Looking afar in all directions, the sand stretched boundless, occasionally swept up by gusts of wind, with not a hint of green in sight.
Among several weathered rocks, sand suddenly spewed up like a fountain, condensing into human forms. “Flying Sky Yaksha,” Meng Qi, and Zhou Qiushan emerged.
No time to waste, Meng Qi spoke directly: “Master Yan, do you have a way to temporarily shatter the mind and spirit of the Blessing Celestial Official?”
If he had to do it himself, he would inevitably have to use the Nine-Eyed Samsara Bead. Since there was a ready helper at hand, why not take advantage?
Yan Wuwo was an experienced Samsara participant, a Grandmaster ranked within the top thirty of the Earth List, and the leader of a well-known sect in Jiangdong. Surely, he must have some secret techniques?
“Hmm.” Yan Wuwo did not reply, but walked toward Zhou Qiushan. Suddenly, two white, barbed fangs grew from his mouth, and he bit into the other’s neck.
This sight made Meng Qi’s eyelid twitch. Could practicing the “Zombie Fist” really turn one into a true zombie?
Zhou Qiushan vaguely awoke, his expression shifting repeatedly. Normally resilient and strong-willed, he now wore an indescribable, wordless terror on his face, making Meng Qi feel his scalp crawling.
His face twisted as if trapped in an eternal nightmare. Yan Wuwo pulled his fangs free, which were clean and white, not a speck of blood on them.
“Within half a teacup’s time,” Yan Wuwo said briefly.
First, Meng Qi carefully removed Zhou Qiushan’s Jizi Ring and handed it to Yan Wuwo for containment, to prevent a repeat of the old Zhong incident. Then, his forehead split open, as if an obsidian, deep-set third eye had grown there.
Using the manifestation of the Ba Jiu Divine Art’s mental attack—the “Heaven-Transforming Earth-Shaking Method”!
The surrounding sand vanished, the rocks disappeared, and the area plunged into a dark and shadowy abyss. A vast sea without waves shimmered with specks of golden light.
Golden rays flickered, and Zhou Qiushan’s mind recalled images of Lady Bixia or Jiu Niang.
Dressed in black garments, she was as radiant as a blooming flower, yet cold and indifferent in demeanor, treating guests with disdain, while charging exorbitant fees for meals and lodging…
He saw her entering Tanhan, turning into an ordinary courtyard, pushing open the door to find her listless, sitting cross-legged on the kang, leaning against a yellowish-brown wall…
To her left and right sat a figure dressed in purple imperial robes, wearing a mask—clearly the “Ziwei Star Lord”!
The door opened again, and another figure entered—this time without a mask!
But before Meng Qi could see the newcomer clearly, the scene shattered into glowing fragments. Black flames erupted from Zhou Qiushan’s body, consuming him in an instant, turning him to ash.
Unconcerned with Zhou Qiushan’s death, Meng Qi’s face was filled with shock as he blurted out:
“Jiu Niang is in Tanhan!”
Wasn’t she supposed to be in the underground river between Yuhai and Tanhan?
Who was real, and who was fake?
Yan Wuwo, clearly also surprised, remained silent for a moment before saying, “Did she transfer from Tanhan to the underground river?”
“Impossible,” Meng Qi said gravely. “Zhou Qiushan went to Tanhan this morning first, then to the place where the Buddha’s light rose. We had just explored the underground river not long before that.”
It had taken most of the day to track Zhou Qiushan. Now, as the sun dipped below the horizon, the distant sands were bathed in a vivid red, breathtakingly beautiful.
If Jiu Niang was truly in Tanhan, then who was the “Jiu Niang” in the underground river?!
Cold sweat beaded on Meng Qi’s forehead as he felt he had narrowly escaped a disaster.
He paused before continuing, “This matter indeed involves ‘Mythos.’ The traps near the underground river are even more perilous than we estimated! Therefore, even though Zhou Qiushan saw Jiu Niang yesterday, I still suggest we check Tanhan first. It should only be guarded by the Ziwei Star Lord, although there are likely other Mythos members nearby.”
Yan Wuwo was about to speak when his expression suddenly changed: “Zhou Qiushan ‘disappeared,’ Mythos must have sensed it. There could be changes ahead. No time to lose—we must go to Tanhan now!”
He had originally intended to ask the Lingbao Heavenly Venerable to intervene, hoping to take this opportunity to eliminate the Ziwei Star Lord, one of Mythos’s top three. But earlier, he had been cautious, fearing unintended consequences, and had not silenced Qian Kai and the gatekeeper Lu Jiang. The news likely had already been sent to Tanhan. Any delay would mean arriving too late!
Meng Qi instantly grasped the situation and didn’t dare to hesitate. Without even checking the contents of Zhou Qiushan’s Jizi Ring, he tucked it into his robe and let Yan Wuwo pull him into an earth escape.
The vast Gobi Desert was probably one of the most suitable places for Earth Escape. Before long, the sand stirred slightly, and Yan Wuwo and Meng Qi emerged in Tanhan.
Like Yuhai, the ordinary people and Qi-opening martial artists in Tanhan had already been evacuated to other oases. The streets were now sparsely populated, with only the occasional external scene masters seeking treasures.
Across from the courtyard in Zhou Qiushan’s memory, Meng Qi and Yan Wuwo pretended to pass by casually. A brief glance revealed that although the courtyard appeared relaxed, it was actually heavily guarded. The flow of spiritual energy was unpredictable, concealing many presences.
No wonder the soul lamp couldn’t point here!
Circling around the courtyard, Meng Qi volunteered, “Master Yan, let me transform and investigate first to confirm if anyone is inside.”
“Fine,” Yan Wuwo nodded slightly.
Meng Qi transformed into a sand rat again, scurrying into a nearby courtyard as if to scavenge.
He found the original rat hole, but a foul stench hit him, nearly knocking him out. Carefully, he approached the target courtyard.
After running through the tunnels for a while, Meng Qi suddenly stopped. A highly restrained yet oppressive presence filled the air—an aura like the sovereign of all stars high in the heavens!
A normal sand rat would have turned and fled immediately upon sensing such a presence.
So did Meng Qi.
After leaving the area, he fled far away and returned to Yan Wuwo, transforming back into human form and whispering, “It’s definitely the Ziwei Star Lord. But he’s cautious. Though he fears exposure and hasn’t directly covered Tanhan with his spiritual pressure, his presence is hidden around the courtyard, isolating the inside from the outside and deterring any living beings from approaching.”
“Given the Ziwei Star Lord’s caution, it’s highly likely that Jiu Niang is imprisoned inside,” Yan Wuwo nodded. “Then we should seize the opportunity for a direct assault. Even if Jiu Niang isn’t there, capturing a high-ranking Mythos member could allow us to negotiate for others in return.”
“But what if Jiu Niang is there?” Meng Qi hesitated slightly. “In the face of an attack, the Ziwei Star Lord might just kill her on the spot.”
Unable to confirm the situation inside, Meng Qi felt uncertain.
Yan Wuwo, rarely showing even a hint of a smile, said, “That’s where you come in.”
“Me?” Meng Qi was momentarily stunned before understanding. “Master Yan, you mean for me to transform into Zhou Qiushan and walk in openly. As long as the Ziwei Star Lord doesn’t immediately detect the deception, I can coordinate with you for the assault.”
“If there’s no Jiu Niang, I can use the formation diagram to fight or distract other Mythos members alongside you. If she is indeed inside, I’ll rush in and protect her with the formation diagram?”
If a Grandmaster was vigilant and scrutinizing closely, Meng Qi’s transformation techniques currently couldn’t fool them. However, Zhou Qiushan was a Mythos member, so appearing here was natural. As long as he didn’t reveal any flaws, the Ziwei Star Lord likely wouldn’t suspect him initially.
“Exactly,” Yan Wuwo gazed at Meng Qi. “The Ba Jiu transformations are unpredictable and hard to guard against, which is why the Tianzun sent you to assist me in this rescue mission.”
Time was pressing. If word got back, the Ziwei Star Lord might immediately kill the appearing “Zhou Qiushan” and Jiu Niang. Without delay, Meng Qi transformed into Zhou Qiushan, wearing a nobleman’s robe with a black mole under his right eyebrow. Whether in aura or subtle blessings, he was indistinguishable from the real one, even wearing Zhou Qiushan’s Jizi Ring!
The only issue was that Meng Qi didn’t know the surface circulation routes of the Blessing Celestial Palace techniques, so he had to suppress his energy, appearing as if hiding his presence.
Touching the formation diagram lent by the Lingbao Heavenly Venerable, Meng Qi suddenly felt a pang of sorrow—he would have to use it soon.
“The Tianzun has invested a lot this time…” he muttered.
Yan Wuwo, as expressionless as a real zombie, explained, “The good karma used by members to exchange for techniques and treasures is kept in the public fund, not the Tianzun’s personal possession. Therefore, in missions like rescuing a member, the consumed items will be compensated with good karma. After all, some members are close friends, while others are mere acquaintances. If you were to expend all your secret treasures to save a stranger like me, wouldn’t you hesitate?”
“Of course not! Saving someone like you would surely bring rewards far beyond any of my secret treasures!” Meng Qi grumbled inwardly, though he had to admit the rules of the Immortal Trace were indeed reasonable. They protected members’ personal interests. Otherwise, after a few incidents, who could endure it? Everyone would become indifferent and selfish, and the organization would be reduced to an empty shell.
Taking a deep breath, Meng Qi circled to the entrance of Tanhan, flew into the city, and cautiously, “stealthily” wound his way to the courtyard where the Ziwei Star Lord resided.
Following Zhou Qiushan’s memory, Meng Qi knocked on the door with a rhythm of three long and four short beats.
The gate opened without wind, creaking open a crack. Meng Qi slipped inside, closed the door, and headed straight for the side room where the Ziwei Star Lord was.
Pushing open the door, Meng Qi took in the scene. The Ziwei Star Lord sat cross-legged on a couch to the left, wearing a mask and imperial robes, his aura restrained. Opposite him was a kang, where Jiu Niang sat listlessly, her face pale and spirit broken, leaning against the wall as if deeply traumatized.
Jiu Niang was really here!
Was the “Jiu Niang” in the underground river fake?
Or was this one the fake?
Meng Qi tightly gripped the formation diagram and talisman, his voice slightly panicked: “Star Lord, Qian Kai has disappeared! He might have been captured!”
The Ziwei Star Lord, about to question why “Zhou Qiushan” had returned, responded gravely, “Where did he disappear?”
Before the words had fully faded, he saw “Zhou Qiushan” lunging toward Jiu Niang, simultaneously throwing out a formation diagram.
Four-colored sword lights of cyan, red, black, and white pierced the heavens, the void collapsing, all things vanishing, colors fading into black and white. Then even those colors contracted inward, turning the area into a chaotic, formless void like a coagulated egg yolk!
Terrifying sword qi separated Meng Qi from the Ziwei Star Lord, blocking the latter’s instinctive finger strike.
The finger gleamed brilliantly, like a condensed beam of starlight, compressing layers of explosive force!
Silently, the chaotic formation dissipated halfway, while the Ziwei Star Lord’s right index finger bore numerous tiny wounds.
Sensing the disturbance, the roof above collapsed, and a fist thunderously descended. It was coiled with nine majestic, crimson fire dragons, their heat restrained yet devastating, reducing everything within a mile radius to ashes!
The Ziwei Star Lord snorted coldly, his 365 acupoints opening, releasing countless star deity forms. The void trembled, the heat surged, and a fist was thrown!
Endless starlight and flames engulfed the area, completely obliterating the formation. Meng Qi, however, had already grabbed Jiu Niang, using the fire stream and a deliberately weak flame left by Yan Wuwo to escape swiftly.
In a few breaths, Meng Qi leapt through the flames and quickly fled Tanhan.
Before long, Yan Wuwo caught up and met them at the agreed location. He extended his hand to lift Qu Jiuniang’s seal, while Meng Qi remained on high alert, wary that it might be a deception.
Once the ban was lifted, Qu Jiuniang’s eyes turned dull, as if her heart had died, murmuring softly:
“My Jizi Ring…”
Phew, this one was real… Meng Qi wiped cold sweat from his brow.
…
In the underground river, a red-faced man paced restlessly.
Suddenly, the Qu Jiuniang beside him stood up, her aura shifting dramatically. Her figure rapidly elongated, transforming into a tall man clad in imperial robes and a flat crown. His face was concealed behind a solemn, expressionless mask—the very mask of the “Celestial Emperor” from traditional operas!
“Master Lingbao won’t be coming…” he whispered to the empty space before him, as if addressing someone unseen!
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