Lonely mountains and isolated ridges, a dilapidated temple stands tall, its main gate collapsed, ancient Buddhas worn with time, exuding a quiet desolation.
Meng Qi, dressed in a cyan robe, suddenly appears within the temple, his expression calm, emotions deeply concealed. He slowly walks toward a hole in the wall nearby, heading toward a pond of lotuses.
Suddenly, the lamp before the Buddha statue ignites, casting a dim and desolate glow across the room—warm, yet filled with an indescribable loneliness.
The bright moon hangs high, casting its clear glow, making each lotus in the pond appear pure and untainted, breathtakingly beautiful.
With his back to the lamp, Meng Qi stands at the edge of the pond, gazing silently at the lotuses. His expression is gentle, his eyes focused, a mixture of tranquility and solitude.
“I have finally severed all past entanglements, removed every karmic chain, cut off all future rebirths, and gained true freedom. No longer must I fear losing myself. Even if I face situations beyond my control, I can now make decisions that align with my true nature, without needing to consider anything else…” Meng Qi’s face is half bathed in moonlight, half in shadow. His hair is black, but the streaks of gray at his temples betray the marks of a life fully lived. He quietly speaks from within, addressing the lotuses.
After a decade of anticipation and refinement, I have merged *All Past Things Dissipate Like Smoke*, *Karmic Entanglement*, and the *Dao Yi Seal* to forge my own saber technique—*Unconcerned with Past Deeds*—crafted precisely to sever lingering attachments and karmic bonds. Furthermore, by integrating the fate-seeing power of the *Fruit of Karma* with the *Dao Yi Seal* and *Dao Spreads Across the Universe*, I developed a sword technique named *Unconcerned with Future Lives*, which enables the manipulation of destiny and the alteration of causality within a defined realm.
His mind is like moonlight—peaceful and serene, yet deeply lonely—as he slowly recounts his journey, as if there were still a smiling, white-clad spirit listening attentively with her chin resting on her hand.
“Moreover, I created a combined sword and saber technique called ‘Chaotic Devouring of the Cosmos,’ also known as ‘Return to Wuji…’ My ‘Wuji Seal’ has only recently achieved minor success, excelling in defense but lacking in offense. Therefore, I borrowed the concept of the ‘Yin-Yang Seal,’ using the saber and sword to simulate the reversal of Yin and Yang, reenacting the primordial chaos and Wuji…”
“Speaking of which, including techniques like ‘Gloriously Burying the Star River’ and ‘Yin-Yang Triad, What Origin, What Transformation,’ I’ve created several ultimate techniques. Even the Overlord has only six slashes; I’m nearly at that level.”
“When I was young, I always dreamed of integrating all I had learned, innovating and creating my own martial path, becoming a patriarch revered by the world. Back then, I even thought of a name for my martial manual—’My Dao Book’—a title that sounds impressive. But now, it feels somewhat embarrassing. If you were still alive, you would have come up with a much better name…”
“The Dharmakaya I attained is called the ‘Immortal Primordial Body,’ a fusion of the Immortal Dao Body and the Primordial True Body. Though the former is a Daoist Dharmakaya, it also possesses Buddhist traits such as the Bodhi Wisdom Eye. Overall, it can be considered a synthesis of Dao and Buddhism, akin to combining the Tathagata Golden Body with the Primordial True Body. Observing figures like the Green Emperor and Thunder God, who possess multiple identities, it seems that merging Dao, Buddhism, and divine paths is a common attempt. If the rumors are true, this path may have originated from the Primordial Lord himself…”
“Upon careful reflection, I believe that transcendence doesn’t necessarily require the fusion of Dao, Buddhism, and other paths. The Dao Lord and Buddha Ancestors are proof of this. Others may be stuck at certain stages and seek to explore different paths for inspiration. However, the greatest danger lies in confusing the fundamental with the derivative.”
“My Immortal Primordial Body has transformed its inner landscape into a cave heaven. By the time I reach the Legendary stage, it will become a true world of its own. But unlike others, my body’s acupoints form layers of universes, while my five organs and six viscera, combined with the Primordial Spirit Manifestation, enact countless realms. A single true soul symbolizes the root of the Dao. These two together form the Realm of Reality. Once fully matured, it won’t be an ordinary world but a雏形 of a multiverse… It’s not yet perfected; the elements of earth, fire, wind, and water still rage chaotically. If your lotus were moved inside, it might not survive. I’ll leave it here for now; the connection I established through the Dao Yi Seal still exists…”
His words flow like casual conversation, the atmosphere peaceful and serene. If only the lotus before Meng Qi were alive, the scene would be perfect.
“Lu Ya proposed conditions involving three people and three tasks, but his grudge with the Primordial lineage makes him untrustworthy. I’ll test him first. If he truly keeps his word, then I’ll consider involving others…”
“You were valued by the Demon Buddha, who intended to use you to entangle the Golden Emperor. Your name must not appear on the List of Deification but rather beneath the Samsara Seal. In time, I shall seize the Samsara Seal and bring you back to life…”
“I don’t plan to go to the Jade Pond immediately. Although Zhiwei and the others should be freed as soon as possible, even Lu Ya can only exert a little power and dares not go himself. This journey will surely be dangerous. We should first consolidate our cultivation, improve our mastery of techniques. Those who seek haste will not succeed…”
A breeze stirs the pond, the lotuses sway as if nodding, yet only deepen the melancholy.
At that moment, footsteps approach. Meng Qi doesn’t turn around, still facing the moonlight, still gazing at the lotuses.
The footsteps enter the ruined temple—it’s a girl in a light pink dress, exquisitely beautiful, refined yet not delicate, youthful and vibrant, yet lacking her former liveliness. It’s clearly Mu Yunle.
She carries a long sword, her expression tinged with contemplation. Her gaze falls on the ancient Buddha and the burning lamp before her. After a moment of shock, she suddenly turns toward the hole in the wall and sees the cyan-robed figure bathed in moonlight, the streaks of gray at his temples making him both familiar and strange.
“Senior…” she whispers hesitantly.
Meng Qi turns slightly, nodding: “Why have you come back here?”
Mu Yunle’s eyes light up with joy. Her lips curl into a smile. The senior is no longer dressed in a gray monk’s robe, no longer gaunt and lifeless, no longer burdened with exhaustion and despair. He wears a cyan robe with grace, his expression peaceful, his demeanor normal, as if he had truly come back to life. Yet the streaks of gray at his temples and the depth hidden in his gaze still speak of past sorrows.
“The Evil Path and the Nine Paths are conspiring again. There’s unrest near the grasslands. With my current cultivation and strength, I can’t get involved, so I’ve decided to return to the Great Jin to avoid the turmoil. Before leaving, I came back to this temple to visit, after all, it’s where I once met the legendary Mad Blade senior—a story worth boasting about.” Mu Yunle smiles playfully. “A fox may grow gray, but never good.”
Meng Qi glances at the sky, smiling: “It’s commendable that you know your limits, for only then can you understand others. The grasslands’ turmoil is about to erupt. It’s wise of you to avoid it. At your age, possessing such cultivation, strength, and reputation without arrogance or blind confidence is rare indeed.”
Seeing that Senior Kuangdao had truly “come back to life,” speaking and acting normally, for some reason, Mu Yunle felt a sense of relief and couldn’t help but say, “Senior, you look really good like this.”
Meng Qi smiles: “No matter how much pain, guilt, or torment one experiences, after ten years and after venting it all, the surface intensity fades, leaving only traces in the heart.”
Mu Yunle nods slightly, half-understanding.
The breeze is mild, the moon is tranquil. Mu Yunle casually chats with Senior Kuangdao, discussing the sword techniques and ambiance of the Huanhua Sword Sect—from her master Liushu to the dreaded “Demon Emperor” Qi Zhengyan—gaining profound insights along the way.
As the sky begins to brighten, Meng Qi rises and bids farewell to Mu Yunle, walking toward the distant horizon.
Mu Yunle rests her chin on her right hand, lost in thought for a moment before sighing and heading south.
It’s a pity she was born too late.
…
Fairyland, Biyou Palace.
A member of Fairyland, wearing the “Grand Dao Venerable” mask, leaves the Fairyland Bazaar and enters Biyou Palace, intending to discuss something with today’s duty guardian, the “Doumu Yuanjun.”
He walks through the corridors, and as he steps into the main hall, he suddenly stops, for standing ahead is an unfamiliar man in a cyan robe.
This is a hall where the statues of the Three Pure Ones are enshrined. The majestic and lofty Primordial Lord, the Virtuous Lord who sees all things, and the vast and boundless Spiritual Treasure Lord stand above. The cyan-robed man stands before the Three Pure Ones’ statues, facing the meditation cushion, as if mourning something.
“Guangfa Tianzun” has attended three gatherings, and all members recognize him, but he has never seen this person before.
Could he be a reserve member?
No, he’s wearing a mask!
The thought barely forms when he sees the cyan-robed man turn around, revealing his front side. He wears a solemn mask that seems both old and young, middle-aged yet ageless.
Primordial Lord!
In that instant, Guangfa Tianzun suddenly feels suffocated. The cyan-robed man, wearing the “Primordial Lord” mask, stands precisely beneath the Primordial Lord statue. The living presence is profound and vast, the statue making the hall seem vast and boundless. The two complement each other, as if the true Primordial Lord had descended here!
This feeling is even more powerful and unfathomable than Doumu Yuanjun’s… Guangfa Tianzun instinctively thinks, as if wanting to bow to the Primordial Lord.
Soon, he regains his senses and recalls something:
“I heard that there’s another Fairyland member known as the ‘Primordial Lord.’ He’s been in seclusion for many years and never attended gatherings. Could this be him?”
“He’s broken through his seclusion, surpassing Doumu Yuanjun in strength. I wonder if he has attained a Dharmakaya?”
Just then, the sound of traditional opera echoes in, and the idle Daqinggen strolls in with a leisurely pace.
Guangfa Tianzun knows it’s no ordinary being, but the immortal grass of Kunlun that has lived for eons. He had even received longevity advice from it and holds it in great respect. As he prepares to bow, he sees Daqinggen freeze.
Daqinggen looks at Meng Qi beneath the Primordial Lord statue, at the mask of the Primordial Lord, sensing that profound, chaotic, unfathomable, yet familiar aura. Suddenly, his legs give way, and with a thud, he kneels:
“Master… Master!”
He nearly died of fright—Master suddenly appeared!
No, not Master, but the Master, the Master with all nine seals, the “Primordial” has emerged!
Under Guangfa Tianzun’s astonished gaze, Daqinggen crawls forward, throws his arms around Meng Qi’s left leg, and weeps uncontrollably: “Master, I’ve missed you so much!”
“You’ve finally achieved supreme mastery and become the Primordial. Our Jade Void lineage will rise again!”
Meng Qi silently pulls out his left foot and mutters, “Good, you didn’t lie.”
Daqinggen is stunned again, then understands what the Master means. He feels both proud and bewildered: “M-Master, y-you’ve seen that person?”
“Yes.” Meng Qi nods lightly.
At this moment, “Doumu Yuanjun” Ye Yuqi senses the commotion and teleports over, seeing Meng Qi.
He entered Fairyland, entered Biyou Palace, yet she had no awareness of it at all!
Startled, she looks at Meng Qi once more and immediately senses a resemblance between him and the statue of the “Primordial Lord” behind him. Standing there, he makes her almost afraid to meet his gaze.
“You’ve broken through?” Ye Yuqi frowns slightly and asks.
This aura, this imposing presence, makes her feel as if she’s facing her brother-in-law—the one who achieved Earth Immortal status and possesses legendary attributes.
This makes her almost completely believe that Meng Qi has attained a Dharmakaya. The only question is, he seems even stronger than Su Wuming when he first broke through, not much weaker than her current brother-in-law or Su Wuming now, which is simply unbelievable.
Meng Qi smiles: “Just broke through.”
He readily admits it.
Guangfa Tianzun is both shocked and delighted—shocked that an unknown Dharmakaya has joined them unnoticed, delighted that Fairyland finally has a Dharmakaya!
Ye Yuqi glances around, signaling Guangfa Tianzun and Daqinggen to leave first, before saying, “I heard you’ve returned to the martial world and suspected you might have broken through. Now it’s confirmed. The affairs of Fairyland must be entrusted to you.”
Meng Qi shakes his head: “I can’t shoulder Fairyland’s responsibilities.”
Ye Yuqi looks at him in confusion, her eyes asking the question.
He pauses, then adds: “Because I’m no longer a reincarnator.”
“What?” The usually composed Ye Yuqi blurts out, her gaze like turbulent waves.
Has the cycle of reincarnation, never broken before, now been shattered?
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