Chapter 715: Chonghe’s Overbearing Might

Pure Yang Sect, Virtue Hall.

Meng Qi did not need to request an audience through the disciples at the mountain gate. As soon as he entered the territory of the Pure Yang Sect without concealing his aura, he received a transmitted voice from Chonghe. Immediately after, a wisp of clear light enveloped him, lifting him into the void and directly placing him inside the Hall of Virtue.

At the highest seat, a statue of the Virtue Celestial Venerable stood with white hair and beard, holding scriptures in hand, the Taiji symbol manifesting behind him. Chong He, wearing a robe adorned with black and white yin-yang fish symbols, sat cross-legged beneath the statue. His eyebrows and beard were white, his skin like that of an infant, with two golden lamps behind him, embodying serenity and transcendence, peaceful and unassuming.

Except for them, the entire hall was made entirely of blue bricks, completely empty, embodying emptiness to contain all things.

In a vague and indistinct state, Meng Qi vaguely felt that Chong He and the statue of the Virtue Celestial Venerable bore some resemblance, and he blurted out, “Congratulations, Senior, on your imminent breakthrough.”

After acquiring the content of the “Dao Chuan Huan Yu” and the Seven Swords Blocking Heaven, Chong He seemed to be on the verge of making a breakthrough!

Chong He smiled and said, “It might still take about a year or half.”

“If Senior can state the exact timeframe, it means the breakthrough is near,” Meng Qi replied with a grin, sitting casually on the blue bricks.

Chong He, having achieved success in Dao cultivation, exuded kindness and ease. Being with him felt like basking in a gentle spring breeze, and Meng Qi gradually felt less restrained.

Chong He chuckled, “You, my friend, don’t visit the Three Jewels Hall without reason. What problem have you encountered now?”

Meng Qi smiled and said, “Junior has important news to report…”

He first recounted the secret collusion between Han Guang and Gao Lan, including the incident of the Human Emperor’s Sword falling into the hands of the Mad King.

“The world is in chaos, and a great calamity is approaching. Indeed, various divine weapons are beginning to emerge into the world,” Chong He remarked with a sigh, neither surprised nor alarmed. “If this had happened a few years ago, and I had learned that Lay Devotee Gao obtained the Human Emperor’s Sword, this old Daoist would indeed have found it hard to remain calm.”

Now, with his breakthrough imminent, Gao Lan can only slightly awaken the Human Emperor’s Sword. As the saying goes, “Evil may rise, but the Dao will rise higher…” Meng Qi silently completed the thought. Once Chong He becomes a terrestrial immortal, reaching the level of Bodhidharma and Mani Bosat, considering Gao Lan’s current combat strength and the awakening level of the Human Emperor’s Sword, combined with the Changle Formation, he could at best hold his ground. Would the esteemed Master Lu fear Han Guang?

The only concern was that they might collude with the demonic tribes, but in such a scenario, Abbot Kongwen, Cui Qinghe, and He Qijue would undoubtedly intervene.

Seizing the moment, Meng Qi truthfully recounted how he had used the Karmic Severance to slay the Nine Heaven Thunder God, which compelled him to seek refuge in the Su Nu Sect to comprehend the Tyrant’s Overlord Saber. There, he encountered Gu Xiaosang, the “Demoness,” who forced him into signing a contract to aid her in exploring the Nine Heavens. He omitted only the part where Gu Xiaosang referred to him as “husband” and the final segment about their mutual cultivation to escape.

“Indeed, the True Lord of the Miao Dao Qingyuan went to the Celestial Court… they are all in the Jade Void Palace…” Chong He first pondered this matter, and after finding no clues, added playfully, “During this period, the world has been in an uproar, discussing your relationship with Gu Xiaosang. Some praise you as a true hero and chivalrous figure, doing what extraordinary men do, engaging in extraordinary deeds with an extraordinary companion. Others accuse you of seeking fame and fortune, recklessly acting as a young hero, unable to distinguish between righteousness and evil, indulging in beauty, descending into the demonic path, and being seen embracing and cuddling with Gu Xiaosang at Xingyun Manor, deserving to be killed by all.”

Han Guang certainly didn’t miss the opportunity to smear me… Meng Qi had expected this, but shouldn’t most people be skeptical? After all, there was no concrete evidence, and the one spreading the news was the Sect Leader of Tianmen, the Mythical Celestial Emperor, a supreme figure among heretics and demons, whose credibility was low!

Wait a minute, me and Gu Xiaosang embracing and being intimate at Xingyun Manor? It was clearly after I was severely injured and unable to resist that she carried me away!

Except for himself, Gu Xiaosang, Senior Chong He, and Ze Luo, no one else witnessed the event at the time. The jester elder brother only emerged later to kidnap him, so there shouldn’t have been any leaks!

Could it be that Gu Xiaosang herself spread the news? With such details, people are half-believing and half-doubting?

Meng Qi pondered deeply. The two prevailing attitudes at present were precisely what he had expected. There were those who had always harbored dissatisfaction and jealousy toward him, those who could not tolerate the slightest flaw in their eyes, and those who envied his romantic entanglements with the enchantress at Xingyun Manor…

Chong He chuckled and said, “This old Daoist will highlight the key points and say a few words for you. This matter is mostly baseless gossip and not difficult to quell.”

With the endorsement of a high-level figure like Chong He, a leader of the righteous sects, Meng Qi no longer worried about the rumors and immediately put them out of his mind.

As this topic was about to conclude, Chong He suddenly asked in a calm tone, “If, in the future, Gu Xiaosang continues to commit wrongdoings, kills innocents indiscriminately, and attempts to plunge the world into chaos, what will you do when you encounter her again?”

This question struck Meng Qi’s mind like a bolt of lightning, illuminating the dark recesses of his heart—the issue he had always evaded!

When they meet again in the future, will he still be able to firmly raise his sword against her, killing her without hesitation?

If his heart softens, he might witness her committing acts that violate his own moral bottom line, leading to future regret and eternal inner torment!

Chong He gazed gently at Meng Qi, without pressuring him to answer.

Meng Qi remained silent for a long time, exhaled deeply, suppressed his turbulent thoughts, and slowly said, “Regardless of her intentions, she has saved my life several times. What’s the point of living if a man cannot repay both grudges and kindness?”

“If I encounter her committing evil acts and killing innocents, I will risk my life to stop her, disable her martial arts, and then protect and watch over her, letting her either live in a temple with ancient lamps and old Buddhist scriptures, wear simple clothes and follow the Dao, or retreat to the mountains.”

Chong He neither agreed nor disagreed, casually saying, “She is also a reincarnated soul. Disabling her martial arts doesn’t mean the end. Again and again, will you be entangled with her endlessly?”

Meng Qi fell silent once more, his heart heavy with complexity. After a long while, he said, “Junior will always be vigilant about this…”

The confrontation between righteousness and evil is not merely a superficial division of factions, but a clash of concepts, ideologies, and moral bottom lines. It may sound simple to articulate, but in reality, it carries profound weight.

Chong He smiled slightly, “Don’t be tense. This old Daoist was just asking casually to help you sort out your thoughts. Whatever answer you give is unimportant.”

Meng Qi nodded, understanding Chong He’s meaning, his mood relaxing a bit, and then said, “Junior encountered an incident in the Southern Wilderness this time…”

He recounted his entire journey through the Southern Wilderness and informed Chong He of the secret technique.

Chong He did not immediately attempt the secret technique but instead asked unexpectedly, “At that time, if you had abandoned the Hao Tian Mirror and fled directly through the void, the Blood Sea Rakshasa Lay Devotee would not have harbored such deep resentment towards you. Why did you insist on making an enemy of him?”

“Firstly, if the Hao Tian Mirror had fallen into his hands, it might have greatly enhanced his power. The Blood Robe Sect is a thoroughly evil cult, completely devoid of humanity, cruel and malicious. If I can strike and weaken them within my capabilities, I would be more than willing,” Meng Qi replied resolutely, embodying the essence of righteous vengeance. “Secondly, Senior has also mentioned that my fortune is abnormal. If I don’t create opportunities while my fortune is strong to prepare for the future, should I wait until my fortune wanes and calamities strike before acting?”

The Tree of the Dao, a mystery even to the Six Paths, offers opportunities for enhancement that I will not miss.

After this incident, a green leaf on the Tree of the Dao fully sprouted, brimming with vitality, as if nurturing something extraordinary within.

Moreover, the Blood Sea Rakshasa surely had intentions of killing to eliminate witnesses. He would most likely prevent my escape. Without using the absorption of the Hao Tian Mirror to divert his attention, even if it was just a clone, there might not be a way to interfere with my void-breaking talisman. If I couldn’t leave the magical place, I wouldn’t be able to enter the Lanke Temple—The Blood Sea Rakshasa didn’t wait outside for his main body to arrive before entering because he was cautious, as that would make the situation uncontrollable. Perhaps I had a treasure that could substitute for my cultivation level, taking the residual soul of the Hao Tian Mirror?

Chong He smiled kindly, “The Blood Sea Rakshasa is cunning, treacherous, cruel, and malicious, and holds grudges fiercely. Even if your previous enmity wasn’t deep, once he learns of your entry into that divine and demonic world, he will surely seek revenge by every means possible. That hasn’t changed. Fortunately, he can’t directly descend until he succeeds.”

“On the other hand, the dangers you face during your travels will increase greatly. This old Daoist will temporarily give you a ‘Reversal Great Derivation Talisman.’ Within a year, it can slightly obscure his divination and secret techniques. After a year, if this old Daoist has broken through, I will go to the Southern Wilderness and pay him a visit. Even if I can’t destroy the Blood Robe Sect’s mountain gate, I will ensure he dares not leave the Southern Wilderness for a decade.”

Wow, Senior Chong He uttered such domineering words with such composure… Meng Qi couldn’t help but feel envious and that proud sense of having a formidable backer!

After speaking, Chong He chuckled slightly, “Even if we invite Lay Devotee Lu and others to join forces, with the hidden Gu God, it might still be impossible to truly destroy the Blood Robe Sect’s mountain gate.”

With a Dharma Body, divine weapon, and the mountain gate formation, they could withstand attacks from two or three ordinary Dharma Bodies.

“Does the Gu God truly exist?” Meng Qi asked with mild surprise.

Chong He nodded and said, “The Gu God is a near-perfect incense-burning deity. Even if his lifespan is exhausted and he dies, as long as the faith in the Gu God in the Southern Wilderness does not vanish, he can be reborn from the incense offerings. At his strongest, he is no less than the Moon Mani Bodhisattva, and at his weakest, he still possesses the power of a peak human immortal. However, due to some unknown restrictions, he rarely takes action, and there are almost no records of his exploits.”

After a few more words, Chong He closed his eyes and began to practice the secret method, attempting to sense “himself.”

After a while, he opened his eyes and shook his head, “Without the assistance of the Hao Tian Mirror’s aura to take the first step, just having the secret method is not enough to sense it.”

Is that so… Did the Blood Sea Rakshasa take the first step relying on the Valley of Eternity? Meng Qi suddenly realized, then spoke of the secret method, the Hao Tian Mirror, and the matter of myriad worlds and other selves. At the end, he asked respectfully, “Senior, what is the essential difference between the Angler and the fish?”

Chong He pondered for a moment and said, “This old Daoist temporarily doesn’t know, but vaguely has an idea. It is said that the beings who emerged at the beginning of the Primordial Age were naturally legendary, and after that, there were no such occurrences. The distinction between the Angler and the fish might be somewhat related to this.”

At the beginning of the Primordial Age, born as legends? Meng Qi silently noted this information.

At this moment, he remembered something and took out the strange “Dao De Jing”: “Senior, this is a copy of the ‘Dao De Jing’ that I mysteriously obtained in the Journey to the West world, but I can’t see anything strange about it.”

Chong He casually took it and started flipping through it. Suddenly, his gaze froze, his white eyebrows furrowed deeply, an extremely rare display of losing composure!

“Senior, is there really something strange?” Meng Qi’s heart lifted with concern.

Chong He took a deep breath and regained his calm: “Our sect is considered the lineage of the Virtue Celestial Venerable, and we have a cultivation method written by him. The handwriting in this ‘Dao De Jing’ is exactly the same as that of the cultivation method, except it contains no power.”

Oh my goodness, the ‘Dao De Jing’ handwritten by the Virtue Celestial Venerable? Meng Qi was completely shocked. This was one of the Three Pure Ones, one of the top three among the Nine Daoist Venerables, a Celestial Venerable even the Evil Thought of Zhenwu referred to as a great figure!

Was it a coincidence? Or was someone arranging it? What does it mean to give me a ‘Dao De Jing’ without any power?

Chong He guessed Meng Qi’s thoughts and teased, “Perhaps it’s to make you read this scripture more, understand virtue, harmonize your mind, and have a cautious heart like walking on thin ice, but if you’re always tense, you’ll lose the meaning of the Dao of Yin and Yang and Taiji.”

Meng Qi understood that Chong He was joking, but with the imminent death mission, he indeed needed to adjust his mindset and build up his emotions, so he seized the opportunity and asked Senior Chong He for guidance.

Chong He thought for a moment and said, “Take this Dao De Jing and go to the Lecture Hall to teach the children to read the scriptures.”

Eh… Meng Qi was puzzled. He left the Virtue Hall and saw a yellow-robed Daoist waiting, so he followed him, leaving the core area and entering the Lecture Hall.

“This is your teacher for the Dao De Jing lectures,” the yellow-robed Daoist introduced.

The children, around ten years old or younger, stood up and respectfully bowed, “Greetings, Master.”

Sunlight streamed through the windows of the Lecture Hall, illuminating the faces of the children, golden and bright, full of vitality. Meng Qi’s heart instantly calmed.

This is hope.

This is life.