The warm sunlight fell upon Meng Qi, while the chill of the morning breeze heralded the bitter cold of winter. Meng Qi first awoke in a daze, then suddenly sprang to his feet.
He had actually gotten drunk! Truly, completely drunk!
That was truly unacceptable. Even with Gao Lan, someone potentially at the Dharma Body stage, nearby, he should not have allowed himself to become utterly inebriated. The martial world was perilous; even in drunkenness, one must maintain at least half-awareness!
However, the “Drunk Immortal” indeed possessed extraordinary qualities. After the hangover, instead of experiencing the usual headache and fatigue, Meng Qi felt refreshed. The lingering effects of the Sacrificial Soul Art that had remained even after treatment with the Great Replenishing Pill had vanished entirely…
Meng Qi checked his belongings and found nothing missing. He then looked around and realized that at some point, the two of them had returned to the original abandoned courtyard. Gao Lan was half-sitting, half-reclining against a corridor pillar, snoring loudly, tightly embracing the tattered “iron bar” and an empty wine jar.
“Brother Gao, Brother Gao…” Meng Qi tried to rouse him.
Gao Lan shook his head and slowly opened his eyes: “Why call me Brother Gao? We’re brothers now, just call me ‘Big Brother’!”
“Brothers?” Meng Qi was puzzled.
Gao Lan chuckled: “Third Brother, you couldn’t hold your liquor and forgot we beheaded a rooster, burned yellow paper, and sworn brotherhood last night!”
“Eh…?” Meng Qi stared in disbelief, glancing around. In a corner, he saw the ashes of yellow paper and a rooster with its head separated from its body.
They had appeared how?
“You yourself braved curses and knocked on several doors to buy them…” Gao Lan burst into laughter, clearly finding the situation highly amusing.
Oh no… I don’t remember anything at all… While Meng Qi felt bewildered, he once again resolved firmly never to get drunk again: “Wait a second, Big Brother, why am I the third brother?”
Who else had joined the brotherhood?
“I don’t know either. You insisted that calling the second brother ‘Second Brother’ sounded bad, so you insisted on being third. I don’t mind formalities anyway, no problem.” Gao Lan waved his hand casually.
So even when drunk to this extent, I still instinctively sought advantage and avoided harm… Meng Qi nodded slightly, giving himself a compliment inwardly. Yet he couldn’t help but wonder—how exactly did the seniority work now that he had sworn brotherhood with Gao Lan?
But he wasn’t the kind to dwell on such matters. After pondering it with amusement, he changed the subject: “Big Brother, shall we go to the Dragon Platform again?”
Gao Lan put down the wine jar and shook his head: “No need, no need. After I woke up, I thought carefully. Yesterday, I had already given it my all. Without any unexpected developments, going again for several days would be the same result. Since we’ve obtained this strange ‘iron bar,’ let’s first calm our minds and study it slowly to see if we can find any clues. Heh, it also allows us to avoid those who covet it. After all, without the True Emperor’s Seal, they can’t activate the Sword of the Human Emperor. I’m truly far-sighted—killing two birds with one stone…”
He was once again moved by his own brilliance.
He wasn’t afraid of others, but the Southern Jin wasn’t without Dharma Body experts either—there was the Law King of the Luo Sect. Moreover, the strongest figures of several major sects and clans, wielding divine weapons, could trouble him given enough numbers.
“That works too.” Meng Qi felt slightly disappointed at first but quickly let it go. “Little Brother intends to seek a secluded place for cultivation, transforming my accumulated gains into true strength.”
“Big Brother, I’ve already promised a friend to sell him the True Emperor’s Seal. If you need it later, I’ll help you borrow it.” The next mission was nine months away, and two months had already passed. Meng Qi worried that if Gao Lan hadn’t uncovered any clues by the time the mission started, it might delay his plan to exchange it for Old Zhao, Five. Lingering causal entanglements weren’t good, so he deliberately mentioned it.
Gao Lan replied generously: “Third Brother, if you wish to settle the karma, go ahead and sell it. I reckon I’ll only need it once more. Borrowing it won’t be a problem.”
Sounded like he was the real owner of the True Emperor’s Seal… Meng Qi muttered inwardly.
Gao Lan continued: “You cultivate, I study. Perfect timing.”
He looked energetic and bright-eyed, clearly eager to offer his guidance.
“Great! Big Brother’s martial prowess is unparalleled. Please guide me often.” Meng Qi stared at Gao Lan with shining eyes, unwilling to miss this opportunity.
Gao Lan burst into laughter, clearly delighted.
…
More than half a year later, in a courtyard beside a river in a small town.
Gao Lan was hugging the tattered “iron bar,” mumbling to it as if in communion. His hair was disheveled, his beard full-grown, looking like a madman.
Inside the room, Meng Qi slept in a strange posture, his legs drawn to his chest, arms wrapped around them, curled like a ball.
His skin gradually turned a golden hue, becoming brighter and brighter, resembling a statue of an Arhat. His qi flowed, and the related acupoints behind the coccyx connected into one, deep and silent, like the end of a cycle, the end of life.
Naturally, the qi surged in like ocean tides, effortlessly sweeping over the sand and opening the acupoint behind the coccyx!
Having shed his mortal shell, cultivated the Yi Jin Jing, and with ample time, it was natural for Meng Qi to open the ninth acupoint!
Impurities in his body suddenly surged wildly, like demons dancing, boiling toward the coccygeal acupoint and returning to heaven and earth. His entire body felt as if purified, becoming increasingly crystalline.
There was entry and exit, birth and growth, decline and decay—all five elements present, his spiritual intent complete. Never before had Meng Qi felt his physical body to be a realm of its own, a self-contained cycle, a unique “landscape”!
However, this realm still relied on the outside world for its cycle and had not yet achieved true transcendence!
As the cycle formed, acupoints popped open one after another. Qi surged outward, condensing into a wall of energy around Meng Qi, clinging tightly to his skin—this was the protective qi barrier!
With this, Meng Qi’s Undying Seal Art finally reached full mastery, enhancing his ability to redirect force to a higher level!
It merged with his physical body, becoming part of the golden hue, indistinguishable from it, greatly enhancing his defensive power.
The golden glow was bright yet soft. The seventh stage of the Golden Bell Shield reached perfection, sealing him at the top rank!
Yet the flow of qi had not yet calmed. The golden hue shifted to a pale gold, solemn and serene.
Boom!
A phantom sound echoed, and the ninth acupoint opened again. The Eight-Nine Profound Art finally caught up with the Golden Bell Shield.
Meng Qi opened his eyes, and countless points of light appeared, randomly assembling and constantly shifting, dazzling to behold.
He closed his eyes again, his eyelids glowing pale gold, sacred and solemn. From today onward, his eye acupoint would no longer be a weakness!
The pale gold light flowed, crystalline and translucent, his protective qi invisible yet formidable. Meng Qi had finally opened all nine acupoints, leaving only the mysterious gate to cross before breaking through the boundary of Heaven and Man.
He exhaled, the pale gold glow fading, his aura retreating, seemingly ordinary again. Yet his gaze was deep and fathomless, drawing others in involuntarily.
The Eight-Nine Profound Art had now reached such a level that, as long as his weaknesses weren’t targeted, unless an opponent had reached the Heaven-Man Unity stage or wielded a divine weapon, not only would they fail to wound him, they wouldn’t even leave a mark!
Sunlight poured into the room, illuminating the floating dust motes. Yet if they landed on Meng Qi, they would bounce off involuntarily, while his internal energy remained unaffected, the protective qi still present.
This level of sensitivity and control had approached normalcy, surpassing the level of “not even a feather can be added, nor a fly alight,” reaching the state known as “immaculate!”
“At last, I can cultivate the part of the Eight-Nine Profound Art that refines the ancestral acupoint between the eyebrows.” Meng Qi thought happily. Benefiting from the Illusory Body Art, the Undying Seal Art, and the Heaven-Shaking Earth-Striking Art, his spirit had always been stronger than others at the same stage. This allowed him to continuously employ Exo-Projection techniques. However, these were not orthodox cultivation methods—either unconventional paths or primarily practical applications with unique traits. The Eight-Nine Profound Art, however, was a supreme martial art. Its corresponding method for cultivating the mysterious gate surpassed others, promising a significant enhancement of his Yuan Shen.
“At that time, the Heaven-Shaking Earth-Striking Art will advance further, nearing completion…” Meng Qi sat cross-legged, envisioning the future.
Over the past six months, Gao Lan had been entirely engrossed in studying the iron rod, oblivious to all else unless Meng Qi actively sought his counsel. This gave Meng Qi the opportunity to find other secluded spots to practice the “Three Treasures Ruyi Fist” and other martial arts inherited from the Primordial Heavenly Venerable. Under Gao Lan’s guidance and corrections, Meng Qi avoided numerous pitfalls, effectively converting his accumulated knowledge and experience into genuine prowess. His sword and saber techniques became seamlessly unified, displaying the hallmarks of a master poised to establish his own martial lineage.
Of course, the “Ruyi Divine Palm” was an exception. However, recently, Meng Qi had also grasped the first set of techniques from it, entering the Exo-Projection stage.
Though not yet very powerful, it was still a positive sign.
Thinking of this, he placed his thumb between his middle and ring fingers, then curled his fingers into a peculiar fist and struck outward with great force. The golden glow shone brightly, exuding a sense of immense power, seemingly capable of piercing through mountains.
Then, he released the fist and pointed with a bent finger. His index finger glowed golden, and with sheer physical strength, he wrote characters on the stone floor.
“Why did the Buddhist martial art I comprehended relate to the Vajra…” Meng Qi fell into deep thought, refusing to admit it was his preferred combat style.
This martial art transformed his body into a Vajra, capable of manifesting as fists, palms, or fingers. Thus, Meng Qi named it the “Vajra Seal.”
“Never mind, such an insignificant question isn’t worth pondering. I should focus on cultivating the ancestral acupoint, striving to connect with heaven and earth as soon as possible, leaving ample time to explore the path and achieve true Heaven-Man Unity.” As Meng Qi was about to rise, the scene before him suddenly darkened, changing entirely.
In the courtyard, Gao Lan, who had been concentrating on studying the “iron bar,” suddenly turned his head, his eyes filled with confusion.
…
Surrounded by ethereal mist, Meng Qi found himself in the Reincarnation Plaza. A familiar yet unwelcome voice echoed in his ears: “Before the reincarnation mission, you must guide a novice. For each novice who survives, you will be rewarded with fifty virtuous points.”
“After guiding them, you may establish contact with the novice’s team and communicate via ‘letters.’ If they pass a death mission and your team hasn’t yet completed the second death mission, they can directly join your team.”
“Note: First, you cannot actively harm others; second, you cannot complete the mission for them; third, you cannot give away virtuous points; fourth, you cannot collect secret manuals or items from them. Violators will have their most valuable possession taken immediately.”
So, after passing the death mission, the novice-guiding mode had changed like this… Meng Qi thought deeply while scanning the surroundings.
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