How was the Root of the God of Longevity connected? Meng Qi didn’t know. But to have earned a reputation in the ancient heavenly court, where immortals and deities were everywhere, and to preside over human lifespan, he must be an extraordinary figure.
At this moment, however, his head had split open, his eyes widened, and he stared at Meng Qi and Gu Xiaosang. His frozen gaze showed no shock, no surprise, no despair or fear—only emptiness and indifference, as if death couldn’t disturb his emotions, or perhaps he hadn’t even had time to react.
Being stared at by such eyes, even though Meng Qi had seen many things and feared no danger, sent chills down his spine. But now wasn’t the time to dwell on that. The “strange shadow” from the Peach Garden had already pressed close behind him, exhaling icy cold breath onto his neck!
At this critical moment, with danger reaching its peak, Meng Qi dared not take risks and treated it as his final move. He flexed his forearm subtly and swiftly, and Tianzhi Shang stabbed sharply backward. The blade trembled rapidly, creating a contrast between emptiness and reality, yin and yang, pulling against each other and generating waves of pure yang thunder. The thunder gathered on the blade, forming thick layers of cyan and purple lightning.
The cyan and purple lightning surged forward, concentrating at the blade’s tip!
Boom!
The thunder exploded, its pure yang energy surging backward in all directions, dispelling the sinister and evil, unstoppable and unbreakable.
Yet, Meng Qi felt the long blade strike nothing. As for whether the thunder had formed an ocean or swallowed the “strange shadow,” since his senses were suppressed by blood and he couldn’t turn around, he had no way of knowing.
At that moment, with the God of Longevity at the center, the ground split open as ferocious, blood-red branches and vines surged upward—resembling both the roots of a peach tree and pulsing blood vessels. They wove into a vast, all-encompassing net that stretched across the heavens and earth, ensnaring Meng Qi and Gu Xiaosang.
Gu Xiaosang’s expression turned sacred. She pressed her palms together, causing the void to collapse and generate swirling vortices that emitted terrifying suction, violently pulling the vines and branches into chaotic swaying.
Meng Qi’s mind remained clear. His left hand’s Liuhuo transformed into a red slash of light, which then split into two, then four, then eight, precisely and skillfully intercepting each blood-colored vine. The sound of collision merged into a single continuous burst.
In an instant, crimson sword lights filled the sky, like blossoms slowly unfurling.
Suddenly, cold, sinister wind blew against Meng Qi’s neck from close range, making his hairs stand on end!
A wolf ahead, a tiger behind!
Resisting the urge to turn around or sense his surroundings, relying purely on instinct, Meng Qi lifted Tianzhi Shang upward, creating layers of changes. Purple and cyan lightning burst forth, manifesting various types of thunder.
Suddenly, the thunder vanished, revealing the blade itself. Its cyan and purple glow was hidden within, no longer changing. Ancient and mysterious, fierce and sharp, it seemed like the only blade in heaven and earth capable of splitting void and extremity, cleaving through chaos, and separating yin and yang, generating thunder anew.
Guiding the blade with his heart, Meng Qi infused the subtle foresight of the Eight-Nine Profound Art into this single strike. The blade traced an indescribable trajectory, shifting in response to the illusory energy flow, fluctuating unpredictably, yet unwavering in its ferocity.
Bang!
Meng Qi seemed to strike something strange—neither substantial nor insubstantial, existing in a peculiar state. The impact sent a numbing sensation through his entire body, as if he were resisting the heavens themselves!
He had no time to think further. Using the force of the impact, Meng Qi launched himself into the air. Liuhuo split into countless sword lights of equal strength, suppressing the blood vines, attempting to fly over the God of Longevity’s head. Behind him, the peach trees became sparse again, faintly revealing the misty atmosphere outside.
Throughout the entire process, Meng Qi kept his gaze forward, his body never turning.
Suddenly, his peripheral vision caught sight of the cracked top of the God of Longevity’s head. Faintly, he could see five fingers. The wound’s condition felt oddly familiar to Meng Qi.
A palm strike that shattered an immortal’s head—where had he seen or heard of this before?
The thought flashed through his mind, and Meng Qi’s heart stirred:
Fan Tian Yin (Heaven-Flipping Seal)?
Could it be that the Heaven-Flipping Seal had killed the God of Longevity?
But shouldn’t the Heaven-Flipping Seal primarily target the head? Why was the God of Longevity’s physical body shattered, yet his head remained intact?
Or was it another technique?
Amid shock, confusion, and bewilderment, Meng Qi’s gaze froze again!
The top of the God of Longevity’s head split open, revealing what was inside. It wasn’t a brain, not even brain matter, but a crimson red peach, almost dripping with blood!
A longevity peach? A divine peach?
How could it be inside the God of Longevity’s skull?
The peach radiated eerie blood light, its semi-transparent skin covered in a faint downy fuzz. Inside, the flesh seemed to have blood vessels and meridians. Just seeing it made Meng Qi feel his mind waver, illusions arising before his eyes, as if this were an ominous object!
And within his Jiezi Ring, the Great Dao Tree seemed to stir slightly again.
At this moment, Meng Qi’s sense of danger surged once more. Without hesitation, his back muscles bulged, extending two additional arms—one wielding the Xuan Turtle Heavy Sword, the other gripping the Purple Lightning Blade.
As soon as the four arms appeared, Meng Qi saw the God of Longevity’s head “come alive,” wobbling unsteadily. The surrounding restraints suddenly intensified, halting his upward leap mid-air, sending him plummeting downward!
Meng Qi’s eyes remained calm. He swung both sword and blade downward together, as if two towering mountains were crashing down.
Boom!
The weapons collided mid-air, unleashing a massive shockwave downward, temporarily neutralizing the restraints. Meng Qi used the momentum to lunge forward, narrowly dodging other blood-colored vines.
The terrifying “shockwave” surged outward, yet the peach trees merely swayed slightly, none snapping. Their main trunks’ hardness and strength were evident!
As Meng Qi’s feet touched the ground, he saw Gu Xiaosang landing beside him, seemingly connected subtly to the void. Unnoticeable ribbons coiled around her body.
They didn’t exchange glances or words. Almost simultaneously, they dashed toward the edge of the peach grove, pursued by whooshing sounds, icy winds, and countless inexplicable “shadows” invading their minds!
Sweat beaded on Meng Qi’s forehead as he strode forward without turning back or pausing.
After a few breaths, white clouds appeared at the forest’s edge, signaling safety.
Suddenly, tree roots abruptly sprouted in front of Meng Qi, unexpected and unannounced!
Had it not been for his mastery of the Eight-Nine Art, Meng Qi would surely have tripped. But now, he leapt half a beat early, barely catching his foot on the root, his body nearly pitching forward.
He sucked in his abdomen and spat out a stream of white energy from his mouth, striking the ground and shattering the stone!
Using the force to leap again, shifting his center of gravity mid-air, Meng Qi soared like a great roc, landing outside the Peach Grove. Mist and vapor swirled around him, resembling a paradise. Behind him, all movement and danger vanished, as if he had crossed into an entirely different realm!
Clap. Clap. Clap. Applause rang out, and Gu Xiaosang smiled, saying, “My dear, your reflexes are impressive.”
Meng Qi turned to look at her. He noticed her skin had regained its luster, smooth and delicate like jade and jadeite. Her forehead was no longer darkened, and her appearance had rejuvenated, seemingly restored to full health. Meng Qi sensed himself and found the same.
Phew! Fortunately, no aftereffects remained!
“Can I look back now?” Meng Qi wanted to glance back at the God of Longevity’s corpse to confirm the wound.
Gu Xiaosang smiled gently, “It’s better not to. This is the manifestation and partial source of the great change in heavenly lifespan. Looking back would at least shorten your life by ten years.”
“The manifestation and partial source of the great change in heavenly lifespan? But didn’t we already looked when we passed by?” Meng Qi asked in surprise, struggling to understand Gu Xiaosang’s words.
Gu Xiaosang’s dimples deepened slightly, “My dear, let’s talk while we walk. Although we previously deceived Han Guang, he’s no mere reputation. He might still have some hidden tricks. We can’t stop, or we might be pursued. It’s best to reach our destination as soon as possible.”
Regardless of Gu Xiaosang’s character, Meng Qi agreed with this suggestion, not letting personal feelings cloud judgment. He quickened his pace, following the misty path forward swiftly.
Gu Xiaosang kept up effortlessly, walking beside him, and transmitted voice, “The Nine Heavens, claiming to be the Immortal Realm, isn’t just a name. It was born from the Great Dao, the source of most laws and principles in heaven and earth, especially the top three layers.”
“Beyond the Nine Heavens, interacting and generating laws and principles, various ungraspable rules emerged, only observable through phenomena.”
Hmm… This sounded familiar! Meng Qi immediately thought of the strange old man Huang Liang on the mountaintop. His thoughts about the universe seemed to include a similar idea!
Beyond the core, each evolved in its own unique way, endlessly transforming to form a world—a condensation of laws and principles, immutable regardless of external influences. The Daoists named it the Great Luo, the Buddhists called it the Pure Land, and the Vedantic tradition referred to it as “Lower Brahman.” Our sect, alongside the core, designated it as the “True Realm,” a reality unchanging since antiquity…
Beyond the True Realm, sensing the variations in aura, diverse laws and principles emerged, merging the elements of earth, fire, wind, and water with the five phases of metal and wood, giving rise to myriad celestial and terrestrial realms…
Huang Liang’s words echoed in Meng Qi’s ears. He glanced around, pondering. Was the Nine Heavens the Great Luo, the Immortal Realm?
And had this “Immortal Realm,” real and unchanging since ancient times, also shattered?
Gu Xiaosang continued, “The Peach Garden is the condensation and manifestation of the laws and principles concerning heavenly longevity. It manifests as the Elixir of Immortality. Consuming a single Peach bestows nearly an entire eon of life!”
“Now, with the great change in heaven and earth, even Law Bodies only have about three hundred years of life. As the ‘manifestation of lifespan,’ deducing backward, the current state of the Peach Garden is understandable. However, since it was born from the Great Dao, it can only be a minor source of the drastic reduction in lifespan.”
Meng Qi thought deeply and asked, “So, while we were inside, a slight mistake could have caused our lifespan to dissipate, leading to death?”
Gu Xiaosang smiled lightly, “The human body has three lamps: one on the head, and one on each shoulder. Suddenly turning around might affect them. Normally, with our abilities, there would be no problem. But in a place where laws and principles have condensed into tangible forms, and where strange changes have occurred, even a simple act like turning around might extinguish the ‘lamps.'”
“They are more manifestations of laws and principles, born from natural laws. Therefore, as long as our actions conform to the rules, they can hardly affect us directly?” Meng Qi asked, realization dawning.
Gu Xiaosang gave a slight nod, her delicate chin tilting up as she let out a soft laugh. “There are many such places in the upper realms of the Nine Heavens. Take the Jade Pool, for instance—the embodiment of Metal elemental power. My dear, you must remember what you just said.”
Meng Qi hesitated slightly, then asked seriously, “Miss Xiaosang, since we’re working together, you should at least tell me your goal.”
Gu Xiaosang smiled sweetly, “I wish to go to the Hall of Three Lives, so that in every future life, I may be with my dear.”
Meng Qi narrowed his eyes slightly. Gu Xiaosang was skilled at mixing truth with deception. The Hall of Three Lives might indeed be one of her goals!
Suddenly, a subtle feeling arose in his heart. Instinctively, he glanced to his side. From the misty area, a half peach shyly peeked out.
Half a peach?
A sinister, blood-lit peach!
It had actually followed them here?
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