In a chaotic and murky realm, darkness pervaded not only vision but also the senses and cognition. When the Yin Patriarch stepped into the cabin, Liushang, Yunyue, and Youhu beside him felt as if their sight, hearing, and touch were instantly stripped away, leaving them unable to distinguish directions or perceive the passage of time.
This peculiar phenomenon did not originate from the “Yin Patriarch” Xu Bei, but from the young master by his side—Huoli Shang, the “Night Emperor”!
Clad in white, his smile bright and pure, he was the sole beacon in the darkness, stabilizing the surroundings and defining space itself. It was as if only he could affirm their existence and prove that the world had not been destroyed.
“Could it be that the real young master and the impostor switched identities again without us noticing?” Liushang’s gaze was dull, her mind fixated on this thought.
Yunyue mused hazily, “No wonder the Thousand Illusions Mask is a divine artifact; its ability to project power and aura across distances is incredibly formidable…”
Youhu, usually perceptive and sharp, first felt bewildered, then shivered involuntarily, a chill rising from deep within her heart. “Three years ago, the young master fought the ‘Red Emperor’ Sun Chuci from the Five Elders of the Immortal Realm in the Yunhai Feixiang Realm. Though it was merely a demonstration, even then, facing a Celestial-level expert, the young master exerted himself to the utmost. Yet even then, he did not exude such profound and terrifying aura. Even the Red Emperor seemed to lack some of that unfathomable grandeur!”
“Who exactly is he?”
“What does the title ‘Taiyi Heavenly Venerable’ really signify?”
Looking at Meng Qi now, Youhu’s initial thrill of identity swapping faded, replaced only by shock, fear, and dread.
The young master seeks only to experience the beauty of different lives, aloof and indifferent to all else—yet he dares to swap identities with someone so mysteriously formidable…
Will he even be able to return?
The Yin Patriarch’s expression darkened, growing solemn. Beneath his black robe, eerie green light flickered. Meeting Meng Qi’s gaze, he spoke in a low, hoarse voice: “It’s been a few years. It seems the young master has changed somewhat.”
The aura definitely came from the Night Emperor, yet it was vastly different from before. The Night Emperor had been taught by heterodox Buddhist sects and cultivated the *Great Black Sky Secret Achievement Stages* passed down from the Great Time Sky. Legend says this Great Time Sky was a demon-subduing manifestation of the Buddha, or perhaps a transformation of the Mahadeva that lured monks into corruption. It regarded itself as night, leaving no room for the sun, embracing all with love while simultaneously devouring everything.
Yet now, even the “night” of the Night Emperor had vanished, nearly leaving nothing at all. For a moment, the Yin Patriarch almost couldn’t describe his state!
Had the Night Emperor refined away even the “night”?
Was this a breakthrough in cultivation or a transcendence of his technique?
Seated within the illusory chaos, Meng Qi seemed like an eternal deity, deeply etched into the Yin Patriarch Xu Bei’s mind.
He smiled faintly: “All things in the world have their origins. Sentient beings have their primordial home, and so does night. Now, it’s simply returning home.”
To the Yin Patriarch, these plain, mundane words struck like thunder, as if hearing a celestial or Buddha’s sermon, bringing sudden enlightenment. He suddenly realized that the Night Emperor’s oft-repeated line—*”Born already away from home, stained by the mundane, defiled by worldly filth, sorrow overwhelms, so better to laugh drunk through thirty thousand feasts, never speaking of sorrow”*—was not merely a Buddhist concept of innate purity or an excuse for wild abandon, but a description of his own cultivation state.
Returning home… Returning home… Had the Night Emperor now reached the level of “returning home” in the *Great Black Sky Secret Achievement Stages*?
At this moment, Meng Qi smiled and pointed to the nearby seat:
“Please.”
The Night Emperor’s techniques were profound and powerful. Without the secret manual or his lowering his defenses, imitating his Law Body would be impossible. Meng Qi could only rely on the residual aura and transmitted power from the Thousand Illusions Mask, channeling it into his own Chaos and Infinity, making others feel awe without understanding why.
Fortunately, Chaos and Infinity were the mother of heaven and earth, the origin of all things. If one truly wished to “transcend” in this direction, there would always be words to describe it, especially when combined with the Night Emperor’s usual style. As expected, he managed to overwhelm the Yin Patriarch.
The Yin Patriarch was an old Law Body cultivator. Though hindered from advancing to Celestial, he was widely experienced. His initial shock at the Night Emperor’s breakthrough quickly faded. As he walked toward the seat, his mind raced, revising the countermeasures he had prepared before departure.
When he sat cross-legged down, he had already made a decision. His voice emerged from the black robe: “What business does the young master have coming to my Ten Calamity Island?”
This time, the Yin Patriarch chose to be direct.
Meng Qi did not answer immediately, instead smiling at the Yin Patriarch: “A ghost or zombie is merely an unrelenting lingering thought, lacking true life. Yet to rekindle life from the utmost yin, to regain consciousness and become a living being again—this is a rare and wondrous transformation, the most vivid and beautiful aspect of life. Do you not agree, Daoist friend Xu?”
His gaze was clear, filled with intense passion.
The Yin Patriarch Xu Bei himself was such a reborn ancient ghost, regaining sentience and cultivating independently. Though not widely known across the Seven Seas and Twenty-Eight Realms, it wasn’t a secret to many. Hearing this, he showed no surprise, replying bluntly: “What does this have to do with the young master’s purpose here?”
Precisely because of his ghostly nature, advancing to Law Body was already difficult, and progressing further even harder. Ten Thousand Calamities Yin Spirit, hard to ascend to the Saint!
Meng Qi’s smile remained unchanged, his gaze locking with the Yin Patriarch’s:
“You should know why I’m here.”
In short: *You know what I mean.*
The Yin Patriarch hesitated briefly, then his voice suddenly turned icy: “Huoli Shang, no matter your intentions, Ten Calamity Island does not welcome you. Please leave before sunset.”
For some unknown reason, his tone turned abruptly fierce, the atmosphere instantly freezing. Liushang, Yunyue, and others involuntarily quickened their heartbeats.
What should we do? What should we do? This fake Night Emperor has truly enraged the Yin Patriarch!
This is Ten Calamity Island, where the Yin Patriarch has the support of forbidden arrays. Even the real young master might struggle to escape unscathed!
Moreover, he is one of the Five Elders of the Heavenly Dao Alliance. Despite their internal conflicts and factions, they would certainly unite against outsiders. Unless the Four Marvels and Three Devils put aside their differences and cooperate, how could they resist?
Even the real Night Emperor wouldn’t dare act like this. What makes this impostor so bold?
They would be the ones dragged into the consequences!
As Yunyue was about to speak playfully to ease the tension, her left hand was suddenly tugged. She turned her senses and saw Youhu shaking his head, his clear eyes filled with fear and caution, signaling her not to act rashly.
She tried secretly transmitting voice to the Yin Patriarch, exposing the imposter, but the sound vanished into the darkness, leaving no trace!
The Yin Patriarch’s hidden secret must be shocking, or he wouldn’t personally come to threaten them. How likely was it that he had shared this secret with the other Five Elders? As these thoughts crossed Meng Qi’s mind, he calmly picked up the teacup before him. The tea was emerald green, steam rising gently. Still smiling, he said: “Daoist friend Xu, what if this young master refuses to leave?”
Boom! The minds of Yunyue, Liushang, and Xiapi exploded. He… he actually dared to speak to the Yin Patriarch like that! Didn’t he value his life? Even if he didn’t, they did!
They almost cried out, but their mouths seemed sealed by darkness, their strength vanishing into the night, unable to make any move.
Since becoming a Law Body cultivator, the Yin Patriarch had never been treated this way. He sneered coldly: “Huoli Shang, feel free to try.”
His aura surged, black frost forming on the cabin walls. On Ten Calamity Island, eerie ghostly wails echoed one after another.
Unfortunately, I’m not Huoli Shang… Meng Qi silently replied. Suddenly, darkness surged from his hand, vaguely enveloping the cup of tea.
Crackling sounds erupted. Invisible thunder flashed, microscopic electromagnetic waves surging. The tea and cup disintegrated into multiple microstructures. Then, a mighty force poured in, causing these tiny structures to collide, undergoing fundamental changes. Next, darkness bound them, recondensing into an object.
It was a golden leaf made entirely of gold!
This… The Yin Patriarch’s aura froze, his gaze seemingly glued to Meng Qi’s hand.
Without spatial fluctuations or magical transformations, a cup of tea had turned into a golden leaf?
Was this the legendary “transmutation” ability of ancient sages? Irreversible transmutation?
As he trembled with shock, Meng Qi flicked his finger. The golden leaf flew to the Yin Patriarch, who smiled faintly: “Daoist friend Xu, with just you and the Ten Calamity Island formation, it seems you cannot stop this young master. Perhaps you should invite the Hunyuan Immortaless and the remaining Five Elders.”
No need for contempt—his words carried it implicitly. Yet Xu Bei did not grow angry, his gaze still fixed on the golden leaf.
It was truly gold, unmistakably real gold!
He opened his mouth, but no words came. He turned his head and vanished from the cabin.
Time to reassess!
Could it be that the Night Emperor has encountered some new fortune, enabling him to accomplish such a feat!
As the Yin Patriarch departed, Yunyue and the others regained their freedom, but they dared not speak again. The transformation of the tea alone was enough to show the terrifying power of the fake Night Emperor.
Even more terrifying than the real Night Emperor!
Who, then, is the real one?
“Master, provoking the Five Elders of the Heavenly Dao is truly unwise,” Liushang finally spoke after struggling for a while.
Meng Qi waved his hand, smiling: “No worries. If we can’t win, we can always run. After all, they’re after Huoli Shang, the Night Emperor.”
Eh… The four concubines were stunned.
Shameless!
How utterly shameless!
In just a few days, this fake Night Emperor had already incurred the wrath of the Five Elders!
When the real young master returns, will he be hunted across the world? And what expression will he wear…
…
In a ruined house on Ten Calamity Island.
“I pretended to be a novice entering the Outer Scenery, but in reality, I am one of the strongest below the Law Body…” Huoli Shang, the “Taiyi Heavenly Venerable,” explained to Yin Feilong.
As his words ended, he suddenly shivered, as if sensing something ominous.
What had the Night Emperor done?
Yin Feilong, upon awakening, was not alarmed. He chuckled: “I’ve been waiting for you all to come investigating!”
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