Chapter 534: You Are Bound by Karmic Retribution

The Contemporary Xuan Nu!

As one of the leaders of the Nine Evil Paths, she is only slightly inferior to the Doumu Yuanjun, perhaps even possessing a divine weapon!

Encountering such an enemy directly is more dangerous than facing external scenes at the Seven Orifices stage. Without any ability to resist, the “Ghost King” who was slapped to death by Doumu Yuanjun serves as a grim reminder!

Meng Qi’s pores opened, continuously absorbing the primordial energy of heaven and earth, visualizing his “Indestructible Primordial Appearance,” calming his mind lake, and preventing tension, danger, and panic from affecting his judgment.

Xuan Nu stepped down from her palanquin. The mundane atmosphere around her faded, dust vanished, and the passersby seemed to recede into the distant horizon, separated from this scene by a different realm. No one could step into this “Fairyland,” and even the sound of speech could not penetrate!

Amidst the bustling crowd arose serenity; her silk-clad footsteps tread peace. Meng Qi, Jiang Zhiwei, and others seemed to be severed from the original world, making internal and external exchanges difficult, and drawing upon the power of heaven and earth became countless times harder!

Is this her internal scene? Meng Qi instinctively tightened his grip on his sword.

This is nearly manifesting one’s own heaven and earth within a small space, no longer merely a simple external display!

“Just from this technique, she must be at least close to a Grandmaster…”

“She claims to be an incarnation body…”

“Yet her techniques are profound and mysterious; whether we can break through this separation if we unleash our full strength remains to be seen…”

“This place is the Vast Sea, where the lines between righteousness and evil blur. Even if the Nine Evil Paths reveal their identities, they won’t be pursued. As for whether we can escape this predicament, it depends on how many righteous cultivators are nearby to lend their aid…”

“How much weaker is Xie the drunkard compared to Xuan Nu…”

Except for the last sentence, similar thoughts arose simultaneously in Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei’s minds. Amidst tension and vigilance, the two quickly made a decision—to unleash their full strength, create a major commotion, and attract the attention of righteous cultivators.

Xuan Nu, elegant and charming, her robe fluttering like a fairy, said, “You inherited the Thunder God’s Legacy, thus sharing a destined connection with me. Meeting here by chance indicates a destined affinity. With such a connection, why must we face each other like deadly enemies?”

Her voice was clear and pure like spring water, carrying a faint ethereal quality. Ming Xu and Ming Guang were entranced, as if summoned by a true fairy, deeply immersed and unable to extricate themselves.

Upon hearing such a voice and seeing this graceful, almost divine figure before them, Meng Qi spontaneously felt Xuan Nu’s holiness, solemnity, and transcendence, beyond any profanity.

This was the ultimate beauty in the world; any act of drawing a blade would shatter it, leaving behind imperfection.

Thus, Meng Qi found himself unable to unsheathe his sword, unable to strike!

Jiang Zhiwei’s hand trembled slightly on her sword hilt, also unable to draw it. Her inner reluctance and hesitation fiercely battled with her reason, fighting spirit, and vigilance.

Xuan Nu gracefully stepped forward toward the stunned four, her tone slightly tinged with compassion: “If you follow me, you shall comprehend the Supreme Blade of the Overlord. With your inheritance, you shall ascend like a dragon to the ninth heaven. Together, we shall awaken the divine weapon and protect our sect. This is a mutually beneficial proposition—why refuse?”

“Could it be that someone has slandered my sect in front of you? My Xuan Nu lineage is entirely different from the Joyful Bodhisattva lineage; we do not forcibly extract essence from others. Our guardians throughout history have all willingly served…”

Her voice was melodious, sincere, and deeply moving. Ming Xu and Ming Guang wished to agree immediately, to dispel the fairy’s sorrow. Meng Qi felt a strange sense of guilt rising in his heart, his grip on his sword growing even weaker.

Such mystery, such terror, such an opponent!

Clang!

Just as Meng Qi’s mind wavered, the sound of a sword’s resonance pierced his ears, briefly restoring his clarity!

Jiang Zhiwei, drenched in cold sweat, finally unsheathed the White Rainbow Sword. Her hand trembled with effort, yet her sword swing failed to shatter the ultimate beauty. Her blade quivered, unable to strike forward, while the sword qi swirling around her scattered like falling rain.

Xuan Nu smiled gently, about to speak, when she suddenly saw Meng Qi closing his eyes.

His aura became elusive and mysterious, almost imperceptible. When he opened his eyes again, countless brilliant starlines wove into a net.

“Fairy, you are entangled in karma,” Meng Qi suddenly spoke, his voice calm and steady.

“And how does that concern you?” Xuan Nu raised her right hand. Her fingers were pale, slender, and delicate like jade or scallion stalks, exuding no trace of worldly grime or ferocity as she slowly swept her hand toward Meng Qi.

This wouldn’t affect her own cultivation!

Within this ultimate beauty of a fairyland, even her attacks seemed restricted, needing to remain consistent with the image of a refined and transcendent fairy.

Meng Qi gently placed his right hand on his sword hilt, his eyes deep and unfathomable: “The threads of karma around you are hundreds or even thousands of times denser than those of ordinary people. I have never seen such a sight in my life.”

Manifesting karma through relationships, cultivating with partners, and departing when the bond ends—this might seem like a complete cycle, a balance of karma, but in truth, it is all for one’s own cultivation, stealing true emotions, and mercilessly breaking hearts. How could there be no karma?

Xuan Nu was momentarily taken aback, as if recalling something.

“To others, with such strength and normal karma, I would be powerless,” Meng Qi took a step forward. “But you are different, burdened with profound and entangled karma. To me, you are like a pile of dry firewood, needing only a small spark to ignite!”

Xuan Nu paused, showing the first sign of emotional fluctuation:

“You have mastered the ‘Karmic Entanglement Blade’?”

This was an unbeatable technique!

It targeted only karma, regardless of strength!

Meng Qi took another step forward. The surroundings seemed to darken, the brilliant starlines flickering like shadows:

“You have wronged countless people, your karma is deep. If ignited, it will surely spread to your true self, and you cannot resist!”

“With this slash, I too shall bear the karma, with no hope of escape, but to perish alongside you would be my honor!”

Xuan Nu’s expression shifted, alternating between serene elegance and icy coldness, the ultimate beauty slightly disrupted.

Meng Qi finally gripped the sword hilt, taking another step forward, his voice heavy: “I do not fear death—how can death intimidate me?”

“I wonder, does the fairy fear it?”

With that, his aura deepened and drifted as he advanced toward Xuan Nu.

Xuan Nu’s raised right hand twitched slightly, then slowly lowered to her side.

Meng Qi kept his eyes forward, as if the elegant fairy beside him were nothing more than cow dung on the road, brushing past her directly!

The sounds of the bustling crowd returned to his ears, the worldly atmosphere surged toward him, life reemerged, as if he were reborn!

Meng Qi walked steadily, leading Jiang Zhiwei, Ming Xu, and Ming Guang slowly toward the end of the street. Xuan Nu stood motionless for a moment before retreating back into her palanquin.

Turning the corner, Meng Qi’s legs nearly buckled, his back soaked in cold sweat.

“Quickly, let’s go,” Meng Qi changed his aura, grabbed Ming Xu, and weaved through the crowd.

This time, they had encountered Xuan Nu and managed to scare her off with an incomplete “Karmic Entanglement Blade.” But next might come the Joyful Bodhisattva!

Jiang Zhiwei supported Ming Guang and hurriedly followed.

After repeatedly altering their aura and disguising themselves, Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei slipped into a crowded courtyard.

“Never expected to run into Xuan Nu directly,” Meng Qi inhaled deeply, suppressing his lingering fear and unease.

As for why Xuan Nu appeared here, it was obvious even to his toes—she must be after the general outline of the “Buddha’s Palm.” Otherwise, with his ability to conceal his aura and evade detection using the “Eight and Nine Primordial Unity Art,” how could she have encountered him directly?

Unfortunately, he hadn’t yet mastered the “Yu Xu Divine Calculation.” Otherwise, when exiting the “Ten Thousand Scenes Gate,” he would have sensed something and cast a divination to avoid danger.

Jiang Zhiwei lightly frowned: “The general outline of the ‘Buddha’s Palm’ is among the most precious treasures in the world. Xuan Nu’s true body might already be nearby. Perhaps you should first use transformation techniques to hide, while I contact members of my sect. Perhaps my master has also arrived.”

With Su Wuming’s intervention, no one below the Fa Body realm could stand against him—not even Xuan Nu!

Even if she possessed a divine weapon, at most she could only match him evenly.

“Maybe my master is here too,” Meng Qi said after calming himself.

The general outline of the “Buddha’s Palm” holds little value for the Washing Sword Pavilion, so whether Su Wuming will come remains uncertain. However, the Shaolin Sect is determined to obtain it, and the third-ranked Heaven List Arhat, the Dragon-Subduing Luohan, will likely reenter the martial world!

Moreover, given the “Lord Lingbao Tianzun’s” emphasis on the “Buddha’s Palm,” he will surely come as well.

However, such high-level Fa Body experts usually do not reveal themselves until the final moment, so relying on them now is unlikely.

“Alright, then we’ll split up,” Jiang Zhiwei glanced at Ming Xu and Ming Guang. “This place is dangerous. After you transform, you might as well send them back east, avoiding the influence of the Su Nu Sect.”

Meng Qi followed her gaze, suddenly struck by an idea, and smiled: “Masters Dao, I have a favor to ask of you both.”

“What is it?” Ming Xu and Ming Guang looked uneasy under his gaze.

Meng Qi chuckled: “Please go back to the blessed land and ask the True Master if he’s interested in the general outline of the ‘Buddha’s Palm.’ If he is, wait by the sect’s gate. The moment I open the door, strike with all your might!”

“Uh, okay,” Ming Xu and Ming Guang, not fully understanding the significance of the ‘Buddha’s Palm,’ agreed readily since returning to seek their sect’s leader posed no danger.

After sending the two back inside, Meng Qi closed the “Ten Thousand Scenes Gate” and, along with Jiang Zhiwei who had also changed her appearance, stepped out of the courtyard. However, the scene before them made them both pause.

On the street were many people with families, driving camels, and carrying luggage. The soldiers and guards of Fish Sea City were maintaining order. In the air above were two figures, a man and a woman.

The woman wore a snow-purple robe and carried a strange sword shorter than a regular longsword. Her hand bore an embedded ice crystal with a deep blue hue, unlike ordinary colorless crystals. She had an alluring figure and a beautiful face, yet exuded a cold aura.

The man was ugly, over eight feet tall, with bulging muscles. He wore a black fur garment resembling a monk’s robe. His eyes were filled with bloodlust and fury.

External cultivators from the Snow Mountain Sect and the Asura Temple? Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei recognized them by their attire.

At that moment, a guard passed by, and Meng Qi curiously stopped him: “Brother, what is happening here?”

“External cultivators are gathering; a great battle may be coming. The Asura Temple, Snow Mountain Sect, and Vajra Temple have requested the city lord to evacuate ordinary people to other places,” the guard earnestly conveyed the message.

Hearing the commotion, the Asura Temple man glanced over, then suddenly flew down, towering above them with a fierce glare: “Get out of Fish Sea, you Central Plains dogs!”