Wen An of Jiangdong, the Taoist Temple of Destiny.
The axe-swinging Daoist nun with willow eyebrows and phoenix eyes chopped firewood day after day, her expression extremely focused, as if this were the most sacred and enchanting act in the world.
Pak! Suddenly, the axe in her hand dropped to the ground.
Staring blankly at the axe for a moment, two clear tears streamed down Jiesha’s eyes. She bent down to pick it up, then silently walked toward the courtyard of the temple’s abbot.
“Abbot, I plan to return to the grasslands,” she said upon reaching the Destiny Daoist, her tone devoid of emotion, her gaze deep and unfathomable.
Destiny Daoist looked at her intently, then waved his hand with a long sigh, “Go then. It is destined to be this way.”
…
With his hair loose and a long saber at his waist, Meng Qi walked out of Gegen Gao Le, his blood-stained attire exuding an awe-inspiring aura. No one dared to meet his gaze directly along the way.
After taking medicine and meditating for half the night, his injuries had fully healed. He maintained this demeanor solely because he was going to meet someone.
“Come out,” Meng Qi said casually, gazing at the vast sky and grasslands, his tone as if speaking to thin air.
The sunlight shone brightly over the green grass, casting a golden glow.
From within that golden expanse, a figure actually emerged!
He wore garments stitched with golden threads, dazzling so brightly under the sun that others could barely keep their eyes open. Tall and imposing, his hair was loose and his robe draped leftward. He had no mustache, only a tuft of beard beneath his chin, and his narrow eyes resembled those of a venomous snake.
“How did you know I was nearby?” the golden-robed man asked, hands behind his back.
Meng Qi did not turn around, as if admiring the grassland scenery, “The Wolf King said one last sentence before dying.”
“He regretted it?” the golden-robed man sneered.
“From his eyes, he didn’t seem to regret. He merely told me he regretted not killing you, the leader of the Wolf Slaying Society,” Meng Qi replied, his every movement exuding harmony with the world. The wind blew, and it was simply the wind. The sunlight shone, and it was simply sunlight.
The golden-robed man fell silent for a moment before speaking, “I knew his bloodlust could never be tamed. It was only a matter of time before he turned his blade toward us. Besides, now that the Wolf Slaying Society has been established, the Wolf King naturally became obsolete. If we had waited for him to break through and reach the Outer Realm, given his nature, it wouldn’t have been long before he attracted the attention or pursuit of powerful figures, which would have been extremely disadvantageous for us.”
“So, you betrayed him, trying to eliminate this disobedient blade before he could break through?” Meng Qi smiled, not waiting for a reply before continuing, “Unfortunately, you were afraid of someone and dared not do it yourselves, so you had to push it onto me with all that pretense.”
The golden-robed man’s expression froze, his voice deep, “You already knew? The Wolf King couldn’t possibly have said that before dying!”
“After hearing Nari Su’s muttering that day and seeing the scene inside Bayan Valley, I had a rough idea. I just didn’t expect you to tell me everything yourself,” Meng Qi said with a half-smile as he turned around.
The golden-robed man’s expression shifted slightly, “The Wolf King said nothing?”
“Of course,” Meng Qi grinned.
“Then just now…” The golden-robed man narrowed his eyes.
“I lied,” Meng Qi grinned like a fox.
The golden-robed man did not become angry; instead, he laughed, “Haha, interesting! The world calls Su Meng reckless and wild, yet none know you have a heart as delicate as a jeweled casket!”
“With enough setbacks, one naturally becomes clever,” Meng Qi’s eyes flickered slightly.
The golden-robed man’s expression grew serious as he gazed at the sky, his tone tinged with excitement and anticipation:
“With the Wolf King dead, she will return.”
“She will return to lead us.”
Meng Qi listened quietly, saying nothing.
“Aren’t you afraid she will seek revenge?” the golden-robed man smiled.
Meng Qi raised an eyebrow, “First, she has to find me.”
He already bore the hatred of the “Mythical” and several evil sects. At this point, Meng Qi had long since stopped worrying about additional burdens.
The golden-robed man nodded, “Though the Wolf King is dead, the Wolf Slaying Society remains. We still consider you our brother.”
The unspoken implication was clear: you’ve already sworn oaths to the Eternal Sky and Totem God; there’s no escaping that now.
Haha! Meng Qi burst into laughter, striding forward and tossing a final remark over his shoulder, “If I ever return to the grasslands, I hope you’ll still consider me part of the Wolf Slaying Society.”
As his figure disappeared over the gentle hill, the golden-robed man felt a strange sense of unease about those words.
…
Inside the Qing Seo building, the headquarters of the Six Gates.
Many plainclothes officers in dark red uniforms stared silently at a slip of paper on the floor, motionless as statues.
“Mad Saber slays the Wolf King at Bayan.”
These eight simple words stirred a storm in their hearts.
No further explanation was needed. Just those eight words were enough to send chills down their spines, as if witnessing a peak battle between two masters at the opening stage.
Therefore, despite its brevity and casual tone, no one could remain unaffected.
How many years had it been? This was the first time someone had killed the Number One of the Human List and taken the throne.
Who was the Wolf King? The man who had slain four Half-Steps in succession, whose ferocity had left the entire martial world stunned!
Yet this ferocious and powerful figure had been “casually” slain in Bayan Valley. How could anyone not be shocked? How could anyone not be shaken?
In that instant, in their minds, “Mad Saber” Su Meng seemed like a demon god, almost overlapping with the images of the “Divine Sword from Beyond” Su Wuming, the “Mad King” Gao Lan, and the “Demon Sage” Han Guang in their youth!
“This… this can’t possibly be real, can it?” One officer finally broke the silence, his voice barely above a whisper.
The officer who delivered the message glanced at the envelope, his voice low with caution, “It happened seven days ago. Both the grasslands and the Northern Zhou sent urgent reports simultaneously. It must be true. Besides, Mad Saber was indeed traveling in the north recently.”
“The matter is too shocking. We should remain cautious and wait for detailed reports in half a month or a month. For now, let’s not consider this in the current Human List update,” the senior officer in green swallowed hard.
The others nodded in agreement:
“Wise words.”
They were still struggling to process the news, unable to fully accept it yet.
In the Divine Investigator Room of the Six Gates, which handled intelligence gathering, someone else had also seen this news.
“Hurry, contact Su Zi Yuan immediately! Find out if this is true and get the full details!” The leader slammed the table, ordering his trusted subordinates in the office before rising to pace back and forth.
If this was true, Su Zi Yuan’s potential needed to be reassessed!
If before, Meng Qi’s potential was merely impressive and worth attention, something to be considered for future dealings, now his brilliance could no longer be concealed. No faction could afford to ignore him anymore!
Never mind that he hadn’t even reached the Half-Step Outer Realm yet, merely holding the title of “Human List Number One,” seeming like an ant to powerful experts. But his potential was no longer just potential—it evoked thoughts of figures like Su Wuming, Gao Lan, and Han Guang!
How long did it take Su Wuming to rise from Human List Number One to the top three of the Earth List? No more than fourteen or fifteen years!
What about Su Meng? He was not yet twenty, with plenty of time ahead. To every faction, he was practically already an Outer Realm expert, and in the future, reaching the Zongshi level would be guaranteed!
Of course, this was all under the condition that he did not die young.
Soon after, the leaders of many major factions held the same slip of paper in their hands:
“Mad Saber slays the Wolf King at Bayan.”
…
Unaware of the Six Gates’ inquiries, Meng Qi was in retreat, stabilizing his cultivation base.
Since he had already clearly decided his path before reaching the state of unity with heaven and earth, his inner world naturally reached its optimal state during his breakthrough, harmonizing perfectly with his body and mind. Therefore, Meng Qi completed in just two months what others like He Jiu and Wang Siyuan had taken two or three years to achieve. The feeling of unity with heaven and earth in every movement vanished, returning to simplicity and authenticity.
This kind of progress had nothing to do with talent, but was instead tied to one’s own thoughts, temperament, and opportunities. Therefore, some advanced quickly while others were slower, each with their own unique circumstances, making comparisons impossible.
Meng Qi stood up, a handful of dust in his palm—the powdered remains of the Bodhi seed. It had long since lost its spiritual essence back in March, but Meng Qi had been reluctant to part with it, continuing to wear it in hopes of gaining further insight into a Buddhist Outer Realm technique. Unfortunately, without the Bodhi seed and limited by his current cultivation level, his ability to comprehend further techniques was severely restricted.
However, during the months he spent “waiting” for the Wolf King, Meng Qi had successfully cultivated another technique—“Vajra Immovable King Manual”—using the Bodhi seed and his previous mindset.
This was his main cultivation technique, but Meng Qi had not yet begun practicing it. He planned to accumulate merit points to exchange for the Outer Realm chapter of the “Eight-Nine Divine Art.”
At this moment, he was heading toward one of the entrances to the “Fairy Footprint” in Northern Zhou—the “Reflection Moon Pond” in Lulong.
With his unity with heaven and earth perfected, he urgently needed to see the next set of techniques to avoid any blindness during his future breakthrough!
Traveling day and night, Meng Qi reached Lulong in just half a month. Before him lay a clear, mirror-like lake. The blue sky and white clouds above were mirrored below, as if the lake were both painting and canvas.
He found a secluded spot to change into his “Yuanshi Tianzun” disguise, lit the Fairy Travel Talisman, and then saw the familiar scenery, the familiar gate, and the familiar figure.
At the entrance of the Fairy Palace, Meng Qi saw Jiu Niang wearing the “Bi Xia Yuan Jun” mask.
“Amazing! ‘Mad Saber slays the Wolf King at Bayan.’ You’ve certainly made a name for yourself!” Bi Xia Yuan Jun’s tone was ambiguous, neither praise nor mockery. Then she shifted the topic casually, “The Wolf King hunted many experts. His spoils must have been considerable?”
She emitted a green glow, wrapping Meng Qi up as they flew toward the Biyou Palace.
“The Wolf King was a man of few worldly possessions. He only had a sword,” Meng Qi chuckled.
“Only a sword… Not bad,” Bi Xia Yuan Jun’s tone was filled with envy, “What are you here for? To receive this year’s tasks?”
Meng Qi had completed two tasks in his first year, so technically, he didn’t need to take on any in the second year, especially since it was only halfway through.
“I have cultivated three new techniques from the “Buddha’s Palm,” and I’ve come to exchange them as agreed,” Meng Qi replied honestly.
Bi Xia Yuan Jun gave a short laugh, “You learned them quickly. Three Outer Realm techniques?”
Suddenly, she sounded a bit regretful. If only she had been the one to obtain the palm technique back then…
“Yes,” Meng Qi smiled, “Madam Yuan, if I were to exchange for the Outer Realm chapter of the ‘Eight-Nine Divine Art’ from the organization, would it be cheaper?”
Techniques of titled cultivators could not be passed on, so Meng Qi didn’t plan to ask Qingyuan Miaodao Zhenjun. Instead, he intended to purchase it directly from the Fairy Footprint.
“Normally nine thousand, but since you’ve cultivated three Outer Realm techniques from the ‘Buddha’s Palm,’ they will be of considerable use to Lord Lingbao Tianzun. He might offer a private discount. Probably around eight thousand or so,” when it came to merit points and finances, Bi Xia Yuan Jun was always enthusiastic and meticulous.
Meng Qi immediately felt relieved, “That would be great.”
He still needed ten thousand merit points, but eight thousand was within reach.
Bi Xia Yuan Jun looked at him, “Lingbao Tianzun happens to be in Biyou Palace. I’ll take you to see him.”
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