Chapter 42: The Finger of Non-Birth

“Mother of Non-Birth, the True Void Homeland!”

A faint voice echoed in his ears, while a delicate hand gently pointed forward. Dor Chad instantly felt as if his soul had left his body, as though he had transcended the mundane world.

He realized the danger immediately and attempted to change his position rapidly to evade the strike. However, the surrounding air suddenly became heavy, collapsing inward in layers toward the source of the attack, as if a massive whirlpool lay hidden there. Helplessly, he was drawn toward the vortex, as though willingly rushing to meet the strike.

After Gu Xiaosang extended her finger, Meng Qi and the others watched in disbelief as Dor Chad, like a soulless figure, ceased resisting or evading and instead eagerly advanced, like a homesick wanderer.

“Is this sorcery…?” Meng Qi exclaimed in astonishment at the eerie scene.

Her finger brushed Dor Chad’s forehead as Gu Xiaosang, with a solemn expression, spoke in a voice like tinkling silver bells, clear and ethereal:

“Mother of Non-Birth, the True Void Homeland!”

Something chilling occurred—Dor Chad actually wore a serene, joyful smile and softly echoed:

“Mother of Non-Birth, the True Void Homeland!”

His body beneath the head suddenly swelled, then rapidly shrank. His skin withered, his muscles collapsed, and streams of bloody light gathered, converging at his forehead and flowing into Gu Xiaosang’s index and middle fingers.

Gu Xiaosang’s jade-like face became even more radiant, seemingly glowing with moisture.

“Mother of Non-Birth, the True Void Homeland…” Dor Chad softly murmured the incantation-like scripture, his voice fading as he peacefully collapsed, his expression serene and blissful.

Gu Xiaosang withdrew her right hand and turned toward Meng Qi and the others. Compared to before, she now appeared even more vibrant, radiant, and stunningly beautiful.

“If it weren’t for the mishap last time, wasting good deeds, I wouldn’t have hesitated to act myself. Still, the merit from killing one person is enough.” Gu Xiaosang casually broke off a tree branch, smiling as she approached the entrance. “The great general has been struck by the Non-Birth Finger and will need some time to return to the ‘True Void Homeland.’ Though brief, it’s more than sufficient for a killing.”

She playfully waved the branch at Meng Qi and the others, whose expressions were filled with caution: “Hehe, speaking of fate, if it weren’t for that mishap, I wouldn’t have used that item and been cast among you as a novice. Now, who should I kill? I’m truly torn. How about you choose someone for me? I’ll kill them, and then we can all go our separate ways, never to meet again.”

She rested her left index finger against her chin, her delicate eyebrows furrowed, as if deeply troubled by this dilemma. Such a beautiful sight might have tempted any lustful onlooker to volunteer and ease the beauty’s worries.

However, Meng Qi and the others had recently opened their hearts to each other, deepening their camaraderie. All were clear-headed and thus immune to her divisive tactics. They remained deeply alert, guarding the entrance while frantically thinking of countermeasures.

Gu Xiaosang’s eyes sparkled with mischief as she smiled sweetly: “You’re in a dilemma too? Then let me think carefully. Hmm, an ordinary disciple from the Huanhua Sword Sect is worthless to kill. It would only stain my hands and waste my good deeds.”

Qi Zhengyan’s face darkened. Though he knew these were Gu Xiaosang’s divisive words, he still felt insulted and resentful. Why was he considered inferior?

Her gaze shifted to Zhang Yuanshan’s face, and she nodded slightly: “Among the secular disciples of the Zhenwu Sect, the Zhang family is one of the three pillars. If I kill you here and forge evidence implicating the Zhenwu Sect, it wouldn’t be hard to spark internal conflict.”

Zhang Yuanshan’s eyes narrowed, and he calmly replied: “Demon girl, do you think our elders are reckless and ignorant?”

“True,” Gu Xiaosang surprisingly agreed joyfully, “I don’t know divination, so I couldn’t have predicted this situation. Therefore, I didn’t exchange for any Zhenwu Sect secrets, making framing difficult.”

“And if no conflict arises, killing you alone would be a waste of my good deeds. In the Zhenwu Sect, this generation—whether Yang Tai, Yang He, or the Yao brothers—are far more gifted in martial arts than you, and their strength surpasses yours. Unlike them, you haven’t grasped the true essence of the ‘Zhenwu Qijie Jing’ or the ‘Taiji Divine Skill’蓄气篇. Still, they lack your steadiness and capability to gain the elders’ favor.”

She smiled sweetly while delivering these subtly provocative words.

Zhang Yuanshan suddenly laughed: “My inferior martial talent compared to my peers is a matter of birth. What is there to be discouraged about? The Dao of Heaven balances all things; diligence can make up for deficiency. Why should I feel despair?”

Since Gu Xiaosang was trying to sow discord and attack with words, Zhang Yuanshan was happy to banter with her, hoping to stall until Dor Chad perished, after which all would be resolved.

Gu Xiaosang paused, biting her lip slightly, her smile ambiguous: “Hearing your words, I really feel like killing you now.”

She forcibly turned her head, smiling at Jiang Zhiwei: “Earlier, I heard rumors that you, Jiang girl, are the most promising among the younger generation and destined to become a sword immortal like Madam Su, suppressing the nine left sects. This made me itch with anticipation, eager to meet and eliminate you. Now, it seems I have the chance.”

Jiang Zhiwei remained calm, showing neither anger nor fear, and replied indifferently: “Whether you have the chance depends first on whether my sword agrees.”

Observing Jiang Zhiwei’s composed demeanor, reminiscent of Su Wuming’s presence, Gu Xiaosang slightly frowned: “Could it be you still have the strength to fight? Can you still use the ‘Sword of Selflessness’? Your injuries are severe; logically, you shouldn’t. Could it be you’ve exchanged for a life-risking technique like the Tianmo Corpse-Dissolving Method?”

She openly voiced her suspicions.

“You’ll find out if you try,” Jiang Zhiwei replied with a calm smile, her pale face adding a touch of delicate charm to her radiant beauty.

After a moment’s thought, Gu Xiaosang cheerfully turned to Meng Qi: “Master, actually, you’re the one I most want to kill.”

“Eh?” Meng Qi felt utterly bewildered. He and Qi Zhengyan were at the same level, or even Qi was superior at present.

Gu Xiaosang lowered her head slightly, her face blushing: “Because Xiaozhi seems to have taken a liking to you.”

“What kind of reason is that?” Meng Qi was happy to banter with her, hoping to prolong the time.

Gu Xiaosang lifted her head, smiling like a fox: “It’s the best reason. Anything she likes or desires, I must destroy.”

Pervert! That was Meng Qi’s only thought.

“So, Master, rest in peace, Amitabha,” Gu Xiaosang playfully clasped her hands together after discarding the branch.

Meng Qi took a deep breath, the surrounding noise fading away until only Gu Xiaosang remained in his vision, his mind completely serene. Then, he raised his precept knife, pointing it toward the mysterious void.

Gu Xiaosang smiled sweetly, approaching Meng Qi with light steps, ignoring Jiang Zhiwei and the others.

Suddenly, she felt all surrounding sounds vanish. There was no longer wind or rain, no crawling insects. Peaceful and serene, all worries disappeared.

Her smile froze as Meng Qi’s precept knife flashed, and an illusory cracking sound emerged.

The tranquility shattered, noise returning. Suddenly, Gu Xiaosang heard a child’s innocent voice calling “Mother, Mother,” and unbidden memories, joyful or sorrowful, surged into her mind, unsettling her emotions.

Her expression changed abruptly, and she hastily retreated several steps, breaking free from Meng Qi’s blade intent.

Since when had this monk mastered such a superb knife technique?

Seeing Gu Xiaosang retreating hastily, Meng Qi, ignoring his exhaustion and weak legs, rushed directly to the mechanism and activated it.

Creaking sounds echoed as Meng Qi, before Gu Xiaosang could recover, threw his precept knife to seal the entrance.

Clang! The knife struck a hidden protrusion behind a nearby red boulder. Inside the secret passage, Meng Qi gritted his teeth and swung his right fist to destroy the internal mechanism.

“What are you doing?” Qi Zhengyan asked in astonishment.

“Destroying the mechanism. We can’t leave, and she can’t come in either!” Meng Qi leaned weakly against the stone wall, his limbs trembling.

Jiang Zhiwei nodded: “Once Dor Chad dies, we can directly return. Being trapped here is no big deal.”

“That’s indeed a good plan,” Zhang Yuanshan said with a slight smile.

Qi Zhengyan, sword in hand, stood near the entrance, still worried the external mechanism hadn’t been completely destroyed.

Jiang Zhiwei smiled at Meng Qi: “I didn’t expect you to have grasped the ‘Break the Tranquility’ knife intent.”

She realized Meng Qi had merely bluffing, using partial intent to scare Gu Xiaosang, thereby gaining precious time to seal the entrance.

“The preceding part of this move isn’t incomplete. As long as one comprehends it and prepares according to the martial arts methods, the blade intent naturally erupts,” Meng Qi roughly regained a bit of strength.

Qi Zhengyan, unfamiliar with such advanced techniques, didn’t ask further. Zhang Yuanshan, having failed to grasp the true essence of the “Zhenwu Qijie Jing” and the “Taiji Divine Skill” while studying their introductory parts, could only practice based on the rewritten manuals from senior disciples, thus lacking understanding of blade intent.

Only Jiang Zhiwei cast a knowing glance at Meng Qi. When the other two weren’t looking, she subtly mouthed a word.

Meng Qi, who had closely cooperated with her before, immediately understood her meaning:

“A sparring match!”

…

Before the cliffside, Gu Xiaosang stood motionless before the sealed entrance, then suddenly smiled with a clever glint in her eyes.

She turned and walked out of the forest. Passing Dor Chad’s body, she flicked her sleeve, closing his eyes forever.

…

“I wonder who Gu Xiaosang really is?” Meng Qi quickly changed the subject, extremely curious about her identity.

Zhang Yuanshan replied solemnly: “Have you heard of the Nine Evil Paths?”

“I have,” Meng Qi replied, recalling Xuan Xin’s mention.

Zhang Yuanshan nodded: “Gu Xiaosang is the Holy Maiden of the ‘Luo Sect,’ a cult primarily worshipping ‘Mother of Non-Birth,’ a powerful figure from the Mythic Era, luring people toward the ‘True Void Homeland.’ According to rumors spread by the Luo Sect, Gu Xiaosang is the current incarnation of ‘Mother of Non-Birth.'”

“We know her because she has acted three times, each time defeating opponents beyond her level. She has also opened eight acupoints and is ranked fourth on the Human List, making her a well-known figure,” Jiang Zhiwei added.

“What is the Human List? There’s also the Earth List and the Heaven List, right?” Meng Qi had long wanted to know but never had the chance.

Zhang Yuanshan smiled slightly: “These are rankings established by the Jin Imperial Court to rank martial experts, attempting to incite competition and mutual destruction among them. The original lists are kept at the Six Doors headquarters in the capital.”

“Though everyone knows the Jin family’s intentions, among those who walk the martial world, someone may not seek lust, wealth, power, alcohol, or gambling, but aside from enlightened sages with empty hearts, who doesn’t crave fame? Thus, the lists were accepted, secretly causing many disputes.”

Jiang Zhiwei nodded: “The Heaven List ranks experts with Dharma Bodies. Since the Heaven List’s creation, there have been at most fourteen, sometimes only seven or eight. Currently, there are ten. Your Master Fangzhang ranks third.”

“Mentioning this, I feel quite proud,” she added with a touch of pride.

“The Earth List ranks famous experts outside the Land Immortal level, listing only the top two hundred, mostly experts at the seventh level of external scenery. My master currently holds the first place on the Earth List.”

Speaking of this, she was quite proud.

“The Human List ranks young experts. Since many can overcome higher-level opponents at the acupoint-opening stage, even those who have opened nine acupoints may not rank highly. This list currently ranks only fifty individuals,” Zhang Yuanshan added.

Meng Qi was about to ask whether Jiang Zhiwei was on the Human List when suddenly gray characters appeared on the wall:

“Great General Dor Chad has perished. Subtask Two is completed. Rewarding Gu Xiaosang with two hundred good deeds, Jiang Zhiwei with one hundred, and Zhang Yuanshan with fifty.”

“Dor Chad’s death and Shaolin’s fall have completed Main Task Two ahead of schedule. Each receives one hundred good deeds.”

“Immediate return.”