When Meng Qi’s perception of the outside world returned, he found himself in a dimly lit, cramped room, no more than six or seven steps wide from east to west and five or six steps long from north to south. Against the wall sat a cloud bed, upon which a person was cross-legged in meditation. The figure showed no signs of life—already a corpse—but faint traces of breath remained, exuding an aura of strength and sharpness, indicating that in life, this person had at least been a Grandmaster.
His hair was loosely tied in a Daoist topknot, more silver than black. His eyes and forehead were deeply lined, yet his skin was lustrous, unlike a typical corpse. His mature, sharply defined features suggested that in his youth, he had been an exceptionally handsome man.
When Meng Qi saw him, he hesitated slightly, for the corpse bore a striking resemblance to himself, as if it were an older version of his own face.
Upon closer inspection, however, Meng Qi realized the resemblance was only superficial—perhaps two or three out of ten. Such a minor similarity was common enough in the world.
Relieved that he hadn’t encountered something supernatural, Meng Qi turned his attention to the small room. Besides the cloud bed, there was only a meditation cushion. The walls were made of bluish bricks that gleamed with a deep, metallic sheen, clearly imbued with powerful sealing techniques. The only exit was a thick stone door directly opposite the cloud bed, giving off a sense of solidity and weight.
“This must be a secluded chamber for recovery and cultivation,” Meng Qi mused with a slight nod. The problem, however, was that he didn’t know the identity of the corpse or the circumstances surrounding it.
He stepped forward slowly. A slight breeze stirred as he moved, and upon contact, the corpse began to disintegrate into dust. The flesh, which should have resisted decay, seemed to have lost all its power, turning gray and crumbling rapidly into fine powder—not even the bones, as tough as low-grade treasure-grade weapons, were spared.
In a short moment, the person who had once sat in meditation left no trace in this world.
“Injured and meditated until death, and the wound was one that completely drained all vitality,” Meng Qi deduced. “He must have died more than five years ago.”
With the corpse gone, there was nothing of value left in the room. Meng Qi shifted his gaze toward the stone door, intending to probe the sealing techniques guarding it, extending his consciousness slightly outward to catch a glimpse of what lay beyond.
……
Two men and three women stood before a grayish-white stone gate, all of them exuding formidable auras.
They stood on a cliffside, where clouds and mists swirled like a fairyland, its depths invisible at a glance. At the other end of the cliff was the grayish-white stone gate, surrounded by vines growing along the cliff face, giving the place a quiet, mysterious air.
At the forefront stood a middle-aged man in a golden-hued brocade robe, reflecting sunlight like a miniature sun.
His eyes gleamed with spiritual energy, and the rocks beneath his feet seemed slightly molten, a result of his barely restrained emotional overflow.
“Left Envoy, why hasn’t the Sect Leader emerged from seclusion yet? Wasn’t it said that he would not exceed ten years? We’ve already waited three days,” asked a bright-eyed girl in a purple dress.
Her eyes carried a trace of world-weariness, indicating that her youthful appearance belied her true age.
The man in golden robes turned, hands clasped behind his back, suppressing his emotions and feigning calm. “Immortaless Ziyue, please be patient. When it comes to secluded cultivation, who can predict the exact time of emergence? Especially since the Sect Leader narrowly lost to the Demon Lord Heishan, he not only needs to recover but also must use his extraordinary wisdom to elevate our sect’s ‘Heavenly Dao Cultivation’ to its ultimate level, becoming a supreme expert capable of rivaling the Three Patriarchs and Demon Lord Heishan. He may even touch the mysterious threshold of Enlightenment, recreating the legendary ascension feat of the Mythical Era.”
His words painted a bright picture, meant to comfort the sect’s Right Envoy and the three immortals.
A graceful and mature woman, the sect’s Right Envoy, glanced at the grayish-white stone gate with a faint bitter smile. “Even the founding ancestor of our ‘Heavenly Dao Cultivation’ could not reach its ultimate level, describing it only through speculation and imagination. It has always been considered mere fantasy by generations of ancestors. I wonder whether our Sect Leader, the most outstanding disciple since the sect’s founding, can truly surpass all ancestors and succeed.”
Her tone carried both doubt and hope.
“For decades, the Celestial Master, the Foolish Monk, and the Female Emperor have been revered as the Three Patriarchs, far surpassing ordinary masters and nearly attaining the realm of gods and demons. Only the enigmatic Left Path Supreme, Demon Lord Heishan, could rival them. Our Sect Leader has always been slightly inferior. Unless he can elevate the Heavenly Dao Cultivation to its ultimate level, he truly cannot contend with them,” sighed Immortaless Ziyue.
The five fell into silence as time passed, yet the grayish-white stone gate remained closed, exuding an ancient, cold stillness, coexisting with the swirling clouds and mists.
“Could the Sect Leader have perished in seclusion?” Ziyue couldn’t help but speculate.
Such occurrences were not uncommon, often due to martial cultivation mishaps, so her guess was not unfounded.
The other two immortals exchanged anxious glances.
The Left Envoy himself was uneasy but tried to remain composed. “Let’s wait one more day. If the Sect Leader still hasn’t emerged, we’ll use our talismans to activate the sealing techniques and contact him inside…”
Before his words ended, he suddenly felt the world darken. The brilliant sun and swirling clouds vanished. The surroundings became hazy and chaotic, making it impossible to discern distance or direction, even the passage of time seemed slightly distorted.
The five were stunned when they heard a heavy creaking sound.
The stone gate was slowly opening!
“Has the Sect Leader emerged?” The Left and Right Envoys and the three immortals were both shocked and delighted. Delighted that the secluded chamber had opened on its own, signaling the Sect Leader’s imminent emergence; shocked that within this chaos, their connection to the outside world had become extremely difficult, as if the natural laws and principles had vanished!
What terrifying domain was this!
As the stone gate opened, a figure appeared before them. Clad in a green robe, elegant and composed, his tall figure exuded a familiar aura, though his face was somewhat unfamiliar.
“Sect Leader?” The Left Envoy was the first to react, asking in astonishment, “Have you rejuvenated?”
Upon closer inspection, he realized the Sect Leader still bore some resemblance to his former self, but all his hair had turned black, his wrinkles gone. A youthful, handsome face contrasted with his mature and worldly demeanor, creating an eerie charm.
Had the Sect Leader truly broken through to an unprecedented level, achieving rejuvenation?
Immortality of the body did not mean it wouldn’t age!
His thoughts mirrored those of the Right Envoy and the three immortals. Such a strange transformation could only be explained by the ultimate level of the “Heavenly Dao Cultivation” described in legends!
And that terrifying, mysterious domain indirectly confirmed it!
This Sect Leader was none other than Meng Qi. After listening for a while, he had formed a plan. Hands behind his back, he stepped forward calmly and steadily. “Where is Demon Lord Heishan now?”
The Sect Leader had truly broken through! He was directly asking about Heishan’s whereabouts! The Left Envoy, looking at the composed, mature figure in the green robe, hurriedly replied, “Three years ago, the Celestial Master and the Foolish Monk temporarily joined forces to hunt down Heishan, but he still managed to escape. Since then, his whereabouts have been unknown.”
“However, we’ve received secret intelligence suggesting that the demons hiding in Lanruo Temple may have some connection with Heishan. That might be our starting point.”
Meng Qi nodded slightly. “Lead the way.”
“Yes, Sect Leader.” The Left Envoy hurried forward and flew off the cliff.
At this moment, Immortaless Ziyue, gazing at the Sect Leader’s now youthful face, blurted out, “Sect Leader, have you truly elevated the Heavenly Dao Cultivation to its ultimate level? What exactly is that ultimate level?”
Meng Qi brushed his robe and took a step forward onto the clouds, saying calmly, “The Blue Heaven is dead. The Yellow Heaven shall rise.”
“The Blue Heaven is dead. The Yellow Heaven shall rise…” Immortaless Ziyue and the others were deeply shaken, murmuring the words to themselves.
……
Near Lanruo Temple, the city gates were tightly shut, the streets empty, occasionally scattered with paper money, sending chills down people’s spines.
Although the Left Envoy knew the Sect Leader had achieved an unprecedented realm after his breakthrough, he remained cautious, arriving here first to investigate the situation at Lanruo Temple.
Inside a tavern, many martial artists had gathered. Some wore white mourning bands, others looked anxious, glancing around nervously, while some gripped their swords and blades, eager for action.
Meng Qi, clad in a green robe, and the Left Envoy sat near the window, listening to the conversations around them.
“Sigh, with the Celestial Master in the south and the Female Emperor in the north locked in conflict, the world is in ruins, and all kinds of demons and monsters are surging forth!”
“Yeah, better not leave the city casually! I’ve heard even Lanruo Temple is haunted…”
As they spoke, a swordsman entered the tavern, dressed in white, his features handsome, exuding a bright and confident aura. Behind him followed a beautiful young girl, gazing at him with admiration.
The dashing young swordsman strode directly toward Meng Qi and the Left Envoy, slightly lifting his chin in arrogance. “You two are from the Heavenly Dao Sect, right? This young master has accepted a commission to avenge the Huang Family Village for the theft of their secret technique seven years ago.”
The Left Envoy was quite surprised, glancing involuntarily at “Sect Leader” Meng Qi. No one outside the sect knew of the Sect Leader’s emergence, and their stop here was purely coincidental. How could this man know they were from the Heavenly Dao Sect?
Seeing that the Left Envoy didn’t respond, the young swordsman took it as confirmation and laughed loudly, “Die!”
Suddenly, a blood-red small banner appeared in his left hand, sending a chill down the Left Envoy’s spine. With a slight wave, a wave of blood surged forth.
This treasure could threaten even a Grandmaster! The young swordsman, delighted at his successful ambush, felt a surge of excitement.
Just then, his vision blurred. He saw the slightly aged man in the green robe raise his right hand. The fingers were long, strong, and white as jade, almost like those of a god or demon. Then, with a flick of the finger, the blood wave was sent back, not even leaving a trace of corrosion on his fingertip!
How was this possible? In an instant, the young swordsman was engulfed in the blood wave, turning into a puddle of blood.
As Meng Qi was about to question the stunned girl, he suddenly felt the world shift strangely, his senses limited to his immediate surroundings.
In an instant, his perception returned. The puddle of blood on the ground was gone, and the beautiful girl had also vanished.
Suddenly, the surrounding conversations reached his ears again:
“Sigh, with the Celestial Master in the south and the Female Emperor in the north locked in conflict, the world is in ruins, and all kinds of demons and monsters are surging forth!”
“Yeah, better not leave the city casually! I’ve heard even Lanruo Temple is haunted…”
Hadn’t they just said that? Meng Qi was startled.
At that moment, the door opened again, and the swordsman walked in, just as before—dressed in white, handsome, radiant, and full of confidence.
Behind him followed the beautiful girl, gazing at him with admiration.
Was it the same person? He wasn’t dead? The scene was identical to before! Meng Qi was shocked, his heart surging with waves of emotion, his aura slightly leaking, causing the chopsticks in his hand to snap and fall to the ground with a “pa” sound.
A figure flashed, and the radiant swordsman squatted in front of Meng Qi, picking up the chopsticks with a fawning, pleasing smile:
“Senior, your chopsticks.”
This… Meng Qi felt as if he were in a dream.
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