Meng Qi nodded lightly, maintaining an impassive expression outwardly while feeling elated inwardly. This was exactly the feeling he desired! Unfortunately, such moments were rare and precious, so he should savor them while he could.
Stepping onto the arena, Meng Qi’s first opponent was “Iron Sword of Huijun” Gao Yang, a young man in his twenties, carrying a long sword with a cold and stern expression.
Seeing Meng Qi, who carried both a saber and a sword on his back, Gao Yang inhaled deeply and respectfully greeted him with a serious bow:
“Junior Hero Su, please grant me the honor of a match.”
Upon hearing these words, Meng Qi’s previous joy and pride instantly vanished. His mind became calm and emotionless, reaching the optimal state for battle.
Past experiences and past glories would not distract his fighting spirit!
“Please!”
The long saber reflected the light, exuding a chilling aura.
Over the next month, the martial arts examination proceeded in full swing. Due to the nature of tournament matches differing from life-or-death duels, many life-preserving techniques couldn’t be used. However, relying on his own strength, Meng Qi surged forward undefeated, claiming the championship title of Huan Province’s martial examination. He would proceed to the capital next summer to compete for the title of Jinshi.
…
In a tranquil courtyard near Zhun County, the previous owner had been Qing Shou, a half-step beyond worldly cultivation investigator. Thus, the martial arts training hall was specially constructed to block most sounds and auras.
Meng Qi stood high above, slashing downward with his long saber. In a brief moment, he broke through nine saber strikes in succession—each strike faster and fiercer than the last, layering together with overwhelming force. The air surged violently, creating a thunderous boom that made the house tremble and the beams quake.
The nine layers of saber force transformed into terrifying “lightning bolts,” ferocious and unstoppable, surging with ultimate yang energy. The strike hit the ground with a deafening crash, cracking the compacted earth and sending dust flying, shaking the entire building violently.
Meng Qi sheathed his saber, panting and smiling. Over half a month ago, after the trials of the martial examination, he had finally integrated the incomplete essence of “Shenxiao Jiulie” into the Purple Lightning Saber Art, forming the initial stage of “Thunderous Roar Across Nine Heavens.” After nearly twenty days of repeated refinement, he had mostly mastered this technique. This strike was the natural culmination of his recent progress.
However, he did not unleash the stored Purple Lightning Force in his dantian. First, doing so would create too much commotion. Nearby were the local offices of the Six Gates Bureau and the Wang Clan’s ancestral mansion, both teeming with experts at the beyond-worldly cultivation level, making it easy to attract unwanted attention. Second, the Purple Lightning Force relied entirely on accumulated energy, requiring about three days to gather enough for one use of “Thunderous Roar Across Nine Heavens,” and the total usage could not exceed three times, as it would clash with the Golden Bell Shield and the Eight-Nine Mystical Arts energies within his dantian.
“Finally got it. Phew, time to calmly wait for the death mission,” Meng Qi muttered to himself, still slightly out of breath. Using “Thunderous Roar Across Nine Heavens” was extremely draining for him. Mastering such a fierce and dominant saber technique had taken a heavy toll on his mental energy.
He put away his “Whispering Saber,” wiped his face with a towel, patted off his black martial arts attire, and left the training hall to brew tea, read, and regulate his body and mind.
Knock knock knock—someone was at the door.
Meng Qi sensed a familiar aura and knew it was Kong Yu visiting at night. Feeling slightly surprised, he stood up and opened the door.
“Hey, Kong, what’s up?” Meng Qi greeted casually after becoming familiar.
Kong Yu stepped into the courtyard, casually closed the gate, glanced around, and nodded slightly: “I’ve got news about the Luo Sect’s enchantress.”
“She’s back from the Nine Heavens Ruins?” Meng Qi slightly furrowed his brow.
Kong Yu pondered for a moment before responding, “She might have returned for some time, but only recently disclosed her whereabouts when dealing with a Luo traitor. It appears she may be traveling south by boat. Many transcendent experts are currently pursuing her.”
“Based on Gu Xiaosang’s personality and skills, exposing herself like this seems intentional,” Meng Qi remarked casually, like an old acquaintance. He wondered whether she had killed the living incarnation of the Mysterious Maiden…
“The sect shares the same view. Perhaps she has another objective,” Kong Yu agreed. Gu Xiaosang’s actions were always unpredictable.
Meng Qi hesitated for a moment before asking seriously: “Do we know how strong she is now?”
“The internal rank of the Luo traitor is unknown. Although he only had nine apertures, he possessed a peculiar treasure and once fought evenly with a Luo pursuer at the half-step beyond worldly cultivation level, escaping unscathed. Yet Gu Xiaosang managed to kill him, causing such a disturbance that she revealed her whereabouts,” Kong Yu briefly explained. “She should be able to open the life-and-death barrier at any moment, but she’s deliberately holding back, waiting for the perfect opportunity when her essence, energy, spirit, physical body, and martial cultivation reach full maturity for a flawless breakthrough, just like ‘Invisible Sword’ He Jiu.”
“Invisible Sword” He Jiu, the top-ranked on the Human List, had remained unchanged for three years!
It seemed Gu Xiaosang had gained something from the Nine Heavens Ruins, though probably not something major, since her current strength made it hard to delve deep into the ruins… Also, she didn’t seem to have conflicts with the upper echelons of the Luo Sect. Could it be that she really shared the location of the Nine Heavens with them? That didn’t seem like her style…
Meng Qi’s mind raced with thoughts as he spoke: “Even if she managed to kill a half-step beyond worldly opponent, wouldn’t the Luo Sect still have hermits and the Twelve Divine Envoys? Why would she, the Holy Maiden, personally take such a risk?”
Regarding the Luo Sect’s leadership, everyone knew the Dharma King was “Dushi Dharma King,” who had achieved the “Vacuous Dharma Body,” ranking sixth on the Heaven List. The sect’s leader was widely known, and several Divine Envoys were also famous, even appearing on the Earth List. Thus, anyone with even a little knowledge knew that the Luo Sect had twelve Divine Envoys, several of whom were masters.
What other ranks existed beneath the Divine Envoys was unknown to outsiders. However, Meng Qi had heard the term “hermit” from Gu Xiaosang and suspected it referred to beyond-worldly experts below the Divine Envoys, hence his spontaneous mention.
“A hermit?” Kong Yu nodded thoughtfully but didn’t ask further. After all, “Crazy Saber” Su Meng had once “cooperated” with Gu Xiaosang for a while. “I also suspect something is off. The Luo Sect is huge; how could everything always fall on the Holy Maiden? Just be careful.”
Meng Qi certainly wouldn’t underestimate Gu Xiaosang. The demoness’s thoughts were inscrutable, her schemes cunning and ruthless—who would dare to let their guard down around her?
After reminding Meng Qi, Kong Yu smiled slightly: “Xiao Meng, the martial examination ended over half a month ago. Have you decided whether you’ll join the Six Gates Bureau?”
Considering the risk of being exposed and thus suspected by the Su Nu Sect, as well as his need for intelligence and resources, Meng Qi was leaning toward joining the Six Gates Bureau as a covert investigator. However, with the death mission approaching in just a few days, even if he agreed, he would have to wait for a response from the capital before traveling there, making it impractical to rush into a decision that might disrupt his current mindset.
“I’ll give you an answer in ten days,” Meng Qi replied.
Hearing a definite timeframe, Kong Yu left satisfied.
Five days later, while Meng Qi was refining the eighth acupoint related to the mouth orifice, his head suddenly felt dizzy. Even with his eyes closed, he sensed darkness before everything brightened again.
Opening his eyes, he saw Qi Zhengyan, whom he had just met yesterday. Qi’s face was expressionless, always appearing like a zombie. He saw the long-absent Jiang Zhiwei, radiant and spirited, standing there like a famous sword freshly unsheathed. He saw Zhang Yuanshan and Fu Zhenzhen, both of whom had improved their cultivation. He saw Luoshengyi, towering like a mountain, with protective qi already surrounding his body. He also saw Ge Huai’en, dressed as a scholarly gentleman, holding coins and wooden divination sticks, looking like a mystic.
He also saw Ruan Yushu, holding an ancient zither, dressed in white, as cold and aloof as ever, still exuding an air of transcendence. Yet, what was she chewing on?
“What are you eating?” Meng Qi blurted out.
“Langya Dragon Fish Jerky,” Ruan Yushu pursed her lips slightly, as if still savoring it, and replied coolly, “It’s my favorite snack.”
Jiang Zhiwei smiled slightly: “So you were pulled in during dinner.”
Ruan Yushu nodded slightly, looking at her zither and murmuring softly: “No, I was thinking the death mission is coming soon, and I might not get to eat this again, so I allowed myself to indulge a bit more.”
“Indulge? So you used to be very restrained…” Meng Qi couldn’t resist teasing.
Ruan Yushu’s expression remained unchanged: “Of course. I would never lose control and become as boastful as you, carrying the nickname ‘Crazy Saber.'”
“Haha, everyone’s just flattering me…” Meng Qi chuckled awkwardly. The Ruan family’s intelligence network wasn’t bad either.
Jiang Zhiwei couldn’t help but laugh: “Little monk, after your fight with Wang Zai, I’m afraid the ‘craziness’ will follow you for a long time.”
Meng Qi wanted to die…
“But I never anticipated your progress would be so remarkable. In just a few short years, you’ve transformed from a young monk who hadn’t even begun cultivating qi into one of the top twenty young talents on the Human List,” Jiang Zhiwei’s smile faded, her voice tinged with emotion. “How close are you to opening the seven apertures?”
She didn’t ask about his other skills; the nineteenth spot on the Human List spoke for itself.
Nearby, Zhang Yuanshan and Fu Zhenzhen were whispering to each other, seemingly taking the last moments before the death mission to be affectionate.
“There’s just one more related acupoint left, and then I can attempt to open the Mouth Acupoint,” Meng Qi said without holding back. “Zhiwei, how about you?”
“I unlocked the eighth orifice in January and have already mastered the art of refining essence into qi,” Jiang Zhiwei recalled the battle from half a year ago, her lips curling slightly with a blend of joy and satisfaction.
Meng Qi turned to Ruan Yushu, Luoshengyi, and others: “How about you? Have you all improved?”
“Six Apertures, completed the Eight Sounds of Tianlong,” Ruan Yushu answered concisely.
Luoshengyi smiled and said, “All nine orifices are open, qi can be released externally, and my Nine Mountains Stiff Fist is taking shape.”
As a lone cultivator, reaching this level naturally brought him a sense of pride.
“With the Four Orifices perfected, I’ve crafted numerous healing and antidote pills, along with some unique poisons,” Fu Zhenzhen shared her accomplishments.
“Seven Apertures, mastered the Blood-Burning Soul-Severing Art, capable of defeating most nine-aperture opponents,” Zhang Yuanshan replied steadily.
Ge Huaien smiled calmly: “I’ve also opened four apertures and have begun to grasp the ‘Wang Family Medical Arts.'”
Although Meng Qi was aware of his own capabilities, his companions were not. Thus, Qi Zhengyan still spoke up: “Six Apertures, the first four layers of the Hun Tian Treasure Mirror have been fully mastered.”
Just as Meng Qi was about to discuss what to exchange with his companions, the cold and emotionless voice of the Master of the Sixfold Cycle of Reincarnation sounded: “This time is a death mission, so I will announce the mission details in advance. Afterward, you will have fifteen minutes to prepare.”
Meng Qi and the others relaxed slightly, knowing this would allow them to prepare accordingly.
The Lord of the Six Paths of Reincarnation spoke in a monotonous, unchanging voice: “In pursuit of Buddhist scriptures, the Tang monk Xuanzang embarked on a westward journey. Shielded by the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Sun Wukong; the Marshal of Heavenly Reeds, Zhu Bajie; the Golden-Waisted Sand Monk, Sha Wujing; and the Dragon King’s third son, Ao Lie, he vanquished demons and monsters along the way, endured eighty-one hardships, and ultimately reached the Sacred Mountain of Vulture Peak. There, he attained the true scriptures and achieved enlightenment. This is the story known as *Journey to the West*.”
(Note: “灵山” is translated as “Sacred Mountain of Vulture Peak,” which is the traditional English rendering of the Buddhist holy site where Xuanzang received the scriptures. Character titles like “Great Sage Equaling Heaven” and “Marshal of Heavenly Reeds” follow standard translations from classic English versions of the text.)
Meng Qi was stunned, both delighted and shocked. Delighted because he had finally encountered a familiar reincarnation world, and shocked because with their current strength, participating in the Journey to the West would make them not even worthy of being cannon fodder! The Great Sage was at least at the level of a Dharma Body, and not an ordinary one at that!
The Eight-Nine Mystical Arts?
“This mission takes place eight hundred years after the Journey to the West, when demons have thrown humanity into chaos.”
Meng Qi’s expression turned slightly blank. Once again, he had no idea about the plot…
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