A beam of light descended, and the familiar Wheel of Rebirth Plaza appeared before Meng Qi. He patted his storage bag to confirm that all his weapons and treasures were still there, including the inheritance known as “Dao Chuan Huan Yu,” which the Master of the Six Gates had referred to as the “Tree of the Great Dao.” He had learned of the mission a year ago and had naturally retrieved the green sapling from the “Immortal Trace” on his way to Shaolin, though he had been unaware of the exact time and thus had not managed to enter Shaolin in time.
“It seems the Six Gates dare not pull someone away in front of a Dharma Body anymore…” Meng Qi felt quite pleased about this. The more “cowardly” the Six Gates appeared, the greater his hope of eventually breaking free.
Yet, thinking of cultivators like Daoist Chong He, who was about to become an Earth Immortal but still remained within the cycle of rebirth, he felt somewhat confused about the Six Gates’ true strength.
What exactly was it that they feared?
Another beam of light descended, and a pale yellow figure emerged faintly within the immortal aura. Jiang Zhiwei, sword in hand, stepped forward like a streak of morning glow.
“How are you feeling?” she asked with a smile.
Meng Qi chuckled. “Not bad at all.”
Seeing Jiang Zhiwei reminded him of how he had just answered her question from over four months ago: If all the gods and Buddhas in the heavens treat us as chess pieces, manipulating our lives, then today, with swords in our hands, we shall cut down gods, slay immortals, and destroy Buddhas!
However, his passionate emotions had already calmed. Speaking of it now felt somewhat embarrassing, so he decided not to bring it up again.
He glanced at Jiang Zhiwei, discerning her aura before asking, “Have you broken through?”
Seeing Meng Qi’s mood had recovered, Jiang Zhiwei relaxed her concerns and replied openly, “Not so quickly originally, but I was fortunate to gain insights into ‘Dao Chuan Huan Yu’ and also benefited from your notes on the general principles.”
At this, her cheeks flushed slightly. “But most of the past year was spent in contemplation and re-examining my sword Dao and sword techniques to achieve a breakthrough. My gains weren’t that significant. Fortunately, I had the Milky Way Sword; the main materials from dismantling it were used to enhance Baihong, while the remaining parts and accumulated materials were exchanged for 4,100 Virtue Points. Combined with my previous total, I now have 4,280 Virtue Points.”
Fearing she might not have enough time to complete this mission, she had chosen the most convenient method. As for the sword of the “Jade Cauldron Immortal,” she would consider it only after surviving this mission.
Meng Qi couldn’t help but laugh. “You feel slightly embarrassed about having over 4,000 Virtue Points? I have many items, but most are usable; exchanging them with the Six Gates for Virtue Points is less practical than using them directly. So, with only 80 Virtue Points, shouldn’t I be dying of shame?”
“You don’t care,” Jiang Zhiwei, recognizing Meng Qi’s teasing tone, pretended to examine the surroundings, “You have a thick skin.”
“Thick skin…” Meng Qi grinned, coughed slightly, and asked, “How high is the rank of Baihong now?”
“It’s comparable to your Liuhuo, nearly top-tier, worth over 8,000 Virtue Points. But for me, it feels most natural in my hands, no worse than wielding a top-tier treasure sword.” Mentioning her personal sword, her eyes sparkled with vitality.
The main material of the Milky Way Sword could be used to forge divine weapons. Although the quality might be reduced if the forging failed, it was still better than ordinary treasure materials. Jiang Zhiwei had precisely seen this advantage.
Three beams of light descended, and Ruan Yushu, Qi Zhengyan, and Zhao Heng appeared at the Wheel of Rebirth Plaza.
“Senior Brother Qi, the other day I visited you and found you hastily leaving the mountain. Did you discover something good?” Meng Qi approached with a smile.
Since he was worried that Qi Zhengyan might need help, he did not hesitate to ask directly.
Qi Zhengyan was still dressed in plain green robes, his features ordinary and expressionless, but his aura was deep and unfathomable, giving him a unique charm. Naturally, those who had become Outer Scenery cultivators and could stir the heavens would exude a special allure, regardless of their appearance.
“It wasn’t anything particularly good,” he said, his expression unchanged. “Just during my last journey, I accidentally discovered the remains of an Outer Scenery cultivator. At that time, my cultivation was insufficient, and contacting you for help was inconvenient and troublesome. So after returning to the mountain, breaking through, and stabilizing my cultivation, I hurried there, but there wasn’t much there—just some cultivation techniques, treasure weapons, pills, and two rare heavenly materials…”
Meng Qi nodded with a smile. “Actually, you didn’t need to say so much. Just tell us you had a lucky chance and how much Virtue Points you got.”
Qi Zhengyan felt slightly choked. Rarely did he speak so much…
Taking a deep breath, he stepped to the central light pillar and took out the items he temporarily didn’t need, exchanging them with the Six Gates.
“Nine thousand six hundred Virtue Points, plus what I had left, totaling nine thousand eight hundred and eighty,” he reported.
Meng Qi nodded solemnly. “Senior Brother Qi, this time we totally depend on you. I only have 80 Virtue Points.”
This joke continued from his previous conversation with Jiang Zhiwei. Zhao Heng, Qi Zhengyan, and Ruan Yushu were all puzzled, while Jiang Zhiwei almost burst into laughter.
Meng Qi temporarily did not mention the Zhenwu Chain Task and the Jit Tian Seven Sword inheritance, as discussing them now would be useless. He would wait until there was a break during the mission or upon returning, then casually talk about joining the Immortal Trace.
Zhao Heng, dressed in a yellow robe, took out his items and exchanged them while saying, “More than half a year ago, I broke through to the second heavenly stage. I’m still a bit away from the third.”
With the True Emperor’s Seal and his position as the Crown Prince’s younger brother, which held the moral high ground, along with auxiliary cultivation items, if it hadn’t been for the strict supervision by the Political Affairs Hall over the past few years, preventing him from accumulating extra materials, he would certainly have reached the third heavenly stage by now.
Hearing Zhao Heng’s slightly disheartened words, Meng Qi smiled. “This time is different from before. We are all Outer Scenery cultivators now, and we cooperate well with each other. Our overall strength has greatly improved. Whether you’re at the second or third heavenly stage makes no real difference.”
Zhao Heng nodded slightly. “Adding to the previous total, I have 4,880 Virtue Points.”
After stepping back, Ruan Yushu moved forward, tilting her head slightly as she spoke coolly, “Over these past few months, I have mastered ‘Bell Tremors Across Three Realms.'”
“‘The Bell Shakes the Three Realms’? That’s amazing!” Meng Qi was well aware of the immense power of “The Bell Shakes the Three Realms” within the Langhuan Divine Sound, as it served as an incredibly potent auxiliary technique.
Ruan Yushu’s lips curved slightly, revealing a faint smile, unhidden, as if it were natural to be praised for doing something good.
She exchanged the heavenly materials and rare treasures she hadn’t used for cultivation into Virtue Points, finally totaling 6,780 Virtue Points.
Although Meng Qi claimed to have only 80 Virtue Points, he actually rummaged through his ring and traded the Blessing Light Purple Qi Pearl—which had become less useful after his initial mastery of the Three Treasures Ruyi Fist—for 1,300 Virtue Points.
Combined with Jiang Zhiwei’s, the five of them amassed a total of 27,200 Virtue Points.
“What should we exchange for?” Meng Qi looked at his companions.
Though he had the least Virtue Points, he remained open and unashamed. When one has money, one contributes money; when one has strength, one contributes strength.
This time, Qi Zhengyan was the first to speak, unusually proactive: “I think we should each reserve 3,500 Virtue Points in case the mission fails.”
“The journey to the West is dangerous; we must be prepared for failure,” Ruan Yushu added.
Looking at them, Meng Qi suddenly realized that not only himself but also his companions, who had experienced deadly missions before, still carried lingering shadows from the Journey to the West world, always considering failure before victory.
Qi Zhengyan continued, “Moreover, the secret treasures left over from our last mission, like the Heaven and Earth Yellow and Green Linglong Pagoda and the Five Light Stone, are still with us. Why waste Virtue Points on similar high-level items when we only need one targeted high-level item?”
“That’s true…” Meng Qi suddenly remembered that some secret treasures from the Fengshen mission were still left. Although he didn’t have any, treasures like the Ancient Void Piercing Talisman and the Great Sun Flame Core were no worse than ordinary secret treasures.
“After reaching the Outer Scenery, my family also gave me protective items,” Ruan Yushu’s Qifeng Qin increasingly exuded an ancient yet smooth aura.
“Same for me,” Qi Zhengyan mentioned that the Huanhua Sword Sect had done likewise.
Zhao Heng thought for a moment and indicated he had no objections.
Meng Qi exchanged glances with Jiang Zhiwei.
Both of them had already crossed the first heavenly stage. Even without considering treasures, they could surpass most supreme experts individually. With the assistance of the other three, if they couldn’t dominate the supreme experts, they might as well just commit suicide. The real concern was encountering a Grandmaster.
With over 27,000 Virtue Points, they could only exchange for up to three items that could counter specific threats. Considering they already had treasures like the Great Sun Flame Core, it was better to save the Virtue Points to prepare for mission failure and dangerous situations where they might need to return. Otherwise, the “discounted price” deducted by the Six Gates upon failure would be enough to make Meng Qi heartbroken.
The shadow of the Journey to the West still lingered slightly in Meng Qi’s heart. After a brief consideration, he inhaled deeply and said, “I’ll take out my 1,300 Virtue Points and leave 3,500 for myself. I feel a bit guilty taking so much.”
If he exchanged for secret treasures, which were used in battle and benefited everyone, Meng Qi wouldn’t feel guilty. But Virtue Points were tangible, making him feel like he was robbing his companions.
Zhao Heng smiled. “In previous missions, you’ve contributed so much, and we didn’t say anything, right?”
In other words, stop whining and just take it!
“When did you become so sentimental, little monk?” Jiang Zhiwei teased with a smile.
Qi Zhengyan and Ruan Yushu shared the same attitude.
Meng Qi chuckled and accepted the Virtue Points, then turned to choose secret treasures.
Without hesitation, he chose the most familiar item—the Demon-Revealing Mirror, of course, of a better quality.
“As the saying goes, ‘Used and recommended by others!'” Meng Qi thought of the events during the Journey to the West and still felt a bit resentful.
“Demon-Revealing Mirror (False), Treasure-level artifact (Upper Grade), imitating the ancient divine weapon Demon-Revealing Mirror. When used, any being reflected in the mirror will be transformed back to its original form if it is a demon below the rank of Demon Lord, causing it to faint on the spot. For Demon Lords equivalent to top-tier human cultivators, they will reveal their true forms and lose their powers. For those equivalent to supreme human experts, they will be temporarily immobilized and vulnerable. For those equivalent to Grandmasters, depending on their strength, they will be immobilized for a finger-snap to a single breath, and their power will be reduced by nearly half within three heartbeats. It can be used twice and is worth 9,400 Virtue Points.”
This item was entrusted to Ruan Yushu for safekeeping. Adding 3,500 Virtue Points reserved for each person, only 300 remained in the public fund.
Seeing that there was still some time left, Meng Qi and the others seized the opportunity to discuss the mission:
“Prevent the demon race from succeeding”—how could success be considered achieved?
Was it completely driving them away, or obtaining the core item in advance and completely evading their tracking?
After a while, a beam of light descended, and the emotionless voice of the Six Gates’ Master echoed: “Main Mission: Fragments of Heaven have appeared on Five-Finger Mountain. Prevent the demon race from succeeding. Success rewards 3,500 Virtue Points; failure deducts corresponding Virtue Points.”
The scene before them changed, and Meng Qi saw a majestic mountain with five peaks, shaped like five fingers!
Looking at this mountain, he suddenly thought of Jie Du. Originally, he had wanted to probe his background but finally agreed to his request, leaving the “Talisman” of the six-character mantra. However, during the battle with the Du Ren Qin, Jie Du had been scared away by the Feng Dian Divine Envoy, perhaps slightly affected by the Blood Spirit Pearl and needing to find a place to heal, so he never reappeared.
Five-Finger Mountain, Six-Character Mantra—what would happen if he didn’t accept the Buddha sect’s involvement?
Meng Qi slowly exhaled.
…
Beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens, in a divine realm filled with immortal herbs and springs.
Inside the ordinary “Palace of the Tushita,” a Daoist elder in robes continued to gaze at the Eight Trigrams Cauldron.
Two young attendants dressed in golden and silver Daoist robes stood beside him, occasionally glancing toward the door.
The Daoist elder slowly opened his eyes, his expression calm. “Go fetch a sutra for him.”
“Yes, Great Lord,” the golden-robed Daoist boy immediately bowed and exited.
With a wave of his hand, the Daoist elder opened the Eight Trigrams Cauldron, and a stream of vapor soared into the sky, enveloping the stars.
It dragged a dark, swirling mass downward, distorting the surrounding light, drawing it toward the vortex. As it passed, the “stars” as bright as the sun were torn apart, yet before they could unleash their destructive storms, they were pulled into the vortex.
The vortex swallowed even sight itself as it fell into the cauldron. With a wave of his hand, the Daoist elder sealed the cauldron, and everything calmed, returning to stillness.
He closed his eyes again, as if what he had just done was merely a daily routine.
The wind passed silently, and eternal silence reigned.
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