The Reincarnation Plaza was quiet and desolate, with only statues of celestial birds and divine beasts faintly visible within the mist at the edges. Jiang Zhiwei and others were not present, leading Meng Qi to suspect that their respective tasks of guiding new initiates were separate.
Suddenly, a dark gleam flashed before him, and an ancient-looking ring fell from midair to the ground.
“What is this?” Meng Qi reached out with his right hand, sending a stream of force through the air to draw the ring toward him. It was iron-black in color, without any patterns, seemingly ordinary, yet its surface was dark and profound, giving the impression that one’s gaze could be sucked into it.
“Traveling a thousand miles as if through a doorway, the miniature world encapsulated within…” Meng Qi murmured the inscription on the ring, his mind stirring as he grasped its origin. This must be the reward Yun Zhongzi had promised him—the Jiezi Ring. “It seems the jade pillars in the Immortal Ruins indeed function like avatars of the Six Paths. As long as an item is stored within and a designated owner is set, it will directly appear in the plaza upon entering reincarnation.”
He extended his consciousness, letting a drop of blood fall while chanting incantations, bypassing conventional steps to imprint his mark, then activated the Jiezi Ring.
Compared to the one he had obtained from Dongyang’s secondary mansion, this ring’s space was nearly doubled, capable of holding significantly more items, a testament to Yun Zhongzi’s craftsmanship.
Inside the Jiezi Ring was a letter written by Yun Zhongzi, expressing gratitude to Meng Qi for finding Jin Li on behalf of the “Primordial Heavenly Lord.” It also mentioned an encounter with demonic beings from the main world during a reincarnation mission. These creatures possessed secret techniques to completely suppress their demonic aura. Unless one’s cultivation far surpassed theirs or they were deliberately scrutinized, it would be nearly impossible to discern their true nature. The letter advised Meng Qi to remain vigilant to avoid falling victim to the covert schemes of these demonic beings.
“The Shen family seems to possess such a secret technique…” Meng Qi frowned in thought as he walked toward the central light pillar, submitting the Zhenhuang Seal and the “lump of iron” obtained from Longtai for appraisal by the Six Paths.
“Zhenhuang Seal, a rare human Dao treasure (scarce), Outer Scenery level, containing a trace of the ‘Renhuang Sword’ aura. It effectively enhances the Mandate of Heaven and improves fortune, benefiting human Dao techniques… valued at 5,000 Virtue Points, and since it’s not listed in the exchange catalog, no reduction is required when exchanging for Virtue Points…”
“Waste from the Renhuang Sword, incorporating discarded portions of Taibai True Gold, Geng Metal Essence, Star True Iron, and Ji Que Immortal Metal, fused together within Longtai’s inferno. It is a premium material for forging or enhancing divine weapons, valued at 3,500 Virtue Points.”
“The Zhenhuang Seal really isn’t cheap…” Meng Qi winced, feeling pained at giving away half his gains. However, considering how expensive causal techniques usually were, and that Sikong Tu’s was probably worth at least a thousand or so points, plus the benefits of “sticking to causality,” it balanced out. Besides, he couldn’t possibly sell it back to Zhao Laowu at face value—he’d have to knock off at least ten or twenty percent.
As for the iron lump, Meng Qi hesitated. Should he exchange it for Virtue Points or use it to enhance Tian Zhi Shang or Liuhuo?
Although he mainly relied on the Eight-Nine Mysteries Technique and viewed weapons merely as tools—unlike Jiang Zhiwei who cultivated her sword with devotion—switching weapons wasn’t a significant problem. However, building familiarity and even a tacit默契 with a weapon required repeated practice, and that subtle advantage could be the line between life and death.
“This material is rare—it’ll only fetch 1,300 Virtue Points if sold to the Six Paths. But using it to enhance a divine weapon would yield far more benefit…” After much deliberation, Meng Qi finally made up his mind. After all, he had the True Intent of the “Tathagata Palm’s” first technique, which could potentially be transformed into a skill for Virtue Points at any moment. Combined with future task rewards, 10,000 points wasn’t out of reach.
However, he only had 120 Virtue Points on hand, insufficient for auxiliary enhancement materials. Thus, he decided to appraise the Jin Gang Yin technique he had cultivated:
“Vajra Seal, an Outer Scenery level technique, manifests the power of Vajra to dispel external demons and afflictions. It is not limited to fists, palms, or fingers. Valued at 1,050 Virtue Points. Since it is not listed in the exchange catalog, it can be exchanged at the original price.”
A smile tugged at Meng Qi’s lips. It felt good knowing something he cultivated himself wasn’t available from the Six Paths.
With 1,050 Virtue Points, he now had enough for weapon enhancement.
However, he didn’t immediately exchange it for Virtue Points. Whether enhancing Tian Zhi Shang or Liuhuo, there were many possible directions. The Six Paths’ exchange catalog contained countless forging blueprints. Even with the restriction of using the “iron lump” as the primary material, there were still many options. Different forging choices required different auxiliary materials, so he had to think carefully before making a decision.
Therefore, Meng Qi planned to consult his teammates after completing the task of guiding new initiates. He wanted their opinions, especially Jiang Zhiwei’s, who came from the Sword Washing Pavilion and had extensive knowledge about enhancing weapons. She might know some secret forging techniques or be able to pick the most cost-effective option from the Six Paths’ choices. Anyway, the current task of guiding new initiates wouldn’t be dangerous—it restricted him from taking direct action, obviously to prevent disrupting the difficulty balance.
Moreover, according to his promise, he needed to ask Jiang Zhiwei and others whether they wanted to cultivate the Jin Gang Yin before exchanging it for Virtue Points.
Of course, Meng Qi could tell without thinking that they wouldn’t be interested in such a brute-force, rigid martial art.
“Alright, time to wait for the newbies.” Meng Qi clapped his hands, relaxed his mind, and began disguising himself. He placed “Tian Zhi Shang” into the Jiezi Ring, equipped Liuhuo with a new black scabbard, and changed into a white robe…
After a while, four pillars of light descended from the sky, swirling and condensing. When they dissipated, they revealed two men and two women.
One man wore a black martial outfit with an intricately patterned longsword at his waist. His face was slightly sagging, making it appear elongated, yet he radiated vigor and youthfulness. The other wore plain green robes, resembling an ordinary person. If not for the judge’s brush in his hand, he could easily be mistaken for an accountant.
One of the women was dressed in pale green, her appearance merely passable, seemingly from a humble background. The other wore bright red, but her looks were rather intimidating—she was plump, with a broad forehead, a face of uneven complexion, and a red birthmark.
They were all young, and upon appearing in the Reincarnation Plaza, they looked bewildered and at a loss.
The man in the black martial outfit and the red-dressed woman with the yin-yang face recovered slightly, quickly scanning their surroundings with guarded expressions.
“Welcome to the Six Paths Reincarnation.” Suddenly, a voice filled with amusement echoed in their ears.
“Who’s there?” The four turned their gazes simultaneously toward the only figure seated cross-legged before the mysterious light pillar. He was a young man in white robes, with bright eyes and sharp eyebrows. A longsword lay across his knees. He looked relaxed and casual.
Meng Qi smiled: “Your guide.”
Seeing the black-clothed man narrow his eyes and tighten his grip on his sword, Meng Qi smiled faintly: “If I were you, I’d think carefully before acting rashly toward someone who could bring you here without you noticing anything. Don’t gamble with your life.”
His words sent a ripple through the four. They exchanged glances, too cautious to act rashly. Finally, the red-dressed woman with the yin-yang face spoke: “Senior, why have you brought us here? You possess great abilities—why toy with us, who are so weak?”
Despite Meng Qi’s youthful appearance, the situation was too strange for them to underestimate him.
“I’m also a victim. Allow me to explain…” Meng Qi briefly recounted the Six Paths Reincarnation Master’s situation.
In their eyes, Meng Qi, dressed in white, spoke eloquently and with an enigmatic smile, describing an unbelievable tale.
After a while, they calmed down, their expressions varied—some frowning, others filled with quiet anticipation.
“Senior, you said that as long as we have enough Virtue Points, we can exchange for anything from the Six Paths Reincarnation Master. Can we remove my birthmark?” The red-dressed woman’s breathing quickened as she asked the first question.
Meng Qi smiled: “I’m not that old. Just call me ‘young master.’ Removing a birthmark costs no more than twenty Virtue Points.”
He hadn’t verified the exact price, but he was confident his estimate was close.
The red-dressed girl took a few deep breaths and bowed: “Thank you, young master, for answering my question.”
Meng Qi lightly tapped his sword and said leisurely: “Now that we’re comrades, we should introduce ourselves and share our aspirations. Only then can we advance together, facing hardships side by side. Otherwise, how can anyone trust someone who hides their true self?”
He was playing around, deliberately asking them to describe their aspirations to see how the newbies would respond.
The girl in red spoke first: “Yuan Yang, from the Southern Wilderness. I wish to remove my birthmark, become the most beautiful woman under heaven, and gain enough strength to protect myself—so that those who once mocked me will regret it till their dying day.”
Her voice carried a hint of childishness, clearly indicating her youth.
“What a noble aspiration…” Meng Qi almost laughed out loud. Truly innocent and heartfelt.
“Min Renlong, disciple of the Taiyue Sect, has already opened my acupoints. I wish to make a name for myself throughout the martial world,” the black-clad man replied, voicing the most common aspiration among martial artists.
A disciple of the Taiyue Sect? Except for the red-dressed girl, the other two looked at Min Renlong in surprise, envying him for being a disciple of a major martial sect.
The Taiyue Sect was one of the Six Pillars of the Martial World under Northern Zhou.
The shy girl in pale green clothes said timidly, “Weng Lingyu, from Jiangdong, comes from an ordinary family. My father is a bodyguard. I don’t want to marry too early and spend my life confined to a small town.”
Her voice carried hope. The danger of the Six Paths Reincarnation Master still felt distant, while the hope of breaking free from her original constraints was tangible.
“Wu Xiuxian, from Zhongzhou, is a direct disciple of a minor sect. I aspire to become a martial scholar and serve as the chief investigator of a county magistrate,” said the man in blue robes holding the judge’s brush.
Facing the Taiyue Sect, he seemed somewhat ashamed to mention his own sect’s name, as if no one would recognize it anyway.
Meng Qi secretly chuckled, listening leisurely to their answers before slowly rising and smiling faintly: “As your guide, I won’t overly interfere with your task completion. Therefore, you must always remember to be cautious and vigilant, never forgetting the martial world experience taught by your seniors.”
During his first task, Jiang Zhiwei and Qing Jing had been injured and killed due to lack of experience and carelessness. Otherwise, with their team’s strength, there shouldn’t have been many casualties.
Among the four, only Min Renlong and Wu Xiuxian had opened their eye apertures. Weng Lingyu and Yuan Yang had only reached the Qi Accumulation stage, requiring extra caution in this regard.
As his words fell, darkness descended, and Meng Qi found himself and the others appearing in a corner of an inn’s main hall, sitting around a table.
“I can’t take direct action…” Meng Qi mused about the Six Paths’ restrictions while casually asking, “What’s your task?”
His outwardly projected true qi vibrated, confining the sound to the immediate vicinity without the slightest leakage.
Yuan Yang, Weng Lingyu, and the others were stunned by the miraculous transformation, taking a moment to regain their composure. Finally, Min Renlong responded: “Within seven days, assassinate Tie Xintang’s incense master, ‘Farewell Demon Sword’ Fu Cuo.”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage