Meng Qi did not relax in the slightest; the Yuan Shi Golden Lotus secretly guarded his spirit, while the Eight-Nine Transformations remained at a hair-trigger state: “Didn’t the Thunder God perish during the fall of the Celestial Realm?”
Various legends circulated, but one fact seemed relatively clear: after the fall of the Celestial Realm, only deities like the Nine Heavens Xuan Nu remained, and though they were quite active, they never mentioned the disappearance of the Nine Heavens. Regarding the Primordial Thunder God, some claimed He survived until the end of the Mythological Era, while others insisted He perished during the fall of the Celestial Realm. Considering the lack of any notable deeds attributed to Him during the late Ancient Era, Meng Qi leaned more toward the latter view.
After all, the Primordial Thunder God was the Celestial Realm’s top warrior, second only to the Celestial Emperor himself. Such a major figure could not have possibly avoided this catastrophe. And if even the Celestial Emperor, a supreme figure who dominated an entire era, vanished and possibly perished, how could the Thunder God have escaped?
Yet now, hearing the words of the True Martial’s Evil Manifestation, the Thunder God had appeared at this suspicious tomb after the fall of the Celestial Realm, having survived that calamity!
The True Martial Evil Manifestation wore the Pingtian Crown, exuding an imperial aura, his smile itself imposing: “Don’t judge the Thunder Dao merely by its fierce and mighty nature. The Thunder God was never a reckless man. In fact, among all the naturally born divine beings, He ranked among the top five in intelligence. Just consider how He managed to survive from the Ancient Era all the way through the calamity of the Celestial Realm’s fall.”
This surprised Meng Qi greatly. In his instinctive imagination, the Primordial Thunder God should have been a bold and straightforward brute, speaking in the first person and acting without hesitation. How could He actually be so meticulous inside?
Zhenwu Emperor himself was a naturally born spirit, born in ancient times. Though not a deity, He shared similarities with Thunder God and others. Having fought side by side with the Thunder God for many years, His understanding of Him was thorough. Therefore, the account given by His Evil Manifestation was highly credible—unless the “Evil Manifestation” was deliberately deceiving!
But what would be the point of deceiving him about this?
As he pondered, Meng Qi deliberately steered the conversation elsewhere: “After the fall of the Celestial Realm and the disappearance of the Nine Heavens, what exactly happened back then? How could the Thunder God not seek to rise again?”
The True Martial Evil Manifestation smiled faintly, maintaining his imposing image: “The Thunder God looked down upon me, a mere evil manifestation, so why would He mention such matters? However, for even the Celestial Emperor, a supreme figure who dominated an entire era, to have lost control of the Celestial Realm, it must have been because one or more of those who vanished an eon ago personally intervened. It might even have been a joint effort, considering that several among them were no weaker than the Celestial Emperor.”
An “eon” was an ancient term for an era.
“Which ones?” Upon hearing such ancient secrets, Meng Qi nearly perked up his ears.
Curiosity was one thing, but understanding these secrets could help him uncover the truth and find a way to escape the shadows of figures like A-nan.
The True Martial Evil Manifestation’s expression darkened, no longer showing the slightest hint of amusement. Even with the noble status of one of the Five Ancient Emperors and one of the Nine Supreme Daoist Venerables, he still harbored an indescribable reverence for those beings:
“The Three Purities, Amitabha, the Holy Buddha, Bodhi, the Demon Emperor, and the Dao-Buddha-Demon—some or all of these great figures from the Tai Gu era.”
Indeed, only they could have done it… Meng Qi had a vague suspicion and exhaled softly: “Why would they destroy the Celestial Realm and erase the Nine Heavens?”
For some reason, Meng Qi thought of the War of the Investiture of the Gods!
“You ask me, but who can I ask? I had already been sealed and suppressed here long before the fall of the Celestial Realm,” the True Martial Evil Manifestation huffed, his voice lowering: “For them to act after enduring an entire eon of restraint, there could only be a few reasons—opportunities for attaining the Dao, or the path to eternal existence…”
He did not finish, as if gradually forming a hypothesis.
Seeing that the True Martial Evil Manifestation refused to reveal his own speculation, Meng Qi remained wary while switching to another question: “Why only mention Dao, Buddha, and Demon? What about the Devil and the Gods?”
“The Demon Emperor perished by the hands of the Dao Venerable. The Celestial Emperor himself was a figure among the gods who stood equal to those mentioned. Where else would you find Devils and Gods?” The True Martial Evil Manifestation stood within the swirling black mist, the surrounding dampness intensifying.
As the Black Emperor Water Sovereign, this seemed to be his natural ability.
Recalling the origin of the Demon Emperor’s Claw, Meng Qi immediately understood: “What about other evil beings?”
“Other malevolent entities? The Demon Lord, Tian Sha, and I have all been trapped in the sea of suffering. The Celestial Emperor reached the shore long ago, having condensed half a Dao Fruit—no less than Bodhi or the Demon Emperor. Even with the advantages of the Nine Netherworlds or the Demon Realm, would they dare to assault the Celestial Realm and meddle in this affair? Do they not fear those formidable figures turning against them?” The True Martial Evil Manifestation let out a faint sneer, his imposing aura slightly diminished.
A “Dao Fruit”? Meng Qi encountered a new term, one never introduced in any of the scriptures he had read.
A new cultivation stage?
He frowned: “But many years before the fall of the Celestial Realm, the Demon Lord did attack the Celestial Realm and was killed by the Celestial Emperor using the Celestial Dao Seal, causing the Demon Realm to shatter. Legends say that during the fall of the Celestial Realm, the Celestial Emperor was unable to maintain control due to hidden injuries from that battle.”
The True Martial Emperor had mysteriously vanished before the battle between the Celestial Emperor and the Demon Lord, establishing his immortal tomb here, attempting to use his evil manifestation as a substitute for death. Naturally, this manifestation would not know what happened afterward.
“He’s insane?” The True Martial Evil Manifestation clearly lacked the composure of the True Martial Emperor himself, showing obvious shock: “Did he cross the sea of suffering and successfully ‘reach the shore’?”
He assumed the Demon Lord had broken through a cultivation stage, thus gaining the confidence to launch a reckless assault on the Celestial Realm, only to perish in the process.
Meng Qi shook his head in confusion: “I don’t understand what you mean by ‘cultivation stage’ at all.”
At this moment, the True Martial Evil Manifestation’s shock presented a perfect opportunity for attack, but Meng Qi still restrained himself. He would rather fail the mission than miss out on more ancient secrets!
Otherwise, he might end up just as Wang Dashengu said: sweeping the peers of today, only to die an untimely death tomorrow!
The True Martial Evil Manifestation did not expect Meng Qi to answer. His shock subsided, replaced by a complex expression: “No, he couldn’t have broken through so quickly. Perhaps there was some unavoidable reason…”
He seemed to have great confidence in “himself,” believing that if he himself had not broken through, the Demon Lord definitely couldn’t have either!
They had fought many times, and their understanding of each other’s strength and cultivation stages likely rivaled that of their true selves.
It seemed the Demon Lord’s assault on the Celestial Realm wasn’t as simple as it appeared… Meng Qi inhaled slightly, feeling that the events of the late Ancient Era were full of mysteries upon mysteries.
The True Martial Evil Manifestation gradually fell silent, lost in thought, while Meng Qi, eager to hear more ancient secrets, took the initiative to speak: “Did the Thunder God come here seeking the Tianzun of Pacifying Demons?”
“Seeking?” The True Martial Evil Manifestation regained his majesty, his aura vast, as if filling the heavens and earth like an ocean: “He merely came to see how I could achieve eternal existence after death.”
“Just to see how to achieve eternal existence after death?” Meng Qi had initially thought the Primordial Thunder God had come to this suspicious tomb in search of the whereabouts of a “comrade-in-arms.” After discovering the True Martial Emperor’s mysterious departure, He had been unable to control His emotions, leaving behind an imprint of His presence that would last for eons. If someone disturbed it, it would dissipate, only to gradually reform once everything calmed down.
The True Martial Evil Manifestation sneered: “Once one reaches our level of cultivation or growth, how could one willingly accept the passage of time and eventual dissolution into nothingness, reduced to a handful of dust? The Thunder God was no exception. However, after discovering that ‘He’ had gone to the Worry-Free Valley, He found it somewhat difficult to control His aura.”
“Did the Thunder God know about the Worry-Free Valley?” Meng Qi asked doubtfully.
He had assumed that the matter of suppressing the Yellow Springs in the Worry-Free Valley was a secret of the True Martial Emperor.
The True Martial Evil Manifestation cast a cold glance at Meng Qi and said, “Though the Yellow Springs is merely on par with an ordinary Buddha, as long as the Nine Nether remains, its true form can briefly unleash power nearly matching mine. Without the Thunder God’s aid, how could I have subdued the Yellow Springs?”
“Did you know about the suppression of the Yellow Springs?” Meng Qi was quite surprised. Initially, he thought that before seeking the path to eternal existence after death, the True Martial Emperor had suddenly sensed the mystery of the Worry-Free Valley, using it to locate and suppress the Yellow Springs.
After successfully suppressing it, the True Martial Emperor had found a glimmer of hope and hurriedly set out, never to be seen again.
The True Martial Evil Manifestation sneered once more: “The Yellow Springs is an evil deity of the Nine Nether, wielding the authority over life and death. To seek the path of eternal existence beyond death, one must inevitably encounter Him. The Thunder God and I conducted covert investigations, uncovering traces of the Worry-Free Valley. Ultimately, we captured the Yellow Springs and imprisoned Him there, delving into the mysteries of life and death.”
“The method of slaying one’s evil manifestation as a substitute for death was created by ‘Him,’ but just before entering the coffin, ‘He’ suddenly realized something and hurriedly went to find the Yellow Springs.”
“What is the situation like inside the Worry-Free Valley now?”
Undoubtedly, Meng Qi was very interested in the final whereabouts of the True Martial Emperor.
Meng Qi briefly outlined the situation within the Worry-Free Valley. The True Martial Evil Manifestation’s expression grew solemn, as if murmuring to himself: “Where has He taken the Yellow Springs? To the Nine Nether, or…”
Did the True Martial Emperor personally take the evil god “Yellow Springs” away? Wasn’t it He who had escaped? Meng Qi’s repeated conjectures were overturned, stirring waves in his heart.
Now the Yellow Springs’ remains have appeared in the world, in the hands of the Sect of Impermanence and Meng Qi himself. What about the “True Martial Emperor” who was there at the time?
Suddenly, the True Martial Evil Manifestation’s expression turned serious, revealing a hint of ferocity: “He must have found the true path to eternal existence!”
“And still wants to eliminate me!”
The black mist churned, the sound of water splashing.
“Perhaps the True Martial Emperor has already passed away…” Meng Qi deliberately said.
The True Martial Evil Manifestation laughed loudly: “If I die and He does not, then if He dies, I will slowly fade away. What do you think?”
The True Martial Emperor had not yet perished! Meng Qi was greatly shocked as he looked at the True Martial Evil Manifestation.
The True Martial Evil Manifestation seemed slightly deranged: “Why not have Him die and me live?”
“I have my own thoughts. I won’t be controlled by Him, nor do I want to become the medium for His return!”
Suddenly, he looked at Meng Qi and said solemnly: “If you help me escape this predicament, I will tell you of several secret locations, all of which were arranged by ‘Him’ before seeking eternal existence after death, prepared for ‘resurrection’ in the future. There are many treasures and partial inheritances of the Seven Heaven-Defying Swords!”
Was one of these locations where the True Martial Sect obtained their inheritance? Meng Qi suddenly had an epiphany and smiled slightly: “The Tianzun of Pacifying Demons said that killing you would bring its own rewards. I suppose these secrets are hidden within the mausoleum?”
The True Martial Evil Manifestation snorted but suddenly spoke: “The last time I possessed one of you, I encountered an old acquaintance who erased me. Want to know who it was?”
“Who?” A storm surged in Meng Qi’s heart. Before being erased by the Six Dao, the possessing evil manifestation had indeed let out the sound of “It was…”
Was he about to say “It was you”?
The True Martial Evil Manifestation smiled slightly: “It was…”
Before the word was finished, he suddenly extended his left hand and grabbed, causing the surrounding water to ripple with a force that seemed to engulf the heavens and earth.
The Xuan Shui Dao Mo Banner in Meng Qi’s hand immediately lost control. His mind was shaken, causing him to react half a beat late. He failed to hold onto the slowly flying banner as it drifted toward the Evil Manifestation!
“Am I afraid of my own treasure?” The True Martial Evil Manifestation sneered, his right hand gripping the sword hilt and drawing it out in one swift motion.
A dazzling sword radiance burst forth, instantly turning the heavens and earth illusory and unreal—his physical body, true energy, and Dharma form all dissolved into nothingness, leaving only his primordial spirit to face this pure and ultimate sword light!
The Sword of Dao Slicing Through Self!
The Seven Heaven-Defying Swords!
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