeper without even reaching the Outer Scenery level would be sheer recklessness, blinded by greed.
“Alright.” Luo Shengyi had already transcended his mortal form and was no longer so eager for the treasures of Ling Mountain. His initial instinct to hide resurfaced, and he immediately agreed with Meng Qi’s suggestion.
Qi Zhengyan also nodded slightly. The situation deep within Mount Ling was far too terrifying. In their own world, the last time such a scenario had occurred was during the chaos of the Demon Buddha era. However, that period had been so dark and tumultuous that many scriptures were lost, making it difficult to fully comprehend the exact events. Perhaps only ancient clans like the Wang Clan of Jiangdong possessed complete records.
Jiang Zhiwei was not someone who blindly took risks either. She smiled and said, “Without divination, we’ll just choose a side at random.”
Sword cultivators pursue self-realization, relying solely on their swords, their hearts, and their spirits. They traditionally paid little attention to divination or fate. Even if they did, it was usually a natural intuition born from the interaction between their sword hearts and the external world. Hence, although Jiang Zhiwei’s cultivation level was comparable to Gu Xiaosang’s at that time, she did not share Gu’s additional expertise in White Lotus Divination techniques.
Ruan Yushu, holding her ancient qin with her black hair cascading over her shoulders and down to her chest, appeared cool and detached, seemingly indifferent to where they went.
Following his instincts, Meng Qi walked side by side with Jiang Zhiwei at the forefront, with Ruan Yushu and Qi Zhengyan in the middle, and Luo Shengyi bringing up the rear.
Behind a stone pillar near the gate, Benpo Baba concealed his presence extremely well. Without the concealment of the Buddhist treasure, he dared not approach too closely and could only follow from afar, unable to hear their conversation.
At this moment, his legs trembled, and his mind echoed with the monkey’s thunderous roar. Unpleasant memories surged forth, bringing back that same feeling of insurmountable power from back then.
“Great, Great Sage Grandpa, I came here to rescue you…” he tried to comfort himself, though in reality, his thoughts were more focused on the Great Sage and the Demon Kings’ weapons, treasures, and legacies.
If he had obtained a good legacy centuries ago, would he still be so weak today?
“They’re looking for a safe path?” When Benpo Baba noticed Meng Qi and the others not going deeper but instead circumventing the area, he felt a bit puzzled. He stealthily followed them from a distance.
After walking for a while, seeing Meng Qi and others showing no signs of going deeper and instead searching around cliff crevices and mountain caves, he suddenly understood—they didn’t want to go further; they wanted to hide!
“This is absolutely unacceptable! Without any scouts, does it expect me, King Bilbo, to take the risk head-on?” Benpo Baba’s fury burned within. “Besides, that young man has ties to Buddhism and even opened the Pure Land of Ling Mountain. Deep down, he might still prove useful in certain situations. How can I simply let them go unchecked? Just wait and see—King Bilbo will show no mercy!”
He must kill a chicken to scare the monkeys!
After observing, he decided to first eliminate the girl in the white dress. From their previous encounter, her hidden weapons had seriously injured him. Without the little girl with the mirror, she was more dangerous than the others—knowing what other similar hidden weapons she might have?
After killing her, he would force the others to scout ahead!
Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei remained on high alert for any monsters that might emerge from the depths of Ling Mountain. They proceeded cautiously, scouting the area as they went and identifying several potential hiding spots. However, they ultimately abandoned all of them due to inadequate concealment.
After casting off his mortal form and unblocking the seven apertures, Meng Qi’s Primordial Spirit became more harmonious and unified with his body, growing substantially stronger. His spiritual power was enhanced, and with the physical transformations and heightened senses, his intuition grew even sharper. Suddenly, a chill surged through his heart, as though stepping barefoot onto a sharp icicle in the depths of winter.
“Something’s wrong!” Without thinking, he turned around and slashed the Zishang sword towards the half-air behind him.
A crimson-purple sword aura surged forth, its keen edge concealed within, slicing through the heavens and illuminating the darkness. Faintly visible in the depths of Mount Ling were the silhouettes of some ruined Buddhist temples.
The ground of Lingshan was unusually solid. Even when sensing the sword energy, there was no trace of a sword mark—only dust being stirred up.
As the sword slashed out, a steel fork suddenly pierced down from the half-air above, rolling with waves, carrying tremendous force, weighing more than ten thousand jin, targeting Ruan Yushu. If struck by it, she would instantly be crushed into pulp!
The sky was filled with green waves, and the enemy was invisible, but Meng Qi and the others sensed the familiar aura, immediately knowing it was Benpo Baba’s attack.
Slicing through!
The purplish-red sword qi tore through like splitting silk, cleaving the sea and cutting the waves, splashing water like sudden heavy rain.
This strike severed the waves but lacked the strength to stop the steel fork from descending.
However, Meng Qi’s interception gave the others time. Almost simultaneously reacting, Jiang Zhiwei leaped up, her long sword crossing the sky, striking the sea across mountains.
The sword light was dazzling, almost capable of burning mountains and boiling seas. The sea split before the blade, and Luo Shengyi’s right arm swelled, punching out like a spiritual peak, thick and heavy within, exploding only after striking the steel fork.
Bang!
The sound echoed far away. Jiang Zhiwei spat blood and flew backward, the steel fork was deflected, and with the combined efforts of three people, they finally blocked Benpo Baba’s attack.
Qi Zhengyan brandished the Dragon-Patterned Red-Gold Sword, its majestic aura as palpable as reality, forcing Benpo Baba to tremble slightly. As a fish-like creature, it harbored an innate dread of the dragon’s might!
A crystalline stream of light flew from the sword, and where it passed, the moisture in the air condensed into mist, the chill intensifying. After hitting the waves surrounding Benpo Baba, the water gradually froze inch by inch, turning into ice and frost.
Benpo Baba roared, the water waves rolling and shaking off the cold. He abruptly ascended, planning to strike downward from the air once more.
This was the safest and most effective method. He refused to believe that these few insects could withstand the attacks of King Bilbo several times!
Knowing that Benpo Baba had launched an attack and seeing Meng Qi and the others rushing forward to intercept, Ruan Yushu quietly took out a crimson red pill from her ring and swallowed it directly. Then she bit her tongue, spitting a mouthful of essence blood onto her ancient qin.
The blood was a vivid crimson, spreading outward as if propelled by music, swiftly dyeing the seven strings of the qin with a hauntingly beautiful hue.
Ruan Yushu released the qin, which floated on its own in front of her. She placed both hands on the strings and began to play simultaneously!
From the Ninth Heaven above, a clear and resonant cry came forth. It was so beautiful, indescribable. Even if a hundred birds sang together, they could not reach a fraction of its magnificence.
Benpo Baba was struck as if by lightning, his entire body plummeting from midair like a stone.
“The Twelfth Langhuan Divine Sound” – “Phoenix Cries in the Ninth Heaven”!
The family’s treasured divine sound technique, which only those born with the innate “Qin Heart” could learn!
Even so, after this single note, Ruan Yushu’s face turned deathly pale, her hands trembling, already weakened.
This was an opportunity not to be missed, Meng Qi drew out “Whisper,” slicing out with a hazy, empty stroke.
He did not choose the Purple Lightning Saber Art or Zishang, because this strike was meant to create an opening for Jiang Zhiwei, after which he would use the Self-Sacrifice Formula to unleash Zishang!
The sword’s gleam was like mist—fields and paths, bustling cities, curling wisps of smoke rising straight into the clouds—all converging into this single strike, brimming with the essence of the mortal world.
As soon as this strike was unleashed, the entire Ling Mountain suddenly trembled. Strong auras surged into the sky, carrying boundless resentment:
“A-nan!”
These voices had long existed, imprinted within the realm of the Sacred Mountain, yet they had been utterly suppressed by the Great Sage’s thunderous roar, rendering them nearly inaudible. Only now, under the guidance of the qi, were they beginning to emerge.
Benpo Baba’s body appeared to be shackled by the phoenix’s cry, unable to break free swiftly. Confronted with “Falling into the Mundane,” his long-suppressed desires suddenly erupted—to delve deeper, to uncover the weapons of the Great Sage and the Demon Kings, to inherit their legacies, to seek out Buddhist treasures, elixirs, and ultimately attain the true form of a great demon. Then, he would return to Bibo Pond to claim his rightful place as the King of Bibo.
As his heart wavered, his protective waves also swayed, layer by layer breaking apart before the “Whisper.”
Bang!
The weakened Whisper failed to sever Benpo Baba’s chainmail and black fish scales.
As the waves parted, Jiang Zhiwei inhaled deeply, her sword intent burning fiercely, her expression resolute with no intention of retreat.
Having shed her mortal shell, her strength had greatly improved, and with Luo Shengyi assisting from the side, she was no longer like the first time facing Benpo Baba, where she was severely wounded after a single sword strike. Now, she could still employ secret techniques, burning her sword intent.
Radiant and majestic, the heavens and earth seemed to invert. Her sword cut through all bindings, embodying the state of no self, no form, transcending worldly emotions, crossing the sea, surmounting mountains, and directly appearing before Benpo Baba.
After being struck by Meng Qi, Benpo Baba had just begun to recover from the Mundane Descent, and the “Phoenix Cries in the Ninth Heaven” restraint had reached its limit, but the sword light was now right before him!
His eyes turned bloodshot, and with a wide open mouth, he spat out a black demon core. Unlike a half-step external scenery demon core, this one was already substantial, surrounded by rolling water waves, pulling the changes of heaven and earth, manifesting internal scenery externally!
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage