“Pot?” Ye Yuqi, whose mature and cool demeanor was slightly taken aback, felt as if her question and Meng Qi’s answer were not on the same wavelength.
Meng Qi quickly suppressed his smile and solemnly explained, “It’s a rural idiom meaning responsibility.”
He added, “Judging from the timing, the disturbance of the Heavenly Execution Axe coincided with my exploration of the Nine Heavens. Many changes occurred, leading to the collapse of the Heavenly Punishment Gate that nurtured the axe. Gurdo’s ascension to Earth Immortal was somewhat due to my involvement.”
Ye Yuqi’s attention was quickly diverted, and she ignored the so-called “pot.” Her eyes, like stars, were deep and brilliant: “The collapse of the Heavenly Punishment Gate that nurtured the Heavenly Execution Axe caused its disturbance, allowing Gurdo to seize the opportunity. The timing matches, so it must be true—Gurdo has indeed broken through to Earth Immortal.”
Her tone carried an indescribable bitterness. Although Gurdo had ascended earlier than her brother-in-law, he had always been slightly inferior before obtaining the peerless divine weapon. Now, after her brother-in-law endured prolonged hardship and finally found his path forward, someone else could sit in the Golden Tent and suddenly gain good fortune, catching up effortlessly. How could this not provoke resentment?
“The contradictions among the Nine Heresies of Evil are immense, making their alliance nearly impossible unless a high-ranking expert emerges to control the situation. Gurdo’s attainment of Earth Immortal status resolves this major obstacle. Coupled with his grand ambitions, clever strategies, audacity, and skill in inciting conflicts, the ‘Master of Evil,’ or perhaps the Luojiao sect, their gradual gathering at the Golden Tent Alliance is not implausible,” Meng Qi analyzed the second piece of news.
Based on his limited knowledge of the upper echelons of the Nine Heresies, the only figures with the capability, audacity, and motivation to unite the nine sects were the “Lord of Evil” Han Guang and the “Demoness” Gu Xiaosang. Judging by the traces left at the murder of Butler Zhou, Meng Qi leaned more toward suspecting the Lord of Evil. However, following this incident, the Demoness would likely intervene, fanning the flames to further her own schemes.
“The more chaos in the world, the more joy for the evil sects!”
Ye Yuqi’s face, as pure as a lotus blooming from clear water, remained calm as she slowly said, “If the Nine Heresies of Evil ally at the Golden Tent, with Gurdo and Da Man in the north, Blood Sea Rakshasa in the south, Great Asura Mengnan in the west, and the Dharma King of Salvation and the Master of Evil in the center, their number of Dharma Bodies already rivals the orthodox sects. If they further mobilize the elites of the grassland tribes, southern barbarian clans, western kingdoms, and recruit top evil experts from Nanjin, Zhou lands, and the Eastern Sea, their strength at the Master and top expert levels would not be much inferior to the sects, royal courts, and aristocratic families.”
The three Daoist sects, four Buddhist monasteries, six sword-wielding sects, six dominant powers of the realm, and fourteen noble clans—excluding the Lanke Temple with its “a foot apart yet worlds away” technique—amounted to thirty-two factions in total. Their combined might could nearly withstand the entire world. Even when divided between Nanjin and Beizhou, their individual elite martial prowess surpassed that of the grasslands, western regions, and southern wilderness. Moreover, with the relatively stronger influence of the five orthodox Dharma Bodies and the mutual infighting among the Nine Heresies, the situation remained firmly under control. This left the heterodox sects either universally condemned or forced to retreat to remote regions like the southern wilderness.
Now, with Gurdo attaining Earth Immortal status, he is once again regarded as the strongest under heaven. The gap in cultivation realms with other Dharma Bodies, combined with his possession of a peerless divine weapon, although not fully integrating the nine sects, at least allows him to suppress internal conflicts and unify them to some extent. With someone skillfully orchestrating connections, the left sects’ counterattack is subtly taking shape.
“Frenzied King Gao Lan secretly colludes with the Master of Evil. I wonder if he will get involved in this,” Meng Qi warned gravely.
Ye Yuqi’s eyes seemed to contain flowing star rivers as she remained silent for a long time.
Thus, the previous balance of six Dharma Bodies versus six would shift to five versus seven!
The wind blew from afar, stirring Ye Yuqi’s hair and enhancing her icy, ethereal aura. Meng Qi continued on his own train of thought: “‘Great Asura’ Mengnan from the west and Blood Sea Rakshasa moving northward would likely keep the two Dharma Bodies of the Great Jin occupied. Also, I wonder if the Bug God can leave the southern wilderness, and whether Abbot Kongwen, after gaining the most insights into the core principles of the Tathagata Palm, and having endured previous trials, has developed the Golden Body of the Arhat of Subduing Dragons and achieved the Bodhisattva Fruit…”
His thoughts wandered, one thing leading to another.
Ye Yuqi collected her thoughts and shook her head: “Since the rumors began, the Bug God has never left the southern wilderness.”
“Abbot Kongwen visited Huamei Villa last month and discussed Dao and Buddhism with my brother-in-law. From what he said, he indeed gained significant insights into the core principles of the Tathagata Palm and reached the threshold of the Bodhisattva Fruit. However, breaking through would require several more years of cultivation. Inner cultivation of the Bodhisattva path and outward manifestation of compassion.”
Although the chaos caused by evil sects presents a great opportunity to achieve the Bodhisattva Fruit, it does little to change the current situation. Meng Qi sighed inwardly and said, “How would the three seniors He Qi, Chonghe, and Lu fare against the Earth Immortal Gurdo wielding the Heavenly Execution Axe, the Master of Evil Han Guang, Da Man, and the Dharma King of Salvation? Gao Lan, who wields the Human Emperor Sword, might join them at any time…”
Two peerless divine weapons!
Ye Yuqi pursed her lips: “It depends on how awakened the Heavenly Execution Axe is. If it reaches the peak of Earth Immortal, my brother-in-law alone with his sword can defeat Gurdo.”
She said “defeat,” not “withstand”!
Meng Qi had no doubt about this. Master Lu’s slightly legendary characteristics were not just for show. Even if he couldn’t reshape heaven and earth with a single sword strike as in the divine and demonic world, he should still have advantages over Earth Immortals, such as his astonishing micro-cultivation techniques.
“But what if the Heavenly Execution Axe awakens to the level of a Heaven Immortal?” he considered the worst-case scenario.
If it reached the legendary level, Gurdo’s alliance with the Nine Heresies of Evil would be meaningless. One man and one axe could dominate the world until other peerless divine weapons sensed the crisis and awakened.
A faint radiance seemed to flicker in the void around Ye Yuqi, as though she stood at the heart of the cosmos. After a moment, she spoke, “With Daoist Chonghe’s assistance, they could hold their ground.”
She truly believed in her brother-in-law… Meng Qi suddenly sensed a problem: “Has Senior Chonghe ascended to Earth Immortal now?”
Ye Yuqi switched to telepathic communication: “Before I returned to the villa, I saw the Heavenly Venerable. Knowing the urgency of the situation and being on the verge of breakthrough himself, he used the Reincarnation Talisman. A few moments later, I witnessed the Earth Immortal-level Sword Array of Slaying Immortals.”
“An Earth Immortal-level Sword Array of Slaying Immortals combined with Master Lu’s slightly legendary characteristics could hold against the Heavenly Execution Axe awakened to Heaven Immortal level and Gurdo?” Upon hearing of the Primordial Unity Sect’s breakthrough, Meng Qi finally exhaled in relief.
Ye Yuqi nodded slightly: “I’ve seen remnants of Heaven Immortals in many ruins. The gap between major cultivation realms cannot be easily bridged.”
Could Sword-crazed He Qi alone hold off three Dharma Bodies, including the currently neutral Gao Lan? Meng Qi inhaled sharply, sensing the seriousness of the situation.
“It’s not a desperate situation yet,” Ye Yuqi suddenly said.
“Hmm?” Meng Qi’s understanding of high-level combat was limited.
“Gurdo himself is only an Earth Immortal. Even if he wields the Heavenly Execution Axe at the Heaven Immortal level, he cannot sustain it for long. Moreover, each sect and school has its own divine weapons for defense, arrays for protection, and relics like the sarira and Dharma Body remains as their foundation. Even if Sword-crazed He Qi can only hold off one Dharma Body, the other two would struggle to destroy top sects quickly, though resources might be heavily plundered, and the backbone forces of the martial world would inevitably suffer significant losses,” Ye Yuqi explained.
None of the top sects were easy targets!
Similar quasi-Dharma Body combatants either lacked endurance or had flaws, making them less flexible. Even if dozens were deployed without true Dharma Bodies, unless they could accurately surround the enemy Dharma Body, there was little chance of killing them. Instead, the enemy could easily employ hit-and-run tactics, making the situation increasingly dangerous over time. Therefore, while they could cause trouble on the battlefield or create diversions, once faced with direct confrontation, defeat was only a matter of time.
But they were more than capable of defending their sects and families.
Meng Qi nodded first, then frowned: “If one Dharma Body, along with the divine weapons and hidden strengths of the Nine Heresies of Evil, plus the Masters from the southern wilderness, grasslands, and western regions, simultaneously attacked a top sect, could they quickly breach its mountain gate?”
At the level of Exoteric Realm battles, mobility was an undeniable factor, fundamentally different from conventional warfare.
Dharma Body experts could nearly traverse the void to travel, while scattered and mobile Masters invading various areas would easily be picked off one by one. This was why previous grassland invasions southward hadn’t caused much damage. However, when enemy Dharma Bodies gained the upper hand, the situation would drastically change, with Masters from Nanjin and Beizhou not daring to show their heads, forced to defend their own territories.
Ye Yuqi pondered for a moment: “There’s a certain possibility.”
No quasi-Dharma Body, no matter how strong, could withstand so many powerful enemies. Except for a few currently in their prime, others might not be able to hold out.
Suddenly, Ye Yuqi noticed Meng Qi’s wording: “One Dharma Body? What about the other one?”
“Obviously, to ambush the rescuers,” Meng Qi exhaled, a classic tactic of attacking the point to draw the rescue forces, preventing the quasi-Dharma Body combatants from leveraging their strengths and fully exposing their weaknesses.
“In that case, everyone can only defend their own territories, hoping that when Gurdo can no longer hold out, the attacked sect will still be able to endure. Alternatively, traps can be set, with all sects joining forces to eliminate the two Dharma Bodies,” Ye Yuqi and Meng Qi speculated on the worst-case scenario.
In such a situation, the backbone of the orthodox martial world would suffer devastating blows, creating a massive gap!
If they retreat into their sects and families, spies might infiltrate.
She paused and continued, “Currently, the situation with the Heavenly Execution Axe is unclear, Gao Lan’s stance is uncertain, and many pieces of information are lacking. Our discussion based on assumptions lacks rigor. We must quickly verify these matters. However, one thing we must guard against now is the infiltration of spies from the Nine Heresies of Evil. Their lineages have been passed down for generations, and there are likely infiltrators within the top sects. If the situation reaches a point where each sect can only defend itself, these spies would be the most dangerous factor. We must promptly inform all sects and investigate to uncover these spies.”
“If these spies could be easily found, they would have been discovered long ago,” Meng Qi mused. “After the information leak, Gurdo did not immediately head south, indicating that the alliance of the Nine Heresies of Evil has not yet been fully established. They are likely still trying to recruit other left sects. We can start from this angle to find the spies and even disrupt the alliance.”
Ye Yuqi’s expression remained unchanged: “I was just thinking the same thing. I plan to go to Peijing and ask Cao Xianzhi to infiltrate in disguise.”
Hearing the name Cao Xianzhi, Meng Qi suddenly recalled something, his frown deepening further: “I found out that the Golden Tent Shaman secretly contacted the Cao family in Peijing through Senior Chonghe. I wonder if Cao Xianzhi is aware of this…”
If the Cao family had been recruited, how many top sects would suffer in a critical moment!
Ye Yuqi’s expression changed slightly, revealing seriousness: “Then we must first find a way to test him, but the investigation of spies cannot be delayed…”
She looked into Meng Qi’s eyes: “How about you go under the identity of the Poisonous Hand Demon Lord?”
Ye Yuqi was well aware of the Poisonous Hand Demon Lord’s death and knew of Meng Qi’s transformation abilities. After noticing the reappearance of the Poisonous Hand Demon Lord on the Black List, she had roughly guessed the truth.
Meng Qi immediately smiled bitterly: “The Devilish Girl of the Luojiao sect already knows about the Poisonous Hand Demon Lord’s identity, and the Su Nu Sect should also be able to guess it. Using ‘him’ would be like delivering myself into their hands.”
“Delivering myself into their hands…” Ye Yuqi could barely understand what it meant. Upon hearing this, she fell into thought, planning to find another method.
At this moment, Meng Qi took a deep breath and said, “However, I can use the Poisonous Hand Demon Lord’s identity to contact other left sects’ masters and then ‘replace’ them.”
“With your current strength, it’s still too dangerous,” suddenly came the voice of Master Lu. “If things go wrong, the flame of the orthodox sects must not be extinguished, and you are the most promising one. At that time, you should hide and cultivate, planning slowly.”
Meng Qi felt a bit moved and loudly said, “Under a fallen nest, how can there be intact eggs? I have grudges with the Master of Evil and the Blood Sea Rakshasa. Without the protection of the elders, no matter where I hide, I can’t escape. When the time comes and there’s no way back, I’ll take this gamble!”
He silently counted his enemies and suddenly had an idea: “Han Guang has deep ties with the demon race. They might seize the opportunity to take advantage at that time.”
In this way, the number of enemy Dharma Bodies would swell to a terrifying level.
“If Gao Lan obtains the Human Emperor Sword, his stance might shift if he becomes involved with the demon race. In times of crisis, he may further awaken the Human Emperor Sword, so the situation won’t be entirely hopeless,” said Master Lu from a distance.
Oh my, could this be the cold and ruthless Gao Lan’s goal—to save humanity from disaster, creating chaos if there is none to begin with! Meng Qi’s mind was in a mess.
Master Lu continued, “If you reach the Master level and combine it with your transformation techniques, the danger of infiltration would be relatively manageable. But now…”
Ye Yuqi silently nodded, which was why she first thought of Cao Xianzhi.
Meng Qi chuckled: “Then allow this junior to go and improve his cultivation level first.”
The Reincarnation Talisman must be used when the time is right. There will be opportunities in the future.
This was also the idea that suddenly occurred to him after defeating the Blue-ranked assassin. First, he would spread his situation through the Earth Ranking to lure out his enemies. Then, he would enter the Divine Trial and later find the Jade Void Palace!
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