The Sage Who Transcended Samsara

At Chang Ning City, the sun rose in the east, driving away the mist. Everything was covered in sunshine.

Kung fu experts of the Exterior Realm led players at the Orifices-Point Activation Stage guarding at the entrance gate of the city. A Restrictive Spell was half activated with gates wide open to wagons carrying peasants and food grain. Though the atmosphere was oppressively intense, no sign of the crowd of demons coming.

“How come? I thought the crowd of demons always come out at the same time,” Qin Shuanghua looked at the city from far away, feeling confused.

Qin Shuanglian explained to Meng Qi and others, “Every time when a demon boom happens, a crowd of demons come out from the crack at the same time. There is no exception. But now no sign of a crowd of demons coming to Chang Ning City. And these wagons are called back to protect the city as I’m sure they’ve heard the news about a demon boom happening elsewhere.”

“If things become abnormal, there must be demons behind it,” Meng Qi frowned and continued, “but it works good for us as it saved our time to expel the crowd of demons. We can go directly to the crack and seal it. Only we have to be very careful because something strange and dangerous might happen.”

Meng Qi and Jiang Zhi Wei chose to save Chang Ning City first since it’s a populated area. But it turned out to be peaceful in here without any sign of demons coming.

The Qin sisters said nothing more and followed Meng Qi to the nearest crack. They looked back at Chang Ning City sometimes, feeling confused.

…

At Chang Ning City, Qi Zhengyan wore a black robe. He looked like an ordinary man except that he was very quiet and did not seem to like to talk.

The Hei Jia Demon had already changed its appearance. He was dressed in martial arts clothes and was quite tall and tough with a square face and broom-shaped eyebrows. If travelling merchants met him in a field, they would kneel down in front of him and beg for forgiveness.

“Your majesty, why not organize a martial club and get some trainees to spread the bible? Now the crowd of demons is coming soon. I believe no one would dare to stop us,” the Hei Jia Demon said in a flattery tone, in contrast with his tough appearance.

He said those words not by the means of sending messages by heart or blocking the area but in his own way saying it that only Qi Zhengyan could hear. This proved that he was an very experienced powerful player.

Qi Zhengyan walked in the street and looked around, “What we have experienced before might be very different from this world. We have to do a deep and detailed research in this world, talk to those middle and lower class people and understand their current situation. And then we can find a way to deal with our problems properly and adapt ourselves to this world.”

“It is said change in the unchanging rule in Dao De. Those who stick to the old rules are like decayed zombies and will not succeed.”

The Hei Jia demon hastened to take out a notebook and wrote with his fingers. He said, “I can’t agree more. Those narrow-minded guys are even more dangerous than us demons.”

Right at this moment, Qi Zhengyan saw a vegetable peddler staring at a well-dressed man passing by with mixed feelings. Qi Zhengyan walked toward him and squatted down. He pretended to be picking vegetables and asked casually, “Sir, do you know that man passing by just now?”

Qi Zhengyan’s voice was soft and honest. The peddler smacked dried lips and answered, “Thirty years ago, the Chang Ning Sect was recruiting trainees. He and I participated in the same test and we’ve met each other for a few times. At that time, he was far less hardworking than me and was not a match for me.”

But now, one dressed in fine clothes and rode on well-groomed horses, whereas the other could barely make a living by selling vegetables in the street.

“He joined in the Chang Ning Sect, and you didn’t?” Qi Zhengyan asked.

The peddler’s eyes turned dim and he looked down at the vegetables. He said in a low voice, “The Chang Ning Sect only recruited 100 trainees, and 40 places were given to those who were relatives and friends of the sect. And the other 60 were given first to gifted ones. That man was one of them. At last only 27 places were left and I… I was 28.”

“Later, I continued to practice and bought many secret scripts and participated in tests for many rounds. But then I became old and had no chance to join the Chang Ning Sect at all. That’s why I’m selling vegetables in the street…”

“Do you hate the Chang Ning Sect? And those who joined just because they had connections with the sect? And those who were gifted but did not work as hard as you did? Or only if they could recruit you as well since you were number 28?” Qi Zhengyan asked calmly.

The peddler did not know what to say and then he answered after a few seconds, “Hate? What for? Those who had connections joined because their ancestors worked hard. Those gifted were recruited because the sect could grow faster and bigger using them. They were born with talents. And I’m clear that the sect only recruited 100 trainees, nobody could help to change it to 101.”

“27 people who ranked before me all worked very hard and not any worse than me. Why hate them?”

“But how come you ended up like this even if you’ve been working hard and practicing hard for years?” Qi Zhengyan asked.

The peddler’s eyes looked dull and then suddenly he pressed his head with his hand and said, “Me myself! I did not work hard enough to win over those 27 people. I did not have any gifts and only reached the Orifices-Point Activation Stage at 50 years old. It’s me myself!”

“No. You ranked 28th among so many applicants. You have been practicing so hard by yourself for so many years and finally reached the Orifices-Point Activation Stage. There is nothing wrong about you.”

“If they were not wrong and neither was I, how come I ended up like this?” The peddler pressed his head with both hands and said painfully, “If nobody did anything wrong, then why?”

Qi Zhengyan stood up slowly and looked at him with pitiful eyes.

…

At a courtyard of Chang Ning City, Zi Wei star master looked at Xi, Queen Mother of the West, and Bei Dou star master and said in a low voice, “The Demonic Lord’s successor plans to start a revolution at the period of a demon boom. They should move soon these days. Let’s search for clues and signs at different places and track his whereabouts. But remember never act blindly as he himself was a player with strength and so are his helpers behind.”

Three mythological members nodded and left.

…

Rivers flowed fast and color of water was pitch-black. The Chang Ning crack of the Nine Nether was here.

The river was swirling around in a very fast pace with its core part disclosing the riverbed. There should be a huge crack in the shape of a centipede but now only stood a black mountain like a tower. Its four sides were very smooth and seemed no one could climb up.

Seeing the mountain, the Qin sisters both exclaimed slightly. Since when did such changes happen at the Chang Ning crack?

Meng Qi squinted his eyes and looked at the mountain. He felt like he had seen it before.

He saw it before in the Secret Realm of the Demonic Monarch, overlapping mountains, at successors of Devil’s Claws dead spots, and the mountain that disappeared in the Main World.

Why it came into this world?

Jiang Zhi Wei heard her master mention it once and could recognize it. She turned around and stared into Meng Qi’s eyes. She could see him getting confused.

Suddenly, the grand sun in the air shone out with dazzling bright light as if it fell down to the ground nearby. The Qin sisters, Ruan Yushu, and Zhao Heng could not open their eyes.

Meng Qi held his blade with his right hand and turned around slowly. He looked far away and said, “Come out.”

No attack but giving a sign like this to claim his arrival. This mysterious visitor wanted something.

The white light divided into two parts and a man came out with an imposing manner. It was Xi wearing the Divine Master of Sun!

Jiang Zhi Wei put her right hand’s five fingers on the sword hilt and stood on the other side of Meng Qi, similar to the situation of a pincer movement. They both looked at Xi who stood not far away.

“Are you here for revenge?” Meng Qi asked coldly.

It was him who disturbed Xi’s perfect plan of reincarnation!

Xi wearing the mask said in a sullen voice, “Benefit goes before hatred. What’s done is done. I value the future much more than the past.”

“What do you want?” Meng Qi asked.

This man was a master of martial arts, almost the same level with reincarnated mighty people and he had much more experience and knowledge than me. I shall not treat him casually.

Xi answered, “Last time you used the Seal of Yin Yang. And you used Seal of Void in the fight with the Roushan Demon. Thus I assume that if you are not Yuan Shi himself, you are at least connected with him. So can you tell me where is the Wu’Ji Seal? Is it in your hands right now or somewhere else? In return, I’ll help to answer you a question of the same value.”

“I have activated the Divine Needle of the Sun and blocked this area. The Six Dao is very weak right now and he will not know our conversation here.”

Weak Six Dao? Weak? Meng Qi and Jiang Zhi Wei both squinted their eyes.