The Sage Who Transcended Samsara

In front of an ancient temple, under a withering Bodhi Tree, sat Meng Qi, ‘listening’ to the words of the Buddha as he comprehended with sincerity.

After some time, he gradually rose to his feet and made a solemn bow. “Bodhisattva, I’ve completed my comprehension. If it’s no trouble, kindly connect the exit to the vicinity of Maoling of River East,” he said, wearing a virtuous expression.

The Sambhogakaya pure land of Lanke Temple was equivalent to a certain law of heaven and earth. Its ubiquitous presence meant that the end of the world was but one step away. As long as no strong formation posed obstacles, Lanke Temple could open its door anywhere.

Candramurni Prabharaja Bodhisattva did not reply. The other end of the alley began to ripple, revealing the landscape of River East, where small bridges crossed the running river.

Meng Qi respectfully expressed his thanks before walking out of the temple. When he stepped out, he found himself near Tide-watching Rock of East Sea. He was back in Maoling. Now, no matter what nefarious schemes others might have against him, no one would be able to trace his whereabouts.

…

The cautious Meng Qi only put on the Heavenly Primogenitor mask after changing his appearance and breath several times. He then entered the lair of the Immortals, where Immortal Taiyi had long been waiting for him.

Yan Wuwo was not one for small talk. He spoke only a few words of courtesy and then watched as Meng Qi took out the harvest of the auction, selecting some exotic minerals and produce as well as Precious Weapons according to their agreement.

Zombie Fist was not a skill that belonged to the four main sects, neither did it have a rich history. It only made its mark on public consciousness three generations ago. It was not until Yan Wuwo’s era that the skill formed a neutral foundation in the Jianghu and gained a more polished reputation. He might not have any need for these items or Karma points, but ambitious and competitive as he was, he naturally wanted them for his disciples and descendants. He refused to let his sect be inferior to the aristocratic families.

While Yan Wuwo was selecting his share, Meng Qi roughly summed up his spoils. The first haul was from trading the Immortality Elixir of East Pole with the Ancestor of the Zhang Clan: thirteen exotic minerals and produce that were necessary for his cultivation. Coupled with the items from the Plenitude Sect that he placed with the Immortals, items from Darkness Palace, and this batch of immortality elixirs, he had basically gathered all the resources he needed to cultivate the Second-fold Heaven of Eight Nine Mysteries.

Meng Qi could not help patting himself on the back when he considered this. He did not personally compensate Yan Wuwo with the profits coming from the immortality elixirs of the Plenitude Sect. Instead, he allowed Yan Wuwo to choose, lest their harvest seem insufficient. The transaction was made regular, so barriers would not arise in future collaborations. He could dub himself the ‘honest and reliable young gentleman’. In truth, he was far more cunning than the old devil Yunhe!

“Well, I’m only letting you bear some of the cost…” Meng Qi quietly added in his mind. He had to subsidize the items exchanged for the second pellet of Immortality Elixir with three or four exotic minerals and produce to gather enough for his cultivation needs. He was then free to control the profits coming from the remainder.

“Ten exotic minerals and produce, a Top-grade Precious Weapon called the Soul-killing Venomous Needles, a key material for the forging of divine weapons called the Oceanic Dominion Pearl…” Meng Qi was over the moon. Even if he had to keep the pearl for his own use or forged it into a divine weapon, the remainder would yield him at least 20,000 Karma points if he sold them through channels other than the Dominator.

“With this sum of Karma points, secret treasures are basically disposable…” Meng Qi thought ‘heroically’. He gathered his thoughts and took a deep breath.

“Once the sale is completed, I’ll be able to spare 8,000 Karma points to decrypt the Wrist Bone of Nether!”

“I’ll leave the rest in preparation for the Apotheosized World…”

With the 13 exotic minerals and produce from the Ancestor of the Zhang Clan, Meng Qi was in no rush to make exchanges. He skipped going through the Six Realms and put the Soul-killing Venomous Needles and the rest up for sale at the lair of the Immortals.

After leaving the lair of the Immortals, he found a random small town and dressed up as a Young Master in green. He strolled down the street and bought a pot of yellow wine and a roasted chicken. He then rented a courtyard and allowed himself to relax entirely in secret cultivation.

…

Snow fluttered in the skies in the twelfth lunar month, bringing with it air so cold and damp that it penetrated deep into one’s bones. Winter in River East and the northlands were distinctly cold in their own ways.

Meng Qi was sitting cross-legged in a small courtyard, still as a corpse.

His Aperture acupoints opened abruptly, producing illusions one after another. There were illusions of a scorching Grand Sun, a flowing river of gleaming stars, a Chaotic Hole that absorbed even the smallest speck of light, a vast and boundless earth, a variety of Dharma and Logos as well as phenomena metamorphosing into deities, and perhaps even feet treading upon black serpents or hands propping up the firmament.

For a moment, a tranquil stillness fell over the place as if it had become a temple of ten thousand deities. It was as if there were microcosms with innumerable changes in between heaven and earth. It glittered so brilliantly that it made for a delightful scene, bringing with it changes in light and shadow. It was so profound and abstruse that it was difficult for anyone to comprehend it.

In the center of the illusions that felt almost tangible was the silhouette of Meng Qi sitting cross-legged. The Nine Innate Apertures of his internal organs had turned hazy as if the heaven high above was linked to the dream-like illusions.

The illusions returned to a single spot – the Hidden Latch on Meng Qi’s mid-brows that led directly to his head.

It was dim and hazy so it looked as if the figure sitting crossed-legged had neither front nor back, neither top nor bottom; difficult to describe, as if it were “the Primeval”!

The Greatest of Form Bore No Shape!

This was the home of Meng Qi’s Vital Spirit, his true Dharma Form, his Immortal Primogenitor Form!

Whether it was the visceral Celestial or the illusions around him, they were all the various Dharma extensions deduced from the changes contained within his Dharma Form and not himself!

Meng Qi’s eyes suddenly flew open, revealing a pair of muddled eyes that was impossible to read. The pupils were like vast and deep mysterious seas, full of the vicissitudes of life since ancient times.

The illusions were instantly restituted. The tranquil void inexplicably began to rock as if it was going to split from within. Had Meng Qi not laid down a formation in advance to prevent this, the phenomenon would likely shroud the entire town.

After several blinks, Meng Qi’s eyes returned to normal. His breath had eased as well, becoming as ordinary as the average Dharma and Logos of Heaven and Earth seen everywhere.

“I’ve finally stepped into the Third Heaven of the Exterior and condensed all the Aperture acupoints on my body…” Meng Qi heaved a gentle sigh of relief. He had finally crossed the first hurdle of Eight Nine Mysteries.

Upon achieving the First- and Second-fold Heaven of the Exterior, those who practiced Eight Nine Mysteries who contained changes must concentrate each Aperture acupoint differently to correspond to different phenomena of Dharma and Logos. This time-consuming practice posed the first hurdle in the cultivation of the Exterior. It was likely no one would be able to finish this practice before the end of their life were it not for the support of exotic minerals and produce. Even practitioners from ancient times would require at least 15 years to complete this challenge.

Using exotic minerals and produce was financially draining. Meng Qi made a rough calculation and determined that he had used around 35,000 Karma points worth of exotic minerals and produce for his cultivation of the Second-fold Heaven alone. It was equivalent to the sum that an ordinary Samsara traveler would have collected for a decade without spending any.

What an amazing sum!

“Fortunately, I’ve received rewards from Six Fan School and internally exchanged for two useful exotic minerals and produce. Otherwise, I’d probably be left with less than 20,000 Karma points.” Meng Qi stood up and began to ease his muscles, shamelessly turning the exercise routine broadcasted on television into his own body-strengthening exercise.

With his current potential and strength, Six Fan School wanted nothing more than for him to continue his role as a Slivery-badge Arrester. They allowed him the privilege to take up tasks as he pleased. The rewards would still be in his hands either way. When he eventually becomes a grandmaster or a great grandmaster in the future, there would definitely be some kinship between him and the school. The school was banking on this relationship to ease future discussions.

The affairs in the Immortal-tracking Alley had become much fairer and more reasonable after spending more than half a year in suspension, much better than the cunning and capitalistic Six Realms. The sale of his items had finally been completed several days ago, prompting Meng Qi to make a special visit through the Plenitude Gate and hand the profits to the representative of Immortal Yunhe and Darkness Palace. Once Jiang Zhiwei was done with her side of things, then this affair would finally come to a close.

He had 20,700 Karma points remaining, enough to make him the richest man on the level beneath grandmasters. Not to mention, he still had materials like the Oceanic Dominion Pearl and the Wrist Bone of Nether.

It was evident that the representatives of Immortal Yunhe and Darkness Palace were pleased with the profits. They expressed interest in having similar transactions once they had digested this harvest.

It had been more than a half a year since Meng Qi put up a bounty for a 10,000-year-old Qinghua Spiritual Wood at the Immortal-tracking Alley but there was yet to be a response. However, it would not be worthwhile to exchange it with the Dominator. Everything depended on whether Jiang Zhiwei would be able to find one now.

After his exercise, Meng Qi counted and flexed his fingers, sending wisps of wind flying in different directions. The winds shattered several artifacts, triggering the formation to pause. The clear and bright blue sky reappeared, spilling warm sunshine all over him.

He did not study the arts of formation but his understanding of it was already on the Exterior level. He was even capable of so many different changes. Having concentrated so many variations of his Aperture acupoints, he could now faintly detect the operational rhythm of heaven and earth. He knew the effects he would generate by placing particular items in particular spots. It was a simple formation that he had come to learn on his own.

“It’s a pity that I’ve been spending all this time cultivating and had no time to do good deeds. Without a sufficient concentration of good fortune, I can’t accomplish the primary level of Tri-gem Wish Fist.” Meng Qi sighed. One could not have their cake and eat it too.

He had what was essentially an entry-level understanding of the Yin-Yang Seal and the Living Propagation. His grasp of “I, the Unique and Righteous” was pitifully limited but it was there.

Meng Qi left the small town and headed straight for the entrance to the lair of the Immortals. He would definitely have the time to decipher the mysteries of the Wrist Bone of Nether after achieving the Third Heaven.

He had barely taken a step into Azure Heaven when he came across Progenitor Doumu who was flying in from another direction. Smiling, he said hello and exclaimed about the coincidence.

Primogenitor emotionlessly replied. “It so happens that there’s something I need to inform you about. The gathering of official members that has been long delayed will be held in seven days. If you’re free, please join the gathering at the Azure Palace.”

Meng Qi’s eyes lit up and instantly agreed. “I’ll be there!”

He had little interest in the rest of the official members after discovering the identities of the high-level ones. The ‘Lord of Purity and Magic’ Taoist Miaodao who ‘stole’ his nickname was the exception!

“I wonder who it is…”

Progenitor Doumu glanced at Meng Qi, having sensed the unconcealed change in his breath. “You’ve concentrated all your Aperture acupoints and entered the Third Heaven realm?”

“Correct. I’ve just entered the realm.” Meng Qi hid his smugness. Did he surprise even Progenitor Doumu?

Progenitor Doumu’s tone was somewhat heavy as she said, “Qingyuan spent an entire eight and a half years to collect materials and cross the hurdle between the First and Second Heaven realms. His cultivation progress has been sluggish due to this, and it nearly cost him his life in Samsara tasks.”

Yet, it only took Meng Qi a year and a half to accomplish the same.

“It’s just a coincidental Chance.” Meng Qi replied with false modesty. The sudden huge profits generated from the Immortality Elixir of East Pole could not be replicated while the Plenitude Gate was even more so a stroke of luck.

After a few more words he flew toward the Immortal-tracking Alley and landed in front of the jade pillar in the center. There, he took out the Wrist Bone of Nether.