“Peach Garden of Immortality?” There were very few ancient texts related to the Primordial Heaven, and Meng Qi had even less exposure to them. If not for his binding contract with Gu Xiaosang, he wouldn’t have been prepared at all for this journey, which otherwise would have left him completely in the dark. However, the Peach Garden of Immortality was one of the rare places he knew about without needing to consult any texts!
Back when he read the Journey to the West, he had drooled at the sight of these peaches—those that ripened every three thousand years, every six thousand years, and every nine thousand years, granting immortality, longevity, and divine powers to those who consumed them. Although his memories had long since faded and details were hazy, the feeling of yearning remained vivid.
Surveying the surroundings, Meng Qi saw peach trees of various forms: some of normal size, some towering giants, some so immense they reached the sky and blocked out the sun. Their only common feature was their withered branches and leaves, peeling bark, and lack of fruit. Their entire bodies were tinged with blood-red, like demonic trees soaked in blood.
The ground was terrifyingly soaked with blood, as if it had been steeped in it for thousands upon thousands of years!
This eerie, blood-soaked atmosphere heightened Meng Qi’s vigilance. In his left hand appeared the Flowing Fire blade, and the Tianzhi Sword stood ready on his right. He focused all his attention outward, scanning his surroundings.
Who knew what changes had occurred in the Peach Garden since the mysterious collapse of the Primordial Heaven?
As soon as his awareness extended outward, Meng Qi felt himself plunged into a sea of blood. It soaked him, eroded his spirit, and clouded his senses.
The crimson waves carried terrifying power within them!
Meng Qi hastily retracted his spiritual perception, unwilling to extend it further. He activated the Jiujie Xuan Gong to its fullest, bracing himself for any imminent danger.
Gu Xiaosang’s expression was serene, her gaze deep and unfathomable, revealing nothing of her emotions. After a brief silence, she suddenly smiled lightly: “This isn’t the Peach Garden—it’s more like the Garden of Death. My dear, remember this: no matter what happens, don’t look back, don’t stop, and don’t take anything, or you’ll invite endless calamity.”
Don’t look back, don’t stop, and don’t take anything? Just how much does this demoness truly know? Ever since breaking the ancient Thunder God’s seal, Meng Qi had felt his control over Gu Xiaosang slipping, making him particularly vigilant against the possibility of her betrayal. He couldn’t help but suspect her words concealed deeper implications.
According to their contract, she couldn’t harm him directly, meaning she couldn’t deceive him into walking into a trap. However, she could certainly withhold key information and watch him walk into doom.
No matter how affectionate or enchantingly beautiful she might appear, Meng Qi never truly let his guard down around her.
I’ll just follow her lead for now, he thought grimly. “Why can’t we look back or stop?”
Gu Xiaosang beamed with a dazzling smile, her beauty utterly breathtaking: “It’s a long story. Other Mythic powerhouses might discover us at any moment. We should pass through quickly. My dear, surely you trust me?”
Her gaze turned sorrowful and pitiful: “After saving you hundreds or even thousands of times, must you still doubt my sincerity?”
Mentioning the past again, Meng Qi’s lips twitched slightly. He knew that no matter how much he pressed, this bewitching woman would never give him a straightforward answer. So he fell silent and walked forward alongside Gu Xiaosang, finally stepping into the Peach Garden of Immortality.
The ground felt soft underfoot, as if sinking into mud. Meng Qi slightly lifted his qi, lightened his steps, and moved forward quickly.
Since this place belonged to the Primordial Heaven, flight was naturally impossible here.
After taking only a few steps, a sudden sense of danger gripped Meng Qi’s heart. It felt as if an enemy was watching him from behind. Instinctively, he wanted to twist his body and strike preemptively with his blade and sword.
But at this moment, he saw Gu Xiaosang walking calmly, her white boots moving as gracefully as in a leisurely garden stroll, seemingly unaware of any danger.
“Don’t look back, don’t stop…” Meng Qi’s mind echoed Gu Xiaosang’s earlier words.
He took a deep breath, steadying his agitated emotions. Suppressing the instinctive urge to turn and strike, he reminded himself—this bewitching woman wouldn’t recklessly gamble with her own life!
The sense of danger didn’t fade. Meng Qi felt as if a thousand needles were pricking his back, more exhausting than carrying a thousand catties of weight.
As he took each step forward, a sudden cold wind blew, making even Meng Qi’s robust physical body shiver involuntarily.
Just then, he felt a shadow sweep past from behind!
His hands gripping the blade and sword tensed, and he struggled with all his might to suppress his instinctive reaction.
Instinctively, he glanced sideways at Gu Xiaosang again. She appeared calm and collected, eyes lowered like a holy figure descending into the mortal world. Yet, there was an indescribable weariness in her expression, dark circles under her eyes, her skin losing some of its luster, and a faint bluish tinge on her forehead, as if she had aged and drawn closer to death!
“You…” Meng Qi was startled and tried to warn her.
Gu Xiaosang turned her head. Her beautiful eyes, like deep lakes, reflected Meng Qi’s image—his forehead tinged with blue, his face weary, as if his lifespan was nearing its end!
Startled, Meng Qi was about to speak when he saw Gu Xiaosang’s moist lips part slightly, and her voice whispered directly into his mind: “Don’t be alarmed. There will be ways to make up for it once we get out.”
Her voice was pleasant, like the song of a bird leaving its nest. Meng Qi inhaled deeply, kept walking forward, and stepped across the blood-soaked ground toward the other side of the Peach Garden.
Shadows flickered behind him, and chilling sensations prickled his skin. Meng Qi continued forward with superhuman willpower. This time, without even glancing at Gu Xiaosang’s eyes, he could sense an ominous change occurring within his physical body and spiritual essence.
Suddenly, a golden figure appeared ahead, radiating a powerful yet decaying aura.
A Heavenly General in Golden Armor! A Law Body expert!
The sight nearly made Meng Qi halt in his tracks, but he quickly regained his composure, suppressing his reaction and continuing forward.
The golden-armored general knelt in a twisted posture, his body leaning forward while his head turned backward, “looking” at Meng Qi and Gu Xiaosang. His condition was peculiar—his vitality appeared strong, yet he was utterly lifeless, as if his life had abruptly ceased at its peak!
This was completely different from the vitality-preserved generals Meng Qi had encountered at the South Heaven Gate before.
“He looked back… he looked back…” As soon as Meng Qi noticed the posture of the Heavenly General, he realized the oddity—the general had turned his head backward!
So, he had died mysteriously?
Even the Law Body expert had died mysteriously!
What strange force lurked within the Peach Garden? Why didn’t the Heavenly General understand the rule about not looking back, while Gu Xiaosang did?
Whoosh! A chilling wind blew past. Meng Qi immediately sensed someone standing just a few steps behind him!
Snap! The joints in his hands cracked audibly as he barely resisted the urge to turn around and attack, sweat breaking out on his back.
“At the final moment, you can attack without turning around,” Gu Xiaosang winked, her expression half-mocking, half-teasing Meng Qi’s tension.
At the final moment… Meng Qi repeated the words silently, his tension not disturbing the calmness of his mind in the slightest.
Circumventing the golden-armored general, the further they went, the more intense the blood-soaked atmosphere became. Initially, the soil had just been soaked in blood, but now it seemed as if blood was actually flowing out. Meng Qi felt the ground beneath his feet becoming slippery and slimy, as if walking on a pile of venomous snakes.
“Hmm?” At this moment, Gu Xiaosang slightly opened her lips but didn’t stop walking.
Following her gaze, Meng Qi focused ahead and saw, not far away where blood oozed from the soil, a head emerged—its forehead protruding, large ears with white beard, its crown split open. Below the neck, it seemed to have turned into mud, the source of the blood soaking the entire Peach Garden.
Faintly familiar… Meng Qi slightly furrowed his brow, feeling as if he had seen this face somewhere before!
“The God of Longevity,” Gu Xiaosang murmured, lowering her eyelids.
The legendary deity who governed lifespan, nearly coeval with Heaven and Earth itself, had died in the Peach Garden?
Who killed him?
Before Meng Qi could finish processing this thought, a chilling breath blew against his neck from behind, cold and icy, seeping into his collar!
His sense of danger peaked. Meng Qi kept his head fixed forward, and the Tianzhi Sword stabbed violently backward, its blade flashing with purplish-blue lightning. Gu Xiaosang’s hands gently pressed, and in the void, it seemed as if layers of ribbons flew backward!
…
The purple lightning dissipated, and the vortex transformed into a gate. From the nearby clouds emerged two figures dressed in dark robes—members of the “Myth” organization. One was the Star Lord of the Northern Dipper, and the other wore the mask of the ancient Solar Sovereign “Xi”!
“It’s indeed opened—the top three levels of the Ninth Heaven…” the Star Lord of the Northern Dipper said in a hoarse voice.
Xi kept his hands lowered and stepped forward: “We’ll send word first, then follow them in, paving the way for the Celestial Emperor and preventing the Great Luo Enchantress and the Mad Swordsman Su Meng from obtaining valuable treasures.”
“Follow them in?” the Star Lord of the Northern Dipper rasped, “We don’t know the situation above. It would be best to wait for the Celestial Emperor.”
The Ninth Heaven had mysteriously vanished—who knew what dangers awaited? It would be wisest to go with Law Body experts!
“No problem. This entrance leads to the Peach Garden of Immortality,” Xi said calmly.
The Peach Garden of Immortality? The Star Lord of the Northern Dipper looked at him in surprise. How did he know the layout? Had he encountered something else?
…
“It’s opened,” Han Guang said, gazing at the misty horizon, his handsome face like that of a god or demon, revealing a faint smile.
As Gao Lan was about to speak, a sudden thunderous boom rang out—someone had entered this fragment of the Primordial Heaven!
Han Guang narrowed his eyes slightly, looking toward the entrance:
“Truly, one event follows another in perfect sequence.”
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