The cold and impartial reward and deduction of good deeds sounded unusually bloody and cruel in Meng Qi’s ears. Each deduction and each reward of good deeds meant the loss of a human life!
The faction battle mission was dangerous!
The darkness before their eyes vanished, and a buzzing, chaotic human noise rang in Meng Qi’s ears, as if countless flies were buzzing around.
Looking around, Meng Qi found himself in a corner of an inn’s main hall, facing thick wooden beams and a square table crowded with people.
Many of them carried weapons, clearly martial artists, yet none of them noticed the sudden appearance of eight newcomers in the corner.
Meng Qi turned his head and exchanged glances with Jiang Zhiwei, Zhang Yuanshan, and others. From their eyes, he saw the same understanding: the Master of the Sixfold Samsara was truly terrifying!
Previously, Meng Qi had assumed that the Master of the Sixfold Samsara would place them in uninhabited or unobserved locations upon entering the Samsara worlds to avoid detection. But now, even in bustling city centers or within an inn’s main hall, no one found their sudden presence strange. Even the occasional glances cast their way regarded them as naturally part of the scene.
“The Master of the Sixfold Samsara possesses immense supernatural powers and abilities far beyond our imagination. At least before we achieve the Dharma Body, we should avoid unnecessary actions,” Luo Shengyi seemed to read their thoughts and said with a smile. He did not speculate excessively about the Master’s identity, treating it simply as a deity-level figure.
“Thank you for the reminder, Brother Luo,” Zhang Yuanshan replied politely.
Luo Shengyi pointed at the siblings Xiadandan and Xiachulin: “Xiadandan, you’ve opened four orifices and are skilled with twin-bladed sabers. Xiachulin, you’ve just opened the eye orifice, possess excellent lightness kung fu, and excel at stealth and social interaction. And you all?”
Xiadandan and Xiachulin clearly held great respect for Luo Shengyi. During his speech, they restrained their expressions and kept their eyes steady.
Seeing Luo Shengyi’s sincerity, Zhang Yuanshan hesitated briefly before replying, “I have also opened four orifices and specialize in sword techniques.”
Then he pointed at Jiang Zhiwei: “My junior apprentice sister, Jiang, has had four orifices open for quite some time and also specializes in sword techniques, though she excels more in offensive capabilities.”
Jiang Zhiwei had opened her ear orifice just before her second Samsara mission. After completing the Dorchad Samsara mission, a solo mission, and over a year and a half of downtime, she had already refined the acupoints related to her nose orifice. She had not yet used the “Heavenly Vision and Earthly Hearing” pill to break through because, after her last solo mission, she had vaguely grasped the key to naturally breaking through her nose orifice with further training.
Thus, Meng Qi now suspected she had either already opened six orifices or was just one step away, though they hadn’t discussed it and he couldn’t be certain.
“Jiang Zhiwei, four orifices, skilled in offensive sword techniques…” Luo Shengyi mused, “Could she be Jiang Nüxia of the Washing Sword Pavilion?”
A young girl who hadn’t even officially begun her journey through the martial world had already been ranked on the Human List. Naturally, Luo Shengyi had paid special attention. When names were introduced earlier, he had already had suspicions, and now hearing her skill level confirmed his thoughts.
Jiang Zhiwei nodded slightly: “That’s correct.”
She remained neither proud nor modest.
“With Jiang girl here, this mission should be much easier,” Luo Shengyi changed his address slightly to build rapport.
Jiang Zhiwei did not respond. Zhang Yuanshan continued the introductions: “Brother-apprentice Qi has opened two orifices, and his martial arts are uniquely distinctive, excelling in fist techniques, lightness kung fu, and swordplay.”
The Hun Tianbao Jian included fist techniques, internal kung fu, and lightness kung fu.
As Luo Shengyi, Xiadandan, and Xiachulin had no knowledge of Qi Zhengyan, they merely nodded politely without further comment.
“Junior-apprentice Zhen Ding has also opened two orifices and specializes in saber techniques, possessing formidable martial skills,” Zhang Yuanshan intentionally described Meng Qi vaguely, giving a general idea of his combat style for strategic planning while misleading them slightly—hard skills and the Golden Bell Shield were quite different.
Luo Shengyi and Xiachulin glanced at Meng Qi and simply nodded. Xiadandan, however, gave him a thorough look, pausing briefly on the Red Sun Evil-Repelling Saber, naturally curious since she too specialized in saber techniques.
“Apprentice-apprentice Fu has just opened the eye orifice and is skilled in short swords, palm techniques, lightness kung fu, and medicinal arts,” Zhang Yuanshan paused slightly before continuing, “We don’t have any teammates at the Qi Cultivation stage. Does this suggest our enemies might?”
Luo Shengyi appeared quite experienced in Samsara missions, so Zhang Yuanshan asked him directly.
“Yes, but not by much. Generally speaking, the Master of the Sixfold Samsara ensures that both sides in a faction battle mission are relatively balanced in strength. Even if one side is significantly weaker, the native factions within the Samsara world can compensate,” Luo Shengyi confirmed Zhang Yuanshan’s guess.
Meng Qi took a deep breath, finding this aligned with his own thoughts: “Then being assigned to the attacking side suggests our enemies are significantly stronger. We must head to Fengyun Manor as soon as possible.”
“Yes, Young Master Priest, you’re absolutely right. Chulin, go ahead and scout for information. We’ll depart shortly,” Luo Shengyi instructed Xiachulin.
Xiachulin grinned and stood up, walking to a nearby table. No one knew what method he used, but soon he was chatting and drinking with the five or six men there, nearly ready to swear brotherhood.
As Meng Qi and the others strained to listen to Xiachulin gathering information, Luo Shengyi continued: “However, strength level and actual combat ability are two different things. Sometimes, there might be a one-sided outcome.”
As he said this, Luo Shengyi’s usually expressionless face flickered slightly, revealing a hint of gloom before quickly regaining composure.
Everyone began casual conversation. Worried that Luo Shengyi might have some special eavesdropping technique, Meng Qi refrained from using secret voice transmission to ask Jiang Zhiwei whether she had already opened her nose orifice. After a while, Xiachulin returned, his face flushed from drinking, looking even more disreputable.
“Fengyun Manor is just outside the city,” Xiachulin’s first words immediately reassured everyone.
“Everyone here plans to join the four major sects in attacking the Evil Cult, hoping to gain fame and fortune, and many are from minor sects. We won’t attract much attention,” Xiachulin’s second sentence further eased their concerns.
“However, since we’re a large group with special circumstances, we should pretend to be from the same sect to avoid being scattered and separated,” Xiachulin finally took a sip of tea after delivering his third point.
Luo Shengyi chuckled: “Then let’s temporarily form a sect. What should we call it?”
His manner of speaking and acting exuded a natural authority, making others instinctively inclined to follow his suggestions.
Naming a sect? Meng Qi was especially good at this. He grinned mischievously: “How about the Power Sect?”
Since their current power level was still low, they avoided arrogant names like “Intercepting Sect” or “Celestial Court,” while names like “Green Robe Mansion” or “Golden Wind and Drizzling Rain Mansion” seemed too poetic and didn’t fit their style.
“The Power Sect? Ruling the world with power and resting one’s head on a beauty’s lap. Great name!” Luo Shengyi joked, “Junior-apprentice Zhen Ding, what’s the story behind it?”
“It’s from a story I once heard from a storyteller. It told of seven young men with lofty ambitions who wanted to control the world’s power. They swore brotherhood, naming their sect the Power Sect, vowing not to use their real names until their great task was completed, referring to each other only by their brotherly order, like Li Da and Liu Wu,” Meng Qi cheerfully fabricated.
Luo Shengyi’s eyes lit up: “What boldness, what ambition, what a style! Li Da, Liu Wu… I really like these names.”
He looked at Jiang Zhiwei and others: “If we all become sworn brothers through life and death, we can do the same, creating a great cause together and living up to our martial cultivation and valuable lives.”
For his naturally familiar manner, Meng Qi and the others could only respond with dry amusement.
Luo Shengyi wasn’t offended. Full of confidence and a mighty aura, he asked Meng Qi: “Did these seven brothers eventually accomplish great feats?”
“Of course they did,” Meng Qi replied with a smile.
Luo Shengyi pressed further: “And what was their final fate?”
“When they achieved greatness, only Li Da and Liu Wu remained alive,” Meng Qi didn’t reveal the very end.
Luo Shengyi fell silent, twirling his wine cup in his right hand. After a while, he said: “Let’s head to Fengyun Manor. Chulin, continue sharing the information you gathered along the way.”
Ten miles outside the city lay the vast Fengyun Manor. Along the way, Meng Qi and the others learned some basic knowledge from Xiachulin: the four major sects were Fengyun Manor, Myriad Sword Sect, Star-Plucking Tower, and Dawn Moon Sect. Each sect possessed a sacred weapon of immense power, which was the primary reason they were recognized as the “Four Greats.”
All top experts either came from the four major sects or the Evil Cult. For centuries, no top-level “wild path” experts had emerged.
This struck Meng Qi as particularly strange. The sacred weapons also intrigued him greatly. Of course, they certainly weren’t true divine weapons, but perhaps they were “treasure weapons” at the external scenery level.
Many servants stood at the entrance of Fengyun Manor, welcoming martial artists coming to attend the alliance conference. Upon seeing Meng Qi and the group approach, a servant politely inquired.
“The Power Sect?” After hearing Luo Shengyi’s answer, the servant frowned in thought for a moment, then politely smiled: “Honored martial artists, the manor is already full. Please stay elsewhere temporarily and return for the alliance conference.”
Without a word, Luo Shengyi raised his right hand, clenched it into a fist, and lightly struck the stone lion at the gate.
Crack! Crack! Crack! The stone lion instantly turned into a pile of rubble, causing onlookers to widen their eyes in shock.
The servant was both startled and fearful, scrutinizing Meng Qi’s group up and down. After a long while, he finally said: “Please come inside for tea while I report to the Manor Lord.”
Once inside, Luo Shengyi explained to Meng Qi and the others: “Without displaying a bit of strength, we won’t be taken seriously. Our side is relatively weaker, so we must quickly contact the leaders of the four major sects.”
“We share the same opinion,” Zhang Yuanshan replied politely.
Meng Qi, Jiang Zhiwei, and Qi Zhengyan exchanged glances, immediately understanding each other’s similar thoughts. Luo Shengyi’s decisions and handling of situations were not wrong, but his approach of acting first without consulting them felt somewhat domineering.
…
Inside a flower pavilion, the group drank tea while waiting for the Manor Lord’s summons.
“Boss, I’ll go around nearby and gather some information,” Xiachulin said cautiously.
After receiving Luo Shengyi’s approval, he happily went out. He was a restless person.
After a while, a servant came respectfully: “Honored guests, the Manor Lord invites you to his study.”
“Alright,” Luo Shengyi stood up, then muttered in confusion, “Why hasn’t Chulin returned yet?”
Before his words faded, a voice echoed in everyone’s minds from the Master of the Sixfold Samsara: “Xia Chulin has been killed by a cycle warrior from the Evil Cult faction. Each of you will have 100 good deeds deducted.”
What? Meng Qi and the others were stunned and shocked, not expecting the enemy to strike so quickly! And directly within Fengyun Manor itself!
The danger had already begun!
Xiadandan’s face changed dramatically. With a dark expression, she rushed out. Jiang Zhiwei, Meng Qi, and the others dared not delay and quickly followed. The servant was very puzzled and called for guards to chase after them.
After inquiring around, Xiadandan found the last known location of Xiachulin—a guest room.
She pushed open the door and stepped inside, suddenly gasping in shock and instinctively stepping back.
Meng Qi peeked from behind and saw both Xiachulin and an elderly man lying in the room, their expressions peaceful and joyful, as if they had found liberation. However, below their heads, their skin had turned yellow and shrunken, resembling mummies.
“Lifeless Finger…” Meng Qi muttered in shock.
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