By the Xiaonan Lake, where tourists gathered in large numbers, Meng Qi blended into the crowd, changing his appearance, and quickly severed all connections with the previous incident.
This place was the ancestral residence of the Wang Clan of Jiangdong. Since he had already met Wang Siyuan face to face, even if he were bold enough, he dared not openly meet Yuan Yang and others from the affiliated teams, lest someone with ill intentions discover him.
As for the letter revealing that Wang Siyuan had gone to the back mountains of Shaolin and entered the Stone Gate, Meng Qi decided not to deal with it for now. What could he do even if he knew? Could he really confront head-on the massive and ancient Jiangdong Wang Clan? At most, he might secretly inform the Lingbao Tianzun, Master Lu Da, and Abbot Kongwen, letting these powerful figures handle the matter!
As for who had written the letter, Meng Qi indeed pondered quite a bit, but he could never figure out the identity. Since the Jiangdong Wang Clan dared to sneak into the back mountains of Shaolin, they must have had some confidence and were not afraid of being discovered. Indeed, without this letter, he and others like Abbot Kongwen and Master Lu Da would still be in the dark. Therefore, whoever wrote the letter must have had exceptional ability and knowledge to know such a secret. After all, the Stone Gate in the back mountains of Shaolin was itself a secret. The fact that the writer knew about it proved that he must have had some knowledge of the matter. Whether the letter was entirely true or an attempt to divert suspicion toward the Wang Clan, Meng Qi had only two guesses when he first saw the letter: either it was the work of the “Demon Master,” or it was the doing of one of Wang Siyuan’s partners or a member within the Wang family who was dissatisfied with him.
However, regardless of his guesses, Meng Qi had resolved not to get involved in this murky affair. The stakes were too high, and since he wasn’t someone who deliberately sought death, why would he recklessly meddle? It was better to focus on the auction of the Dongji Changsheng Pill.
Though called the “Dongji Changsheng Pill,” the auction would also include other longevity items forged by the Wanxiang Sect; otherwise, two pills alone wouldn’t be enough to support an entire auction. Naturally, with his current strength, he wouldn’t be able to host an auction aimed at seasoned masters of external scenes.
Now, since the Lingbao Tianzun was preoccupied with matters concerning the Essence of Medicine and the Six Dao, Meng Qi had to find someone else to help manage the event. Fortunately, there was a suitable candidate in Jiangdong: Yan Wuwo, the “Flying Night Demon,” who was also a member of the “Xianji” group and needed to trade for rare treasures and a small amount of longevity pills for his disciples.
With his hands behind his back, Meng Qi passed through the crowd, heading straight from the main road outside Guangling toward the Suigui Mountain on the western side of Jiangzhou. The Jiezi Ring on his body had not been sold to Yuan Yang and others for two reasons: first, transactions through good deeds couldn’t be used outside the cycle of reincarnation, and second, they currently needed to focus on concealing their identities and probably couldn’t afford to buy it. He would wait until the next mission began and then use the exclusive trading channel of the affiliated teams to consign it for sale.
…
At the Zhenwu Mountain, on the Tengshe Peak, within a dimly lit meditation chamber.
An elderly man with snow-white eyebrows and beard, yet still partially black at the roots of his hair, sat cross-legged on a jade bed, drawing in threads of terrifying icy-cold energy. Above his dantian floated a Daoist crown resembling a blazing sun, emitting streams of golden fire capable of melting stone.
Behind the old man, a massive yin-yang fish appeared, slowly rotating. Yin absorbed the icy chill, while Yang gathered the scorching heat, as if it were a towering black-and-white millstone or a giant turtle bearing the Taiji.
After a long while, the taiji fish slowly merged into his body—not a normal return, but a fusion-like overlap.
First came a grating, teeth-clenching sound within the chamber, followed by a dull vibration. The old man’s skin suddenly became translucent, covered with turtle-like patterns, and then turned dull.
The black-and-white Taiji diagram trembled slightly before diving into his body.
A trickle of blood escaped from the corner of the old man’s mouth. His expression was a mixture of frustration and sighing:
“I was still too hasty…”
But he couldn’t afford not to be hasty. At 106, he had crossed the second heavenly ladder and become a Grandmaster, and now more than fifty years had passed. Yet he had only advanced one level in cultivation. He was still far from reaching the Semi-Dharma Body stage, not even reaching the peak of External Manifestation. With his lifespan nearing its end and internal and external troubles within the family, how could he not feel anxious?
He had basically consumed all the longevity pills available within the sect, at great cost. Without them, he might have perished from old age more than twenty years ago—external manifestation cultivators typically lived between 120 to 180 years, but without longevity pills, no one could live a full 180 years, as old wounds and hidden injuries from decades of battle would gradually consume one’s lifespan.
“If I cannot reach the Semi-Dharma Body stage, I have at most twenty more years…” The old man stood up, hands behind his back, pacing the chamber with a gloomy expression.
Even reaching the Semi-Dharma Body might only grant him ten more years, but the Zhenwu Sect possessed a “Life and Death Dual Transformation Pill” that could add thirty more years of life, though only a Semi-Dharma Body cultivator could withstand its potency.
“Forty years added to my current twenty should allow me to see new young talents rise within the family.” The old man mused about the best-case scenario, then sighed. He knew his own situation well—given his remaining lifespan of less than twenty years and his current mental state, without a major opportunity, any breakthrough was but a fleeting dream.
Thinking of this, his right hand trembled slightly, and his eyes, dulled by the passage of time, revealed a deep sorrow:
“If Yuanshan had not died, with his talent and composure, even if he couldn’t rival Su Meng, Jiang Zhimei, He Jiu, and Wang Siyuan, he wouldn’t be far behind. Even if he hadn’t reached External Manifestation, it would have been imminent…”
“If I ever discover who killed Yuanshan, I will tear them limb from limb and scatter their ashes!”
Over the past fifty years, the Zhang family had declined generation by generation. Though they still maintained a decent number of External Manifestation cultivators through vast resources, most were unstable in foundation and weak in temperament. Only two had barely reached the Tianren Heyi stage, yet remained stuck at the level of supreme experts, with no hope of crossing the second heavenly ladder. The emergence of Zhang Yuanshan, a youth of notable talent and bearing, had been a rare bright spot—until his untimely death during his travels, a devastating blow to the Zhang Patriarch.
“Yuanshan’s talent wasn’t particularly outstanding at first, but he gradually awakened later. Though the current younger generation seems unremarkable, perhaps there is still a late bloomer hidden among them.” The Zhang Patriarch tried to console himself.
Just then, the sound of a bell rang outside, interrupting his retreat to summon the old ancestor.
What had happened? The Zhang Patriarch raised his white eyebrows slightly, gathered his thoughts, and opened the chamber door, seeing his current attendant, Zhang Tingzhai.
“Ancestor, someone has secretly sent you an invitation.” Zhang Tingzhai respectfully handed over a dark red envelope.
“An invitation?” The old Zhang Patriarch slightly furrowed his brows. He had barely left his retreat in the past decade—what invitation could this be?
After inspecting it, he opened it in puzzlement, revealing the following words:
“On the fifteenth day of the sixth month, before the full moon, I shall await all fellow cultivators at the Wangchao Rock in the East Sea, carrying the Dongji Changsheng Pill and other longevity pills. The highest bidder shall obtain them. Please bring Lulan Stone, Shendragon Grass…”
The Dongji Changsheng Pill? The old Zhang Patriarch’s hand gripping the invitation suddenly bulged with veins, revealing his inner turmoil.
This had been the legendary longevity pill of the Green Emperor of old, capable of extending life by a full cycle even in modern times, rivaling only a few other pills.
Sixty years! If he could extend his life by sixty years, what feat could he not accomplish? The Zhang Patriarch seemed to glimpse a ray of hope, his heart surging. He took a deep breath to calm himself slightly.
Even if this were a scam, he, with his dwindling lifespan, still had to give it a try. Besides, with his strength and martial cultivation experience, unless he encountered a Dharma Body or a Divine Weapon, he could still escape if things went wrong!
Still, it was a bit strange—why did the invitation specifically require him to bring these rare treasures? The Zhang Patriarch had never seen an invitation listing such detailed material requirements before!
In his confusion, he shifted his gaze downward to the signature:
“Performing good deeds and accumulating virtue, blessings will remain in the household.”
The signature implied “a virtuous gentleman doing good deeds”? The old Zhang Patriarch didn’t pay much attention to it, knowing the sender wished to remain anonymous. He paced back and forth for a long time before finally making his decision—no matter the cost, he would gather the required materials!
For an ordinary person, such a task would be impossible in just over a month, but with the Zhenwu Sect behind him, it wasn’t entirely out of reach!
…
Langya, the ancestral residence of the Ruan Clan.
Old Master Ruan sat with his eyes closed, listening leisurely to a younger generation playing the qin, showing no sign of frailty.
At this moment, a steward delivered an invitation: “Master, there’s an invitation specifically addressed to you.”
Old Master Ruan glanced at the younger generation around him and signaled them to withdraw. With a wave of his right hand, the invitation flew into his grasp.
“On the fifteenth day of the sixth month, before the full moon, I shall await all fellow cultivators at the Wangchao Rock in the East Sea, carrying the Dongji Changsheng Pill and other longevity pills. The highest bidder shall obtain them.”
“Performing good deeds and accumulating virtue, blessings will remain in the household.”
“Dongji Changsheng Pill?” Old Master Ruan chuckled. “If it were a few years ago, I would have definitely gone myself. Let the Third Young Master go in my place to take a look. Also, gather other longevity pills. Even if I don’t need them, someone else in the family might.”
After obtaining the formula for the Dongji Changsheng Pill, the Ruan Clan had spent a year gathering the necessary ingredients with their accumulated resources and wealth. After three failed attempts, they finally succeeded once, at great cost.
“The Third Young Master?” The steward was greatly surprised, showing visible shock.
Old Master Ruan nodded slightly. “Back then, he wasn’t primarily at fault—it was a mistake, and I was just venting my anger on him.
“Time has passed. Ershiyi Niang has grown from a baby into one of the top ten talents on the Human List. What else could I not understand? The event has already occurred; what’s needed now is resolution and compensation. I hope he can also make up for his mistake.”
Although the steward didn’t know the details of what had happened back then, he was naturally delighted that the long-suffering Third Young Master had finally been freed. He nodded repeatedly in agreement.
…
“Eastern Longevity Pill?” A gaunt old man, overseeing the construction of his tomb, crushed a sunstone in his other hand.
“Eastern Longevity Pill?” In a dilapidated temple filled with crows, a tall, thin figure wobbled to its feet, its hands devoid of skin or flesh, revealing only bare bones!
In Jiangdong, in Zhongzhou, and in regions not too far from the East Sea, external experts nearing the end of their lifespans shook off decay and secretly made their way to Wangchao Rock.
However, only a few who had connections with Dharma Bodies, Semi-Dharma Bodies, or Divine Weapons had received invitations.
…
A figure filled with the scent of ancient dust landed near Wangchao Rock, seeing an ordinary pleasure boat. From within the boat came a hot, dry, and lifeless aura.
“Old zombie, is that you?” His voice was extremely aged and filled with surprise.
“I was just asked to watch the boat for someone,” a voice came from inside the boat, confident and domineering. “But I don’t recall inviting you, old immortal?”
The old zombie watching a boat? The decayed figure wrapped in a black robe narrowed his gaze, sensing that the auction organizer was unfathomably mysterious, having even managed to invite the Flying Night Demon as a “guard”!
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