“Also from Bomi?” Qian Kai’s eyebrows relaxed, showing delight. “Is it that senior?”
“Yes, it’s him.” A trace of smile appeared on Zhou Qiushan’s dull face. “I finally convinced the senior of our sincerity after great effort, and he agreed to explore the place where Buddhist light rises with us.”
During the conversation, they noticed Meng Qi’s slightly puzzled expression. Qian Kai smiled and explained, “Brother Shen, the helper Qiushan found is an ultimate expert, with formidable strength and exceptional skills, earning our admiration. Haha, he’s also from Bomi. Do you know him?”
“What’s his name? What’s his nickname?” Meng Qi only knew a few people from Bomi and didn’t think he would recognize him, so he just asked casually.
Qian Kai replied, “The senior is surnamed Lu and named Jiang. He has been hiding in Bomi for many years. His reputation was not prominent in the past, but now he calls himself ‘Hermit of Remaining Life.'”
“Hermit of Remaining Life, huh? Why come to Yuhai to join the chaos if he wants to spend his remaining life peacefully?” Meng Qi chuckled.
Zhou Qiushan said, “Currently, except for the experts from several major sects in the Western Regions, other martial experts have not arrived yet. There’s plenty of opportunity for ultimate experts! Even if one chooses to spend remaining life peacefully, even without obtaining the inheritance of the Divine Palm, getting a few accompanying Buddhist treasures would be excellent. Such treasures are always better to have more.”
“Do you know his strength?” Meng Qi played with the teacup.
Qian Kai became serious, “When we met Senior Lu, he fought to a draw with Nanda Dragon King, one of the thirteen Asuras of the Asura Temple.”
His tone revealed obvious admiration.
Under the Great Asura Monk Mengnan of the Asura Temple, there were four Asura Kings, thirteen Asuras, and twenty Shura. Among them, Nanda Dragon King ranked at the forefront, considered to have the potential to break through to the Zongshi level and become an Asura King in the future. Being able to fight him to a draw, Lu Jiang was indeed formidable!
“If Senior Lu can have some extraordinary encounter this time, his future prospect as a Zongshi is promising,” Zhou Qiushan nodded slightly, showing intention to recruit him.
Meng Qi smiled and said, “Bomi is vast, where people live close but rarely interact. I’ve never met him before.”
Qian Kai and Zhou Qiushan nodded simultaneously, finding it natural. Bomi was a place without law; if two Out-of-Scene experts met and their strengths differed greatly, the stronger one would definitely attack the weaker one. The fact that Shen Bao was still alive indicated he hadn’t encountered any strong experts, or when he did, there were powerful experts nearby to protect him.
The latter possibility was smaller, so it was normal for Shen Bao not to have met Senior Lu!
Just as Qian Kai was about to speak, his ears suddenly twitched. He stood up directly, his face full of smiles, “Senior Lu has arrived.”
Meng Qi didn’t know who Senior Lu was. There were many Out-of-Scene experts passing by on the street. Only after Qian Kai spoke did he realize that the person entering the teahouse was Lu Jiang.
“Hmph, turns out to be an old acquaintance!”
Zhou Qiushan also stood up, together with Qian Kai, opened the room door, and went to the stairs, respectfully saying, “It was hard to find Senior Lu.”
He hadn’t left the meeting place before, but now Yuhai had fewer people. It was easy to find him by asking around.
A hoarse and aged voice said, “The Asura Temple’s provocative acts are becoming more rampant. I fear missing the opportunity, so I didn’t want to delay.”
He calmly accepted the utmost respect from Qian Kai and Zhou Qiushan, stepped toward the half-opened room door, and felt a slightly familiar yet unfamiliar aura inside.
“Senior Lu indeed has decisiveness,” Qian Kai praised with a smile. “Senior Lu, there is a friend inside who is also from Bomi. He will join us.”
“Oh, from Bomi? Have I met him before?” The aged voice was indifferent, as if just asking casually, showing a superior attitude.
Qian Kai smiled, pushed the door open, and whispered, “Brother Shen Bao, Senior Lu has arrived.”
“Shen Bao…” Lu Jiang suddenly paused at the doorstep.
He wore a black robe, had wind-catching ears, triangular eyes, and his face was covered with wrinkles. He was indeed the “Gatekeeper” who had been liberated by Meng Qi!
Lu Jiang saw a young man in a green robe sitting opposite, with ordinary features and a slightly stern expression. At this moment, he curved his mouth, revealing a playful smile.
Shen Bao?
Shen Bao is him?
In an instant, Lu Jiang seemed to return to that moment when the gate opened, an unimaginably vast aura poured out, pressing the void, terrifying and awe-inspiring!
“Brother Shen, this is Senior Lu,” Qian Kai introduced.
After speaking, he felt something unusual and turned his head back. He saw Lu Jiang frozen at the threshold, his wrinkled forehead covered with sweatdrops.
After merging with the external and internal, his Yuan Shen had grown stronger, and his control over the physical body was extremely strong. It was rare for him to sweat profusely. Lu Jiang’s abnormality made Qian Kai and Zhou Qiushan both surprised and puzzled.
“Senior Lu, what’s wrong?” They asked softly.
Lu Jiang opened his mouth but no sound came out. After several attempts, he finally squeezed out a smile uglier than crying, “Senior Shen, we meet again. Life is indeed full of encounters everywhere.”
Senior Shen? Qian Kai and Zhou Qiushan finally understood the source of Lu Jiang’s fear. They instinctively looked at Meng Qi, shocked and doubtful.
What kind of person is Shen Bao, who can make the old monster Lu Jiang, who fought Nanda Dragon King to a draw, so fearful?
For a moment, they speculated wildly, looking at Meng Qi with more fear.
He was indeed hiding his true strength!
Meng Qi lightly tapped the table, deliberately ambiguous, “With the emergence of the Divine Palm’s General Outline, how could I not come?”
Lu Jiang smiled bitterly, “We are indeed overstepping, but we don’t have the luxury of expecting the Divine Palm. We just want to find one or two accompanying Buddhist treasures.”
At this moment, Qian Kai calmed down and laughed, “Brother Shen turns out to be a hidden master. Our exploration will be more secure now.”
Dududu, Meng Qi tapped the table, countless thoughts swirling in his mind.
Knowing that I am “mysterious and powerful,” yet still daring to invite me, not fearing being eliminated after success, they must have relied on something…
If Zhou Qiushan is indeed the “Blessed Heavenly Official” of Myth, it would make sense…
Although I have the Senluo Myriad Gates, I haven’t communicated with Master Yunhe yet. What if he is not interested in or doesn’t believe in the Divine Palm of Tathagata?
Moreover, with the General Outline appearing, as long as the “Emperor” can break free, he will surely come, or he might already be hiding in the dark, letting people like Zhou Qiushan investigate on the surface…
Comparing the possible “hidden cards” on both sides and recalling the previous decision to eliminate greed, before Qian Kai, Lu Jiang, and Zhou Qiushan sat down, Meng Qi suddenly stood up and laughed loudly, “I think I’ll stay out of your affairs.”
No matter whether it’s a trap or not, I can’t get involved!
Life should not be built on luck!
One cannot let greed blind the mind!
Moreover, since I’ve recognized the “Blessed Heavenly Palace,” I can secretly monitor them, contact the Fairyland, wait for the gathering of myths, and deliver a fatal blow. Why should I get involved in this mess now?
He walked to the door with his hands behind his back. Because of his previous image of being “mysterious and powerful,” Qian Kai and Zhou Qiushan dared not stop him, only desperately trying to persuade him, while Lu Jiang exhaled in relief. Not having to explore with Shen Bao was indeed a great fortune in life!
As Meng Qi passed Lu Jiang, he looked at him with a half-smile.
Dengdengdeng, as Meng Qi walked down the steps, Qian Kai turned back to look at Lu Jiang, “Senior Lu, who exactly is Senior Shen?”
Lu Jiang thought of that gaze from just now that made his scalp tingle. He hesitated and said, “I don’t know either, but he is extremely terrifying, far beyond my ability to confront.”
Whether he is a hidden Dharma Body or relies on some divine artifact to produce such an aura, as long as he can generate a similar aura, I am far from being his match!
“I see…” Zhou Qiushan nodded thoughtfully.
…
On the street, the flow of people was decreasing. No one knew how many taverns and shops had closed. Those still open were equipped with food and drinks by Out-of-Scene experts.
Meng Qi wandered around, gathered a lot of information, and returned to the courtyard on Guangling Street at dusk. Jiang Zhiwei was already waiting there.
Walking slowly forward, the two walked side by side. Jiang Zhiwei transmitted a secret voice, “Currently, only ‘Withering Wood Blooming’ Senior Master Yu and ‘Nanming Fire Venerable’ Master Xu are here from our sect. It is still unknown which elders will come later…”
She informed Meng Qi of the information collected by the Sword Washing Pavilion, including which areas around Yuhai and Tanshan had Buddhist light rising and which Out-of-Scene experts from various sects and families had arrived.
Meng Qi also told her about his encounter with Qian Kai and reminded her that, according to Qi Zhengyan’s judgment, Zhou Qiushan was likely the “Myth” sect’s Blessed Heavenly Official.
Jiang Zhiwei nodded, “I will let the sect pay attention.”
“Now that Myth is here, you should also think about what you plan to do. If you want to take this opportunity to find someone to spar with, like me, then avoid them. If you intend to get involved, you need to consider how to do it.”
If one wants to stir up the chaos and reap the benefits like a fisherman, Meng Qi’s current realm is still far from sufficient.
Meng Qi pondered, “The Divine Palm’s General Outline and the accompanying Buddhist treasures are beyond my reach. As for what I can do, I need to ask others.”
He must definitely communicate well with the Fairyland, know who among them has come, what their plans are, and how I should cooperate. Only in this way can I avoid acting like a headless fly, randomly swinging left and right.
“If the ‘Fairyland’ obtains the General Outline, it will be equivalent to me obtaining it, so Meng Qi plans to cooperate as much as possible!
Of course, if the Fairyland deems it too perilous—if I cannot help, cannot ensure my own safety, and cannot assist in the encirclement and execution of the Nine Heavens Thunder God—then I should depart immediately.
The attraction of the Divine Palm’s General Outline to me is not as strong as the Eight-Nine Mystical Technique and the Primordial Golden Chapter’s Dharma Body Chapter!
Before Jiang Zhiwei could speak, Meng Qi added, “I plan to enter the Myriad Gates of Samsara again to communicate thoroughly with Master Yunhe.”
Previously, sending Ming Guang and Ming Xu back to invite Master Yunhe was just the initial step. Without knowing the external situation, Master Yunhe was unlikely to act. After all, can the General Outline appear just because I say it does?
Therefore, Meng Qi prepared to personally enter and communicate with Master Yunhe once he arrived at the gate.
Jiang Zhiwei didn’t say much. She walked with Meng Qi around the street, trying to shake off others’ attention and find an opportunity to retrieve the Myriad Gates of Samsara.
During their detour, Meng Qi deliberately headed toward Old Cao’s tavern, intending to contact the Fairyland through the Wine Ghost.
The street was deserted. Before getting close to Old Cao’s tavern, Meng Qi’s gaze froze!
All the items inside had turned to pieces without exception. The ground was three inches lower, as if the tavern would collapse with just a breeze.
Most importantly, the Wine Ghost was gone!
“An Out-of-Scene battle focusing on destruction…” Jiang Zhiwei made the judgment.
Meng Qi searched around the tavern but found no hidden marks left by the Wine Ghost. His heart immediately became heavy.
“What happened?”
“Was it an attack from the Asura Temple, or did his identity get exposed?”
Not daring to stay longer, Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei crossed this street, confirmed they were not followed or monitored, then retrieved the Myriad Gates of Samsara and opened it with the agreed rhythm to avoid being attacked by Master Yunhe with full force.
After entering, Jiang Zhiwei put the Myriad Gates into her jade ring and strolled casually.
At this moment, the night had already grown deep. Suddenly, a golden-yellow beam of light pierced through the distant sky, shimmering like glazed glass, radiating a pure and liberating Buddhist aura!
“Another Buddhist light rising?”
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