With creaks and groans, the King of Yuyin could hear the grinding of his bones within his massive frame, feeling them being pulled in all directions, no longer under his command. Each part of his body moved independently, unable to function as a unified whole. The Mengpo Technique, the Yellow Spring True Water, the Authority of the Evil God, and the True Qi of Life and Death—none could be wielded freely anymore. His entire cultivation was now in another’s grasp!
This hand bone was indeed the most special, the controlling pivot of the Yellow Spring skeleton, no wonder it had been taken away… The black body of the King of Yuyin, covered with fine white hairs, bulged at the ribs at times, had sunken collarbones at others, and black bones pierced through the skin, oozing with yellowish blood, as if he had swallowed a terrifying monster that was now rampaging inside him.
He and Meng Qi were originally opponents of the same level, and he had only been able to rely on years of accumulation and the Yellow Spring skeleton to gain the upper hand. But now, with his physical body completely out of control, how could he resist his enemy?
In battles between experts, even the slightest difference could decide victory or defeat; heavenly timing, geographical advantage, and human support could all be key factors. With such a major vulnerability exposed, how could Meng Qi possibly miss the opportunity?
Suddenly, the void trembled. Meng Qi’s body vanished and reappeared a few feet in front of the King of Yuyin, seemingly piercing through space itself. Without hesitation, he slashed diagonally with his long blade, and with the black hand bone in his left hand, gently pointed it at the King of Yuyin’s forehead.
The blood-yellow mist swirling around the King of Yuyin abruptly dissipated, revealing his face. It was a pale, bloodless visage with bright red eyes and emerald green pupils. His nose was high, his lips thin, and he exhaled thick black yin energy, giving him an eerie allure. Fine, dense black hairs grew from his pores, making him resemble a wild beast, contrasting sharply with the rest of his body and causing onlookers to shudder involuntarily.
Though alive, he looked more like an ancient corpse!
Phew! The black skeletal hand, faintly glowing with a pale light, struck squarely between the brows of the King of Yuyin. He attempted to raise his arm to block, yet his bones twisted unnaturally in the opposite direction. He sought to summon the Life-Death Brush, but his metacarpus instead forced the divine weapon outward. His spirit was devoured by the congealed, blood-yellow river encircling him, leaving him utterly defenseless—unable to resist, unable to retaliate, unable even to drag his foe down with him in mutual destruction.
This hand bone completely suppresses my Yellow Spring body, and “Crazy Blade” Su Meng had always known this. This setup wasn’t just an attempt—it was a clear plan with a predetermined outcome!
In this moment, the King of Yuyin suddenly realized: once he had coveted the Yellow Spring bones, his fate had been sealed.
Without the Dharmakaya, the Sect of Impermanence of Life and Death could not perceive the transformations of Crazy Blade. With Su Wuming present, there was no need for “tracking,” nor any fear of exposure. Their combined efforts prevented the grand formation from either closing or activating. The participation of Master Lu could counteract the legacies of most top-tier sects. Against ancient sects with centuries of heritage, they even had Yangshen Cultivators and monks practicing Dizang techniques as reinforcements, ensuring they wouldn’t panic under pressure and would only resort to desperate measures as a last resort. The black hand bone completely neutralized the remnants of the Yellow Spring, leaving him without hope—neither mutual destruction nor escape was possible.
With such cold and meticulous steps, they must have had hidden experts lurking in the shadows, ready to prevent any opportunistic interference!
Their forces were so powerful, their planning so precise, and their execution so ruthless that his ancient, mighty sect, with tens of thousands of years of heritage, was about to be wiped out without much resistance. There was no back-and-forth battle, no last-ditch effort in the face of annihilation—just like an ordinary sect provoking a top-tier power.
It was like the machinery of ancient times, one gear locking into the next, operating in orderly, cold efficiency, gradually forming an irresistible trend. Once the momentum was fully established, all that remained was crushing domination!
Rip! The King of Yuyin heard his body being torn apart. The black flesh, white fine hairs, and yellowish bodily fluids adhered to the black, faintly glowing Yellow Spring bones, seeping into them, being consumed, making the bones even lustrous and mysteriously sacred.
In an instant, the King of Yuyin transformed into a massive black skeleton, devoid of flesh.
The Life-Death Brush instinctively sought to protect its master, but Meng Qi, already in position, struck it directly with his Spirit Treasure Fire Blade, engulfing it in Solar True Fire and forcing it to retreat slightly.
Seizing the opportunity, Meng Qi’s eyes turned deep and unfathomable, his aura ethereal and indifferent, as if an ancient deity or saint had descended. He unleashed his evolved and enhanced “Heaven-Shaking Earth-Shattering Method”!
Integrating the “Only I Am Supreme,” the “A-nan Precept-Breaking Blade Method’s Heart-to-Heart Transmission,” the “Yuanxin Seal,” the “Yinyang Seal,” and more, this “Heaven-Shaking Earth-Shattering Method,” enhanced by the second volume of the “Yijin Jing,” was Meng Qi’s self-created, peak-level spiritual technique. Past lives and reincarnations converged in this moment, fragments emerging anew through this life!
Deprived of physical support, lacking Dharmakaya assistance, and bombarded by the Yuanxin Seal’s amplification of negative emotions, the King of Yuyin barely resisted before his spirit shattered and his inner sea of consciousness churned violently. Golden memory fragments rose from the ocean, flashing before Meng Qi’s mind.
Meng Qi did not seek to awaken the King’s fragmented past-life memories—he focused only on this life.
The King of Yuyin was conceived in the womb for ten months, yet born in sudden death—delivered from his mother’s corpse inside a coffin. His first cry was discovered by a wandering elder of the Impermanence of Life and Death Sect; otherwise, he would have suffocated within the coffin…
Born uniquely, endowed with extraordinary talent, he swiftly stood out among his peers, mastering the Yellow Spring True Method and the Life-Death Impermanence True Qi. His rapid progress soon made him a candidate for sect leadership…
He did not let the Sect of Impermanence of Life and Death down. He made further strides in his exploration of the True Yellow Spring Body. If he could obtain a fresh Dharmakaya as a vessel, he could transform yin into yang, turn death into life, and solidify the True Yellow Spring Body—endowed with numerous legendary attributes and a physique approaching the legendary realm, wielding partial authority over life and death, existing as half-human and half-divine. He would surpass even Su Wuming of today, rival Master Lu, and advance smoothly toward legendary status in the future…
Alas, man proposes but God disposes. Beneath the “weakness” deliberately left by the Yellow Spring邪神, and under the influence of this hand bone, he couldn’t even unleash his Grandmaster-level prowess or employ any of his martial arts or esoteric techniques…
Sometimes, one cannot help but sigh at fate! The King of Yuyin’s final lingering thought was painfully familiar to Meng Qi:
“Unwilling!”
As the fragments of memory flickered, Meng Qi finally found what he was seeking. This Yellow Spring skeleton was acquired by the founding ancestor of the Sect of Impermanence Between Life and Death over 3,000 years ago from the “Yellow Spring Secret Realm” within the Nine Nether Abyss. Along with it came the esoteric method for crafting the undead. Yet, they had discovered no trace whatsoever of the True Martial Emperor.
At the same time, Meng Qi learned that the Sect of Impermanence of Life and Death also possessed a hidden realm known as the “Heaven of Impermanence of Life and Death,” which housed complete legacies, materials for divine weapons, and more. Even the King of Yuyin was unaware of its location—it was destined to be discovered by future disciples through serendipitous encounters, enabling the sect’s revival. The founding ancestor left no records on how to access the Heaven of Impermanence of Life and Death.
Such is the nature of impermanence—life and death are ever-changing. If fate wills it, there will always be another opportunity!
“No trace of the True Martial Emperor…” Meng Qi slashed eight times in succession, each strike seemingly carving out a section of empty space, forming a solid cage that briefly trapped the Life-Death Brush.
“Only two paths remain to complete the True Martial Chain Quest,” he pondered. “The first is to venture into the ‘Yellow Spring Secret Realm’ of the Nine Netherworlds and seek any traces left behind by the True Martial Emperor. The second is to wait until I master the Dao-Yi Seal, then use the mystical connection of the Yellow Spring Skeleton to locate the reincarnation of the Yellow Spring Evil God, awaken his past-life memories, and directly inquire about the ‘Yellow Spring’ taken by the True Martial Emperor!”
In an instant, Meng Qi had already planned his next move. The second method didn’t rely on others—it all depended on himself, making it the most suitable.
However, the Dao-Yi Seal was indeed one of the Three Primordial Seals. Even though he had already mastered the newly acquired Void Seal, he was still only scratching the surface of the Dao-Yi Seal. The Seal of All Causes was not easily grasped.
Just then, the petals of the sword-light lotus suddenly vanished, and the entire Ancient Tomb Realm became hazy and illusory, as if Meng Qi had entered a mirage.
A path rose from the ground, spiraling upward to form a mountain.
A middle-aged man in wide robes and clear features slowly ascended the path. An ethereal, distant voice echoed:
“There is no good or evil in the essence of the mind. Intentions give rise to good and evil. Knowing good and evil is innate conscience. Doing good and eliminating evil is the cultivation of things…”
“Unity of knowledge and action…”
Each word formed his understanding of himself, his exploration of heaven and earth, his reflections on human relationships, the relationship between humans and heaven, and humans and death. Layer upon layer, they wove a self-consistent path—a path leading to the Dao. Even though Meng Qi didn’t fully agree, he found the ideas thought-provoking and deeply moving.
The clear-featured man reached the mountain peak, gazed upward at the still-distant stars, his aura gradually fading. His thoughts and explorations lingered, his frustration tangible. In a low voice, he asked the final, ultimate question:
“What is the Dao?”
His eyes closed, tears streaming down his face. Before he passed away, he neither sought life nor feared death—only asking what the Dao was, only regretting that he had never heard of the Dao.
What is the Dao? Suddenly, Meng Qi’s eyes moistened, his heart feeling empty and clear. Though he lacked the realm of the sages before him, he seemed to faintly understand their spirit—their pursuit of self, of heaven and earth, of the Dao itself.
To hear the Dao in the morning would make dying in the evening sufficient.
As the image of the Sage of the Mind faded into the void, the Ancient Tomb Realm returned to normal, his corpse lying once more in the ancient bronze coffin.
Han Guang sighed. It had been resolved so quickly—he had only been able to watch.
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