Frustration lingered in Meng Qi’s heart, an instinctive reaction, an emotion he couldn’t suppress. When one holds hope for something but ultimately fails, frustration inevitably arises. However, deep within his heart, protected by both the Yuanxin Seal and the “Only I Shall Be Supreme” technique, remained calm and rational.
Just as he had thought upon first hearing about the third Death Task, secret preparations were both real and illusory.
Given the Six Paths’ immense divine powers and the audacity to interfere with the reincarnation of the Golden Emperor and the heir of the Demon Sage, coupled with the Sun God Sovereign Xi’s profound vigilance against Him, it was exceedingly difficult to deceive Him. Without precise locations or the perfect convergence of timing and circumstances, success was nearly impossible.
Therefore, whether it was secretly cultivating the “Dao Yi Seal,” borrowing the Mirror of This Life from Gao Lan to contemplate this life and the next, creating techniques similar to “Past Matters Dissipate Like Smoke,” or secretly discovering the whereabouts of the Great Emperor Zhenwu, gaining multiple insights and preparations, Meng Qi believed these actions might not truly deceive the Six Paths. Their real purpose was to conceal the existence of his Earth-originated body, draw His attention, and prevent Him from suspecting other directions. When the time came, he would feign severing all past connections while actually transferring his Yuan Shen, cutting the link between his Earth body and his current incarnation, thereby achieving rebirth.
Of course, if these secret preparations could indeed deceive the Six Paths, it would be even better, significantly increasing his chances of escaping His control!
This was also why Meng Qi, though feeling frustration and disappointment, did not fall into despair and could still think calmly.
His Yuan Shen had escaped and descended here through a hidden connection, without bringing his Spirit Treasures like the Fire Knife or other items exchanged from the Six Paths. He only carried five things: the True Meaning of “Only I Shall Be Supreme,” the True Meaning of the “Dao Yi Seal,” the True Meaning of the “Kai Tian Seal,” the Great Dao Tree, and the Mysterious Blood Peach. The rest of the True Meanings remained deeply buried within the ocean of his mind, akin to memory fragments, not forming actual corresponding images within his Yuan Shen, with most of the techniques exchanged from the Six Paths existing merely as memories.
In other words, the Six Paths did not discover his acquisition of the Yellow Spring Reincarnation Body through tampering with exchanged items. The Great Dao Tree was impervious to external influences and could naturally dissipate attached curses and seals, while the Mysterious Blood Peach, brimming with ghostly energy and possessing its own consciousness, was not an easy target for manipulation. Most importantly, when he saw his Earth-originated body at the Jade Void Palace, both treasures were present. If the problem had originated from them, there would have been no point in continuing.
Another reason Meng Qi believed in the Great Dao Tree and the Mysterious Blood Peach was that the one who placed his Earth body at the Jade Void Palace and the one who transferred him using the secretly embedded seal within the “Dao Yi Seal” had not excluded them!
“If the monitoring of the Yuan Shen wasn’t done through tampering, then there are only two possibilities,” Meng Qi’s thoughts raced as he analyzed the Six Paths’ true strength. “Either Master Chonghe, upon obtaining the Biyou Palace, had been tampered with beforehand, leaving vulnerabilities in his shielding abilities and preventing interference with heavenly fate, or the Six Paths already knew the whereabouts of the Great Emperor Zhenwu and had long discovered the Yellow Spring Reincarnation Body, simply waiting for me here.”
Neither possibility could be ruled out. After all, the Immortal Trace Bazaar was essentially a smaller version of the Reincarnation Plaza, and the Biyou Palace had been in close proximity to the Six Paths for a long time. Without the suppression of Daoist Chonghe, it would have been far too easy for the Six Paths to tamper unnoticed.
“From now on, I can’t rely too much on the Biyou Palace. I must also understand that the tasks given by the Six Paths are likely not things He doesn’t already know,” Meng Qi reflected, gradually overcoming his frustration and disappointment.
The little boy “Yellow Spring” raised his right hand, covering his mouth. The blood-yellow glow in his eyes rippled like a lake, as if sensing something upon hearing the voice of the Six Paths Reincarnation Sovereign, revealing a hint of caution and fear!
Whoosh! His body suddenly disintegrated into a pool of blood mud. Faint blood-yellow spiritual lights emerged, splitting into hundreds of thousands of rays, like crimson clouds across the sky, some flying into the distance, some diving into the void, and others vanishing on the spot.
Even in Meng Qi’s current state, having entered the realm of the “Dao Yi Seal” and possessing characteristics of the “All Fruits’ Origin,” he momentarily failed to locate the true spirit of the Yellow Spring Reincarnation Body among the blood rays—or perhaps each ray contained it. He could only watch helplessly as it disappeared.
“This must be the life-saving technique of a legendary expert…” Meng Qi narrowed his eyes. “What could Yellow Spring possibly be afraid of, not even asking about his own bones?”
Moreover, after the Great Emperor Zhenwu entered the “Origin of Life and Death,” had he emerged again after countless eons?
As doubts swirled in his mind, Meng Qi’s Yuan Shen vanished, following the connection, transforming into black-and-white streaks of light, diving into the pitch-black fissure high above.
The fissure shrank and closed. The illusory Milky Way shattered. The swirling dark qi dissipated. The bright moon reappeared, hanging high, its clear glow draping the villa in a thin veil, even casting a serene aura over severed limbs and internal organs.
…
His Yuan Shen re-entered his physical body. Meng Qi moved his head and hands slightly, his expression unchanged as he walked out of the secret room and directly headed to the Immortal Trace Bazaar.
Due to the differing time flows after using the Reincarnation Talisman, although he had spent a year and two months in the Fengshen World, not much time had passed within the Biyou Heaven. The members had yet to respond to the “Reincarnation Talisman” acquisition.
Standing before the central jade pillar, Meng Qi extended his right hand into it, claiming the final reward for the Zhenwu Chain Task.
Light flared up like silver snakes, bursting into countless flickering shadows before condensing into a single form.
When Meng Qi withdrew his hand, a fresh, light-green seed lay in his palm. Its surface was covered in misty vapor, within which countless lights flickered—born and extinguished, extinguished and reborn. Upon seeing it, one instinctively thought of the phrase, “The Dao gives birth to One.”
The “Seven Sword Cutoff Heaven” manual from the Six Paths Reincarnation Sovereign might contain flaws or even deliberate deceptions, but its rank would not be lowered. It would greatly aid his sword cultivation and understanding, its value even surpassing the genuine “Tathagata Divine Palm” manual!
“Only companions who shared the task can jointly comprehend it. Besides me, only Zhiwei, the Little Glutton, and Senior Brother Qi,” Meng Qi mused as he pressed the seed against his forehead, his consciousness delving inward. Instantly, his mind was filled with visions of seas turning into mulberry fields and mulberry fields turning into seas, of rebirth and destruction, destruction and rebirth. It felt as if he had experienced countless eons in an instant, his heart and spirit momentarily growing aged and indifferent.
Besides that, unlike when he comprehended the “Tathagata Divine Palm” manual, Meng Qi did not see numerous martial arts concepts, nor did he “see” the Dao Venerable.
“The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao.”
“The Dao follows nature!”
It seemed as if something new had been added to his mind. Reflecting on the “Dao Spreads Throughout the Universe,” he now felt something different.
…
After leaving the Immortal Trace, Meng Qi did not immediately seek out Jiang Zhiwei, Ruan Yushu, and the others to let them comprehend the “Seven Sword Cutoff Heaven” manual. Instead, he chose the Bei Zhou exit and headed straight for Chang Le.
With his current realm and strength, even though he had entered the “Dao Yi Seal,” creating a divine technique similar to “Past Matters Dissipate Like Smoke” would still be extremely difficult. A year might not be enough, so he had to seize every second without delay:
First, he would borrow the Mirror of This Life from Gao Lan, using it together with his fragment of the Mirror of Next Life to cultivate insights. Then, on his way to find Jiang Zhiwei and Ruan Yushu, he would cultivate day and night without wasting a moment—this was the most efficient approach!
Before long, Meng Qi arrived at Chang Le, but he did not immediately seek an audience with Gao Lan. A year ago, he had ruined Gao Lan’s plans in the capital. Suddenly showing up might result in a direct strike from the Human Emperor Sword. The cold-hearted Bei Zhou Emperor was no joking matter, unlike the mad emperor!
However, Meng Qi also understood Gao Lan quite well. He turned instead toward the Feiyan Lake near Chang Le. The lake’s scenery was breathtaking, with shimmering waters and rippling waves.
Moreover, it was the place where Gao Lan had water-buried his lover, Yan Ran!
Time had passed. As the current incarnation of the Xuan Nu, her body had long vanished, leaving only her clothes sinking to the lake’s bottom. But for Gao Lan, perhaps those remnants were the true symbol of Yan Ran.
On the sixth day of the fourth lunar month, the anniversary of Yan Ran’s death, Gao Lan would surely come here!
At that time, his emotions would surge, and he might become the cheerful older brother Meng Qi remembered.
Since the sixth day of the fourth month had not yet arrived, Meng Qi decided to cultivate quietly here, further mastering the “Dao Yi Seal.”
Meng Qi was extremely patient. He found a hollow in the forest, sat cross-legged inside, closed his eyes, and began cultivating, unaware of the passing days and nights.
…
The sixth day of the fourth month arrived.
He naturally awoke, opened his eyes, and gazed through the trees at the lake’s clear, jade-like surface.
Clatter, clatter, clatter! A horse carriage approached from the distance. The driver was dignified and handsome, with thin lips—none other than the current Great Zhou Emperor, the Human Emperor Sword’s master, and the mad emperor Gao Lan!
Dressed simply, he personally drove the carriage, with no attendants or aerial travel.
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