The moon hung in the west with Venus on the other side. The morning’s silhouette appeared halfway up the hill.

This was the second time Meng Qi met with Ananda face to face. But last time at the fight of Spirited Mountain, he saw Devil Buddha Ananda who wore golden dark cassock with one bare shoulder. And now he was faced with Ananda from the beginning, one of the most outstanding disciples of Gautama Buddha and the God of Thunder in the past.

What a shame, even this could not be counted as face to face as it was only a stamp. However, if Gautama Buddha did not suppress it, he still could only see virtual shadow from the past. The shadow might turn to Devil Buddha anytime and Meng Qi might not be able to see pure Ananda anymore. Even if he went back to the past or future, it would still stay the same.

For big shots in the Nirvana Realm, existence already surpassed the real world, and half-surpassed the river of time. To kill them at their weak time was only a dream. If one could not defeat them now, it would stay the same even if the time went back to the past.

Of course it was not certain if going back to the past would definitely have no influence on Nirvana Realm individuals. As different Nirvana Realm individuals would go back to different layers. Beginners could only go back to the first round of Samsara, but the eldest Nirvana Realm individuals like Heavenly Lord Yuanshi could go back to the beginning of everything. If the multiverse was born just now, Heavenly Lord Yuanshi would choose to go back to the crack of doom, so that other Nirvana Realm individuals would not even have the chance to live in this world. Lord Ling Bao intended to do the same but unfortunately the eldest Nirvana Realm individuals were not only him.

In other words, Nirvana Realm individuals became more powerful when becoming older.

But they did share the same weak points. So many possibilities in the future and countless branches, Nirvana Realm individuals could not occupy all and therefore leave chances for their enemies. The enemy would not agree that easily and therefore nothing could be fixed that easily without strategies and skills.

The Demonic Sage failed once at Spirited Mountain because of it. Since Devil Buddha did not try to change the process of the Battle of Spirited Mountain, one could assume that most people on site were Nirvana Realm individuals.

Only a Nirvana Realm individual can limit another Nirvana Realm individual.

For an average man, a Nirvana Realm individual to some degree already went against logic and they dared not to dream of battling with another Nirvana Realm individual. Even if some Nirvana Realm individuals became weak, or went asleep, etc. and they won a round, after the Nirvana Realm individual recovered and went back to the past to change history, they would not even have the memory of winning but only lose it.

Therefore, every time when Meng Qi thought about Devil Buddha, Ajati Matriarch Golden Emperor, he felt that there was still a long way to go.

The monk in the grey robe stepped on stairs with difficulties and finally arrived at the Mountainside Pavilion. He soon found out other people’s presence and looked at the Sage of Arithmetic, Meng Qi, and Bi Jingxuan with tired but clear eyes.

Meng Qi stared back and had a complex feeling.

Ananda looked away and then stared at the Sage of Arithmetic. He nodded slightly without any expressions. He seemed to feel nothing about Meng Qi and was going to pass the Mountainside Pavilion and climb up all the way to the mountaintop.

This was definitely only a stamp. He could only react according to the process in the past. He did not feel anything connection between me and himself… Meng Qi sighed quietly.

The Sage of Arithmetic stood up and arranged his robe and grey hair. He smiled and walked out of the Mountainside Pavilion and stopped in front of Ananda. He made a polite gesture and asked, “Master, I do not know what proper name I should call you. But I need to ask you a question about a place.”

Ananda kept his sad look and put his palms together. Then he said, “I have no identity or name. Please feel free to call me anything you like.”

“Which place do you want to ask?”

Meng Qi and Bi Jingxuan followed the Sage of Arithmetic and heard him say, “I want to ask the right path towards the remains of the Heavenly Court.”

Ananda was stunned for a short while. Meng Qi was a bit surprised, too. What a sharp question. He acted like he already knew that Ananda knew the path. If he was Ananda, he would hit him so hard just like hitting Grand Wang Trickster before. But It seemed that the Sage of Arithmetic was a Wang Family member, only he had a different style and manner.

It was not easy for the Sage of Arithmetic to be able to survive until now but was he going to learn a lesson and act more smartly?

Ananda closed his eyes and held his beads. He said, “Follow me.”

He said it in a plain tone as if he did not care about it at all in a standard Arhat Buddha manner.

The evil thoughts hadn’t taken control of him yet… Meng Qi pondered. Suddenly he noticed that the beads in Ananda’s hand were different from other black or brown beads. It only had five beads in the color of yellow, water color, purple, mixed black and white, and plain color. It was a very high rank beads consisted of Meritorious Virtues, Holy Virtue, Happiness Virtue, Virtue, and Yin Virtue.

A Heavenly Weapon made according to the Demonic Sage’s Five Virtues. Could it be the love token? Meng Qi suddenly remembered something and felt scalp numb.

Right now Ananda should have The Seal of Samsara!

The seal of Samsara was not suppressed. Devil Buddha could use it to make the Six Dao of Samsara!

Don’t excite The Seal of Samsara. It might issue an attack at any time… Meng Qi was relieved that The Seal of Samsara was an old Heavenly Weapon and needed a long time to sleep to resist the time river’s wash. Otherwise he might already be captured.

If The Seal of Samsara wakes up at all costs, the Invincible Blade might very well help. After all, nobody knows if its Devil Buddha’s imprints disappeared or not.

And so many big shots and powerful men in this world are not very willing to see Devil Buddha end up happily ever after. They will help if The Seal of Samsara tries to trap me.

Others can attack me at any time but not Devils or Buddhas!

Ananda put the Oath-breaking Blade at his waist and strode along the path without speaking another word. The Sage of Arithmetic, Meng Qi, and Bi Jingxuan followed him closely.

Meng Qi found that the path that Ananda led was quite interesting seemly corresponding to some tactical formation.

Could it be the route to activate the remains of the Heavenly Court by force? Meng Qi was confused and he heard a soft voice sent by Bi Jingxuan, “Mr. Su, Do you know this monk. I feel that he’s not a normal man at all.”

As she chatted with Meng Qi while they were waiting and she knew that Meng Qi and Mister Luda came from the real world, a core area which had been isolated from the Seven Seas and Twenty-Eight Worlds for a long time. Therefore he knew a lot about history and important figures.

Ha, you asked the right man. Even the Sage of Arithmetic does not know Ananda… Meng Qi replied, “He is Ananda, one of the ten disciples of Gautama Buddha. He is using a Samsara Formation to get away from the sea of sufferings.”

“Ananda? He did not fall down during the Great Battle of Spirited Mountain?” Bi Jingxuan apparently knew about Spirited Mountain and that few Buddha escaped from the massacre.

But she did not know the key fact that Ananda was the head of the villains! Meng Qi said after a short while of thinking, “Yes. The Great Battle of Spirited Mountain. Manjushri and Maha Kasyapa did not even get away and all fell over. Only Ananda and few others left safely. Miss Bi, do you know anything about the battle?”

Did the Three Heavenly Goddesses write any records about it?

Bi Jingxuan replied, “My ancestors did not know much about the battle. She only said that it is one of the battles for reaching the essence of Taoism. They also said that among the Three Pristines, Heavenly Lord Yuanshi opened the time origin by force and cut down the time river of the real world and other universes to take this period of history out and transform it into another real world. That’s why this history is forgotten and only legendary and mighty people have impressions. The details about the battle can only be found in that world.”

Meng Qi was stunned as if he heard thunder coming amid the silence. What she said, is it related with the origin of the World of Gods?

Heavenly Lord Yuanshi could even open the origin of time by force, cut off the time river and draw a period of history out?

This was completely insane. Heavenly Lord Yuanshi already reached this level, the so-called rudiment of Fruit of Dao?

Remaining shocked, Meng Qi, Bi Jingxuan, and the Sage of Arithmetic followed Ananda and arrived at the top of Jade Emperor Mountain.

Meng Qi suddenly felt a bit guilty for Bi Jingxuan being so innocent and open to tell him everything she knew. He then added, “You know how cruel the battle was at Spirited Mountain, those who left safely are not the kind ones. Some mighty people even doubted that some of those survivors are the troublemakers. Don’t trust Ananda that easily.”

“Thank you,” Bi Jingxuan turned around and looked at Meng Qi with honest eyes and voice.

Meng Qi blushed with shame. He got used to scheming against each other and telling lies. Therefore he was ashamed by how honest and pure Bi Jingxuan was.

“Namo Amitabha,” Ananda said the moniker in a low voice and strode out into the clouds. Step by step, clouds were parted and a staircase appeared in mid-air.

They walked on the stairs and felt themselves surrounded by waves and water. Collapsed cabins appeared everywhere.

This was a wreckage that nothing remained complete at all. But it seemed that time never washed over here and their Divine Senses were limited as well.

After walking a few steps and passing through remains of a few hills, everything cleared up suddenly and a huge gate of a palace stood in the center, which seemed to be surrounded by rivers in an imposing manner. It seemed as if the Celestial Ruler used to stand here and fought with some powerful Nirvana Realm individuals.

And a man sat down by the gate in a loose robe with time wrapping around him. He had a beautiful face and magic charm.

Devil Master Han Guang!

Meng Qi felt a sudden jolt and his eyes shrank.

He did come to Jade Emperor Mountain!

…

At Xuanyang, fake Meng Qi in a green robe wandered with joy in the street with both hands folded on his back.

After going back to the past, he got rid of Yuan Hong’s control. Though most of his thoughts were those that set up in his mind from the very beginning, he’s now self-conscious and was not the incarnation of White Hair any more.

He thought joyfully, “I need to grab this chance to kill that Su Meng and then find a safe way to return. Then I’ll carry his karma and transform to real him. Then I will not be controlled by Yuan Hong forever.”