The Sage Who Transcended Samsara

The sound coming from the flute reverberated as the lights were reflected on the river. Carrying Bai Chong with his left hand and holding the Mystic Turtle Sword in his right, Meng Qi stared fixedly at Crape Myrtle Star. His success at forcing such a powerful enemy to retreat several times made him feel somewhat proud.

However, he was also aware that his sudden emergence had disrupted the arrangements of Crape Mrytle Star, Blue Stair Assassin’s “God-slaying Sword”, and their cohorts, forcing them to make hasty strikes lest he kidnapped Bai Chong. On the other hand, his momentum had peaked after exchanging blows with several masters earlier. The current situation was the result of one party going on the rise and another on the decline. In a different situation or arrangement, it would not have been so easy for him to succeed.

The wind caused waves that surged in all directions. It was so strong that the Exterior experts could barely stand firm and the trunk of a large tree snapped. Things were on the brink of alerting the Grand Formation of Luoyang.

Meng Qi stomped on the body of the horse with great strength. planning to fly away. He would use the ability of the Void Flight to make a turnaround and break out of the siege of Crape Myrtle Star and the others. That would force the Evil Master to show himself. Just then, he suddenly found that the weight on his left hand had lightened. He instantly had a bad premonition.

The only thing left of Bai Chong, whom he had grabbed with his left hand, was a layer of human skin!

Whatever was inside had long escaped!

“From the Southern Wilderness; an expert at mysterious martial arts…” Information about Bai Chong surfaced in Meng Qi’s mind. He had focused all of his attention on masters like Crape Mrytle Star, the assassin from Unrelenting Tower, and Sky-ease Devil so much so that he had neglected Bai Chong.

Bai Chong was not one to wait around to be captured even with his hands tied!

Meng Qi began to make a deduction, allowing his spirit to climb. He threw the layer of human skin at Crape Myrtle Star and Blue Stair Assassin in order to distract them. When he tilted his head to look at the other side of the street, he saw a blood-red speck that did not seem to truly exist hiding among the lights and rapidly fleeing.

“Thud!” Meng Qi stomped so hard on the horse that he broke its back. He used the force to jump across the street. He chased after the blood-red speck and his green robe billowed as he ran, making him look like a giant eagle.

Blue Stair Assassin and Green Stair Assassin of Unrelenting Tower took a step back and merged with the darkness to quietly follow Meng Qi. Crape Myrtle Star and Sky-ease Devil exchanged a look and surprisingly chose to give up!

That was because they had failed to catch Bai Chong off guard and take him down quickly. If they tried to capture him now, he could very well risk everything and trigger the Grand Formation of Luoyang. That would attract the attention of the many masters of Six Fan School and Political Affairs Hall, including “Noble Purple Spirit” Cui Qinghe.

Either way, Bai Chong would be certain to survive as long as he surrendered half of the entrance map. Their fates, on the other hand, would not be so kind.

The green silhouette flew far away and the small boat on the river also retreated into the shadows. In the blink of an eye, the only things left on the street near the Golden River Bridge were overturned stalls, pedestrians who had fallen to the ground, messy trees, and several masters who had dared not give chase. It was an utterly chaotic scene.

Sun Yuexiu looked away with complex emotions. Staring at the handsome horse that had collapsed on the ground, she whispered.

“A master with such tyrannical strength couldn’t possibly be unknown. Which of the masters on the Terrestrial Rankings is he?”

She was both posing the question both to herself and her Senior Sister, Ren Jingxiu.

…

The blood-red speck traveled like an incredibly nimble serpent. He was so slick that he nearly threw Meng Qi off his scent despite the latter’s excellent tracking ability. Meng Qi followed closely through the street, refusing to let the speck out of his sight.

Many pedestrians felt only a gust of wind blowing past them. Not even their shadows were seen!

The soothing sound of the river water drifted to his ears. Meng Qi was certain that Bai Chong had fled to the riverside. It seemed that he was planning to escape via water.

This place was so secluded that one would be hard-pressed to find a single shadow here. An archaic stone bridge arched over the river.

With his attention locked onto Bai Chong, Meng Qi charged out of the alley. Suddenly, he noticed that signs of Bai Chong’s escape had come to a stop and the latter’s breath had suddenly vanished.

“This…” Meng Qi subconsciously slowed down and turned to look at the stone bridge.

On one side of the bridge stood a middle-aged man dressed in a wide robe. His jet-black hair was secured with a wooden hairpin. He looked elegant and relaxed as he stood there silently like the master of heaven and earth and the cardinal of the universe. He possessed an exotic charisma like that of a deity or a devil.

A body laid beside his feet, its translucent skin revealing the blood flowing underneath. All of its bones had turned into a pile of mud. Not one inch of its flesh and skin was intact. The body belonged to the man who had been so vigorous and lively just a while ago—Bai Chong.

“Han Guang!”

“‘Evil Master’ Han Guang!”

“Heaven Sovereign of the Myths, Han Guang!”

“He is really here!”

Without a second thought, Meng Qi revolved his Interior realm and condensed a dot at his toes. Boundless strength exploded from him as he tried to fly backward in retreat. He wanted to escape the most frighteningly talented and peerless evil spirit among the heretics of the century.

Han Guang leisurely turned his head and his oddly dark eyes met Meng Qi’s.

Time suddenly slowed down. Meng Qi felt as if everything had become sluggish and the “distance” between him and Han Guang had vanished. The latter’s devil-like handsome face abruptly came close to his own.

Han Guang did not invoke the Force of Heaven and Earth or even make any movements. His gaze alone was like a rope that dragged Meng Qi to him, plunging Meng Qi into a nightmare. It was hard for Meng Qi to break away from such a spell.

A true Dharmakaya grandmaster was a source of unimaginable terror!

Meng Qi had mentally prepared himself for an encounter with Han Guang, but no matter how many encounters he had had, he could not truly understand the horror of a Dharmakaya master. For a moment, he felt his Vital Spirit being frightened.

The Golden Lotus appeared and the Primeval sat upright. Meng Qi suddenly came to his senses. He prepared to unleash his Dharma Form and trigger the Grand Formation of Luoyang.

“I am a Young Master of the orthodox faction with many friends! Even if Cui Qinghe shows up, he would still have to pay Abbot Kong Wen some respect. You, on the other hand, are a heretical evil spirit, Heaven Sovereign of the Myths, and the enemy of all aristocratic families and sects. Once you fall into the Grand Formation of Luoyang, the consequences would be unpredictable. Aren’t you afraid now?”

Meng Qi was fearless in the face of death. His momentum climbed and his indescribable Dharma Form began to materialize behind him.

The corner of Han Guang’s mouth lifted to form a sinister smile. His eyes turned deep and dark.

An illusory figure abruptly emerged in Meng Qi’s consciousness—a tall and dark figure wearing a black gown and an emperor’s crown. Ethereal and lofty, he had a majestic face. He possessed enough power to dominate the three dimensions and tens of thousands of lands. It was as if he was the lord of the universe and the master of the past, present, and future.

The moment this figure appeared, all color in Meng Qi’s vision faded. He saw only black and white, and his train of thought had slowed to a standstill.

“Form of the Diabolic Monarch!”

Just then, the statue of Big Golden Buddha appeared in Meng Qi’s mind. The Buddha pointed a finger to heaven and another to earth, bringing with it a great peace, benevolence, wisdom, and fearlessness!

“In the Heavens and on Earth, I, the Unique and Righteous, am everywhere!”

His Vital Spirit swelled in order to meet “him”. Meng Qi immediately broke away from the spiritual disturbance.

Would he have dared to agree to Gu Xiaosang’s scheme to lure out “Evil Master” Han Guang without something to fall back on?

Han Guang appeared a little stunned. Before he could decide between continuing his oppression of Meng Qi or retreating, a different breath exploded in the vicinity. It flew straight into the firmament and triggered the Grand Formation of Luoyang.

“‘Evil Master’ Han Guang!” It was “Purple Roc Arrester” Liu Shengming who had shouted.

Clouds began to gather, unleashing a wreathe of golden lights. The Grand Formation of Luoyang was now fully activated.

Inside the Red Attire Villa, Sima Shi’s eyes abruptly opened and saw the Chaos taking over. He formed a fist with his right hand and threw a simple punch at the screen of golden light in front of him.

Meanwhile, a sword brimming with Human Sovereign’s breath flew out of the Political Affairs Hall and crossed the void. It carried the power of all beings and struck Han Guang in a grandiose manner.

Inside the Duke of Pingjin’s manor, the bearded Cui Qinghe unsheathed the sword in front of him. Red clouds rose high into the air, making for a splendid and noble sight.

Nine dragons flew out of the inner palace in the imperial city and charged at Han Guang alongside the grand formation.

In the blink of an eye, the situation was reversed and Han Guang plunged into a danger more severe than what he had experienced in the Immortal-slaying Sword Formation!

Everything happened so abruptly that Meng Qi nearly failed to react in time. He was not attacked as the attention of the various masters of Luoyang was focused on “Evil Master” Han Guang, but he could feel the formation turning into a giant shackle, entrapping him layer by layer.

Just then, a sonorous female voice drifted into Meng Qi’s ears and the weight of the “shackles” temporarily eased.

“Gu Xiaosang!” Meng Qi suddenly turned his head and saw Gu Xiaosang in her pure white dress standing delicately in the midst of the smog of golden light. Her eyes were so deep that they contained the entire sky of stars. She looked as leisurely as if she were standing in her own courtyard.

“My husband, we should be going to the Ninth Heaven.” Longing was apparent in Gu Xiaosang’s beautiful eyes as she gave him a mesmerizing smile.

Realization suddenly hit Meng Qi. She and Liu Shengming were working together. To think that she would have such a sinister trick up her sleeve trying to lure Han Guang out!

“If I were to really believe in this Demoness, not even ten lives would be enough to spare!”

While mulling over this, he followed Gu Xiaosang and dove into the Golden River. They rapidly made their way toward the bottom of the river.

It was dark, but Gu Xiaosang seemed familiar with the path. She rapidly led Meng Qi into a strange cave.

Meng Qi could already feel the piercing murderous aura in this place without Gu Xiaosang’s warning. This place hid a fairly deep sense of danger.

Gu Xiaosang allowed her hands to sway, making her look like a naive young girl as she led Meng Qi to swerve left and right. She looked as if she could not detect the murderous aura but she would always dodge it perfectly.

After swimming for a while, Meng Qi saw a hole so deep that he could not see the bottom.

Gu Xiaosang stopped in her tracks and her gaze turned solemn. “Hold my hand, husband. We will be entering the Ninth Heaven.”

Meng Qi had no idea what Demoness Gu had in mind, but he knew it would be dangerous inside. He exhaled and then grabbed her right hand.

Like a mischievous little fish, her right hand scratched Meng Qi’s palm. She smiled sweetly at him. “Please invoke the thunderbolt mark, my husband.”

She took out the Boundary Marker of the Celestial Court with her other hand.

The thunderbolt mark on the back of Meng Qi’s hand emerged, glistening purple as it linked with his breath. Thanks to Gu Xiaosang, it was pointed toward the boundary marker.

The boundary marker emitted a radiant ray of light, shrouding the two of them in it. Gu Xiaosang and Meng Qi took a step at the same time and entered the “Deep Eye”.

Following the shift in light and shadow, Meng Qi saw a world of white clouds. In the distance was a palace as well as a small number of tyrannical breaths.

“There are no Dharmakaya masters here. We don’t have to worry about being discovered,” Gu Xiaosang said, smiling. The soles of her feet suddenly emitted a green glow, carrying her and Meng Qi downward into the “high altitude” of this place.

Just as the green glow appeared, Meng Qi felt a slight tremor from the Supreme-wisdom Tree inside his Space Ring.

“Is this also its ‘food’?”

Inside the palace of this world was a golden throne that looked as if it belonged to the supreme master of heaven and earth. The one who sat on this throne was not “Heaven Sovereign” Han Guang but a man with a pair of straight brows, beautiful eyes, and incredibly thin lips. His gaze was particularly cold and apathetic.

He stared expressionlessly at the spot where Gu Xiaosang and Meng Qi had disappeared from. It was as if he was looking at two ants playing around.

It was “Mad Prince” Gao Lan!

Suddenly, a ball of light flared and then revealed “Evil Master” Han Guang with his pinned hair and loose robe. He was quite a sorry sight.

“Something impossible nearly happened! Fortunately, I was well prepared. Have they entered the first layer of heaven?” Han Guang patted his sleeves.

Gao Lan gave a small nod.

“This is why we must not neglect the larger threat in pursuit of a small gain.”

Trapped in a four-sided siege on the stone bridge, Han Guang’s figure abruptly shattered like a broken mirror. It was an incredibly peculiar sight.

Cui Qinghe’s gaze froze. He realized that Bai Chong’s corpse, which had been turned into a pile of mud, had vanished without anyone noticing.

“So ‘he’ is Han Guang’s Real Body…” Cui Qinghe sighed.

Inside a certain secluded courtyard in Luoyang.

The withered-looking Lampholder Oracle grinned as he observed the changes of light and shadow by the Golden River. He commanded his subordinates.

“The Goddess has given her order. She wants us to cover this entire city with the entrance map of the Ninth Heaven remnants!”