Chapter 225: Myriad Realms: A Person in Zhetian, Refining Treasures to Become Emperor Chapter 225 Meng Qi

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Protagonist:

Jiang Xuan

Jiang Xuan had not yet finished speaking when the Heavenly Lord of Morality cut him off. Jiang Xuan was stunned, thinking to himself: "What does this mean? Why does the Heavenly Lord act this way? What I spoke of is a method with hope of attaining Immortal Emperor status, so why was it rejected just like that?"

Strangely, Jiang Xuan clearly sensed a feeling of rejection and distance emanating from the Heavenly Lord of Morality at this moment.

He felt suspicious in his heart, so he calmed his mind and focused his spirit, carefully comprehending the true meaning of the Dao surrounding the Heavenly Lord of Morality. After a moment, a flash of realization crossed Jiang Xuan's eyes, and he actually caught four characters from those profound Dao meanings—"Do Not Disturb My Body."

Jiang Xuan's mouth twitched slightly, thinking to himself: "I must have misread it. The Heavenly Lord is a Transcendent Sage, how could he have such a vulgar thought?" But that Dao meaning was true and clear, making him unable to completely deny it.

"Since you want me not to approach, then so be it. It's just that I didn't expect the Heavenly Lord to express his meaning in such a way."

Jiang Xuan thought to himself, finding this matter quite strange. Suddenly, he had a flash of inspiration: "Wait, this 'Do Not Disturb My Body,' could it mean 'Do Not Approach Laozi'? This Heavenly Lord of Morality is honored as 'Laozi,' so thinking about it this way, it actually makes sense."

The Heavenly Lord of Morality remained silent, merely nodding slightly.

Seeing this, Jiang Xuan knew it was time to take his leave. He respectfully cupped his hands in a salute, then turned and left. On this return trip, since he had already seen the Heavenly Lord of Morality and knew the path, he no longer needed Golden Horn to lead the way; the road out of Taishang Laojun Palace was already familiar to him.

Golden Horn and Silver Horn looked at each other, both seeing full confusion in the other's eyes. Both were completely at a loss, entirely unaware of what had just happened.

"Master, who is that person?"

Golden Horn showed a look of doubt and asked in a low voice. Since first seeing that person, he had vaguely felt a strange, indescribable aura emanating from the other's body, but no matter how hard he racked his brains, he could not clearly determine where the strangeness lay.

Until just now, when Jiang Xuan gazed at the Eight Trigrams Furnace and immersed himself in the state of Tao Enlightenment, his aura unintentionally leaked out, and only then did Golden Horn suddenly realize as if awakened by an elixir. It turned out to be a cultivation system he had never seen before! And that person also carried the aura of the Eight Trigrams Furnace.

However, the confusion in Golden Horn's heart did not dissipate. He thought to himself, truly unable to understand why, when that person wanted to present the cultivation method to Master, Master had refused so decisively.

The Heavenly Lord of Morality slowly shook his head, his expression calm, and did not explain further to Golden Horn and Silver Horn. Seeing this, Golden Horn and Silver Horn immediately understood. They knew well that this was Master's usual style, meaning this matter was absolutely not something they could pry into or know.

This was a unique "skill" honed by Golden Horn and Silver Horn through countless eons—being able to precisely gauge Master's intentions from his subtle movements and changes in expression.

"A person from another world bringing a foreign system; under these circumstances, it is truly difficult to accept..." The Heavenly Lord of Morality thought to himself, recalling the first few eons when he had accepted all comers, but now things were no longer the same.

The Heavenly Lord of Morality's gaze fell upon the Eight Trigrams Furnace, and then he lightly raised a finger and pointed. A chilling divine light suddenly burst from his fingertip. This divine light was like an invincible sharp blade, rushing straight into the endless Void, advancing with irresistible force, penetrating layer after layer of Time barriers, as well as countless world membranes, Crystal Walls, and other obstacles, finally reaching a lifeless, dying multiverse on the brink of Destruction.

Under the shine of the divine light, the originally motionless multiverse suddenly trembled violently. Next, an illusory and ethereal River of Time slowly emerged, its waters rippling, flashing with a strange and wondrous beauty.

With the shimmering and undulating light, the Time of this universe seemed to begin flowing backward, and scenes from the past came one after another.

Gods traveled between universes, with power enough to break cosmic barriers and roam freely in the multiverse; also, variously shaped spaceships flew into Time Passages, relying on advanced technology to traverse Time and Space, exploring wantonly among universes. They mercilessly destroyed star after star, shattered star system after star system, madly gathering all kinds of resources, just to develop their own mother civilization.

Countless civilizations appeared one by one: some focused on body cultivation, relying on powerful physiques to compete for supremacy with Tian Di, even able to shatter the Void; some systems were relatively weak, only able to shrink on a single planet, ultimately unable to escape the calamity of natural disasters; and there were races like robots, disciplined and highly unified, fighting in the Star Sea with steel bodies, constantly breaking through Dimensional Pool limits...

Finally, the torrent of time surged backward, the prosperity of civilizations peeled away, gradually returning to the primitive, until all was silent, and in the Chaos only embryos of innate gods remained, gestating and lying dormant in the darkness, waiting for the dawn.

In an instant, the light of the River of Time shimmered, the entire multiverse collapsed with a boom, returning to the primordial point of the Hongmeng Era's initial opening. Pure primordial meaning surged mightily, like the first thunderclap of the initial opening of Chaos, shaking endless Time.

In a flash, this primordial point bearing the birth and death of the universe was mercilessly devoured by the divine light, sinking into the Eight Trigrams Furnace, becoming an imperceptible embellishment in Alchemy. Compared to various rare spirit materials, it was truly too small, small enough to be almost ignored.

Golden Horn and Silver Horn stood by, their expressions calm as water, without a ripple. In their eyes, Master using a multiverse as material for Alchemy was just a common occurrence like the rising sun and setting moon—what was there to be astonished about?

Such methods were worthy of Master's transcendent bearing and supreme dignity.

The Heavenly Lord of Morality sat cross-legged between Tian Di, as if merged with the ancient silence of the initial opening of Chaos.

Suddenly, a faint sigh seemed to echo between Tian Di. This sigh seemed to come from the Hongmeng Era's initial opening of the universe, passing through endless Time and Dimensional Pools, yet vanishing into nothingness in an instant, as if it were merely an illusory illusion.

The Heavenly Lord of Morality slowly opened his eyes—what eyes they were!

Containing the birth, death, and reincarnation of the Myriad Realms, endless stars were born and annihilated; the arising and ceasing of all worlds were enacted within them. Every flash of his gaze seemed like the birth and end of a universe.

Jiang Xuan had not perceived back then: since the Heavenly Lord of Morality had agreed to meet, why did he face him with his back, his eyes half-closed?

"There will be a more suitable choice..."

The Dao sound was like a great bell ringing, shaking Tian Di, piercing through endless vast Time and Space, rushing toward the past and future, precisely falling into the ears of the other two, and heard only by these two. This voice was guided by a mysterious power, avoiding the perception of all things in the World.

This secret exchange left not a stroke of ink in the River of History; the wind and sand of Years could not erode it by a bit, and future variables could not capture its trace.

Jiang Xuan was completely unaware of the secret exchange in Taishang Laojun Palace. He walked out of Taishang Laojun Palace with light steps, looked up, and saw white clouds drifting leisurely, spirit springs clear to the bottom, pools of clear water flashing with a lively luster under the sunlight, and also strange flowers and herbs never seen before, some charming and dripping, some ancient and mysterious, emitting an alluring fragrance.

This scene made Jiang Xuan's mood especially comfortable and delighted.

Before coming this time, what he feared most in his heart was this Heavenly Lord of Morality, standing at the Peak of the Myriad Realms, the only Other Shore Powerhouse in existence.

Now, he had successfully walked out of Taishang Laojun Palace unharmed—what did this mean?

This undoubtedly symbolized that he had crossed that dangerous chasm, successfully "held the certificate," and rid himself of previous predicaments and crises!

Although the Hongmeng Treasure Mirror could protect his memories from being easily erased, he could not be sure whether the Treasure Mirror had enough power to ensure his existence would not be keenly perceived by an Other Shore Powerhouse. After all, in the eyes of the Heavenly Lord of Morality, the entire Myriad Realms—whether past Years, present moments, or future endless possibilities—were as clear as the patterns in his palm. Now a strange existence had suddenly appeared; it would naturally be difficult to escape the Heavenly Lord of Morality's perception that saw through everything.

Finally, Jiang Xuan chose to go all out. He secretly calculated in his heart that he was betting that the Heavenly Lord of Morality's Alchemy Furnace had not reserved a place for him!

Even if the bet failed, he was not without a retreat, after all the Hongmeng Treasure Mirror had miraculous power; since it could send him here, it could naturally escort him safely back to the origin.

And finally, fate favored Jiang Xuan—he had bet correctly!

"This trip has been quite rewarding."

Thinking of the profound truths he had comprehended from the Eight Trigrams Furnace, Jiang Xuan's mouth corners unconsciously curled up, his heart full of joy.

However, what surprised Jiang Xuan the most was the Heavenly Lord of Morality's "theory of non-action" regarding his words.

Simply put, wasn't it telling Jiang Xuan that he could do as he pleased, and the Heavenly Lord would not interfere, even silently supporting him from behind?

Why did the Heavenly Lord of Morality express this? Because among countless futures, only because of Jiang Xuan's actions would they not cause any harm to Meng Qi, their target for deceleration and emptiness, but would instead benefit Meng Qi greatly! And the Heavenly Lord of Morality, even the Three Pure Ones lineage, would all gain benefits from it!

Therefore, every move Jiang Xuan made could be regarded as an act of following Heavenly Will and following the Great Dao! And this "Heaven" and "Dao," at this time and place, were they not the supreme will represented by the Heavenly Lord of Morality?

Of course, if Jiang Xuan acted confusedly for a moment and made an unwise choice, then the Heavenly Lord of Morality would certainly let him know what the true state of "non-action" was, making him return from the wrong path.

Jiang Xuan left the place where Taishang Laojun Palace was located, his expression calm and composed, no longer hiding and concealing himself with divine light.

When a person knows he has powerful support behind him, even his breathing seems to carry a bit of heroism and uninhibitedness!

"Speaking of which, it's strange. In the past, I was always the one sheltering others from wind and rain, acting as a backer. Now someone is willing to hold up a piece of sky for me—this feeling is truly exhilarating!" Jiang Xuan thought to himself.

This place bore his most crucial goal for descending into this world!

However, Jiang Xuan did not perceive that the moment he stepped out of Taishang Laojun Palace, the historical trajectory of the entire Myriad Realms had quietly changed. The mark engraved in the River of Time, the place where he first appeared, was no longer Shaolin, but Taishang Laojun Palace!

"However, when exactly will I become strong enough to be my own most solid support……"

Having spoken, Jiang Xuan stepped out, his silhouette instantly crossing myriad distances, and had already arrived at the True Realm.

……

Meng Qi had previously been vexed that he could not find an opportunity to leave the Zonggongyuan; he never expected to suddenly be told that tomorrow he could go report to the Wusengyuan. This surprise was like a pie falling from the sky, striking him dizzy and disoriented. Astonishment in his heart far outweighed joy, and for a while he was actually stunned, not knowing how to respond.

Xuan Chi was not surprised by Meng Qi's reaction, and said: "Zhenwu Sect's Zhang Yuanshan and Jianxi Pavilion's Jiang Zhiwei both praised you to the Zhuke Senior Brother, saying you understand etiquette, know when to advance or retreat, speak elegantly, and are good at self-restraint. It is rare for people of other sects to praise our Shaolin's Zonggong monks so highly, so it was decided to let you enter the Wusengyuan to cultivate martial arts, and in the future serve as a guest monk."

As a guest monk of a great martial sect, one naturally must have a certain level of martial skill, so as not to lose face.

After Meng Qi understood how matters stood, he said: "This disciple merely did his best to restrain himself."

While secretly grateful for Zhang Yuanshan and Jiang Zhiwei's help, he also displayed the joy in his inner heart without reservation.

"As a guest monk, one must restrain oneself, and not fly into a rage at will."

"In conducting affairs one must be decisive, yet not let the sect suffer disgrace; this is of utmost importance."

Xuan Chi replied to Meng Qi casually, then turned and left.

His stride was bold and heroic, his bearing imposing; he did not look like a monk, but rather like a great hero who had roamed the jianghu for many years.

Xuan Ku gazed deeply at Meng Qi and said calmly: "After entering the Wusengyuan, scheming is of no use. Only by comprehending Chan principles, achieving a peaceful state of mind — neither arrogant nor impatient — and cultivating diligently, is the true way. In this aspect, Zhen Hui is stronger than you."

Meng Qi heard the implication in his words; this was suspicion that he had relied on currying favor with guests like Zhang Yuanshan and Jiang Zhiwei to escape his Zonggong identity — in the end, his thoughts were too heavy.

"Without having seen with one's own eyes and heard with one's own ears, how can one arbitrarily determine the existence or non-existence of a matter? Shishu Xuan Ku, once an obsession arises, it is like falling into an endless hell."

Meng Qi has never been one to willingly suffer grievance; as long as there are no other concerns, he will certainly argue based on reason.

He originally wanted to quote Buddhist scriptures in reply, but during this half year he has still been learning Sanskrit and reciting morning mantras, and has not yet studied the sutras, so at present he could only use the most familiar method to refute.

Finally, Meng Qi solemnly pressed his palms together and chanted: "Namo Amitabha."

"You!" Xuan Ku's eyes widened; clearly he had not expected Meng Qi to refute him, and moreover Meng Qi's words were well-founded, leaving him momentarily unable to respond.

"If one lacks a Chan heart and only covets verbal victory, one will certainly be expelled from Shaolin in the future." Xuan Ku coldly tossed down this sentence and turned to leave. If not for your glib tongue, exhausting your wits to curry favor with the guests of the major sects, how would they speak up for a mere minor Zonggong monk? Where in this world are there causeless matters?

Alas, Shishu Xuan Ku is upright and impartial; in the future I fear he may stray into the demonic path…… Meng Qi secretly took a bit of verbal advantage, while Xuan Ku moved swiftly and had already vanished from the Square.

At this time, Zhen Hui tightly gripped his broom, looking at Meng Qi with a puzzled face and asked: "Senior Brother, are we going to the Wusengyuan?"

"Of course, you're only reacting now?"

Zhen Hui was about to answer, when suddenly he said: "Shi…… Senior Brother, that person in the sky has appeared again, he…… he's coming down!" (Chapter End)