“The hand bone of ‘Yellow Spring,’ a divine weapon-level item, originally belonged to the naturally born evil god ‘Yellow Spring’ of Jiuyou. However, due to a strange reason, it lost its inherent power and is unable to display its divine and supernatural abilities. Its current value remains unknown.”
“To uncover the strange reason, one must pay eight thousand good deeds.”
A familiar voice from the Lord of the Sixfold Samsara echoed in Meng Qi’s mind, reminding him involuntarily of the incident regarding the Divine Palm’s General Principles. After silently cursing the Lord with the name “cowardly cur,” Meng Qi chose to pay eight thousand good deeds.
Instantly, Meng Qi’s total good deeds dropped to twelve thousand seven hundred. The Lord of the Sixfold Samsara’s indifferent and emotionless voice echoed in his mind:
“Towards the end of ancient times, the evil god ‘Yellow Spring’ of Jiuyou sensed that his lifespan was nearing its end. Restricted by the limitations of his naturally born divine body, he could not break through. Thus, he made a decisive choice to abandon the ‘Yellow Spring Divine Body,’ sending a fragment of his primordial soul into reincarnation to seek transcendence in his next life.”
“Huangquan entered reincarnation?” Meng Qi listened with a heavy expression, feeling increasingly mysterious and eerie about the concept of reincarnation.
His emotions did not affect the Sixfold Samsara’s narration, as it continued in its solemn yet monotonous voice:
“Before entering the cycle of reincarnation, ‘Huangquan’ concealed his divine body in a hidden and sealed location, awaiting retrieval by his reincarnated self. This divine body was intended as the primary material for forging an exceptional divine weapon—perhaps even one without equal. To prevent mishaps, he left a peculiar seal within this hand bone, causing its aura to condense and its power to dissipate. As a result, even ordinary individuals could handle it, yet only he himself could lift the seal and awaken its true potential.”
“Once awakened, this hand bone will have a certain degree of control over the other parts of the ‘Huangquan Divine Body.'”
“As countless eons passed, the reincarnated form of ‘Huangquan’ disappeared without a trace, never to return. His divine body was obtained by others who, unaware of the hand bone’s mysteries, carelessly discarded it.”
“Through the erosion of time, the seal on this hand bone has weakened to an extreme. Paying another two thousand good deeds will completely lift it, allowing the return of Huangquan’s aura.”
Meng Qi felt a chill run through him. This was the strange reason behind it all. Huangquan had abandoned his divine body, left himself a ‘backdoor,’ entered reincarnation, and waited for his next life to reclaim it—but since then, he had vanished without a trace, never to reappear!
Where had he gone?
Had the reincarnation succeeded?!
At this thought, Meng Qi suddenly recalled the “Overlord’s Ultimate Blade”!
The Overlord inadvertently acquired the corpse of the Thunder God and the ancient Thunder Pool, forging them into a peerless divine weapon. With this, he dominated the Middle Ancient Era and achieved unparalleled fame.
How familiar this was—it bore a hidden resemblance to the account just described by the Lord of the Sixfold Samsara!
Could it be that the Thunder God’s body and the ancient Thunder Pool were deliberately left behind by the Thunder God of old, prepared for his reincarnated self?
Who was his reincarnated self—was it the Overlord, or someone else?
Given that the Overlord acquired the Thunder God’s body and the Thunder Pool, forging a peerless divine weapon, it was highly probable that he was the Thunder God’s reincarnation. However, considering the Overlord’s pride, he would never conceal such a matter. Logically, there should have been records of it, and people should have been aware of it.
Moreover, it was difficult to ascertain who was more powerful between the Overlord and the ancient Thunder God. The only certainty was that both had attained the “Legendary” realm. Could it be that the reincarnated self was not necessarily stronger than in the previous life?
Was it mere coincidence that Meng Qi had obtained the Thunder God’s inheritance, with the essence of the Nine Heavens Thunder Spear having no choice but to merge into his body, or was there another reason?
These reflections weighed slightly on Meng Qi’s heart. He swiftly adjusted his emotions, calming himself, and chose to lift the seal.
After expending two thousand merits, the black skeletal hand, faintly shimmering with white light, suddenly erupted in dazzling radiance, oscillating between darkness and brilliance. Were it not for the constraints of the Sixfold Samsara, this spectacle might have been visible throughout the entire Immortal Trace Market, or even to the inhabitants of the Biyou Heaven.
A breath of desolation, death, yet subtly concealing vitality slowly emerged. In Meng Qi’s mind, a blood-yellow river seemed to arise, its origin and destination unknown, filled with the meanings of sinking, death, loss, and corruption. Merely sensing it caused his vitality to wane and his memories to gradually blur.
Meng Qi shook his head violently, shaking off the feeling. Looking at the hand bone again, he found it still appeared ordinary, but his perception of it had completely changed—it was now powerful and terrifying!
“The hand bone of ‘Huangquan,’ a divine weapon-level item, originally belonged to the naturally born evil god ‘Huangquan’ of Jiuyou. It has now been unsealed and is no longer subject to ‘Huangquan’s summons or forced control. However, it can subtly resonate with Huangquan’s reincarnated form.”
“It has a certain degree of control and influence over the remaining parts of Huangquan’s body and ghostly souls; it can be used to forge a decent divine weapon.”
“It can be wielded as a weapon. Upon contact, it directly steals the enemy’s vitality and erases their memories. Those below the seventh level of the Outer Realm will die instantly if they lack special treasures or techniques. Those above the seventh level will also suffer severe injuries. However, those below the fourth level of the Outer Realm cannot activate this ability. Those below the seventh level can use it once every three days, but using it more than five times without refining the unprocessed hand bone will cause a significant loss of its power. Its value is twenty-one thousand good deeds, but it can be exchanged for eighteen thousand good deeds.”
“Not bad… but it seems I’ll need to refine it into a divine weapon to allow its power to circulate and maximize its potential.” Meng Qi nodded lightly. Currently, he possessed both the Hand Bone of Huangquan and the Calming Sea Pearl. He appeared ready to consider forging a divine weapon, yet he remained uncertain about what type of weapon to create or what supplementary materials would be required. Moreover, the Apotheosis event was drawing near, and both the Calming Sea Pearl and the Hand Bone of Huangquan might prove invaluable—for instance, the hand bone’s ability to command ghostly souls!
“I’ll think it over after the Fengshen event and look through the divine weapon forging blueprints in the Exchange Catalog.” Meng Qi made his decision.
As for the cost of forging a divine weapon, he had no idea yet and didn’t need to consider it for now.
…
Seven days later, Meng Qi donned the “Yuanshi Tianzun” mask, wore a dark wide robe, and entered the Xianji once more to attend the gathering of official members.
Such gatherings had no specific agenda—they were merely meant for members to socialize and strengthen their cohesion.
Upon reaching the entrance of Biyou Palace, Meng Qi spotted “Bixia Yuanjun” Qu Jiuniang waiting for him. Having had her identity exposed and subsequently captured by the Peacock Demon King, she could no longer operate the top-ranked shop in the瀚海. She was now in search of a fresh identity—perhaps by assuming someone else’s persona or journeying to a distant island in the East Sea or the southern wilderness, only to return under a new guise.
“You’ve made quite a fortune from your transactions within the Xianji Lane,” Qu Jiuniang said with a sigh, seemingly lamenting her lack of share in the profits.
If only you knew about the Dongji Changsheng Pill, you’d probably jump at the chance to seize it! Meng Qi inwardly praised “Taiyi Zhenren” Yan Wuwo for keeping his mouth shut and not spreading the news.
Internally smug, Meng Qi outwardly remained humble: “I’m just an intermediary. Most of the profit still went to others.”
“Tianzun wants you to go to the meditation room and wait for him. He’ll introduce you to the other official members,” Qu Jiuniang revealed the purpose of her waiting and turned to lead Meng Qi inside.
There were many people in the Xianji with the title “Tianzun,” but those directly addressed as “Tianzun” were usually only Lingbao.
After walking for a while, Qu Jiuniang couldn’t help herself and whispered, “Any more deals like that to introduce? I’ve been in intelligence for years. I’m sure I can be of help.”
Meng Qi chuckled dryly: “Not at the moment. I hope we can cooperate in the future.”
“Miser, money-hoarding skinflint…” Qu Jiuniang sensed the evasion and muttered under her breath, completely unaware that she was included in the category she was criticizing.
After walking a few steps, Meng Qi suddenly froze, his gaze fixed on someone standing by the lotus pond ahead. The figure wore water-blue robes, a cloud-fan crown, straw sandals, and a silk sash around his waist, with a mask covering his face. His demeanor was refined and elegant—none other than “Qingyuan Miaodao Zhenjun.”
He was gazing at the blooming green lotus in the pond, his expression focused and contemplative, seemingly lost in thought.
Qu Jiuniang secretly transmitted her voice: “Qingyuan Miaodao Zhenjun has just completed his third death mission and is on the verge of becoming a master, but he lost two companions, one of whom was ‘Bixiao Xianzi,’ a formal member of our Xianji. He’s feeling a bit down.”
So that’s why… Meng Qi nodded slightly and was about to approach when Qingyuan Miaodao Zhenjun turned his head and their eyes met.
“I’ve long heard of you, and we’ve even crossed paths, but today is the first time we formally meet. Indeed, worldly affairs are ever-changing and unpredictable,” Qingyuan Miaodao Zhenjun said with a bitter smile.
Meng Qi bowed slightly: “Likewise.”
Qingyuan removed his mask, revealing a clean and handsome face as he introduced himself: “Cao Jia’s Cao Xianzhi.”
Cao Xianzhi? Meng Qi had heard this name before. He was a distant relative of the Cao family in the capital. Initially, his situation was only slightly better than that of wandering cultivators. Later, he distinguished himself and gained fame on the “Renown List,” catching the attention of the Cao family. Eventually, he ranked among the top three. He was often compared to Cao E, the “Unrivaled Immortal,” which was why Meng Qi knew of him.
It was said that this genius became mediocre after breaking through to the Outer Realm, taking eleven years to cross the first heavenly ladder. He was considered a typical case of exhausted potential. Now, it seemed clear that his progress had been delayed by the immense resource demands of the “Babu Immortal Body” cultivation path.
“Su Meng.” Meng Qi knew he already knew, but still politely replied.
Qingyuan laughed: “When Doumu said you had already reached the third heavenly stage, I didn’t quite believe it. But now that I’ve met you, I understand that her words were no exaggeration. Truly, comparing people makes one envious.”
Though he said this, there was no trace of self-pity or jealousy in his tone. His calmness stemmed from the trials of those difficult years.
“Just a matter of fortunate circumstances,” Meng Qi replied politely and humbly, as he usually did when speaking to someone he wasn’t particularly close to but wasn’t hostile toward.
Qingyuan paid no heed and turned his gaze toward the main hall ahead, where shadows of masked figures could be seen.
Meng Qi spotted Taiyi Zhenren and Nan Hua Tianzun among the “familiar faces,” realizing they were the official members attending the gathering.
Suddenly, Qingyuan Miaodao Zhenjun sighed: “Compared to when I first attended this gathering, the people inside have changed a lot.”
With just this brief sentence, the passage of time and the dangers of reincarnation became vividly clear.
He glanced at Meng Qi and took a deep breath: “That’s why, aside from my original teammates and companions, I dare not and will not grow overly attached. Whether it’s seen as coldness or heartlessness, it’s a necessary mindset to cultivate, for one never knows when they might die.”
“And those original teammates and companions… well, they’ve all perished long ago…”
His words seemed both a warning to Meng Qi and a personal lament, indicating that the recent death mission had stirred up deep, unerasable memories of sorrow.
Meng Qi thought of Zhang Yuanshan, Fu Zhenzhen, and others, feeling a wave of melancholy.
After a short while, Qu Jiuniang urged him to leave, her mood also tinged with emotion:
“Xie Jiugui is ‘Chunyangzi,’ Ren Pingsheng is ‘Baopuzi,’ ‘Yunzhongzi’ is Xue Rui, and there are many others. They were all my former teammates, but now only those three remain. Who knows when they might fall next…”
Meng Qi listened silently, saying nothing. Upon reaching the meditation room, Qu Jiuniang left, and he sat cross-legged, waiting for Tianzun.
“Let’s go.” At some unknown point, Lingbao Tianzun had entered the meditation room.
Meng Qi stood up and followed Lingbao Tianzun behind, heading toward the grand hall where the gathering was held.
“There are a total of twenty-seven official members. Recently, two have perished, and three are unable to attend. Twenty-two are present…” Lingbao Tianzun explained as they walked.
Inside the hall, the gathered individuals sensed the approaching presence and turned their gazes toward the entrance. There, “Lingbao Tianzun” led the way, followed by “Yuanshi Tianzun,” slowly walking in.
Suddenly, they all felt an indescribable sensation.
…
The early spring in the second month was still cold. Meng Qi had just completed his seventh transformation when he suddenly felt the light and shadow shift, and he found himself in the Reincarnation Plaza.
The mission of Fengshen had begun!
As Meng Qi sighed, he saw Jiang Zhiwei, Qi Zhengyan, Ruan Yushu, and Zhao Heng appear simultaneously.
Before he could greet them, the voice of the Lord of the Sixfold Samsara echoed in his ears: “The remaining three have met the minimum requirements. No need for separation.”
“Five hundred years after the deification, no Sages have emerged, the Hundred Schools have not flourished, and the warring states continue their conflicts, plunging the world into chaos and darkness without a glimmer of hope!”
“Main Mission: Randomly select one of the Hundred Schools of Thought and spread its teachings among the warring states. If one state adopts this philosophy, the mission will be deemed complete, and you will be rewarded with two thousand five hundred merits. Otherwise, you will remain trapped in the Fengshen world indefinitely unless you expend two thousand five hundred merits to forcibly exit.”
“Three months after the mission begins, your strength and cultivation will no longer improve, and returning to your own world will no longer have any interval.”
“Please randomly select one from the hundred schools. After three counts, the selection will be automatically assigned.”
(Note: “百家” is translated as “hundred schools” here, as it commonly refers to the “Hundred Schools of Thought” in Chinese philosophy. If it refers to something else in your specific context, please provide additional details for a more accurate translation.)
Meng Qi exchanged glances with Jiang Zhiwei and the others, wasting no time in stepping forward to make the selection.
The light in the air flickered uncertainly, characters flashing rapidly before settling on two words:
“Mo Jia (Mohist School)!”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage