The Sage Who Transcended Samsara

The void around Meng Qi unexpectedly felt as if it was rocking after he took a step forward.

Divine Master Guo seemed to have seen bolts of lightning flashing, clouds swirling in the wind, the Grand Sun rising from the east, and stars twinkling amid the vagueness. He did not expect that mere flesh, blood, skin, and Aperture acupoints could affect the world and create such intricate illusions. It painted an abstract portrait of the interior scenes.

Divine Master Guo closed his eyes and relied solely on his senses. He felt that the blood and Qi of Meng Qi – who was standing some distance away – was at its peak. Meng Qi’s body seemed to be containing a Grand Sun that constantly triggered his blood and Qi to transpire upward, feeling as if they would penetrate through the clouds. Yet, at the same time, it also felt as if his blood and Qi were confined in his body and could only interfere with his surroundings.

Divine Master Guo was merely sensing Meng Qi from afar yet he was already experiencing the excruciating pain of the latter’s blood and Qi burning of his Vital Spirit.

What a fearsome physical body!

Even a monster who had concentrated its Initial Blood would not be able to compare to a physical body like his!

Zhu Kui was initially stunned after hearing Meng Qi’s words but he instantly narrowed his eyes and said emotionlessly, “Do you really want me to attack you?”

The changes in the world had been truly shocking but upon closer inspection, he realized that most of the changes were not a result of techniques or mechanisms. Meng Qi had relied solely on his physical body and mere movements. Considering the essence and scope of the changes, it was something that even the likes of Principal Chen, who had obtained the secret device Rain God, as well as Principal Wu, who had obtained the secret device Wind Master, were capable of. His Crimson Dragon was merely lacking in this aspect. When it came to battle prowess, he might not lose to Meng Qi!

The eavesdropping martial artists outside the door took sharp intakes of breath when they heard him, and their agitation eased a little. They never expected Mr. Su to issue a direct challenge to ‘Crimson Dragon’ Zhu Kui!

Even though Meng Qi had demonstrated Immortal-like power, making them feel yearning, excitement, and reverence for him, the glory of the title of Principal was deeply rooted in everyone’s hearts over tens of thousands of years. No one would dare to look directly into a Principal’s eyes, much less confront him. To ordinary folks, Principals were the symbols of Immortals themselves. Only fellow Principals, Divine Masters, Priests or Immortals were capable of defeating Principals. Even martial artists who had achieved the Heaven-connecting realm would find it difficult to do so.

For a moment, uneasiness grabbed hold of them.

Meng Qi laughed as he raised his right foot to step straight on the void as if there were invisible stairs in front of him. “Principal Zhu, don’t tell me you’re afraid to do it.”

Jiang Zhiwei’s eyes twitched as she listened. The little monk had once jokingly commented that he wanted to ‘cultivate his taunting skills to their peak’. Back then, she did not quite understand what he had meant, but now she had a good idea of it…

“Don’t regret your request,” Zhu Kui said calmly.

The Crimson Dragon soared into the skies, adopting a posture to attack from high above.

Divine Master Guo Feihu suddenly commented, “Please wait for a moment, you two. Once the Crimson Dragon is involved, never mind the Courier Hostel, even the nearby streets will be affected! That would attract the attention of the entire Yongzhou City. Why don’t I lay down a formation to confine the aftermath?”

His interruption seemed to affect both Zhu Kui and Meng Qi’s momentums but the latter did not appear to care. “Thank you for making up for my lack of consideration,” Meng Qi said, smiling.

Shocked once again, the group of martial artists watched as Meng Qi slowly ascended and hovered in the air. They stammered,

“H-He suspended himself in the air…”

This was something theoretical that only martial artists could achieve after reaching the ‘end’ of their cultivation. It was a symbol of martial artists being connected to the heaven, something that could put them on par with Practitioners and automaton architects. To see the move being performed before their very eyes, the group of martial artists could not help feeling gratified.

Divine Master Guo took out several formation flags embroidered with cloud patterns and tossed them to the ground where they landed on the corners of the square.

Meng Qi appeared to be facing Zhu Kui but was, in fact, sensing the changes in his surroundings through the intersection with the heaven and earth, lest Divine Master Guo tried to create a killing formation.

Though he was not familiar with formations, just his sensory of the world – as well as the premonition of his Eight Nine Mysteries alone – was enough for him to detect any abnormalities. He could tell if the Qi was flowing smoothly or stagnating. He could, after all, detect vitality if there was life and danger if there was murderous intent.

While Divine Master Guo took some time to lay down the formation, the spying martial artists outside felt their vision blur as if there was a water screen separating them from the square.

“Great idea. Now I don’t have to worry about holding back,” Zhu Kui said, patting the back of his dragon.

Meng Qi burst out in laughter and said, “I think the same.” He suddenly moved, dashing on the invisible ‘stairs’ as he charged at the Crimson Dragon.

The dragon, with its golden scales and scarlet skin, lowered its head and opened its mouth. The air around them suddenly became scorchingly hot, obscuring Meng Qi’s vision. He felt as if everything before his eyes had become an illusion.

Roar!

The dragon breathed golden flames, igniting the air surrounding them. The overwhelming fire burned in all directions, reaching for Meng Qi with its flames. The martial artists felt suffocated even though they were standing outside of the formation, feeling as if they were swallowing flames with each breath that they took. The heat burned their lungs, putting them in great discomfort!

What a terrifying fire!

What a terrifying Crimson Dragon!

They watched in stunned silence as the flames besieged Meng Qi, engulfing him so that he had no room to avoid the fire and could only allow the flames to envelop his body.

“Why isn’t he running?” The thought had just occurred to them when their pupils shrank in shock. They saw the flames separate, leaving a silhouette dashing out of the gap and toward the Crimson Dragon.

Meng Qi was exuding a golden glow, keeping all the flames away from his body and making it seem like the fire was nothing more than a layer of decoration!

With a layer of flames wrapped around him, Meng Qi’s every step brought about a blast in the air and a series of continually sounding explosions.

Thump, thump, thump! Thump, thump, thump! No matter how calm Zhu Kui was, he could not help feeling shocked as he watched Meng Qi charge at him.

“C-Can he still be considered a human?”

The Crimson Dragon bared its scarlet and introverted claws, hurtling a red bead at Meng Qi. Even a person standing far away could sense the terrifying destructive power contained in the bead.

Divine Master Guo’s eyelid twitched as he recalled a certain mountain that had been blown up.

Thump, thump, thump! Thump, thump, thump! Just when he thought Meng Qi was going to make a move or even dodge, he saw the latter step on the void with a constant speed, explode the air, and slam straight into the red bead.

Thud!

The transparent water screen shook violently, prompting the martial artists at the door to take several steps backward.

“Is Mr. Su fine?” They began to worry about him.

The formation kicked into motion, placating the turbulent airflow and dissipating the smoke. When everything was visible again, the stones that had lined the square were all destroyed. It was a chaotic mess.

Mr. Su, glowing brightly in a golden light, was still running in the void with smoke from the detonations swirling behind him, like the blooming of lotus flowers. Lady Jiang’s robe was billowing with air as she hovered above the ground. The flames that tried to touch her were instantly extinguished.

Thump, thump, thump! Thump, thump, thump! Meng Qi was now close to the Crimson Dragon.

Zhu Kui’s pupils shrank in shock. He had never met anyone who fought in this manner. Not even a Divine Master armed with a Golden Armor Technique should be able to withstand his attacks!

The Crimson Dragon once again soared upward and violently slammed its tail onto Meng Qi. The essence of Chinese Astrology Jin above it flared and Sword Qi swayed, swooshing and swishing as numerous deep holes appeared on the ground!

Meng Qi continued to dash forward with his extended hands. Purple lightning swirled around him, full of fierce and unyielding power.

“He’s foolish enough to try and contend with the Crimson Dragon’s killing strike head-on?” Zhu Kui’s Vital Spirit was connected to the core of the dragon. He could not help thrusting all his power into the dragon so it could give Meng Qi a taste of its true strength.

Suddenly, Meng Qi’s hands simultaneously turned sharp and soft at the same time as Yin and Yang turned on its head. His body swayed, first evading the dragon’s tail before grabbing it with his two fair and powerful palms. Even as Sword Qi sizzled and stirred in the air, it was difficult for the tail to escape his hold!

Using great strength to maintain his grip, he roared,

“Open!”

While his voice was reverberating in the air, his body swelled until he was about two feet tall. His Vital Spirit converged and brimmed with the intertwining of Dharma and Logos. His bulging muscles were exuding the beauty of power.

Meng Qi had finally grasped an initial understanding of the Law Phenomenon after all this time cultivating and this was his chance to give it a try!

“Open!”

The muscles in Meng Qi’s bulging arms knotted as he grabbed hold of the Crimson Dragon’s tail and swung it with great force!

The golden light that shrouded the dragon flared as Zhu Kui’s blue veins abruptly popped out on his skin. He was using all his strength yet was completely at the mercy of Meng Qi’s great power!

“Open!”

Meng Qi swung the dragon amid the roaring of his screams, slamming it onto the ground.

Thud! The massive dragon crashed onto the square, sending the lurching of terrifying Qi waves. Sizzling sounds came from the transparent water screens as the formation flags were instantly blown apart!

Never mind the martial artists, even Divine Master Guo was Meng dumbfounded as he stared at Meng Qi, who was holding onto the dragon, and his indomitable body.

Jiang Zhiwei glanced at the two-feet-tall Meng Qi, her eyes burning with the desire to test him.

The dragon rolled on its back, revealing small cracks that covered its body. One of its horns was broken in half and barely hanging onto its head. It was about to strike back against the true Grand Sun, fighting until it or its opponent dies!

Suddenly, Divine Master Guo interrupted with a clap of thunder from his palm. The lightning struck the void, awakening Zhu Kui.

“Since the formation is broken, let’s end the battle here,” Guo Feihu said, still feeling the lingering fear that came after the ferocious battle.

“Is this the physical strength of Qi Practitioners?”

With his scattered hair, Zhu Kui wore a gloomy expression as he looked fixedly at Meng Qi.

Meng Qi dispersed the effects of the Law Phenomenon and restored everything back to its original condition. His green robe remained intact, free of any dust. The corner of his mouth curved into a smile. “Thank you for showing me leniency, Principal Zhu.”

Zhu Kui took a deep breath before saying, “I’ll return to Darkness Palace as soon as possible and wait for the Priests to decide. I ask that Su and Lady Jiang please stay here for the time being.”

Guo Feihu said, grinning, “I’ll be reporting this to my leader, Immortal, as well. Su and Jiang, my friends, you won’t have to wait for long.”

They exchanged several words of pleasantries before Zhu Kui and Guo Feihu left separately. The group of martial artists at the door exchanged glances, still violently trembling.

Even if they just learned a shred of Mr. Su’s abilities, it would be enough for them to be regarded as Immortal-like beings!

They were all well aware of just how powerful the secret device, Crimson Dragon, was and just how great of a reputation Zhu Kui enjoyed. Yet, in front of Mr. Su, they were like children being toyed around by an adult!

“Even martial artists can be that impressive!”

They had one-sidedly beautified the battle earlier in their minds as they recalled the feeling of masculine strength. No longer able to restrain their emotions or worry about danger, they rushed into the hostel and instantly kneeled before Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei.

They were just about to open their mouths to plea for help when they saw Mr. Su turn a blind eye to them. With his hands behind his back, he turned around and entered his room. His green robe swayed gently as he walked, not feeling even the slightest hint of hesitation.

They were momentarily stunned, the words still stuck in their throats.

Jiang Zhiwei smiled at Meng Qi as she entered the room. “Haven’t you been paying attention to them for a long time with plans to teach them as a way of gathering merits and morals? Why did you leave without sparing them a second glance?”

“Law Phenomenon cannot be imparted directly,” Meng Qi replied with a smile, his hands still behind his back.

…

Deep inside the trap-laden Darkness Palace, several ordinary-looking people were sitting in their respective seats.

“The man named Su Meng is indeed a Qi Practitioner. With the strength that he had displayed earlier, he could be ranked among the top ten Principals,” an old man with dark, blank eyes said. “He’ll be a worthy person to recruit.”

“But their backgrounds are unknown. South Sea is often plagued with tsunamis and earthquakes, swallowing old isles to give birth to new ones each time. It’ll be hard to investigate them,” one woman dressed in a twilight robe commented. The skin on her expressionless face was taut, making her seem like a puppet.

The old man with blank eyes said, “Their background isn’t a problem as long as they’re of no harm to us and are willing to accept the agreement of Darkness Palace.”

Suddenly, a square-faced man said, “Didn’t they first appear at the foot of Mount Firemist? That’s the same as the evil spirits. C-Could they be people from the outside world?”

The five of them instantly fell into silence.

“Since we’re not clear on the details, let’s just wait and see how Plenitude Sect responds,” the old man with blank eyes said.

…

On the peak of a mountain filled with fluttering mythical birds, an old Taoist with a head of white hair and a ruddy complexion was staring at the letter in his hand. Contemplating for a moment, he turned around, stepped inside the hall, and headed straight for the back.

He then triggered the formation and stepped onto the stairs that had appeared out of nowhere, going downward.

Passing through numerous killing formations, he finally reached the end of the stairs. There was an ancient door that was brimming with the vicissitudes of life and engraved with various patterns.

The Taoist stopped in front of the door and extended his right hand as if he was trying to push it open. However, the cold touch alerted him to the fact that the extreme feeling of danger behind the door had never once ceased. It was the same as it had been for many years.

He heaved a sigh and took his leave, all the while shaking his head.