The Sage Who Transcended Samsara

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The hail of raining fists fell like asteroids falling from the skies, battering Meng Qi. Each and every blow hit with destructive forcefulness, exploding upon contact and scorching his surroundings. Everything else was consumed by the flames, leaving nothing but the parched earth. Neither grass nor weed survived the utter desolation.

Even before they exploded, the sheer heat of the fiery fists was sufficient to torch what was left of the residence. Between the inferno that Chen Wendeng had conjured earlier and the scorching heat combined with the meteoric explosions of his hail of fists, nothing of the residence prevailed. Meng Qi stood in the crater that was once his lodging, enveloped by specks of molten residue and burning cinders flying around in the current of torrid air. Had Chen Wendeng not been trying to prevent the immortal from the Azure Palace from using any unorthodox fighting skills by concentrating the the entirety of the flames on him, the governor’s residence and also a great portion of Xinhai City would have been devoured by the flames!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Chen Wendeng rained fist after fist on his foe, mercilessly depriving him of any opportunity for retaliation. The blood-red Grand Sun pulsated behind him, swelling and shrinking, drawing the forces of Nature upon itself. His adrenaline was flowing fast and sweat poured down his back, the Witch Doctor was in a frenzy, gratified in unleashing carnage and terror! Everything before him seemed to crumble and pulverize under the destructiveness of his powers, disintegrating into molten clumps and dissolving into nothingness!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Tongues of vicious flames spewed from the blood-red Grand Sun, injecting into the fists of Chen Wendeng. He summoned another burst of energy from within, his eyes grew red with bloodlust. One after another the fists of the Grand Sun showered with unforgiving vengefulness. Exhilaration flowed through him as he imagined the masterpiece of his craft once he was done.

“OPEN!” Chen Wendeng screamed. Adrenaline peaked as he spasmed and clenched his fists tightly, the energy of the blood-red Grand Sun fueled his delirious bloodlust and boiled his blood. Waves of flames like rings of destruction spread out from the blood-red sun behind him, decimating everything in its path. Only burning embers and floating soot was left in their wake.

The unyielding bursts of violent power, blazing heat, and the ruthless zeal had incongruently come from that frail old man. An old man who was at the onset of death and decay! Yet, such indescribable carnage and damage were still incapable of breaking Meng Qi’s defenses!

When Chen Wendeng began raining his Searing-sun Fist, Meng Qi had conjured the Law Phenomenon enchantment. He planted his feet steadily on the ground and swiftly performed hand seals with rapid movements that looked like a flurry of blossoming flowers.

The vast and rich energies of the Earth Element drawn from the ground and the golden lotuses invoked by his hand seals and his energies shone handsomely. His attunement with the environment had allowed the vast earth to absorb the pummeling stress of Chen Wendeng’s onslaught in his stead. Steady and stout like a strong and indomitable rock, he had successfully endured the force and torridness of the attacks. Only the ground that he stood on remained robust, whilst the earth all around him had shriveled and charred.

Meng Qi saw a momentary window of opportunity as Chen Wendeng gasped heavily for breath, his powers and energy spent by his exertions earlier. Meng Qi stepped forward with his fingers splayed out, pointing toward his foe!

It was a quaint technique, for his hands were not outstretched like a palm, neither was it a finger technique nor a claw technique. Instead, his fingers were like five swords that pointed forward with true sharpness and deadliness.

Yet suddenly, Meng Qi’s fingers balled into a fist! From his apertures, the silhouettes of the Dharmic Forms of the Golden Crow of the Grand Sun, the Chaotic Vortex of the Cosmos, and the Celestial diorama of his Nine Apertures appeared and merged as one, manifesting into the reenactment of the Primordial Beginning, the Moment of Creation!

They were thrown into a realm where only darkness and chaos prevailed. Everything was formless and insubstantial. Meng Qi’s right thumb extended from his fist and pressed forward!

Chen Wendeng’s burning momentum was immediately extinguished while the diminishing vestiges of Searing Sun Fists and the conflagration around them were doused by the reenactment of the Primordial Beginning.

Sensing that he could not risk any respite lest his foe should recover from the loss of his initiative, the giant form of Meng Qi exuded the aura of an archaic and venerable essence with the semblance of the Deities who had shaped the Creation. He stepped forward again. Cracks and bangs resounded in the huge void of darkness around them. His raised fist looked like a huge mountain as it fell down on his enemy with such tremendous force that cracks and tears even appeared in the fabric of the chaotic void!

Chen Wendeng summoned what was left of his powers in order to defend himself. The Grand Sun blazed once again with renewed vigor, bursting with a huge explosion to counter the gigantic fist that was striking down!

Bang!

The houses in the courtyard across them crumbled under the shockwave of the punch bore a force that could even shatter the Cosmos! In the face of such utter destruction, Chen Wendeng was forced to tumble backward, and his feet plunged deep into the ground by the sheer force of the strike!

Meng Qi suppressed the boiling surge of emotions within, refraining from bellowing out loud as he tried his best to maintain the “face” of the “Heavenly Primogenitor” – majestic and solemn. Loud cracks sounded once more as he took another step forward. He raised his hand again for another strike and a small vortex of chaos, gloomy and distant, appeared before his palm.

The Turning of Heaven and Earth technique!

Meng Qi’s powerful and white palms towered high up in the air. They slammed down hard and the vortex of chaos convulsed before the falling strike, imbuing Meng Qi’s attack with destructive energy!

Chen Wendeng’s Dharmic Form melted into liquid and flowed along his outstretched left arm and then morphed into the form of a Golden Crow that flapped its wings defiantly.

Bang!

The Golden Crow was struck head-on. The flames of the mythical bird were extinguished and the Dharmic Form began to weaken. Chen Wendeng could not free himself, finding himself waist deep in the earth.

Dust and soot covered Chen Wendeng’s face. Before he could recover, the gargantuan form of the Heavenly Primogenitor reared itself, preparing for another assault.

The Heavenly Primogenitor once again formed hand seals with both hands. A large, silvery orb with a cool and pearly glow appeared behind him.

The silhouette of the silvery moon turned into a coiling serpent, a dragon without horns of Chinese mythology. With its advent, the dragon brought a blizzard of frost and ice. Layers of ice enveloped each and every burning bit and molten piece around him whilst flakes of snow fell and showered lazily over the entire city of Xinhai.

So be it! Chen Wendeng bellowed in his heart. The Form of the Grand Sun behind him grew larger, absorbing all the energy from the chants and prayers coming from the crevices of the void that he had conjured. Fueled by the unholy sustenance, the smell and aura of blood sacrifice and malice strengthened around him.

His palms struck forward in unison, the Grand Sun behind him once again flew to his front and turned into a Golden Crow, blood-red and blazing with the heat of an inferno, attacking the Frost Dragon! Yin against Yang, Fire against Ice, his invaluable opportunity to rebound!

Poof!

The silhouettes of the Golden Crow and the Frost Dragon clashed as the blows of Meng Qi and Chen Wendeng met, yet no sound was made. There was no explosion, nor was there any shockwave.

Instead, a blue and cold shade blanketed and extinguished the blood-red flames of Chen Wendeng, turning everything around him to ice. On the other hand, flames sprouted from the ice around Meng Qi, dispelling the chill and frost surrounding him. The air around him rapidly became parched and stifling, and the conflagration spread menacingly towards Meng Qi! At that moment, the two looked as if they had exchanged techniques with each other, from Yin to Yang and from Yang to Yin!

What is happening? Chen Wendeng’s eyes froze and his pupils shrunk in shock over what was happening.

“The Yin-Yang Shift” of the “Yin-Yang Seal” discipline!

Despite his incomplete mastery of the technique, which was one of the Nine Primeval Seals, Meng Qi had long learned the intricacies of the Yin-Yang Shift and had employed his understanding to the disciplines of the “Trio Combination of Yin and Yang, which is Yin and which is Yang?”. Thus, the Yin-Yang Shift that he had derived from the techniques of the Dharmakaya technique had been accomplished to the primary level, allowing him to dispel the formless apparitions that had assailed him before. This time, the same technique had allowed him to reverse the conjurations of his “Tai Yin” and the Grand Sun conjured by Chen Wendeng!

In the blink of an eye, a bluish coat of ice wrapped around Chen Wendeng, holding him fast. The elder shaman felt his mind falling into a sluggish stupor and his limbs not moving to his command!

The bloody flames continued burning on Meng Qi’s body. In spite of the unremitting fire, crimson shimmers of blinding light still shone from his Taoist robes! The faint golden glow that protected him endured. Save for a small part of his hair that had been singed, he was unscathed by the flames!

Chen Wendeng fought as best as he could against the ice that was crippling him but he could only watch with wide eyes as the huge fist with the silhouette of a Ruyi Scepter descended upon him.

Bang!

Chen Wendeng’s Vital Spirit disintegrated. His head split open and brain matter poured from the open wound.

Meng Qi had no misgivings about holding back his strength when he dealt with this foe who had the projected strength comparable to the Fourth-fold Heavens with the Gory-feast Evil Avatar, a conjuration that Chen Wendeng had employed to temporarily elevate his powers. To do without any use magical artifacts and his Fruits of Karma technique, Meng Qi had to use his plethora of skills to ensure his victory, exploiting the fact that his enemy did not have any technique of the Dharmakaya level, nor other potent techniques of the Exterior.

A gust of wind blew and scattered the ashes of Chen Wendeng. The fiery blood-red orb had consumed him instead in his death, reducing him to dust and soot.

Oh… The Gory-feast Evil Avatar that he had conjured did not have any sentience of its own. It is but a pool of energy that the witch doctor had tapped into… Had its sentience been destroyed by Immortal Taiyi and the others earlier before? Meng Qi thought as he looked feebly at the residual flames of the blood-red Grand Sun that lingered, noticing the mindless zeal of the flames that tried to consume whatever it could.

Even oddly so, the Evil Avatar would hardly be stronger or more powerful than Chen Wendeng even if it had retained the full peak of its power and its sentience. The evil entity powers would only reach close to, but not at the level of the Fourth-fold Heaven.

It should have broken through long ago… It should have achieved greater powers when it had such levels of strength… Meng Qi wondered quizzically. His battle with Chen Wendeng had every semblance of the duel of the Fourth-fold Heaven. In his fight to his death, Chen Wendeng had displayed his ability to blend with the Dharma and Logos of Nature, his ability to change the weather, the ability to influence and suppress his powers, and the torrential rush of lapping energies that he had tapped into. Not dissimilar to the Law Phenomenon technique that Meng Qi had employed to great effect, Chen Wendeng had fully displayed the height of his full power as a proficient martial practitioner of the First Celestial Ladder.

Yet, only an ignominious end awaited the Witch Doctor. Nothing remained save for the ashes and soot that were once him. Amidst the charred remains, sat the Grand Sun Tiara that the witch doctor used to wear during his rituals. Poor and crude was the craft of its forging, more so the quality of materials used to produce it.

Meng Qi’s body shrunk to its original size. He saw the blackened remains of Fang Butong who had been caught in the fiery battle earlier.

Despite seeming lifeless, Fang Butong’s eyes were open but his gaze was distant as if he had fallen into a trance. A greenish shade blanketed his face, a hideous eeriness that did not surprise Meng Qi as he slowly approached the body. Warily he neared the remains and tried to apprehend whatever life form had taken refuge in it.

The strength that both enemies had displayed had alerted Meng Qi to the possibility that they may have been possessed by an alien life form or something that they had ingested, thus, the inhuman powers that they had been able to wield against him.

Meng Qi was even more certain now, with the peculiarities that had surfaced.

He hadn’t even spoken yet when the impostor who had assumed Fang Butong’s body exclaimed in fright.

“Have mercy, Master. I am also of the line of Kunlun!”

The Line of Kunlun? The words struck him hard. In the midst of his concentration when he had braced himself for any dangers or horrors that the impostor could unleash, he had not expected to hear such words, Kunlun? THE Kunlun of the Jade Virtual Palace?

I have assumed the persona of the Heavenly Primogenitor and have received His legacy of the Heavenly Golden Script. Am I truly meant to bear the corresponding Fate and Karma befitting of such destiny?

This is hardly coincidental! More like a pre-destined turn of events!

Meanwhile, Zhang Yuquan was preoccupied with healing his wounds. He had no understanding of the snippet of conversation that he had overheard.

Meng Qi calmed himself, quelling the torrent of shock and swelling curiosity. He asked, “If you are of the Line of Kunlun as you claimed, why were you committing such heinous acts of atrocity?”

“I plea for justice, Master. I have an agreement with this man to help him surpass his physical boundaries to achieve long life and he would provide me with a refuge and supply of exotic minerals and produce as well as artifacts at my disposal. His corpse was to be a property of mine upon his death,” stammered the impostor of Fang Butong, quivering with fear with each word that he uttered. “I have seen that Master possesses the skills of the Heavenly Gold Script, the techniques derived from the Skythrowing Palms, and the Tri-gem Wish Fist. The skills that you have embodied were enough to convince me that you are truly a disciple of the order of the Jade Virtual Palace, a fellow kinsman of the Line of Kunlun! I would never dare defy you, even if it means me breaking my former agreement!”

With earnest candor, it tried to display its utmost loyalty to Meng Qi.

It recognized the Turning of Heaven and Earth technique and the Tri-gem Wish Fist?With that, Meng Qi was beginning to believe that the impostor was one of the Line of Kunlun. “What are you?” Meng Qi asked in a deep voice. “Why are you not at Mount Kunlun?”

The impostor assuming the corpse of Fang Butong spoke, “I was once a magical herb on Mount Kunlun, Master. For ages, I had been exposed to the divine aura that emanated from the Master of our Order, the true Heavenly Primogenitor and that allowed me to develop wisdom of my own, and I was able to discern and perceive things and incidents around me. Until one day, I was dug from Mount Kunlun and was placed in a magically-sealed dimension. I lived inside that enclosure as I developed my wisdom and the ability to speak until I was released by these people. And thus we came to an agreement.”

“What else was in the sealed dimension?” Meng Qi asked.

A sprite, I see. A sprite of a magical herb!

“I was at the outermost periphery of the sealed dimension.” The Sprite of Herbs answered. “I know nothing of what lies within. Long have they planned to break the seal until they found a way to harness the energies of the Five Qiao Provinces to bypass the outer barriers and explore deeper.”

In the outermost, they have found a Sprite of Herbs that has helped them to increase their lifespan and enhance their powers… I daresay that whatever lies deeper inside would surely hold greater power and value… Meng Qi thought quietly, fully comprehending the reason and encouragement that had driven Fang Butong and the others to mount a revolt.

Sprite of Herbs raised its head to look at Meng Qi. In a deeply hushed tone, it said in a whisper, “Master, yet this I am aware of: he who possesses the legacy of the Jade Virtual Palace is able to venture deep into the center of the magical seal unhindered.”

So you claim? Meng Qi eyed the sprite suspiciously, wondering about the truthfulness of its claims.

He mulled over the claims of the sprite. At length, he dismissed his doubts and ordered the sprite to disclose the location of the entry to the sealed dimension. He stretched his hand outward and grabbed in mid-air. In his grasp was Sprite of Herbs, a sentient being with the shape of a small tree bark and crimson leaves around it.

This is a matter of grave importance. It shall be perilous for me to explore the sealed dimension alone! I shall request for the company of the Master Primogenitor!