“The sixth step of the ‘Mystery of Zhenwu’s Demise’ is to discover the final whereabouts of Zhenwu the Great Emperor by investigating the remains of the Yellow Springs!”
Since the Red-haired Corpse King had been absorbed by the “Primordial Divine Corpse,” Meng Qi suddenly found himself without an opponent, and immediately stepped into the “Ancient Tomb Realm.” There, he saw numerous ancient tombs flattened or buried deep in ice due to the residual aftershocks of the battle between Su Wuming and the Northern Polar Dragon. The disciples of the Impermanence Sect had either been reduced to ice fragments or completely annihilated. Even the central ancient tomb had become a pile of broken walls and ruins, revealing its interior at a glance:
The iron-black coffin where the King of the Netherworld had hidden was opened. A ten-zhang tall figure stood beside an ancient bronze coffin, surrounded by swirling yellowish-red mist. His figure was barely visible through the mist, revealing only a glimpse of his imperial robe and crown, pitch-black skin, and a body covered in fine white hairs. His overwhelming and mighty aura was uniquely distinct, harmonizing perfectly with the illusory yellowish-red river behind him, whose origin and destination were unknown. This river seemed capable of piercing through multiple universes, omnipresent. Unfortunately, this aura lacked a crucial element, and Meng Qi currently lacked the strength to harness it fully. Otherwise, its legendary traits would surpass even those of Master Lu and Su Wuming, both in strength and clarity!
Yellow Springs remains… Meng Qi couldn’t help but sigh. The Zhenwu chain of tasks had been delayed for so long, but now it was finally back on the table, ready to continue.
Since the Yellow Springs bones were in the hands of the Impermanence Sect, the clues must be sought from them!
Dragging the Spirit Treasured Fire-blade, Meng Qi focused his mind and spiritual senses entirely into the blade, using the blade as his eyes and ears.
This was a state he had achieved when he first unlocked his spiritual senses. As his cultivation progressed, it became merely a technique, but one that never lost its usefulness. As the quality of his weapon improved and became more integrated with his being, the technique regained its effectiveness!
Suddenly, with a thunderous crash, Meng Qi felt the world transform. What he saw now were various uniquely distinct energies: earth-fire-wind-water, the Five Elemental Forces of red, green, yellow, white, and black, the mighty power of stars and the sun. All these energies filled the void, colliding and creating countless dangerous zones. Even a single gust of “green wind” could erase one’s past memories, decay one’s physical body, and corrupt one’s soul, leaving no escape!
This was the “False Yellow Springs” divine power of the “Primordial Divine Corpse.” Using its hands and feet as divine weapons, it emitted a chilling wind cloaked in yellowish-red mist. If struck or grazed by this wind, ordinary divine weapons would lose their spiritual essence, while even high-level cultivators in divine forms would have their true souls tainted, as if truly submerged in the ghost river of the underworld, doomed to eternal suffering. Its power and uniqueness surpassed even that of the dragon corpse, representing the pinnacle of the Impermanence Sect’s wisdom.
Though a failed creation, it was still extraordinary.
Unfortunately for it, it faced Master Lu, the strongest sword immortal of the current age and the number one figure on the Heaven Chart. His sword light split and wove subtly, nearly imperceptible, forming an intricate net that constantly broke and reconnected, severing and reattaching the yellowish-red parts of the “False Yellow Springs” divine power. Thus, the Primordial Divine Corpse’s power could only slightly taint the area but could neither spread nor directly strike Lu Da and his sword intent.
Though possessing divine authority, it found itself unable to wield it effectively. Instead, it was continuously struck by the refined and subtle sword lights, its divine body gradually accumulating wounds that could not heal, as the sword intent had already penetrated deep within!
Meng Qi activated the Void-Stepping Somersault Technique, using his divine weapon as his eyes and ears, weaving through the residual aftershocks of the battles between the Northern Polar Dragon and Su Wuming, and between Master Lu and the Primordial Divine Corpse, drawing closer to the King of the Netherworld. At the current distance, he could not utilize the Yellow Springs hand bone effectively.
Suddenly, Meng Qi saw the King of the Netherworld extinguish the three soul-sealing lamps atop the last bronze coffin with a palm gust, and heard him coldly mutter:
“Then let’s perish together!”
The inscriptions on the bronze coffin’s surface lit up one by one, only to fade out again. The King of the Netherworld took a few more steps back, hiding behind the coffin.
Creak… creak… creak… The coffin lid was slowly pushed open, revealing the ancient corpse within. It lacked the sense of a self-contained world, the yellowish-red river of divinity, or the solemn aura of a deity. It seemed like the most ordinary, common corpse—merely unrotted.
This was a corpse dressed in ancient attire, with clear facial features, tightly closed eyes, and a few strands of black beard beneath its chin, as if merely sleeping.
Suddenly, a faint sigh echoed through the void:
“When the mind borrows the flower to manifest, the flower follows the mind into stillness. If the flower is here, then what is the mind?”
A strong sense of confusion and deep contemplation permeated the air. Before Meng Qi’s eyes, a scene seemed to appear of an ancient sage gazing up at the heavens, pondering the profound mysteries of life and nature.
On a mountain peak, Han Guang, who stood with his hands clasped behind his back and wide sleeves fluttering, suddenly changed expression slightly and murmured, “Xin Sheng!”
Xin Sheng, one of the Sages of the Middle Ages! This was Xin Sheng’s preserved corpse!
The Impermanence Sect had somehow unearthed Xin Sheng’s corpse from an unknown location!
Being called a “Sage” in the Middle Ages meant at least being a great sage who had forged his own path. A Sage who had personally realized the Dao, walked a new path, and pondered the Dao itself—how could such a being not be powerful? Each Sage was at least a Celestial Immortal!
Even the “Bodhisattva of Moonlight,” a future Buddha and legendary figure still alive at the time, had left a comment: if not for the great changes in heaven and earth, the difficulty of advancement, and the decline of lifespans, these Sages might have all ascended to the ranks of legends or even higher. Among them, Xin Sheng was undoubtedly one of the most prominent!
He had been mortally wounded during the Battle of the Tyrant’s Siege, and later passed away in meditation. After the chaos of the Demon Buddha and the shifting of mountains and rivers, his burial site had become completely unknown. No one could have imagined that it would end up in the hands of the Impermanence Sect, leaving his corpse unrested in death.
In the “Ancient Tomb Realm,” near the bronze coffin, the world seemed to become illusory and nonexistent, as if nothing existed beyond the mind. The master of the Impermanence Sect standing before the coffin watched himself gradually fading into stillness, his gaze blank. Then, the corpse dressed in ancient attire slowly sat up, opened its eyes, and within its black pupils seemed to lie a world teeming with life.
At this gaze, the master of the Impermanence Sect shattered like a dream or a bubble, leaving no trace.
The “King of the Netherworld” stood behind Xin Sheng’s corpse. The sea of blood mist had thinned considerably, and his massive, transcendent form flickered between clarity and obscurity. If not for the divine weapon, the Brush of Life and Death, in his hand, and his bones being relics of the Yellow Springs, he might have shared the same fate as his fellow sect master.
The Patriarch had unearthed Xin Sheng’s corpse, attempting to refine it into an external manifestation of himself. However, this triggered a strange transformation. Within the entire Ancient Tomb Realm, everything and everyone had turned illusory and shattered into nothingness, except for the Northern Polar Dragon and the Primordial Divine Corpse. It had nearly led to the sect’s annihilation, until senior elders and disciples returning from outside missions noticed the anomaly. By then, Xin Sheng’s remains had already absorbed all the strange phenomena and could be sealed away.
Later, during another crisis threatening the sect’s existence, when neither the Northern Polar Dragon nor the Primordial Divine Corpse could resist the enemy, the then-sect leader opened Xin Sheng’s coffin. As a result, both sides were completely destroyed, and even the Northern Polar Dragon and the Primordial Divine Corpse, with their abnormally sturdy corpses, suffered severe damage.
Unless truly cornered with no escape, the “King of the Netherworld” would never dare to open this coffin.
“Xin Sheng!” Instantly, Lu Da, Su Wuming, and Meng Qi recognized the identity of this ancient corpse. They all sensed that illusory yet real aura, feeling the arrival of an entire world!
Meng Qi’s scalp prickled. He had actually encountered the preserved remains of one of the Sages of the Middle Ages. The Impermanence Sect’s grave robbers were truly audacious!
Sensing their shock, the King of the Netherworld sneered, “Since the Middle Ages, no one has possessed legendary traits, nor has anyone borne the burden of four calamities. Being able to drag you all to death with me is more than enough!”
After all, the Impermanence Sect still had another legacy site. If future disciples with the right opportunity entered, they could discover this place through ancient records and rebuild the sect, continuing its legacy!
On the mountain peak, Han Guang’s expression returned to normal, a faint smile curling his lips:
“A mere corpse and the inner world of a Celestial Immortal—he probably can’t kill a Legendary Earth Immortal. If Su Wuming assists him, Lu Da might still be able to resist. But then, dealing with the Northern Polar Dragon and the Primordial Divine Corpse will depend on Su Wuming’s omnipresence. Hmph, the more chaotic the situation, the more advantageous it is for me. The Yellow Springs relics are indeed valuable!”
Seeing Xin Sheng rise, Su Wuming’s figure suddenly soared into the air. Raising his sword, he slashed down in an indescribable state—a strike not bound by this world!
The Northern Polar Dragon was simultaneously struck from head to tail, with 1,269 points along its massive body being severed. Crackling fire and lightning spread across its body, from its horns all the way to its tail.
Roar!
It let out a piercing roar, its body now riddled with over a thousand wounds that merged together, nearly slicing it in half. Dark green dragon blood sprayed into the sky.
In Su Wuming’s eyes, every part of the Northern Polar Dragon’s body overlapped, allowing a single slash to strike all at once.
This was an attack with legendary traits, not manifesting in reality. It was a slash he had mastered only after a long period of secluded cultivation!
Lu Da’s sword light blazed fully, seemingly creating a realm of swords that trapped the Primordial Divine Corpse within. Freeing his hands, he prepared to confront Xin Sheng’s corpse.
Hearing the King of the Netherworld’s words, “More than enough,” Meng Qi took a step back. With a flick of his left sleeve, several figures flew out, and at the same time, an eerie door covered in intricate patterns appeared.
The figures were monks clad in yellow robes and red kasayas, led by a man with a handsome yet slightly melancholic countenance—Meng Qi’s master, Xuan Bei. As soon as they appeared, they seated themselves in the lotus position, forming a small *Garbhadhātu Mandala*. Some held *liuli* relics, while others wielded various Buddhist treasures. Xuan Bei struck a wooden fish and began chanting sutras. Golden *swastikas* flew forth, purifying the aura of death and encircling the Primordial Divine Corpse.
The Sutra of Ksitigarbha’s Salvation of Souls!
How could one confront the Impermanence Sect without seeking professionals? With a legacy spanning tens of thousands of years and deep-rooted foundations, how could Meng Qi afford to be careless?
On the other side, Yun He appeared, glancing greedily at the Northern Polar Dragon before throwing out the Primordial Unity Divine Talisman in his hand.
After the battle, he had already returned the Myriad Manifestations Gate to Meng Qi.
“This…” The King of the Netherworld was momentarily stunned. How could there be so many allies?
Meanwhile, Han Guang’s smile on the mountain peak froze as events unfolded contrary to his expectations!
Meng Qi, gripping his long blade, circled Xin Sheng from a distance, locking onto the King of the Netherworld. He laughed loudly: “You still don’t understand? Those who follow the Dao gain many allies, while those who abandon it find themselves alone!”
“I am the Dao!”
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