The Sage Who Transcended Samsara

In the sealed chamber of the Azure Palace.

The Primogenitor Lingbao rose to his feet and began pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back, chanting as he muttered to himself, “The signs of the Divine Five-colored Palm is unmistakably apparent. We of The Immortals are deeply embroiled in the Samsara, undoubtedly well-informed, and knowledgeable. Still, even if Master Tai Li hadn’t expected me to be the face behind the mask of the Primogenitor Lingbao, they would surely not discount the speculation hastily after the deliverance of Qu Jiuniang… They would surely have other countermeasures at hand… We don’t have any news on how many Monster Kings could be involved in this turmoil…”

He recited his thoughts aloud as he tried to unclutter his mind, yet it was as if he was asking Meng Qi for answers.

His pacing and incomprehensible mumblings continued while he pondered for a few moments until he suddenly halted. He turned to Meng Qi and said, “No matter what, Master Han Guang would never have expected you to have chanced upon the confined Kong Wen. He would never have surmised that his deception had been exposed. We can take advantage of this and be wary of any schemes he might have devised and outwit him in return.”

Hearing this, the Primogenitor broke out into a gentle laugh. “I would have been gravely injured and my identity exposed,” he said with great consolation, “if you had not stumbled upon so grave a discovery. The Immortals would have suffered a crippling devastation and we would not be here debating on the schemes of The Myths and the demons. You have been a great service to the guild and us all. I will allow you a skill of your choosing from the array of Dharmakaya techniques of the discipline of the Eight Nine Mystery once this is over.”

Why not now, Master Primogenitor… I would prefer to avoid any unwanted twists and changes… Meng Qi thought with gleeful delight. But the Primogenitor pressed on, “The first order of business shall be the salvation of Comrade Kong Wen in order to ascertain fact or fiction.”

Of course, the truth has to be ascertained before I can be rewarded… Hesitantly, Meng Qi spoke, “But Abbot Kong Wen who is presently trapped seemed to have reservations on you, Master Primogenitor. He wishes only for members of the Lanke Temple or Master Lu himself.”

Meng Qi’s words left the Primogenitor speechless who then broke into a laugh. “We have known each other for years,” he said. “It is no wonder that he might have suspected me of my ties with The Immortals, thus his understandable reservations. Especially with the affair of Master Han Guang. No matter. You will go to seek the help of Comrade Lu; with him involved, there shall hardly be any risks of allowing evil to break loose if the Kong Wen who is confined is actually an imposter in disguise.”

Both Kong Wen and Chong He who are esteemed masters in their own right hold the powers of Master Lu in great regards, it seems… Meng Qi wondered thoughtfully. “But Master Primogenitor,” asked Meng Qi with doubt, “Master Lu is not a Samsara traveler. How could he find the very Shard of Cosmic Glow that would lead us to Abbot Kong Wen?”

Warriors of the Dharmakaya were able to traverse into the dimensions of the pure lands with ease. To locate a specific Shard of Cosmic Glow in the vast passage of Time itself was nothing unlike seeking a needle from a haystack. Only travelers of the Samsara could form provisional teams and locate the Shard with the help of a Reincarnation Charm.

At this, the Primogenitor laughed in reply. “Rest assured that Comrade Lu has his own ways.”

He unsealed the chamber and stepped outside. Qu Jiuniang, the Bluecloud Progenitor had been guarding outside, to whom he spoke, “There have been changes. You will seek the deviant monks of the Merriment Temple on your own. I shall be behind you, watching you in case there are demons waiting.”

“Demons?” Qu Jiuniang froze at the epiphany of their involvement. Awashed with rage, she gritted her teeth with anger and shouted, “Tai Li!”

For years, the demon race had kept themselves hidden from the notice of others and Qu Jiuniang had not expected that they would mount such a sudden return into the fold. With the Primogenitor Lingbao’s hint and the apparent signs of the Divine Five-colored Palm, it was hardly hard for her to surmise the person behind her abduction.

Aside from her teeth-gnashing rage, she was renewed with vigor and hunger for more wealth and riches. She could relieve the deviant monks of their possessions to her heart’s content with the protection of the Master Primogenitor. No, wait, I am doing this for Justice, not for wealth! Qu Jiuniang corrected herself, albeit in vain.

Unlike some unscrupulous fellow, the Primogenitor had made no mention of the division of the loot! She thought to herself, thinking of a young fellow who shared a similar passion for wealth.

Despite her masked appearance, Meng Qi could virtually “see” the invigorated features of Qu Jiuniang. The edges of his lips curled in mild annoyance, Oh Master Yunhe, you should take a leave from the Master Primogenitor Lingbao’s book and learn from him the virtues of generosity and the bearing of a great master!

He watched wistfully at Qiu Jiuniang and the Primogenitor Lingbao leaving the Azure Palace. He thereafter returned to the Immortal-tracking Alley and displayed the items that he had retrieved from amongst the loot he had collected from the Blessing-endowed Heavenly Official and the Howling Lunar Hound. Leaving the items on the jade pillar, he also left a note stating the items which he would require for the trade of the items on display.

At the same time, after prior consideration, he had the Golden Stick, the Fortune Heavenly Blade, and the two Space Rings traded to the Dominator for Karma points amounting to six thousand two hundred.

He had kept the Purple Lightning Blade on purpose with the intention of substituting it for the Heaven Inflicted Pain if anything were to befall his trusty blade. The technique with which he could grow additional limbs allowed him to employ the palm techniques, the fist techniques, and the finger techniques of the Heavenly Golden Script. Still, the blade remained the core mastery of the martial disciplines that he had learned. There would surely come a day when all six of his arms would wield three sabers and three swords, using the disciplines of the Three Sabers, Three Swords, and the Three Souls that he had once envisioned!

Ever since Meng Qi gave up on pursuing the style of a carefree swordsman, he had envisioned himself instead in a poise of great intimidation.

The Blackwater Thunder and the White Lotus Seat of the Seventh Order were artifacts that might one day prove to be useful. The Bhaisajyaguru Relieve Pill was an extraordinarily potent healing elixir whereas the Pearl of the Fortune Purple Qi would help him in his cultivation of the element of Fortune and increase his luck. As a result, Meng Qi’s decision to refrain from exchanging the aforementioned items was quite brash. He had intentionally kept one of the Space Rings, deciding that his auxiliary team might have requirements for it and he could sell it to them for a lower price. The members of his company would not have an immediate need for any, since Ruan Yushu and Zhao Heng already had their own Space Rings. Jiang Zhiwei’s ascension to the levels of the Exterior Scenery would encourage the elders of her order to gift her with one whilst Qi Zhengyan’s present status as a valued disciple of the Huanhua Swords Sect would surely see him receiving one in no time with little to no cost.

Meng Qi pondered over his choices as he produced the Qinghua fruit, the magical herbs that he had retrieved from the loot from the Howling Lunar Hound, and the recipe of the Immortality Elixir of the East Pole and deposited them all into the central jade pillar.

He could have sought for the help of Pao-P’u-Tzu of The Immortals to help him in brewing the elixir. Still, the brewing of elixirs differed greatly from the forging of artifacts or items. The ingredients or leftovers of a botched forging process could still be recovered and be of use. On the other hand, the entire stock of ingredients would be completely wasted if the brewing of elixirs were to end up failing. Meng Qi would rather allow the Dominator to undertake the effort for the complete certainty of success despite it being a greater expense of his Karma points.

Five hundred Karma points were used for the rest of the ingredients that he had lacked, and an additional two thousand Karma points for the cost of the brewing. Meng Qi looked into the fumes rising from within the bowels of the central pillar as a soothing odor wafted from it and lingered around.

The glimmering radiance from the pillar began to subside, signaling the end of the brewing process. In the dispenser of the pillar sat three emerald-green elixirs with the size of a longan fruit. The elixirs shone with the luster of hidden divinity, colored in a rich, verdant shade of green. A mere sniff of its fragrance was sufficient to refresh Meng Qi from his weariness, renewing him with vitality and energy.

An elixir comparable to that of the Deities of the Heavens indeed… Meng Qi wondered with amazement. He spent another one thousand and two hundred Karma points to redeem an apothecary jade vase to store the elixirs and prevent them from losing their powers.

Close to four thousand Karma points had been expended for the brewing of the Immortality Elixir of the East Pole! The cost would have been a great deal higher if didn’t already have most of the ingredients at hand!

Elixirs that extended the vitality and longevity of mortals were not readily available for redeeming. Each brewing process would consume a brewing recipe of the intended elixir, hence the extraordinarily costly price for elixirs of such nature, thus also limiting the circulation of such elixirs in the Jianghu. If only he had a recipe of his own, he would be able to repeatedly use it for numerous brewings of the elixirs.

He felt nothing but great pity at the heavy cost that he had to pay for the three elixirs. Still, one does not reap benefits without proportionating stakes, no?

The Immortality Elixir of the East Pole extended the life of its user by sixty years, restoring even one who is at the brink of death to the fullest of his health. It was a highly coveted item, one of immeasurable value especially to elders of the Exterior Scenery or even the Dharmakaya who are close to death.

Meng Qi strongly believed that both The Immortals and The Myths would have been able to raise an army to amass greater wealth and resources if there were no stringent restrictions in the trading and exchanging of elixirs and pills of such nature.

Meng Qi gazed down at the jade vase in his hand. With a mild impulse to grit his teeth, he thought to himself,

I originally expected only one or two. To think that I now have three!

I would still have two more even if I retained one for future use!

This is my long-awaited opportunity to get rich!

The Immortality Elixir of the East Pole has potent healing effects. Meng Qi would retain one for use during his upcoming Death Task and the remaining two, a bounty which he had not expected, would be sold to others.

His former plans were to amass sufficient exotic minerals and resources for his training and meditation. The fortuitous bounty of an additional elixir would reward him even more!

Well, the rest of the members of The Immortals would have amassed enough elixirs or potions given their age and experience in the field. Younger members would rarely cherish elixirs of such nature, preferring more pills or draughts of medicinal and healing qualities. They would deign to offer high prices for such elixirs. Instead, elder warriors of the Exterior… Those who were not embroiled in the Samsara as travelers… Especially those in the twilight of their age. They might even be willing to part with a half of their fortune just for one of these… The wealth and riches that they own would amount to nothing when Death is at their door, hehe… Meng Qi thought gleefully to himself, nearly breaking into a malicious laughter…

Still, items of such rarity should not be vast in number for sale, lest their values plummeted. The profits of such trade would fall precipitously and would thus be a waste of his time and effort. Meng Qi would have to control the time of his production and sale of the elixirs.

How about a secret auction for the aged elders of various factions and the nobility? I shall call upon the Master Primogenitor to be present in order to make sure things proceed smoothly.

People normally attend auction sessions of others, but I’ll organize my own auction sessions!

His imaginations continued wandering as he left the Azure Palace, opting to reappear in the vicinity of the Moon Mirror Lagoon of Lulong. From there, Meng Qi traveled to the world-renowned Huamei Heights.

The Sect of the Huamei Heights was the most recent addition to the ranks of prominent martial sects in the lands. Founded by Master Lu himself, the sect has the smallest stores of top-leveled martial disciplines and teachings as well as Precious Weapons and artifacts amongst all other prominent and renowned sects and orders. Nonetheless, the sheer presence of Master Lu was a constant reminder to everyone that the Huamei Heights was not to be trifled with.

The stronghold of the Huamei Heights sat atop Mount Huamei, its very namesake. Still, there were also folk legends that the name of the sect came from the phrase, “the joy of the hwamei thrush”, the bird most commonly known as the Chinese Hwamei thrush. This might also explain the shape of the waist plates of the Sect of the Huamei Heights: the shape of the Chinese Hwamei Thrush.

Meng Qi arrived at the foot of the mountain and witnessed the unique and breathtaking view of the beautiful landscape before him. The verdant mountain scenery and the graceful flow of the river was a huge contrast to the cold and frigid sierras of the North, yet also similar to the paradise of Jiangdong.

At the entrance of the estate, several disciples of the order clad in yellow stood guard. From afar they saw and beheld the extraordinary bearing of the approaching Meng Qi. Humbled by his stature, they stepped forward reverently to bid him welcome and inquired as to the nature of his visit.

“My name is Su Meng. I have an arrangement with the Ice Fairy,” Meng Qi spoke with a friendly smile. “Please pass the message of my arrival.”

Long has Master Lu retreated into seclusion that he rarely received any guests. Meng Qi’s request to speak to him might instead be misunderstood as a gesture of hostility or impertinence. Yet it would also be unbecoming of him to trample past the watchers of the gate and barge in, hence his request for an audience with Ye Yuqi.

Still, Meng Qi had intentionally misrepresented the nature of his visit, telling the watchers of the gate that he was here on a pre-arranged meeting so that the disciples at the gate had no choice but to report to Ye Yuqi directly.

Su Meng? Su Meng of the Killing Blade?! Shock and awe swept through the watchers by the door who had the emblem of the Hwamei Thrush embroidered upon the sleeves of their robes.

He who had once reigned supreme atop the Ranking List of Young Masters?!

The Killing Blade who had once endured the Four Folds of Heaven’s Judgements?!

The very same who had wrought havoc in the Immensity Sea of Lake Baikal just after his recent breakthrough into the Exterior Scenery and had slain an experienced warrior, a foe who was of the Exterior Scenery?

Mouth-gaping amazement and incomprehensible shock rose amongst them. They could hardly believe that this was a young man who was once the same with the rest of them, a mere practitioner of martial disciplines who had merely begun unsealing his Apertures. Yet, here he stood before them; a full-fledged warrior of the Exterior Scenery who was leaps and bounds ahead of them!

The leader of the disciples watching the gate bowed his head with respect and spoke, “A moment please, Young Master Su. I shall pass along the message immediately.”

Meng Qi watched with amusement at the ripples of awe that struck the disciples before him into obedience and veneration – at the mere mention of his name – as they hastily rushed inside to report his arrival.

Meng Qi had barely felt the passing of time when Ye Yuqi flew through the air from the mountain above with a huge gale of frosty coldness. Barely landing before Meng Qi, she swept him off of his feet with her cold winds and together they flew to the top of the mountain, leaving the watchers of the gate ogling in daze and enthrallment.

“What happened?” Ye Yuqi asked gravely.

She misunderstood Meng Qi’s sudden appearance at the gates of her order that something bad befell The Immortals guild.

By means of telepathy, Meng Qi relayed to her his experiences.

Myriads of expressions conveying shock appeared on her face – a huge contrast to her consistently cool indifference. They took a turn and flew towards the rear of the mountain.

Behind the mountain was a small plateau of grassland, filled with exotic and beautiful flowers and blossoms, and perennial adornments accompanied a lone gravestone. Beside it was a simple hut erected of straw and hay.

There was Master Lu. In plain green robes, he was unrelenting in his toil, removing weeds and sowing the fertile soil around the gravestone. So deep was he in his work – engrossed with so great a focus – that he took no notice in their arrival. Nothing but peace and tranquility could be felt by his demeanor and the ambiance of everything around him.

Ye Yuqi strode over to him solemnly and told him of Meng Qi’s experiences.

Master Lu paused his drudgery when they walked towards him, as he rose to his feet and listened intently to Ye Yuqi’s report. With a serene indifference, he flicked his wrist and in his grasp, a sword appeared before he heaved a little sigh.

“Let us go to the Shaolin Temple then, Young Master Su.”

He wishes to interact with that very Shard of Cosmic Glow by seeking it out from the location that it corresponds to! It dawned upon Meng Qi suddenly.

……..

Far away in the barren wilderness of the West Regions, two monks collapsed to the ground. The Exterior Scenery warrior monks from the Merriment Temple could hardly believe that the alluring lady before them was in such a terrifying and murderous fit of rage.

“Hmph! How dare you look upon me! A lady! With such perverted stares! Serves you right!” With her anger and rage finally diminished, she began to ransack the corpses for loot. She then learned what she could from the souls of the dead monks before they truly departed, coercing the truth from them.

She sprang to her feet suddenly and whispered, “The center of the magical barrier of the Twelve Signs of Correlation is at the Fish Sea of Lake Bosten!”

The Fish Sea?! The Primogenitor Lingbao twisted his head backwards and looked into the distance!

……..

Vast gossamer wings of mists and rolling fog blanketed the waters of the Fish Sea of Lake Bosten. High above the captivating scenery of the landscape, several monks stood in mid-air, clad in robes of Tibetan Lamas.

They shared a glance and nodded to each other knowingly. In a deep voice, the leader of the band spoke,

“Let us begin.”