The Sage Who Transcended Samsara

Qu Jiuniang masked as the Bluecloud Progenitor brought up the old apotheosis stories. He said in a serious tone, “In the current Apotheosized World, legends about immortals prevailed. They’re both about the Chan Denomination and the Jie Denomination. There are many stories about meeting some immortal and inheriting their treasures or skills. But, no matter how hard we try, we can’t find the real immortals. Because of this, the Primogenitor can’t carry out her plans smoothly.”

“We were close to success several times, when Primogenitor and the others found out Azure Palace. Subsuquently, they found the real place where Yun Zhongzi passed away. The odd thing was that there weren’t any immortal corpses except last words and items. Take Azure Palace for example. Although it was empty, jade bamboo scripts and skill scripts were arranged neatly and tidyly as if the owner had just gone on a holiday. If it were not for all the lifeless elixirs, the Primogenitor wouldn’t have dared to move Azure Palace, lest the immortal seek their revenge.”

“Is this really Azure Palace?” Meng Qi looked around and wondered. “Where is the Sky-reaching Eminentor?”

“If he ‘comes back’ someday, we’ll be in big trouble!”

“I wonder where the Primogenitor found Azure Palace,” Meng Qi asked.

Qu Jiuniang rolled her eyes at him. “You haven’t even been to the Apotheosized World, what’s the point of knowing the location? It should be on Mount Kunlun in the Land of Han.”

“Mount Kunlun…” For a moment, Meng Qi almost blurted out, “Are you kidding me?”

But soon, he pulled himself together, and frowned while thinking. “I thought it were overseas. Then where is Jade Virtual Palace?”

Suddenly, he sensed something wrong. “The Land of Han?”

“Is it the Spring and Autumn Period 500 years from the apotheosis? Where is ‘Han’?”

Qu Jiuniang did not detect Meng Qi’s suspicions but continued, “According to the official history of the world, after the apotheosis, descendants of the Shang dynasty were granted hereditary lands. But soon the central government broke down and four poles separated. Almost every piece of land fell apart. In less than 100 years, the feudal princes took power and fought each other. The royal orders were ineffective beyond the central government.”

“Or maybe there were too many feudal princes targeting at each other. It was all havoc and soon they emerged into one state. Many scholar-officials claimed the time a long night of the breakdown of the Li ritual system.”

“Where did the feudal princes come from?” Meng Qi wanted to check if he was familiar with them.

Qu Jiuniang could not help counting with her fingers. “They were from Han, Qin, Chu, Tang, Ming, Yan, Zhao, Lu, Wu, Song and others.”

“They were indeed different from what I knew…” Meng Qi’s eyes twitched. Maybe in the Numberless Immortals Formation, many feudal princes who were supposed to be granted, perished. Thus, it led to a different set of feudal princes and a different developing course.

“These feudal princes were descendants of immortals and deities; they could breathe smoke, and pose a strike flying by the wind. They bore various magical tricks, even divine weapons…” Qu Jiuniang deepened her serious tone and reminded Meng Qi. “You need to watch out. Many sect lineages and immortal descendants survive, and they like to make secret treasures after the apotheosis items. The power of the secret treasures is either formidable or weird. Nothing in our world can compare; you’ll get killed even by someone weaker with a secret treasure!”

“In the Immortals, there was a Lord Xuantan, who got into trouble with some sect and was killed by their secret treasure made after the Curse Notebook. The Primogenitor couldn’t even find the enemy to seek revenge.”

Meng Qi was stunned. “Isn’t the Lord Xuantan Zhao Gongming? He had the title and got killed by a replica of the Curse Notebook?”

“I can only say that this is his fate…”

Thinking that Meng Qi was stunned by the secret treasures, Qu Jiuniang continued, “Other than that, they have magical tricks that are hard to guard against. I once met an enemy who had just reached the Exterior. At first, I almost ripped him to pieces, but suddenly he snorted and spouted two white lights from his nose; my Vital Spirit was captured by him. I would’ve died a terrible death if I didn’t have other companions.”

“General Heng and Ha’s successor…” Meng Qi nodded thoughtfully.

After Qu Jiuniang’s introduction, Meng Qi had a general understanding of the Apotheosized World. Though the vassal states were slightly different in detail, it was in the same last years of the Spring and Autumn Period, when the Li ritual system fell apart, Saints withdrew, and schools of thought declined.

…

Leaving the Immortals, Meng Qi returned to the Immensity Sea and arrived at Bomi again.

At the moment, the red mist in Bomi thinned. Meng Qi expected that after a few more decades, the originless water would be completely dissipated. The hideous people hiding in would have to find another place.

Meng Qi did not have any sympathy for them. He found a secretive place outside Bomi, and took out the Divine Sun Stone, the Vast Earth Soil, and other exotic minerals and produce. He recollected Eight Nine Mysteries and the contents of the Exterior chapter of the “Heavenly Golden Scripture”, and then started to cultivate.

Flames of the Grand Sun True Fire rose up from the Divine Sun Stone burning brightly. Meng Qi sniffed a little, and they all went into his nose. Shrouded with the Eight Nine genuine Qi, they went through meridians into certain Aperture acupoints. They slowly combined with the Grand Sun illusionary imaginary of the inner and outer confluence to make it more real.

Soon, red lights flashed around Meng Qi; Flowing Fire swarmed into his nose and white steam went out of his nose. Mist and smoke floated around him as if a God appeard.

Below Four-fold Heaven of the Exterior, the focus of cultivating was to breathe in and out the heaven and earth Vital Qi corresponding to one’s Interior, and to concentrate Aperture acupoints to consolidation Dharma Forms.

As for Dharma Forms, they were created when the Interior, the Vital Spirit, the body, and the Force of Heaven and Earth were combined. It was formed when the sky and earth were stirred and when the Interior and Exterior Realm intersected. Representing one’s way and rooted in certain Aperture acupoints, they were based on the Interior, and their major parts were Vital Spirits.

Aperture acupoints, Interior, and Dharma Accesses vary with different skills and paths. For example, the Seven Luminaries Devil’s form was based on the Interior, and then divided all the Aperture acupoints into seven groups. Every group of Aperture acupoints was cultivated with one Dharma Access, and breathed the same Vital Qi.

After Heaven and earth Vital Qi concentrated Aperture acupoints, perfected the Interior, and combined with the illusory imagery, it slowly solidified. After passing over the first Celestial Ladder, the Dharma Form was close to the essence and could directly be displayed outside the body; this was one of the top tricks of the Exterior.

After that, one could cultivate the Dharma Form; grasp and approach the Dharma and Logos of the heaven and earth to let both combine and feed the body in turn. One would be considered a Peerless Master Pro when he had done this. Then, after the second Celestial Ladder, when the Dharma Form and Dharma and Logos initially blended, one would be considered a grandmaster. Finally, after the third Celestial Ladder, the Dharma Form was superimposed onto the body. One would be equipped with the Dharma and Logos and show great strength in his moves. He would have numerous amazing tricks, and people would address him as the Great Grandmaster.

The first three Heavens of the Exterior depended on the Aperture acupoints you had opened. He who opened more than half of the Aperture acupoints was at Two-fold Heaven. He who opened all the Aperture acupoints was at Three-fold Heaven. Finally, he who completely solidified the illusory imaginary could pass over the first step of the Celestial Ladder.

Originally, one could cultivate by breathing the corresponding Vital Qi of heaven and earth. However, after great changes, the lifespan shrank, and the Vital Qi became thinner. Thus, Martial Artists would use the alternative exotic minerals and produce instead of the Vital Qi to quicken the cultivation progress.

Especially for Meng Qi, who was a change holder, each of his Aperture acupoints contained a change—a “universe”. Thus, he needed to concentrate different Vital Qi of heaven and earth. Without the help of exotic minerals and produce, it would take milions of years to finish the cultivation.

Becuase he had risen through the ranks and had four heavenly ordeals, Meng Qi’s Interior was close to the Dharma and Logos of Heaven and Earth. The True Fire and Vital Qi went into his body and combined with the illusory imagery tightly. Without further concentration, the combination was really quick.

…

Soon, two months passed. A figure in light yellow appeared in the outskirt of Bomi.

As she was looking around, a voice rang up with laughter from the distance. “Miss, the space between your eyebrows is as white as jade. You don’t have bad karma and have only good luck, and some breakthrough.”

Jiang Zhiwei was surprised and laughed. She turned to Meng Qi who was in a sharp black dress. “You’ve seen that I’d broken through?”

“When did he become a fortuneteller?”

After Meng Qi started to cultivate the karma of the Heavenly Golden Scripture, the Fruits of Karma was more and more close to consummating; it had almost upgraded to the real shape. Therefore, he could “see” others’ bad or good karma. But, what he just said was not “seen” by the eyes.

He grinned. “I can count on fingers to augur.”

He smirked and resumed. “The time you have redeemed is almost one year long left, and you had hermetic training in March and a single task. Even if you can’t pass one Fold of Heaven every year like Uncle Su, you’ve at least concentrated half of the Aperture acupoints and stepped into the Two-fold Heaven. It’s easy to guess!”

Jiang Zhiwei smiled brightly and looked at Meng Qi up and down. “Let me guess too. Your face is glowing; it seems that you have gained much. You don’t seem to worry and don’t mention things about the Carefree Valley. Have you already finished it?”

Meng Qi coughed a little and let out a dry laugh. “It was all because of the Chance and a good timing. There’s one more thing we need to do, after we pass over the first step of the Celestial Ladder. By the way, I got one thing from Ze Luoju. It’s an opening token to the Plenitude Gate. Shall we have a visit?”

“OK.” Jiang Zhiwei smiled, without any hesitation or doubt.

The two of them drifted through the sandy wind and headed for the Fish Sea.

On the way, Meng Qi told her things about the Carefree Valley. But he did not explain how he got the entrustment of the Ice Fairy, and Jiang Zhiwei had the sense not to ask.

They flew fast and a few days later, they arrived at the “little River East”—the Fish Sea. They found the courtyard on Guangling Street.

“A mute Nine Apertured Master is guarding, Ze Luoju takes the yard seriously…” Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei hovered over the yard and blended into the darkness.

Jiang Zhiwei nodded and speculated. “The tomb of the Plenitude Immortal Venerable is said to be deep in the great snow mountain. It may have something to do with The Plenitude Gate.”

In Taoism, the Primogenitor was followed by the Immortal Venerable.

Meng Qi knew little about the Plenitude Immortal Venerable. Meng Qi poured out his spirit like water and combined with heaven and earth in the yard, in search of the vault.

Before long, he discovered the door of the secret chamber.

The two quietly flew into the wing room and stood in front of the secret chamber. They inserted An Guoxie’s key into the opposite suitcase.

After gently twisting it, the secret chamber slowly opened.

Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei walked in with caution and closed the door before stepping down the stairs.

Another stone door stood at the end of the stairs. This time, Meng Qi opened it with Ze Luoju’s key.

It was empty behind the door, nothing close to a vault at all. A single door stood in the center, carved with various patterns. It appeared weird with an ancient aura.

“The Plenitude Gate…” Meng Qi took out the token and stuck it on the door.

Expecting some kind of monster, Jiang Zhiwei had pulled out the Sword of the Sun-Penetrating Rainbow.

Green lights swarmed out of the token and wrapped up the “unistalled” door.

Meng Qi gently pushed the door open. Behind the door, the flames were burning, and lava were melting.

“This is the depth of a volcano!”

“The door led to another place!”

Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei looked at each other, and communicated spiritually. Finally, they slowly walked in.

Just as they entered, Meng Qi felt the heaven and earth Vital Qi go thin . “It was like entering another world!”

The door led to a stone wall on the edge of the volcano. The two were suspended in the air, covered in the Upstanding Qi and free from the heat and flames.

All of a sudden, Jiang Zhiwei got a little surprised. “There are traces of the Divine Sun Stone, but it has been poached.”

“Poached?” Ze Luoju’s Divine Sun Stone immediately crossed Meng Qi’s mind!

“Let’s take a look outside,” Meng Qi whispered and flew out of the volcano.

The sun was shining brightly outside and it was dotted with villages in the distance. A flying bird glided by the mountain. Its whole body was dark without any vitality.

“The bird automaton?” Jiang Zhiwei saw it too.