Circling past the Demon-Slaying Platform, the path ahead remained shrouded in swirling mists. Dense white clouds solidified into a road beneath their feet. To the right stretched an endless abyss of floating clouds, as if torn open by some unseen force. To the left stood a pool about ten zhang in diameter. Its surface silently emitted countless bubbles, bursting into white vapor that curled into mist, wrapping the entire pool in an ethereal, fairyland-like haze, sharply contrasting with the gloomy backdrop of the Heavenly Punishment Gate.
Beside the pool stood a crooked stone tablet, inscribed with ancient seal script:
“Banished Immortal Pool!”
A pool capable of erasing immortal bones and divine forms, returning one’s inner realm to its original state—the Banished Immortal Pool!
With two formidable Law Bodies watching closely behind, Meng Qi had no time for earlier thoughts of collecting a vial of water from the pool. Instead, he dashed forward like the wind, leaving behind afterimages, eager to pass the Banished Immortal Pool as soon as possible, locate the Three Lives Hall, complete the contract, and escape danger.
Just then, from the swirling mists ahead, a figure stepped forth. Tall and clad in black robes, wearing the mask of the Ancient Solar Sovereign, he spoke calmly:
“I’ve been waiting for you for a long time!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, he suddenly lunged forward, throwing a punch. Purple energy coiled around his fist, embodying the moral balance of black and white, simple yet ancient and unadorned.
Yet, in Meng Qi’s perception, the surrounding world subtly shifted. The Five Elements became blurred, the Four Symbols regressed into primordial chaos. All laws and swirling energies seemed to dissolve into a formless, intangible haze.
Without the suppression of the Heavenly Punishment Gate, which reduced a Master’s influence over natural principles to less than a tenth, any Externalscape expert connected to such cosmic forces would suffer a drop in power of no less than half—perhaps even regress to the initial stage of opening the orifices.
Xi?
The mythical figure who cultivated the “Five Primordials and Five Virtues” technique, attempting to reverse it into “Limitless”?
From the mask and martial arts characteristics, Meng Qi recognized the identity of this mythological figure. That he had crossed the second Heaven Ladder and become a Master was not surprising. What was astonishing was how he managed to intercept Meng Qi and Gu Xiaosang?
Before entering the Peaches of Immortality Garden, the seal had remained intact. There had been no side paths along the way until reaching the Demon-Slaying and Demon-Beheading Platforms, where the fork of Thunderfire Chaos Caverns appeared. There was no way he could have followed unnoticed!
Even assuming the worst—that his martial arts were unique and his abilities strange enough to evade detection by both Meng Qi and Gu Xiaosang—how had the Ferrying Dharma King, who had secretly followed all along, failed to notice him? How could he hide from a Law Body?
Yet, compared to this puzzlement, Meng Qi could understand why “Xi” chose to attack openly rather than ambush. This was in accordance with the “Sage Virtue” requirement of the “Five Primordials and Five Virtues.” Violating it would scatter virtue and dissipate the technique!
Xi moved with his punch, instantly covering a distance of over ten zhang, striking toward Gu Xiaosang. The punch carried immense weight, sending swirling black and white light dancing through the air, purple energy condensing on his fist.
Gu Xiaosang remained calm. With a graceful motion of her hands, she suddenly conjured numerous whirlpools in front of her, as if space itself were collapsing.
The surroundings transformed into a deep, shadowy seabed, filled with hidden whirlpools pulling at limbs and bodies, obstructing the punch’s momentum.
Silently, one after another of these collapsing voids were shattered by Xi’s punch, dissipating into nothingness, returning to the original state.
This punch seemed unstoppable!
Gu Xiaosang’s expression remained serene, her aura sacred. In this moment of crisis, she bent her palm into a finger, condensing all manner of worldly transformations into a single point—seeming both perfectly timed and fated—as she precisely struck the punch head-on.
Her finger, pale and jade-like, remained still and slender. The fist loomed darkly, steady and powerful. Time seemed to freeze in this moment, capturing a breathtakingly beautiful image.
Radiant purple light, entwined with black and white, flowed along her finger into Gu Xiaosang’s body, as if this were the “Nothingness” from which all things arise, the final resting place of all beings—the Void, the True Home!
With a single finger, Gu Xiaosang had absorbed Xi’s seemingly unstoppable punch!
White lotus petals drifted, celestial music echoed softly, and Gu Xiaosang gently floated backward, breaking contact with Xi.
Even with the Heavenly Punishment Gate making it difficult to connect with the heavens, narrowing the gap between Masters and top experts, this place wasn’t like the Divine Capital Formation, and Gu Xiaosang was not known for her physical prowess. Naturally, she needed to avoid direct confrontation.
As the two clashed, Meng Qi had already launched his own attack. While others might be suppressed by the blurred Five Elements and the chaotic dimness of the Four Symbols, he cultivated the Eight-Nine Arcane Art and the Primordial Golden Scripture—this was practically his home ground!
Meng Qi exerted force from his waist and abdomen, subtly adjusting his inner realm, channeling power through thighs, calves, and feet into the clouded ground.
Bang!
A jet of air burst from where his foot met the ground, and in an instant, he shot toward Xi, his right hand gripping a long saber, hanging low as if momentarily paused.
Bang!
Another stomp exploded beneath him, and Meng Qi’s saber suddenly surged forward like a dragon freed from chains, returning to the sea.
The saber light shone brightly, pure and calm, yet it sliced through the darkness and chaos, dividing yin and yang!
Boom!
Wherever it passed, yin and yang clashed, as if thunder accompanied its wake, fading only after the sound followed the light.
Just as Xi repelled Gu Xiaosang, he faced Meng Qi’s flanking assault. Without hesitation, his left hand twisted into a strange formation, extending his thumb. Hidden within were primordial darkness and deeply concealed virtue. Whatever his finger touched exploded into nothingness, as if returning to the beginning. Though seemingly slow, it always shifted in response to Meng Qi’s saber light, blocking the strike.
“The Beginning” could give rise to all transformations!
As the finger and saber were about to collide, Meng Qi suddenly angled his saber upward, changing his strike at the last moment. His control was almost inhuman!
This was the result of long, arduous training in saber techniques and the Eight-Nine Mystical Art’s mastery over his physical form.
Clang!
The saber barely missed Xi’s thumb, striking his shoulder instead. But a hazy glow of yellow and black light shimmered, and a golden pagoda faintly appeared, causing both saber light and finger energy to vanish.
Unfazed, Meng Qi’s left hand, wreathed in flickering flames, precisely thrust forward, aiming directly at Xi’s forehead.
This was the killing move!
The swordlight was pure, swift as a meteor chasing the moon. Yet as it neared Xi, Meng Qi’s hand involuntarily trembled, and the blade inexplicably slid aside, only slicing off a strand of Xi’s hair—as if unwilling to harm him!
“Virtue of the Sage…” Missing the opportunity, Meng Qi flipped backward, attempting to evade Xi’s incoming punch, surrounded by swirling black and white light. At the same time, a cold chill crept up his spine, as if a hidden enemy lurked nearby, waiting for the perfect moment to strike!
A seemingly insubstantial sash swept in from all directions in strange, shifting forms, striking at Xi. Gu Xiaosang’s figure became ethereal, like a celestial maiden, preventing Xi from pursuing Meng Qi.
Meng Qi, sensing an opening, feigned clumsiness, staggering backward with a wide opening in his defense.
…
The void shattered, forming six paths of thunder, fire, and chaos, each leading from the Demon-Slaying and Demon-Beheading Platforms.
Gao Lan raised his right hand and gently pressed down. The purple lightning and azure thunder immediately calmed, no longer embodying ultimate yang and strength, respectfully allowing him passage.
Han Guang stepped onto the path of flaming hell. Ripples spread around him, and the burning flames suddenly solidified, resembling painted purple lotus and green flowers, vivid and lifelike.
They took separate paths, forcing the Ferrying Dharma King into a frenzy—able to block one, but not both.
Yet the Ferrying Dharma King remained unconcerned. His transparent form merged into the shattered void, flashing before Gao Lan, then appearing above Han Guang. The environment favored him like water to a fish. While defeating both Law Bodies was impossible, holding them off for a while was manageable.
If they left this place and were pursued relentlessly, when would they have time to collect treasures?
…
As Meng Qi’s steps grew unsteady, he immediately sensed a cold, deadly sword qi piercing toward his Yuzhen acupoint at lightning speed. The sword wielder moved so fast that Meng Qi could barely sense, let alone track!
Hooked!
Meng Qi took a step back, actually using the back of his head to meet the sword qi!
Yet at that moment, the sword qi vanished. A faint light appeared before Meng Qi’s eyes—a blade tip stealing all life and breath!
Did the Star God not know Meng Qi cultivated a hard physical technique?
But as he looked on, he saw the smile on Meng Qi’s lips and the red flickering flame still waiting patiently in place.
Blazing swordlight shot into the sky, splitting into countless rays, neither stronger nor weaker, all interconnected, forming wave after wave of shifting patterns, instantly swallowing the Star God.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
After the metallic sounds, the Star God reappeared in the distance, blood gushing from his body. Several of his secret treasures had been shattered.
Unwilling to fight head-on and severely injured, he retreated toward the Demon-Slaying Platform.
Meanwhile, Xi radiated brilliant light—purple blessings, yellow-black sparks, black and white auras, dark virtuous mist, and sacred water waves. Behind him, these five energies coalesced into a phoenix bearing the Five Virtues!
Charging forward recklessly, Gu Xiaosang’s sashes either failed to reach him or actively “avoided” him, allowing him to break through.
Yet Gu Xiaosang’s expression remained calm, white lotus blossoms blooming in her eyes, a faint smile curling her lips. She stretched her arms, fingers subtly shifting, and the sashes suddenly scattered, regrouping around Xi, as if wrapping him into a sphere.
Meng Qi felt the fluctuation of space itself, as if part of it had been severed!
Most of the sashes withdrew, leaving only a few intertwined with the void, forming a translucent cage trapping Xi inside!
How formidable was this enchantress’s control over space? Meng Qi felt his suspicions were confirmed.
Glancing at Xi, Gu Xiaosang smiled slightly: “You must have come through the True Fire Path.”
Without wasting time finishing off Xi, she quickly moved forward, transmitting voice to Meng Qi: “Husband, don’t delay. Things may change if we wait.”
…
On the thunder path, Gao Lan forced the Ferrying Dharma King back with a punch, yet he had not even reached a third of the way to his destination.
Seeing Han Guang similarly blocked, and thinking of Cui Qinghe behind them, Gao Lan’s expression grew colder. Suddenly halting, he extended his right hand, his voice commanding:
“Sword, come!”
As the words echoed, a sword flew from his waist, quickly shedding its black iron sheen, radiating dazzling brilliance. On its front side were engraved sun, moon, stars, mountains, and rivers. On the back were images of celestial beings bowing, demons kneeling. The hilt bore scenes of farming and fishing, depicting the myriad aspects of humanity.
Light erupted, dispelling the gloomy clouds, cleansing the entire Heavenly Punishment Gate. All phantom dragon shadows and lingering thunder vanished, every suppression crumbling away.
The Ferrying Dharma King retreated several zhang through the void, exclaiming in shock:
“The Human Emperor’s Sword!”
…
Just as Gu Xiaosang took a step forward, she sensed the immense, righteous aura and her expression subtly shifted, whispering in disbelief:
“The Human Emperor’s Sword…”
This was the second time Meng Qi had seen her lose composure.
In this moment, in Meng Qi’s heart, Gu Xiaosang was no longer flawless—there were still things she hadn’t foreseen. Much of the lingering shadow she cast over him had begun to dissipate!
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