Within a radius of ten miles, everything turned into emptiness. The lake water left by Dari Su Hai surged back, filling the area, bubbling with gurgling sounds, transforming into a hot spring lake.
Gu Xiaosang bent her legs to one side, kneeling gracefully on the water, her posture elegant and enchanting. She supported her cheek with one hand, exuding a mischievous charm. With her right hand, she scooped up, seemingly pinching a rare lotus seed from the water to play with.
Blood and flesh at the severed part of Meng Qi’s body writhed and slowly grew. Under the influence of that strange sword, the Dongji Changsheng Pill could not allow him to recover quickly, to regenerate his arm. He had to gradually eliminate the lingering murderous intent!
Truly a terrifying weapon!
“A warning from a mighty being? Or pressure applied to test what hidden tricks I might have?” Meng Qi hesitated, recalling involuntarily the sudden malice within the Sixfold Karmic Cycle.
Since then, his actions had been particularly obstructed. With the Eight-Nine Mystical Art transformed at the Grandmaster level, combined with the memories and flesh of the “Supreme Evil Demon,” as long as he prepared adequately, he could deceive Han Guang temporarily. Han Guang, a figure brimming with confidence, would usually conduct a cursory inspection, and if no issues arose initially, he wouldn’t pay much attention, creating a blind spot that allowed Meng Qi to act safely. Yet unexpectedly, Han Guang showed great interest in the Buddha-Demon Unity and, upon hearing of the Poisonous Hand Demon Lord’s allegiance, came directly to meet him instead of sending a message, leaving Meng Qi unprepared.
Even more so with Gu Xiaosang: his probing into Luo Hou and the Ten Thousand Insects Venerable was only a sudden idea. She appeared at just the right moment to warn him. Most importantly, Meng Qi had already made thorough preparations, fearing encounters with other Dharmakaya experts. Yet she, merely a Grandmaster, managed to see through his identity, even more terrifying than a Dharmakaya cultivator. Repeatedly, his covert operations, once dangerous yet manageable, turned into farces.
The matter of Gu Xiaosang’s recognition aside—she had methods he never anticipated and had never previously revealed—other incidents were mere coincidences. One coincidence might be normal, but two or three created a feeling of continual misfortune. Looking back now, perhaps a mighty being indeed manipulated events behind the scenes.
For someone capable of causing such coincidences without Han Guang noticing, merely thinking about it sent chills down his spine, making his hair stand on end.
All this started when he left the Yuxu Palace. Could it be related? The Yuxu Palace could shield him from the Sixfold Karmic Cycle Master’s perception. Therefore, that being might want to discover what he obtained there, whether anything could potentially threaten or help him escape Its control. The malice in the divine weapon forging mission wasn’t mere pettiness or misplaced anger—it simply aimed to prevent him from growing stronger, facilitating oppression to force him to reveal his true capabilities. As these thoughts raced through Meng Qi’s mind, suddenly everything clicked. So that’s how it was.
Following the recent karmic anomaly, concealing his attainment of the “Dao Yi Seal” would prove challenging. Moreover, as he roamed the Investiture of the Gods realm, maintaining secrecy about his mortal form within the Sixfold Karmic Cycle demanded even greater vigilance.
Though Meng Qi didn’t know what role this body could play, since it was something beyond the Sixfold Karmic Cycle Master’s control, he had to cherish it dearly, absolutely avoiding exposure unless absolutely necessary.
Even after returning to his own world, with the mysterious connection and the help of the Taiyi Fen Shen Pill, Meng Qi could still control that body.
“If this truly is the test of the Sixfold Karmic Cycle Master, then influencing two Samsara travelers, Han Guang and Gu Xiaosang, would still be within the bounds of reason,” Meng Qi thought to himself.
Gu Xiaosang rested her cheek on her hand, slightly tilting her head to gaze at Meng Qi with a radiant smile: “A karmic anomaly, a heavenly punishment targeting a Half-Dharmakaya cultivator, barely neutralized by your utmost effort. At such a moment, if I had intervened alongside Sa Ren Gao Wa, you’d likely have had no choice but to use your ultimate trick to survive. And if this attempt failed, there would be more to come.”
In other words, the variable came from Gu Xiaosang? Reflecting on the recent battle, Meng Qi realized he must be even more cautious in the future…
Without dwelling further, Meng Qi’s regenerating flesh finally grew into an arm. He swung it twice to adjust.
Previously seated cross-legged, he now straightened his back, surrounded by shimmering waves, his gaze deep and focused as he stared into Gu Xiaosang’s star-like eyes and suddenly spoke: “You once said we are the same kind of person. You called it a joke, but it was truly your inner voice.”
As he spoke, Meng Qi remained highly alert, ready to strike at any moment. His strength and condition had fully recovered. With no one else around, and Gu Xiaosang’s conflicting emotions sensed earlier confirming certain things, if he still hesitated to confront her directly, he’d never achieve a complete mind.
Gu Xiaosang’s expression remained unchanged, her smile enchanting: “If my husband says so, then it must be true.”
Meng Qi stared into her eyes, seeing no evasion, no flinching—only eyes seemingly filled with endless stars, beautiful yet unreadable, revealing neither truth nor falsehood.
“Behind me lies an unknown mighty being, fishing for me. You, the reincarnation of the Eternal Mother, will inevitably become her. Therefore, you said we are the same—both burdened with karmic ties we never wished to bear, both fearing the loss of our true selves, even if that self is another version of us.” Meng Qi spoke firmly, unswayed by Gu Xiaosang’s attitude.
Gu Xiaosang still smiled faintly, resting her cheek on her hand like a lake fairy, silently listening as Meng Qi continued.
Meng Qi slowed his speech but maintained unwavering eye contact, secretly activating the Yuanxin Seal to sense emotional fluctuations: “Logically, a reincarnated person shouldn’t fear losing their self-identity, unless something went wrong, causing changes.”
“I don’t know what exactly happened to you, but your spirit must have split into two: one being Yulongzi, the other Gu Xiaosang. Gu Xiaosang possesses genuine emotions and thoughts, fearing the loss of self, while Yulongzi is a lingering consciousness left secretly by the Eternal Mother. Your contradictions and unpredictability stem from this.”
Gu Xiaosang played with a strand of her black hair, displaying a coquettish charm, finally speaking in a voice like flowing springs:
“Why not the other way around? Yulongzi is the pitiable, innocent young lady of the Yu family, while Gu Xiaosang is the villain attempting to seize her body and swallow Yulongzi completely.”
“Because I’ve only encountered Gu Xiaosang later on, and everything she’s done and said has subtly indicated this,” Meng Qi said slowly, inhaling deeply—not out of sympathy, but with a sense of shared understanding.
The world is like a copper furnace, people inside it suffering endlessly, unable to control their own fates. When will we ever break free?
Before Gu Xiaosang could reply, Meng Qi continued: “The first Xiaozǐ I met was indeed Yulongzi. Somehow, something went wrong, allowing her to gain the upper hand.”
“The reason you claimed Xiaozǐ wanted to destroy everything she loved and kill me was because you feared the Eternal Mother’s hidden measures. It wasn’t until you discovered I had inherited the true essence of the A-nan Break-the-Rules Knife Method did you change your mind.”
“At that time, merely triggering true intent to disturb the mind probably had little effect, certainly insufficient to stop you from killing me. The real reason was that you realized I, too, was a ‘fish’ of a mighty being. Deliberately letting me off, you hoped to use my entangled karma, fortune, and the power behind me to help you completely eliminate Yulongzi!”
Just like how I deliberately accepted the karma of Yuanshi Tianzun, aiming to disrupt the game and find a path to survival!
“At the Demon’s Grave, the Xiaozǐ you met wasn’t truly Xiaozǐ—it was you in disguise, meant to lure me into opening the gate, right?” A faint smile curved Meng Qi’s lips.
Gu Xiaosang blinked, her eyes rippling like a pool of autumn water, sparkling with light as she smiled sweetly: “My husband sees everything clearly; there’s nothing I can hide.”
Still as slick as ever, yet her attitude had subtly shifted.
Only you could blurt out all those embarrassing words without a second thought… Meng Qi grumbled inwardly before turning serious. “From then on, you pretended to threaten and attack while actually leveraging my extraordinary luck and the entangled karma of the mighty being to achieve your goals. Whether it was confronting Shan Xiumei in Yedu, setting up the True Emperor’s Seal in Jiangdong, obtaining the Overlord’s Absolute Blade in the Su Nu Heavenly Realm, or collecting the Triple-Life Fruit in the Nine Heavens—every step followed this pattern!”
Gu Xiaosang lightly bit her lower lip, pretending to be aggrieved, yet her eyes twinkled with mischief: “I’ve always done everything for my husband’s benefit. When have you not gained something from it?”
Lowering her head, she added shyly: “Even giving you my body’s purity.”
What a shameless enchantress, always putting on an Oscar-worthy performance… Meng Qi’s voice turned stern: “Sharing the Triple-Life Fruit and dual cultivation were meant to forge a special bond between us—between me and Gu Xiaosang, not Yulongzi. Because you found it increasingly difficult to suppress her and foresaw unfavorable changes ahead, this special connection would allow you to awaken through me—awaken as Gu Xiaosang.”
“To completely consume you, Yulongzi would inevitably kill me, someone deeply entangled with you. Your previous warnings implied exactly this. The contradictions between you two manifested in the chaotic schemes, giving me the opportunity to detect the problem.”
Gu Xiaosang’s brush-like lashes fluttered a few times, her smile blooming like a thousand flowers: “If my husband says so, then it must be true.”
The lack of a direct response made Meng Qi frown slightly. Was it the enchantress’s extraordinary ability to conceal herself, or were there other hidden secrets at play?
He shifted the topic: “By suppressing the Eternal Mother’s consciousness—Yulongzi—you gained her experiences and insights, allowing you to master numerous secrets and ruins. Yet each seemingly prophetic action still defied comprehension.”
“Could it be related to the anomaly that occurred when the Eternal Mother reincarnated as Yulongzi?”
Suddenly questioning her, Meng Qi closely observed Gu Xiaosang’s mental and emotional changes.
Gu Xiaosang smiled slightly, her eyes twinkling like a sly little fox: “You guess.”
Her emotions remained unchanged, her thoughts murky and indistinct. This fellow had methods to resist the Yuanxin Seal at its current level… Meng Qi speculated inwardly.
Gu Xiaosang lazily stretched her beautiful figure, smiling: “My husband must have visited the Yuxu Palace, gaining many benefits, such as the current Yuanxin Seal and the Dao Yi Seal just now, without the Sixfold Karmic Cycle or the mighty being behind it knowing. Therefore, you encountered the disappearance of abnormal fortune, and the beginning of continual misfortune. If there are still gains yet to be exploited, similar events will occur in the future. A mighty being won’t tolerate its ‘fish’ having anything beyond Its control.”
As she spoke, though still smiling, her eyes turned hazy, carrying a hint of sadness. The lake breeze blew, fluttering her robes, revealing her slightly slender yet beautiful figure:
“As a ‘fish,’ if you don’t obey, everything will go awry. Misfortunes will pile up endlessly, making you long for death. Family, friends, teachers, lovers—they will all perish one by one unless you yield, unless you cease resisting. Even a mighty figure like the Conqueror ultimately met his end—his beloved took her own life, his subordinates and brothers all perished, and he himself died in the end. Do you still wish to tread this path?”
Even a mighty figure like the Overlord ultimately met his end with his beloved taking her own life, his subordinates and brothers all perishing, and himself dying in the end… Meng Qi was first stunned, then overwhelmed by profound sorrow and fury. If he continued to struggle, would Master, Young Master, Cousin, Zhiwei, Yushu, Elder Brother Qi, Old Zhao, and the others all perish one by one?
As a ‘fish,’ would he never escape?
But could he accept this? Could he bear it?
As his thoughts churned, Meng Qi suddenly remembered a line Gu Xiaosang had once spoken: “Husband, if one day I were trapped by someone, would you still come to rescue me like the Overlord, even knowing the extreme peril?”
Had she been hinting about the consequences of his struggle from the beginning?
Gu Xiaosang’s words were truly a mixture of truth and deception, hard to distinguish. Seemingly teasing words often concealed genuine hints.
Gu Xiaosang slowly rose, her smile enchanting, her eyes radiant:
“This path is full of dangers, any moment could be the end. Some isolate themselves coldly, others indulge their emotions, only hoping to leave a vivid mark, making their worldly journey worthwhile. My husband, which kind are you?”
Before Meng Qi could answer, she continued: “We are the same kind of person, yet not exactly alike. I’m most selfish, desiring to attain the Dao’s fruition. On this path, no matter who perishes because of me, I won’t waver. Even if you, my husband, one day stand in my way due to a mighty being’s manipulation or opposition, I will kill you without hesitation.”
Suddenly, she cupped her face with both hands, a faint blush appearing, her thoughts drifting: “At that time, I’ll bury you on a secluded little hill, plant it full of white flowers, and visit you yearly. Only after attaining the Dao will I resurrect you, and we’ll indulge night after night…”
This demon girl had a rather twisted side to her… Meng Qi took a sharp breath.
“And you, my husband?” Gu Xiaosang slightly tilted her head, smiling sweetly as she asked.
Meng Qi, still feeling the sorrow and anger from the mighty being’s manipulation, faced with such a question, shook his head dismissively:
“If you die by my hand, I’ll spend my days in a monastery, until I achieve the Dao and resurrect you.”
Gu Xiaosang giggled, her cheeks blushing: “A handsome monk in gray robes, living in a monastery for his deceased wife. The more I think about it, the better it sounds…”
Girl, you’re having another episode… Meng Qi couldn’t keep up with Gu Xiaosang’s sudden leaps in thought.
Gu Xiaosang handed the lotus seed in her hand to Meng Qi: “If that day ever comes, plant it. When the flower blooms, you’ll see me. And if my husband dies by my hand, I’ll also plant a lotus by your grave, and when it blooms, I’ll see you again.”
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