At the river’s bend, drifting ice occasionally collided with the banks, leaving behind marks of varying depths. Beside it stood an earthen-yellow tent, with the surrounding mud and water stained a dark, blood-like black, as if years of blood had accumulated there.
Since the arrival of the Asura Temple’s people at the “Yellow Tent,” the area had been filled with violence and bloodshed. The strongest warriors of the grasslands instinctively avoided approaching, leaving a vast empty space around it.
Meng Qi wore a brocade robe, his hair tied in a bun with a wooden hairpin. His eyes revealed a weary look, exuding a mature and composed aura, yet his pale face concealed madness, as if he might descend into insanity at any moment. With hands clasped behind his back, he slowly approached the Yellow Tent.
“Please.” The two disciples of the Asura Temple guarding the entrance, upon merely meeting Meng Qi’s gaze, felt their souls tremble as if facing the Great Asura Monarch Nan himself. They made no attempt to stop him or report his arrival, simply allowing him to enter directly.
Meng Qi extended his left hand and lifted the tent flap. Before stepping inside, he smiled faintly and said, “Shama, your disciples are still too inexperienced.”
“Even the most mature still cannot resist being startled by extreme evil thoughts?” A deep, drum-like voice sounded from the figure seated at the upper seat. He had a high nose and wide eyes, with blue eyes and brown hair, a typical Western Regions man, his features chiseled like a knife, but his hands were twice the size of an ordinary person’s, seemingly capable of crushing someone’s skull in one grasp. His entire presence exuded a murderous and bloodthirsty aura. He was Shama Huo, the Asura King cultivating the “Rahu Dharmakaya,” commonly referred to as Rahu.
Behind Rahu stood two disciples, both in their early twenties. One was tall and straight, with a rugged face and eyes filled with bloodthirsty cruelty. The other was eight feet tall, with a muscular physique, wearing a black fur garment that resembled a kasaya but wasn’t quite one, his eyes filled with rage and an ever-ready fury. They were clearly disciples of the Asura Temple known to Meng Qi—the practitioner of the “Wrathful Form,” Lou Jia. Despite several years passing, Lou Jia, who had originally surpassed Meng Qi in cultivation, had still not crossed the first tier of the Celestial Ladder.
Inside the tent sat another figure, an elderly man dressed in crimson robes, his white hair thick and strangely coarse, like countless tiny snakes.
“Master Wan Chong is here too?” Meng Qi smiled faintly, as if returning to his own hall, casually asking and choosing a seat at ease and leisurely.
This old man was Wan Chong Venerable, the “liaison envoy” sent by the Blood Sea Rakshasa Sect.
“If you can come, why can’t I?” Wan Chong Venerable snorted coldly. Being older and of higher seniority, he always disliked the younger generation who put on airs of being “Supreme Evil Demon.”
Behind him also stood two disciples of the Blood Robe Sect, both male, wearing dark red robes, their eyes filled with madness, showing only fear toward the strong, devoid of any other humanity. One had visibly bulging blood vessels, while the other wore a belt adorned with a row of infant heads.
Rahu did not introduce Lou Jia and the others behind him, nor was there any need. All present were Masters; none would deign to glance at those who had not even crossed the first tier of the Celestial Ladder. His massive hand struck the table before him heavily, saying, “Extreme Evil, your Central Plains have an old saying: ‘No one visits the Three Jewels Hall without a reason.’ We Westerners also have a saying: ‘Better to fight an honest man than drink with a schemer.’ Speak your purpose directly.”
Am I supposed to speak just because you tell me to? That would be so undignified for a Master! Meng Qi calmly turned over an upside-down bronze wine cup on the table, took the wine pouch, poured a full cup, brought it to his lips without tasting, slightly closed his eyes, and sniffed the wine’s aroma playfully.
After finishing all this, Meng Qi looked up at Rahu and pointed at the tall, rugged-faced man: “Is he your personal disciple?”
At this stage of cultivation, Meng Qi could already roughly judge the opponent’s Dharmakaya by sensing the bloodline flow, orifice anomalies, and certain traits. The man clearly also had the “Rahu Dharmakaya.”
“Yes, he just advanced to the Outer Scene.” Rahu showed slight impatience.
This was the flaw in the Asura Temple’s cultivation techniques, which brought forth anger, irritability, bloodthirstiness, and an insatiable desire for battle. Whether one could control and harness these traits largely determined their achievements.
“So he’s the ‘Little Rahu’ who ranked in the top three of the Human Rankings before…” Meng Qi still avoided getting to the point.
Little Rahu’s gaze remained unchanged, but his posture seemed even straighter, revealing a hint of pride, while Lou Jia beside him appeared increasingly agitated and wrathful.
The two disciples behind Wan Chong Venerable exchanged glances toward Rahu, subtly comparing.
“There are too many top three Human Rankings to count. Why bring this up?” Rahu said bluntly, “Extreme Evil, are you here because of that previous battle?”
“Ah, so Master Wan Chong came for the same reason?” Meng Qi did not answer Rahu but turned to look at Wan Chong Venerable, his expression half-smiling, half-serious.
Wan Chong Venerable’s voice turned grave: “What’s wrong with that?”
The impatient Rahu at the upper seat felt as if every word with the “Extreme Evil Demon” was like punching cotton, missing the point entirely, making him increasingly uncomfortable.
In this short time, Meng Qi had already sensed the emotional shifts within the Yellow Tent and was using them to cultivate the Yuanxin Seal.
Only now did he leisurely reply: “Of course. I came precisely to hear your thoughts, saving me the trouble of visiting the nearby Green Tent.”
“What thoughts could there be? Since the Khan repelled Lu Da and Chong He, other feelings don’t matter anymore.” Wan Chong Venerable’s wrinkles deepened as he laughed in an eerily sinister way.
Rahu did not answer but instead asked: “Extreme Evil, what are your thoughts?”
“Lu Da and Chong He have silently broken through their barriers and reached the Earth Immortal level. The Khan probably can’t sweep across the Central Plains anymore. However, if we join forces, we can still deal with Kong Wen He Qi and others. The outcome remains clear; there’s no need to be distressed.” Meng Qi appeared completely confident. “At that time, we’ll break through one sect after another, topple one force after another, rewriting the fate of the world. Following the Khan will surely bring tremendous rewards.”
His words seemed unproblematic, but Little Rahu and Lou Jia both slightly furrowed their brows. Following the Khan alone?
Suddenly, outside came the sounds of bells, chimes, and chanting, ethereal and sacred. The tent flap was lifted, and first came into view a pair of pure white boots, followed by a face of exquisite beauty, neither too stern nor too gentle, with a faint smile on her lips. Her aura was serene and otherworldly, and white lotus flowers seemed to drift around her, holy yet subtly wise.
Behind her stood a thin, elderly man with a mighty aura, holding an oil lamp in his hand. The flame flickered like a bean, unmoving, casting a warm and maternal golden glow onto her white dress.
Little Rahu, Lou Jia, and the two disciples of the Blood Robe Sect were all captivated by her, gazing without blinking, as if emerging from a mountain of corpses only to meet their ideal celestial maiden.
Gu Xiao Sang! Meng Qi’s heart jolted, then quickly regained composure. Just having replaced the Extreme Evil Demon, he was now meeting old acquaintances one after another. This woman was indeed Gu Xiao Sang!
Gu Xiao Sang gracefully stepped forward, her smile enigmatic as she glanced around the room: “Visiting at night, I hope the Asura King will forgive my intrusion.”
As she spoke, she casually found a seat, while Little Rahu and the others couldn’t help but follow her every movement, unable to look away.
Was this the so-called incomparably beautiful Great Luo Holy Maiden?
Truly living up to her reputation; seeing her was better than hearing about her!
Even Wan Chong Venerable and Rahu couldn’t help but steal a few glances until the emotionless gaze of the Lampbearer Divine Attendant fell upon them.
Watching the Divine Attendant, ranked sixty-sixth on the Earth Ranking, respectfully standing beside Gu Xiao Sang without sitting, observing Wan Chong Venerable and Rahu’s mixture of desire and wariness, and seeing the lustful admiration in Little Rahu, Lou Jia, and the others’ eyes, Meng Qi suddenly felt a strange sensation, as if he had never truly examined Gu Xiao Sang before.
How high was her status within the Luo Sect that even Masters stood by her side without complaint?
The holy and noble demeanor she now displayed was so different from the mischievous and temperamental girl he had known. Which one was her true self?
Come to think of it, he had never seen how she acted in front of others…
Gu Xiao Sang smiled at Rahu: “Are the elders discussing the previous battle?”
“Yes, the sudden advancement of Lu Da and Chong He to Earth Immortal has naturally caused some unease.” Meng Qi eagerly joined the conversation, hoping to extract some important information.
Gu Xiao Sang’s smile remained unchanged on her face: “Indeed, it was unexpected, but many things can no longer be undone. Do the elders agree?”
Both Rahu and Meng Qi slightly frowned, unsure of her meaning, while only Wan Chong Venerable showed a flicker of emotion before returning to calmness, laughing hoarsely: “Certainly, the Khan’s strength has been fully demonstrated. My Blood Robe Sect will definitely join in the grand endeavor!”
Hmm, the Blood Sea Rakshasa hasn’t even spoken yet, and you’ve already made a commitment? Or has the Blood Robe Sect already made up its mind? Meng Qi felt puzzled.
Gu Xiao Sang’s gaze shifted, her eyes clear, as she continued: “Gao Lan achieved the Dharmakaya and developed ambitions. Previously, he attempted to collude with the Khan to march south, planning to strike at a crucial moment and kill either Chong He or Lu Da, then betray the Khan and join the remaining one to expel him, thereby balancing the power between the aristocratic families and sects. However, now all three have broken through, making him no longer a pivotal figure, and his plan has completely failed.”
The message she revealed was quite shocking, causing both Rahu and Wan Chong Venerable to be momentarily stunned, asking in unison: “Has Gao Lan allied with the grasslands?”
One was pleased, the other anxious.
This young lady speaks in half-truths and lies so convincingly… Meng Qi inwardly cursed as he looked at Gu Xiao Sang’s pure and holy face.
How could she so openly reveal such matters without fearing any leaks?
“He’s now in a tight spot.” Gu Xiaosang’s smile was faint. “To prove his sincerity initially, he recruited many factions to ally with the grasslands, such as the Cao Clan of the Secondary Capital. Now, seeing the Khan’s might, they have abandoned him and completely submitted to the Khan’s rule. This is the Cao Clan’s token of allegiance.”
She produced a head, with long, flowing hair, a handsome face, wide-open eyes filled with disbelief, blood still flowing, dripping down from Gu Xiao Sang’s hand drop by drop.
Cao Xianzhi? The True Lord Qingyuan Miaodao, Cao Xianzhi! Meng Qi’s heart suddenly tightened, nearly losing control!
Cao Xianzhi was dead?
He had mastered the Eight-Nine Art and became a Master, yet he was still killed?
With the Eight-Nine Art’s ability to sense danger, even if someone close attacked, Cao Xianzhi shouldn’t have been caught off guard!
Even if several Masters from the Cao family attacked together, using divine weapons, he should have had a chance to escape with the Eight-Nine Art’s formidable power!
Gu Xiao Sang’s face was pale and delicate, as flawless as jade, her smile faint and serene, while in front of her was a gruesome head, eyes wide in disbelief. The contrast gave her an eerie charm.
A beauty as graceful as jade, discussing murder with a smile—this femme fatale was truly a bewitching enchantress.
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