The Dinghai Pearl hovered high in the air, emitting five-colored radiant light that stabilized the black mist and tidal waves, greatly weakening the strength of Zhenwu’s evil thoughtform. Even so, its speed in fleeing and seizing remained undiminished. Within a few breaths, it was already near the Xuan Shui Dao Mo Banner, which itself was slowly drifting towards it!
Just at this moment, Meng Qi, who had just crashed through the tomb wall again in a human-shaped hole, suddenly extended his hand and grabbed at the empty air, pulling forth a scroll depicting a landscape that seemed to form a world of its own. The scroll caught Zhenwu’s evil thoughtform inside.
Mystical Treasure: Shanghe Sheji Scroll!
Using retreat as an advance, baiting with the Xuan Shui Dao Mo Banner, Meng Qi had lured Zhenwu’s evil thoughtform to ignore everything else and walk willingly into his trap!
Faced with an evil thoughtform possessing insight, experience, and knowledge at the peak of all eras, secretly using the Shanghe Sheji Scroll would surely be detected, rendering it completely ineffective. Thus, Meng Qi used his main body to engage in fierce battle and draw attention, while his doppelgänger rushed to seize the Xuan Shui Dao Mo Banner, distracting the evil thoughtform’s vigilance in other areas. Finally, the doppelgänger quietly unfurled the Shanghe Sheji Scroll directly in front of the Xuan Shui Dao Mo Banner!
If the goal was seizing the Xuan Shui Dao Mo Banner, then the plan would fail. But if the goal was briefly trapping Zhenwu’s evil thoughtform, then the banner would fall into his hands!
Meng Qi exerted force, gripping both ends of the scroll, and activated its ability to trap beings.
Then, he swung the scroll in the opposite direction and flung it away, while his own body darted forward toward the Xuan Shui Dao Mo Banner. His half-damaged, two-headed, four-armed form retracted, and his right-hand weapon, Tianzhi Shang, mysteriously vanished.
As the evil thoughtform’s doppelgänger prepared to intervene, a sudden gust of cold wind struck, electric flashes numbing its body. A massive blade, resembling a gaping wound, abruptly appeared behind it.
Puh! The blade pierced through the doppelgänger. Silent Yin Thunder exploded within, one blast following another in an unbroken chain, like gangrene clinging to bone, instantly engulfing and reducing the evil doppelgänger to dust.
Suddenly, a flash of sword light illuminated everything, as if absorbing all the light in heaven and earth. The Shanghe Sheji Scroll became illusory and transparent, cracking with each passing moment. A figure clad in black robes stepped forth.
At this moment, Meng Qi’s right hand had already grasped the Xuan Shui Dao Mo Banner. Above his head, the Dinghai Pearl floated, emitting five-colored light.
Zhenwu’s evil thoughtform narrowed its eyes. The sword thrust forward, and in an instant, sword lights divided and spread, covering every corner.
Worlds appeared as illusions—endless starry skies, round heavens and square earth, layer upon layer, all illuminated by sword light.
In that moment, Meng Qi felt as though no matter where he hid, he couldn’t escape this single sword strike!
Jit Tian Qi Jian, Dao spreading throughout the universe!
Facing this inescapable sword strike, Meng Qi’s mind remained calm as a lake, reflecting everything around him without the slightest panic. He poured all his strength and spirit into the Xuan Shui Dao Mo Banner!
Red mist spewed forth, black qi dissipated, and Meng Qi reclaimed control of the Xuan Shui Dao Mo Banner.
As the sword light reached him, he assumed a sword-wielding stance and slashed forward with the small black banner.
Hualà!
The tide broke free from the Dinghai Pearl’s restraint, filling the entire tomb, each droplet seemingly weighing ten thousand jin, crushing the earth beneath.
Hualà!
Beyond the tomb, red mist spread outward. Huangfu Tao, Zhaixing Old Immortal, and others sensed an overwhelming power beyond their comprehension, a force from an entirely different realm, like the difference between immortals and mortals!
Boom! Mountains within hundreds of miles collapsed, peaks instantly reduced to dust. Water emerged from the void, filling the massive craters, shimmering with boundless waves, forming a vast “lake.”
Hualà!
Endless black waves surged toward Zhenwu’s evil thoughtform. The sword light, omnipresent, barely slowed it before being overwhelmed and swept away.
Seizing the opportunity, Zhenwu’s evil thoughtform, its expression darkening, withdrew the sword and circled it before itself. A black tortoise and a red snake emerged, forming a black-and-white Taiji, demonstrating the ultimate defensive technique!
Hualà!
The tide engulfed it, powerful waves striking relentlessly. Faint black-and-white light flickered within, the tortoise and snake shaking unstably.
Hualà!
The black-and-white Taiji shattered, leaving only Xuanwu struggling to hold on.
Hualà!
A piercing, frenzied voice rang out, piercing Meng Qi’s ears:
“I refuse to accept this!”
“I refuse to accept this!” As Xuanwu shattered, black waves swallowed the figure, sweeping through the entire tomb, leaving no trace, no remnants—except for the Dinghai Pearl high above and the Zhenlong Platform.
“I refuse to accept this!” Meng Qi stood still, listening, feeling drained in spirit, his soul aching, unable even to move a finger.
Using divine weapons was still a tremendous burden for him now, a single use barely manageable.
Drawing in primordial energy, the sea of the world surged, nourishing his body. Meng Qi seized every moment to recover, uncertain whether Zhenwu’s evil thoughtform had truly been eliminated.
Divine weapons were indeed powerful, far surpassing the current strength of the evil thoughtform. Yet since it was born alongside him, their effects might not be as effective as expected!
Crack! The small black banner developed more fractures, nearly shattering. The red mist receded, the waves dispersing into the world, merging into distant marshes. The ground was clean and clear, devoid of any residue.
“The evil thoughtform is eliminated. The possible whereabouts of Zhenwu are known. The fifth step of the chain mission is completed.”
“The sixth step of the mystery of Zhenwu’s demise: through the discovery of the Yellow Spring bones, find the final whereabouts of Zhenwu the Great Emperor!”
The grand, indifferent voice of the Six Dao Reincarnation Lord resounded. Meng Qi exhaled deeply, finally relieved of the evil thoughtform. Without his many treasures and willingness to expend them, facing such a formidable opponent with superior experience, insight, and strength would have left him utterly helpless.
As his mind relaxed, a wave of weakness and numbness flooded Meng Qi’s consciousness, leaving him with no desire to think or act—only to lie still, breathing fresh air and savoring warmth.
“Through the discovery of the Yellow Spring bones, find the final whereabouts of Zhenwu the Great Emperor?” Meng Qi furrowed his brows, sensing the difficulty of the next step in the chain mission.
The Yellow Spring bones were currently in the hands of the Shengsi Wuchang Sect, likely excavated by them. To extract secrets from this mysterious, sinister sect, one of the Nine Evil Dao sects renowned for its strength, would not be easy—even if the Huangquan hand bone he possessed had some command over other Huangquan bones.
The living dead of the Shengsi Wuchang Sect and those within Zhenwu’s false tomb were so similar. Perhaps when the Shengsi Wuchang Sect discovered the Huangquan bones, they indeed gained some clue about Zhenwu the Great Emperor…
Meng Qi’s essence and energy surged as he frantically absorbed the sea of primordial energy, seemingly stirring the tides, his expression contemplative.
At this moment, the Xuan Shui Dao Mo Banner in his hand gently trembled. Without being activated, a black water thread spontaneously shot upward, directly piercing the Zhenlong Platform above!
“What’s going on?” Meng Qi was startled. The banner still contained hidden techniques left by Zhenwu the Great Emperor.
The water thread entered the Zhenlong Platform, triggering rippling light.
The light scanned the tomb, detecting no presence of the evil thoughtform. Then it condensed into a figure—a thin old man in Daoist robes, the image of Zhenwu the Great Emperor as a Daoist cultivator, the Vanquishing Demon Sovereign!
His gaze was gentle, as if truly seeing Meng Qi, and he performed a respectful bow:
“The evil thoughtform has been eliminated. I am deeply grateful.”
“After this battle, nothing within the tomb may remain. Yet I have several hidden arrangements, each concealing inheritances and treasures.”
“The first move of Jit Tian Qi Jian, ‘Zhandao Jianwo,’ and some treasures lie deep within the Xuanning Cave at the foot of Zixing Mountain, guarded by ancient infernal flames…”
“The fifth move, ‘Dao Chuan Huanyu,’ and several treasures lie at the Bingji Lake of Yanfei Mountain…”
“The seventh move, ‘Dao Mi Daosheng,’ along with my personal inheritance and several treasures, lie at ‘Jiangxinyuan’…”
The light gradually faded, leaving only echoing words.
“Jiangxinyuan, ‘Dao Mi Daosheng,’ personal inheritance, several treasures—the Zhenwu Sect’s lineage likely originates here…” Meng Qi recalled the legends of the Zhenwu Sect’s founding ancestor’s encounter. Based on environmental descriptions and acquired items, he was nearly certain they had indeed obtained Zhenwu the Great Emperor’s hidden arrangements.
“Primordial infernal flames, Xuanning Cave… How similar to the records left by the Xijian Pavilion’s founding ancestor?” Meng Qi suspected the Xijian Pavilion also received Zhenwu the Great Emperor’s inheritance, limited to ‘Zhandao Jianwo’ and treasures, without revealing the source of the inheritance.
Meng Qi inhaled deeply, thinking to himself: “If this is truly the case, then only the location of ‘Dao Chuan Huanyu’ remains to be obtained. Hmm, what about the general manual?”
There was no general manual for Jit Tian Qi Jian, which Zhenwu the Great Emperor must have possessed. Otherwise, he couldn’t have mastered three sword techniques directly!
Could the manual have been carried with him, remaining as the core of his eternal existence after death, together with his personal divine weapon—the ultimate reward of the chain mission?
Yet Zhenwu the Great Emperor seemed still alive! Meng Qi shuddered, retrieving the Dinghai Pearl. Faint cracks had appeared on its surface, indicating some damage.
The Fengdian Divine Envoy’s Blood Spirit Pearl could be used multiple times; so could his Dinghai Pearl. However, the more it was used, the more its quality degraded, diminishing the expected effect of future divine weapons crafted from it. After a few more uses, it might even shatter entirely!
Seeing the tiny cracks on the Dinghai Pearl, so clearly visible, Meng Qi felt intense pain. Considering the Dongji Changsheng Pill, Shanghe Sheji Scroll, and the single use of the Xuan Shui Dao Mo Banner, this mission had truly consumed a great deal. Acquiring the inheritance of Jit Tian Qi Jian still required another journey.
Yanfei Mountain, Bingji Lake—this time, he could directly inquire about the current location from the Six Dao!
Surveying the surroundings, he found the tomb washed clean, as if by water. All the refined Yuan copper and stone tablets inscribed with techniques had been destroyed by divine weapons and the residual force of the battle…
A bit of a loss—he needed to find a way to compensate… Meng Qi lamented bitterly.
…
Outside the tomb, staring at the vast lake, Xiyue Master suddenly shivered, his gaze slightly unfocused.
“There’s no need to worry too much. Qingyuan Daozhang is a transcendent expert, free-spirited and unrestrained; he surely won’t hold a grudge against you anymore,” Zhaixing Old Immortal consoled. “Didn’t he refrain from retaliating just now?”
“Exactly. Apologize properly later, and with Qingyuan Daozhang’s magnanimity, he probably won’t pursue the matter further,” Sword Moving the Nine Heavens also said.
Xiyue Master forced a smile and said, “I also trust in Reverend Qingyuan’s magnanimity and plan to return to Yuezhi Xiang first to prepare an apology.”
Zhaixing Old Immortal and others nodded in agreement, though puzzled why he wouldn’t apologize first and instead evade.
At this moment, He Canshang coldly sneered: “Regardless of whether Qingyuan Daozhang forgives or not, Jushen Manor and Yuezhi Xiang will never reconcile!”
When Jushen Manor was destroyed, why hadn’t they spoken of resolving grudges?
Xiyue Master’s expression sank, offering no rebuttal, and ordered Qingxue Longwang and others at the perimeter to withdraw first, before flying back to Yuezhi Xiang.
After flying for a while, beyond the sensing range of others, his lips suddenly curved upward, his eyes revealing authority!
“Finally escaped restraint!” He sighed, unmistakably in the tone of Zhenwu’s evil thoughtform!
He was still alive! And had possessed Xiyue Master!
Joy surged in his heart as thoughts raced:
“I long suspected ‘he’ would leave hidden techniques within the Dao Mo Banner. How could I truly rush to seize it!”
“Just feigning intense battle, sacrificing most of my strength, deceiving heaven and crossing the sea!”
The outer Xiyue Master was in the weakest state, naturally chosen as the vessel.
He exhaled, thinking inwardly: “He actually helped me evade the Dao Mo Banner’s detection. Was his previous act of revealing my identity also intentional?”
Doubts surged, but none could suppress his inner joy.
From today onward, the sea is wide for fish to leap, and the sky is high for birds to fly!
Suddenly, a figure in water-like robes rapidly pursued him. “Xiyue Master’s” eyes immediately froze!
He saw the refined, otherworldly Taoist priest from earlier stop before him, performing a respectful bow:
“Master Xiyue, this humble Daoist originally thought I could be magnanimous and no longer dwell on past grievances. But ultimately, my heart could not find peace, unable to forget how you nearly killed me. Let’s settle this matter.”
“Ah, this humble Daoist has always been narrow-minded, seeking vengeance for every slight. What do you think should be done?”
“Xiyue Master” stared blankly at the “petty” Daoist before him, speechless.
“Strange, your aura is filled with Yin Qi, and your forehead bears a bluish tint, as if possessed by an evil ghost!” Meng Qi suddenly became alert!
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