Chapter 345: “Unmatched” Expert

Haha, Meng Qi’s mouth twitched slightly. This message actually required three thousand virtuous merits. He was indeed a poor man!

He decided not to dwell on this for now and instead appraised the “Heavenly Thunder” technique to see whether the rewards for completing the “Suspicious Tomb of Zhenwu” would reduce the cost:

“The ‘Shenxiao Jiulie’ true intent is incomplete, allowing only the first move, ‘Heavenly Thunder,’ to be mastered. Completing the true intent lineage requires 119,200 virtuous merits.”

“Completing the incomplete form of ‘Heavenly Thunder’ requires 4,500 virtuous merits.”

Hearing this, Meng Qi felt a surge of joy. The cost was actually reduced by 800 virtuous merits! The four profound insights he had grasped were indeed useful, and the guidance from Huangfu Tao had great value!

It seemed he should find an opportunity to return to the “Jiuxiang World” soon. First, he needed to locate the whereabouts of the Xuanwu Pendant to complete the second step. Second, he could obtain further references from Huangfu Tao’s descendants or successors to further reduce the completion cost. Perhaps he could directly grasp the “Heavenly Thunder” technique of the Dharmakaya form… Meng Qi thought with great confidence.

He then took out the calligraphy piece “Who am I, Who is Me” and Jiang Hengchuan’s mysterious accessory and requested their appraisal.

“Calligraphy by Dongyang Divine Sovereign, a trigger item. Its specific function requires 8,000 virtuous merits to unlock.”

“Accessory of the ‘Wenqu Star Sovereign,’ a symbolic item containing a unique aura imprint, used for identifying status.”

Indeed, it was a symbol of myth… Meng Qi currently had no use for it and put it back into the room. He casually tossed the calligraphy into Ruan Yushu’s mustard seed ring. Since it was a trigger item, maybe it might come into play during the mission? It would be better to keep it on his person.

He invited Jiang Zhiwei and others into his room, shared the appraisal results, and checked if there were any other clues.

Jiang Zhiwei lightly furrowed her brows and hesitated slightly before saying, “Before the Nirvana of Shaolin’s Bodhidharma Patriarch, he encountered a terrifying great demon. After paying the price of destroying the Pure Land he had cultivated, he finally eliminated it. Could it be that the ‘Yijin Jing’ was cursed by the demon in its dying moments? If one steps incorrectly, it might invoke the demon’s residual soul and fall into the demonic path.”

Meng Qi had heard his master mention this before. Thinking about the strange warning “Those of Benevolence and Virtue, Do Not Enter This Gate,” he nodded almost imperceptibly: “It might indeed be possible.”

With time pressing, they did not discuss this further. Meng Qi said, “I definitely won’t exchange the ‘Yijin Jing’ with the Master of the Six Realms of Reincarnation, so I can share the nine postures with everyone. However, the virtuous merits required to complete and adjust the sequence afterward will remain unchanged for each person, totaling ten thousand. We should think about whether there are other ways…”

“If there isn’t, then we’ll just give up,” Ruan Yushu said. Her talent was already excellent, and she had transcended her mortal body. The martial arts she practiced were top-tier, so she had no particular desire for the ‘Yijin Jing.’

Jiang Zhiwei smiled and said, “Let’s not rush. We shouldn’t take your ‘Yijin Jing’ for free. We should wait until we accumulate enough virtuous merits or find other ways to compensate you somewhat. One must feel at peace when receiving benefits and not accept advantages without giving anything in return, especially not if it’s not obtained together during a joint mission.”

Just like the “Huanxing Dafa” they had previously, they also compensated Meng Qi with virtuous merits.

“Right, no matter what, we must compensate you somehow. Since Meng Senior Brother wants to return to the ‘Jiuxiang World’ as soon as possible, whoever of us gets the Reincarnation Talisman will give it to you,” Qi Zhengyan agreed with Jiang Zhiwei.

In a chain mission, not every step needed everyone’s participation. As long as the sharing was not canceled, they could choose to act together later. After all, Reincarnation Talismans were hard to obtain, making it impossible to always gather everyone. Some steps might only be completed by one or two people. Since the “Jiuxiang World” had the Thunder God’s inheritance, it was most suitable for Meng Qi to go there.

“Alright.” Meng Qi took a deep breath, stepped out of the room first, walked to the central light column, and began his own exchange.

Zhao Heng stood with his hands behind his back, smiling. He showed no curiosity about their private conversation nor any dissatisfaction at being excluded. People always had secrets, and it was unreasonable to expect others to share everything upon first meeting.

Meng Qi had already spent 600 virtuous merits and had 1,630 left. He first exchanged for the essential Da Huan Dan and Ba Hui Dan, then said to Jiang Zhiwei and others, “I already have the Buddha’s Lamp, so exchanging for the Demon-Slaying Talisman would be pointless. I plan to save up some virtuous merits to also upgrade my left-hand sword into a treasure weapon. Preferably one that can also suppress evil spirits, zombies, and other undead.”

“That’s a good idea. Try to choose a better one. If you don’t have enough virtuous merits, we can lend you some,” Jiang Zhiwei did not object. Treasure weapons could attack from a distance and be used many times. Moreover, Meng Qi primarily relied on physical martial arts, with blades and swords merely being tools.

Ruan Yushu and Qi Zhengyan did not say much and directly began browsing the exchange list to help Meng Qi choose a sword.

Seizing the opportunity, Meng Qi exchanged Zi Wu for 350 virtue points and traded Black Butterfly’s concealed weapons and poisons for 250 virtue points—retaining only a vial of Spring Breeze Softening Mist and the Farewell Dart.

Time was pressing, so they did not carefully select and soon settled on a longsword:

“Liuhuo, a treasure weapon valued at 1,500 virtuous merits. Forged from the scales of a red dragon mixed with a trace of the fire of the Eight Heavenly Dragons, it is hot yet restrained, cutting through metal like mud, burning away evil and filth. If used to its full potential, it can cause atmospheric changes within a five-mile radius, burning clouds and filling the sky with flames, turning the battlefield into a blazing hell. If focused, the external manifestation is invisible, with sword qi silently injuring enemies. Once struck, a cold flame rises from the soles of the feet, and a trace of the Eight Heavenly Dragon Fire descends from the forehead, converging to reduce the enemy to ashes.”

This was a strikingly beautiful longsword. Its blade was crimson red, subtly shimmering as if it were a section of continuously burning flame.

Meng Qi drew “Liuhuo,” extended his spiritual sense, left an imprint, and gradually became familiar with it, getting used to its weight, dimensions, and characteristics.

After about half a teacup’s time, the light and shadow changed, and the fairy-infused plaza vanished from Meng Qi and others’ sight.

After a brief moment of dizziness, Meng Qi found himself in the darkness of night. The wind was bitingly cold and howled fiercely, as though they were in the wilderness. To his left lay a vast expanse of ruins, stretching far and wide, resembling the remnants of a burned-down Daoist temple—many charred halls and pavilions still stood amidst the wreckage.

“Where are we?” Meng Qi looked at Zhao Heng, who had previously visited this world and might know the current environment.

Zhao Heng glanced around and pointed at a large hall amid the broken walls and ruins: “There’s light coming from there. There should be people. Let’s go ask.”

Confident in his team’s strength, he believed that as long as they did not encounter a Primordial True Demon, they could handle any demon general together. Thus, bold with skill, he decided to go directly.

If a Primordial True Demon were here, its overwhelming demonic aura would have already made itself known to him!

“Alright.” Meng Qi exchanged glances with Jiang Zhiwei and others, showing no objection. To destroy the demonic realm’s passage within a month was very urgent, considering the eight demons were ravaging lives and might not stay together. Traveling across the vast lands would take a long time.

The difficulty of this mission might well be time!

Inside the grand hall, many martial artists had gathered, roughly divided into three groups, each led by a prominent figure.

One of them wore Daoist robes, had ancient and plain features, sparse white hair, and surveyed the crowd with a solemn expression: “The Iron Demon somehow learned that despite their formidable demonic arts, they have been unable to completely eliminate us because there are still three artifacts in the heavens and earth suppressing the righteous sects’ fortune. One of these artifacts is hidden within the ruins of Changchun Temple, a relic of a High Immortal. He secretly contacted the three great demon lords and traveled thousands of miles to destroy it.”

“By the grace of Heaven, many who have been possessed still bear their humiliation and retain their loyalty to the righteous path. They revealed this matter to this old Daoist. To act before the four demons arrive, I managed to contact only ‘Thunderbolt Sword Immortal’ Tong Furen and ‘Eight-Fingered Divine Palm’ Zu Xiansheng. We still face a significant gap against the four demons.”

“The High Immortal’s relic is hidden within the temple, but I do not know its exact location. We must search carefully. The four demons could arrive at any moment, making this extremely dangerous. Fellow heroes, it’s not too late to withdraw now.”

The aged Daoist, with an ancient appearance, briefly explained the situation again without urging the crowd to stay for the greater good.

Behind him were several Daoists, male and female, who had followed him here.

The leaders of the other two groups were respectively a middle-aged woman in courtly attire and an elderly man in a black robe, exactly the “Thunderbolt Sword Immortal” Tong Yao and the “Eight-Fingered Divine Palm” Zu Wenzhong mentioned by the Daoist.

Tong Yao had an ordinary appearance but exuded an aura of authority. Holding a green-sheathed longsword, she declared resolutely, “We have retreated many times already. If we retreat today, there may be no more chances for a comeback. My disciples refuse to serve the demons, and we shall fight to the death here.”

“My seven-foot sword may not rival the ‘Three Saviors of the World’ like you, Master Bai Zhang, but with a resolve to die, I can still make the demon generals suffer greatly.”

As she spoke, her aura surged, shaking the surrounding martial energy, as if countless swords were poised to strike.

Influenced by her, most of her disciples behind her also showed a resolute expression, though a few looked slightly shaken, dared not lift their heads, but also dared not openly declare their withdrawal.

The aged Daoist with the ancient appearance was indeed one of the few remaining righteous sect masters, “Qi Dong Huan Yu” Master Bai Zhang, who, along with a monk and a layman, was known as the “Three Saviors of the World.” His strength was formidable, nearly rivaling the strongest demon lords outside the Primordial True Demon. He sighed, “We are not afraid of death, but these young friends still have their lives ahead of them. If they do not wish to stay, do not force them. Perhaps in the future, they may become the heroes who defeat the Primordial True Demon.”

Zu Wenzhong, hands behind his back, glanced at his disciples, friends, and several cultivators who had come upon hearing the news, and solemnly said, “You may decide whether to leave or not.”

These were all cultivators who had chosen to come after hearing the news. Though they felt some trepidation, they declared with unwavering resolve: “With the paradise fallen and the Divine Land overturned, how can we cower in cowardly peace?”

Master Bai Zhang’s face turned serious: “Since that is the case, this old Daoist will take the liberty to issue orders. I humbly request that Lady Tong, Master Zu, and I defend outside the temple to prevent the four demons from sneaking in. If they arrive, we will hold them back, buying time for the young ones to find the relic or retreat.”

“The young ones will search the Changchun Temple separately to find the High Immortal’s relic, which should be an ancient three-legged cauldron.”

“Alright,” Tong Yao immediately agreed.

Her disciples, filled with concern, said, “Master, the three of you facing the four demons will be very difficult. What if we send some people to form a formation to resist them?”

Before the words had finished, they heard a long laughter: “How can such a matter exclude Zhao?”

At the entrance, a young man walked in with his hands behind his back. He wore dark clothes with a hint of crimson, a magnificent longsword at his waist. His features were handsome, and his demeanor noble and dignified.

Behind him followed four people, two men and two women. The women were exquisitely beautiful with outstanding auras, while the men were either carefree or steady, all of them extraordinary.

Master Bai Zhang blurted out, “Could it be ‘Shaking Heaven and Earth’ Zhao?”

This was a rising star who had made a name for himself a few years ago, only a step away from rivaling himself and others. With his help, their hopes greatly increased!

Zhao Heng had a slight reputation in this world. Hearing this, he smiled and said, “Senior Bai Zhang, it’s been a long time. I hope you’ve been well?”

So he was the “Shaking Heaven and Earth”? The martial artists whispered among themselves, their tension easing somewhat. With this expert’s help, they could surely hold off the four demons for a long time.

Master Bai Zhang looked at Meng Qi and others behind Zhao Heng and smiled, “Master Zhao, you’ve been absent from the martial world for so long, I thought you had been harmed by a demon.”

Zhao Heng’s expression turned serious: “With the Eight Demons ravaging the world, lives in ruin, and the righteous sects declining, I had no choice but to travel overseas to seek help.”

He turned and pointed at Jiang Zhiwei and Meng Qi: “These four are the peerless experts I invited from overseas!”

Peerless experts? The martial heroes looked at Meng Qi, Jiang Zhiwei, and Ruan Yushu, unable to believe it, unable to accept it.

When Zhao Heng had established his formidable reputation, some people thought he was too young, almost unbelievable. But now, his so-called peerless experts included three who seemed even younger than him—much younger!