Chapter 148: You Are Me

What Liu Liu had flung out seemed to be a small paper talisman, or perhaps a tiny piece of cloth. However, since everyone’s attention had been focused on the Laughing Maitreya in the center of the arena, no one managed to see clearly what it actually was.

When the crowd finally noticed what was happening over there, all they saw was a sudden violent gust of wind rising in the arena. A powerful force wrapped around Mei Qing and Liu Liu, and in an instant, hurled them forward toward a massive stone slab not far away, engraved with the three large characters reading “Thousand Gold Cure.”

“Nowhere to run!” Though the crisis had erupted unexpectedly close, Zhang Shisan and Master Ku reacted with incredible speed. Zhang Shisan lashed out with a long, pale red stream of energy, while Master Ku, with a sweep of his Buddhist robe, wrapped the energy sphere surrounding Mei Qing and Liu Liu.

Yet, to everyone’s utter astonishment, the combined efforts of these two supreme experts were effortlessly repelled by that energy sphere. The sphere merely trembled slightly before accelerating even faster and crashing headlong into the giant stone.

It was as if a stone had been cast into water, rippling outward in waves. Mei Qing and Liu Liu seemed to dive straight into the stone like they were entering water, vanishing silently without a sound. Their residual images wavered with ripples several times before the scene quickly returned to calm, leaving once again only a cold, hard boulder in the eyes of the onlookers.

“Qing!” Witnessing this scene, Bi Zhen’s heart jolted with alarm. Without further concern for her entanglement with the Laughing Maitreya, she retracted all her magical artifacts and flew straight to the top of the giant stone. She examined it left and right, but could find not a single crack or crevice. She had no idea how the two had disappeared just now.

Zhang Shisan and Master Ku were both deeply shocked. Each of them knew precisely how powerful their combined strike had been. In the entire world, there were only a handful of people who could rival them. That their joint attack had failed to intercept Mei Qing was something almost impossible to believe.

As for Liu Liu, he was merely an ordinary person, with cultivation skills practically non-existent, which was why the two experts had ignored him previously. But the magical artifact he had just used—where had he obtained it, and what was it? How could it be so powerful?

However, both understood that this was not the time to dwell on such questions. Thinking carefully, it seemed that from the very beginning, someone had been secretly plotting against Mei Qing, luring him step by step into this trap. What was the reason? What was the ultimate goal? Even if several people racked their brains, they probably wouldn’t figure it out. For now, the priority was to find a way to break the trap and rescue the people inside.

The two shared an unspoken understanding. Without hesitation, they immediately joined forces again, repeating their previous tactics—one extending his long strip of energy, the other swirling his robe sleeve. They approached the Laughing Maitreya from both sides, who was trying to escape.

Actually, the Laughing Maitreya, seeing the sudden change in the scene, had no intention of delaying and had planned to flee while Bi Zhen withdrew her artifacts. However, these two old men were too quick-minded. Before he could act, they had already closed in from both sides again. With both of them being top-tier cultivators, their joint attack was something no one could easily resist.

The Laughing Maitreya wore a look of panic. He barely managed to block Zhang Shisan’s energy strip when he was immediately caught by Master Ku’s robe sleeve, which wrapped around his waist and sucked him entirely into its folds. Instantly, he vanished from sight. At that moment, a cacophony of noises echoed from all directions, as people hidden nearby sensed something was wrong and began to stir into action.

Bi Zhen paid no attention to any of this. She grabbed hold of Zhang Shisan, tears welling in her eyes, urging him to quickly find a way to break open the stone and rescue Mei Qing. Seeing Master Ku silently standing by, it was clear he would once again be the one to do the hard work. Zhang Shisan felt like tearing his hair out in frustration but dared not complain to Bi Zhen. With a bitter expression, he began to examine the surroundings, calculating and deducing. In his heart, he sighed, “No wonder the saying goes that clever people are slaves to the clumsy ones. Indeed, learning any skill brings its own burdens—how bitter indeed!”

Liu Liu’s mind was in a haze. Just moments ago, he had simply followed the sudden voice that appeared in his mind—the instructions from the Immortal Above—and done exactly as told. As the whirlwind had swept him up and hurled him toward the giant stone, he had been so terrified that his heart nearly leapt from his chest. He had tightly shut his eyes and dared not move a muscle.

Fortunately, the violent collision and pain he had imagined never came. His body seemed to strike something soft, and then he felt his feet touch solid ground—he had passed through and arrived at another place entirely.

Filled with unease, Liu Liu suppressed his fear and cautiously opened his eyes, only to be startled.

Liu Liu seemed to have thrown out a small paper talisman or a piece of cloth. Since everyone’s attention was focused on the Laughing Buddha in the center, no one could clearly see what it was.

When the crowd noticed the scene, they only saw a sudden gust of wind sweeping up Mei Qing and Liu Liu, hurling them towards a large stone inscribed with the words “Thousand Gold Cure” not far ahead.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Despite the sudden turn of events, Zhang Shisan and Master Ku reacted swiftly. Zhang Shisan unleashed a long, pale red energy strand, while Master Ku’s robe wrapped around the energy sphere surrounding Liu Liu and Mei Qing.

To everyone’s astonishment, the combined efforts of these two masters were effortlessly deflected by the energy sphere. With just a slight tremor, the sphere accelerated and crashed into the massive stone.

Like a stone thrown into water, ripples spread out. Mei Qing and Liu Liu seemed to vanish into the stone as if diving into water. Their residual images, rippling for a few moments, soon settled, leaving the stone cold and hard as before.

“Ah Qing!” Bi Zhen, witnessing this, was startled. She quickly gathered her magical tools and flew to the stone, inspecting it left and right but finding no cracks or gaps. She couldn’t fathom how the two had disappeared.

Zhang Shisan and Master Ku were equally shocked. They knew the strength of their combined attack was unmatched in the world. Yet, they had failed to intercept Mei Qing. This was hard to believe.

Liu Liu was just an ordinary person with negligible cultivation, which was why they had ignored him earlier. But the magical tool he had used—where had it come from, and what was it? How could it be so powerful?

Both realized this wasn’t the time to investigate. Reflecting on the events, it seemed someone had been plotting against Mei Qing from the start, leading him into this trap. The purpose and motive were unclear, and they needed to focus on rescuing him.

Without hesitation, they both acted again, using their previous tactics to corner the Laughing Buddha, who was trying to escape.

The Laughing Buddha, seeing the chaos, had intended to flee when Bi Zhen withdrew. But the two old masters were too quick, closing in from both sides. Their combined strength was overwhelming.

The Laughing Buddha, panicking, barely managed to block Zhang Shisan’s energy strand before Master Ku’s robe wrapped around him, pulling him into the sleeve and out of sight. The surrounding noise indicated that others had noticed the disturbance and were approaching.

Bi Zhen, ignoring the commotion, grabbed Zhang Shisan, tears in her eyes, urging him to find a way to open the stone and rescue Mei Qing. Seeing Master Ku silent, she knew she had to rely on Zhang Shisan. He, frustrated but unable to complain, began inspecting the stone, calculating and lamenting, “As the saying goes, the skilled are the slaves of the clumsy. Indeed, mastering a skill brings its own burdens—how I suffer!”

Liu Liu was in a daze. He had merely followed the voice of the immortal in his mind. When the wind swept him towards the stone, he was terrified, closing his eyes and not daring to move.

To his surprise, there was no collision or pain. Instead, he felt as if he had hit something soft, then his feet touched solid ground. He had passed through to another place.

Opening his eyes cautiously, Liu Liu was shocked.

He found himself in an endless, dark sea, with waves crashing on the shore. Beside him stood a towering mountain, shaped like a stone pillar, its cliff face smooth and steep, with strange inscriptions carved into the black stone.

The sea wind howled, creating eerie sounds against the cliff. The darkness was disorienting, and Liu Liu felt a deep fear, unsure of what to do.

“Since you’re awake, get up. No need to play dead on the ground,” a cold, aged voice echoed from an unknown direction.

“Immortal! Where are you? Are you speaking to me?” Liu Liu recognized the voice and was both startled and relieved. But the voice wasn’t addressing him.

Turning his gaze, Liu Liu saw Mei Qing, who had also entered this place. To his astonishment, Mei Qing, who had been lying still, stood up upon hearing the immortal’s words.

Mei Qing was inwardly distressed. When the Laughing Buddha had ambushed him, he had taken precautions, knowing Bi Zhen would come to his rescue. He had also left a backdoor in his self-sealing technique.

Having experienced the sealing of his golden core before, Mei Qing had some expertise in self-sealing. He had left a small opening in his technique, allowing a thread of his consciousness to remain in his golden core, hidden deep within, as a key to unlock the seal.

Coincidentally, the place they were brought to, “Thousand Gold Cure,” was similar to the treasure vault in the Imperial Guards, where external spiritual energy was heavily suppressed, making it difficult to use powers. In such an environment, Mei Qing’s inner core had resonated, slowly breaking the seal.

It was only when Liu Liu had brought him into the stone that Mei Qing fully broke free. He had a vague impression of Bi Zhen and Zhang Shisan arriving but wasn’t clear on the details.

Finding himself in a new place, Mei Qing didn’t rush to act, keeping his energy and consciousness hidden, observing quietly.

Before he could make a move, the aged voice spoke. Though it wasn’t directed at anyone in particular, Mei Qing instinctively knew it was meant for him.

The voice felt strangely familiar, evoking a sense of intimacy and excitement. This sudden surge of emotion unsettled Mei Qing, making him wary and uneasy, as if something significant was about to happen.

Taking a deep breath, Mei Qing stood up and looked around. The scene felt eerily familiar. He immediately recognized the place.

“Jieshi Mountain! I’ve been here before… Wait, isn’t this the Jieshi Inscription? How is it here… Ah, Jieshi sinking into the sea… How could I have forgotten?” Mei Qing’s mind was in turmoil, muttering to himself or perhaps to someone unseen.

“Ah, remembering something, are you? It’s been so many years,” the aged voice said with a hint of melancholy.

“Who are you? How do you know what I’m thinking?” Mei Qing felt a deep panic, instinctively wanting to reject something, and shouted at the sky.

“Who am I? I am you, and you are me. How could I not know what my own body is thinking?” the voice replied calmly, without mockery or impatience, but with a touch of sorrow and reluctance.

“You are me? I am you?” Mei Qing wanted to laugh at the absurdity, but deep down, he felt an inexplicable conviction that the voice was right. It was as if his body no longer obeyed him, revealing thoughts he couldn’t control.

Mei Qing was on the verge of a breakdown. Purple flames began to burn from his fingers, head, and shoulders, with flashes of purple lightning crackling around him. He looked like a cocoon of purple fire and lightning, both eerie and dangerous.

His expression twisted as countless thoughts clashed in his mind. The nascent spirit within his golden core thrashed wildly, causing his energy to surge uncontrollably, creating violent winds that stirred up sand and sea, forming several tornadoes around him.

Only the sound of the roaring sea wind could be heard, howling high above and echoing strangely against the cliffs. There was not a single other sound. Looking around into the darkness, unable to discern direction, Liu Liu could not help but tremble with fear, not knowing what to do.

“Since you’ve already awakened, get up. There’s no need to pretend to be dead any longer,” suddenly came a cold, aged voice from an unknown distance.

“Immortal Above! Immortal Above, where are you?… Are you speaking to me?” Hearing this voice, which was exactly the same one he had heard all along, Liu Liu felt both startled and delighted. Yet, from the tone just now, he clearly knew it was not addressing him. He had no idea whom it was calling.

Glancing around, Liu Liu was astonished to see that, besides himself, Mei Qing had also entered this place. Even more shocking was that Mei Qing, who had been lying motionless beside him, suddenly stood up upon hearing the Immortal’s words.

Mei Qing inwardly groaned. Actually, at the moment when he had been forced to enter self-seclusion under the Laughing Maitreya’s surprise attack, besides thinking that Bi Zhen, having received his message, would soon arrive to rescue him, he had also left himself a few contingencies.

Mei Qing had once experienced having his Golden Elixir sealed, and thus had some insights into the technique of self-seclusion. While performing the spell, he had left behind a few small loopholes.

Sealing the Golden Elixir meant forcibly separating it from the body’s true energy; while self-seclusion meant forcibly isolating the entire person from the outside world. However, Mei Qing’s spiritual consciousness was always different from that of ordinary cultivators. Thus, even while in self-seclusion, he could leave a tiny thread of consciousness within his Golden Elixir and Infant Soul, hidden deep at the bottom of his cauldron, as a seed for future awakening.

Coincidentally, after being brought to this place called “Thousand Gold Cure” by the Laughing Maitreya, Mei Qing found the location somewhat similar to the treasure vault within the Brocade Guard headquarters. Here, external spiritual energy was heavily suppressed, making it difficult to employ various magical techniques. Years ago, under such circumstances, he had been affected by the strange behavior of the Seven Star Inkstone and managed to break free from the seal on his Golden Elixir. Now encountering a similar environment, his Infant Soul had naturally responded, beginning to stimulate his spiritual consciousness, gradually collecting and grinding away at the seal of self-seclusion.

However, this process was naturally very slow. It wasn’t until Liu Liu had dragged him through the stone that he finally broke free of the seal. He had only a vague impression of the events that had occurred earlier—the arrival of Bi Zhen, Zhang Shisan, and others—but his perception remained unclear.

Therefore, upon discovering that he had been brought into yet another new place, Mei Qing did not rush to rise. Even the true energy and spiritual consciousness within his body, he dared not easily release. Remaining completely still, he wanted to observe the situation first.

However, before he could take any action, he had already heard the aged voice. Although the voice did not specify whom it was addressing, for some reason, Mei Qing instinctively felt that it was definitely speaking to him.

Moreover, this voice was strangely familiar to Mei Qing, carrying an inexplicable sense of intimacy and excitement. This feeling suddenly surged into his heart like a rushing river, causing his usually calm Daoist mind to fluctuate violently, making Mei Qing highly alert and vaguely uneasy, as if something significant was about to happen.

Taking a deep breath, Mei Qing slowly stood up and looked around. The sight before him felt even more bizarre. It was as if he had been here before. In fact, he immediately recalled where this place was.

“The Divine Mountain Jieshi! Here… I seem to have been here before… Right, isn’t this the Jieshi Inscription? How could it be here… Ah, the sunken Jieshi… How come I seem to have forgotten?” A sudden wave of confusion surged through Mei Qing’s mind, as if he were muttering to himself, or asking someone else.

“Hehe, remembered something, didn’t you? Sigh… I didn’t want to think about it, but so many years have already passed,” the aged voice murmured softly.

“Who are you? How do you know what I’m thinking?” Mei Qing felt an overwhelming sense of panic. Instinctively wanting to reject something, he suddenly raised his head and shouted loudly at the sky.

“Hehe… Who am I? I am you, and you are me. How could I not know what my own body is thinking?” The aged voice spoke calmly, neither mocking nor impatient, yet carrying a trace of sadness and unwillingness.

“You are me? I am you?” Mei Qing suddenly wanted to laugh out loud at the absurdity. Yet, for some unknown reason, deep in his heart, he stubbornly believed that the voice was indeed telling the truth. This feeling was extremely absurd, as if his body had suddenly stopped obeying his commands, instinctively revealing many thoughts he could not control.

At this moment, Mei Qing was on the verge of losing control. Unknowingly, purple flames began to rise from his fingers, head, and shoulders. As the flames flickered, flashes of violet lightning continuously appeared and disappeared, accompanied by crackling sounds. From afar, Mei Qing seemed to have transformed into a cocoon of purple fire wrapped in lightning, both eerie and extremely dangerous.

His expression twisted continuously, his mind caught in a fierce internal struggle. Countless thoughts clashed chaotically in his mind. The Infant Soul newly formed within his Golden Elixir also seemed to go mad, struggling wildly within the cauldron, stirring up the thick true energy in his body, which surged outward uncontrollably. This energy formed violent gusts of wind, whipping up the surrounding sand and sea breeze, creating several swirling tornadoes that danced around him.