Not seeing the enemy, unable to discern the attacks, Meng Qi felt as if he were submerged in absolute darkness—devoid of light or sound. Relying solely on his mind’s eye, piecing together every detail, he combined this awareness with the formidable defensive technique “Immovable Golden Lotus.” This allowed him to sense intent before it fully formed and strike before the opponent could act. Guided by instinct, he deflected every relentless assault from the Wolf King.
In this clash of offense and defense, not a single ripple of air escaped outward, not even the sound of impact!
This ethereal state transcended the realm of “Subtle Insight,” surpassing even the harmony between Heaven and Man, reaching the state of unity between Heaven and Humanity. Meng Qi could barely attain this only through the “Primordial Nine Seals”—a supreme martial art containing the profound mysteries of Heaven and Earth—and the spiritual elevation brought by the resonance between his aura and that of the Wolf King. Such a state was unattainable against any other opponent or technique.
Each punch, kick, and claw from the Wolf King carried immense killing intent. Against any other Awakened expert, after a round of defense, the opponent’s mind would already have been invaded by the killing intent, disrupting their spiritual essence, causing their movements to either slow or go out of control—allowing the Wolf King to seize the opportunity and deliver a fatal blow.
Yet now, the Wolf King felt as though Meng Qi were like the boundless earth or towering mountains. The mere killing intent and true energy were transmitted far away through his feet rooted to the ground, diffused infinitely thin, leaving him completely unaffected.
In the darkness, their hands clashed repeatedly. Meng Qi found it even more strenuous than the Wolf King did. The “Immovable Golden Lotus” was an “Outer Manifestation” technique, characterized by immovability and endless continuity. Once deployed, it consumed immense spiritual energy. If prolonged, although his true energy and physical body could endure, his spirit would weaken, eventually forcing him to use the “Sacrifice the Body” technique.
No good. He needed to find an opportunity to counterattack!
Meng Qi steeled his mind, resisting the urge to act hastily. To attack recklessly would only allow the Wolf King to evade and seize the opening to inflict grave injury.
Yet in this environment, where he could neither see nor hear, and where his spirit had no surplus awareness, how could he possibly create an opportunity for a counterattack?
Use the deceptive abilities of the “Eight-Nine Mystical Art”?
That would reveal his identity to the Wolf King, with endless future consequences!
As the battle deepened, Meng Qi’s mind remained clear. Reflecting on his previous actions, he was certain his identity had not been exposed. After arriving in Wen’an, he had never appeared alongside either Kuandao Su Meng or Junzijian Meng Qi. Unless the Wolf King had been following him since Di Prefecture, which was clearly impossible.
A thousand thoughts raced through his mind as he hesitated over how to create an opening. At that moment, a crisp cracking sound rang out, and an image of firewood split in two by an axe surfaced in Meng Qi’s mind.
Then, he sensed a figure in the darkness hesitate slightly.
Got you!
Meng Qi stepped forward, his aura turning vast and distant. He raised his right hand, fingers spread wide, and struck downward with a crushing force as if collapsing the heavens toward the Wolf King.
The darkness cracked. Air currents gathered before Meng Qi’s palm, seemingly bending the surrounding void, making evasion extremely difficult.
His fingers gleamed white, exuding a strange, almost demonic aura, filling the Wolf King’s vision. It was as though the heavens and earth were consumed by this single palm strike, tilting the world itself.
The Wolf King’s cold gaze sharpened. His right hand also spread wide, transforming into five blades of concentrated killing intent—blades that pierced mountains—as he met Meng Qi’s strike head-on.
The thunderous impact was pierced by the blades. The wind was swallowed by the palm strike. In silence, they exchanged blows.
Meng Qi felt his blood and energy churn violently. The killing intent coursed through his veins, disrupting his inner true energy and organs, barely contained.
Yet he used the force to retreat backward, exerting pressure on his back to smash a human-sized hole through the wall, exiting the room.
Though dim, the morning winter sunlight was dazzling compared to the previous darkness.
The wind was cool, brushing his face with a refreshing chill.
Everything around him seemed to awaken.
The darkness inside the room vanished. Across from him was another human-sized hole—evidence that the Wolf King, after enduring Meng Qi’s “Outer Manifestation” killing move derived from the “Heaven-Flipping Seal,” had also struggled to control his momentum. He had lost his previous ghostlike, intangible state, crashing through walls and windows.
The cold wind swept through the corridor, but the Wolf King was gone. The wooden table, chairs, incense burner, and bookshelf inside the room remained untouched, identical to how they had been before. If not for the two human-sized holes, no one would have believed a fierce battle had occurred there.
Compared to the half-step “Outer Manifestation” level clashes that would collapse houses and devastate courtyards, this precise and subtle control represented another level of mastery—equally formidable.
No grudges, yet he had been ambushed twice. If I don’t avenge this, I’ll write my name backward! Meng Qi had always believed in repaying debts and settling scores. Now, staring at the human-sized hole, he gritted his teeth in frustration.
Zhiwei would definitely attend the Gathering of Clouds in Ying City. Since the Wolf King was still in Jiangdong, he would team up with her, mobilizing intelligence resources from the Sword-Washing Pavilion and the Six Gates, to hunt him down here!
That’s just how narrow-minded I am!
Unwilling to expose his identity, Meng Qi thought to himself as he climbed over a Daoist temple, heading toward Wen’an through the woods.
Crack! Crack! The Abstain-from-Killing Taoist focused on splitting firewood.
The courtyard gate creaked open. A tall, thin man entered. Dressed in black martial garb, his facial features bore traces of foreignness. His gaze was cold and beast-like, radiating immense power.
“Why are you thinking of killing again?” Without looking up, the Abstain-from-Killing Taoist continued splitting wood.
The tall, thin man’s expression remained indifferent: “He stole your demon core.”
The Abstain-from-Killing Taoist paused briefly, then finally raised his head to look at the young man, saying indifferently, “I don’t need it anyway.”
Suddenly exhaling softly, he added, “It’s my fault for corrupting you. Killing is not good.”
“What’s wrong with killing?” The tall, thin man’s tone was calm—not a rhetorical question, but a statement of fact.
The Abstain-from-Killing Taoist hesitated, then resumed splitting wood without further argument, his voice steady: “Central Plains is vast and rich, filled with powerful experts. If you keep this up, you’ll eventually perish here. Return to the grasslands.”
The tall, thin man walked steadily toward the room behind the Abstain-from-Killing Taoist: “I’ll leave tomorrow, but first, I’ll go to Ying City to test He Jiu’s strength.”
“If you grow tired of Jiangdong’s soft landscapes and miss the boundless green of the grasslands, if you long for unrestricted horseback riding, return. We’ll face your enemies together.”
The Abstain-from-Killing Taoist stiffened momentarily, then resumed chopping wood, blow after blow, as if striking his own heart.
…
Within Wen’an, the Six Gates were fully mobilized. Some investigated the Shen Garden and the Jia family, while others pursued leads regarding the retreat of the demonic creature.
At the same time, urgent reports were sent directly to the Divine Capital headquarters, followed by dispatches to county and prefectural offices.
Several constables were deeply anxious. Trafficking people was against the Jin Dynasty’s laws, but they had accepted bribes, thinking that human traffickers operating under the guise of voluntary transactions could exist openly, and the Shen family was merely a larger version. They had turned a blind eye, helping to cover it up. Who could have guessed this would escalate into such a major incident!
When had a Demon Lord-level demon learned to conceal their demonic aura so perfectly?
When had they begun existing in major cities as families?
These questions unsettled Wen’an’s major clans, sects, and local bullies like Lü Jian. The Shen family’s complete disappearance was too conspicuous to hide. Several constables’ attempts to suppress the news turned futile. Now, they could only try to redeem themselves through meritorious service or flee in fear of punishment.
The Shen family had concealed a terrifying demon at the Outer Manifestation level. Knowing his own limitations, Meng Qi wisely refrained from getting involved in the pursuit. After all, one of the Eight Divine Constables would handle it. Disguising himself within the city, Meng Qi gathered intelligence. Once he confirmed the incident hadn’t been suppressed, he promptly left the city and headed toward Maoling—nearby lay the entrance to the Immortal Traces in Jiangdong.
His mission had only been to find Jin Li’s whereabouts—alive or dead. Now, he considered it accomplished. As for what Jin Sect and Yun Zhongzi did afterward was their affair. Meng Qi knew his current strength was insufficient to have further thoughts on the matter. Otherwise, he would follow them into the mountains and slaughter the entire Shen family—including Jin Li!
Seeking love was not wrong. Fancying the demon race was a personal choice. But harming the innocent and aiding the wicked—that blade was well deserved!
Why had the little fox come to Jiangdong, and what was its purpose? As Meng Qi continuously changed disguises while traveling, he pondered this question. He couldn’t use the Six Gates’ channels to investigate without exposing his identity as “Primordial Heavenly Venerable.”
He needed another plan… He frowned, then shifted thoughts to the Wolf King:
Would he dare to act at Tianming Temple without fearing the Abstain-from-Killing Taoist capturing him? At the time, the Abstain-from-Killing Taoist had attempted to stop him, meaning she had noticed. Could it be… Meng Qi’s eyes sharpened. Could it be that the Wolf King and the Abstain-from-Killing Taoist knew each other? Had the Wolf King suddenly come south from the grasslands to search for someone? That’s why he had reached a mutually beneficial agreement with local Jiangdong bully Wang Siyuan?
The Abstain-from-Killing Taoist used an axe, and the Grassland Khan’s Tian Zhu Axe was also an axe…
No, according to the Six Dao’s description, the Tian Zhu Axe was not the same path of concentrated killing intent as the Abstain-from-Killing Taoist’s…
Meng Qi knew little about the grasslands. After struggling with thoughts without progress, he focused on his journey.
Deep within a certain mountain range, he activated the Immortal Journey Talisman in his hand.
A faint green light formed a large vortex, stretching into a green-hued door covered in mysterious patterns.
The green door opened, revealing a Daoist apprentice riding a celestial crane to guide Meng Qi—a rare spiritual beast.
Exotic flowers and auspicious grasses dazzled his sight, but Meng Qi remained focused, quickly returning to the Immortal Traces Bazaar to complete his mission. Except for the parts involving the Wolf King, the Tianming Temple, and the Abstain-from-Killing Taoist, he fully described everything—including the little fox incident.
“Mission completed. Choose either one thousand Virtue Points or leave a message and primary materials for Yun Zhongzi to forge an item.” The voice of the Lord of the Six Dao Reincarnations seemed eternally unchanged, without the slightest fluctuation.
Forging an item… A thought stirred in Meng Qi’s mind. He didn’t choose immediately, instead searching the Immortal Traces Bazaar for primary materials. Ideally, he wanted to forge a Jiezi Ring. Otherwise, when changing identities, carrying the “Heaven’s Scar” would make concealment difficult, easily allowing others to deduce his identity. But if he hid it beforehand, during dangerous situations, he might be unable to unleash his full strength, possibly leading to a foolish death. Worse still, after completing a mission, discovering that the hidden Heaven’s Scar had been stolen would be a heartbreaking, laughable tragedy.
“Xuming Stone, an extraterrestrial gemstone, can be used to forge items like the Jiezi Ring… valued at one thousand three hundred Virtue Points.”
Not expensive, especially since Yun Zhongzi could provide auxiliary materials and forging services… Unable to find relevant materials in the Immortal Traces Bazaar, Meng Qi had no choice but to exchange through the Six Dao.
Currently, he had zero Virtue Points. However, he had recently obtained demon cores and materials from the demon race, which, when combined, totaled one thousand one hundred Virtue Points. He kept only the Great Replenishing Pill and a few healing and antidote pills, exchanging the rest of the pills obtained from the Six Gates for Virtue Points—totaling three hundred twenty.
After exchanging for the Xuming Stone, Meng Qi had one hundred twenty Virtue Points remaining. He handed the stone to the Six Dao, waiting for Yun Zhongzi to forge it. He wasn’t in a rush anyway, since going to Ying City would involve his main body, allowing the Heaven’s Scar to be carried along.
After completing the exchange, Meng Qi didn’t leave directly. After some consideration, he entered a nearby stone house, writing down the little fox’s matter on a slip of paper and posting it on the wall, hoping other Immortal Traces members might recognize the information.
Only then did he retrieve another Immortal Journey Talisman and leave.
…
Inside an inn, Meng Qi donned black martial attire, tied on a hero’s headscarf, and groomed himself into a handsome, masculine figure.
Then, he brushed his coat, grabbed his long saber, pushed open the room door, and exited the inn.
Destination: Ying City!
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