I Shall Seal The Heavens

by Srtyi

What I want, the Heavens shall not lack! What I don’t want, had better not exist in the Heavens!” This is a story which originates between the Eighth and Ninth Mountains, the world in which the strong prey upon the weak. “My Name is Meng Hao! The Ninth Generation Demon Sealer, I shall seal the Heavens! “

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Chapter 31: Fight!

"Final match of the training," said Grand Elder Ouyang, looking encouragingly at Meng Hao. "Meng Hao and Wang Tengfei. The victor shall be promoted to the Inner Sect."

Everyone stared at Meng Hao as he leapt up onto the platform. Wang Tengfei opened his eyes and casually stepped up. Conversations erupted amongst the Outer Sect disciples.

"Meng Hao really dares to step onto the platform. His Cultivation base is pretty good, and he did kill Han Zong, but this is Elder Brother Wang he's fighting. He really doesn't know his own limitations."

"There will always be stumbling blocks on the path to power. This is just a little pebble that Elder Brother Wang has to walk over on his rise to the top."

"I remember when he snatched a magical item that Elder Brother Wang had given someone as a gift. When Elder Brother Wang took it back, he was like an ant in front of him." Conversations filled the air, filled with ridicule. It wasn't that everyone felt great enmity towards Meng Hao, but rather, in their hearts, Elder Brother Wang was someone you just didn't mess with.

"If he dies under Wang Tengfei's hand, it won't be easy to get his bag of holding," thought Shangguan Xiu, frowning. He looked at Meng Hao.

Even as everyone in the crowd sneered at Meng Hao, once again putting him at odds against the world, suddenly, a shrill, clear voice suddenly rang out.

"Go Meng Hao! You're gonna win! The next Inner Sect disciple will definitely be Meng Hao!" It was Fatty, shouting out from down in the square in his cracking, teenage voice.

The jumble of voices reached Meng Hao, but they seemed very far away. He stood there calmly, staring coldly at Wang Tengfei. Meng Hao knew that from the moment he had entered the world of Cultivation until now, he had never faced a more powerful opponent. This would be his most difficult battle yet.

But he wouldn't shrink back. He would fight. He would attack. There are some things in life that a man must do, because of dignity.

The scene from that day continued to play out in his head, and he absentmindedly rubbed his bag of holding.

Inside were the ten blood-stained fingernails he'd plucked out of his palms.

Wang Tengfei stood there calmly, giving a cool look to Meng Hao. His eyes were placid, as if he were looking down at an insect. He looked just like he did that year.

He waved his right hand as if he were flicking away a bug, and in front of him a spinning whirlwind appeared, about as tall as a person. It whirled towards Meng Hao.

Meng Hao's eyes gleamed. He had nothing to say to Wang Tengfei. Everything he wanted to say could be said with swords, magic, and this most fierce battle in all his 18 years of life.

He stepped forward, lifting his right hand and sending a Wind Blade screaming toward the whirlwind. It radiated a savage wind as it flew forward.

Fight!

He slapped his bag of holding, and twenty flying swords flew out in a line. Some seemed to be bent, unable to fly straight, but their sword auras glittered blindingly. He lifted a finger on his right hand and pointed. The twenty flying swords became a rainbow as they shot with immense power directly toward Wang Tengfei.

Fight!

The dazzling sword auras were like rain, and as their combined power shot toward Wang Tengfei, the whirlwind slammed into them. An explosion reverberated through the air as the whirlwind was torn open. The flying swords, now directionless, were suddenly sucked up into the whirlwind. From a distance, it looked as if the whirlwind had transformed into a vortex of swords. But the whirlwind was growing weaker, and looked as if it would fall apart at any moment.

Wang Tengfei's expression didn't change in the least. He walked forward, and the power of his Cultivation base, at the peak of the sixth level of Qi Condensation, burst forth, forming into an unprecedented spiritual pressure. The fingers of his right hand moved in incantation patterns, and a thin, sparkling strand of water shot toward Meng Hao.

This was not a technique of the Reliance Sect, but rather Wang Tengfei's clan.

Seeing this, Meng Hao unhesitatingly popped a Demonic Core into his mouth. With his left hand, he called back the flying swords from within the vortex. They flew back to him unsteadily. With his right hand, he formed movements with his fingers to summon a Flame Python, a dozen or more meters long. It charged toward the Water Thread, roaring so loud that it seemed as if a tempest had struck.

"Water-Wind, slay!" said Wang Tengfei. Although he didn't look scornful, his calm expression was the same as it had been that day when he almost crippled Meng Hao's Cultivation base, confident and filled with disregard.

As soon as the words left his mouth, the glittered Water Thread melded with the whirlwind to form a massive, rapidly spinning column which then dropped down toward Meng Hao.

The twenty flying swords spun to block the descending column, and a boom rang out as the swords scattered. Some of them even broke to pieces. Meng Hao had already retreated to the edge of the platform. In front of him remained a large stain of water as wide as a hand and approximately nine meters long, frightening in appearance.

A line of blood appeared on Meng Hao's forehead. It slowly oozed down his nose, giving him an even more savage appearance.

Twenty flying swords had been able to shake Han Zong, but this was Wang Tengfei, and he hadn't even used any magical items yet, merely some techniques that Meng Hao had never seen before. Thankfully, Meng Hao had been able to evade death. Were his Cultivation base at the fifth level of Qi Condensation, he would not have been able to dodge.

"Wang Tengfei has powerful latent talent," thought Shangguan Xiu, "and has a lot of experience using the powers and abilities of Qi Condensation. Even someone of the seventh level would have a tough time with him. Meng Hao is definitely going to die." His frown deepened as he looked at Meng Hao, and his eyes shone with murder. However, he still didn't know how he would retrieve Meng Hao's bag of holding after he died.

Wang Tengfei seemed as calm as ever when Meng Hao evaded his attack. It was as his attack had been a mere afterthought. If an elephant wants to crush an ant, and its first step misses, the second will not. He gave a beautiful, indifferent smile then took another step forward, raising his right hand and waving a finger toward Meng Hao.

As soon as he waved his finger, Meng Hao heard a buzz from the surrounding audience. It reminded him of that day when he had stood against the world. Wang Tengfei had used one finger attack to bind him, one to destroy his jade pendant, one to take away the gourd bottle, and one to attempt to cripple his Cultivation base.

A powerful fighting spirit shone in Meng Hao's eyes. He had been humiliated by Wang Tengfei's finger attack, but he was a different person today. Even though he hadn't made up his mind to register for the Inner Sect training, but had rather been forced to sign up by circumstances, he had been prepared to do so for some time. In the past month, most of his time had been spent learning how to sacrifice a bit of dexterity to be able to control large amounts of flying swords.

As Wang Tengfei's finger descended, Meng Hao slapped his bag of holding, consumed a Demonic Core, and then began moving his fingers in incantation patterns. Suddenly, the ten or so remaining flying swords began to tremble, then suddenly lifted off the ground and flew back toward him from all directions.

They rotated around his body, and he lowered his hands, then pointed toward Wang Tengfei. The flying swords shot out with shocking speed, screaming toward Wang Tengfei.

At the same time, more flying swords appeared from within his bag of holding, until his limit was reached. There seemed to be enough to break down a city wall. With frightening power, they filled the sky, flying toward Wang Tengfei's finger attack.

BOOM!

An explosion rattled the entire Outer Sect as twenty flying swords collided with the invisible power emanating from Wang Tengfei's index finger. Amidst the explosion, the twenty flying swords twisted about, some of them shattering into pieces. They had successfully blocked the finger attack.

Blood seeped out of Meng Hao's mouth and veins of blood filled his eyes. He consumed another Demonic Core. His killing intent flared, but he still hadn't spoken a single word. That was just his personality; the more he wanted to kill someone, the more furious he became, the quieter he would be.

Wang Tengfei looked as placid as ever, as if he didn't give a care in the world that Meng Hao stood in front of him. Only he could be filled with such arrogance and disregard.

Taking another step forward, he made his second finger attack.

This was the attack that had shattered Meng Hao's jade pendant. Meng Hao didn't bother to spit the blood out of his mouth. He swallowed it. Fingers flickering with incantations, he sent the remaining scattered flying swords shooting toward Wang Tengfei in another attack. Then, surprisingly, he severed his control link to the swords, letting them fly forward with their own inertia.

He slapped his bag of holding, and suddenly more sword auras appeared, another twenty, forming a second wave that whistled forward. This was a sword rain that contained nearly forty flying swords in total!

Meng Hao knew that this tactic had its weaknesses. The flying swords wouldn't be dexterous, only fast and sharp. His opponent wouldn't find it difficult to avoid an attack. But Meng Hao was betting that considering his opponent's vast arrogance, he would most likely not try to dodge.

Even if he did try to dodge, Meng Hao would be ready. He had naturally considered this possibility, and was prepared for it.

The scene that was unfolding could only be described as an epic battle. For Cultivators practicing Qi Condensation, it was something seldom seen. In the entire State of Zhao in the past several hundred years, there had never been such a battle between two people of the sixth level of Qi Condensation!

Meng Hao had plenty of flying swords. After his experience on the black mountain, he had put a lot of thought into his use of battle magic. With the help of the Wind Blade, he could control large amounts of flying swords. However, it took a lot of spiritual power, and he could only summon twenty each time. Furthermore, his Cultivation base only permitted him to exercise basic control, enough to shoot them forward. He couldn't move them nimbly in the air, or cause them to change directions. He essentially sacrificed the dexterity of the flying sword and focused on its ability to fly.

As such, he could use even larger groups of them, the same way an ordinary person might just throw objects in succession. Except, he wasn't using his hands, he was using spiritual power to ensure their forward movement. As long as he had enough swords and his spiritual power didn't run out, he could pay the price.

Wang Tengfei didn't use Reliance Sect techniques, because he disdained the Reliance Sect and their techniques. He used techniques of his powerful Clan, enabling him to gain an edge on his peers.

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Chapter 32: This Finger Brought me Humiliation, Today, I Cripple it!

Meng Hao's flying swords and Wang Tengfei's special magic techniques left the surrounding Cultivators awestruck. No longer did they look down on Meng Hao, but rather were stunned by his vast array of magical items.

It wasn't just them. Shangguan Xiu, Grand Elder Ouyang, and even Sect Leader He Luohua stared in amazement.

Wang Tengfei was strong, able to inspire fear into his Cultivator peers. Everyone knew this, so to see Meng Hao go toe to toe with Wang Tengfei caused everyone watching to feel shocked.

At the moment, forty flying swords descended upon him from multiple directions, a Sword Tempest that seemed as if it could rip apart any living thing that stood in its path. An ordinary Qi condensation sixth-level opponent would have difficulty standing up against it.

Meng Hao coughed up more blood. The only way to force himself to remain upright was to continuously consume Demonic Cores.

A booming sound erupted as Meng Hao's forty flying swords collided with the power of Wang Tengfei's second finger attack. More than half of them were destroyed, but the finger attack could do nothing to Meng Hao other than force him to cough up a bit of blood.

Anyone else would be cautious in their approach to dealing with Meng Hao, but Wang Tengfei was as dismissive as ever. He stepped forward and waved his finger a third time.

Meng Hao's spiritual energy was almost completely exhausted. But he had a lot of Demonic Cores available to replenish himself. During this entire time, he had managed to keep his spiritual energy at roughly an even level. As he watched Wang Tengfei make his third movement, he could not help but recall the same finger attack taking away the gourd bottle. The killing intent in his eyes grew stronger. He didn't retreat, and in fact took a step forward, flingers flickering in incantation movements. Three or four of his bags of holding began to tremble, and then suddenly a succession of sword auras appeared, to the astonishment of all the onlookers.

Waving his sleeve, he sent forth one wave, two waves, three waves of flying swords. They transformed into a dazzling sword rain. One sword, ten, twenty, thirty swords… Seventy swords in four waves, an unbelievable sword aura. They shot toward Wang Tengfei.

Meng Hao constantly coughed up blood, then consumed medicinal pills. His eyes were completely bloodshot, but the killing intent in them was as strong as ever. Even if he ran out of spiritual power, he would spare nothing!

Wang Tengfei gave a cold harrumph. With so many people looking on, he didn't want to dodge the attack, but there were just too many flying swords. They appeared to be approaching in a direct line, and yet something about the attack looked off. He had a dark premonition that if he attempted to dodge the attack, he would still be walking into death.

For the first time, something flickered within Wang Tengfei's eyes. Lifting his finger, he immediately moved into the fourth finger attack. A ripple appeared in front of him, and even as it began to spread out, Meng Hao's fingers stopped moving and he clasped his palms together flat in front of him.

"Wind-construct Sword!" As soon as the words came out of Meng Hao's mouth, the seventy flying swords suddenly began to combine together.

The onlookers gaped in shock as the fourth wave of swords picked up speed, slamming into the third wave, which then swept into the sword rain of the second wave, and then finally smacked into the back of the first wave. Then a sweeping wind pressed in from multiple directions to form them into the solid shape! From a distance, it appeared as if they had formed a gigantic flying sword.

This was Meng Hao's Flying Sword Matrix, created along with the issuance of his Wind Blade. It was a sword technique he had developed after his time on the black mountain. It shot toward Wang Tengfei with irresistible force. Popping sounds filled the air as the ripple in front of Wang Tengfei began to warp as if it were being pushed against by a massive force. This in turn caused Wang Tengfei, for the first time ever, to take a step backward.

"How arrogant of you to force me to take a step back." This was the first time he had spoken to Meng Hao during the entire battle. His left hand slapped his bag of holding and a glittering, crystal statue appeared. It was a statue of a horse, vivid and lifelike, seemingly full of energy and spirit.

A neighing sound filled the air, and the crystal statue seemed to come to life, leaping out of Wang Tengfei's palm and flying straight toward Meng Hao's giant sword. As soon as they collided, the giant sword began to collapse, starting from its tip. Layer after layer of swords peeled away, torn apart by the crystal horse. Within an instant, a huge portion of the giant sword had been destroyed, and the only thing left was the hilt. Flying swords scattered about in all directions.

Seeing this, the onlookers' hearts raced, and they had little time to even process in their minds what was happening. They appeared shocked beyond belief.

And then, just as the giant sword was broken down into a mere hilt, a new sword flew out from the midst of the other swords. A sword made of wood. It shot toward the crystal horse, and when the two hit each other, a sound boomed out louder than any sound which had been heard so far during the battle. It echoed out multiple times.

As of now, the wooden sword was the only sword under Meng Hao's control. Everything up to this point had been a ruse to keep it concealed, then use it in a surprise move.

The sword, once meant for Wang Tengfei, was now in Meng Hao's hands. To Wang Tengfei, it was a treasure, but to Meng Hao, it was worth two thousand Spirit Stones. Regardless of how powerful it was, it was the most powerful weapon he had, so of course he would use it.

Amidst the deafening boom, the crystal horse began to shake, and a multitude of cracks appeared on its surface. Then, it simply collapsed into pieces.

Wang Tengfei's expression changed instantly. Carrying with it the remaining flying swords, the wooden sword shot toward him. As it neared, he reflexively lifted his arm, focused his Cultivation base on his finger and shot out an explosive force. The force sent all the flying swords spinning, but not the wooden sword. It continued on, stabbing into his finger and shredding it to bloody pieces. Then it spun back to hover next to Meng Hao.

"That finger brought me humiliation," Meng Hao said slowly. "Today, I cripple it!" He spat out a mass of blood, staggering back several paces. Blood dripped from the corners of his mouth.

Wang Tengfei took several heavy steps back, ignoring the pain of his finger, eyes filled with disbelief. He stared at the wooden sword floating next to Meng Hao. The words Meng Hao had just uttered rang in his ears. And then, an unspeakable rage welled up within him.

He recognized this sword!

The moment Wang Tengfei's finger was shredded to pieces, all the Cultivators in the square were shocked. The buzz of conversation again arose.

"Meng Hao destroyed Elder Brother Wang's finger. This… this can't be!"

"Elder Brother Wang is injured. He's a Chosen, but Meng Hao decimated his finger… Meng Hao…"

"It's scary that he has so many flying swords. And he used seventy of them to make a giant sword. How astonishing!"

Shangguan Xiu sucked in a deep breath. Everything that was happening seemed unimaginable. He wasn't the only one surprised. Grand Elder Ouyang had stood up and was looking at Meng Hao, his eyes filled with deep admiration and intense anticipation.

Even He Luohua, standing atop the East Mountain, stared down at Meng Hao, his eyes glittering.

The buzz of conversation reached Wang Tengfei's ears, but he paid it no heed, as if he hadn't heard it at all. Fury burned in his eyes, and he stared murderously at the wooden sword circling Meng Hao.

"So it was you!" Wang Tengfei didn't even bother to stop the blood from gushing out of where finger had once been. He had only been furious once before in his life, and that was the day in the cave when he realized the treasure he had hunted for years had been snatched away. His inner humiliation and madness, and his hatred toward that unknown person, had seeped into his very bones.

This matter was his biggest regret. His shrill screams that day still seemed to echo in his ears. Often, he was shaken from meditation deep in the quiet of night, his heart dripping with blood, feeling like a fool. Every time he thought about it, he fought the urge to go crazy.

Today was the second time in his life that he was furious. He recognised the sword. In his eyes, it belonged to him, his own treasure with which control heaven and earth. And today… here it was in Meng Hao's hands.

"So it was you!" Wang Tengfei's eyes overflowed with murder. His desire to kill Meng Hao could not be any stronger. This look was so different from his usual calm visage that the surrounding Cultivators could not help but murmur to each other about it.

"It was you who stole away my treasure!" Wang Tengfei stared at the wooden sword, murder roiling in his eyes. He felt an impulsive desire to rip Meng Hao to pieces. He suddenly laughed, and as the laughter rolled out across the square, he seemed to grow even more awe-inspiring.

"I have no idea what Elder Brother Wang is talking about," said Meng Hao coldly, wiping the blood off of his mouth. "This sword is yours? Are you sure you haven't made a mistake?" He consumed several Demonic Cores.

"I planned for years to get that sword. It is one-of-a-kind, the only like it in the world. The gold lines on its surface were etched by Heaven itself. Of course I haven't made a mistake." Wang Tengfei looked up to the skies and laughed. It was a grim laugh, a laugh that seemed to make everything around it grow cold.

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Chapter 33: Is This Sword Yours Too?

Wang Tengfei glared at Meng Hao with cold eyes, then took a step forward. He slapped his bag of holding, and two glittering beams of light shot out. Two magical treasures appeared, one a stone tiger, the other a stone aquatic dragon.

They were accompanied by two sounds which reverberated across the square, one, the roaring of a tiger, the other, the howl of a aquatic dragon. The treasures immediately transformed. The first became a white tiger, a few dozen meters in length, the other, a magnificent aquatic dragon. They circled around Wang Tengfei, making him look even more imposing.

"You can refuse to admit it, but that sword is mine," said Wang Tengfei, his voice ghastly. "I never agreed to let you have it and you are not permitted to leave with it." His fingers moved in an incantation pattern, and the white tiger roared and leaped toward Meng Hao. The aquatic dragon howled as it followed, its body becoming a streaking rainbow.

Meng Hao moved backwards, waving his right hand. The wooden sword flashed forward, followed by a Wind Blade and a Flame Python.

A boom reverberated out and Meng Hao coughed up a mouthful of blood. As he flew back, he saw Wang Tengfei walking out from the explosion, his snow-white robes and long hair floating in the wind, a look of murder on his beautiful features. His eyes shone forth with ridicule.

"Absurd!" said Meng Hao. "You clearly see that the sword is extraordinary, so you want to use the Inner Sect training as an opportunity to rob it from me!"

"It's useless to keep talking. I will kill you today, and then you will know that you aren't qualified to take things which belong to Wang Tengfei." His eyes cold, he waved his hand again; roaring and howling, the white tiger and the aquatic dragon once again charged Meng Hao.

"One-of-a-kind? The only one like it in the world?" Meng Hao laughed, his eyes sneering. He made no attempt to hide the cold ridicule. "Why don't you take a look and see if the sword really is one of a kind like you say?" His left hand slapped his bag of holding, and a black beam shot out to circle around Meng Hao. A loud humming sound rang out, like that of a sword. It was his duplicate copy of the wooden sword!

Now that it had appeared, two wooden swords swirled around him. They looked exactly the same in every aspect, their sword auras shining brightly and with immense power.

When he laid eyes on the second wooden sword, Wang Tengfei's body shook and his eyes went wide, filled with disbelief. His mind dissolved into chaos, and he felt as if he had just been crushed by an entire mountain. He immediately lost control of the white tiger and the aquatic dragon.

"This… this…" His head spun. This unexpected turn of events had caught him completely off guard. He didn't know what to think, and couldn't even control his mind.

"Is this sword yours too?" Meng Hao's eyes flashed, and he stepped forward, suddenly radiating the power of his Cultivation base. "Is this your one-of-a-kind sword?" He took another step forward.

Wang Tengfei couldn't answer. Feeling the pressure of Meng Hao's spirit, he involuntarily took two steps backwards.

"Is this the only sword like it in the whole world?" Meng Hao's eyes flickered as if with lightning. He continued moving forward, as if all the power he possessed were supporting him.

Wang Tengfei's face grew pale, and he continued to retreat.

"Wang Tengfei, these two swords are Meng Hao's! My swords of heaven and earth!" Eyes burning, Meng Hao leaped into the air, incantation patterns flashing in his hands. The two wooden swords glowed brightly, shooting toward the white tiger and the aquatic dragon.

A boom rang out as the white tiger was broken to pieces and the aquatic dragon shattered. Filled with power that seemed capable of destroying anything in the world, the two wooden swords shot toward Wang Tengfei.

Seeing them approach, Wang Tengfei suddenly lifted his head. He slammed his right hand down onto the ground, and a massive incense stick appeared. As it burned, tendrils of smoke curled up and then shot in Meng Hao's direction. As they moved, they transformed into two figures which slammed into the two wooden swords. A thunderous boom sounded out.

The incense stick was smashed, and the wooden swords retreated back to Meng Hao, who spat out a mouthful of blood. He watched as Wang Tengfei moved forward through the smoke. He didn't walk on the platform, but rather flew through the air, carried forward by tendrils of smoke. He looked at Meng Hao with a strange expression, then eyed the two wooden swords. At the moment, he was still completely at a loss about them, and had begun to doubt himself.

According to his research in the ancient records, the wooden sword really was unique in heaven and earth. There could not be a second one. Regardless of that, the sword was exactly the same one he had seen before, except now there were two…

Meng Hao looked at Wang Tengfei soaring through the air and let out a cold snort. He slapped his bag of holding and two ordinary flying swords appeared. He stepped forward onto them, and they carried him flying into the air. This caused quite a stir amongst the observing Cultivators.

"Only Cultivators who have reached Foundation Establishment can fly. But look, he's flying…"

"Brother Wang has some magical item that lets him fly temporarily, but Meng Hao… he's not sparing any spiritual energy at all. He's using the flying swords to fly."

Killing intent flickered in Wang Tengfei's eyes as he stared at Meng Hao. He put the matter of the wooden swords out of mind. Regardless of whether or not these were the treasures he had sought, he would take them away.

As the killing intent filled the air, Wang Tengfei slapped his bag of holding, and a strip of yellow paper appeared in front of him, a talisman. Its surface was inscribed with various mystical patterns, and it emitted a strong spiritual pressure. It shined with a golden light. This talisman appeared to be quite different than the one Han Zong had used.

"If you allow me to take the treasure, you can feel some pride when you reach the yellow springs of the underworld," said Wang Tengfei, glaring at Meng Hao. He felt somewhat distressed. This talisman was the last magical item in his bag of holding. He had spent everything else he possessed in his search for the wooden sword.

He would not have used the talisman were it not necessary. Normally, it could be used three times. But with the level of his Cultivation base, he could only use it once. Even still, it was powerful, enough to slay a Cultivator of the eighth level of Qi condensation.

Glaring coldly at Meng Hao, Wang Tengfei suddenly lifted his right hand and waved it in front of him. At the same time, his spat out some of his spiritual energy, transferring it to the talisman.

The talisman glowed with immeasurable brightness; as Meng Hao flew through the air, he looked down at it, and suddenly felt a stabbing pain inside him.

It was at this moment that Wang Tengfei's face changed. He suddenly realized that he didn't have enough spiritual energy… In fact, he now noticed that the spiritual energy in his body was continuously draining out through his wounded finger.

Because he had been enraged upon seeing the first wooden sword, then shocked and confused by the second, he hadn't sensed it until now. As of now, there was not enough spirit energy to fully activate the talisman, and not enough time to consume medicinal pills to replenish himself.

"Even though the talisman can't be fully utilized, it's still strong enough to kill someone of the sixth level of Qi condensation. Killing you will be as easy as falling off a log!" With no hesitation, he flung the talisman out. It suddenly appeared to be a golden sun which shot toward Meng Hao.

At this life-and-death juncture, a strange light appeared in Meng Hao's eyes. Even as he flew through mid-air, he suddenly caught a glimpse of the dream he had experienced the day he consumed the Flying Rain-Dragon's Demonic Core. In the dream, he had looked down into a lake and seen the reflection of the ancient Flying Rain-Dragon. Now, he could see the same thing again.

"A sovereign of the sky…" Meng Hao felt as if he were filled with good fortune. He closed his eyes, and as the golden sun summoned by the talisman approached, the Demonic Core which rested in his Core lake began to shudder. Then, a massive force of spiritual power burst out, filling Meng Hao's body and causing him to snap his hands out in front of him.

All of the various swords laying around, which he had previously lost control off, suddenly began to shake, then lifted into the air and sped toward Meng Hao. At the same time, the rest of the flying swords in his bag of holding flew out, along with the rest of the various magical items he possessed. They began to merge together, glowing with an intense brightness. All of this was happening, not because of Meng Hao's spiritual energy, but because of the Demonic Core's!

For some reason, the Demonic Core had suddenly been stirred into action, and its eruption had utilized some sort of underworldly power to control the nearly one hundred flying swords and magical items. In the blink of an eye, they had merged together to form… an ancient Flying Rain-Dragon!

Its form was somewhat indistinct, perhaps indistinguishable to the onlookers. Even Wang Tengfei wasn't aware of it, now that he had lost his Blood connection to the Legacy. Only Meng Hao could sense it.

The two wooden swords were the Flying Rain-Dragon's fangs. It let out a roar filled with the power of heaven and earth then charged toward the talisman. As soon as they met, a thunderous explosion rang out which shook the entirety of the Reliance Sect. The surrounding Outer Sect disciples retreated backward, nearly deafened. Some of the disciples with low-level Cultivation bases were nearly knocked senseless.

Both the talisman and the Flying Rain-Dragon contained power far beyond the sixth level of Qi condensation. When they smashed into each other, even someone of the seventh level would be shaken. Only someone of the eighth level might possibly be able to withstand the power.

As the reverberations from the explosion rang out, the golden sun faded rapidly, and the Flying Rain-Dragon began to fall apart. Layer by layer, one sword, ten swords, one hundred swords… they slowly fell, along with the other magical items which had merged together to form the dragon. They fell and transformed to ash, which drifted away in the wind.

The talisman slowly faded away, and the magical items forming the Flying Rain-Dragon disappeared… but not the two wooden swords. Instead, they shot forward toward pale-faced Wang Tengfei.

Wang Tengfei watched as the swords approached, stabbing toward his chest. Just as they were about to plunge into his heart, a light, sighing voice could be heard descending from the East Mountain.

"Very well, there's nothing left to do." Along with the sigh came a gentle force which appeared next to Wang Tengfei, blocking the wooden swords. Wang Tengfei was lifted up and pulled back, off of the platform and down onto the square. He coughed up blood, his eyes blank and confused. He couldn't believe it… he had lost.

He Luohua had appeared on the platform. Grand Elder Ouyang immediately saluted him with clasped fists. "Greetings, Sect Leader."

A buzz arose among the surrounding Outer Sect disciples. Each and every one greeted the Sect Leader and saluted respectfully.

Meng Hao looked pale. His spiritual energy was completely dried up. If the Flying Rain-Dragon's Demonic Core had not exercised its power, he would not have been able to continue. His bags of holding were now completely empty of any magical items. As far as he was concerned, this battle had been a bitter one indeed.

Although he wasn't quite willing to let Wang Tengfei continue to live, with the Sect Leader here, he had no choice. He would not be able to kill Wang Tengfei this day.

Without a word, he descended onto the platform, his stubborn personality forcing his body to remain upright. He took a few steps forward, then reached down to pick up the Wang Tengfei's talisman, which had drifted to the ground, and placed it into his robe. Then he lifted his head and looked at He Luohua.

"In this match, Meng Hao is the winner," said He Luohua, looking at Meng Hao with a slight smile. "From this day forth, he is the third member of the Reliance Inner Sect." His words rang out over the silent square. The minds of the onlookers were still reeling, the details of the battle replaying in their heads.

Wang Tengfei looked confused, and when he heard He Luohua's words, he let out a bitter laugh. He looked around at the crowd, who already seemed to have forgotten him, and his heart filled with regret. He laughed again, then coughed up some blood, and collapsed into unconsciousness.

As he collapsed, Meng Hao bit down hard on his own tongue. He saluted He Luohua, then sat down cross-legged and began to meditate.

Grand Elder Ouyang looked at him, his eyes filled with admiration. He slapped his own bag of holding and produced a medicinal pill, which flew forward toward Meng Hao. Meng Hao grabbed it and popped it into his mouth.

He was exhausted to the extreme. Despite his eyes growing dim, he continued on with his breathing exercises, slowly attempting to recover.

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Chapter 34: Fame from 1,000 Years Ago!

Fatty beamed with joy, happy beyond belief, heart pounding. For Meng Hao to become an Inner Sect disciple was almost like he himself had.

Shangguan Xiu stood in the crowd, face grim. After a bit of time passed, he lowered his head, turned, and left. As he left, his face grew darker, but there was really nothing he could do. Now that Meng Hao was a member of the Inner Sect, even his status as an Elder didn't give him the right to interrogate him. Now, Meng Hao was a true member of the Reliance Sect.

"I reached the seventh level of Qi condensation before I was thirty. I was the number one disciple in the Inner Sect. But now…" Shangguan Xiu sighed. He was loath to give up, but had no choice.

Just then, something happened that no one noticed, neither Shangguan Xiu nor Grand Elder Ouyang. Not even Sect Leader He Luohua. Far away from the Reliance Sect, on the peak of the tree-covered black mountain, standing outside of the empty cave, was a mysterious, powerful figure.

The figure was indistinct, its face unclear. But its body was wreathed in an aura vastly different from the spiritual power of heaven and earth, an aura that actually seemed to have been rejected by the Heavens. The wind around the figure changed, filling with indistinct cracks that circled around him… and yet an onlooker would not be able to see any of this.

"Reliance Sect… what a vulgar name," the blood-red figure's voice was hoarse as it spoke, filled with a Demonic air. "The name was intentionally changed one thousand years ago to prevent the Heavens from carrying out the punishment of withholding reincarnation. But it is still… The Demon Sealing Sect! And a disciple of the Demon Sealing sect actually dared to consume the Core of the Flying Rain-Dragon, and accept its Legacy… interesting. It seems it was not in vain that I helped you those two times." Even as its voice continued to echo out, bolts of red lightning began to fall. The destructive lightning fell over and over again, but it was over three thousand meters away, as if the Heavens had no power to touch the figure.

The red figure seemed to frown, then looked up coldly into the sky. "Sooner or later, you shall be defied, Heavens!" Then it turned toward the Southern Domain and took a step forward.

"My true self has been slumbering, and in my boredom, my divine clone has swept throughout heaven and earth. What I've just seen is interesting. Very interesting." Laughter rang out, and the figure disappeared, gone in the blink of an eye.

The figure's arrival and departure, the roiling heavens, the approach of the lightning, onlookers could not see any of it!

Time raced by, and soon seven days had passed.

During the seven days, everyone in the Outer Sect was talking about Meng Hao's ascension to become an Inner Sect disciple.

Even though everyone had seen the event with their own eyes, it had left them shocked to the core. Despite seven days having passed, they would often lift their heads to gaze at the East Mountain, eyes filled with envy.

There were some people who felt sorry for Wang Tengfei, but they didn't say anything. It was as if after the battle, Wang Tengfei's name had become a thing of the past.

Disciples who had been Meng Hao's enemies were even more disturbed than before, filled with dread. But Meng Hao was no longer present in the Outer Sect, so all they could do was find Fatty to fawn over.

Fatty's prestige exploded in just a few days. He was the new shop owner at the Low-Level Public Zone, having taken over for Meng Hao. He revelled in the attention of his fellow disciples, filing away at his teeth triumphantly. He was even able to move into one of the nicer residences in the Outer Sect.

Meng Hao was quite busy during the seven days. The Reliance Sect might have been in decline, but there were still rules to follow. Meng Hao bathed and donned new clothes. He kowtowed to the image of Patriarch Reliance and the other Patriarchs of the Sect. Of course, there were many complicated procedures and details involved in all of this.

During this time, he didn't see Elder Sister Xu at all, as she had secluded herself in meditation. However, he did see Elder Brother Chen Fan 1, dressed in his silver robe. From his time in the Outer Sect, Meng Hao's impression of him was that he rarely smiled and was rather old-fashioned. But after getting to know him he found that no matter what question he had, Elder Brother Chen would patiently give a detailed explanation. Meng Hao actually liked him. He thought back to the rumors he'd heard, that Elder Brother Chen Fan cared only about righteousness and the Dao, ignoring matters of the mortal world.

After the seven days had passed, Meng Hao was granted an Inner Sect Immortal's Cave on the East Mountain. Its Spirit Spring bubbled with thick Spiritual Energy, much more so than his previous Immortal's Cave.

Unfortunately, his good mood changed a bit the first time he laid hands on the Spirit Stones and medicinal pills available for Inner Sect disciples. He stood there, staring down at them stupidly.

These Spirit Stones were clearly better than the ones available in the Outer Sect. They were larger, and were not completely transparent, but rather filled with an indistinct, mist-like substance. Meng Hao's face grew pale.

"These are mid-grade Spirit Stones?" murmured Meng Hao. "And Inner Sect disciples get one per year… It's worth one hundred low-grade Spirit Stones from the Outer Sect…" His head spun as he absorbed the information from the ancient piece of jade in front of him, which described the identification methods and differences between the different types of Spirit Stones available to Cultivators engaged in Qi condensation.

"Above mid-grade Spirit Stones are high-grade Spirit Stones…. which don't even exist in the State of Zhao. One of those is worth at least ten-thousand low-grade Spirit Stones… they're basically priceless." Meng Hao's insides twisted, and he took out the few large Spirit Stones he had left in his bag of holding. His face looked more and more unsightly.

"You can tell the value of a Spirit Stone by looking at its size and its internal composition. High-grade Spirit Stones are the largest, and are at least half-covered inside with thick mist formations… The Spiritual Energy inside won't leak out, and can only be used by a Cultivator who has reached Foundation Establishment." Meng Hao looked mutely at the Spirit Stone he held in his hand. It was larger than a mid-grade Spirit Stone by at least three times, and was almost completely filled with mist formations. It was dazzling, and not a drop of Spiritual Energy emerged from it.

"This… this can't be a high-grade Spirit Stone! I… I squandered two thousand high-grade Spirit Stones!" Meng Hao's heart dropped, and he tried to comfort himself. He thought about the extraordinary wooden sword and how much Wang Tengfei cared about it. And then he thought about the price he had paid the copper mirror to duplicate it. He simply couldn't comprehend the price he had paid in Spirit Stones…

"But how come it seems like this Spirit Stone is even bigger than the descriptions of high-grade Spirit Stones, and has even more mist formations inside?" His heart quavered, and he didn't dare to think about it anymore. His face was pale, and he felt pained to the core.

It took him a while to get control of himself, whereupon he put away the Spirit Stones.

"An insignificant two thousand high-grade Spirit Stones," muttered Meng Hao. "It was nothing, nothing at all." But when he said the word 'insignificant,' it sounded a bit forced.

More days flew by.

"Junior Brother, I watched your battle. You used a lot of magical items. If you had run out, you would have been in a difficult situation. You should go to the Magic Pavilion more often. There are a thousand years of ancient Reliance Sect records there that you could study from."

"Junior Brother, I noticed that you're always hunting small creatures and cooking them for food. That's not correct. Us Cultivators should breathe in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and cast off our mortal bodies. If you're always eating animals, aren't you wasting your spiritual energy?"

"Junior Brother, you have too many bags of holding on your person. You shouldn't do it that way. You should have all your items in one bag, that way they are easier to take out."

As the days passed, Meng Hao forced himself not to think about Spirit Stones. It didn't take long before he understood Elder Brother Chen Fan a lot better, and soon he spent most of his time with him, being instructed. He soon realized that this Elder Brother was nothing at all like the rumors in the Outer Sect held him out to be. Although he was very focused on the Dao, he wasn't taciturn at all. In fact, when he he started talking, he would keep going for hours and hours, sometimes even an entire day.

Soon it came to the point that if he didn't go looking for Chen Fan, then Chen Fan would come looking for him in his Immortal's Cave, and the discussions would begin.

Meng Hao couldn't refuse. He could only force a smile and listen. Sometimes he would fall asleep in the middle of it, only to wake up to find Brother Chen Fan still talking. He couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

"There aren't enough disciples in the Inner Sect, so Elder Brother Chen doesn't have anyone to talk to. Therefore, he's developed this strange tendency…" Meng Hao now understood why Elder Sister Xu went into secluded meditation so often. Even he himself had thought of going into meditation to get a break from Elder Brother Chen.

Whenever he left his Immortal's Cave, Elder Brother Chen would be there to accompany him.

"I wonder when Elder Sister Xu is going to come out of meditation," thought Meng Hao with a smile. "I can't wait to see the look on her face when she sees me." He now wore a silver robe, and his long hair fluttered behind him as he sat on a mountain crag. He stared at the setting sun, ignoring Elder Brother Chen's constant yammering.

"Junior Brother must be wondering when Junior Sister Xu will be coming out of meditation," said Elder Brother Chen with a smile, looking at Meng Hao.

"Yeah… Uh, what?"

Elder Brother Chen's sudden change of topic left Meng Hao speechless.

"No need to be shy, Junior Brother," bantered Elder Brother Chen with a smile. "Junior Sister Xu Qing 2 is a natural beauty, it's perfectly normal for you to have a crush on her." He had a uncomplicated disposition, and was easy to get along with. Meng Hao liked him. As soon as they had met, he had been willing to take Meng Hao on as a Junior Brother.

"Xu Qing?" Meng Hao coughed. He decided to change the topic. "No, no, I never… oh, right. Elder Brother Chen, a while back you were saying something about what happens after a Cultivator completes his Qi Condensation?"

"After Qi Condensation comes Foundation Establishment, the shedding of the mortal body. This is true spiritual cultivation, and truly being a Cultivator." Elder Brother Chen smiled at Meng Hao, shaking his head. He was no longer bantering, but speaking warmly.

"During the process of establishing the Spiritual Foundation, nine Dao pillars will arise within your Core Lake, deep and bottomless. They will grow within your body, and this is Foundation Establishment. Of course, there are different types of Foundations, based on the various magical methods used to congeal the Dao pillars. If nine cracks appear, it is a Flawless Foundation. If eighteen cracks appear, it is a Cracked Foundation. More than eighteen cracks means it is a Fractured Foundation. Of these, Flawless is the best, Cracked is good. Fractured is the most common.

"The Reliance Sect used to have a manual describing a method to Establishing a Flawless Foundation, acquired by Patriarch Reliance. Because of this, he was famous in all of the State of Zhao. His name was even known in the Southern Domain. Sadly… when the Patriarch went missing, the technique was not handed down." Chen Fan explained everything slowly and in great detail. This was just his personality, and Meng Hao had gotten used to it over the days.

"After Foundation Establishment is the great path to Core Formation. The Sect Leader is in this stage. After that, when you develop a Nascent Soul, then you can live forever, and be a true Immortal of this land."

"What about after the Nascent Soul stage?" asked Meng Hao, listening intently and feeling longing in his heart.

"After the Nascent Soul stage is Spirit Severing. That was the stage the Patriarch was at. It is the most difficult stage, where life hangs on a thread. Spirit Severing involves several Severings before complete success. That year, Patriarch Reliance left the Sect to meditate in seclusion, and still hasn't returned." Chen Fan spoke calmly throughout his explanation, but his attachment to cultivate was clear from his expression.

"Perhaps one day I, Meng Hao, will have a chance to enter the Spirit Severing stage," he murmured. "What is after that?"

"The stages after Spirit Severing are too high," said Chen Fan lightly. "I don't know the details. You have to go to the Southern Domain to learn about those things. In any case, the whole point is Immortal Ascension."

"Immortal Ascension?"

"Immortal Ascension."

The mountain breeze gently lifted the hair of the two disciples, carrying their voices off into the distance.

"Junior Brother, if one day you go out into the world to continue your training, you cannot limit yourself to the State of Zhao." Elder Brother Chen looked at Meng Hao kindly. "Don't forget, the State of Zhao is a remote State in the Southern Domain of the Nanshan Continent. The Spiritual Energy here is not abundant, and there are few Cultivators.

"The Southern Domain is the true world of Cultivation. Even though the law of the jungle is brutal and ruthless there, it truly represents the peak of the southern regions of the Nanshan continent. Heroes abound, as do Chosen. Compared to there, the State of Zhao is quite calm and peaceful. Cultivators of my generation must climb mountains and tread upon piles of bones to succeed." A strange light filled his eyes, as if he weren't speaking to Meng Hao, but rather to himself.

Meng Hao felt quite moved by Elder Brother Chen's words. Before, he had been somewhat ignorant, but having things so clearly explained left his head buzzing, as if a giant map had suddenly been rolled out in front of him. On the map was the Great Tang in the Eastern Lands, and the heroes of the Southern Domain.

"To follow the path of spirituality, one must abandon the mortal world. You are no longer a mortal. You are a Cultivator, destined to defy the Heavens. If you are not strong, then you are not qualified to exist. If you are not strong, you are not qualified to practice Cultivation. If you are not strong, then you are not qualified to stay alive, but only to be trampled over. Are you willing to live this kind of life?" Brother Chen gazed at Meng Hao. As his words entered Meng Hao's ears and sank into his heart, his eyes began to glitter, and he began to think.

"I am a scholar from Yunjie County. My parents went missing when I was just a child, and my dream was always to be become rich and never again live in poverty, then eventually go see the the Great Tang in the Eastern Lands." The chill night wind blew at his hair as he lost himself in contemplation, the same way he had that year on the top of Mount Daqing.

1. Chen Fan's name in Chinese is 陈凡 (chén fán) – Chen is a common family name. Fan means "mortal" or "ordinary"

2. Xu Qing's name in Chinese is 许清 (xǔ qīng) – Xu is a family name. However, it has a variety of other meanings as a character including "to praise" and "to allow." Qing means "pure" or "clear"

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Chapter 35: I'm Not Willing!

Time slipped by, and at some point, Elder Brother Chen left. Even though Meng Hao had just entered the Inner Sect, he was still a junior Brother, and it was Chen Fan's responsibility to explain matters to him, to help him understand what Cultivation truly is. To help him to know what it means to move forward lest one fall behind, and to comprehend the life-and-death path that was the Cultivation world.

Entering the Inner Sect was his first true step across the threshold into that world. The next step was Foundation Establishment.

Meng Hao sat alone on the boulder, staring into the sky at the moon and the vast multitude of stars. He was silent, his mind filled with countless thoughts. He felt somewhat confused.

Time continued to pass, and soon it was the middle of the night. Wang Tengfei sat in his Immortal's Cave, looking down at his right hand with its missing index finger. He looked confused. In front of him was a jade slip, broken in half. When he had regained consciousness, that was the first thing he had done.

He hadn't managed to enter the Inner Sect, and thus had not accomplished his second goal. He was on the verge of despair. As soon as he had regained consciousness, he had snapped the jade slip in two with a bitter smile.

He had been defeated, thoroughly defeated, and by none other than an insect. He had been defeated by Meng Hao's sword and weak Cultivation base. Had He Luohua not intervened, he would be dead.

This defeat ended his path here at the Reliance Sect. He had not emerged from his Immortal's Cave after awakening. He had simply sat there in a daze.

He was a Chosen. His Clan's reputation in the Southern Domain was indomitable. He had been insufferably proud since childhood, as if the world lay at his feet. That was why he had refused to stay in his Clan, but rather came here to the State of Zhao and the Reliance Sect, to search for the Legacy and treasure. He had even postponed Foundation Establishment in order to pursue his two goals. As of now, though, everything had blown away like ash in the wind.

Wang Tengfei's bitter laughter echoed throughout the Immortal's Cave. He laughed and laughed, clenching his fists tightly. Although, his nails were not very sharp, so he couldn't experience the pain Meng Hao had that day.

He just could not accept it. If he had been defeated at the hands of a Chosen, then he could bear the loss. But the person who had robbed his place in the Inner Sect, who had trampled him underfoot, was someone he didn't even deign to look at, an insect whose name he hadn't even been able to recall. He just couldn't accept it.

At this moment, the main door of Wang Tengfei's Immortal's Cave suddenly disintegrated noiselessly. The entire door turned into ash, which floated down to the ground of the Immortal's Cave.

A middle-aged man stood in the doorway, wearing a black robe, hands clasped behind his back. He seemed somewhat emaciated, but carried a haughty air. The moonlight fell onto him, and seemed to quiver and turn into ripples. It was as this man's mere existence could cause the surrounding mountain chains to tremble.

Next to the middle-aged man was a young woman, perhaps eighteen or nineteen years of age. She was incredibly beautiful, tall and slender. She wore no makeup, and yet her face glowed like the dawn. Her hair was pinned up in the shape of a swallow's tail, and her body seemed as if it were carved from jade. She wore a thin, light green garment. Standing there in the moonlight, she emanated a magical aura, cool and composed, refined and free from worldly vulgarity. She looked just like a female celestial, descended from heaven.

"The Wang Clan is one of the three great Cultivation Clans in the Southern Domain," said the middle-aged man coolly. His voice contained an awe-inspiring coldness difficult to describe. "It has outmatched many Sects, and has existed for ten thousand years in the Southern Domain.

"You are a Chosen of the Wang Clan. From birth, you have been destined to do extraordinary things, to rise higher than the highest heavens. You were foreordained to engage in struggles with other Immortals."

As Wang Tengfei listened to the middle-aged man's words, he slowly lifted his head, ignoring his severed finger.

"What do some minor setbacks count for? This paltry State of Zhao wouldn't count for anything in the Southern Domain. It's filled with ants. If I sent a single Nascent Soul stage Clan member here, he could wipe this place clean." The middle-aged man spoke with complete certainty, leaving no room for argument. Wang Tengfei clenched his fists, and fire appeared in his eyes.

"Your true enemies are the other Chosen members in the Clan, the successors of the two major Clans in the Southern Domain, and the disciples of the rest of the five Clans. Only they are worthy to be your enemy. If they saw your sorry state now, how could you dare to claim the name Wang?!

"Tell me, what is your family name?" said the middle-aged man with a flick of his sleeve.

"My name is Wang!" Wang Tengfei stood, his eyes gleaming.

The middle-aged man looked at Wang Tengfei for a long moment, then his eyes grew soft.

"You are a Roc of the Wang Clan. In a few years, you will reach Foundation Establishment. In the future, on the great path to Core Formation, you will have the assistance of the Violet Qi from the East technique of your fiancée's Sect. You will successfully achieve Core Formation soon. After that, you will have your Nascent Soul. When that happens, you will find that the pitiable person who defeated you here in the State of Zhao, is still practicing Qi Condensation.

"Then you can truly look down on him like the insect he is." He gave Wang Tengfei a meaningful look, then turned away.

"Tengfei," said the beautiful girl. Her light voice was pleasant, and combined with her beauty, made her incredibly enticing. She was perfect, in the same way Wang Tengfei was perfect. Were they to be together, they would truly be a match made in heaven, the envy of anyone traversing the path of Immortality.

Wang Tengfei looked at the girl silently. This was his fiancée, Chu Yuyan 1, daughter of the Sect Leader of the Violet Fate Sect. She was a Chosen of her Sect, and one of four most famous women in the Southern Domain.

"Let's go back," she said softly, gazing at Wang Tengfei tenderly.

Wang Tengfei nodded. He followed the girl out of the Immortal's Cave. Along with the middle-aged man, they walked forward, and suddenly a rumbling sound shook the night sky. A massive lightning bolt shot down from the sky, transforming into a flying battleship, nearly three hundred meters long. The ship was black, and emanated the feeling of death, especially the massive flagpole from which flapped a red flag, embroidered with the character "Wang."

On the ship stood numerous men with expressionless faces, standing at attention, radiating cold auras.

The massive noise which had just rung out, as well as the battleship, left the disciples of the Reliance Sect trembling in fear. They looked up at the sight, disbelief written across their face.

Meng Hao still sat on the peak of the East Mountain. Pulled out of his contemplation, he looked up at the shocking black battleship and red flag, and his heart quivered.

"I should never have agreed to let you come to this backwater place," said the middle aged man as they stepped foot onto the ship. "Even if the Sublime Spirit Scripture was rumored to have been seen here, that was something that occurred hundreds of years ago." Wang Tengfei stood there, looking out at the Reliance Sect. He slowly wiped away all the memories of the recent years.

No longer was his gaze warm and gentle, no longer was his smile kind and sincere. He had become cold, especially his eyes, which radiated hatred. He now seemed completely different from the old Elder Brother Wang.

He looked down at Meng Hao sitting there on the mountaintop. The two of them stared at each other for a moment, and then Wang Tengfei's eyes once again filled with disregard. As far as he was concerned, Meng Hao was a bug. Pride filled him, because his family name was Wang!

At this moment, the middle-aged man caught sight of Meng Hao sitting there. He didn't reveal his Cultivation base, but his gaze itself was enough to cause a thunderous roar which shook the entire East Mountain. Like a sharp sword, his it toward Meng Hao.

Meng Hao's expression changed, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood. His entire body felt ice-cold, and he sensed an intense, deadly force fall upon him. His head spun, and he lost the power to even think. He was so weak that he felt as if he could collapse from a single blow.

He felt death upon him. His body would shrivel up, his soul would wink out. Blood dripped down from his forehead.

Aloneness. Helplessness. Death. They melded together into a giant hand which pushed down on him, slowly crushing him to pieces, smashing him into a place beyond recovery.

Suddenly, a cold snort rang out, filling the entire Reliance Sect, and a figure in blue appeared in front of Meng Hao.

"Your Cultivation base is in the Core Formation stage. Not a Mixed Core, either, but at least Purple or Crimson. And yet you bully a Qi Condensation pup like this? Are you really Wang Xifan 2 of the Wang Clan of the Southern Domain, Third Generation Dao Protector?" It was Sect Leader He Luohua. Suddenly, a deafening, earth-shaking roar erupted.

The sound thundered out, seeming as if everything in sight would crumble from it. Then it turned into layer upon layer of ripples, emanating from He Luohua. He stood there as if he were the only person in the world, staring coldly toward the Wang Xifan as he stood there in the battleship.

"I've incurred Fellow Daoist He's ridicule," said Wang Xifan with a gentle laugh. "I'm here to take Tengfei away. Thank you for caring for him these years." His eyes were filled with an indescribable arrogance. He flicked his sleeve. The battleship began to hum, then it transformed into a streak of colors and shot off into the starry sky, leaving behind only the twinkling starlight.

Meng Hao coughed up some more blood, but continued to stare off into the distance, his cold eyes glittering.

He Luohua looked back silently at Meng Hao, then sighed and left. Meng Hao gazed off into the distance toward the disappearing battleship.

"So that was a Core Formation Cultivator. He could crush me with a single look. And that's just Core Formation. After that is the Nascent Soul stage and then the Spirit Severing stage, and even more… The Southern Domain, the Wang Clan!" Meng Hao ground his teeth angrily, fire burning in his eyes.

"If you're not strong, you don't qualify to exist. If you're not strong, you don't qualify to practice Cultivation. If you're not strong, you don't have the right to keep living, but can only be taken advantage of…. Are you willing to live a life like this?" Elder Brother Chen's words echoed in his head, more and more strongly, burning indelibly into his mind, into his bones, into his soul.

"I'm not willing!" said Meng Hao slowly, clenching his fists. His voice was weak, but in his heart, the voice resounded like a thunderclap.

"I'm not willing to let anyone take advantage of me!

"I'm not willing to be weak!

"I'm not willing to be deprived of the right to fight back!

"I will be strong! I will become powerful!!" Meng Hao had always wanted to become rich and travel to the Great Tang in the Eastern Lands. He still had that desire, but in addition to that, he had a new belief. He would become powerful. On the path of cultivation, the path of defying the Heavens, if you are not powerful, you are dead.

1. Chu Yuyan's name in Chinese is 楚玉嫣 (chǔ yù yān) Chu is a family name. Yu means "jade" or "beauty," and Yan means "captivating"

2. Wang Xifan's name in Chinese is 王锡范 （wáng xī fàn) Wang is a family name. Xi means "tin." Fan means "model" or "example"

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Chapter 36: The Perks of the Inner Sect

Half a month passed, during which Meng Hao spent most of his time sitting cross-legged in the Sect's Magic Pavilion, studying the ancient records. Now he had a much deeper understanding of the State of Zhao and the Southern Domain.

He had even discovered a hand-drawn map of the sprawling Nanshan continent, which showed the Great Tang in the Eastern Lands, the Northern Desert with its Qiang Di flutes, the Barbarian Western Lands, and of course the Southern Domain, where he was currently located.

The whole world was neatly displayed on the map, and its image was now burned into Meng Hao's brain. The Southern Domain comprised a vast section of the Nanshan continent, whereas the State of Zhao was just a tiny dot on its perimeter.

"The Southern Domain is so big that it could hold thousands of the State of Zhao…" He looked out at the blue sky outside the Magic Pavilion, his eyes filled with a fascinated look.

"So it turns out that traveling to the Great Tang in the Eastern lands isn't that simple. You have to cross the Milky Way Sea…" After a while, Meng Hao looked back down at the map, looking at all the four major regions of the Nanshan continent. The Eastern Lands and the Northern Desert formed a subcontinent, separated from which by a large ocean were the Western Barbarian Lands and the Southern Domain, which formed another subcontinent.

When the sun began to fall behind the western mountains, and dusk approached, Meng Hao rubbed his eyes, returned the map to its place, and left the Magic Pavilion. He looked off into the distance toward the east for a while, then turned and headed back to his Inner Sect Immortal's Cave.

Inside the Immortal's cave, the luminescent pearls inlaid into the ceiling emitted a soft light onto the light green walls. There were five stone rooms, and a gurgling Spirit Spring, filling the cave with dense Spiritual Energy. This was a perk available only to disciples of the Inner Sect. Meng Hao entered and sat cross-legged onto a slab of white jade. It was not made of Spirit Stone, but meditating upon it helped one's mind to be clear, and was a relatively rare treasure.

This also was something only for Inner Sect disciples.

"Only Inner Sect disciples can truly be considered members of the Reliance Sect," thought Meng Hao, quietly looking around. The light green stone walls were carved with various birds and beasts, each of which seemed to be filled with deep meaning. Even looking at them left one feeling refined.

"These are very different perks from those in the Outer Sect. This is in order to emphasize the outstanding qualities of Inner Sect disciples. Just like in the mortal world, there is a division of layers. By struggling, one can surpass the Outer Sect. After that, if one wishes to become exalted, one must become stronger!

Soon, dusk fell, and then Meng Hao heard a respectful voice from outside.

"Elder Brother Meng, Li Fugui from the foot of the mountain requests an audience." It was the voice of a boy, a servant. After Meng Hao had joined the Inner Set, this boy had been assigned to help him care for his daily affairs.

This was yet another perk of life in the Inner Sect. At first, Meng Hao had a hard time getting used to it. He had never had someone waiting upon him before. But when he saw Elder Brother Chen's servant helping him, it was easier to accept. However, he still held firm to his desire to grow stronger.

Only the strong can have power over others, and prevent others from controlling them. The law of the Cultivation world and rules of the Reliance Sect were the same. It was not reasonable or fair, but it existed, and that was the way of life.

Existence was truth. The world is fundamentally unreasonable, and naturally, there is no true fairness.

"Send him in," said Meng Hao coolly. Filled with reverence, the young servant complied. After being assigned to wait upon Meng Hao, his very life belonged to him.

Shortly thereafter, Fatty entered, clicking his teeth and striding with long steps. This was not his first time to visit, but rather his third. Every time he came, he was filled with excitement. This was not a place Outer Sect disciples could visit without the consent of the person they called upon.

The young servant led Fatty in respectfully. Fatty looked around, rubbing his hands along various items in wonder, even the white jade slab that Meng Hao sat on.

"It's not your first time here," said Meng Hao with a laugh, watching him.

"Meng Hao, this place is just too amazing. Every time I come, I just can't control myself. The Immortal's Cave of an Inner Sect disciple. It's a place of legend! You know, after the last time I came here, a bunch of Outer Sect disciples crowded around me asking all sorts of questions. I'm important now!" His body trembled, and it took a moment for him to stop thinking about it. He sat down in front of Meng Hao.

"If you'd like, I can request for Wang Tengfei's Immortal's cave to be given to you."

"That… that would be incredible," said Fatty, looking excited, but at the same time a bit shy.

"Zhao Hai," said Meng Hao coolly. He waved his right hand, and the main door opened. The young servant rushed in and gave Meng Hao a deep salute.

He looked to be about fourteen or fifteen, close to Fatty's age. He had delicate features, and had only arrived on the mountain recently. It was said he was from the same village as Little Tiger, and that his family was rich.

"Take my spirit tablet to the Cave Dispensing Pavilion and retrieve the jade slip to Wang Tengfei's Immortal's Cave." He waved his hand, and a white jade slip flew out into the young servant's hand.

The young servant accepted the assignment, then left with a respectful expression on his face.

"Meng Hao, when are you going to come down off the mountain?" asked Fatty eagerly. "I promised the Outer Sect disciples you would go to inspect them. You can't go back on your word, I promised them."

"Grand Master Ouyang said that I would preside over the next Pill Distribution Day," he said with a smile. "I believe that would be the day after tomorrow." The two of them had entered the Sect together, three years ago. A deep friendship had long since grown between the two of them.

"Great, the day after tomorrow it is. Oh, right, our business has been doing well in the past half month. I already separated out your 80%." He handed a bag of holding to Meng Hao, looking pleased with himself. It seemed he too understood the meaning of the Reliance Sect. With Meng Hao to rely on, who in the Outer Sect would dare to even say one wrong word to him?

Even better, the beautiful female disciples of the Outer Sect had begun to fawn over him until he fairly floated in the air. For the moment, Fatty was quite popular.

"Has Shangguan Xiu caused you any problems recently?" asked Meng Hao suddenly, his eyes flashing.

"Nobody has seen that bastard recently," replied Fatty, his voice becoming grave. "I've assigned a disciple to do some spying for me, and he said that Shangguan Xiu sits in secluded meditation all day. He never comes out."

"Just be careful," he warned, and not for the first time. "If anything happens, snap the message token I gave you."

Soon, the young servant Zhao Hai returned with the jade slip to Wang Tengfei's Immortal's Cave. Meng Hao gave it to Fatty. The two of them laughed and chatted deep into the night. It seemed Fatty didn't want to leave. In fact, he seemed to be growing more excited.

Meng Hao was surprised at this, but when he remembered what day it was, and laughed.

"Today is the day Medicinal Fruits are distributed in the Inner Sect," said Meng Hao.

Fatty licked his lips and nodded, his heart filled with envy at the differences between the Inner and Outer Sect disciples. Every month Medicinal Fruits were distributed, a special type of Spiritual Fruit infused with Medicinal Pills. The fruit itself tasted like a Medicinal Pill, but was much more effective than ordinary Medicinal Pills.

Inner Sect disciples received the fruits once per month.

After the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the young servant Zhao Hai entered. He actually despised Fatty, but didn't show even the slightest hint of it on his face. In his hands he carried the Medicinal Fruits, wrapped up in a large green leaf.

A delicate aroma wafted out from it, causing Zhao Hai to swallow deeply. He put the fruits down and then left.

When the large leaf was removed, the medicinal fragrance filled the air. Inside the leaf were two small, semi-transparent, light-red fruits. They seemed so delicate that they might break if you touched them. Inside each one could just barely be seen a medicinal pill.

Fatty's eyes went wide. He had never eaten Medicinal Fruit before, but had heard it mentioned recently by some Outer Sect disciples. After making some enquires, he had discovered the distribution date, and so had hurried eagerly to visit Meng Hao. He picked up one of the fruits and put it into his mouth. He bit down, then swallowed, and a delicious flavor filled his mouth. Then, a hot sensation filled his head and spread out through his whole body.

"Amazing, amazing. I must be the first Outer Sect disciple to ever eat a Medicinal Fruit. When word gets out, the girls will be envious to death. Everyone will be envious of Master Fatty's good fortune." It suddenly seemed as if he had remembered something, and he snapped his mouth shut, not letting any of the fragrant aroma escape. Using his hands, he signaled to Meng Hao that he needed to leave, then ran off.

"I have proof!" he thought. "I have to find some of those female disciples and let them smell it." The more he thought about it, the more excited he got, and he raced down the mountain even faster.

Fatty's clever plan was obvious, causing Meng Hao to laugh. He slowly placed the remaining Medicinal Fruit into his mouth. It tasted delicious, filled with dense Medicinal flavor.

"This is something else that Inner Sect disciples…" As he ate the Medicinal Fruit, he sighed. This life was not something that Outer Sect disciples could enjoy. If he wanted to, he could simply make a gesture, and any of the beautiful female disciples would instantly become devoted to him.

Soon, two days had passed, and Pill Distribution Day arrived. Meng Hao walked out of his Immortal's Cave, followed closely by the young servant Zhao Hai. In his hand he carried a purple bag of holding, which was filled with Spirit Stones and Medicinal Pills to be distributed.

A mountain breeze welcomed the dawn as Meng Hao descended the mountain. Along the way, the Outer Sect disciples he ran into would look at him in surprise, then stop and give him a deep salute with clasped hands.

"Greetings, Elder Brother Meng."

"Elder Brother Meng is as elegant as ever. I haven't seen you in many days, Junior Sister has missed you."

"Greetings, Elder Brother Meng. Your latent talent is spectacular, your Cultivation base astonishing. You will definitely be a pillar of the Sect."

Amidst all the flattery Meng Hao walked along until he reached the square, which was already filled with a good number of disciples. Catching sight of him, they saluted, and then the air filled with their flattering words.

He nodded, smiling, then leaped up, carrying Zhao Hai with him onto the platform. This was not his first time here, but it was his first time to distribute Medicinal Pills.

His gaze swept across the crowd. Every single person's face was filled with reverent devotion. Gradually, Meng Hao's face grew distracted, and he thought back to his first Pill Distribution Day, and then to the time Wang Tengfei had humiliated him. Many memories flitted through his mind.

Finally, he heaved a deep sigh, and said, "Sound the bells."

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Chapter 37: Water and Ink in the Evening

The bells rang out, reverberating both in Meng Hao's heart and throughout the Reliance Sect. Soon, Meng Hao could see countless disciples hurrying forward.

Before long, the square was packed. As the disciples entered, they looked at Meng Hao in shock, then saluted.

Fatty stood in the crowd, looking pleased, filing away at his teeth with his flying sword. He was surrounded by a group of fawning disciples.

"So Elder Brother Meng is distributing the Medicinal Pill today… ai, I remember back when he was an Outer Sect disciple like us, but now he's a member of the Inner Sect."

"Elder Brother Meng is scholarly and refined. I heard that he used to be a scholar of high rank, but he cared more about Cultivation, so he quit and joined the Reliance Sect."

"Now that you mention it, I remember the first time I saw Elder Brother Meng those years ago. I could tell that he wasn't ordinary. During his whole fight with Wang Tengfei, I knew that Elder Brother Meng would achieve victory." The buzz of conversation filled the air, eventually reaching Meng Hao's ears. He let out a dry cough.

Even though it was a relatively quiet cough, it caused all the disciples in the square to suddenly go silent. They looked up at him respectfully. The morning sun shone down onto his silver robe, and he truly looked like a celestial being.

Meng Hao caught sight of Zhou Kai in the crowd; his face looked conflicted. Then Meng Hao caught sight of somber Yin Tianlong, who gave him a forced smile. He also saw the other Qi Condensation fourth level disciples whom he recognized from that day. When his gaze fell upon them, their faces filled with ingratiating looks.

He even saw Cao Yang, standing there trembling.

"Today, I shall preside over Pill Distribution," said Meng Hao. He was a scholar, so he had no need to prepare words; he just spoke naturally. When he spoke, his words carried force, piercing into the hearts of the onlookers. "Fellow disciples, please devote yourself to Cultivation, and eventually you will pass the sixth level. I look forward to that day, when the Reliance Inner Sect has one more member."

The force of his words came not from his Cultivation base, but rather his status as an Inner Sect disciple.

"We will remember Elder Brother Meng's admonitions." Several people below spoke out, faces filled with emotion, as if they had just heard the voice of Heaven. One after another, they saluted Meng Hao.

Soon everyone was repeating the words, until the whole square spoke together in harmony.

Meng Hao took the bag of holding from the young servant at his side, opened it, and waved his sleeve. Medicinal pills and Spirit Stones shot out to everyone.

After that, his right hand flashed over the bag of holding, then held up a milky white Medicinal pill. It emanated white aura and a fragrant aroma. It seemed as if it contained the glow of dawn.

"It's… it's a White Spirit Pill!"

"That pill is extraordinarily effective for anyone of the fourth level of Qi Condensation or lower. They haven't distributed one for a long time. Finally one appears!" Soon, everyone in the square below was breathing heavily, staring at the Medicinal pill in Meng Hao's hand.

His eyes scanned the crowd. Fatty was smiling. This pill wasn't anything rare as far as he was concerned. He already had a few in his bag of holding, which Meng Hao had given him.

"This pill is extraordinary. All of you must surely know that I planned to give this only to a suitable disciple. And yet, I, Meng Hao, keep old friendships in mind. I just caught sight of an old friend, so I shall bestow the pill to him." His gaze fell onto Cao Yang, who suddenly began to tremble. Meng Hao flicked his right hand, and the pill shot forth.

"I'm finished!" thought Cao Yang, looking like he was about to cry. "I'll be recuperating from the injuries for months…" He wailed inside, and now he knew that Meng Hao could hold a grudge. Even though he had become an Inner Sect disciple, he had not forgotten about all the things that had happened before.

As the lights in the square faded, Meng Hao flicked his sleeve and left, not staying behind to watch the fighting break out.

Fatty ran over to follow him, his face flushed. He glared at the young servant Zhao Hai, motioning for him to step back a distance. It seemed he was worried the boy might replace him. He walked next to Meng Hao.

"Elder Brother Meng," he said with anticipation, "why don't we take a stroll around the Outer Sect?"

Thinking back to how he had done the same thing with Elder Sister Xu so many years ago, Meng Hao nodded his head with a smile.

The two of them walked forward, with Zhao Hai following in the rear, looking irritated. Not long after leaving the square, they saw Zhou Kai hurrying to catch up with them.

"Greetings, Elder Brother Meng," he said, his expression somewhat perturbed. He had offended Meng Hao more than once, and had assumed that upon joining the Inner Sect, he would show more restraint. But upon seeing Cao Yang's fate, he was nervous, and so rushed over.

Meng Hao looked him over, but didn't say anything. Fatty took a step forward and said loudly: "What do you want?"

"A few days ago, I, Zhou, came across a treasured item. As soon as I saw it, I could tell that it was destined for Elder Brother Meng. Please, accept my gift." Biting his tongue, he pulled out a bag of holding from within his robe and presented it to Meng Hao. Fatty gave a cold harrumph and grabbed it, then handed it to Meng Hao with a wide smile.

Meng Hao accepted it and glanced over its contents. Then he nodded to Zhou Kai, turned, and walked off, his expression as cool as the clouds in the sky. Zhou Kai watched on helplessly, sighing in his heart.

"I'm not worthy to be an Inner Sect Disciple, perhaps these items will leave you dissatisfied…"

As Meng Hao walked away, Yin Tianlong, off in the distance, let out a sigh. With a smile on his face, he hurried forward. He too said that he had found some items which were destined to be Meng Hao's. He also offered up a bag of holding, inside of which were fifty Spirit Stones. Meng Hao accepted it with a slight frown.

"We're both fellow disciples," he said. "The grievances of the past are not worth keeping track of. There's no need to act like this."

Upon hearing this, Yin Tianlong's heart thumped, and he understood Meng Hao's true meaning. Inwardly cursing Zhou Kai for giving more, he clenched his jaw and produced another bag of holding, whereupon Meng Hao nodded.

As he walked, Meng Hao met more people who had offended him in the past, and they all acted similarly. Soon he had ten new bags of holding.

"What do you think?" said Fatty, looking pleased. "I handled things pretty well, didn't I? I found all of them earlier and gave them a bit of coaching. I told them that one must offer up a bit of blood now to avoid trouble in the future."

Meng Hao laughed and shook his head. He had sensed something odd about the goings-on and had guessed that Fatty must have been up to something over the past half month.

"What about that fifth-level disciple who tried to kill you that day?" asked Meng Hao.

"Oh, him. I used the jade slip you gave me to make him go see the Minister of the Outer Sect, who arranged for him to go out into the wild mountains to catch some Demonic beasts. He can't return until he gets 100." As far as Fatty was concerned, anyone who offended him would have to pay the price.

"Just don't do something publicly that could box you into a corner," said Meng Hao, his eyes flashing and his voice low.

"I understand," said Fatty in a similarly low voice. "It's taken care of. Zhou Kai and Yin Tianlong will get rid of him for good."

They looked at each other, then laughed. They never brought up the matter again.

After making a circle around the Outer Sect, and having been greeted by many disciples, they finally reached the Pill Cultivation Workshop. Meng Hao paused for a moment to look at it, then a smile broke out on his face and he entered.

When the middle-aged man who ran the workshop saw Meng Hao, he stood up.

"Greetings, Elder Brother Meng."

Meng Hao smiled and nodded his head, glancing around at all the Medicinal pills.

"Don't worry, Elder Brother Meng," said the middle-aged man. "Junior Brother Li Fugui is taking care of the Pill Workshop. Business is good. I definitely won't give any other disciples a chance to buy Medicinal Pills." He thumped his palm onto his chest.

Fatty beamed with joy. Previously, he had given the middle-aged Cultivator a bag of holding when no one was looking. Soon, the man had grown accustomed to this. Although the Medicinal pills here belonged to the Sect, and weren't personal property, the man wasn't opposed to making a bit of profit of his own.

Thanks to Fatty's anticipation and stubbornness, it wasn't until midday that Meng Hao was able to satisfy him. They walked around the entire Outer Sect until everyone had seen them together. Finally, after much begging and pleading, they went to the Treasure Pavilion.

The shrewd-looking man at the Treasure Pavilion had been waiting outside for some time. When he saw Meng Hao approaching, he made a long, grand salute, then in a loud, clear voice said, "Treasure Pavilion disciple Sun Tiandi gives greetings to Elder Brother Meng. Elder Brother Meng is a dragon among men, powerful and imposing beyond the ordinary…" The man was not very educated, and his words were a bit over the top. His expression was one of excitement, but inside he was a bit worried, although only he knew that.

He feared that Meng Hao would bring up the matter of him cheating him all those years back. He glanced at the eager-looking Fatty.

Fatty cleared his throat. "My friend here wants me to go in to take a treasure," he said, sounding a bit embarrassed. "If it breaks any rules, you can place the blame on him."

Meng Hao was a loss for word. Finally, he went in with Fatty to inspect the Treasure Pavilion. After a while, they left, despite Fatty's pleas to stay. By the time Meng Hao arrived back at the East Mountain, the sun was beginning to set. He sat down on a boulder outside the Immortal's Cave, thinking about the day's events. Now he had an even deeper understanding of what it meant to be a member of the Inner Sect.

As evening fell, Meng Hao looked out at the rosy sky. Then he noticed that off in the distance, a woman approached. She looked like some sort of celestial being, wearing a silver robe, with long black hair and a pale face that was beautiful even though she wore no makeup whatsoever. Her face, though cold, seemed to Meng Hao to contain something delicate and touching.

"Elder Sister Xu," said Meng Hao, cupping his hands in greeting.

"Congratulations, you've become a member of the Inner Sect." Just like her name, Elder Sister Xu was cold and cheerless. That was her personality, and yet, she didn't treat everyone coldly. For example, upon hearing her young servant mention Meng Hao, she had come here to see him.

Meng Hao smiled, standing next to her. Their long robes rippled in the mountain breeze.

"Today I went to the Pill Cultivation Workshop and traded for another Cosmetic Cultivation Pill." He lifted it up and handed it to her.

She said nothing, looking at the pill for a while, then eventually accepting it. She stood there with him, silently looking off into the rosy horizon.

She was incredibly beautiful, seemingly flawless, like jade. The glow of the setting sun reflected off her, increasing her beauty.

Time seemed to come to a standstill. As they stood there on the East Mountain, their shadows merged together in the evening sun, like ink blending with water. It was something which would last for an eternity.

The evening sunlight slowly faded past the horizon, and then the moon peeked out. Finally, Elder Sister Xu turned and began to walk off. She had only taken five steps before she stopped.

"I went to the Pill Cultivation Workshop. The Cosmetic Cultivation Pill you gave me before wasn't purchased by you." With that, she left, not looking back.

Meng Hao stared in shock, and wasn't even able to react until some time had passed. He scratched his head. His eyes gradually filled with light. He had never imagined that something like this would happen. And yet, it seemed it had…

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Chapter 38: Qi Condensation Manual of the Sublime Spirit Scripture

Two months passed in the twinkling of an eye. Meng Hao had already been a member of the Inner Sect for an entire season. He did not continue to visit the Outer Sect often. Like a fish in water, Fatty had grown accustomed to surviving on his own, and was quite at ease.

Most of Meng Hao's time was spent in the Magic Pavilion.

One day, he sat there cross-legged, a calm expression on his face as he read a bamboo text. He raised his right hand and began to make incantation gestures, causing a magical light to circulate around it and cast flickering shadows onto his face.

A Water Globe appeared, but then unexpectedly transformed into mist and dissipated into the surroundings. Meng Hao frowned, putting down the bamboo text. He reached into his robe and pulled out a glowing jade slip.

It was pure white and blurry inside, as if it were filled with mist. A closer inspection revealed that the surface was actually translucent, like crystal.

"Chen Fan, Xu Qing, Meng Hao. Come to the main temple hall on the East Mountain." The words were spoken by a dignified voice which transmitted out from within the jade slip. It was easily identifiable as belonging to Sect Leader He Luohua.

Meng Hao straightened up the bamboo texts, stood and strode silently out of the main door of the Magic Pavilion, making his way toward the top of the East Mountain.

At almost the same time as he walked out, two figures shot toward the peak. One had a warm, gentle face, filled with righteousness: Chen Fan. The other was beautiful but cold: Elder Sister Xu Qing.

Xu Qing cast a glance at Meng Hao. This was the first time they had seen each other since that evening the previous month.

The three sped toward the peak of the East Mountain, eventually arriving at the main temple hall. It had an ancient feel, the rich ornamentation giving the feeling that it had seen many ages pass. This was a very important place to the Reliance Sect, a place that throughout the generations, only Inner Sect disciples could visit.

Within the main temple hall were nine statues. The foremost one was of an old man, his expression not one of anger, yet still filled with might. His dark eyes seemed to shine with life. His left hand was lifted up in front of him, his chin raised as if he were staring down his nose at all creation. He seemed to emanate a sort of indescribable, domineering air. Behind him, eight statues were arranged neatly, all of them possessing the demeanor of transcendent beings.

Meng Hao had visited this place during his first seven days in the Inner Sect. He had kowtowed before these statues, and knew well that the calm, powerful old man was none other than Patriarch Reliance. The other statues were the other Patriarchs of the Reliance Sect.

Sect Leader He Luohua stood beneath the statues, his back toward Meng Hao and the others as they entered. He stared at the statues as if he were in a trance. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking. Next to him was Grand Elder Ouyang. He nodded to the three of them, a solemn expression on his face.

"Pay homage to the Patriarch," he said, his voice profound.

Meng Hao, Xu Qing and Chen Fan bowed deeply to Patriarch Reliance, their faces somber.

"I joined the Sect when Patriarch Reliance had been missing for one hundred years," said He Luohua. "At that time, the Reliance Sect was still in its glory days." He sighed and turned around. Meng Hao, Chen Fan and even Xu Qing gazed at him with shining eyes.

He was silent a moment, before slowly continuing: "You have read about Patriarch Reliance in the ancient records, and know how glorious our Reliance Sect used to be… We even had a complete understanding of the three levels of Foundation Establishment. I've called you here today to explain the complete truth.

"The former glory of the Reliance Sect was all due to Patriarch Reliance. Because of his Cultivation base, he dominated the entire State of Zhao. His reputation even shook the Southern Domain. All of that was because of one of the manuals of the Sublime Spirit Scripture." As He Luohua spoke, Chen Fan's eyes began to shine brightly. Even Xu Qing's grew sharp.

Only Meng Hao stared blankly; he had no idea what the Sublime Spirit Scripture was.

"The Qi Condensation manual?" said Chen Fan lightly. He was a senior disciple of the Inner Sect, and knew many secrets. Other things he had worked out through speculation.

"The Sublime Spirit Scripture is one of the three great classic scriptures in the Nanshan Continent," continued He Luohua softly. "It was passed down through the generations since ancient times. Originally it was comprised of seven manuals, but most have been lost. One of them was the Qi Condensation manual, which describes how to establish a Flawless Foundation. The Foundation Establishment manual describes the method to Form a Purple Core, not a Crimson or Mixed Core. The Core Formation manual can enable one to develop a four-colored Nascent Form… In other words, each manual enables one to reach the strongest stage.

"That year, Patriarch Reliance obtained the Qi Condensation manual. The reason the heir to the Wang clan joined the Reliance Sect was because of the Sublime Spirit Scripture's Qi Condensation Manual."

Meng Hao's eyes glittered, and his heart began to race. He had heard Elder Brother Chen speak of the different levels of Foundation Establishment. Now that he knew how powerful this magic was that Patriarch Reliance had obtained, he understood why Wang Tengfei had joined the Reliance Sect.

"If I could obtain it…" The strong desire in his heart suddenly began to burn even hotter.

"Sadly, even I have never laid eyes on this Qi Condensation manual, let alone others," said He Luohua. "The scripture was not handed down. It exists only in the memory of the Patriarch." Meng Hao remained silent, and Chen Fan's face flashed with realization. Xu Qing raised her head to look at the statue of Patriarch Reliance.

Silence reigned in the main temple hall.

"Four hundred years have passed, and everyone in the outside world assumes that the Patriarch died during his meditation. Only myself and a few others know that the Patriarch… is absolutely not dead." As his words drifted out into Meng Hao's ears, they seemed to transform into a thunderous roar.

"Four hundred years ago, the Patriarch's Cultivation base had reached the late Nascent Soul stage. And yet, he was reaching the end of his life. In order to break through to the fabled Spirit Severing stage, one must be at least one thousand years old. If not, how can he defy the Heavens to sever his Spirit?

"The Patriarch chose to meditate in seclusion, in order to sever his Spirit body and be reborn. It was a meditation of… four hundred years.

"When he went into meditation four hundred years ago, the Patriarch left a command. Every one hundred years, he would send out some pieces of Vorpal Jade, formed from his own blood. Then, the outstanding members of the current generation of Inner Sect disciples could use the Vorpal Jade to enter his meditation zone. By kindling the Qi and blood inside the Vorpal Jade, they could have a chance, if lucky, to gain enlightenment of the knowledge he permeated throughout the area. Knowledge of… the Sublime Spirit Scripture." He Luohua's words echoed out. Meng Hao lifted his head up, as did the others.

"Success is success. Failure is failure. If things had stayed the same, surely a disciple would have succeeded already. But two hundred years ago, the Patriarch experienced an accident in his cultivation. He almost lost his life. Afterwards, the chances of enlightenment in his meditation zone grew weak, and the restrictive spells stronger. He didn't send any more Vorpal Jades out until five years ago… When he did, he sent out three pieces.

"Three pieces of Vorpal Jade indicate that three individuals may enter. It also reveals how powerful the restrictive spells are in the Patriarch's meditation zone, and means that there are only three areas where enlightenment may occur." He Luohua's voice reverberated throughout the main hall. He flicked his right sleeve, and three blood-red streaks shot toward Meng Hao and the others, to stop floating in front of them.

They were jade-smooth Blood Crystals, also known as Vorpal Jade.

"You three are the only disciples of the Inner Sect, and therefore I bestow these Vorpal Jades to you. Whether or not you gain the enlightenment of the Sublime Spirit Scripture will depend on your luck." With that, he flicked his sleeve again, and the statue of Patriarch Reliance began to hum. Its eyes shone with boundless radiance, and a vortex began to form in front of him.

"Enter," said He Luohua, his voice sounding out like thunder. "I wish you luck in enlightenment." Meng Hao and the others seemed to transform into auroras as they gripped their pieces of Vorpal Jade and shot into the vortex, disappearing inside. Outside, the vortex remained, but without a Vorpal Jade, no one, not even a Cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage, could enter it.

Looking up at the vortex, Grand Elder Ouyang quietly said, "Who knows which of them will acquire the Sublime Spirit Scripture, or… perhaps they will all come up empty-handed."

"It depends on personal fortune, there's no use in thinking too much about it." He Luohua sat down cross-legged next to him and began to meditate.

When Meng Hao entered the vortex, a blinding light appeared in front of his eyes which forced him to close them. A rumbling roar sounded in his ears, and then he heard strange shrieks and screams coming from all directions. After what seemed like years, he felt his body suddenly tremble, and then the sounds ceased. The shrieking turned into silence. He opened his eyes to find himself standing on top of a sacrificial altar that was several meters tall. He looked around.

The place was enormous. Up above was black earth, dotted with small crystals that shone like stars, casting a dim light on the surroundings. Nothing was very clear, as if everything were covered with gauze. Various buildings rose up out of the fog.

"How desolate! It seems like no one has been here for hundreds of years." It was Chen Fan's voice, drifting from some distance away. Eventually, he appeared, walking through the fog. In the direction from which he came could be seen another altar, several meters tall.

"The soil up above has restrictive spells cast on it. These are the Sect catacombs." Xu Qing appeared from another direction. Dressed in her silver robe, she appeared matchlessly beautiful.

"I entered the Sect earlier than both of you," said Chen Fan. "Once I performed guard duty at the main temple hall, so I know a few secrets that you two don't. These are definitely the Reliance Sect catacombs. Directly above is the Outer Sect."

Meng Hao walked off the altar to stand next to Chen Fan and Xu Qing. Looking around at the hazy images of buildings around them, he could see plenty of withered plants and flowers. Everything was deathly still.

"This fog is a restrictive spell," said Meng Hao with a frown. "It's making everything appear to be black and white. No color whatsoever."

"Precisely," said Chen Fan with a serious look. "Don't attempt to touch it. Because of the Patriarch's weak state, he's lost control of it. Let us use our Vorpal Jades to find our places of enlightenment." He looked at them. "We don't know how much time we will have to gain enlightenment. Let's all wait for each other, then leave together. Junior Sister Xu, Junior Brother Meng, I wish you success." He cast his spiritual power into the Vorpal Jade, whereupon it emitted a blood-red glow and began to drift away. Chen Fan followed, soon disappearing into the distance.

Xu Qing nodded at Meng Hao, then followed the blood-red glow of her Vorpal Jade in a different direction.

Meng Hao looked around, then was about to activate his own Vorpal Jade when suddenly, a shrill shriek rang out. It grew closer and closer, until it seemed to be only about thirty meters away.

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Chapter 39: Patriarch Reliance!

Meng Hao's expression changed. He suddenly saw the fog roiling, and then about thirty meters away a shrieking man appeared. He wore a long tattered robe as he charged toward Meng Hao.

He emanated a fierce heat, which transformed into a ruthless killing aura. Seeing him approach, Meng Hao retreated as fast as possible. This turn of events had happened too quickly. The figure advanced rapidly, and in the blink of an eye it was only nine meters away. Suddenly, it caught sight of the Vorpal Jade in his hand, and its eyes filled with dread and fear.

Meng Hao's heart churned. He poured the spiritual power from within his body into the Vorpal Jade, and suddenly it began to glow blood-red. It illuminated the man in the dilapidated robe, allowing Meng Hao to see him clearly. He was middle-aged, his body gaunt, like some sort of evil spirit.

Blood-curdling screams shot out of his mouth as he retreated. Moving with incredible speed, he disappeared into the fog.

Sweat broke out on Meng Hao's forehead, and he took a deep breath. The feeling the middle-aged man gave him was the same feeling he got from Grand Elder Ouyang, boundless and majestic.

"Don't tell me he was a Cultivator of the Foundation Establishment stage?" Meng Hao hesitated, remaining on guard. He followed the direction of the blood-red light, moving forward carefully. After about half an hour, he stopped in shock. Several figures had appeared, and each of them seemed to have a Cultivation base equal to Grand Elder Ouyang's. Some even seemed to be as powerful as Sect Leader He Luohua.

"Could they be… automatons?" Upon closer inspection, the figures didn't actually seem to be alive. They floated around him in circles, none of them approaching him, seemingly terrified of his Vorpal Jade.

Time passed enough for an incense stick to burn, and they slowly disappeared. Meng Hao continued forward numbly, his breathing agitated, a blank look in his eyes.

"This… this…" he murmured. Ahead of him was a mountain, approximately three hundred meters tall. An ordinary mountain would not cause Meng Hao to act in such away. This mountain was made… of Spirit Stones!

Countless Spirit Stones piled together to form a Spirit Stone Mountain!

Meng Hao had never seen so many Spirit Stones in his entire life. His head spun, and he unconsciously wanted to go take them, but after taking a single step forward, he stopped. The Spirit Stone Mountain was gray in color and seemed to be covered with a fine mist. It was a restrictive spell which prevented anything from touching it.

He struggled for some time, not quite willing to give up. When he reached a position about sixty meters from the Spirit Stone Mountain, he suddenly felt a fierce sense of imminent danger. Looking at the mountain with a sigh, he stopped in place.

He knew that if he got too close, his body and soul would be reduced to ashes.

At a loss for a long moment, he turned his head and reluctantly left the Spirit Stone Mountain behind.

More time passed as he followed the blood-red glow, enough for an incense stick to burn, and soon the hazy image of a building appeared in the fog ahead of him. It had a courtyard, filled with withered plants and weeds. A stone sat in the middle of the courtyard, about half the size of a person. It was the only thing in sight that was neither black nor white, nor was there any fog visible near it.

The Vorpal Jade floated toward the large stone, then stopped above it. The blood-red glow began to fade.

Meng Hao walked forward and inspected the area around the stone. This must be one of the areas for enlightenment. He sat down cross-legged onto the stone and looked at the Vorpal Jade floating in front of him. His eyes began to gleam.

"Throughout all these years, many people have come here, and none have successfully achieved enlightenment. When the blood-red glow of the Vorpal Jade fades, it means the time to attempt enlightenment has arrived." Meng Hao frowned. A strong desire burned in his heart to acquire the secrets of the Qi Condensation Manual. Originally, Wang Tengfei should have been given this opportunity. But Meng Hao knew that his latent talent was simply ordinary, and he had little chance of success.

He didn't allow the Vorpal Jade to fade, but instead looked up at it, a strange light shining in his eyes. After a bit of time passed, he clenched his jaw, then grabbed it stubbornly.

"This time, I don't care what happens; I will achieve the enlightenment of the Sublime Spirit Scripture!" Determination filled his voice as he slapped his bag of holding and produced the copper mirror. Grabbing a handful of Spirit Stones, he prepared to begin the duplication process.

Meng Hao had been a member of the Inner Sect for a month. Inner Sect disciples received significantly more Spirit Stones than Outer Sect disciples. Combine that with his profits from the shop as well as the Outer Sect disciples who were trying to ingratiate themselves to him, it ensured that his bag of holding contained many Spirit Stones.

But suddenly, his expression changed as he found that the Spirit Stones distributed by the Sect were incapable of duplicating the Vorpal Jade. It wasn't that the copper mirror had lost its efficacy, but rather that there simply weren't enough Spirit Stones. Even mid-grade Spirit Stones were useless.

He stared at the Vorpal Jade for a while before suddenly pulling out seven or eight of the extraordinarily large Spirit Stones he had left. He hesitated for some time, then ground his teeth. Eyes growing red, he put one of the Spirit Stones down onto the mirror, and before he could even put down another piece, the Copper Mirror began to glow with a blinding light, and instantly, fifteen pieces of Vorpal Jade appeared. Meng Hao stared, dumbfounded. Originally, he had assumed he would need multiple Spirit Stones to make it work. But then he ended up with fifteen of the Blood Crystals.

These were Blood Crystals, congealed from Patriarch Reliance's own blood. Seeing fifteen of them appear left Meng Hao stupefied.

"What… what kind of Spirit Stones are these?" He sat in a daze, thinking back to how he had used two thousand of them that time, and his heart ached.

These large Spirit Stones were definitely some type of extraordinary object.

For now, the most important thing to Meng Hao was the Sublime Spirit Scripture. He clenched his jaw and set aside the matter of the two thousand Spirit Stones. Extending a Blood Crystal, he caused it to fade. As it did so, the blood red glow settled around Meng Hao and an indistinct voice could be heard. He slipped into a dream-like trance, unaware of the passing of time.

At this same moment, Xu Qing and Chen Fan, in their respective enlightenment areas, were also surrounded by the blood-red glow. Their latent talent was beyond ordinary, so their chances of achieving enlightenment were somewhat greater. In Patriarch Reliance's meditation zone, everything was based on latent talent. So-called luck is the same.

After an indeterminable period of time passed, the red glow around Meng Hao faded, and he began to regain his senses. He seemed to be somewhat at a loss. After some time passed, he had completely recovered, and yet his mind was blank. Not even a scrap of information from the Sublime Spirit Scripture was there.

He sighed, having anticipated this all along. He took out another Blood Crystal and continued to seek enlightenment. Time passed, and even after having used up fourteen Blood Crystals, he still had not succeeded. His heart ached, and he wasn't sure if he should continue. Gnashing his teeth, he pulled out another large Spirit Stone and duplicated more of the Vorpal Jade Blood Crystals. Once again, he activated the blood-red glow, which then covered his body as he began to seek enlightenment.

By this time, the blood-red glow surrounding Xu Qing and Chen Fan had faded. However, they did not rise, instead choosing to remain seated in meditation, not sure when enlightenment might occur.

As for Meng Hao, he seemed to have gone mad, continuously activating Blood Crystals, trying again and again to achieve enlightenment. Anyone who saw this scene would surely go crazy with jealousy.

After activating the twenty-seventh Blood Crystal, Meng Hao suddenly heard what sounded like a voice murmuring next to his ear in the dream-like trance world. He could clearly hear two words.

"Sublime… Spirit…"

When Meng Hao opened his eyes, they were filled with determination. Without hesitation, he pulled out the twenty-eighth Vorpal Jade Blood Crystal, and once again sought enlightenment.

By this time, Xu Qing and Chen Fan had returned to the altar to wait for Meng Hao. They were a bit surprised when they didn't see Meng Hao, but they weren't sure which direction he had headed in, so they couldn't easily search for him. They decided to sit in front of the altar and wait for him.

By the third day, they were beginning to grow impatient and also a bit worried. Of course, they did not even consider that he might have achieved enlightenment, but rather worried that some sort of accident had befallen him.

"Did something happen to Junior Brother Meng?" said Chen Fan worriedly.

Xu Qing didn't respond, but she looked worried.

After a bit of discussion, they decided to begin looking for him. Unfortunately, because of the frequent appearance of the automatons, their search went quite slowly.

Meanwhile, Meng Hao sat, hair disheveled, eyes bloodshot, murmuring to himself. His words made no sense; they seemed to simply express his desire for the Sublime Spirit Scripture. He pulled out the forty-third Blood Crystal, and the thick, red glow again surrounded him. In fact, the area he was in never lacked the red glow. Meng Hao had gone all out in his search for enlightenment. If he ran low on Blood Crystals, he simply duplicated more.

As of now, he could clearly hear the voice in his ear, but just couldn't commit it to memory. He could only continue on in another attempt.

There was something that nobody, not Chen Fan or Xu Qing, nor frenzied Meng Hao, had noticed. After the Blood Crystal ceased to glow, it would transform into a barely discernible blood-red light, which would then enter into the ground and pass into a secret chamber below the catacombs.

There, a withered body sat cross-legged, seemingly lifeless. The room was filled with the feeling of death.

Every time one of the blood-red lights entered the room, the body would assimilate it, and begin to change slightly. By the time the third light entered the body, there seemed to be some shred of life in it.

The light of life was dim, though, and the body was unable to do anything except sit there.

This was Patriarch Reliance. The Vorpal Jade Blood Crystals were congealed from his own blood, and contained his aura. After being activated, they would return to him, continuing his life. Without them, he would be thoroughly dead.

Originally, he had planned to postpone his death in this fashion, until the very last spark of his ruthless and ambitious life was extinguished, where upon he would pass into death. He was already in a state of despair. He spent most of his time in deep sleep, awaking only occasionally, and briefly, whereupon he would sink back into slumber. He had no energy to waste on superfluous matters.

As for the Vorpal Jade, this was an arrangement he had prepared many years ago. Were it not for them, he would have passed into death hundreds of years ago.

"These are the last three pieces of Vorpal Jade…" Now that they had returned, he had regained consciousness. He sighed and went back to sleep, knowing that he would probably never wake up again.

And yet suddenly, a fourth blood-red light entered the secret chamber and fused with his body. He woke again, shocked.

"I am… already out of Vorpal Jade. Could I have remembered incorrectly… Hm?" Even as he talked to himself, a fifth blood-red light appeared, making its way into his body.

He observed, dumbstruck, as a sixth, seventh, eighth blood-red light appeared… By the third day, countless blood-red lights had appeared, one after another, continuously fusing with his body. Patriarch Reliance's heart surged with excitement, and his face filled with hope. Suddenly, his eyes opened.

"These… holy hell, these are clearly not my blood, but they are definitely my Blood Crystals. What's going on? What the hell is going on?"

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Chapter 40: Sublime Spirit Scripture

At the same moment that Patriarch Reliance opened his eyes, Meng Hao activated the fiftieth Vorpal Jade Blood Crystal. His head vibrated violently, and a scriptural text floated around him. Each and every character of the scripture emitted a bright golden light which pierced through his body. It completely overpowered the blood-red glow, leaving behind a glowing golden aura.

As the golden aura spread out, Meng Hao began to change. His Core lake churned violently as it began to take on a golden hue. As the lake water became gold, a thunderous roar sounded out, transforming his entire body.

His body filled with loud cracking sounds. His bones grew longer, his blood and flesh grew stronger. In an instant, he grew more powerful, both inside and outside.

His Qi vessels seemed to be as transparent as crystal, completely integrated into his physical body. His hair grew longer as he transitioned into a new state according to the mnemonics of the Sublime Spirit Scripture.

More time passed, approximately six hours, and then another boom sounded out inside Meng Hao. When he opened his eyes, they shined with a golden light.

Time passed, and the golden glow faded. He looked excited. Within his mind he could clearly see a mnemonic, branded indelibly onto his spirit. He understood every single line. This was … the Sublime Spirit Scripture.

This was something that could cause blood to spray like rain in the outside world. This was the Qi Condensation manual that countless Sects would fight like mad for. And here it was, inside Meng Hao's head.

After the six hours of transformation, Meng Hao was still at the sixth level of Qi Condensation. But as for his new Cultivation method, it could be counted as one of the three best in the entire Nanshan continent.

This good luck was something that even the disciples of the great clans and Sects would have a hard time achieving.

Using the Cultivation method of this Qi Condensation manual, if Meng Hao was able to reach the Foundation Establishment phase, then he would definitely be able to establish a Flawless Foundation. In addition, his spiritual power would be much deeper than that of his contemporaries. Perhaps it would not be the most powerful, but as time passed, the power would slowly accumulate, and by the time he reached the Foundation Establishment stage, like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, he would have a Flawless Foundation rarely seen in the world!

As of right now, if he ran into Wang Tengfei, he would not be put into the precarious position he had been that day. In fact, he could now simultaneously control ten flying swords without losing any of their dexterity. His power had doubled!

Filled with excitement, Meng Hao clenched his fists, his heart filling with intense longing. After a while he took a deep breath, descended from the stone slab, and walked off.

At the moment, Patriarch Reliance was going wild with even more excitement than Meng Hao. Upon opening his eyes, he could see Meng Hao, as well as Chen Fan and Xu Qing. He waited eagerly for Meng Hao to produce another Blood Crystal, then watched in a daze as Meng Hao suddenly achieved enlightenment.

"Dammit, dammit. I should never have placed the enlightenment field out there. No, no, no. If I didn't, how could I get the young pups to come here in the first place. But, but, but.. why did he have to gain enlightenment with only fifty Blood Crystals? A hundred would be better, two hundred, at least three hundred. If there were five hundred, I wouldn't need to continue meditating here!" Patriarch Reliance was filled with depression. This was his greatest hope, and he was watching it disappear before his eyes. Without Blood Crystals to replenish himself, he could only continue on wasting away. And yet he knew there was nothing he could do.

"I didn't do myself any favors that year. I closed myself up in here with no way out, and its very difficult to transmit my voice out. As far as magic goes, I'm currently too weak to do much of anything. What to do? What to do? I have to think of something…" His face grew anxious as he watched Meng Hao meet Xu Qing and Chen Fan out in the catacombs above the secret chamber. They proceeded toward the altar, clearly preparing to leave.

"If I caused all of the members of the Cultivation World of the State of Zhao to come here, I could use the power of their Cultivation bases to break me out of this meditation zone. If I can break out, then I can absorb their life force, then have a chance at my Second Severing." Patriarch Reliance gnashed his teeth, squeezing as much as he could out of his weak Cultivation base, then slapping his right hand down onto the ground. It began to rumble.

At that same moment, Meng Hao was trying to come up with an excuse for why he had gone missing for those few days, and why his body looked different. Chen Fan smiled and nodded, and Xu Qing, seeing that Meng Hao wasn't harmed, didn't say anything. The three of them stepped up onto the altar, getting ready to depart.

Suddenly a roaring sound filled the air, and the entire catacombs began to shake. Their expressions changed as a giant crack split the earth in front of them and a massive stone stele slowly lifted up. After enough time passed for an incense stick to burn, and it had finally completely emerged.

It was approximately thirty meters tall, inscribed with golden characters. It was a scripture, none other than the Qi Condensation Manual of the Sublime Spirit Scripture!

The three of them stared in shock, especially Meng Hao. After all the trouble he had gone through to acquire the Qi Condensation manual, here it was in front of him. He looked at it in a daze. But after examining it further, a strange expression appeared on his face. The first two lines of the scripture inscribed on the stele were accurate, but the rest was a complete fabrication. It appeared to be filled abstruse mysteries, but since Meng Hao knew the details of the true scripture, he could tell instantly that this one was false.

He hesitated for a moment but didn't say anything.

Chen Fan's eyes glittered. He walked forward to stand beneath the stele, as did Xu Qing. They looked at it for some time, then exchanged shocked glance.

"We should take this with us," said Xu Qing slowly, "and let the Sect Leader decide what to do with it."

Meng Hao blinked, then nodded as if he completely agreed.

When Patriarch Reliance saw this, he laughed, more than pleased.

"Take it, take it, quickly! Take it out and let as many people know as possible. Hahaha! I'm so smart. I was worried people might break in here during my meditation, so I prepared that false stele. Of course, fearing it might be identified as false, I prepared a little trick. Once it's removed from this place, it will project a sign into the sky which people in all directions will be able to see. Originally it was designed to cause harm, but now, it's going to be quite helpful to me. Excellent. Excellent!" Excitement filled Patriarch Reliance's heart, but then suddenly, his eyes widened.

"We must not!" said Chen Fan in a dignified voice. After examining the stele carefully, his face filled with resolution. He shook his head, looking at Meng Hao and Xu Qing. "This stele is extremely important. If we take it out, then we would be bringing calamity upon the Sect. If an outsider learned of its existence, it could bring about our destruction. Let's each of us use a jade slip to make a copy of the scripture inscribed onto the stele. That way, we can take the contents out, but leave the stele in place. That is the safest method." Chen Fan's face was filled with sincerity and righteousness. What he said was completely selfless in nature, and also took the safety of the Sect into consideration. Xu Qing nodded, and Meng Hao, of course, did not disagree. They immediately copied the contents onto their jade slips, then stood onto the altar and make their departure.

Patriarch Reliance watched on in shock, then let out a furious howl.

"Dammit! Dammit! I will crush this generation's Sect Leader! How could you let a guy like this into the Inner Sect? He's completely honest and upright, which I despise! In my day, everyone in the Sect was dark and crafty. Take the scripture and keep it secret, that's a real disciple of my Sect. As for you, you righteous little pup, you… You've brought about my death!! Why did you have to stop them? Dammit! My Cultivation base! I, I, I…" Patriarch Reliance was so furious that his body trembled. He ground his teeth, and with an air of abandon, held his breath for a moment, then let out a low shout. He slapped the top of his own head, then spat up a mouthful of blood. The blood transformed into a shapeless blood-red glow, which then began to send a reverberating hum throughout the secret chamber.

Amidst the reverberations, the blood-red glow suddenly shot toward Meng Hao and the others as they left the catacombs.

As soon as they stepped foot into the main temple hall of the Reliance Sect, as soon as He Luohua and Grand Elder Ouyang saw them, before they could even open their mouths, the blood-red glow shot out. None of them noticed.

Suddenly a thunderous sound rang out, and a bright light spread out, millions of meters in all directions, turning the entire sky bright red. Then, in the middle of it all, amidst a multitude of colors, appeared a strange sign.

There were a multitude of characters. Most of the characters weren't able to be seen clearly, but two were. They read…

Sublime Spirit…

The sign filled heaven and earth in all directions. The multitudinous characters of the scripture glowed brightly, especially the two characters "Sublime Scripture," shining out across the entire State of Zhao. Within the three Great Sects of the State of Zhao, all the disciples stared up in astonishment at the strange phenomenon. Streak after rainbow-like streak flew from the various closed-door meditation zones as multiple Sect Patriarchs emerged.

"This…."

"The Sublime Spirit Scripture!!"

"The Sublime Spirit Scripture has appeared. It appears to be located in the Reliance Sect. Could it be… could it be that the legendary Qi Condensation manual really is there?"

In the space of a moment, powerful members of several great Sects of the Southern Domain emerged from meditation. For the Sublime Spirit Scripture and the Qi Condensation manual to appear was an exciting matter. Without hesitation, they shot from the Southern Domain directly toward the State of Zhao. They all feared that if they weren't fast enough, their opportunity could be lost to the other powerful Southern Domain clans, or other Sects.

In the Southern Domain, the wind had shifted.

Prismatic streaks of light shot toward the Reliance Sect, as nearly twenty Cultivators from the three great Sects of the State of Zhao moved into action. The weakest among them was of the Foundation Establishment stage. Six were of the Core Formation stage. They cut through the sky with earth-shattering power.

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Chapter 41: A Sensation in the State of Zhao!

When the sign appeared in the sky above the Reliance Sect, all of the disciples in the Outer Sect stared up in awe and shock, their minds buzzing. Their eyes filled with vacant looks, unable to comprehend what they were seeing.

Looking at the golden characters filling the sky, their hearts trembled. Fatty, who was filing his teeth with the fish-scale sword, made choking sounds, narrowly avoiding stabbing himself in the tongue as he gaped at the scene.

Shangguan Xiu, who sat in secluded meditation, suddenly lifted up his head. When he saw what was happening, his body began to tremble, and his eyes shined with disbelief. His face changed, as if he had suddenly just thought of something incredibly frightening. He stood in a flash, and suddenly, a teleportation spell appeared that he had prepared years before.

As fast as possible, he stepped into the spell, then disappeared.

In the main temple hall on the East Mountain, as Meng Hao and the others appeared, He Luohua's face fell. Looking up into the sky, his face grew pale, and he staggered backwards a few paces.

Grand Elder Ouyang raced out of the main temple, looking up into the sky, his face grim.

"Did you touch anything in the Patriarch's meditation zone?" he asked, turning to look back at them. His expression was very solemn, as was his tone of voice.

"When we were just about to leave, a stone stele appeared," said Chen Fan, sounding pained. "We were worried that if we brought it out with us, it could bring disaster to the Sect. So instead, we made copies of it." He took out his jade slip, as did Meng Hao and Xu Qing. They handed them to Grand Elder Ouyang.

"This is…" Grand Elder Ouyang's brow furrowed, and then his eyes shone with disbelief.

"There's no need to study it, it's fake," said He Luohua with a long sigh. "The stone stele as well as the sign in the sky. They're both fake." He looked down at the ground, then shook his head.

"Other Sects from the State of Zhao will be arriving soon. The Reliance Sect will not be able to evade this disaster. They're here for the Patriarch." He flicked his sleeve, and a rumbling could be heard throughout the entire Reliance Sect. A soft light arose, covering everything.

"You three are Inner Sect disciples, go wait in the main temple hall." Just as his voice sounded out, blurs of light whizzed through the sky from all directions, nearly twenty of them, accompanied by high-pitched whistling shrieks.

The blurs approached the shield which surrounded the Reliance Sect, and as they did, heaven and earth shook. The four mountain peaks trembled as if they might collapse. Silence suddenly filled the surrounding wild mountains. The wild beasts all trembled in fear, not daring to make even a single sound.

Of the twenty or so people in the sky, there were six who formed the nucleus of the group. Four were men and two were women, and they were all elderly. They wore luxurious gowns, and the power which emanated from their Cultivation bases was petrifying.

Each of these six people had two or three Cultivators behind them, followers, each of whom had Cultivation bases on par with Grand Elder Ouyang. These nearly twenty people were the most powerful people in all the State of Zhao, and here they were at the Reliance Sect, bearing down on it like dark clouds.

"Reliance Sect!" a voice boomed out, billowing like thunder. The buildings which comprised the Outer Sect seemed as if they would collapse at any moment. Large amounts of Outer Sect disciples coughed up blood, fear covering their faces.

"The Cold Wind Sect is powerful," said He Luohua with a harrumph. His voice rang out like a thunderclap as he stood there on the mountain's peak, suppressing the voice which had just spoken. He raised his right hand, and a hum sounded out as an invisible wind sprang up. It shot toward the person who had just spoken, surrounding him, suddenly turning black and transforming into a massive shapeless mouth that seemed about to swallow up the Core Formation stage Cold Wind Sect eccentric. The man's face changed, and he retreated quickly without hesitation.

"Enough, enough," said one of the powerful Core Formation experts, looking down at He Luohua. His voice was light but filled with suppressive power. He wore a long, purple robe embroidered with images of flutes. Frowning, he raised his hand, and the shapeless black wind dissipated. "Fellow Daoist He, the sign in the heavens came from your Reliance Sect. Please hand it over to us."

A deathly silence filled the Outer Sect, as the disciples felt the shadow of death looming over them. Within the main temple hall, Meng Hao, Chen Fan and Xu Qing sat silently. They knew that any one of the people outside had Cultivation bases so frightening they could annihilate all of them with the wave of a hand.

Meng Hao's heart thundered as he looked at them. It was his first time seeing people so powerful. His thoughts suddenly filled with an intense desire to become more powerful.

He Luohua stood on the peak of the East Mountain, looking up at the group of people. After some time passed, he sighed.

"What do you want me to hand over? I have no idea where that sign came from."

"Give in without a fight," said the man in the purple robe grimly. "Disperse the Reliance Sect's grand protective spell. Allow us to search freely. This is what we mean by handing it over. If you don't, then despite the fact that we are fellow Cultivators of the State of Zhao, we will destroy your grand spell and then exterminate the Reliance Sect."

"Exterminate the Reliance Sect…" He Luohua suddenly laughed, louder and louder. It echoed out throughout the Reliance Sect. As he laughed, he saw Grand Elder Ouyang standing there next to him, looking as if he were ready to fight to the death. He also saw the three Inner Sect disciples sitting grimly in the main temple hall. Then he glanced at the crowds of Outer Sect disciples, covered in blood. He knew that they were without hope, helpless.

How could he fight back? How could he ensure that the Outer Sect disciples lived to see another day? How could he avoid this disaster…

"As long as I am the Sect Leader of the Reliance Sect, I will not allow outsiders to bully and humiliate us. But there's really no way for me to protect everyone…" His laughter carried sorrow within it, but also a tiny shred of hope.

"Even if you don't exterminate the Reliance Sect, I fear that it cannot continue on for very long. Therefore… as of today, the Reliance Sect is disbanded. I have no further need of these trivial mountains!" He flicked his sleeve and flew up into the air. Looking shocked, Grand Elder Ouyang followed him. They floated in the air, looking down at the Reliance Sect, at what had been their home for so many sixty-year cycles. Their expressions were filled with grief.

"Disciples, hear my order. The Reliance Sect is hereby disbanded! As of now, you are no longer its disciples. This world no longer contains any Reliance Sect!" Veins of blood appeared in his eyes. The twenty or so experts from the State of Zhao began to laugh coldly as they listened to He Luohua's shocking words.

"Are you satisfied?" he asked. "Any treasures or signs here have nothing to do with me, nor with these Sectless pups beneath me. If you dare to hurt anyone, I will detonate the grand protective spell, and then… we can all perish together." His voice was resolute, and the bitterness in his words caused the State of Zhao experts' hearts to quaver a bit.

"Fellow Daoist He, since you have made this decision, of course we will not make things difficult for you," said an old woman from among the six most powerful of the experts. "The Reliance Sect is disbanded. If you step aside, then we will not cause problems for any of the disciples. You can rest at ease." Her gaze was like lightning. As she looked over the Reliance Sect, she could tell that the object from which the sign had originated was located here, but was not being held by any of the people.

Meng Hao looked up into the sky, and as He Luohua's words rang in his ears, he was reminded of the law of the jungle. Despite how powerful the Sect Leader was, he still had been forced to dissolve the Sect.

Chen Fan said nothing, but staggered back a few paces on unsteady legs. Xu Qing lowered her head.

"Hearing the words of the Fellow Daoist from Tianlao, I feel at ease." He Luohua flicked his sleeve, and the grand protective spell dissipated. With that, he made to leave, followed by Grand Elder Ouyang.

Some among the group of people floating in the sky watched He Luohua with glittering eyes, clearly unwilling to allow him to leave. And yet their attention was captured by the prospect of being able to search the Reliance Sect.

Inside the main temple hall, Chen Fan's face was pale. He took a few more steps back, until he was leaning up against the statue of Patriarch Reliance.

At that exact moment, a booming sound filled the sky and a multitude of lightning bolts approaching. A cold laughter rolled out, shocking all the Cultivators to the core. Even the faces of the experts from the State of Zhao appeared shaken.

"No one is permitted to leave," the voice roared. A massive shield suddenly swept over the entire Reliance Sect, covering everything within countless kilometers in ever direction. No one could leave, even if they wanted to.

He Luohua's face changed. He looked up into the sky and caught sight of a massive Feng Shui compass, roughly three hundred meters in diameter. On top of it stood a beautiful woman wearing a luxurious, dark green robe. Her hair was bound by a phoenix hairpin. Dozens of Cultivators surrounded her, most of whom were female, and all of whom were extremely beautiful. Their expressions were arrogant and cold as they looked down.

"Correct, no one is permitted to leave." Suddenly, the air seemed to split, and a large, armored man appeared, laughing. He carried an enormous golden sword slung over his shoulder, and was followed by dozens of people, all of them big and tall, their faces filled with killing intent.

"Zhao Shanling of the Golden Frost Sect, Dao Protector," said the beautiful, middle-aged woman who stood in the center of the Feng Shui compass, her voice cold. "You certainly have a sensitive nose." Her voice rippled out, filling the air.

"If the ladies of the Black Sieve Sect can come," replied Zhao Shanjun with a laugh, "then why can't the men of the Golden Frost Sect?"

Just then, a sigh rang out from outside the massive shield. A cold light shot down from the heavens, and as it approached, it pierced through the shining shield. In through the damaged section shot a flying sword nearly three hundred meters in length.

The primitive-looking, blue-colored sword flew in, surrounding by swirling, intense coldness which caused snowflakes to begin to fall in all the area surrounding the Reliance Sect. Standing on top of the sword was a middle-aged man.

He wore a long scholar's robe, and held his hands clasped behind his back. He was the only person atop the massive sword, but he emanated the aura of a person who could stride among the heavens unhindered by anyone.

"The Solitary Sword Sect!" said He Luohua, his face changing. He knew the identity of this scholar from the Solitary Sword Sect, the number one Sect in the Southern Domain. Their Sect had a saying: Only a solitary sword need leave the Sect, and the Heavens shall be rattled.

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Chapter 42: Who Dares to Touch Him!?

"So, it turns out it's Fellow Daoist Zhou Yanyun," said the beautiful, middle-aged woman, greeting him with clasped hands. Even hulking Zhao Shanling gave him a silent salute in greeting, a look of fear hidden in his face.

Seeing all these sudden developments, Meng Hao's heart began to pound. This was the first time he had seen so many powerful people from so many Sects. He was especially impressed by the appearance of the members of the three Great Sects from the colossal Southern Domain that Chen Fan had told him about.

"The Southern Domain…" Meng Hao sucked in a deep breath. Xu Qing stood next to him looking calm. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking.

In the back of the main temple hall, Chen Fan, pale-faced, sadly lifted his right hand up and pushed down on a hidden spot on the statue.

Immediately, the entrance to Patriarch Reliance's meditation zone closed without a sound and disappeared. Actually, no one inside or outside of the Sect caught any sense whatsoever that this was happening, not even Zhou Yanyun and the others from the Southern Domain.

"Patriarch, Disciple Chen will keep you safe and sound," he said, his voice filled with righteousness. "I will not allow any of these people to disturb your meditation." He was faithful and true to the Sect, willing to protect it even at the greatest risk. When his plan succeeded, he let out a sigh, feeling not even the slightest regret.

Meanwhile, in the secret chamber beneath the Reliance Sect catacombs, Patriarch Reliance watched the proceedings triumphantly, filled with excitement.

"Soon, they will find my meditation zone entrance. Then they will charge in and break open my hidden chamber. At long last, I will no longer be stuck in here." Even as he excitedly spoke these words, his face suddenly changed.

"This… This… Dammit! You… You… What are you doing?!" He watched as Chen Fan, with utmost caution, began to move. Patriarch Reliance watched on in a daze as the entrance to the meditation zone quietly disappeared without a trace. He couldn't believe it.

Of course, the failsafe had been set up by him years ago as a backup in case a powerful adversary arrived. He had passed on the secret to his successors, and it had been handed down through the generations, the method to prevent outsiders from entering the meditation zone.

Once it was activated, no one would be able to find the entrance, excepting for someone at the Spirit Severing stage. At the time he had set it up, he had been filled with pride, for he knew that he would be perfectly safe.

But he had never imagined that this day would arrive, years later. He had actually forgotten about the whole arrangement, but … there were others who had not.

"Damnation! I should have left orders not to accept any people of moral character into the Sect! No righteous people, no good people. Kid, you, you, you…" He sat there in a daze, muttering to himself, wanting to weep, but having no tears to shed. He thought of the stone stele, of his carefully laid plans, of the blood he had sacrificed, and how it was all ruined by one person. Of course, this person's intentions were good, but as he thought about his unflinching bravery and faithful demeanor, Patriarch Reliance began to tremble.

Just when he felt he was at the height of despair, Zhou Yanyun of the Solitary Sword Sect arrived. He gazed over the Sect, casting his senses across it, as did the beautiful woman from the Black Sieve Sect and hulking Zhao Shanling. With their powerful senses, they poured over the Reliance Sect, searching it in thorough detail.

The experts from the State of Zhao watched on in fear. And then, they too began to search about with their senses.

After some time, Zhou Yanyun of the Solitary Sword Sect frowned. He could sense the aura of the Sublime Spirit Scripture within these mountains, but also knew that it was not in the possession of any of the Reliance Sect disciples. He just couldn't find it.

It was not just him. The beautiful woman, as well as Zhao Shanling, also frowned. They descended to the ground and began to search about in person.

The experts from the State of Zhao did the same, and soon people filled the Reliance Sect. Meng Hao and the others were kicked out of the main temple hall, whereupon it was searched to the point of being wrecked. In the sky, the strange sign began to fade, and yet, no one had found even a single clue.

People even descended into the underground areas to search, and yet, they came up empty-handed.

They watched the sign slowly disperse, transforming into a crystalline glow that eventually disappeared. The aura of the Sublime Spirit Scripture disappeared, too, as if it had come and gone with the sign.

The Reliance Sect slowly began to quiet down. No valuable treasures had been found. Even the dragon's cave in the black mountain had been searched. As for the corpse of the dragon, it had been removed some time ago by Wang Tengfei, leaving the cave empty.

As dusk fell, the search reached its conclusion. The three members of the Southern Domain's Great Sects looked somewhat embarrassed. They had expended Spirit Stones to teleport here, and yet had come up empty-handed. They were left with the feeling of loss.

"This kid isn't bad," said Zhou Yanyun, standing on his massive sword, floating in mid-air. His eyes swept across the land, falling onto Chen Fan. "If you are willing to become a disciple of the Solitary Sword Sect, then come with me to the Southern Domain." During his search for the Sublime Spirit Scripture, he had noticed Chen Fan's latent talent, and it had met with his approval. He especially took note of Chen Fan's righteous air, which fell in line with the Cultivation practices of the Solitary Sword Sect.

As he spoke, he lifted a finger, and Chen Fen floated up into the air. In front of the eyes of Meng Hao, Xu Qing, and all the Outer Sect disciples, he drifted toward Zhou Yanyun.

The experts from the State of Zhao looked on in envy, knowing how lucky the young man was. He Luohua and Grand Elder Ouyang looked on silently, their feelings somewhat mixed. In the end, they knew that the Reliance Sect was too small; they would be very happy if an Inner Sect disciple had the chance to walk a better path.

"Disciple Chen Fan…" began Chen Fan, his face filled with conflicting emotions. He looked down at the Reliance Sect, at He Luohua and Grand Elder as they silently nodded their approval. He looked at Meng Hao and Xu Qing. Then, determination filled his face. "I offer my thanks to the good will of the senior generation," he said, lifted his head up as he looked at Zhou Yanyun. "But disciple is a member of the Reliance Sect. In this life, I cannot join another." He knew that if he agreed, he would have much better opportunities in the future. But there are some things that a man just cannot do. For him, there would be only one Sect in his life.

His words seemed to leave the experts from the State of Zhao quite moved. Disciples like this were a treasure to any Sect! And yet, most of them also sported looks of pity on their face. Refusing the Solitary Sword Sect in this manner was courting death.

He Luohua said nothing. He looked at Chen Fan, feeling even more conflicted. He sighed inwardly, wondering how the young man could be so stubborn. There was no need.

Zhou Yanyun's eyes glittered. He stared at Chen Fan for a while, then dryly said: "Do you know what the words 'Solitary Sword Sect' mean in the Southern Domain?"

Chen Fan was silent for a moment, then nodded. He had studied the ancient records, so of course he knew about the Solitary Sword Sect, the number one Sect in the Southern Domain.

"Then you must know my status in the sect." Zhou Yanyun's expression was grim, and his eyes radiated killing intent. Even the sky around him grew dark, as if it were being torn by the power of his aura.

"I know of the Solitary Sword Sect, as well as you, Elder Zhou," said Chen Fan in a soft voice. "Everyone knows you. You are the current generation's Dao Protector. Your Cultivation base is profound, and your name has rocked the Southern Domain."

"So, you know me. Then you know what you are giving up by passing up this opportunity." His voice grew colder, as did the temperature of the air.

"The Solitary Sword Sect has a history tens of thousands of years old. Their Cultivation shrines, their proliferation of powerful experts, the meteoric progress made by the Sect's members, Chen Fan of the junior generation is well aware of all these things." He held his head high, unwilling to back down. His glistening eyes held no sign of regret.

Zhou Yanyun looked at him, then suddenly began to laugh loudly.

"Originally I planned to make you an ordinary Outer Sect disciple. But with a temperament like this… Excellent. Excellent! You will be my personal apprentice!" Zhou Yanyun's smile was filled with admiration. With a flick of a sleeve, he pulled Chen Fan onto the massive sword and prepared to leave.

Seeing the Solitary Sword Sect's actions, the beautiful, middle-aged woman realized that taking a qualified disciple back with her was the only way to prevent this trip from turning out to be a complete loss.

"This girl isn't bad. The Black Sieve Sect wants her."

She had long since taken notice of Xu Qing. She approved of her beauty and coldness. Without waiting for Xu Qing to speak, she bent her finger, pulling her up onto the Feng Shui compass. Everyone watched in envy as she began to transform into a diffraction of light.

Fatty stood there, filing away at his teeth. In his eyes, the Sect being disbanded meant that he was now free. He was filled with a confused happiness. He had only been gone a few years, which meant that when he got back to Yunjie County, the house and the bride that his father had prepared would still be waiting. Soon, he would be able to enjoy the life of a rich person.

"Too bad I won't be able to see Meng Hao. Oh well. We're brothers, so I'll help him pay back the money he owes to Steward Zhou. Eventually, I will absorb the wealth of all the surrounding villages, and then, the entire State of Zhao. Hahaha! I, Li Fugui, will be the richest person in the world!" The more he thought about his plans, the more happier he was. He stood there, filing at his teeth and feeling the anticipation for the future.

Right about then, hulking Zhao Shanling of the Golden frost Sect frowned. He was a bit late in acting. After seeing two of this tiny Sect's Inner Sect disciples taken away, he glanced at Meng Hao. He was a bit taken aback as he noticed a faint trace of a Demonic aura within him. Muttering to himself, his gaze swept the rest of the Sect, whereupon he caught sight of Fatty standing in the crowd of Outer Sect disciples. He stared in astonishment as Fatty filed at his teeth with his flying sword. His eyes shone, and he completely forgot about Meng Hao and his Demonic aura.

"How exactly is this fatty practicing Cultivation? He's managed to develop a set of Spirit Teeth. In our Sect, the technique to develop Spirit Teeth has been lost for eight hundred years. With Spirit Teeth, you can crush Spirit Stones with your mouth, which is necessary to practice THAT technique. It seems this trip wasn't a waste after all. If we take this kid back with us, he will be a true treasure in our Sect." His eyes glittering fiercely, Zhao Shanling lifted his right hand and snatched up the stupefied Fatty. "Kid, from now on, you are an Inner Sect disciple of the Southern Domain's Golden Frost Sect." He tossed wide-eyed Fatty into a gray-colored sack. Fatty's shrill cries could be heard faintly as he disappeared inside.

Zhao Shanling turned. Followed by his retinue, he headed toward the immaterial fissure.

And thus, he, along with Zhou Yanyun and the beautiful woman from the Black Sieve Sect, all prepared to take their leave.

But then, Zhao Shanling suddenly remembered something. He turned back to look at the Reliance Sect, and his gaze came to rest on Meng Hao.

As he did, he stopped in his tracks, shocked. The beautiful woman from the Black Sieve Sect, as well as Zhou Yanyun, also stopped.

Meng Hao began to tremble. As the hulking man looked at him, it seemed as if he could see through him completely, as if his vision could pierce to his deepest parts, even to the Demonic Core which rested in his Core lake.

"This is…" the hulking man's eyes narrowed, then began to shine. A moment ago, he hadn't cared at all about this weak-looking disciple and had only thought to take Fatty. But something caught his eye about Meng Hao. He turned, and began to walk toward him.

"I want this kid too!" he said in a booming voice. Meng Hao's face turned cold, and he felt as if his body were about to shatter into pieces. His Core lake seethed, and the Demonic Core felt as if it were about to be ripped out of his body by some invisible force.

Pain filled him, and he broke out in a cold sweat. He once again felt as if his body were being crushed, and he clenched his fists tightly. There was nothing he could do.

At that exact moment, a booming sound rang out from within the Reliance Sect. It was a voice, so powerful that it shook the heavens and earth. In the midst of moving upon Meng Hao, Zhou Yanyun and the beautiful middle-aged woman, as well as the hulking man, suddenly looked shocked. They turned their heads, their eyes filled with astonishment.

"I have one heir left in the Reliance Sect. Who dares to touch him!?"

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Chapter 43: The Sole Heir

Patriarch Reliance sat in his secret chamber in the Reliance Sect catacombs, his hair disheveled, his eyes red. He looked as if he had gone mad. His plans were about to go awry; in moments, everyone would leave, and if that happened, they wouldn't come back. He watched in sorrow as the Golden Frost Sect Cultivator began to make a move towards his only remaining Inner Sect disciple. Fury rose in him, and without holding anything back from his Cultivation base, he sent his voice thundering out.

It shook the Heavens and stirred up a gale-forced wind which swept back and forth. In the wild mountains surrounding the Reliance Sect, trees were uprooted as the tempest battered the land. Many other trees were simply splintered into pieces until the tempest became a dark green color, filled with flashing lightning. The experts from the State of Zhao floated in mid-air looking on, dumb with amazement.

Even Zhou Yanyun from the Solitary Sword Sect looked confused. Carrying Chen Fan's unconscious form in his arm, he retreated. The massive sword began to hum, and then he was surrounded by multitudinous sword auras.

The beautiful woman from the Black Sieve Sect also looked surprised. She retreated, reaching down to slap the surface of the Feng Shui compass. It suddenly expanded to twice its original size.

As for Zhao Shanling from the Golden Frost Sect, he took a deep breath and retreated backward, his fingers moving in incantation patterns. The golden sword flew out from behind him, and his entire body glowed with a golden light, making him look like some sort of celestial general.

The three of them stared around at the Reliance Sect, as if they were facing a deadly opponent.

Meng Hao, who still stood on the East Mountain, looked at this change of events, at the dark green tempest which filled the sky with its deafening roar, filled with unparalleled might. He found it difficult to breathe. His eyes wide, he moved backwards, his clothing whipping in the frenzied wind. He grabbed onto a boulder and held on, lest he be sucked up by the wind. And yet, his eyes shined. Patriarch Reliance's words just now had reminded him of what he had read on the first page of the manual all those years ago when he had first arrived at the Reliance Sect.

He Luohua and Grand Elder Ouyang also looked surprised. This turn of events was too sudden, shocking them to the extent that it almost seemed as if their Cultivation bases would crumble under the might of the tempest.

"Let it be known, the Patriarch is still here!" roared Patriarch Reliance, deep in the catacombs. "No one is permitted to touch the kid surnamed Meng! He is my only Inner Sect disciple left. If he dies, I will have no hope!!" Gritting his teeth, he slapped the top of his head, and his body shook. He spat out a mass of blood, then continued to hit himself over and over again, spitting out more and more blood. His body began to spin.

A look of hatred appeared in his eyes. After hitting himself seven or eight times, a massive amount of blood had been spat out. It congealed together, then shot toward the stone wall with a resounding boom. It banged against the wall, and nearly half of it was gone by the time it was able to punch through.

Having accomplished this, Patriarch Reliance's head tilted to the side and he slipped into unconsciousness. He almost seemed dead, as if only the refined blood contained his awareness.

The refined blood burst out from the secret chamber and through the catacombs. Outside, in plain view of the awestruck bystanders, it spread out to cover the entire Reliance Sect into a roiling red fog. Within the mists of the fog boomed the sound of lightning as it continued to expand. In an instant, it had covered the surrounding mountainous region for countless kilometers in every direciton. From the outside, it appeared as if the entire area had turned into a red sea of fog!

The fog churned and the roaring sound lifted into the skies. All of the Cultivators present were stunned, and their shock was visible on their faces, even Zhou Yanyun and the others.

Within the red fog, the Reliance Outer Sect disciples all lapsed into unconsciousness, uninjured. On the other hand, Sect Leader He Luohua and Grand Elder Ouyang were pushed away, out of the fog. Their faces went pale as they watched on in astonishment.

The fog roiled ceaselessly, and the thunderous roar continued on until it seemed there was nothing in the world except its resonant booming. The land was like an ocean of fog, the sky colorless. Then, the fog began to move, forming together into a gigantic face.

The size of the face left everyone filled with fear.

The face was that of an old man, calm, powerful and domineering. His eyes were closed, but as soon as He Luohua and Grand Elder Ouyang saw him, their heads began to spin. They recognized this as none other than… Patriarch Reliance

"Patriarch…" said Grand Elder Ouyang, his eyes wide, filled with excitement.

"He… He's not dead after all!!" The experts from the State of Zhao cried out in alarm, their faces draining of blood. One after another, they fled, their hearts trembling.

Suddenly, Patriarch Reliance's colossal red-fog face opened its eyes a crack. They opened just a sliver, and yet they emitted a trembling power which seemed as if it could crack open the earth.

He glanced up at the Heavens, and they seemed to be bloodshot. As his gaze swept around, the dark green tempest smashed into the red fog, seemingly transforming into Patriarch Reliance's long, dark hair.

As he watched this, Zhou Yanyun's face went pale and he spat out a mouthful of blood. As he retreated backwards his massive sword suddenly split in two, leaving behind only a stump of a blade. His eyes filled with dread, and his heart pounded. His Cultivation base was at the Nascent Soul stage, but caught underneath this gaze, his Nascent Soul began to wither. He retreated even faster, pulling out a blue-colored talisman, which he activated. It covered his body, as well as unconscious Chen Fan, as he sped off into the distance. A powerful voice seemed to echo in his heart, telling him that his opponent was not at the Nascent Soul stage, but rather, the almighty Spirit Severing stage.

As the beautiful woman from the Black Sieve Sect saw all of this happening, the Feng Shui compass beneath her suddenly began to emit popping sounds, and was riddled with cracks. Then it exploded into pieces. This woman had never been so afraid. Spitting out blood, she retreated with an unconscious Xu Qing. The only thing that filled her mind was: flee!

As for tall, hulking Zhao Shanling, his body seemed as if it were being attacked by a falling mountain. He retreated backwards, coughing up blood. The golden sword in front of him shattered into fragments. His face pale, he turned and dashed away, fleeing toward the immaterial crack.

The experts from the State of Zhao all spit up blood. The Foundation Establishment stage Cultivators felt the spiritual energy in their body snapping, and they knew their longevity had been damaged. Their faces grew wan.

On top of the East Mountain, the red fog curled around Meng Hao, circling around his waist. Face pale, he continued to grip the boulder. To the onlookers, however, Meng Hao's position was exactly in the middle of Patriarch Reliance's forehead.

"You forced my Reliance Sect to disband, and you've attempted to slaughter my only heir! You truly have gall!" His world-shaking voice boomed out in all directions, and as it did, three red beams of light shot out, shooting straight toward Zhou Yanyun, the beautiful woman and the hulking man from the Golden Frost Sect.

"I, Zhou, am an Elder of the Solitary Sword Sect, a Protector of the Dao. If Patriarch Reliance kills me, the Solitary Sword Sect will destroy you!"

"Patriarch Reliance, please cease your anger. Junior is a disciple of the Black Sieve Sect, my grandfather is Ping Sandao, your good friend!"

"Junior was mistaken, Patriarch, please calm your anger."

Words poured out of the three people as the red light pursued them; Patriarch Reliance let out a cold snort.

"Beat it, you three!" The three red beams disappeared. "Go back and ask your Sect Elders if they've forgotten about the Blood Pact we made all those years ago. The State of Zhao is my realm. Anyone who dares step foot here cannot blame me for annihilating them. As for those three other disciples, take them away, I don't need them." Their faces pale, the three Southern Domain disciples disappeared.

Seeing this, the State of Zhao Cultivators froze in place, trembling. Seeing Nascent Soul stage Cultivators act like that left them petrified. The most powerful among them was only at the Foundation Establishment stage.

The thousand-year-old legends about Patriarch Reliance had now come to being in front of their very eyes.

As the powerful, domineering voice boomed out, the fog began to roil and spin, with Meng Hao as its center. The fog congealed in front of him to form a long spear.

It was not red, but instead covered with talismanic inscribing of white, silver and gold. It appeared to be incredibly extraordinary.

"The Reliance Sect has been dissolved. So be it. But this kid is my only Inner Sect heir. If anyone dares to touch him…" His attention turned to Meng Hao. "In that case, Meng Hao, use this spear to exterminate that person! All of you, beat it!" His voice echoed out across the land. The State of Zhao experts immediately fled. What they didn't seem to notice was that Patriarch Reliance's voice had grown noticeably weaker. It was barely noticeable, but if one paid careful attention, it was definitely weaker.

The unconscious Outer Sect disciples suddenly lifted up into the air and flew away in all directions. Then, a turbulent, blood-red glow enveloped the entire Reliance Sect. No onlooker would have been able to see it, but Meng Hao could.

He Luohua and Grand Elder Ouyang watched on in a daze. Finally, shame appeared on He Luohua's face. He lowered his head and saluted respectfully toward the blood-red shield. Then, he let out a light sigh, turned, and disappeared into the distance.

Grand Elder Ouyang was silent. One by one, he took the Outer Sect disciples out into the wild mountains. Then he looked at the Reliance Sect from a distance. With a sigh, he departed.

He and He Luohua both knew that with the Patriarch's acknowledgment of the dissolution of the Sect, there was no longer such thing as the Reliance Sect.

Meng Hao stood within the blood-red glow, looking excited. He looked at the spear, which emitted a white, silver and golden glow. Suddenly and inexplicably, the spear, completely of its own volition, shot forward, combining with the fog to transform into the image of an old man in a red robe. It was Patriarch Reliance.

Clasping his hands in salute, Meng Hao said, "Disciple Meng Hao pays respects to the Patriarch." Without even thinking about it, he began a flood of eloquence: "You cast awe into the hearts of the people of the State of Zhao, and your name is even known in the Southern Domain. I have revered you ever since I joined the Sect. Every day I pay homage to your words from the beginning of the manual. I have constantly reaped rewards…"

"Very well, very well. You haven't done well in your studies. Let me tell you, kid, when I was your age, my flattery sounded much more natural than yours. Don't try to pull that stuff off on me." Patriarch Reliant glared at him, yet inwardly was a bit moved.

Meng Hao looked at him with a sheepish smile.

"Even though it's useless to flatter me, well I… never mind. Listen up. I was only able to use a sliver of my consciousness, so it wasn't easy to scare off those damned Nascent Soul stage Cultivators. I don't have much time at the moment before this form disappears." As he spoke, he began to grow more and more indistinct. "I need to rest for a year. When that year is up, you must use any means possible to attract every expert of the Foundation Establishment stage or higher from the State of Zhao to come to my meditation zone. If you can accomplish this, then I will give you an incredible reward!" He raised his hand and pointed a finger at Meng Hao.

Instantly, information entered Meng Hao's mind, and he now knew how to open the entrance to the meditation zone.

"Kid, you are the only heir to my Reliance Sect. Don't get yourself killed. If you get killed, I will have to find a concubine to bury with you… I… I find it annoying to have to…" The sound of his voice continued to echo about, but his body had dissipated. Not a shadow remained.

Meng Hao stared blankly for some time before recovering. It was at this point that he realized that everything which had happened had been Patriarch Reliance's attempt to scare away the outsiders.

"So he didn't kill those three people… But, what happened to the spear he was going to give me?"

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Chapter 44: The North Sea Reveals the Dao

In the entire expansive Reliance Sect, only Meng Hao remained, standing alone on the East Mountain. He watched the red light fade away, then lowered his head. The formerly bustling Outer Sect was now empty.

Elder Sister Xu had been taken away. Elder Brother Chen had gone to the Southern Domain. Even Fatty was gone. He had no idea when he would see them again. Would it be months? Years?

His status as an Inner Sect disciple, his three years in the Reliance Sect, they all became memories. The twisting autumn wind hit his face and lifted up his hair, blowing away the dust that had settled there.

He quietly sat down on the boulder. A long time passed, and eventually the stars peeked out one by one. Then dawn came. Meng Hao sighed and lifted his head.

"They're all gone… and here I am, still in the State of Zhao." Suddenly, Meng Hao missed home. Even though he had gotten rid of his old ancestral house in Yunjie County, he still missed his old bed and dilapidated bowls. Even more so, he missed Mount Daqing. He missed… he missed his kind, smiling mother, and his father, who had always seemed afraid of his mother.

It was all somewhat vague. Meng Hao shook his head, and as the rays of dawn crept out, he stood up. There was no need to search the Reliance Sect. Everything worth taking was long gone, pillaged by the experts from the State of Zhao. It was all was empty.

Meng Hao patted the dust off his clothes, then changed out of his Inner Sect silver robe, back into the scholar's gown he had worn all those years ago. It was a spacious robe, but as he put it on, it felt a bit small. He stared at the rising sun and let out a sigh. Deep within him, his golden Core Lake seemed to bubble, and within it, the Demonic Core emitted spiritual power that filled and replenished his body.

"I'm not too far from the seventh level of Qi Condensation. I can feel the bottleneck." He walked forward, slapping his bag of holding. Two flying swords emerged and floated down to his feet. He glided down the mountain and left the Reliance Sect.

Using this technique with the flying swords granted him the ability of flight. But similar to Elder Sister Xu with her Wind Pennant, it was only temporary flight, nothing long term.

Meng Hao moved ever more swiftly, speeding along throughout the mountain forests. Finally, he was able to leave the Reliance Sect region, a place he hadn't left for three years. He flew throughout the seemingly endless wild mountains, eventually disappearing over the horizon.

Time passed, and maintaining his original speed, Meng Hao eventually emerged from the mountainous region after two days.

"I'm not sure how long it took Elder Sister Xu to bring me to the Sect," he muttered to himself, looking back at the mountains. "It was a few days, but I was unconscious. In any case, I think her speed at that time would have been similar to my own now."

To Cultivators, the State of Zhao is not very large. But to mortals, it is actually quite a vast region. In his studies, he had read about its geography, and though he had never personally travelled about in it, he was nevertheless somewhat familiar with the area.

"As of now I'm in the north of the State of Zhao. I shouldn't be too far from Yunjie County." Off in the distance, he could see what looked almost like a mirror laying on the flat land. That would be what was referred to as the North Sea.

"Now that I think about it, with a Wind Pennant, and being at the seventh level of Qi Condensation, Elder Sister Xu could fly temporarily, but it would drain her spiritual power relatively quickly. She couldn't have flown very far away." Meng Hao's eyes flickered with longing. He had been away from Yunjie County for three years, and his desire to return was growing stronger. He knew that after crossing the North Sea, he would be about a half-day's walk from Mount Daqing.

Breathing in deeply, he proceeded onward, eventually arriving at the shore of the North Sea. He looked down, and on the surface of the calm lake, he could see his reflection in the water. He was no longer a youth. He looked to be about 20 years of age. His face appeared steadfast and resolute, completely different from the ignorant, immature Meng Hao of the past.

Amidst the silence, a warm, hearty laugh rang out, breaking Meng Hao's train of thought.

"Hello, young sir, do you wish to cross the sea?" A small boat slid across the water, guided toward Meng Hao by an old man wearing a woven rush raincoat. His face was covered with the evidence of a life of hardship, but he spoke with a smile.

"I do not wish to trouble you, old sir," said Meng Hao, looking surprised. He hadn't been called 'young sir' for three years now.

"It's no trouble," said the old man. "I've been ferrying people across the ocean for many years. I really admire young, talented scholars like yourself." He pushed the boat up next to Meng Hao, who leaped easily onto the deck, offering his thanks.

There was a young girl inside the boat, seven or eight years old, her hair done up in two pigtails. She squatted in front of a little oven, tannings its flames as she boiled water. Steam wafted up.

Inside the pot of water was a bottle of alcohol.

"This is my granddaughter," said the old man as he turned the boat around. "Too bad she's a girl. If she were a boy, I would have sent her off to be a scholar. Young sir," he said with a smile, "where are you from?" The boat headed out toward the center of the lake. As the wind sprang up, the old man sat down next to the oven.

The little girl looked up at Meng Hao, her wide eyes innocent and charming.

"I am a young scholar from Yunjie County," Meng Hao said with a smile. "Below Mount Daqing." This type of mortal life caused him to think of his life from before, three years ago.

"Yunjie County, that's a good place! Great men lend their glory to a location. Many years ago, an auspicious sign appeared there. It even arose the notice of the officials." The old man picked up the bottle of alcohol. "This weather is turning cold and my body can't take it. Here, have a drink." He extended the bottle toward Meng Hao. "Can you drink?"

Meng Hao knew the auspicious sign to which he referred. It had been ten years before, the day before his parents went missing. When he thought of this, his heart grew a bit melancholy. He hesitated for a moment, looking at the bottle. He had never drank alcohol before. Back in Yunjie County, he had lived in poverty, and there had been no alcohol in the Reliance Sect. He lifted up a glass and allowed the man to fill it, then took a drink.

A spicy warmth suddenly filled his heart, then slowly spread out through his body.

"Old sir, your conversation topics are somewhat out of the ordinary. Have you been running a ferry here for a long time?" Meng Hao gazed at the rippling green waves, then took another drink of alcohol. The alcohol burned its way down, and he thought of the Reliance Sect, of Elder Sister Xu, Elder Brother Chen and Fatty.

"Twenty years," replied the old man with a laugh. "In my life, I've ferried many, many people across this North Sea. I've seen a lot of things, and of course, I've learned a lot about how people tend to have conversations. Please, don't laugh at me. Who knows how many years this lake has been here? It's seen a lot of people too. People remember it, and it remembers the people." The old man lifted his glass and took a drink.

Meng Hao stared at him for a moment. This was the first time he had ever heard someone speak in such a fashion. He looked back at the lake, muttering to himself, seemingly lost in thought.

"This is obviously a lake," he said suddenly. "Why do people call it the North Sea?"

The old man thought for a moment, then smiled. "Lakes can dry up, grow quiet, and become still. If that happened, no living things would remain. But seas last forever, and can contain the water of countless rivers and lakes. Maybe people just didn't want the lake to ever go away, so they named it that way. When all is said and done, if you believe it's a lake, then it's a lake. If you believe it's a sea, then it's a sea."

When he heard the old man's words, Meng Hao's mind suddenly trembled. The hand holding the glass of alcohol began to quiver, and he stared out at the lake water, almost in a trance. He seemed to lose track of time.

Time passed, and the boat reached the shore. Meng Hao pulled out some silver that he had acquired from one of the disciples back at the Reliance sect and paid the fare. He gave the old man a deep bow of respect, then watched as the boat drifted off. His eyes shined with a strange light.

He didn't leave, but instead sat down cross-legged on the lakeshore, looking out at the waters, and the lone boat disappearing into the distance. He could hear the old man laughing.

"If you believe it's a lake, then it's a lake. If you believe it's a sea, then it's a sea…" The old man's voice echoed across the distance. It seemed as if… he were not disappearing into the distance, but rather… merging into it….

Meng Hao sat there in a trance, taking it all in. He sat for three days straight.

He didn't move at all during that time, instead staring silently at the lake, the old man's words echoing in his mind.

"Lakes can dry up, grow quiet, become still. If that happened, no living things would remain. But seas last forever, and can contain the water of countless rivers and lakes…" Meng Hao's eyes suddenly lit up. The golden Core Lake within him seemed boundless, but in his eyes it was still a lake.

"If I believe it's a lake, then it's a lake. If I believe it's a sea, then from now on… let it be a sea!" A thunderous sound filled him, and the Core Lake began to seethe and churn. Without the aid of any medicinal pills whatsoever, it suddenly expanded.

Meng Hao wasn't aware of any of this. His eyes were closed tightly; he had entered a strange state. The old man's words filled his mind. He didn't notice it, but around him, the boundless Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth had begun to gurgle up, surrounding his body and then entering it. Waves broke out across the North Sea, and within its churning arose a massive amount of Spiritual Energy, which rushed forth and surrounded Meng Hao.

The North Sea was revealing the Dao!

If, at this moment, a Core Formation Cultivator could see what was happening, he would be thoroughly shocked.This type of Dao enlightenment was only possible for someone at the Spirit Severing stage. In addition, it required a huge amount of fortune and luck. Yet here was Meng Hao, already reaching out to the threshold!

The reason he could succeed in this was in large part due to the Demonic Core within him. It was the Core of a Flying Rain-Dragon, an ancient beast whose tail could transform into a Demon. Actually, that year in which he had dreamed of the Flying Rain-Dragon, Meng Hao had already reached Dao enlightenment.

Three days passed, and finally Meng Hao opened his eyes. They glowed with a golden light. Within him, his Core Lake had increased by a shocking double. As he examined it, Meng Hao realized that this was no lake. This was a Core sea!

He believed it to be a sea, therefore… it was a sea!

The seawater roared, and waves whipped about. The Demonic Core, as stable as ever in the depths, emitted Spiritual Energy which filled Meng Hao's entire body. Using the techniques he had learned from the Sublime Spirit Scripture, he circulated the energy. His body began to glow with a golden light, as if something had suddenly broken out within him. The golden light emanated around him for nine meters in every direction.

Amidst the roaring, Meng Hao's Cultivation base suddenly climbed upwards, breaking through the sixth level bottleneck directly into the seventh level of Qi Condensation.

Even though he had just broken through to the seventh level, his power was the same as if he had already reached its peak. This was because in his dantian region was not a Core Lake, but a Core sea!

Earlier, the Spiritual Energy which had built up in the North Sea for countless years had suddenly surged forth as if to help Meng Hao make his breakthrough.

Gradually, the Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth which surrounded him began to dissipate, as did the North Sea's Spiritual Energy. Slowly, the golden glow which emanated from Meng Hao also began to fade, and slowly he returned to his usual appearance. He sat there cross-legged. The golden light eventually left his eyes, although they continued to sparkle brightly.

He slowly stood up and looked out at the North Sea. With clasped hands, he saluted the sea deeply. His mind was filled with descriptions he had read about in the Reliance Sect's Magic Pavilion, of the various Demonic creatures of the Nanshan Continent. Wherever demons existed, there would be demons that appeared as mountains, demons that appeared as rivers, and demons that appeared as plants and animals.

"Today, the North Sea revealed the Dao. One day when my Cultivation base is high enough, I will return here and help you become a sea!" He gazed out at the North Sea. He wasn't sure whether or not this lake, which desired to be a sea, might be like the descriptions he had read about, something with life, a demonic life.

Regardless, it had helped him make a breakthrough in his Cultivation base, helped him turn his Core Lake into a Core sea. He must repay the kindness. There was only one way: to help this lake become a sea!

After some time passed, Meng Hao turned and strode toward Mount Daqing.

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Chapter 45: A Look Back at the Mortal World after Three Years

Autumn wind curled around Mount Daqing in the north of the State of Zhao. Most of the rattan vines had dried and withered, and leaves floated down from the mountain into the river below. Perhaps they, like that gourd bottle from years ago, would eventually reach the Milky Way Sea and then float on to the Great Tang in the Eastern Lands.

Beneath Mount Daqing lay three counties. Yunjie County was the most flourishing of the three. It wasn't very large, but it bustled with people. When market day came, people from the whole mountain region gathered there, and a hubbub of voices would fill the air.

On this day, a young man wearing a clean, blue scholar's robe walked into Yunjie, seemingly restless with emotion. Though he was a stranger, his face looked familiar. It was, of course, Meng Hao.

He walked down the familiar streets, passing houses and shops. As he strolled through the mortal world, he recalled many things from the past. This place contained his memories from childhood, the lonely bitterness of his youth, and his stubborn attachment to his studies. So many unforgettable events.

Passing a large courtyard, he said, "That would be where Miss Sun lives…." The walls which had seemed so tall in the past, now looked somewhat short. Past the walls were Miss Sun's bedchambers, a place that had been the subject of many fantasies in the past.

He had often imagined that Steward Sun would take a liking to him, and then offer him Lady Sun's hand in marriage. She was rumored to be as beautiful as a goddess.

Three years had passed, not a very long time, but to Meng Hao, it seemed as if an entire generation had come and gone.

Shaking his head emotionally, he was about to move on, when suddenly the main doors of the Sun mansion opened and a sedan chair emerged. Meng Hao stopped. How often in the past had he looked into the courtyard, hoping to catch a glimpse into Lady Sun's bedchamber? His eyes flickered as he gazed at the sedan chair. The wind suddenly lifted the screen curtain of the sedan, and he saw an extremely fat girl inside, her face covered with dark spots. She was young. Meng Hao's jaw dropped.

If he hadn't recognized the serving girl next to her, he would never have believed that the young woman was actually Miss Sun.

The sedan chair disappeared into the distance, and Meng Hao continued walking, feeling a bit regretful.

"I just destroyed the image of my dream lover…" he said, shaking his head. "Well, the sages were right: avert the gaze from inappropriateness. I shouldn't have looked, shouldn't have looked." A look of pity appeared on his face as he walked away.

Around noon, Meng Hao found himself staring blankly at a large house off in the distance. It was worn-out and dilapidated and there were clearly people living inside. He could hear noise drifting out from inside. It sounded like the occupants were arguing.

This was Meng Hao's ancestral residence. Years ago, he had been destitute, and was forced to sell it. Inside that house were many beautiful and happy memories from the past, as well as the bitter, yet empowering memories from the time after his parents went missing.

Image after image appeared in Meng Hao's mind. He stood there until dusk began to fall.

Silently, he approached the door, raised his hand, and knocked.

The knock silenced the din of argument that had continued unceasingly throughout the afternoon. After a moment the door opened. A middle-aged man stood there, frowning. His face was covered with lines from a lifetime of hardships.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

"Uncle Li…?" said Meng Hao quietly, looking at the man in front of him.

"You…" the middle-aged man stared in surprise. He looked closely at Meng Hao, and then a look of disbelief filled his eyes. "Meng Hao? You… Where have you been? Come in!" With a look of pleasant surprise, the man dragged Meng Hao into the house.

"Wife, come see who it is!"

A middle-aged woman sat inside, tears in her eyes. When she heard her husband's words, and saw Meng Hao, she gaped for a moment, then rose to her feet, her eyes beaming with joy.

"It really is Meng Hao…" said the man.

"Child, everyone said you just up and left that year. Let Auntie have a look at you." She stood in front of him, looking him up and down, her eyes filled with happiness. She seemed to have forgotten the afternoon spent arguing. "I haven't seen you for years. You've grown taller, but, ai, you're so skinny. You must have endured a lot over the years.

"Here, have a seat. Auntie will cook a few dishes for you. You just got back, stay a while. You may have sold this place to your Uncle Li, but it's still your home." She gave a kind, happy smile to Meng Hao, then glared at the man and went into the kitchen.

Soon, the table was filled with food. Looking at the couple in front of him, and the kindness in their eyes, it reminded him of the times after his parents had gone missing. Without the help of Uncle and Aunt Li, things would have been much more difficult for him.

"The harvests haven't been good these years," said Aunt Li, serving some food to Meng Hao. "We gave our house to our son so that he could get married. Since this place was empty, we moved here." She gave him a kind look. "Where have you been all these years? We looked all over for you, but were never able to find you."

Meng Hao listened to them talk and felt their kindness in his heart. He told them a somewhat vague story of traveling to a different part of the nation to study. After the meal was finished, he gave the couple a deep bow.

"Uncle Li, Aunt Li, I would like to repurchase my ancestral home. After all, my mother and father left it for me. Here are some pieces of silver. You two can continue living here and help take care of the place." He pulled out some pieces of silver from within his robe and put them down.

"This…" Uncle Li hesitated, looking at his wife. Aunt Li said nothing, but after a moment passed, nodded.

"You're right," she said resolutely. "This house is yours, left to you by your father and mother. Your Uncle Li and I are getting old, so as you suggest, we will stay here. But we don't need the silver. We looked after you as you grew up. You're like our own child! How could we take your money?" She put the silver pieces back into Meng Hao's hand.

Meng Hao didn't say anything, instead clasping his hands and bowing deeply to them once again.

He didn't stay for the night. Instead, he gathered together some things from the house that contained memories, then made his farewells and slipped off into the darkness of the night. He didn't take the silver with him. He left it on the bed.

Later, he sat cross-legged on a bed in an inn, looking out at the night sky. He sighed.

"I'm no longer part of the mortal world, and yet, it's hard to sever all the ties." He closed his eyes. "Well, if they can't be severed, then I shall just let them remain."

At dawn the next morning, Meng Hao found the Wang Family carpenter shop. There, he saw an aged Uncle Wang, his face full of wrinkles, sitting in the shop staring at nothing. In front of him was a wood carving that looked just like Wang Youcai. Uncle Wang's face seemed to be filled with an indelible sorrow.

Meng Hao thought for a moment. He wasn't sure whether or not Wang Youcai was dead. After being promoted to the Inner Sect, he had sought out Little Tiger, then gone to inspect the area where Wang Youcai had fallen off the cliff. He hadn't been able to find any clues regarding what had happened.

With a sigh, Meng Hao walked into the carpenter shop.

Sensing that someone had arrived, Uncle Wang lifted his head. When he saw Meng Hao, he stared in surprise. Rubbing his eyes, he stood up, trembling.

"You… You're… Meng Hao?"

"Uncle Wang, it's me." Meng Hao reached out to support the old man.

"Where is Youcai?" he asked. It seemed he hadn't forgotten the details about what happened that year. Looking at Meng Hao, he suddenly seemed excited. "You both went missing at the same time that year. Where is he…?"

"Youcai wasn't able to return, so he asked me to send a message for him," said Meng Hao with a smile. "He'll be back in a few years. You can rest at ease, sir. Youcai is living very well." He helped Uncle Wang into his chair, then sat with him for a while chatting. He told him that they had gone off to study, and Youcai was so talented that he wanted to continue studying for some time before returning.

Tears of excitement rolled down Uncle Wang's face. He listened to Meng Hao's story, nodding, and it seemed as if some of the wrinkles on his face disappeared. Meng Hao continued to tell some interesting anecdotes, and the old man smiled.

"That kid was always smart. He never wanted to study carpentry from me. He would spend all day thinking about other things. Good, good. If he can go out to study, it's a good thing." Uncle Wang's smile widened. Around noon, Meng Hao left, escorted to the door personally by Uncle Wang.

Little Tiger and Fatty weren't from Yunjie County, but rather the other two surrounding counties. Meng Hao wasn't very familiar with Little Tiger, but felt confident that he could take care of himself. On the other hand, he definitely had to go pay a visit to Fatty's family to let them know he was doing well.

Fatty was most likely in the Southern Domain. Meng Hao sighed inwardly.

That afternoon, he went looking for Steward Zhou, but couldn't find him. After asking around, he learned that Steward Zhou had moved his household away about half a year ago. People said he'd moved to the capital city of the State of Zhao. Learning this, Meng Hao made no further inquiries, and left Yunjie County.

There were many memories here, but Meng Hao knew that as soon as he had entered the Reliance Sect, his path lay in the direction of the State of Zhao, and the Southern Domain.

He left in silence, taking with him only a few items which he stored in his bag of holding: some pots and bowls, and some bed quilts. The pots and bowls had been given to him by his father as a gift, and the bed quilts had been quilted by his mother. To Meng Hao, these things were priceless.

There were three counties below Mount Daqing. In addition to Yunjie County, there was Yunhai County and Yunkai County. Fatty's home was in Yunkai.

It was smaller than Yunjie, and although it was not as bustling, it was surrounded by vast tracts of land and was therefore quite a wealthy place. This was especially true of the handful of great families, who controlled sizeable properties and wealth.

Fatty's father was the famous Moneybags Li of Yunkai County. From what Fatty had told him in the past, his family employed several hundred workers, and you could spend an entire day walking through the family compound, which was filled with menservants and maidservants.

He had said his chamberpot was made of silver, his quilts purchased from the capital city of the State of Zhao, and that from childhood, maidservants would heat his bed for him before he slept. That arrangement had continued as he grew up, and he said he couldn't even remember how many maidservants he'd touched in his life. In any case, he had never lacked for want of anything, all the way down until the time his marriage had been arranged. His fiancée was an extremely beautiful young woman from a family of famous scholars in Yunkai. His father had put a lot of thought, and money, into successfully arranging the matter.

As he thought back to Fatty's expression when he talked about it, Meng Hao smiled. He walked into Yunkai County.

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Chapter 46: Three Long Spears

Meng Hao had been to Yunkai County a few times before. Usually it was when he needed to buy pens, ink, paper and inkstones. Perhaps because the excess of wealth in the village prompted a demand for scholarly embellishments, the price of writing supplies was cheaper than average.

Even though three years had passed, the place looked just like before. As Meng Hao walked down the streets, he couldn't help but notice that outside of many of the shops hung lanterns, upon which the character "Li" was written in sweeping calligraphy.

From what Fatty had said, his father was the richest person in Yunkai, and actually owned about half of the county. And it wasn't just land they owned, but business, all of which were marked with the character "Li."

After asking around, he determined the location of Fatty's house and headed in that direction. The sun was beginning to sink over the horizon, turning the sky dark and covering the land with a soft glow.

It didn't take long for him to reach the east end of Yunkai County, where he saw a massive estate, filled with a veritable forest of grand buildings. Above the main door, which was guarded by retainers, was a board inscribed with the words "Li Mansion." The lively sound of singing and dancing could be heard from within.

Meng Hao's body flashed, and he was inside.

The mansion was a large, surrounding an inner courtyard where singers and dancers were currently putting on a show. Meng Hao caught sight of an extremely fat, middle-aged man wearing a luxurious robe. He closely resembled Fatty; this was obviously his father. Sitting next to him was a young man whose face was covered with a prudent expression.

He seemed wildly arrogant, and wore expensive garments, yet his body looked a bit frail, as if he had worn himself out with too much wine and women. He held a wine cup in his hand, and a somewhat indecent expression shone in his eyes as he looked over the singers and dancers.

"Still not here yet?" said the young man, frowning. His tone of voice was both cold and bored.

"Any moment, any moment," said Fatty's father, looking extremely embarrassed, but forcing an obsequious smile onto his face. "Young Lord Zhao, please just wait a bit longer. My daughter-in-law tends to take things slowly." Even as the words came out of his mouth, several maidservants appeared in the distance. Walking behind them was a young woman. She wore a long, gauzy garment, and her hair was put up with phoenix hairpins. Her appearance was pure and beautiful, and yet there was a look of fear on her face; as she approached she seemed to shiver as if she were cold.

"Father…" she said as she approached. She bowed in greeting.

"Xiang'er, this is the young Lord from the house of Zhao in Yunhai County," said Fatty's father softly. "Why don't you toast him?" He looked at his daughter-in-law apologetically. Even though his son had been missing for years, she continued to wait for him to return, never complaining. She treated her father-in-law with utmost filial piety.

"Greetings, young Lord Zhao," said the girl softly, lowering her head. She was afraid, but she knew that the family was not in a good position at the moment. She lifted up the wine pot and poured some wine into a cup, which she extended to him with both hands.

He looked at her, his eyes shining brightly. He swallowed hard. The girl was shockingly beautiful, and in his heart, he was already prepared to make some trouble. A lecherous smile appeared on his face. He accepted the wine up and then tried to grab her hand. The girl stepped back, frightened, causing the cup to tumble to the floor.

"How dare you!" shouted young Lord Zhao, his eyes blazing. He kicked over the table, sending wine and food scattering about. He pointed at Fatty's father. "You listen to me, Li Dafu. My younger brother is back, and he's an Immortal now. He wants your property, not your lives! I felt pity for you and spoke kindly of you to him, but then you humiliate me like this!?"

"Young Lord Zhao, this…" Fatty's father hastily tried to speak.

"Shut the hell up! Let me tell you, this matter isn't finished! If you know what's good for you, you'll have your daughter-in-law spend the night with me. If she pleases me, then I'll say some more nice things about you to my younger brother…." He laughed coldly, his eyes fixed on the girl, whose face had grown pale white. A dirty look once again appeared on his face.

Fatty's father's face grew ashen. At first, the young man had only mentioned toasting, which he had agreed to. But this was excessive. He gritted his teeth. His son was missing, and he couldn't even protect his own daughter-in-law. What was the point of living?

"Beat it!" he roared. "Get the hell out of here! Men, kick this man out! Even if the Li family goes bankrupt, I won't tolerate insults from the house of Zhao!"

"How impressive," laughed young Lord Zhao. He spun and left, his eyes filled with murder.

Watching the feast being cleared away, the young girl bit her lip, tears streaming down her face. She lowered her head and looked as if she were about to say something.

"Don't worry about this matter," said Fatty's father calmly. "Law still exists in this world. Please, take the young miss back." Servants appeared to escort the young woman away. Everything was quiet. Fatty's father began to tremble. He staggered, suddenly seeming to grow older.

Then he shook his head and began to walk. Before long, he reached a building. He pushed the door open and walked in. It was a luxurious room, but seemed as if it would look better if everything weren't covered with bite marks.

"Fugui, where are you?" murmured Fatty's father as he sat down into a chair. "Why haven't you returned…?" He looked even older than before. He gently rubbed at a bite mark on the table.

"He's doing well," said a voice, breaking the silence. Fatty's father lifted his head, and his eyes filled with fear as he realized that somehow another person was standing in the room, next to the window. He had no idea when or how he had come to be standing there.

He wore a long blue robe, and looked like a scholar. It was none other than Meng Hao.

"You…" Li Dafu stood up, looking alarmed. He took a few steps back.

"I'm Li Fugui's friend from the Sect, Meng Hao, from Yunjie County." Meng Hao turned. His eyes moved from some bite marks on the windowsill to rest on Li Dafu.

"Meng Hao!" said Li Dafu, shocked. He recognized the name. When he had checked into the disappearance of his son all those years ago, he'd learned that three other boys had gone missing at the same time. One of them was named Meng Hao.

"Fugui, he…" Li Dafu's body began to tremble. Inside, he felt hesitation.

"He's not in the State of Zhao at the moment, but I think he'll be able to return before too long." Meng Hao walked forward and sat down in a chair. "I saw what happened in the courtyard just now," he said coolly. "I'll stay here for a few days to take care of the matter." He took a piece of paper out and placed it down onto the table. "Please forge me three spears according to these specifications. One iron, one silver, and one gold spear." With that, he closed his eyes.

Li Dafu hesitated, but then nodded his head. Regardless of how unbelievable the situation might seem, he would rather believe what Meng Hao had just said. Without a word, he picked up the paper and hurried off.

As for young Lord Zhao, he left the Li household, and Yunkai County, his face grim. Accompanied by his retainers, he made his way back to Yunhai County in the darkness of night, gnashing his teeth. As he walked, he slapped himself hard in the face, leaving behind a clear palm print. Soon, he arrived at a large courtyard, and the expression on his face suddenly turned to one of respect, even awe. His voice low, he spoke.

"Little brother, are you awake?"

"What's the matter!?" said a cold voice. The voice was a bit shrill, as if its owner was a boy just beginning to go through puberty.

"Not only does the house of Li refuse to listen to your suggestions, they also humiliated me. They even slapped me." Young Lord Zhao tried to put on his most humiliated expression.

The door slowly opened, and a young man walked out. He appeared to be about twelve or thirteen, and wore a richly embroidered gown. He had finely chiseled features and looked almost beautiful. Were Meng Hao here, this young man would instantly begin to act like a toady. He was one of the disciples saved by Grand Elder Ouyang the day the Reliance Sect was disbanded. He was Meng Hao's servant, Zhao Hai.

He had the same idea as Fatty, to become a great landowner. With Fatty gone, he had returned to this area and began plundering the properties of the local rich families. He had actually begun to plan how to deal with Li Dafu back when he was still in the Reliance Sect. Unfortunately, after returning, he'd learned that the Li family forbade its members from revealing information about family assets.

"You good-for-nothing fool," said Zhao Hai with a cold snort. "Do you really think I'm as stupid as you? The angle of that palm print is all wrong. You obviously hit yourself." An expression of disgust appeared on his face. But, this person was his older brother. He frowned. "Never mind. I'm about to make a breakthrough in my Cultivation base. In seven days, I'll go with you to the house of Li." He turned and went back into the room, slamming the door behind him. Young Lord Zhao looked pleased. His heart burned as he imagined the young girl's plaintive cries coming from underneath him, seven days from now.

Seven days passed. Zhao Hai walked out of the house of Li in Yunhai County, his hands clasped behind his back, followed by young Lord Zhao. They brought a group of family retainers with them. Their eyes filled with killing intent as they headed straight for Yunkai County.

In Yunkai County, Meng Hao sat cross-legged in Fatty's room, meditating in silence. Around noon-time, a light knock could be heard on the door. Meng Hao slowly opened his eyes to see Li Dafu entering the room. Behind him were ten family retainers. Three groups of three men each carried a spear, one iron, one silver, and one gold.

Networks of fine lines were carved onto their surfaces, making them appear both primitive and luxurious at the same time. Meng Hao raised his hand, and the iron spear flew through the air toward him. Li Dafu and his servants gaped in astonishment and shock.

The iron spear was extremely heavy; to see Meng Hao snatch it from such a distance frightened them.

Li Dafu's body shook, and his eyes shone. Before, he had surmised that Meng Hao was not an ordinary person. Despite only half trusting him, he had still complied with the request to craft the three spears. But now, he thoroughly believed his previous words. This person was clearly not ordinary.

Meng Hao nodded, retrieving the silver and gold spears. He tested them out, then deposited them into his bag of holding with the flick of a sleeve. When this happened, flopping sounds sounded out as the servants dropped to their knees and bowed to him, their expressions filled with shock.

This is a series of 5 special chapters sponsored by Jon Alle, Jingping Lai, Erik Gordon, Christian Dela Cruz, Sai Pakalapat, Marco Pacheco Dera, Chris Sherman, Sheela Mugan, Tjandra Johannes, Deep Bhattacharya, Allen Porter, Daniel Delaney, Steven Melendez, Abdul azim Nasyirah Diyana, and Austin Minett

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Chapter 47: Another Encounter with Shangguan Xiu

"An Immortal!"

Li Dafu seemed to be frozen in place, trembling violently. He looked as if he, too, might drop to his knees. Before, he had assumed this person was extraordinary in some way, but had never imagined that he could be an immortal. Then he suddenly became even more excited as he remembered the man had said that his son was a friend from his Sect.

"Don't tell me… Don't tell me that useless kid is now an Immortal!?"

He was about to ask when Meng Hao lifted his head and looked out the window. The sound of a commotion drifted in from outside, then a series of cracks as the main gate was broken open.

"Li Dafu, get the hell out here! My younger brother is an Immortal, and he's here to visit you. Come out here and bow to him!"

Li Dafu looked up. Meng Hao stood and walked toward the door. Li Dafu followed hurriedly, and they soon arrived in the outer courtyard of the mansion. Pieces of the door lay scattered about everywhere, along with a multitude of moaning family retainers. The cocky young Lord stood there, and behind him, a young man, one hand held behind his back, the other held up in front of him. Encircling his hand was a finger-sized Flame Serpent.

The young man looked proud and unyielding, and his Flame Serpent caused the surrounding onlookers to slowly move away from him, gasping with fear and astonishment.

"Kid brother, this is Li Dafu," said the young Lord Zhao, ignoring Meng Hao, who stood behind him.

"So you are… huh?" Zhao Hai lifted his chin as he started to speak, then suddenly caught sight of Meng Hao. His body immediately began to shake, and his eyes filled with disbelief. The Flame Serpent instantly disappeared, and the blood drained from his horrified face. Unconsciously, as by instinct, an ingratiating look appeared on his face.

"Li Dafu," shouted the swaggering young Lord Zhao, clearly unaware of Zhao Hai's change in expression, "you dare to not kneel before my brother? Let me tell you, he's an Immortal! Do you understand what that means? He could exterminate your whole family with a wave of his hand!

"You still haven't brought the girl out? Prepare a good room immediately. If she takes care of me well, and I'm happy, then maybe if you beg, I can provide you with an heir. Otherwise, your name will die out!" The more he spoke, the more excited he became. Behind him, however, Zhao Hai's face was deathly pale. He trembled as he looked at Meng Hao, his head spinning. And then his brother's words hit his ears, and his heart filled with dread.

"If you don't," continued the young Lord, "then, heh heh, you're dead, along with that scholar standing next to you… Hey, who's he? Your adopted son? You dare to stare at me? Are you looking to die? My brother is an Immortal…" Before he even finished speaking, his words reached Zhao Hai's ears like a thunderclap, causing him to leap into the air. Fury filling his eyes, he slapped his older brother across the face.

"Shut the hell up!!" he screamed, sounding as if he was about to weep. He knew Meng Hao too well. He remembered his status when he was in the Inner Sect, his victory over Wang Tengfei. Nobody in the Outer Sect was ignorant of Meng Hao, nor his sixth-level Cultivation base. Meng Hao was like a lofty mountain that could crush Zhao Hai to death with little effort.

Even as his brother cried out in pain, Zhao Hai dropped to his knees, body quivering. "Servant Zhao Hai extends greetings… greetings to Elder Brother Meng…"

His brother stood next to him, gaping in surprise. Covering his face with a hand, he blurted, "Brother, what did you call him? Elder Brother Meng? Hahaha! So he's family! Ah, the girl must have caught his fancy too. Well, just give Meng…"

"Shut up!!" screamed Zhao Hai. He looked as if he were so scared he would drop dead. His body shook violently as his mind replayed all the things he'd heard about Meng Hao from the Outer Sect disciples. Utterly discomfited, he leaped to his feet and slapped his brother in the face again.

Li Dafu watched on in amazement. He sucked in a breath, then looked numbly at Meng Hao. He had guessed that Meng Hao was an Immortal, but he'd never imagined that upon seeing him, the powerful Immortal from the house of Zhao would be so terrified that he would break out trembling.

It wasn't just him. The surrounding servants all watched on in a daze, their eyes filling with veneration as they looked at Meng Hao.

"Elder Brother Meng…" said Zhao Hai, kneeling again, his eyes filled with intense fear.

His face somber, Meng Hao looked at Zhao Hai coldly, wordlessly.

Zhao Hai's heart thumped, and he clenched his jaw. He caught sight of his older brother standing next to him, and his eyes filled with rage. He didn't dare to complain to Meng Hao, so he decided to vent his anger on his brother.

He waved his right hand, and once again the finger-sized Flame Serpent appeared. It slammed into the young Lord Zhao, who immediately began to scream shrilly. He fell to the ground, rolling back and forth. Within moments, he had turned into a twitching, charred corpse.

"I beg Elder Brother Meng to spare my life," said Zhao Hai, ignoring his brother, kneeling before Meng Hao and kowtowing over and over again.

"It seems you are reluctant to leave the mortal world behind," said Meng Hao coolly. "Therefore, from today on, you can set your mind at rest, and live as a mortal. He lifted a finger, and instantly, Zhao Hai's face went pale and he spat out a mouthful of blood. His dantian shattered, and his second-level Cultivation base was destroyed. He was no longer a Cultivator, but a mortal.

He staggered up, saluting Meng Hao with clasped hands. Then he turned and left in anguish, supported by his men. He gradually disappeared into the distance.

"I didn't discipline him well enough," said Meng Hao, not watching as Zhao Hai left. "He was my servant who ran away from the Sect. He caused trouble for you, Uncle Li." He bowed to Li Dafu with cupped fists.

"No harm was done, all is well," said Li Dafu, shaking his head. "My thanks to you, Immortal." He bent at the waist in a bow. His head was still spinning as he thought about the Immortal of the house of Zhao being Meng Hao's servant.

"No need for that, Uncle Li," smiled Meng Hao. "Fatty… Li Fugui is my closest friend in the Sect. I came here in his place to visit, so of course I would not turn a blind eye to a situation such as this." He took a step back, cupping his fists again in salute. "I shall take my leave." He departed in a flash. Within a few steps, he was gone, leaving Li Dafu looking a bit melancholy. He was thinking of his son. Then, he broke out in another smile, his eyes filling with pride and anticipation.

"My son has done well. He's an Immortal! I will go burn some incense in the ancestral hall. This matter has brought glory to our family and ancestors."

Meng Hao left Yunkai County. It was afternoon now, and his robe rippled in the autumn wind. The mountain wind grew stronger and stronger as he approached Mount Daqing.

He stood on the same place on the mountaintop where he had stood in a daze three years before. Emotion filled his face. Three years had passed so quickly. His face was no longer young and naive. He had matured, but Mount Daqing was the same as always. It would never change, nor would the great river which flowed ceaselessly beneath it.

Looking down at the river, Meng Hao thought of the gourd bottle he had thrown into it that year. He thought about how he had encountered Elder Sister Xu, Fatty, Wang Youcai and Little Tiger.

Silently, he leaped into the air and onto a flying sword. He flew down the mountain to the fissure in the cliff. He entered.

It was exactly the same as it had been before. Meng Hao stood inside, looking around. That year, Elder Sister Xu had been at the seventh level of Qi Condensation. And now, he was a Cultivator of the seventh level. It was as if the three years had been a giant circle, with this as the starting point, and the ending point.

"But if the three years really were a circle, then perhaps returning here means that I've reached a new starting point…. It's like the sages said, if you don't take a first step, you will never know which direction the road leads." He closed his eyes for a while, then opened them.

"I've already taken my first new steps. That year, I lacked money, and now I lack Spirit Stones. It doesn't seem much has changed." Meng Hao shook his head, thinking about the scant amount of Spirit Stones in his bag of holding. He couldn't help but feel a bit of pain as he turned and left the cave. Atop his flying sword, he shot down in the direction of the river.

Suddenly, his eyes narrowed, and he lifted up his head. Up on Mount Daqing, in the same position he had just been standing in, was a man wearing a golden-colored robe. He gazed down coldly at Meng Hao.

"So, you did come back here," he said in a sinister voice which seemed to make the setting sun grow even darker, leaving behind only his eyes, filled with murder and greed.

It was Shangguan Xiu!

The day the Sect had been dissolved, he was the first person to flee. After a few days had passed, he reappeared. After some asking around, he learned about the dissolution of the Sect, as well as how Patriarch Reliance had cast terror into the hearts of the entire Cultivation world of the State of Zhao. So, covering his tracks, he left, deciding that it was time to go harvest some medicinal plants that he had planted in secret some time ago.

On the way, however, he had passed Mount Daqing, which caused him to think about the time he had investigated Meng Hao. He knew that this was where Xu Qing had found him, so he decided to stick around for a few days in the hopes of encountering him.

Killing intent shone in Meng Hao's eyes. He was currently at the seventh level of Qi Condensation, so he was able to detect the levels of other Cultivators. Shangguan Xiu was at the ninth level. Although his Cultivation base was not complete, it was close. With luck, he would soon be able to successfully reach Foundation Establishment, which would make him one of the most powerful experts in the State of Zhao.

Meng Hao knew that he was no match for him, even if he had a lot of magical items on hand. Right now, though, his bag of holding had not been replenished, and he had almost no Spirit Stones. It was not a good time to fight.

Without a word, he shot off into the distance, his body turning into a blur. As he sped off, Shangguan Xiu gave off a cold laugh. Within the Sect, he had feared Grand Elder Ouyang, and hadn't dared to make a move against an Inner Sect disciple. But that was in the past. His desire to kill Meng Hao and take his treasures burned brightly. His body flashed, and a talisman appeared in front of him. It picked him up, and he shot in pursuit of Meng Hao.

"This time, there's no special promotion training! How can you escape my hands?!" A sinister smile covered Shangguan Xiu's face. He was determined to succeed!

This is a series of 5 special chapters sponsored by Jon Alle, Jingping Lai, Erik Gordon, Christian Dela Cruz, Sai Pakalapat, Marco Pacheco Dera, Chris Sherman, Sheela Mugan, Tjandra Johannes, Deep Bhattacharya, Allen Porter, Daniel Delaney, Steven Melendez, Abdul azim Nasyirah Diyana, and Austin Minett

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Chapter 48: Eccentric Song and Wu Dingqiu 1

Thunder rolled out in the evening sky. Rosy clouds drifted about, and the autumn wind rustled, picking up the fallen leaves and sending them floating. It should have been a beautiful, rainy autumn evening, but the peacefulness was interrupted by two figures who occasionally dropped to the ground, but then immediately shot back up into the air. They soared along, engaged in a life-and-death pursuit.

Meng Hao was in front, his eyes glistening. After reaching the seventh level of Qi Condensation, he could maintain top speed on his flying sword for the time it takes half an incense stick to burn. At that rate, he could not shake off Shangguan Xiu.

After some time passed, he was forced to drop to the ground, run as fast as possible for a while, and then resume gliding.

Shangguan Xiu pursued him doggedly. He knew that he couldn't let him escape; if he did, Meng Hao could easily hide somewhere in the massive State of Zhao, and that would be very troublesome.

At the moment, he was extremely confident. A critical juncture had arrived. He knew that Meng Hao possessed some treasured item. He wasn't exactly sure what it did, but he was determined to acquire it.

"Meng Hao, you can't escape me! My aim has always been the Southern Domain. The only reason I haven't ascended to the Foundation Establishment stage yet is because I didn't want to. You're like an ant to me! You will be my stepping stone into Foundation Establishment!" Shangguan Xiu was of the ninth level of Qi Condensation. Even though he was very close to breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage, his level of power was still far from that level. That having been said, even though Meng Hao was in the same stage as him, their Cultivation bases were still two levels apart. This meant that not only was Shangguan Xiu faster, but because of his status as an Elder in the Reliance Sect, he'd had access to higher level magical items.

The talisman whistled through the air, propelling him forward with extraordinary power. He flicked his wide sleeve, snapping a jade slip. A green mist shot out, which coagulated into a green bottle, about half the height of an average person. It shot toward Meng Hao.

Meng Hao's eyes flickered and he slapped his bag of holding. Ten flying swords appeared, shooting toward the magical bottle. As soon as they collided, the ten flying swords exploded into pieces, which mushroomed out in all directions. The bottle shattered, but Shangguan Xiu simply increased his speed and leaped over the cloud, intent on decreasing the distance between him and Meng Hao.

At that moment, Meng Hao suddenly turned, his hands flickering in incantation patterns. Wind Blades appeared, three of them. However, they didn't shoot toward Shangguan Xiu, but instead flew in circular patterns, faster and faster, creating a gravitational force which pulled in the shattered remnants of his flying swords. Soon, they had formed a spinning vortex.

A booming sound rang out, but Meng Hao didn't look back. The vortex behind Shangguan Xiu suddenly exploded, sending shrapnel shooting out. Shangguan Xiu was knocked forward, shredding much of his clothing. His eyes burned with fury.

"So you've reached the seventh level of Qi Condensation!" Shangguan Xiu glared as Meng Hao sped off into the distance. He continued his pursuit, albeit more cautiously. He knew that Meng Hao was incredibly crafty, and could not be underestimated. He must use all his power.

When he thought about the technique Meng Hao had just used, gathering the fragmented pieces of the swords together, Shangguan Xiu was a bit taken aback. If Meng Hao's Cultivation base were higher, then the attack just now, while it might not have killed him, would have seriously injured him.

"He's so young, yet so sinister. Exploding the swords was just a diversion. Dammit!" He increased his speed, turning into a ray of light as he pursued Meng Hao.

Two people shot through the evening as the sky grew dark. The bright moon looked down, its gaze illuminating them.

Meng Hao's face was grim. He consumed some Demonic Cores. Even though the North Sea had shown him the Dao, and he had broken through to the next level, his current situation did not bode well. He was at the seventh level of Qi Condensation, but had no way to lose his pursuer. He was in somewhat of a crisis.

"There will come a day when I will slay this man!" thought Meng Hao. As he considered the inexplicable enmity between them, he came to the realisation that it was all because of his opponent's greed. Over and over again. It was extremely annoying.

Looking back at Shangguan Xiu, Meng Hao gritted his teeth. As his flying sword sputtered out of power, he leaped to the ground, racing toward the wild mountains. He was heading, not toward the Reliance Sect, but rather the east of Mount Daqing, where a chain of mountains rose and fell off toward the flatlands and the capital city of the State of Zhao.

The mountains here were numerous, even more so than the regions around the Reliance Sect. This mountain chain was the largest in the State of Zhao, and had come to be known as the State Shield Mountain range. From a distance, you couldn't see past them, and in the night, they rose up like the undulating spine of a slumbering dragon, emanating a lofty air.

Meng Hao lowered his head, speeding deep into the State Shield Mountains. This was not the first time he had fled for his life in the past three years. From his experience that year on the black mountain, Meng Hao knew how to seize opportunities. He flew as fast as he could, heading deeper and deeper into the mountains.

Shangguan Xiu did not slow in his pursuit. No matter where Meng Hao went, he would follow. His mind was set; he would kill Meng Hao and take his treasures. And yet he knew he didn't have much time. The medicinal plant that he had been growing was ripe and ready to be harvested. If he was too slow, it would wither, which would wreck his future plans.

In his estimation, it should take more than one or two days to take care of Meng Hao. That much of a delay was acceptable. So without hesitation, he continued into the barren mountains in pursuit.

About five hundred kilometers away from the point where Meng Hao and Shangguan Xiu entered the State of Zhao's State Shield Mountains, there arose a lofty mountain.

The mountain's peak pierced the clouds, and was visible from a vast distance away. Everything from half-way up the mountain all the way to its peak was covered with white snow. It was huge, much bigger than any of the surrounding mountains, and its very top seemed to emanate rays of light that covered the mountain like flowing water.

Next to this mountain was another mountain, whose top appeared to have been sliced off, forming a round, plateau-like platform. Assembled on the platform were nearly a hundred Cultivators wearing long, white robes.

They were young, the youngest of the group being eleven or twelve years old, the oldest, seventeen or eighteen. There were boys and girls, and all of them wore expressions of keen anticipation. Some of them seemed to be keeping their Cultivation base concealed, and their faces looked proud and unyielding.

Some of the group were at the seventh or eighth level of Qi Condensation, and a few were even at the ninth. The weakest were at the fifth or sixth levels. There was no Sect in the State of Zhao who had disciples like this. Clearly, whoever had gathered this group of youths was a major Sect from the Southern Domain.

Their clothing was all uniform, and they radiated an imposing air, as if they had the power to affect everything around them. Some of them had outstanding latent talent, and all of them were filled with vigor. Clearly, they belonged in the Cultivation world.

"These are some of my Outer Sect disciples," said a voice with a complacent laugh. "What do you think, Eccentric Song?" At the front of the group, near the edge of the platform, two old men sat cross-legged, a Go board spread out between them. The person who had laughed was one of these old men. He had white hair, wore a white robe, and had the demeanor of a transcendent being.

His eyes flashed like lightning and were filled with pride. He continued to laugh.

Sitting across from him was Eccentric Song, wearing a long black robe that seemed to shimmer with iridescence. His long gray hair hung in disarray, and he wore an enigmatic smile on his face.

"Excellent, excellent. Your Violet Fate Sect is definitely worthy to be called one of the five Great Sects of the Southern Domain. There are clearly some promising subjects among your Outer Sect Disciples, Wu Dingqiu." Eccentric Song smiled, and a cold wind seemed to spring up. The onlooking disciples' minds seemed to shiver.

"Very well, let us carry out our wager," said the white-robed man with a smile, his eyes flashing. His hand made a snatching motion, and suddenly a large stone appeared, about the size of a human head. It slammed down onto the ground next to him.

It was dark and opaque, and yet a black glow could be seen flickering inside it. A multitude of flickering twinkles could be seen within, as if it were composed of a vast number of gems.

"This is what I'm putting up, a Heaven Crystal!" The white-robed man's eyes sparkled as he looked at Eccentric Song.

"No problem," said Eccentric Song, flicking his sleeve. "This is the Star Fragment you've had your eye on." A large lump of iron appeared, about the size of a fist. It emanated a black glow, as if it could swallow up everything in sight. It was clearly anything but ordinary. "See the flag on the peak of the mountain? If your disciples can topple that flag, then you win. But, if your Violet Fate Sect disciples aren't skilled enough to ascend the mountain, then your Heaven Crystal is mine." He laughed contentedly.

"Fear not," said the white-robed man with a confident sneer. "My disciples can definitely snap your paltry flagpole. They will also clear the mountain of all its treasures and slay all the Demonic beasts you've raised. Don't go back on your word when that happens!"

"I have roamed heaven and earth for four hundred years and have never gone back on my word. Yes, I have filled this mountain with many treasures and Spirit Stones, as well as numerous unique Spirit beasts that I have carefully raised. But mark my words, once the mountain is opened, anyone under the Foundation Establishment stage can enter, for seven days. This includes your Violet Fate Sect disciples, as well as disciples of any other Sect. Anyone!

"Anyone with skill can acquire the treasures. Even if someone comes along who can clear them all out, I won't even so much as frown, let alone go back on my word. If I do, then I'm not surnamed Song!" Eccentric Song spoke all these words with head held high, looking unyielding, his voice decisive.

"However, anyone without skill who does not acquire treasures, and cannot ascend to the top of the mountain, will become food for my Spirit beasts. This is simply their destiny." Having said this, his smile grew even colder, and his eyes filled with a sneer.

"All of my Violet Fate Sect disciples are outstanding among their peers," said Wu Dingqiu with a glare, his voice booming out. "Clearing out your mountain will be as easy for them as turning over a hand."

"For a hundred kilometres surrounding my treasure mountain, Spirit Beasts roam freely. I've fertilized the land with soil from the bottom of the Eastern Sea, which hasn't seen the light of day for ten thousand years. I even transported the top of Mount Tian Shan from the Southern Domain to be this mountain's highest peak, spending an entire sixty-year cycle refining it and assimilating it into mountain. There is nothing like it in the world. Each Spirit beast here is an exquisite specimen personally acquired by myself. They are fiendish and unusual, Mutated beasts that I painstakingly collected from everywhere under heaven! I think the hundred or so disciples you have brought are not enough food for my Spirit beasts!" Eccentric Song glared, slowly rubbing his beard.

This is a series of 5 special chapters sponsored by Jon Alle, Jingping Lai, Erik Gordon, Christian Dela Cruz, Sai Pakalapat, Marco Pacheco Dera, Chris Sherman, Sheela Mugan, Tjandra Johannes, Deep Bhattacharya, Allen Porter, Daniel Delaney, Steven Melendez, Abdul azim Nasyirah Diyana, and Austin Minett

1. Eccentric Song's surname in Chinese is 宋 Sòng. It has no real meaning. It is the same "Song" as the Song Dynasty. Wu Dingqiu's name in Chinese is 吴丁秋 wú dīng qiū. Wu is a common family name. Ding is the fourth heavenly stem. Qiu means Autumn

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Chapter 49: Mountain of Trial by Fire

"My Violet Fate Sect is one of the great sects of the Southern Domain. These may be just Outer Sect disciples, but even to enter the Sect, each and every one of them passed nine difficult tests. Every month, they immerse their bodies in a Spirit Spring. They possess inexhaustible amounts of heavenly materials and earthly treasures. All of them have extraordinary latent talent, rarely seen in any Sect.

"These disciples could flatten your crappy mountain with the wave of a hand. As for your Demonic creatures, they aren't even fit to be eaten by my disciples. They're not Mutated beasts they're Mutt beasts!" Wu Dingqiu glared with wide eyes. The disciples behind him lowered their heads in embarrassment, glancing at Eccentric Song.

Eccentric Song stared for a moment, surprised. He flicked his sleeve and was about to say something when Wu Dingqiu suddenly leaped up and turned to face his disciples.

"Violet Fate Sect Disciples!" he roared. "This might be your first time to venture outside of the Sect, but this mountain, where life and death is predestined, is a promotion training ground for the Inner Sect. Anyone who steps onto the mountain and reaches the half-way point shall be remembered. Anyone who reaches the mountain top, even more so. And whoever manages to snap that crappy flagpole will be my personal apprentice, and receive immediate promotion into the Violet Fate Inner Sect! What are you gaping for?! Get moving!"

Upon hearing this, the faces of the white-robed disciples filled with inspiration and their eyes shined. This was their first time outside of the Sect. Some thirsted to become a member of the Inner Sect, others desired to acquire treasures. According to the rumors they had heard in the Sect, vast amounts of Spirit Stones, medicinal pills, and magical items were hidden in this State of Zhao treasure mountain.

Nearly a hundred bodies flashed toward the mountain, a shocking sight.

The peak of the mountain was extremely high, and the mountain itself was surrounded by forest.

Almost immediately, thunderous noises arose from within the trees. The roars of the wild beasts shattered the quietness of the still night.

Two hours passed in which miserable shrieks continuously rang out from Demon Beast Forest, especially the border regions. Suddenly, seven or eight Violet Fate Sect disciples fled out from the forest, their faces filled with fear. They were being pursued by three mighty beasts who had the heads of dragons and the bodies of tigers. The ground shook beneath their feet as they charged forth.

The life force of these three beasts seemed boundless, their might extraordinary. Their fur was long and thick, causing them to look completely different from the average Demonic beast, savage and fierce to the extreme. When they breathed, their auras transformed into Mist Serpents which coiled around their bodies, leaving the inexperienced, novice disciples frightened to death. Their faces paled, and they ran away at top speed.

Once they stepped foot outside the trees, the Demonic beasts ceased their pursuit. They glared viciously at the seven or eight disciples, then turned and disappeared back into the forest.

On the flat plateau, Eccentric Song laughed heartily. "Look, Wu Dingqiu, these are the Spirit beasts I have raised. What do you think? Even if your disciples grew up inside a Spirit Spring, it wouldn't do any good. Forget about the even more powerful Spirit Beasts on the treasure mountain, your Violet Fate Sect disciples can't even get past the Spirit Beast Forest!"

Wu Dingqiu sat there in his white robe, an unpleasant look on his face. He stared angrily at the seven or eight Cultivators. And yet, his tone of voice was as arrogant as always as he calmly said: "Those disciples are merely at the fifth or sixth level of Qi Condensation. The truly Chosen in my Sect are all still in the forest. It won't be long before they step foot onto your crappy mountain, then they will clear out all the junk you have hidden there!"

Time passed by, another two hours…

So far, no one had been able to get past the Demonic Beast Forest to step foot onto the mountain itself. Currently, miserable shrieks and wails drifted out from the trees, and before long, a commotion broke out at the edge of the forest as ten or more Violet Fate Sect disciples fled out in terror. Dread filled their faces, and some of them were injured. This was their first time outside of the Sect, and they were like flowers grown indoors who had never faced wind and rain. They were being pursued by a group of five howling Demonic beasts; one was a fierce, pitch-black tiger. Another was a giant peacock, nearly six meters tall. The rest were hard to identify, but were clearly out of the ordinary.

On the plateau, Eccentric Song once again let out a complacent laugh. He appeared to be in very high spirits. He grew even happier when he saw Wu Dingqiu's increasingly somber face.

"Wu Dingqiu, are these really the most outstanding disciples in your Violet Fate Sect? It seems that being raised inside a Spirit Spring really doesn't cut it. I'm afraid that even if they ate meals made from heavenly materials and earthly treasures, it still wouldn't do them any good. My treasure mountain is filled with unusual items rarely seen in the Southern Domain. I've spent all my energy in the past years on this project. After years of allowing my creatures to grow in strength, my mountain is ready. I've been waiting for quite some time for your Violet Fate Sect to come for this trial by fire."

Wu Dingqiu's face grew so grim that it seemed it might explode at any moment, like a volcano. In a stiff voice, he said, "It's just a crappy mountain, nothing worth bragging about. I could level the whole thing with the wave of a hand. All the disciples that have come back out are useless. The true Chosen ones are…" Even as the words came out of his mouth, his eyes suddenly widened. A handful of disciples had just come running out of the edge of the Demonic Forest. He leaped to his feet. With a roar, he said, "Get back in there! If anyone dares to run away, I shall expel you from the Sect!"

His roar reverberated across the land, but not very far. He limited it to a radius of about fifty kilometers. When they heard it, the disciples who had just fled out of the forest grew pale and began to tremble. They didn't dare to flee. Gritting their teeth, they turned and headed back. The Demonic beasts that had been pursuing them were also frightened, and dared not attack.

As for the twenty or more disciples who had already fled the Demonic Forest, their faces grew even paler, and they hesitated. They weren't sure if they should go back in or not.

"Be it the Violet Fate Sect's disciples, or another Sect's disciple, during these seven days, anyone can enter my Spirit Beast Forest," said Eccentric Song with a hearty laugh. "Anyone with the skill to step foot on my treasure mountain can have the chance to take away the treasures. I will neither stop them, nor even frown. Even the flag on the mountain peak is fair game. There I have placed a bag of the Cosmos, which can hold mountains and rivers inside.

Upon hearing his laughter, Wu Dingqiu's face grew more unsightly. He was beginning to feel that this Eccentric Song was too spiteful. He had filled the mountain with treasures, and seemed to have complete confidence that they wouldn't be touched. Wu Dingqiu flicked his sleeve and made to leave. He had already suffered too much humiliation, and would not stand for any more. But before he could go, Eccentric Song stood and blocked his way.

"Fellow Daoist Wu, we had an arrangement. Before we finish our game of Go, neither of us may leave. You're an Elder from one of the Great Sects of the Southern Domain. You're not going to go back on your word, are you?" As he laughed, his beard floated up a bit. His face was filled with utter pride, and it seemed he had no intention of letting Wu Dingqiu leave.

At that moment, Meng Hao was several thousand kilometres away, flying quickly through the mountain forest. Around him, autumn leaves floated in the air, and behind him, Shangguan Xiu was in hot pursuit, killing intent radiating out from him.

"This State Shield Mountain range goes on forever, Meng Hao," said Shangguan Xiu, his voice sinister. "Its depths are filled with miasma! Going in this direction is the same as picking the road to death!"

"Pipe down," said Meng Hao coldly. He frowned. It was the first thing he had said this entire time. He was really getting annoyed with Shangguan Xiu. As far as he was concerned, it was fine if he wanted to chase him, but the ceaseless chatter was unnecessary.

Shangguan Xiu's eyes glittered and he lifted up his hands in front of him, then slapped them together.

Meng Hao suddenly felt a stab of pain in his chest that coincided with the slapping sound. It felt as if a sharp sword were slicing through into his heart. His face filled with pain and he coughed up a spray of blood.

"You finally speak, whelp! You fell for my trick! That was a special magic from my family that is designed to damage the heart and blood vessels." With a sinister smile, he increased his speed. He lifted his right hand, and a five-colored pearl appeared. He flung it forward, and it shot toward Meng Hao. Before it reached him, it suddenly exploded, transforming into several five-colored streams of mist which then merged into the shape of a hideous evil spirit. It howled as it pounced toward Meng Hao.

Meng Hao looked back with a grim expression. Having no time even to spit the blood from his mouth, his hands flickered in incantation gestures, and his body sped forward with increased speed. As the five-colored Mist Spirit approached, a head-sized Water Globe formed in his left hand. From his right had emerged a roaring Flame Python thirty meters in length. The Water Globe shot forth first, exploding to form a rain of Water Arrows.

The Flame Python flew forward, then exploded in mid-air, sending scorching heat roiling out into the night air. This caused the water droplets to transform into a mist. Guided by the aura from Meng Hao's Cultivation base, it surrounded the area, sending the five-colored Mist Spirit into confusion. It no longer could identify Meng Hao's position.

Even Shangguan Xiu's vision was obscured, leaving him shocked. As soon as the mist appeared, before he had a chance to recover from his surprise, two cold, noiseless beams shot toward him.

A booming sound rang out, and Meng Hao let out a light sigh. Without hesitation, he changed his direction and kept moving forward, swallowing a Demonic Core to replenish himself. Behind him, a furious roar could be heard, and the fog was instantly dispersed by a sweeping whirlwind. Shangguan Xiu moved forward, an angry look on his face, blood dripping from a wound on his right hand. The Mist Spirit was nowhere in sight.

As he thought back to what had just happened, his eyes narrowed. Were it not for his quick reaction in detonating the Mist Spirit to block the two wooden swords, he would have lost his right hand. Even still, his hand had been cut open. Even more alarming, he felt the spiritual energy within his body slowly leaking out through the wound. Furthermore, the wound was not healing as fast as normal. He could stop the flow of blood, but not the leakage of spiritual energy.

"This swine is just too crafty. He has some low-level techniques, but he uses them in a multitude of tricky ways. It's really difficult to deal with!" Shangguan Xiu frowned, but he continued on with his dogged pursuit.

The two of them moved on, and time passed. Before long, dawn had arrived. After a night of chasing and fleeing, both of them were exhausted. As for Meng Hao, he had it a bit better off. Even though he did not have any chance to rest, he had experienced this sort of pursuit in the black mountain. The only difference was that sadly, these wild mountains didn't seem to contain any Demonic beasts. If they did, then it would have been a bit easier to deal with Shangguan Xiu.

As for Shangguan Xiu, this was his first time dealing with a Cultivator like Meng Hao, who released an endless stream of tricky methods. The two wooden swords were especially astonishing; he had originally planned to chase Meng Hao until his spiritual energy ran out. Instead, he seemed to be as lively and full of energy as a dragon or tiger. Did he have an infinite supply of medicinal pills?

"If he's this difficult to deal with at the seventh level of Qi Condensation, how terrible would he be at a higher level?" Shangguan Xiu clenched his jaw, swallowed a medicinal pill, then continued in his pursuit. He was of the ninth level of the Qi Condensation stage, the same stage as Meng Hao. Despite his slightly superior speed, he could still do little more than chase.

Of course, he didn't know that even though Meng Hao was at the seventh level, his Cultivation method was not the ordinary method used in the Reliance Sect, but rather that of the Qi Condensation Manual of the Sublime Spirit Scripture. Even though Meng Hao had not studied any special texts related to attack techniques, in matters related to spiritual energy, he could persist for much longer periods of time than the average Cultivator.

With the added help of some Demonic Cores, then there was no way that Shangguan Xiu could catch him in any short period of time.

By the time dawn broke, the two of them had travelled a very long distance. In front of Meng Hao appeared an incredibly high mountain, its peak stretching up into the skies, its top half wreathed in snow. At a single glance, one could tell that this was not an ordinary place.

This is a series of 5 special chapters sponsored by Jon Alle, Jingping Lai, Erik Gordon, Christian Dela Cruz, Sai Pakalapat, Marco Pacheco Dera, Chris Sherman, Sheela Mugan, Tjandra Johannes, Deep Bhattacharya, Allen Porter, Daniel Delaney, Steven Melendez, Abdul azim Nasyirah Diyana, and Austin Minett

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Chapter 50: Iron Spear

As soon as he caught sight of the mountain ahead of him, Meng Hao's eyes began to shine. It was clearly beyond the ordinary, and perhaps even contained some Demonic beasts. In any case, he didn't have much time to think about it. His body flashed as he shot directly toward the mountainous forest which lay at its foot.

Behind him, Shangguan Xiu's expression changed. His Cultivation base was higher than Meng Hao's; he had tread the Cultivation world for many years, and had seen many things. He could tell that something was fishy about this mountain. But as he saw Meng Hao charge forward, he put aside his doubts, gritted his teeth, and followed.

Meanwhile on the plateau, white-robed Wu Dingqiu and Eccentric Song sat, seemingly playing Go, but in reality focused on the fighting going on below them. From their vantage point, it was clear that the Violet Fate Sect disciples were stuck in the mountain forest, and after an entire night, could not step foot onto the mountain. One by one, they were rebuffed by the Demonic beasts.

"The Violet Fate Sect disciples truly are beyond ordinary," said Eccentric Song, laughing. "To be able to stay in the Spirit Beast forest for an entire night is excellent. Wu Dingqiu, you really should be proud." He looked extremely complacent, and even happier when he saw the dark look on Wu Dingqiu's face.

Wu Dingqiu's face sank even deeper as he saw the sorry state of his disciples within the forest. He let out a cold harrumph.

"Wu Dingqiu, you should really proud. Last time the Golden Frost Sect came to me to engage in trial by fire, they were all defeated by my Spirit beasts. Not a single one could make it to my treasure mountain to see the truly powerful Spirit beasts. I felt really sad about that. I really hope that your Violet Fate Sect disciples can make a good showing. This Spirit forest is filled with Spirit beasts that I meticulously selected. For example, that one." He proudly pointed a finger toward a white-colored ape.

Its entire body, even its eyes, were as white as snow, and its appearance was incredibly fierce. With a single swipe of its claws, it slashed the arm of one of the Violet Fate Sect disciples, sending blood spraying everywhere. It moved with incredible speed, like a white wind. It had already injured about seven or eight surrounding Violet Fate Sect disciples.

"That is a Snow Peak Mutated beast, rarely seen in the world. I got my hands on it about ten years ago. It's extremely rare. Look at its fur, as pure white as snow and as smooth as silk. I should be able to sell it for a hefty price one day." Eccentric Song laughed, pleased with himself. White-robed Wu Dingqiu looked even more grim. He'd never imaged that after all these years, Eccentric Song's treasure mountain would have so many powerful Demonic beasts.

Even as Eccentric Song spoke, a figure appeared near the edge of the forest near the white ape. It was Meng Hao, with Shangguan Xiu hot on his tail. Eccentric Song laughed.

"So, some outsiders have decided to intrude. Wu Dingqiu, please observe what it means to keep one's promise. I will not prevent any Cultivator of the Qi Condensation stage from entering this area. Anyone can enter. Although they will surely die, I will not block them."

Wu Dingqiu let out a cold snort, not paying the least bit of attention to Meng Hao and Shangguan Xiu. Instead, he stared at the white ape, which had just encountered another Violet Fate Sect disciple. He appeared to be about seventeen or eighteen years old. His hands flickered in incantation patterns, and suddenly the image of an ancient scroll unfurled behind him. An aura billowed out, pushing down onto the white ape. It shrieked.

"A fine Mutated ape," said Wu Dingqiu "Eccentric Song, no matter how incredible that beast is, it's going to become my disciple's pet! His name is Shi Yan. Upon entering the Sect, he acquired that ancient scroll, which at the seventh level of Qi Condensation, can capture Demonic beasts." Inside, Wu Dingqiu's heart pounded, but his expression was cool and indifferent, somewhat proud. Considering his status and Cultivation base, he shouldn't allow such an expression onto his face. But Eccentric Song made it impossible for him to hold back, especially after the humiliation of the previous night.

However, as soon as the words were out of his mouth, a piteous wail could be heard. Blood showered from Shi Yan's chest, and his ancient scroll collapsed into pieces. He retreated backwards, fear in his eyes. The white ape's body began to expand, until it was nearly eighteen meters tall. It beat its chest, seeming to brim with power.

Eccentric Song laughed loudly. Wu Dingqiu stared at the white ape, his face twisted, fighting the impulse to charge forward and crush the thing to death.

It was at that moment that Meng Hao shot out of the forest. As soon as he caught sight of the roaring ape, his eyes glittered brightly. He also saw the frightened young man off in the distance, but didn't have time to consider the situation.

With people present, Meng Hao wouldn't reveal the copper mirror. His eyes flashed as the white ape took notice of him. The beast charged him, howling ferociously. Meng Hao lifted his right hand, and suddenly an iron spear appeared, the one Fatty's father had created according to his specifications. The young Cultivator named Shi Yan watched as the spear appeared.

Of course, in addition to the long spear, the copper mirror also emerged, concealed within Meng Hao's sleeve. The sleeve was so wide that any observers would not be able to see it, especially considering how their eyes would be drawn to the long spear.

The spear was made of common iron, but its surface was covered with various complicated designs, all of which Meng Hao had designed. At a glance, it appeared to be extraordinary in nature. Brandishing the spear, he moved forward, pointing it toward the charging ape.

Suddenly, the white ape's large mouth exploded violently, blood and flesh flying around. Wretched screams immediately sounded out. The ape fell down onto the ground, looking at Meng Hao in astonishment.

"Perhaps when the mirror shines onto a beast with lots of fur, it causes some kind of disorder in the Qi within its body, making it swell. Demonic beasts are even bigger and stronger, so it will attempt to escape from any weak point in the body, not just the rear end, thus leading to these explosive injuries." Of course, all of this was just speculation, but Meng Hao seemed to understand the mirror a bit better after seeing what happened to the white ape. After having the copper mirror for three years, he felt this was pretty close to the truth.

Now was not the time for contemplation, however. Not giving the miserable white ape another glance, he shot off with the iron spear in hand. He was gone in an instant. Just then, Shangguan Xiu arrived. He looked at the white ape in shock.

The white ape was also surprised. And then it noticed that Shangguan Xiu also happened to be carrying a spear, and its fury exploded. It pounced toward Shangguan Xiu.

Back on the plateau, Eccentric Song's laughter had ceased. Next to him, Wu Dingqiu also watched on in surprise. They stared at Meng Hao and his iron spear, their eyes filled with amazement.

Meng Hao sped through the Demonic Beast forest, listening to the howls of the white ape and the roars of Shangguan Xiu. His eyes flickered, and he harrumphed coldly. Not too much time passed before he heard another commotion coming from up ahead. Soon, he saw four or five Cultivators wearing white robes, engaged in vicious combat with three Demonic beasts, each of them six meters tall.

One was a large black tiger, the other was a peacock whose body emanated a glowing, violet light. The last was an enormous giant rat, fierce and cruel in appearance, seemingly unable to be killed.

As soon as Meng Hao appeared in the midst of the fight, a vicious light appeared in the peacock's eyes, and it charged like an insane gale, straight toward Meng Hao.

Looking as calm as ever, Meng Hao kept moving forward, pointing the iron spear forward. Suddenly, the giant peacock's body trembled, and it shrieked miserably. Then, its head exploded, and it fell to the ground, dead, surrounded by blood and gore. The black tiger and the giant rat were shocked. As they stared dumbly, Meng Hao's body turned into a streak of light, and he shot off into the distance.

As for the Violet Fate Sect disciples, they watched, dumbfounded, as Meng Hao disappeared. His iron spear had left them awestruck.

Not pausing for even a moment, Meng Hao continued on. At this moment, Shangguan Xiu had resumed his furious pursuit.

A grim smile appeared on Meng Hao's face. He increased his speed, charging forward. Every time he encountered a Demonic beast, he would wave his spear at it, and it would retreat, crying out miserably. Not a single beast could block his path. In contrast, Shangguan Xiu was blocked at every turn. His enraged roars sounded further and further away from Meng Hao.

Meng Hao also encountered more and more young, white-robed Cultivators along his way, all of them locked in deadly battles with Demonic beasts. As he passed, he would cause these seemingly unmatchable, fierce creatures to flinch back with blood-curdling screams. The Cultivators would look at Meng Hao's retreating figure with awe.

"Who was that?"

"That long spear is some kind of magical item! It's so powerful!"

"How vicious! Dammit, if I had a spear like that, I could run amok through this Demonic Beast Forest."

Conversation buzzed among the Violet Fate Sect disciples, caused by Meng Hao's shocking passage. On top of the plateau, Wu Dingqiu's eyes glittered, and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. His laughter rang out, filled with joy as well as a pleased anger.

"So these are Mutated beasts," he said. "Excellent, excellent. They are all amazing beasts. Let me have a look. Hmm, some are missing eyes, others have had their heads ripped off. There are some whose entire bodies are covered with blood. One even had its butt exploded. Eccentric Song, didn't you say that this Demonic Beast Forest was fertilized with soil from the East Sea? And didn't you say that these Mutated beasts were all amazing? It seems they are having a bit of a rough time today."

An unsightly expression filled Eccentric Song's face as he watched Meng Hao make his way through the Demonic Creature Forest. He watched all his precious Demonic beasts retreating with blood-curdling cries, covered with blood. When he saw the death of the peacock, his heart felt as if it had been stabbed with a knife. This type of peacock was called a Snow Phoenix and was extremely rare. He had paid quite an exorbitant price for it several years ago, and had cared for it like a treasured jewel. And yet the iron spear had exploded its head in an instant. Even though it was dead, its powerful life force caused the corpse to twitch and writhe. Eccentric Song felt extreme regret, but his eyes shone forth with an air of indifference.

"Who cares?" he said. "There are a multitude of Spirit beasts in my Spirit Beast Forest. There's no harm in it. In any case, this kid isn't one of your Violet Fate Sect disciples, so what are you looking so happy for?!" He spoke in a light tone, but inside, his heart was beginning to pound.

This is a series of 5 special chapters sponsored by Jon Alle, Jingping Lai, Erik Gordon, Christian Dela Cruz, Sai Pakalapat, Marco Pacheco Dera, Chris Sherman, Sheela Mugan, Tjandra Johannes, Deep Bhattacharya, Allen Porter, Daniel Delaney, Steven Melendez, Abdul azim Nasyirah Diyana, and Austin Minett

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Read I Shall Seal the Heavens - Chapter 51 online free - Novel Full

Chapter 51: My Treasure Mountain…

"Even though this kid isn't a disciple of my Violet Fate Sect, you said anyone could enter this area. Seeing him run wild in your crappy mountain forest makes me feel good. I'm happy, so what?" Wu Dingqiu laughed, obviously feeling quite pleased. He had been reigning himself in all night, and now he knew that even though Eccentric Song spoke casually, he was hiding his discomfiture. Feeling quite pleasant, Wu Dingqiu looked down below at Meng Hao.

"That magic item of his can really dominate the Spirit Beasts," said Eccentric Song. "His Cultivation base is low, though. He won't be able to make it out of the Spirit Beast Forest. This forest is planted with trees I harvested from all the lands of South Heaven. It is watered with Spirit Water from the Milky Way Sea. Not only do the trees grow tall and strong, but they emit spiritual energy which the Spirit beasts can assimilate through breathing exercises. In my Spirit Beast Forest, there is also…" His voice came to a sudden, screeching stop.

Meng Hao shot forward, attracting the attention of the surrounding Demonic beasts. He was nearing the foot of the Spirit mountain; it was several hundred meters away. He was about to enter the region that none of the Violet Fate disciples had made it to.

Even though Meng Hao didn't know why this area had so many white-robed disciples, he could sense that there was something odd going on. But with Shangguan Xiu on his tail, there wasn't much time to think about it. He continued to move forward through the forest. Suddenly, an enormous Demonic beast, nearly twelve meters tall, burst out in front of him.

It was a gigantic woolly mammoth, with red eyes and sharp, gleaming tusks. Its body was like a small mountain, and the earth shook as it charged with shocking power.

"The kid is dead this time," Eccentric Song said casually. "This is my Mutated mammoth, which I captured in the Life-wasting Cave, one of the most dangerous places in the Southern Domain. I raised it with medicinal pills, and it is one of the three most powerful Spirit beasts protecting this area. It has limitless power and incredibly thick skin. Ordinary flying swords can't even scratch it. It is also proficient in a variety of magic techniques. Even someone of the ninth level of Qi Condensation would have trouble dealing with it. It can stop anyone under the Foundation Establishment stage." Eccentric Song's eyes had almost popped out of his head when he saw Meng Hao about to make it out of the Beast Forest. But now, he let out a sigh of relief.

Wu Dingqiu stopped smiling for the moment. He could see that this mammoth was no ordinary creature. The Violet Fate Sect didn't possess many Mutated beasts, but after hearing Eccentric Song blather on about it, he couldn't help but frown and mutter to himself that the man really was strange. He didn't care much at all for Cultivation, but loved seeking out Demonic beasts to raise, especially ones as strange as this.

Then, Wu Dingqiu's eyes began to shine. Eccentric Song's expression suddenly changed, and he shot to his feet, a horrified expression on his face.

Within the Demonic Forest, the Demonic mammoth charged at Meng Hao. Meng Hao took in a deep breath and retreated a bit, groaning inwardly about how many Demonic beasts were in this place. He raised the iron spear and pointed it. The charging Demonic mammoth stopped and began to quiver, then suddenly, its trunk exploded with a bang. Half of it flew through the air to land onto a nearby tree, which collapsed under its weight.

Enraged with pain, the mammoth continued to charge. Meng Hao waved his spear, and a boom sounded out. The mammoth's back exploded, then its mouth. Finally, its right front leg completely shattered, and it fell to the ground, skidding to a halt some distance away.

Horrific shrieks filled the Beast Forest. Meng Hao looked a bit pale-faced. He glanced around, then charged forward, leaving the Demonic Forest behind and entering the treasure mountain.

Some distance behind, Shangguan Xiu was in a tight spot, unable to free himself from the surrounding, red-eyed Demonic beasts. He could only watch as Meng Hao disappeared, his fury billowing up to the heavens.

Meng Hao left the forest, leaving behind a long trail of blood, as well as the miserable cries of the various Demonic beasts. It looked like some kind of Judgement day had just passed. The white-robed disciples stared in shock, panting and murmuring about the viciousness.

Meng Hao continued on up the treasure mountain, hoping that if he could pass over it, maybe he could finally shake off Shangguan Xiu. He moved forward at rapid speed, and soon reached the foot of the mountain. As soon as he stepped foot onto it, he suddenly stopped and stared in astonishment. Up ahead, lying beneath a boulder, was a pill bottle.

Multicolored strands of light wafted about it; it was clearly not an ordinary item. Meng Hao picked it up and opened it. Immediately, a fragrant medicinal smell wafted out. Inside was a medicinal pill the size of a thumb!

Looking shaken, Meng Hao placed the bottle into his bag of holding. Now he knew what all the white-robed disciples were doing in the area; they were trying to reach this mountain.

"That's a Universe Spirit Pill, extremely useful to anyone in the Qi Condensation stage." Wu Dingqiu laughed as he looked at the trail Meng Hao had left through the Demonic Forest.

Next to him, Eccentric Song had an extremely unsightly expression on his face. And yet, he let out a cold laugh. "My treasure mountain has many medicinal pills and Spirit Stones in it. This kid can grab a medicinal pill, but if he thinks he can reach the top, he's dreaming. The Spirit Beasts on my treasure mountain are one in a million. Only the best of the best have the requisite latent talent to be placed on the mountain itself." He spoke as lightly as ever, and yet the pain in his heart grew more and more intense.

"Look there," said Eccentric Song, pointing at a Demonic beast that rose up ahead of Meng Hao. "That is a fierce beast which I raised myself. It has the body of a deer and the head of a python. It is extremely fast, and if it's injured, becomes even fiercer. It will never stop fighting until it dies, and once it catches the scent of blood, it goes crazy. A Qi Condensation Cultivator who faces it will surely perish."

After enough time passed for half an incense stick to burn, miserable shrieks drifted down the side of the mountain. Upon seeing all the blood, Eccentric Song appeared as if he might begin to go crazy. The Demonic beast which would never give up until dying gaped in astonishment, then fled at top speed. Its tail was destroyed and an eye was badly mangled. Worst of all, it only had two legs left. And yet, it still moved quickly, just as Eccentric Song had said. It fled at top speed.

Meng Hao continued forward. Having passed through another Demonic beast's territory, he now encountered a pile of several hundred Spirit Stones. Looking excited, he continued on up the mountain.

Contented laughter rang out from Wu Dingqiu's mouth. In fact, you could say that from Meng Hao's appearance until now, he hadn't stopped laughing.

"Wow, it really could move fast. Wouldn't give up until it died!"

"No matter, no matter. There are many treasures on the mountain, this kid can grab some, but he won't be able to leave with them. After all, he has to come back down the mountain to do that." The words 'no matter' left his lips, and he looked calm, but he pulled out a Concentration Pill from his bag and put it into his mouth. A crazed look had appeared in his eyes, and he felt a dark premonition in his heart.

An hour later …

Meng Hao had already reached the half-way point up the mountain. The entire time, no matter what Demonic beast came his way, he would send it away screaming. There were a few dangerous situations, but with a wave and point of his iron spear, the danger would melt away. Then, heart beating, he would collect up Spirit Stones, medicinal pills, and magical items.

To Meng Hao, this entire mountain was a treasure trove. Right now, he was retrieving a scroll painting from behind a big boulder. It emanated a gentle glow along with abundant spiritual energy. It was clearly extraordinary.

Excited, he put it into his bag of holding.

Below him in the Demonic forest, more than a few Violet Fate Sect disciples lifted their heads up and caught sight of him, leaving them shocked.

As Eccentric Song watched all of this happening, his face grew darker and darker, and his body began to tremble. He stared at Meng Hao's bag of holding, inside of which were his Spirit Stones, medicinal pills, and magical treasures; especially the scroll painting. His heart hurt.

The scroll painting was a treasure he had acquired many years ago. Sealed within were the spirits of quite a few beasts. When his most beloved Demonic beast of all had died some years ago, he had sealed it within. And now, Meng Hao had taken it. Eccentric Song's body shook even more violently, so he produced two more Concentration Pills and swallowed them down.

He still struggled to maintain an unconcerned expression, but the ringing sound of Wu Dingqiu's laughter continued to pierce his eardrums.

"My treasure mountain has many treasures," he forced himself to say. "So what if a few of them get taken? He will not be able to escape the mountain. I've carefully collected these Spirit beasts from everywhere in the world. There are too many, he won't be able to escape them easily."

Two hours later…

Meng Hao had almost reached the snowy area past the mountain's halfway point. He wore an excited expression as he sped forward with even greater speed. Down in the Demonic forest, more than half of the Violet Fate Sect disciples engaged in this trial of fire could see him up there on the mountain. Expressions of surprise and envy covered their faces, especially when he stooped over to pick up things from the ground. Each and every one of them wished they could be in his place.

Shangguan Xiu stood, fists clenched, jaw clenched, completely helpless. He did not dare to go up the mountain. He was already in enough danger in the Demonic forest. Furthermore, he had overheard some of the white-robed disciples' conversations, and knew that this was a trial by fire for the disciples of the Violet Fate Sect from the Southern Domain. He felt conflict at heart, and seemed to have no other option than to give up. Only his intense hatred of Meng Hao caused him to reconsider.

As Eccentric Song watched Meng Hao injure the head of yet another of his precious Demonic beasts, he took out three Concentration Pills and swallowed them, continuing to pretend that he didn't care.

"I carefully collected that snow from the tops of auspicious clouds," he said slowly through his teeth. "It is the most suitable environment for my most treasured Spirit beasts. One of them, the Sky Rending Condor, is well known. Its talons can shatter metal and stone, its wings can kick up a violent wind. It is incredibly fierce, perhaps the most dangerous Spirit beast on the mountain. Even with that crappy spear, this kid is dead for sure when he enters its territory."

Three hours later…

One talon was shattered, half a wing was gone, and the giant condor coughed up blood. Wailing mournfully, it hid itself in the snow, crying out endlessly.

Meng Hao was almost at the peak of the mountain. All of the Violet Fate Set disciples were staring at him. They didn't care any more about fighting with the Demonic beasts. They stared in awe at his glittering, shining iron spear, and their eyes burned.

"Who is this person…"

"He intruded into our trial by fire and took away our rewards… it's too cruel."

"That iron spear is definitely a treasure from the Heavens! It's so ferocious!"

Eccentric Song trembled in distress. He watched as Meng Hao, approaching the mountain's peak, snatched up a black net. He could no longer feign calm. His stood up and took a step forward, ready to go teach Meng Hao a lesson.

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Chapter 52: Bumper Crop

Once, he could endure. Twice, three times, four times, even five times he could continue to endure. By the sixth time, however, he was shamed into a rage and could endure no longer. The Heaven Entangling Net was even more precious to him than the scroll painting. It could instantly entangle an opponent, and had been among his treasured items for years. The higher your Cultivation base, the more effective it became. He had placed it on the treasure mountain to show off its splendor, so that people would see it and covet it. He had assumed it would be safe, and had never imagined that anyone would actually be able to take it. As of now, he had already begun to go crazy, and wished nothing more than to beat Meng Hao to death and take back the oil painting and Heaven Entangling Net.

But then, Wu Dingqiu, laughing smugly, flicked his wide sleeve and stood in front of Eccentric Song, blocking his way.

"Fellow Daoist Song is an illustrious Cultivator from the Southern Domain. What are you doing, exactly? Earlier, you said that for seven days, anyone could come here, and that all of the treasures of the treasure mountain were available for the taking. Don't tell me you're going to go back on your word?

"You carried the peak over here yourself from Mount Tian Shan. The land was fertilized with soil from the bottom of the East Sea which hadn't seen the light of day for ten thousand years. I remember someone saying that any Cultivator of the Qi Condensation stage could prevail, as long as they were skilled enough. Eccentric Song, acting like this really shows a lack of demeanor. If word gets out, you'll definitely lose face." Wu Dingqiu continued to laugh, clearly having no intention of allowing Eccentric Song to go anywhere.

Eccentric Song's expression looked worse than ever, filled with bitter suffering. Before, he had spoken with utmost complacency, but now, everything he had said was being thrown back in his face. After a long moment, he slapped his bag of holding, pulled out two large Concentration Pills and swallowed them. Then he let out a long breath.

Suddenly, his eyes flashed, and he cast his consciousness out toward Meng Hao, intending to get some information about his iron spear. At first, he hadn't paid the slightest attention to Meng Hao, focused as he was on what the iron spear was doing. As soon as his consciousness emerged, Wu Dingqiu laughed and flicked his sleeve. A glowing shield immediately covered the entire plateau, blocking Eccentric Song's consciousness.

"Using your consciousness to inspect a lower generation Qi Condensation Cultivator? Eccentric Song, are you purposely trying to lose face?" Wu Dingqiu obviously was not willing to let Eccentric Song have his way in anything. He laughed. Eccentric Song, looking more put off than ever, could do nothing except flick his own sleeve. Another shield appeared just beyond the first shield.

"That kid's iron spear is extraordinary," he said. "If you won't allow me to inspect it with my consciousness, then I won't let you do so either."

Four hours later, Meng Hao had reached the mountain's peak, iron spear in hand. He walked up, look around, finally noticing the large flag stuck into the ground. Underneath the flag was a bag. Its surface was a mass of rioting colors; looking at it made you feel as if it could suck your mind out. Everything around it seemed to ripple and grow blurry. When Meng Hao laid eyes on it, he palpitated with eagerness and started panting. He grabbed the multicolored bag, and when he did, the flag fell to the ground.

Conversations had buzzed among the onlookers in the Demonic Forest as they watched Meng Hao calmly walked up the mountain, collecting huge amounts of Spirit Stones and medicinal pills. When the flag toppled more conversations broke out.

They gazed at Meng Hao with shock and envy, and then watched as he disappeared over the other side of the mountain.

Shangguan Xiu glared at Meng Hao murderously as he vanished. He didn't dare to pursue him; there were too many things about him he didn't know. Even though Shangguan Xiu's desire to kill him was stronger than ever, he also knew that it was almost too late to reach his medicinal plant. Gnashing his teeth, he stamped his foot onto the ground, looking very pitiful indeed. But anger pushed away his depression. He would have killed Meng Hao already, if he could only have thought of a way.

As he watched Meng Hao disappear onto the other side of the mountain, Wu Dingqiu's laughter rang out over the plateau. Eccentric Song stared with wide eyes as Meng Hao took his bag of the Cosmos. The blood drained from his face, and he seemed heartbroken. Now more than ever he regretted putting his bag of the Cosmos onto the mountain. He just couldn't believe what had happened. This time, he really couldn't endure any longer. He flicked his sleeve, and prepared to pursue the damnable Meng Hao. But, before he could leave, Wu Dingqiu once again blocked his way.

"Wu Dingqiu, you still dare to block me!" shouted heartbroken Eccentric Song. "The flag is fallen. You didn't win our bet, and I didn't lose. The trial by fire is over. If you continue to obstruct my way, you can't blame me for attacking you!"

"Fellow Daoist Song, we agreed ahead of time that neither of us would leave before we finished this game of Go. You are a grand, illustrious Cultivator of the Southern Domain. Don't tell me you're going to go back on your word? When I made to leave earlier, you wouldn't let me. Yet you wish to leave before finishing our game?" Wu Dingqiu laughed as he used Eccentric Song's own words against him. Not a trace of a frown remained on his face, which was now filled with a wide smile. He clearly would not allow the other man to leave. Seeing the bag of the Cosmos taken away had filled his heart with joy. Eccentric Song had waved that bag in front of him mockingly for hundreds of years; to see him hoisted on his own petard was wondrous to the extreme.

"You…" Eccentric Song glared murderously at Wu Dingqiu, and didn't say anything for a long moment. Then, he gritted his teeth and stamped his foot down, shaking the mountain so hard it seemed it would collapse. But considering his status and prestige, he could do nothing more than sit back down and begin playing Go again.

Of course, Wu Dingqiu wouldn't let him have his way so simply. He stroked his beard as he looked at Eccentric Song's unsightly expression. Laughing, he very slowly picked up a Go piece and then purposefully put a very thoughtful expression onto his face. After a very, very long time, he slowly put the piece onto the board, his face solemn, as if he intended to make this game last for months.

"Leave the mountain," said Wu Dingqiu, transmitting his voice to all of his white-robed disciples. "After I finish this game of Go, I will accompany you back to the Sect. In the meantime, the next stage of your trial by fire is to find the man you just saw on the mountain peak. I've taken a fancy to that treasured spear he has. Bring that spear back to me, and you will be promoted to the Inner Sect!" Each and every one of the disciples perked up at hearing this.

"Is the dignified Violet Fate Sect of the Southern Domain really going to kill people to take treasures?" said Eccentric Song. He was incredibly depressed, stuck in place because of his own words. But even though he hated Meng Hao, he couldn't pass up an opportunity to cause trouble for Wu Dingqiu.

Glaring at Eccentric Song, Wu Dingqiu said, "Listen well. You must not cause problems for that person. You must trade with him, not rob him. Anyone who violates this command will be expelled from the Sect!" His next move in the Go game was even slower than the previous.

The Violet Fate Sect disciples scattered in all directions. Some of them circled around the treasure mountain in pursuit of Meng Hao; others went as fast as possible in different directions, hoping to intercept him.

Their trial by fire had been an utter defeat, something they were not reconciled to. However, they didn't hold any ill will against Meng Hao, but rather admired him. After all, they had all witnessed the blood-soaked events of moments ago.

All of them were determined to get the iron spear from Meng Hao. They would trade anything to get it, and if he was unwilling to trade, would have to think of some tricks to get it.

In any case, they all had clearly heard Elder Wu's words; they were to trade for the item, not rob it. Although… he had never said they couldn't use force.

As the white-robed disciples scattered, Meng Hao raced down the treasure mountain, collecting more Spirit Stones and medicinal pills as he went. Even though he never saw Eccentric Song and Wu Dingqiu, he had guessed that this place was most likely a trial by fire region set up by some Sect.

Even though Shangguan Xiu was no longer chasing him, he knew that whosever's trial by fire he had charged into might not be too happy about his interference. So, he maintained top speed, his heart pounding and his face filled with eagerness.

His bags of holding were all full; he had acquired more this time than on any other occasion since entering the Cultivation world, with the exception of the cave of the Flying Rain-Dragon. He casually packed away the Spirit Stones and medicinal pills.

Of course, the more things he picked up, the faster he tried to move. Gritting his teeth and continuously consuming Demonic Cores, he moved as fast as possible for three days, until he finally emerged from the mountain range. He looked both exhausted and energetic; in the past several days, he hadn't had a chance to organize his treasures, and now all he wanted to do was find a place where he could safely examine everything. As he moved forward, he noticed that far in the distance was what appeared to be a walled city.

He was in the east of the State of Zhao, and this city appeared to be magnificent and beyond ordinary. It was surrounded by a gentle glowing light, a shield which mortals wouldn't be able to see, and only Cultivators could sense.

"This place… it doesn't seem like a city of mortals. Could it be a city of Cultivators?" He stared in surprise, recalling a map of the State of Zhao he had seen. The map had not shown any city in this place. At yet there at the gate of the city, people were coming in and out, almost all of them Cultivators of the Qi Condensation stage. His assumption had been correct.

He decided not to enter the city. Instead, he found a cave in the nearby mountains. Concealing himself inside, he took a deep breath and then began to take everything out of his bags of holding and sort them.

"What medicinal pill is this? It's incredibly fragrant, even stronger than a Dry Spirit Pill… And this bottle, it has three pills inside, each one as transparent as crystal. They are definitely treasured pills." Licking his lips, he emptied the contents of two bags of holding, and after counting everything, he found that he had seventy-eight pills. There were many different types, each one seemingly stronger than a Dry Spirit Pill. Meng Hao's hands shook.

It took a long time for him to collect himself. Stifling his excitement, he pulled out ten more bags of holding.

"There were so many Spirit Stones on that treasure mountain. I just picked up the ones I noticed, and I wasn't really even paying attention. Yet I acquired so many…" He began breathing hard again as he looked at all the Spirit Stones. When he put them together and counted, he found that he had eight thousand, seven hundred and sixty four!

"I'm rich! Rich!" he murmured. He pulled out another bag of holding, inside of which were flying swords, pearls, two flags, a scroll painting, a black net. All of them were magical items.

His smile nearly split his face as he took the items out. This was especially true when he took out the scroll painting and the black net. They emitted powerful spiritual power, causing his heart to beat rapidly. He slowly unrolled the scroll painting, and a bright light shined out, filling the cave with its brightness and illuminating Meng Hao's face.

Inside, he could see a depiction of mountains and waters, within which existed a multitude of fantastic creatures. They had been painted, and yet somehow also seemed alive. When he opened the scroll he seemed to hear the roars of tens of thousands of beasts echoing faintly in his ears. His heart shook, and he dropped the painting to the ground.

After some time passed, he recovered from his shock. His eyes shining, he calmed his aura and picked up the painting again to examine it. It was clearly an incredibly valuable treasure. Meng Hao's heart beat even faster.

"A treasure! What a true treasure!" he said, breathing deeply. Then he pulled out the black net. Walking out of the cave, he poured some spiritual energy into it, then tossed it into the air.

The black net instantly expanded, growing larger and larger, and flying up higher into the sky. It seemed big enough to be able to envelop the whole mountain, like some powerful black cloud. The mountain began to shake, and cracks appeared on its surface as if it were about to collapse. The suppressive power increased, causing Meng Hao's heart to tremble. Astonished, he lifted his hand, sending out his spiritual energy, causing the black cloud to slowly shrink. It transformed into a black beam which shot back toward him and then became a small, black net.

He grabbed the net, his mouth dry. He breathed for a while, composing himself. His eyes glowed.

"This is better than even the best treasures from the Reliance Sect," he thought, his heart pounding. Then, he pulled out the last item, the multicolored bag.

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Chapter 53: How will you thank me?

"This… looks kind of like a bag of holding, but a bit better." Meng Hao moved it back and forth in his hands, then used his spiritual power to feel it out a bit. Suddenly, his body began to tremble, as if it had been struck by invisible lightning. His eyes widened, revealing complete astonishment. After a long time passed, he lowered his head and looked into the bag.

"It's so big…" he murmured. It was a bag of holding, but was so large inside that it seemed as if it could contain heaven and earth. The insides were misty, and so boundless that Meng Hao's heart immediately shook.

It appeared as if entire mountains and rivers could be stored inside. Even though it was empty, its massive capacity was enough to call the bag itself a precious treasure.

Meng Hao's mouth and tongue were dry. The Spirit Stones had made him happy. The medicinal pills had made him quiver with eagerness. And then there were the magical items. The scroll painting had shocked him and the spiritual might of the black colored net had left him shaken. But this bag left his head buzzing. It took a long time to pull himself together.

"I'm rich. This is true wealth…" Meng Hao muttered to himself, gripping the multicolored bag tightly. But then the expression on his face suddenly changed.

"If that was truly some great Sect's trial by fire, it wouldn't be a big deal if I interfered, but they surely won't let me get away with so many treasures, medicinal pills and Spirit Stones." His heart began to thump, and a conflicted look appeared on his head. However, he was determined not to give up the treasures he had acquired.

He organized everything carefully, then breathed in deeply and looked out at the evening. He emerged from the cave and left the mountains, looking thoughtfully at the walled city off in the distance.

"I have a lot of medicinal pills," he muttered to himself as he gazed at the city with glittering eyes, "but I don't recognize any of them. Therefore, I can't safely consume any of them." He began to walk toward the city.

He moved quickly, and soon approached the city gate, above which were written three characters.

Eastern Refinement City.

The characters had an ancient feel to them, and had clearly been there for more than just a few years. Their faded surfaces made one feel as if they had seen ages come and go.

"Refinement is similar to Cultivation. And this is the East. The meaning of this city's name is relatively straight-forward." [TL note: The character for "Refinement" is pronounced similar to the character for "Cultivation."]

As soon as Meng Hao stepped foot into the city gate, he saw two disciples standing there chatting. Their gaze settled onto Meng Hao.

They wore light blue robes and were both at the third level of Qi Condensation.

"Fellow Daoist, please pay your tax before entering the city." His smile disappeared as he felt the pressure of Meng Hao's Cultivation base.

"Fellow Daoists, I can tell from a glance that you are from a great Sect. I myself am from a small Sect, and I just came off the mountain. This being my first time here, could I trouble you two Fellow Daoists to give me some information about this place?" Meng Hao was innately scholarly, and spoke in a very polite manner. The two low-level Cultivators were instantly impressed, and the young man who had just spoken laughed.

"Well spoken, well spoken! Fellow Daoist, your Cultivation base is quite refined. If this is your first time out of the Sect, then I suspect your name will become quite well-known in the future." The young man smiled as he spoke. For someone with such a profound Cultivation base to treat him so politely left him feeling quite pleased. "This is Eastern Refinement City, founded by the Three Great Sect Alliance of the State of Zhao, and one of the great Cultivation Cities in the State of Zhao. In order to enter, you have to pay a tax of one Spirit Stone.

"The cost is actually three Spirit Stones, but for you, just one will do. Please note, fighting is forbidden within the city limits. Violators will be punished severely by the three Sects. You must not forget this point." He held out a wooden tablet to Meng Hao.

Meng Hao thanked him hurriedly and paid his one Spirit Stone. Then, he saluted with clasped hands and passed through the city gate.

He felt a bit of regret about the Spirit Stone. It was only one, but it was still money as far as Meng Hao was concerned. He might have over eight-thousand more in his bag, but he was very familiar with the copper mirror's appetite for Spirit Stones, and knew that it wasn't actually very much at all.

"What an expensive tax. If I didn't absolutely have to come here, I wouldn't pay it." He walked quickly through the city, looking around. Dusk was falling, but the city still bustled, with people walking to and fro everywhere. The streets were filled with shops, most of which emitted brightly glowing lights. A single look confirmed that this was no ordinary place.

Everyone was a Cultivator. As he walked through the city, he didn't see a single mortal. However, all of these Cultivators were of the Qi Condensation stage. Scanning the crowds, Meng Hao only saw about three people who, like him, were at the seventh level. Most were at the sixth, or lower.

Meng Hao walked down the broad streets, looking for shops that sold medicinal pills. He didn't buy any, but rather asked questions. Three days passed, during which time Meng Hao traversed the entire city, visiting over thirty medicinal pill shops.

Even still, he only could find out information about seven or eight of the dozens of types of medicinal pills in his bag of holding. And yet, Meng Hao was excited. Of the pills he had learned about, each and every one was considerably expensive. One of them was a Spirit Establishment Pill, worth fifty Spirit Stones, only useful at the seventh level of Qi Condensation.

In his bag of holding, he had eight of them altogether.

"Too bad there are so many pills that I still don't know anything about." On the third day, Meng Hao hesitated, then finally walked into an extremely luxurious building in the western district of the city.

It was three stories tall and emitted a glowing light. Even from a long distance, one could see its shine. Before, Meng Hao noticed that almost everyone who entered was of the sixth level of Qi condensation. There were even some of the eighth or ninth levels, and it seemed this was the only building they were willing to enter.

When he saw the name on the building, he was even more resolved to enter.

Hundred Treasures Pavilion.

The inside was filled with carved balustrades and marble steps. Everything seemed to be made of jade, and as soon as he stepped inside, Meng Hao instantly felt a dense spiritual force brush against his face. A dazzling assortment of displayed items met his eyes; medicinal pill bottles, flying swords, pearls, banners and other items could be seen everywhere.

There weren't a lot of Cultivators present, so it was relatively quiet. They walked around separately in groups of four or five, each one accompanied by a young woman wearing a long, pink dress. The girls' voices were light and airy, and they humbly answered all queries about the various items.

None of that was of very much interest to Meng Hao, though. What really captured his attention was some distance away on the second floor. Next to the stair case was an enormous Pill furnace. Wisps of smoke curled around it, and sitting next to it was a middle-aged man in a long black robe. He sat there cross-legged, back straight, expressionless, doing breathing exercises with his eyes closed.

He emanated a trace amount of power, but it was difficult to sense, as if he were keeping most of it hidden. If he didn't, the entire pavilion would probably begin to collapse.

"A Foundation Establishment Cultivator…" Meng Hao's pupils constricted. This middle-aged man emitted the same type of aura as Grand Elder Ouyang, making it immediately obvious to Meng Hao that his Cultivation base was at the Foundation Establishment stage, far above everyone else's.

"I wonder if the day will ever come in which I have a chance to be a Foundation Establishment Cultivator." After all the things he had experienced in the Reliance Sect, his heart was filled with the desire to become powerful. Right now, his head was lowered, but his eyes were filled with determination and stubbornness. His resolve was even stronger than ever.

"By using the Cultivation method of the Sublime Spirit Scripture, when reach Foundation Establishment, it will be a Flawless Foundation, much more powerful than Cracked or Fragmented. I will be strong even among Foundation Establishment stage Cultivators." He took in a deep breath and raised his head. A young woman in a pink dress approached him. She was beautiful, and wore a relaxed smiled on her face. She greeted Meng Hao with a slight bow. As she did, the front of her dress dropped, revealing an abundance of milky tenderness.

"Daoist Brother, do you need any assistance?" she asked.

Meng Hao's face immediately turned scarlet, and he murmured to himself that he shouldn't look at inappropriate things. Despite his determination, he couldn't help but glance down, and his heart began to race. Even though he had been in the Reliance Sect for three years, he hadn't spent time with any female disciples other than Elder Sister Xu. As for what he was looking at now he hadn't seen anything like it in his entire life. His face was a bit dark, but at the moment you couldn't tell at all.

"Do you have any jade slips which describe medicinal pills?" he asked with a dry cough, trying to cover up his embarrassment.

The girl was young, but her demeanor suggested she was quite experienced. She could instantly sense Meng Hao's awkwardness, and was quite amused. Throughout her years, she had seen many customers, but few like Meng Hao. Holding back a laugh, she smiled and leaned closer toward him so that he would catch a scent of her perfume.

When the fragrant scent reached his face, Meng Hao's face grew even redder. His eyes, however, contained no lasciviousness. Instead they were wide and clear; he was fundamentally not given to lust. He was just inexperienced with women, thus his flushed face.

"Of course we have jade slips regarding medicinal pills," she said with a wink. "Please follow me, Daoist Brother." She found his increasing awkwardness to be very cute. She turned, her waist swaying, her curves entrancing. Meng Hao couldn't help but look, and again his heart began to race. With a bitter smile, he gave a light cough and hurried to follow her.

She led him to a lattice shelf off to the side which was filled with various pieces of jade. Amongst them, on a white tray, were three slips of jade, inscribed with the characters Three Jade Slip. "These jade slips introduce most of the medicinal pills that can be found in the State of Zhao. However, this is a copy, so the contents are somewhat unclear."

When she saw Meng Hao raising his hand to take them, she smiled. "You can't look unless you buy. The Three Jade Slip costs one hundred spirit stones." When she smiled, two beautiful dimples appeared. As she looked at Meng Hao, she thought that even though his face was a bit dark, it contained a scholarly and youthful charm.

As her perfume wafted around Meng Hao, he pulled his hand back and focused himself. He looked thoughtfully at the Three Jade Piece. It seemed just a bit too expensive, and he was hesitant to part with that many Spirit Stones.

"Is there anything that provides even more information than this?" he asked after a while, clenching his jaw. His whole purpose in coming here had been to buy a jade slip such as this.

"Of course!" replied the girl with another wink. "Follow me." She led Meng Hao to another corner, then pointed to a jade slip on a shelf. It was covered with small cracks.

"This is not a copy. It's an ancient jade slip which contains records of the various medicinal pills of the Southern Domain. It even details information about poison pills and their antidotes. Furthermore, it contains very realistic artistic depictions of the pills. Unfortunately, it is cracked, and will eventually shatter. You will only be able to read it four or five times."

Upon hearing her words, Meng Hao's heart quivered. He needed it, not for long-term use, but to solve the problem of his current situation.

"Daoist Brother, I hope you don't mind," she said with a smile, leaning close and lowering her voice. "The cost of this item is two hundred Spirit Stones. You should understand that if it wasn't cracked, it would be worth over one thousand. If you really want it, I can help you apply for a cost reduction. But, how will you thank me?"

This chapter was sponsored by Jon Liu, Juan Reyes and Mitchell Kutchuk

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Chapter 54: An Old Friend from the Sect

"I… I'm just a scholar…" Meng Hao gaped, his mouth wide, unsure of how to respond. When he had bought things back in Yunjie County, he had never encountered a situation like this. To have a beautiful girl smiling sweetly at him, looking so charming, caused the red flush to suddenly fill his face once again.

Seeing Meng Hao's embarrassed expression, the young woman covered her mouth and laughed softly. She turned, her waist swaying enchantingly as she walked over to the Pill oven. She lowered her head to speak to the middle-aged man who sat there in meditation.

When she returned, she winked at Meng Hao. "How about one hundred seventy Spirit Stones?"

"Many thanks, Fellow Daoist," said Meng Hao, sucking in a breath. Looking pleased at having saved a few Spirit stones, he quickly saluted with clasped fists.

"You can call me big sis," she said, holding the jade slips out to Meng Hao.

He accepted them, then cast some spiritual power into them. Immediately a vast tableau appeared in his mind. Glancing over it eagerly, he already noticed three of the pills that were contained in his bag of holding. He pulled out the one hundred seventy Spirit Stones and gave them to the girl, then cupped his hands together as he made to leave. The girl sighed and escorted him all the way to the door.

"My name is Qiao Ling," she said, her eyes filled with an interesting look. "Remember to ask for me next time you come." She looked him up and down as she spoke, her eyes charming and filled with poise. Meng Hao, face scarlet, saluted her and retreated as quickly as possible.

His heart pounded as he left, and didn't calm down for quite some time. He looked back at the Hundred Treasures Pavilion and caught sight of Qiao Ling standing there smiling softly at him.

He felt even more embarrassed. She had taken liberties with him!

He had never experienced a feeling such as this before. It wasn't a bad feeling, and he actually enjoyed it a bit. Coughing again, he lowered his head and continued walking.

About this time, a group of people emerged from the second floor of the Hundred Treasure's Pavilion. There were about seven or eight of them, including men and women. As they walked, they chatted with each other. Among them was a young man wearing a light blue robe, walking in the back. He didn't look like he belonged, as if he were an attendant.

As the group left the pavilion, the young man happened to lift his head and catch sight of Meng Hao.

"Meng Hao!" he cried, staring. This caught the attention of the other men and women, as well as Meng Hao, who stopped walking and looked back to see all of them looking at him.

His expression did not change, but in his heart he felt conflicting emotions. The young man was none other than Zhou Kai, former disciple of the Reliance Outer Sect. His Cultivation base was at the fifth level of Qi Condensation. On the day of the Sect's dissolution, he had been rolled out by the red fog, and here he was today.

He seemed to be somewhat down and out, following a group of people dressed in expensive, brocaded garments. Most of them had threatening demeanors, and one of them was at the seventh level of Qi Condensation. The rest appeared to be at the sixth. They were clearly members of the great Sects of the State of Zhao.

Obviously, Zhou Kai had joined them after the dissolution of the Reliance Sect. For him to be with group such as this, he obviously could only claim the status of an attendant.

Meng Hao nodded to him but didn't say anything. He turned and made to leave.

"Who is this?" said a young man who stood next to Zhou Kai. He spoke lightly, but his tone was one of pride and arrogance. He wore a resplendent robe and held a fan in his hand. He was at the seventh level of Qi Condensation, and the others standing around them began to whisper among themselves and watch.

"Elder Brother Sun, this is a fellow member of my former Sect," said Zhou Kai hesitatingly, not mentioning Meng Hao's name or his status in the Sect.

"Meng Hao… that name sounds familiar."

"I remember," said one of the women in the group with a laugh. "He's the only remaining member of the Reliance Inner Sect. He looks a lot like the drawing."

The eyes of all the onlookers suddenly began to shine. Two people dashed ahead to block Meng Hao's path. In recent days in the Cultivation world of the State of Zhao, rumors of a shocking matter had been circulating.

The Reliance Sect had disbanded, but Patriarch Reliance wasn't dead. He had put on a display of power all for the sake of a single Inner Sect disciple. He had frightened the most powerful experts of the State of Zhao, causing a huge sensation. After the experts had returned from the scene, these rumors had spread across the entire Cultivation world of the State of Zhao.

Even more hotly discussed was how Founder Reliance had given his Inner Sect disciple a precious treasure, something powerful enough to shake the heavens and earth and kill any and all Cultivators. These rumors spread fast and wide, and as inquiries were made of the former Reliance Sect disciples, this person's name was soon revealed: Meng Hao.

If things had just ended in this fashion, then the matter would soon have come to rest. However, after returning from the Reliance Sect, the State of Zhao experts gradually realized something. Toward the end, it had seemed as if Patriarch Reliance's power had begun to wane slightly. Furthermore, considering Patriarch Reliance's famous temper, how could it be that they all were able to escape, without a single one of them being killed?

Speculation naturally blossomed, and many people began to pay more and more attention to the Inner Sect disciple Meng Hao. The three great Sects had issued orders that all disciples sent out of the Sect pay close attention and attempt to find Meng Hao. His picture had been distributed along with the order.

Now, people weren't certain. Even if Patriarch Reliance was alive, was his Cultivation base as powerful as before? Filled with misgivings about the matter, the three great Sects had proclaimed rewards would be given to any disciple who, upon encountering Meng Hao, could get information about the power of the treasure he carried.

Meng Hao stood there, looking coldly at the two people blocking his way. He heard footsteps behind him as four others blocked his path of retreat. His left and right paths also contained people. It seemed he was completely surrounded.

Within the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, Qiao Ling looked down with a frown.

"May I help you, sirs and ladies?" said Meng Hao coolly, his gaze sweeping around. His expression seemed indifferent, as calm as still water. He seemed completely confident, yet also cautious.

"No," said the extravagantly dressed young man with a smile, fanning himself. "We've just heard that Meng Hao has a gift bestowed upon him by Patriarch Reliance. Having happened to run into you, we were hoping to take a look." Within his smile glinted an icy coldness. And yet, his heart was circumspect; any treasured gift given by Patriarch Reliance should be treated with utmost caution.

But, these were disciples of the three Great Sects, which granted them extremely high status. Therefore, despite Meng Hao being at the seventh level of Qi Condensation, they still felt themselves above him.

"That's right," said another of the people surrounding him. He laughed. "Fellow Daoist Meng does have the treasure. Why not take it out for us to have a look?" He clearly viewed Meng Hao as being completely boxed in, with no way out.

Meng Hao looked as calm as ever, his eyes shining with a cold light. His mouth twisted mockingly, and he suddenly slapped his bag of holding, causing the people surrounding him to dodge to the side. Some of them even pulled out magical items.

A beam of light flashed, and suddenly, Meng Hao's iron spear appeared in his hand. He stabbed it down into the ground, imbuing it with some spiritual energy so that it appeared to be a mighty weapon. It hummed, the sound reverberating about, causing the surrounding people to unconsciously take a step back, their gazes fixed on the spear.

"Whoever wishes to die can come up for a closer look," said Meng Hao coolly, taking two steps back and flicking his wide sleeve. He appeared supremely confident, especially his mocking eyes and smile, as if he knew beyond doubt that anyone who attempted to look closely at the spear would be killed by it.

Actually, Meng Hao had taken two steps back because it brought him closer to the city gate. As soon as the surrounding people walked forward to look at the spear, he would attack, then take advantage of the chaos to flee. After all, this city was controlled by the three great Sects, and he knew that he could not get involved in any trouble here.

Everything was quiet as the onlookers gazed at the iron spear. At first glance, it did appeare to be a bit beyond ordinary. It was covered with sweeping, decorative patterns, incredibly complex, dazzling even. The more people looked at it, the more amazing it seemed.

It glowed, its tip emitting beams of light which pierced the eyes like lightning.

Even Qiao Ling, up in the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, couldn't help but gaze at it. More girls appeared around her, all of them staring down.

After looking at it for a while, the several disciples from the great Sects frowned.

"It doesn't look like anything special; there are just some fancy markings on it. It doesn't seem to have any incantations on it at all…."

The fancy young man with the fan also frowned. "That's the treasure given to him by Patriarch Reliance?" After examining it, he laughed, then beckoned for Zhou Kai to step forward.

At this moment, the sound of footsteps could be heard from outside the East gate, drawing the attention of the surrounding Cultivators. Meng Hao's eyes flashed, and then he frowned. Clustered outside the East gate was a group of ten or more Cultivators wearing white robes. Some of them looked familiar, and when he saw the color of their robes, he knew that these were the disciples from whatever great Sect had been holding the trial by fire.

As he saw them entering through the East gate, he realized that his path of escape was now blocked. His frown deepened, and his hand slowly lowered to his bag of holding.

The fancy young man with the fan looked at the white robed Cultivators, and his eyes gleamed. His face filled with reverence, he cupped his hands in salute and said, "Elder Brothers from the Violet Fate Sect, I am humble Sun Hua 1 from the Winding Stream Sect. Greetings, Fellow Daoists."

Hearing this, looks of awe appeared on the faces of the surrounding Cultivators. They followed along with the first man as he saluted the white-robed Cultivators. They were famous figures from various Sects, and normally held a high position within the State of Zhao. But to meet disciples from a truly great Sect from the Southern Domain, they were instantly lowered down. Their expressions were suddenly that of longing and courtesy.

Recently, they had all received jade slips from their respective Sects reminding them that if they ran into any white-robed disciples from the Violet Fate Sect of the Southern Domain, they were not to provoke them.

As the white-robed Cultivators entered the city, they saw the State of Zhao disciples, but completely ignored them. Hearing their identities called out caused a couple of them to frown. Their eyes swept the surroundings, then came to rest on the iron spear stuck into the ground. They stopped in their tracks.

Other disciples who were watching the scene looked astonished. Their excited eyes flickered to stare at the State of Zhao Cultivators.

1. Sun Hua's name in Chinese is 孙华 sūn huá – Sun is a common surname. Hua can mean many things bun in names, most likely "magnificent" or "splendid"

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Chapter 55: Overbearing

A dark look flashed through Meng Hao's eyes. He was surrounded by disciples of various Sects from the State of Zhao, and the white-robed Cultivators were approaching from the East gate. If he aroused the attention of the various eccentrics from the three sects within the city, then his chances of getting away would be very slim.

When the disciples of the State of Zhao Sects saw the Violet Fate Sect disciples walking up, excited expressions lit their faces. To be able to make friends with them would increase their standing in their own respective Sects, and would provide great advantages in further development. Most of them had assumed the Violet Fate Sect disciples would ignore all of them, but it turned out they really were approaching them.

"Elder Brother Sun is very well known; that must be why they're coming over."

"Yeah. He's a blood relative of one of the Elders of the Winding Stream Sect. His Cultivation base is extraordinary. The Violet Fate Sect disciples must be coming over to give him some face." One by one, ingratiating smiles appeared on the faces of the surrounding State of Zhao disciples, especially the young man in the expensive clothes. He was growing more and more excited. Hearing the whispers of the bystanders, his heart filled with pride. It seemed he was fairly well-known after all, enough so to cause the Violet Fate Sect disciples to walk over. This matter would surely be talked about near and far, and his standing in the Sect would change immediately. His name would be known throughout the entire Cultivation world of the State of Zhao.

It seemed that to Meng Hao, what was happening was no big deal. He smiled, looking like he didn't care at all. As the young man in expensive clothes moved forward to greet the white-robed Cultivators, the State of Zhao disciples followed. The female disciples among them looked especially excited.

Meng Hao's eyes flickered. He pulled the iron spear out of the ground, and then turned to leave.

"Daoist Brothers from the Violet Fate Sect, I, Sun, shall treat you to a feast in the Phoenix Heaven Restaurant," said Sun Hua, his expression one of extreme excitement and pride. "Fellow State of Zhao disciples, please join me in receiving the brothers from the Violet Fate Sect." The collection of Cultivators behind him made the image even more distinct. Coupled with his excited expression, it was clear that he was taking the lead among the State of Zhao disciples.

Even as the words left his mouth, and he bowed with cupped hands, the Violet Fate Sect disciples walked past him, not even looking at him. En masse, they passed the entire group without a glance, hurrying quickly forward.

Sun Hua's mouth dropped open as he watched this happen, as did the other State of Zhao disciples who were following him.

At the same time, the person in the lead position of the Violet Fate Sect disciples let out a hearty laugh.

"Fellow Daoist, please stay," he said. "Brother, did you just return from the treasure mountain? You have an outstanding demeanor. All of us who witnessed your actions on the mountain hold you in the highest regard. I am Qian Shuihen 1 of the Violet Fate Sect. Greetings, Fellow Daoist, may I respectfully ask your esteemed name?"

"Fellow Daoist, we've been looking for you," said another. "We never imagined that we would run into you here. Hahaha! If the Fellow Daoist has time, I will send someone to arrange a banquet. I am Lu Song 2 of the Violet Fate Sect. Please, allow me to treat you to a feast."

Among the ten or more Violet Fate Sect disciples, these two had the highest Cultivation bases. They were at the eighth level of Qi Condensation. Faces filled with smiles, they hurried in front of Meng Hao, blocking his way. The spoke with utmost politeness, and when they approached, they saluted with clasped hands. When the State of Zhao disciples saw this happening; their faces filled with awe and veneration.

An almost imperceptible frown appeared on Meng Hao's face, but quickly disappeared. He smiled, and returned a polite salute. He mumbled his name unclearly, although he knew that even though he didn't say it clearly, these people could search him easily if they wanted to.

The State of Zhao Cultivators watched on in disbelief. Their heads spun as they watched the Violet Fate Sect disciples chatting in this way to Meng Hao.

This was especially true of Sun Hua, whose face went through a series of different expressions. He was insulted, of course, and watched Meng Hao with a look of disbelief.

He knew that the white-robed Cultivators were from the Violet Fate Sect in the Southern Domain. They were proud and arrogant, considering themselves to be unmatched in the world. And yet, they were incredibly polite to Meng Hao, and their eyes were filled with veneration.

Although he wasn't quite sure what had just happened, cold sweat broke out on his forehead when he saw them being so polite. He realized that if he had made a move just now to test out the spear, he would most likely have lost a lot of face.

He wasn't the only one who was shocked. Zhou Kai looked on, dumbfounded. Originally, he had regretted calling out Meng Hao's name, but watching this scene unfold, his eyes filled with admiration.

"Elder Brother Meng really did deserve to be an Inner Sect disciple. It's a good thing I gave him those Spirit Stones back then. The Sect was dissolved, and we were kicked away like stray dogs, but he's still out stirring up trouble. And somehow he's got the disciples from one of the great Sects of the Southern Domain to treat him so well." Zhou Kai sighed inwardly.

Up in the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, Qiao Ling blinked a few times, watching in disbelief as the Violet Fate Sect disciples surrounded Meng Hao. When she saw him speaking calmly with them, she couldn't forget what had happened moments ago between her and Meng Hao. Her interest in him was piqued even more.

"Elder Brother Meng," said Qian Shuihen, shifting the conversation topic to the spear in Meng Hao's hand. "Is this the treasured holy spear you used to rebuke the Demonic beasts on the treasure mountain?" He had looked the spear over just now, but it didn't seem to have any extraordinary qualities. And yet he clearly remembered how Meng Hao had wielded it to bloody so many Demonic beasts.

"Of course it is," said Lu Song, laughing. "Your actions on the mountain that day left me in complete veneration of you. Elder Brother Meng, there's no reason to deny it."

A strange look appeared in Meng Hao's eyes, but only for a moment. He smiled and nodded.

"Yes, this is the spear I used that day on the mountain," he said candidly.

"This spear can only be called a great treasure," said Lu Song. "I saw you use it to injure many Demonic beasts. Countless, in fact. Elder Brother Meng's mighty actions have replayed themselves constantly in my mind." He glanced at the spear, his eyes burning. Then he looked over coldly at Qian Shuihen, and the two of them locked gazes. They clearly didn't like each other, and both of them knew that the other was determined to come out on top.

When the State of Zhao Cultivators heard all of this, their gazes were drawn to the iron spear. Their original intention had been to examine this treasure of Meng Hao's. As of now, they didn't need to. If the Violet Fate Sect disciples were convinced of its power, then it must be true.

Sun Hua's eyes gleamed, and he walked forward a few steps, staring at the iron spear.

"Although, I do have to say," laughed Lu Song with a shake of his head, "Elder Brother Meng, you really threw our trial by fire into chaos. You took so many medicinal pills, Spirit Stones and magical items from the treasure mountain…." From his expression, it seemed he didn't mind.

"Oh that…." Meng Hao laughed, taking a few steps back.

"It's no matter," said Qian Shuihen, taking a few steps forward, eyes on the spear. "That treasure mountain belongs to Eccentric Song, and he shot his mouth off, saying that anyone with the skills could take whatever they want. Actually, Elder Brother Meng's actions left me feeling immensely satisfied. But… Elder Brother Meng, regarding this spear; would you be willing to offer it up for sale? The Violet Fate Sect would be willing to offer a fair price for it!" Because Meng Hao held it in his hand, Qian Shuihen had no way to thoroughly inspect it. Because he was not at the Foundation Establishment stage, he didn't have Spiritual Sense, and therefore no way to sense the minute details.

"Well…." Meng Hao looked hesitant.

"Elder Brother Meng," said Lu Song, his eyes glittering. "This spear is really very important to us. Please, allow yourself to part with it!" He knew that the first objective was to force Meng Hao into agreeing. Then he and Qian Shuihen would have to battle it out. He took a step forward as he spoke, an overbearing air filling his eyes.

"Eccentric Song treats people wickedly and mercilessly. You took away many of his most prized treasures. If our Violet Fate Sect's Elder Wu hadn't held him back, Elder Brother Meng would be in quite a bit of danger right now." Qian Shuihen advanced further, his bearing extremely overbearing. At this point, he made no effort to conceal his power and might as he spoke.

The other Violet Fate Sect disciples slowly moved forward, forming a circle around them. Their eyes gleamed with the desire to lay hands on the spear.

"This spear is just an ordinary item," said Meng Hao, looking around at the circle of people, then turning back to Lu Song and Qian Shuihen with a frown.

"Elder Brother Meng, there's no need for jokes," said Lu Song with a laugh, his eyes moving over the haft of the spear. "I know I'm not mistaken. This is the spear that you used. That notch in the side, I saw it clearly that day."

Meng Hao stared blankly. It seemed this person had looked at the spear even more closely than he had. He hadn't notice any notch before, but now that he looked, sure enough, there it was.

When Lu Song saw his expression, it only served to further his certainty. Though he wore a smile on his face, his eyes were cold. He wasn't allowed to kill Meng Hao to earn a spot in the Inner Sect, but could use other means, and he wouldn't hold back.

"Even if it's only an ordinary object, we still wish to buy it," said Qian Shuihen threateningly, his voice even colder than before. "We are determined to have this spear. Please, Elder Brother Meng, don't make things difficult for us, otherwise, we will be very displeased, and you will be too. You might have the spear in hand, but the Violet Fate Sect is one of the five great Sects of the Southern Domain. Even this far away, our power is greater than you can imagine, Fellow Daoist. Furthermore… it's not we who want the spear, but rather Sect Elder Wu."

Upon hearing this, the State of Zhao Cultivators all exchanged glances. Their faces lit up with sneers for Meng Hao, but they maintained their silence.

Sun Hua's smile was especially wide. Gaining the help of these people to get information about the spear was a good thing. Regardless of what happened in the end, he should be able to take advantage of the situation to make a move. Furthermore, despite Meng Hao having a treasured spear, he wouldn't dare to offend a great sect from the Southern Domain.

"If I don't agree, will you force me?" asked Meng Hao, his gaze growing grim.

"Our Sect doesn't steal treasures from people," said Lu Song with a laugh. "But Elder Brother Meng should think things through carefully. What good will it do you to offend us? Furthermore… if we really wanted to steal the spear, we could get other people to do it for us. We wouldn't have to do anything." He glanced over at the State of Zhao disciples standing a short distance away and nodded. Sun Hua and the others suddenly looked very excited.

"Elder Brother Meng, I, Qian, very much admire your performance on the treasure mountain. But let's not beat around the bush. Whether or not you want to sell the spear, you will!" His eyes were grim, and his words cold.

Meng Hao's heart groaned. If these people wanted to bring trouble upon themselves, he wouldn't stop them. A variety of expressions crossed his face, and he retreated a few more steps back, muttering to himself. Then, gritting his teeth, he lifted his head. His eyes were bloodshot.

"Esteemed Violet Fate Sect disciples. If you truly wish to purchase my spear, please, name your price." Meng Hao flicked his sleeve, stabbing the spear into the ground. His face seemed to be grim and filled with pain.

1. Qian Shuihen's name in Chinese is 千水痕 qiān shuǐ hén – Qian is a surname which also means "1,000." Shui hen literally means "water mark"

2. Lu Song's name in Chinese is 吕宋 lǚ sòng – Lu is a common surname. Song has no real meaning. It's the same "Song" as the Song Dynasty

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Chapter 56: Elder Brother Meng, Whether or not You Want to Trade, You Will!

When Meng Hao spoke, everything went quiet. Everyone's eyes focused on the iron spear sticking out of the ground.

Qian Shuihen laughed loudly, cupping hands in salute to Meng Hao.

"So, Elder Brother Meng is willing to part with his treasure. I, Qian, will not allow you to suffer a loss." He pulled out a bag of holding and tossed it to the ground. "Here are five hundred Spirit Stones!" Clinking sounds rang out as five-hundred Spirit Stones appeared, forming a small mountain. Off to the side, the State of Zhao disciples watched, gloating over Meng Hao's misfortune. Five hundred Spirit Stones was not a small amount, but also not a very large amount. If he sold a treasured item for that amount, he would become a laughingstock.

They weren't the only ones to think about the price. Meng Hao frowned. The difference was, his thinking was different from that of the State of Zhao disciples. In his estimation, the iron spear was probably worth two pieces of silver. To trade it for five hundred Spirit Stones meant that he was actually making a tidy profit.

"Are you kidding me?" said Lu Song. "Don't try to bully Elder Brother Meng. You think you can buy a treasure like that with just five hundred Spirit Stones? I will buy it for one thousand five hundred Spirit Stones!" With a cold harrumph and the flick of a sleeve, he produced a bag of holding. More clinking sounds rang out as one thousand five hundred shining Spirit Stones emerged, producing a pile much higher than Qian Shuihen's. It was a grand sight which left everyone nervous with anticipation.

The State of Zhao disciples' hearts pounded. To them, one thousand five hundred Spirit Stones was a lot. Even though they were disciples of the three great Sects, it would still be difficult to accumulate so many. They panted as they watched. Even Sun Hua seemed to quiver with eagerness. Zhou Kai stood behind him, dumbfounded. His admiration for Meng Hao grew even stronger, and he felt regret in his heart. He shouldn't have called out Meng Hao's name just now. He sighed, realizing that it was his fault that Meng Hao was being forced to sell his treasure.

"Junior Brother Song really does have gall," said Qian Shuihen, giving Lu Song a cold look. He was determined to win the treasure. As far as he was concerned, it was his ticket into the Inner Sect, and he would not give up, no matter what price he had to pay. As of now, his true opponent was Lu Song. The two of them could clearly not discuss acquiring the spear together.

"All of you! Give me your Spirit Stones," said Qian Shuihen, turning to looking at the five or six disciples behind him. "When we return to the Sect I will find a way to repay you." Without hesitation, they opened their bags of holding and produced all of their Spirit Stones.

"Two thousand one hundred Spirit Stones," Qian Shuihen said coolly, looking as if he didn't care in the slightest. "Elder Brother Meng, these are all the items that I possess." He gave a cold look to Lu Song.

Lu Song's face twisted. The one thousand five hundred Spirit Stones he'd offered had been borrowed from the handful of fellow disciples behind him. Seeing how many Qian Shuihen had produced, as well as Meng Hao's apparent hesitation, he suddenly slapped his bag of holding.

"Elder Brother Meng, I have no more Spirit Stones. But, I have medicinal pills." A bottle appeared in his hand. "Here are three Heavenly Water Pills, suitable for any Cultivator of the eighth level of Qi condensation or lower. It is one of the best pills produced by the Pill Cultivation Workshop of our Violet Fate Sect. Each pill is worth five hundred Spirit Stones."

The burning look in the eyes of the State of Zhao disciples grew more intense. They knew how valuable Heavenly Water Pills were.

Sun Hua's breathing grew heavier. He had heard the Elders of his Sect speak of Heavenly Water Pills, and knew that they were one of the three most effective types of pills within the Southern Domain for eighth level Qi Condensation Cultivators. Even within the Violet Fate Sect, prominent members of the Outer Sect would have a hard time getting their hands on one.

Qian Shuihen frowned, his eyes fixed on Lu Song. Clenching his jaw, he slapped his bag of holding and produced his own pill bottle.

"I have no Heavenly Water Pills," said Qian Shuihen dramatically, "but, seeing that Elder Brother Meng is of the seventh level of Qi Condensation, please accept these seven Earthly Spirit Pills. They were awarded to me for meritorious service within the Sect. They are perfectly suited for the seventh level of Qi Condensation."

"I have some piddling Earthly Spirit Pills too," said Lu Song with a cold laugh. He looked back at the disciples behind him. They gritted their teeth and produced their bags of holding, handing over ten Earthly Spirit Pills. They looked with reddened eyes at Qian Shuihen and his group.

"Elder Brother Qian, look…." said Meng Hao shyly. His heart beat rapidly.

Qian Shuihen's face changed as he realized that his offerings didn't match up to Lu Song's. But this was his opportunity to enter the Inner Sect. He would not let it pass.

"Junior Brother Lu, you are determined to have it out with me today, aren't you? Fine!" His eyes flashing fiercely. He slapped his bag of holding, and immediately, a black beam shot out, transforming into a black spike. It glittered like lightning, producing multiple afterimages. The afterimages all came to rest on Qian Shuihen's hand, and everything grew quiet.

It was pitch black and carried an air of indescribable sharpness.

"Elder Brother Meng, this is a magical item bestowed upon me by the Sect. It is called the Hellfighting Spike. Cold and dark, if it wounds an opponent, the wound will freeze over and an intense coldness will enter their body." Qian Shuihen forced himself to ignore his heartache as he spoke.

When the spike appeared, the faces of the disciples behind Qian Shuihen filled with envy. Lu Song's expression changed, and he looked distressed. He had never imagined that Qian Shuihen would take out the black spike.

Meng Hao's eyes widened and his heart raced even faster. It wasn't just him. A buzz of conversation arose among the nearby State of Zhao disciples.

"That's a Hellfighting Spike from the Violet Fate Sect. I've heard the Elders speak of it. Only the Violet Fate Sect possesses them. It's said there are only one hundred and eight in existence. Each one is shockingly powerful."

Sun Hua's mouth grew dry, and he stared fixated at the spike. He wished beyond anything that he could be Meng Hao, then he could have this treasure.

Lu Song's face continued to twist. Grinding his teeth angrily, he thought about the chance to join the Inner Sect, and how there was only one spot available. He would not retreat from this opportunity. Enduring the disappointment, he slapped his bag of holding and produced a treasure.

It was a feather fan, composed of a total of sixteen multi-colored feathers. As soon as it appeared, it emanated a shocking spiritual power which struck fear into the hearts of the onlookers.

"Elder Brother Meng, this is my most valuable treasure. It is a Milky Way Fan. You don't need to practice with it at all, you can use it immediately. It allows the user to soar, and can change size. The sixteen feathers can also fly out in an attack, or circle around you to form a shield. It can be used in both attack and defense. It is not a treasure of our Sect, but rather something I acquired by luck. Allow me to present it to you in trade, Fellow Daoist." An unsightly expression filled his face, and his heart fairly dripped with blood, but in contending with Qian Shuihen for a spot in the Inner Sect, he charged forth without regard to rhyme or reason.

When the fan appeared, Qian Shuihen's facial expression changed. He took two steps back, his eyes filling with lines of blood. He knew that this was an extremely valuable treasure. To offer this up was almost like risking one's life.

As for the State of Zhao disciples, they looked shocked, and their heads hummed. They might not be familiar with the fan, but it was obviously a spectacularly extraordinary item. It emitted fierce spiritual power which left their hearts pounding in shock.

Sun Hua's eyes grew wide, and his body trembled as it filled with a fierce envy.

Meng Hao took in a deep breath. At the moment, he actually wasn't very happy, but instead apprehensive. He had already offended Eccentric Song, and the thought of deeply offending the Violet Fate Sect caused a cold sweat to break out over his entire body. But it seemed that whether or not he wanted to trade… he would have to.

His current appearance, his frown, and the dark look in his eyes, all made the onlookers think that he didn't view the treasures in front of him as valuable enough to trade.

"Elder Brother Meng, I also have a Plateau Charging Pill, useful at the ninth level of Qi Condensation." Ignoring the pain in his heart, Qian Shuihen slapped his bag of holding and produced a pill bottle. "It is very precious. Any Cultivator of the ninth level of Qi Condensation would go crazy upon seeing just one. Even though it can't compare to a Foundation Establishment Pill, it's still very valuable." As he spoke, he didn't even look at Meng Hao, but rather Lu Song.

"This spear…" Meng Hao felt even more conflicted at heart, and he was about to speak further when suddenly Lu Song raised his head to the sky and laughed loudly. He lifted up his hand and pulled a brocaded pouch out of his robe. He turned it over, and a thick, round pill fell out. It was black, and did not emit even a shred of spiritual power. But, seeing how Lu Song treated it with utmost care, it was obviously some sort of treasure.

"Elder Brother Meng, this pill is not reusable. In fact, it is a rare magical pill. When you crush it, it will turn into a hyper toxic black scorpion that can injure a Cultivator of the ninth level of Qi Condensation, perhaps even kill him. This magical pill was bestowed upon me by my clan. Here, take it!" Lu Song's eyes were red, but they weren't looking at Meng Hao, but rather Qian Shuihen. He held the magical pill up in trade, but he was actually using it to threaten Qian Shuihen, as if this were the tie-breaker.

Qian Shuihen's expression changed, and his eyes flashed, filling with killing intent. But he quickly got himself under control, and then casually said, "Perhaps we should both trade for the treasure, then take it back to Elder Wu and let him decide what to do."

Lu Song didn't respond. He didn't actually want to attack. If it were in a remote place where no one could see, perhaps he would. But things were complicated with so many people watching. He had only wanted to threaten Qian Shuihen. Upon hearing the suggestion, he nodded. Even though it hurt a bit, when he looked at the Plateau Charging Pill in Qian Shuihen's hand, he could only clench his jaw and put his magical pill down in front of him.

Seeing this, Qian Shuihen relaxed a big. Without asking Meng Hao, he grabbed the iron spear and sped off. Lu Song went with him, also holding the spear. They shot toward the city gate, each of them eyeing the other suspiciously.

The other Violet Fate Sect disciples immediately charged after them, instantly disappearing through the city gate and off into the distance. They appeared to be heading in the direction of the State Shield Mountain chain.

Meng Hao's heart raced. Without hesitation, he flicked his sleeve, collecting all of the various objects. Then he turned and sped off as fast as possible. The eyes of the disciples of the State of Zhao glittered brightly, especially Sun Hua's. His eyes filled with fervor, and he moved to pursue and attack Meng Hao. But Meng Hao waved his right hand and the fan flew out to land beneath his feet. His speed increased rapidly, and he shot off into the distance.

At the same time, the middle-aged man sitting next to the Pill furnace in the Hundred Treasures Pavilion cracked open his eyes. They flashed like lighting as he watched Meng Hao disappearing.

"These Violet Fate Sect disciples get worse and worse with each generation," he said coolly. "They are idiots. Even though they don't have the Spiritual Sense of the Foundation Establishment stage, they should still be able to tell that thing is useless."

Upon hearing this, Qiao Ling and the other girls, who had just watched everything happen, looked incredulous.

"It's just an iron spear," the man said quietly. "That young member of the junior generation, surnamed Meng, he said it himself." He closed his eyes again.

This chapter was sponsored by Tjandra Johannes, Deep Bhattacharya, and Ngan Nguyen

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Chapter 57: Was it Worth it?

Meng Hao felt quite conflicted. He stood on the treasured fan he had just acquired, using as much spiritual power as he could muster to flee at top speed. He feared that if he was even the least bit slow, he would be attacked and robbed.

"First I offended Eccentric Song," sighed Meng Hao, "and then the Violet Fate Sect… But it's not my fault, they forced me to trade." In his mind, he was innocent. At the time, he had no choice but to trade the spear…. Sighing repeatedly, he pushed himself to go faster, getting closer and closer to the State Shield Mountain range.

"I need to find a place to hide for a while. If someone catches up with me, I'll be in great danger…" Meng Hao frowned. The power of the treasured fan faded, and he dropped to the ground, tucking the fan away and starting to run.

"When will I be able to reach Foundation Establishment? Then I'll be able to really fly!"

Two days passed, during which time Meng Hao didn't rest at all. He just kept running, thinking about how he hadn't rested at all since Shangguan Xiu began to chase him on Mount Daqing. But he had no choice. The thought of what would happen if he didn't was too ghastly to contemplate.

Meanwhile, deep in the State Shield Mountain chain, atop the plateau next to the treasure mountain, Wu Dingqiu held up a Go piece, smiling broadly. After thinking for no less than one hour, he slowly put the piece onto the board.

Eccentric Song's face was like iron. With a cold snort, he slammed a piece down onto the board.

"Eccentric Song, your Cultivation base is so refined. You shouldn't allow yourself to be in such a mood." Wu Dingqiu stroked his beard and laughed. He looked as calm as a cool wind. "Cultivators of our generation should be able to settle our Qi and calm our minds. Even with mountains crumbling around us, our expressions shouldn't change. But look at you! Are you really so ill-at-ease because of some nobody from the junior generation?"

"If our positions were switched, you would be the same," said Eccentric Song sourly.

"Absolutely not! If I, Wu, were in this position, I would only offer praise, and would certainly not feel anger. In the Violet Fate Sect, we cultivate our disposition, and would not allow something like this to arouse our anger. No offense, Eccentric Song, but as far as this type of cultivation goes, you really have something to learn from the Violet Fate Sect." Wu Dingqiu laughed, obviously quite pleased with himself.

"How about this," he continued. "After we finish this game of Go, you can come with me to the Violet Fate Sect. I will allow you to peruse our Moral Cultivation Manual, and then you will understand what it means to settle the Qi and calm the mind." Wu Dingqiu's smile was so wide that wrinkles appeared on his face.

Eccentric Song harrumphed, refusing to respond and simply looking off into the distance. Wu Dingqiu's smile grew stronger, and he too looked off into the distance. Shortly, two figures could be seen racing toward them through the forest. It was Qian Shuihen and Lu Song. They gripped an iron spear between the two of them as they made a beeline for the plateau. They were followed by a small group of other Violet Fate Sect disciples.

Qian Shuihen and Lu Song stepped foot onto the plateau and both began to speak at the same time.

"Greetings, Elder Wu. Disciple has accomplished the task. I have acquired the treasured item through trade."

"Greetings, Elder Wu, fortunately, I have not failed in my mission. I was able to trade for the spear."

Eccentric Song's face was grim as Wu Dingqiu's laughter rang out.

"Excellent. Good job, you two." He laughed. "I will take it upon myself to promote both of you to the Inner Sect. You didn't cause any problems for that kid, did you?"

"I am pleased to report that we made a fair trade," said Qian Shuihen hastily. Next to him, Lu Song nodded fervently, looking excited. "We didn't cause any problems for him."

"Eccentric Song, come, let's take a look at this treasured, divine spear." Wu Dingqiu laughed. He flicked his sleeve, and the iron spear flew toward him.

The instant it touched his hand, Wu Dingqiu's expression changed. His eyes flashed as he examined the spear closer. Grim-faced Eccentric Song also took a close look, whereupon, his eyes began to shine. He stared open mouthed, then suddenly smiled.

Wu Dingqiu's expression grew more and more unsightly. No matter from which aspect he looked at the spear, it was ordinary in nature. Refusing to believe that it was true, he pointed the spear at a random Demonic beast further down the mountain. The creature didn't even notice.

The expression on his face was unsightly to the extreme. He slowly raised his head, looking coldly at Qian Shuihen and Lu Song.

When they saw the look in Wu Dingqiu's eyes, their excitement faded, and they began to tremble. Blank expressions filled their eyes.

"What did you trade for this spear?" asked Wu Dingqiu, one word at a time.

Looking nervous, Qian Shuihen said, "Disciple gave two thousand Spirit Stones, seven Earthly Spirit Pills, one of the Sect's Hellfighting Spikes, and… and a Plateau Charging Pill."

Wu Dingqiu's face grew dark.

Next, Lu Song spoke: "Disciple gave one thousand, five hundred Spirit Stones, three Heavenly Spirit Pills, a treasured fan, and a magical pill."

Eccentric Song burst out laughing. It was the laughter of release, as if all of his pent up depression from the past few days had suddenly disappeared.

Wu Dingqiu was mad enough, but when he heard the price the two disciples had paid, along with Eccentric Song's peals of laughter, his rage exploded. He suddenly let out a furious roar. "Good-for-nothing fools! This iron spear is a fake!"

It echoed out like thunder, shattering the Go board. Cracks appeared on the surface of the mountain beneath his feet. Qian Shuihen and Lu Song tumbled to the ground, blood spraying out of their mouths.Their heads spun as Wu Dingqiu's single word echoed in their hearts.

"Fake…" They were stunned.

This word thundered out in all directions along with his roar, filling nearly half of the entire State Shield Mountain range and reaching even Eastern Refinement City.

It eventually reached the ears of Sun Hua, filling him with confusion. After a moment, his expression changed, and a look of shock filled his face.

"The spear was a fake?" He looked at his companions, and looks of realization appeared on their faces as well.

"It couldn't be that the iron spear that was a fake, could it…?"

Inside the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, Qiao Ling was in the midst of introducing a magical item to a Cultivator when she heard the noise outside. Amazed, she thought back to Meng Hao's iron spear, and a strange look appeared on her face.

Next to the pill furnace, the middle-aged man opened his eyes, and they flickered with a mocking expression. Without a word, he closed them again.

Far away from the plateau in the State Shield Mountains, Meng Hao lowered his head and ran even faster.

Eccentric Song's splitting laughter undulated throughout the mountains. Wu Dingqiu's face couldn't look more horrible. He, an Elder of the Violet Fate Sect, had been hoodwinked by a Cultivator of the Qi Condensation stage. Even though it didn't directly involve him, he would definitely lose face when word spread.

He wanted to track Meng Hao down immediately. He turned to look at Qian Shuihen and Lu Song, who stood there terrified. He was disgusted, but in his heart he sighed. These disciples had spent all their days within the Sect, and didn't have any experience dealing with outsiders. They were flowers raised indoors, inexperienced and incapable of dealing with schemes.

With a cold harrumph, he tossed the iron spear to the ground and took a few steps forward, casting his senses about in search of Meng Hao. But then, Eccentric Song stepped forward to block his way, laughing complacently.

"Fellow Daoist Wu, please don't lose your temper," he said. "Your Violet Fate Sect stresses the need to settle the Qi and calm the mind, to cultivating one's disposition. Don't allow a small matter like this to arouse your ire. When it comes to this type of cultivation, you should really do a bit more research into your Sect's Moral Cultivation Manual." Eccentric Song laughed heartily. Earlier, he had been prevented from leaving no matter what he said, so of course now he would do the same thing to Wu Dingqiu.

"You…" Wu Dingqiu's face grew dark, and he stared fixedly at Eccentric Song. But he didn't say anything.

"You broke the Go board, so now we can't finish," said Eccentric Song with a smile. "How about this: You were going to take me to your Violet Fate Sect, right? Well, let's go! We can chat and play Go for a few months." The depression had faded completely from his heart. Seeing Wu Dingqiu like this made him incredibly happy. As far as the treasures Meng Hao had taken, he didn't care anymore. What was most important to him was the look of outrage and insult on Wu Dingqiu's face.

He pulled at Wu Dingqiu, clearly having no intention of allowing him to resist.

Wu Dingqiu's heart was filled with gloom. He glared at Eccentric Song, then let out a long sigh. He knew that the man wouldn't let him pursue Meng Hao. He stamped his foot angrily, then allowed Eccentric Song to pull him up into the air.

"You useless imbeciles won't be able to keep up," said Wu Dingqiu, looking down at trembling Qian Shuihen and Lu Song. "The Inner Sect promotion is a failure. Return to the Sect and immediately go into secluded meditation!" The other disciples watched on, pale-faced.

"Damn you, Meng Hao," said Lu Song, lowering his head, his face twisted with rage. "I will never forget this, you shameless bastard!" He ground his teeth when he recalled Meng Hao's bashful expression, and it looked as if his eyes might erupt with flames. He had never met anyone so impudent in his entire life. The spear was obviously a fake. His face filled with pain when he thought of how much he had paid for it. When he thought about the lost chance to enter the Inner Sect, he was so angry that he almost spat up blood.

"Shameless! Despicable!" said Qian Shuihen, thinking about his precious items. He picked up the iron spear. "Meng Hao, you are a complete scoundrel!" As he thought about the failure of the Inner Sect promotion, he really seemed about to go crazy. And then he thought about all the medicinal pills and magical items, and his hatred for Meng Hao ascended to skies.

The two of them looked at each other, sharing a look of pain.

"We will place this spear up inside the Sect to remind us that we must kill Meng Hao!"

Fierce killing intent filled their eyes, and yet, the trial by fire was over, and they were required to return to the Sect. Their rancor and murderous thoughts could only be concealed in their hearts, never to be erased.

Meanwhile, Meng Hao was both scared witless and also felt that he was being accused wrongly. Sighing, he increased his speed, running as fast as he could for seven days straight. Eventually he found an Immortal's cave in the deep mountains. Exhausted, he sat down cross-legged and began to meditate and do breathing exercises.

"Was it worth it…?" he sighed to himself. He was tired from the days of running, but had simply been too frightened of being caught. Now, he was on his last legs.

Two days later at dawn, he opened his eyes and began running again. For half a month, he didn't dare to let anyone see him. Finally, deep in the remote mountains, when he felt it was safe, he used a flying sword to carve out a cave, then sealed himself inside to meditate.

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Chapter 58: This is not its World

Two months passed. Meng Hao sat cross-legged in the Immortal's Cave in the deep mountains. Suddenly, a thunderous noise rang out, sending the nearby animals scattering. The large stone slab he had sliced out to seal the cave suddenly shattered into pieces.

Stone fragments showered out in all directions as Meng Hao emerged from the Immortal's Cave. His hair hung down like a cloak around his scholar's robe. His eyes glittered like lightning, and a shocking aura emanated from him, as well as a pleasant, fragrant aroma.

A look of joy filled his face. After having been in secluded meditation for such a long time, he let out a laugh which echoed out and sent the wild beasts running.

"The eighth level of Qi Condensation!" he said, his fists clenched. His eyes shone, which would have been even more obvious were it nighttime.

The two months of meditation had begun with a sense of nervousness and imminent danger. Those feeling disappeared slowly as he practiced Cultivation. He used over ten thousand Spirit Stones to duplicate medicinal pills, which he used in his meditation.

He did not want to be in a position of danger ever again. He needed to become strong, so that he could surpass the people who threatened him.

"I need to become powerful. There is no other reason. I must become powerful!"

He stood outside of the Immortal's cave, breathing the fresh mountain air, his eyes filled with resolve.

He was a simple scholar, a student of Confucianism. But the past three years had caused him to become a bit more inwardly focused. After everything that he had experienced, his personality was very different than it had been. His stubbornness was now much more obvious.

He had been stubborn in his refusal to give up even after failing in the Imperial examinations. He had been stubborn in his struggles in the Reliance Sect. He had been stubborn when he stood up to Wang Tengfei. And now he was stubborn in his hopes for the future.

Becoming powerful is much the same as becoming rich. It is a dream that does not require a reason. If a reason is required, perhaps it is fear of being poor or weak. That is what Meng Hao believed.

"Life is an ever-burning flame, filled with exuberance. In life, one must be strong, and never lower one's head." He looked up into the sky, thinking about the Reliance Sect. He thought about the arrogant conceit of the experts from the State of Zhao. He thought of the coldness of the people who had tried to kill him. He thought of the gaze of that middle-aged Dao Protector who had stood next to Wang Tengfei that night.

"My mother and father disappeared when I was young. If I hadn't struggled to improve myself, I wouldn't have lived down to this day. Instead, I would have resigned myself to the hopelessness. If I hadn't struggled to grow stronger during my time in the Reliance Sect, I would never have become a member of the Inner Sect. Stubborn insistence on self-improvement. That is my path into the future." He let out a very long breath. Then, he lifted his hand and flicked his sleeve. A black beam appeared which solidified into a black spike. Emanating a black glow, it shot toward a nearby boulder.

A boom rang out, and the boulder, which was over eighteen meters tall, collapsed into chunks, interspersed with pieces of black ice. They fell to the ground, emanating an intense coldness.

With a look of satisfaction, Meng Hao waved his hand, and the black spike flew back to him. He moved his hand again, and this time a multicolored beam swirled around him. The sixteen-feathered fan appeared, flying back and forth as it followed the movements of his fingers. Suddenly, there was bang as the feathers separated.

Sixteen beams of light circled around. The sixteen feathers had become like flying swords, swift and fierce. They followed the movements of his hand, moving to spin rapidly around him, making an impenetrable shield, empowered by his spiritual power.

Then the feathers re-formed into a fan and settled onto his hand.

"It's too bad I didn't have enough Spirit Stones. The copper mirror really eats them up. Duplicating one Earthly Spirit Pill required one hundred Spirit Stones. Not a bad price. The Heavenly Spirit Pill, useful upon reaching the eighth level of Qi Condensation, required five hundred. Just a bit too expensive…" Thinking about Spirit Stones, he frowned. Of the ten thousand Spirit Stones he'd had, not many were left. During the two months he had spent breaking through from the seventh level to the eighth level, he had consumed over eighty Earthly Spirit Pills. That was nearly two per day before he had broken through to the eighth level of Qi Condensation.

"In the future," he muttered to himself. "I will require even more spiritual power to practice Cultivation." A glance inside his bag of holding confirmed that he only had five Heavenly Spirit Pills. He had already consumed one, and had calculated that to reach the ninth level of Qi Condensation he would need roughly one hundred and fifty.

"I know I need a lot of spiritual power. But could it be that my excessive consumption of Demonic Cores has caused my body to begin to reject medicinal pills?" He hesitated, unsure of how to confirm his theory. If he was right, then he might need even more Heavenly Spirit Pills, or perhaps other types of medicinal pills.

"One hundred and fifty Heavenly Spirit Pills… that's equal to seventy thousand Spirit Stones… Without them, it will take me a long time to accumulate that much spiritual energy. Plus, my latent talent is only ordinary, so that means it will take even longer…." He sighed as he thought about the emptiness of his bag of holding.

He had three more of the extraordinarily large Spirit Stones, but he didn't dare to use them. The more advanced he became in his cultivation, the more he realized how rash he had been to duplicate the wooden sword all those years ago. The large Spirit Stones were clearly extraordinarily special, otherwise he would not have been able to duplicate the Vorpal Jade Blood Crystals.

"I won't use these large Spirit Stones unless it's absolutely necessary," he said resolutely. "Maybe they will have some other use in the future." The fan beneath his feet began to shine brightly, and his body transformed into a ray of light which shot off into the distance.

He was quiet as he travelled, circulating his spiritual energy. Eventually, the treasured fan began to fade and take on a more ordinary appearance. As he moved farther and farther away, he began to grow more at ease.

"After all these months, the Violet Fate Sect disciples will surely have moved on." He was careful as he traveled, eventually emerging from the mountains. He looked off into the distance. If he was right, this area was close to the capital city of the State of Zhao.

Once upon a time, he had yearned day and night to go to the capital city. This desire was second only to his dream of visiting the Great Tang in the Eastern Lands. He sighed emotionally as he thought of his three years of examinations, and three years of failures. He had never even made it to the final examinations in the capital city. Another three years had passed, and now he finally arrived, not as a scholar, but as a Cultivator.

As he approached the capital city, he stopped gliding and began to walk along the public road. He tied up his hair and this, coupled with his scholar's robe, made him look just like the old scholar that he used to be. Although, while he had then been somewhat short, after years of Cultivation, he was now tall and slender. His skin was still a bit dark, yet vigorous, emanating a strong air.

He walked along absentmindedly. It was March now, which was often a time for snowfall in the State of Zhao. As Meng Hao walked, the darkness of evening began to settle around him, and snowflakes began to slowly fall.

Soon, the ground was covered with whiteness, like a feathered quilt.

The wind blew snow onto Meng Hao's hair. It didn't melt, but rather began to collect together.

Everything was still and quiet. As he grew closer and closer to the capital city, a horse-drawn carriage approached from behind him, speeding forward at top speed. It seemed whoever was inside was afraid the city gates would be closing soon.

It passed Meng Hao, kicking up billows of snowflakes in its wake. As it passed, the wind blew open the carriage's curtain just a crack, revealing a young scholar reading some texts.

Meng Hao looked at him calmly, recalling his own similar appearance years ago. As of now, Meng Hao was clearly about twenty years old. However, inside, he felt much older.

He let out a light sigh. Up ahead, the carriage came to a stop, and the curtain lifted up. The young scholar looked back at him, then stepped down out of the carriage and saluted Meng Hao with clasped hands.

"Brother, are you going to Capital City for the Imperial examinations?

Meng Hao quickly returned the salute. "Years ago I dreamed of doing so, but those dreams have long since faded. I just want to go take a look at the Tower of Tang."

"That's a pity, my Brother," he said, looking regretful. "Your bearing seems very refined, I thought perhaps we were fellow candidates. Are you sure you wish to give up on your aspirations to become an official?" The young man appeared to be about the same age as Meng Hao.

Meng Hao shook his head silently.

"Well, never mind," said the young scholar. He looked at Meng Hao's scholarly appearance and smiled warmly. "It's starting to snow harder, and it will be harder and harder to travel along the road. If it gets too late, you won't be able to enter the city. Brother, why don't you join me in the carriage? We should still have enough time to make it to the city."

Meng Hao looked up at the sky, then back at the scholar. He bowed respectfully, then stepped up into the carriage.

A fire crackled in a small oven inside, dispelling the bitter cold. This, coupled with the fact that an old family retainer drove the carriage, made it clear that the scholar came from a rich family.

The old driver wore a wide bamboo hat and the knuckles of his hands were large. It seemed he could do some kung fu.

"I am Zheng Yong," the scholar said with a smile, warming his hands. "Brother, there's no need to be shy. We're both scholars, and scholars should help each other whenever possible."

"I am Meng Hao," he said with a humble smile. "Many thanks to you, Brother Zheng." His gaze fell upon the book resting next to Zheng Yong. It was the Book of Rites. It looked very old, and was obviously not a copy, but rather an ancient original text.

"You're surnamed Meng?" said Zheng Yong, his expression brightening. It was somewhat cramped inside the carriage, but he still managed to stand and give Meng Hao a respectful salute. "Such an honorable family name. So you're a descendant of Qingfu! I have been disrespectful; please forgive me, Brother Meng."

Meng Hao stood and returned the salute. "There's no need to act like this, Brother Zheng. It's just a surname. My ancestors were resplendent, but as for me, I failed repeatedly in the Imperial examinations, which has left me extremely ashamed." The two of them sat back down.

"Brother Meng, you spoke incorrectly just now," said Zheng Yong solemnly. "Your surname will bring you good fortune. It has been passed down to you from ancient times. As a descendant of Qingfu, even if you didn't pass the Imperial examinations, as long as you have kindness and virtue in your heart, you can still live by the values of Confucius."

Meng Hao thought silently for a moment, then lifted his head and looked at the scholar sitting in front of him. "Brother Zheng," he said quietly, "what is the true meaning of Confucianism?"

"Courtesy, benevolence, loyalty, and the golden mean," he responded unhesitatingly. "This is Confucianism."

Meng Hao didn't respond. He looked out through the curtain at the snowflakes filling the air. After a while, he spoke again in a cool voice: "What is the meaning of life?"

"Life?" said Zheng Yong, looking surprised. He hesitated for a while, not saying anything.

The inside the carriage grew quiet, filled only with the sound of falling snow, which drifted in through the window. Meng Hao lifted up his hand and reached outside. Snowflakes gradually accumulated on his hand.

"Snow will only appear during winter," he said quietly, "and can only exist in the cold wind. Therefore, its life exists only during the depths of winter." He pulled his hand back into the carriage and held it next to the copper oven. The snow began to melt, turning into water, which flowed through the creases of his palm.

"Snow can only live in the winter. When it nears a fire, it dies. That is its life. It may yearn for summer, but… it can only desire it. In my hand, the snow becomes water, because this is not its world…." He raised his hand back up and brushed the water off outside the window. There, beyond the vision of the young scholar, it once again became snow.

Zheng Yong stared mutely, a deep look appearing in his eyes. Eventually, the carriage entered the city.

"Thank you for allowing me to accompany you, Brother Zheng," said Meng Hao coolly. "I shall take my leave." He saluted politely, and stepped out of the carriage, then treaded across the snow-filled street.

"Yearning for summer," Zheng Yong murmured to himself, "but only able to exist in the cold of winter. Only able to look off into the distance… that is snow." He watched Meng Hao disappearing into the distance. After a while, he got out of the cart and gave a deep bow in Meng Hao's direction.

Snow began to cover him, but he knew that as soon as he reentered the carriage, it would die. He would never forget what had just happened, and what he had just seen and heard. Years later, after he became a famous Confucian in the State of Zhao, he would think back to that windy, winter night when the snow slowly melted into water. And he would think of a scholar named Meng Hao.

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Chapter 59: Unable to see Chang'an

The State of Zhao was in the southern part of the Southern Domain, which was connected to the Western subcontinent. These two areas were separated from the rest of the Nanshan Continent by the Milky Way Sea, although it is possible that long ago, the Nanshan Continent had not been split in this way.

To state things more clearly, the State of Zhao exists on the edge of the Southern Domain, far from the sea. Only by passing over numerous mountains would the boundless Milky Way Sea become visible.

The State of Zhao was not very large, nor was it heavily populated. However, the capital city was a bustling place. Even though the evening air was filled with falling snow, the houses glowed with lantern light, keeping everyone warm inside.

Anyone who didn't own a house, who walked about in the snowy night, would feel an indescribable loneliness.

Meng Hao walked down the street beneath the darkening sky. The crowds of people who would normally be visible during the day were nowhere to be seen. Anyone who moved about wore wide bamboo hats, and kept their heads lowered as they hurried along.

Looking off into the distance, Meng Hao could just barely make out the shape of a large, prominent building. It was a pagoda, a tower.

The Tower of Tang.

It was nearly three hundred meters tall, almost like a mountain, capable of capturing the attention of anyone within the city. Snow surrounded it, but could not hide the evidence of the devoted care spent by the King of Zhao, the scholars, and the many other people who had constructed it.

It faced the Eastern Lands, the Great Tang and Chang'an.

Meng Hao had never been to the capital city before, nor the Tower of Tang. He had never even seen it before. But as he walked down the street toward it, he knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that… this was definitely the Tower of Tang.

He had always imagined that one day he would become a government official, and then he would be able to climb to its top and stare out across the land.

He looked at the Tower of Tang sitting there amidst the swirling snow. A long time passed.

"Before mother and father disappeared," he murmured to himself, "a violet wind blew outside. People said it was an auspicious sign, and that a celestial being had appeared in the sky…." He walked forward, staring at the Tower of Tang.

He thought about everything that had happened that night. He would never be able to forget. That night, he lost his youth. From that night on, he would never again have a father and mother to rely on. That was when he began to grow strong.

It was then that he started to dream of going to the Eastern Lands, to the Great Tang!

Rumors spread that his parents were dead, but Meng Hao knew that they were simply missing. They were out there, somewhere. He would never forget the violet robe his father had been wearing that night as he stood next to the window, looking out at the violet wind. Nor would he forget how his father had looked back at him, a disturbed look in his eyes.

He would never forget that night, nor the quiet sound of his mother weeping.

He had never spoken of these things to anyone, but had kept them buried deep in his heart.

As the Tower of Tang grew closer and closer, he wondered why he was suddenly thinking about such things from the past. He sighed. The sigh broke to pieces in the snowy wind. It would never leave the capital city, nor the State of Zhao, nor the Southern Domain. It would not cross the Milky Way Sea, nor would it reach Chang'an.

"Maybe it's because mother would always talk about the Great Tang," he murmured. "She told me that in the capital city of every nation, there is a Tower of Tang, and people say those towers are the closest you can get to Chang'an without actually being there."

As he approached the district surrounding the Tower of Tang, he looked up.

The snow fell in heavy sheets, and the winter wind whimpered around him. More and more snow was building up on the tower. From where he stood, he could see clearly that it had been constructed with great care. Its foundation was eight-sided, and it rose up like a massive pagoda.

It was constructed from green material, and looked just like he had imagined it would.

Despite the snow, soldiers patrolled around its perimeter. This area… was a place only highly ranked officials and powerful people could enter, in order to offer sacrifices and perform rites.

But the mortal soldiers didn't notice as Meng Hao's body passed by and entered the tower.

An ancient flight of stairs wound up inside, reaching slowly up toward the top. The walls were carved with brightly colored frescos, depicting the Eastern Lands, the Great Tang and Chang'an.

"I remember mother describing the Great Tang to me. I was so small then, that I didn't really understand what she was talking about. But now that I think about it, the way she described the Eastern Lands, the Great Tang and Chang'an… it was as if she had seen them with her own eyes. If she hadn't, how could she have described everything in such detail? It was just like these carvings." He examined them as he ascended the stairs. Eventually he reached the top of the tower, and the end of the carvings. They had depicted life and culture, beautiful scenery, and countless amazing, legendary stories. It was all very moving and inspiring.

Outside, the snow whistled about in the air, buffeted by strong winds. It lay thick on the top of the tower. Meng Hao took a deep breath and looked off into the distance. The only thing he could see was snow. He could not see the Eastern Lands, nor the Great Tang, nor Chang'an.

"So you can't see Chang'an from here after all," he murmured quietly. He stood there quietly, wrapped up in countless thoughts. He was not a government official, here to offer sacrifices to the heavens. He was a Cultivator, a Cultivator of the eighth level of Qi Condensation.

"I walk a different path than before, but the direction is the same." The wind blew his hair about, and the snow stuck to him un-melting, as if it approved of his life, as if he too, were snow.

After a while, he sat down cross-legged and began to meditate quietly.

During the night, the snow fell even harder. The lights shone within the houses of the capital city. From atop the Tower of Tang, everything grew pitch black and quiet. Within the quiet darkness, Meng Hao could see himself years ago, back in Yunjie County, amidst the snow.

The snowy night slowly passed.

At dawn, Meng Hao opened his eyes. It was hard to say whether he glanced at the rising sun, or if the rising sun glanced at him first.

The city came to life with the dawn. Soon, the streets filled with throngs of people. Meng Hao watched the mortal world spread out before him.

He observed silently, all the way until night fell. Another dawn broke. One day, two days, three days.

For seven days, Meng Hao gazed down on everything. At first, his eyes had seemed faint and weak, but then they grew bright, and finally, calm.

Something had changed in his mind. He had achieved a state of enlightenment regarding life itself. At dawn on the eighth day, he looked down to see officials and soldiers arrive at the Tower of Tang to perform a rite. A middle-aged man stood there wearing a golden robe. Behind him were crowds of people, standing neatly in formation. He offered sacrifices to heaven and earth, as did many of the commoners throughout the city.

Meng Hao stood as they began to bow to the heavens. He left the tower, avoiding their obeisance. Stepping onto the treasured fan, he soared forward, knowing that the time had come for him to leave. As he prepared to depart, he looked back toward the tower one more time.

When he did, his eyes grew wide.

He watched as the people kowtowed outside of the Tower of Tang, which then began to glow softly. It was a sparkling glow that the mortals could not see, but someone filled with spiritual energy could.

The light shot upwards, sending the clouds roiling, whereupon a huge vortex appeared. This, also, was invisible to the eyes of the mortals, but not to Meng Hao. He could see the vortex clearly, and it caused him to suck in a breath. He looked shaken.

Inside the vortex, he could see… an endless field of bones and ruins, filled with a ghastly aura and a curling, black fog. He couldn't see very many clear details, but could sense a mysterious and gruesome air roiling out.

His mind was shaken, especially when he noticed that within the black mist of the vortex was an enormous coffin. There, amidst the ruins, sitting cross-legged next to the coffin, was a shrivelled corpse. It suddenly opened its eyes. They were as gray as ash, and within them seven faint spots of light rotated about like stars. The corpse's vision shot out from within the vortex, straight onto Meng Hao.

His heart trembled, and he involuntarily closed his eyes as he felt a stab of pain within them. It felt as if seven stars were about to appear within his own pupils, the same as those within the ash-gray eyes.

Suddenly, withered wrinkles began appear across his body, and a terrible black mist began to seep out of his pores.

Shocked, Meng Hao retreated at top speed. At the same time, the vortex was suddenly sucked up into the clouds. The crushing feeling he had experienced vanished, and everything went back to normal. It was as if what he had just seen had been a hallucination.

And yet, his body was still withered, and faint wisps of death aura continued to seep out of him. His facial expression changed several times. He looked down at the Tower of Tang. The glow was no longer present, but the people continued to pay obeisance. His face grew dark, and without hesitation he pushed the treasured fan to its limits. His body turned into a stream of light and he disappeared into the distance.

He soared out of the capital city, looking back toward the Tower of Tang several times. His eyes scanned the sky, and doubt began to rise up in his heart.

"It couldn't have been a hallucination. The Tower of Tang… what kind of place is it exactly? Originally I thought it was a mortal place, but that's obviously not true! What was that place within the vortex…? The ruins, the death aura, all those bones…" His scalp grew numb as he thought about the corpse he had seen amidst the ruins.

Its eyes had been filled with callousness, grim and ghastly, especially the seven stars within the pupils of its gray eyes. As he thought of this, his body grew cold and began to drip with sweat.

"And that… coffin." Meng Hao took a deep breath, his eyes filled with fear.

"Who is inside that coffin, and why did it suddenly appear within the vortex. Why…? Does it have something to do with the Tower of Tang…? Does it have something to do with the Great Tang in the Eastern Lands?" Meng Hao grew thoughtful, looking back yet again at the Tower of Tang. The sense of awe within him grew stronger. He breathed in deeply again, gliding forward a bit before dropping to the ground and running.

He was starting to think that being stared at by the corpse within the vortex… had been a catastrophe….

This chapter was sponsored by Mitchell Kutchuk, Tu Ha, and Hein Haugeberg

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Chapter 60: Undispellable Death Aura

The capital city drew further and further away. A long time passed, during which time Meng Hao pushed down the feeling of fear that quivered in his heart. He frowned, scanning his body. It had withered; while before he had been somewhat slim, he was now somewhat emaciated.

That problem was secondary to what really alarmed Meng Hao. His body continuously emanated strands of black mist, as if it were burning. It continued to come out of him, no matter how much he tried to wave it away. It floated high up into the air, making it possible for anyone around to determine his location.

"My body stopped withering, but this weird black aura just won't stop. It's really making me stand out too much…." He flew forward as fast as possible, trying to find a place to hide within the mountains. After the black mist finished dissipating, he would come out again.

Two hours later, he sat angrily in the remote mountains. After sealing himself up in an Immortal's Cave, he'd found out that the black mist could pass through some material objects.

"Dammit, how long will this mist last?" He gnashed his teeth, not daring to stop anywhere. If he did, the mist would gather together above him and become easily visible. Anyone who saw it would definitely think there was some sort of treasured item nearby.

Meng Hao frowned, pushing deeper into the mountains. He kept moving forward as fast as possible. When his spiritual energy ran out, he would consume a medicinal pill. It was only in this fashion that he could prevent the black aura from gathering together. It wasn't as easy to see when it was spread thin, although it still floated up visibly into the sky.

Seven days passed. Meng Hao was frightened as well as exhausted, having had no chance to rest. The damnable mist was black during the day, then glowed white during the night.

After the seventh day, he could tell that the amount of mist dissipating from his body had grown weaker. In his best estimation, it would take approximately one month for it to disperse completely.

He didn't dare to stay in the mountains for too long, as he might attract attention. He wasn't sure whether or not the Violet Fate Sect disciples had actually left. So, he had no choice but to just keep moving forward.

On one particular day, he sat cross-legged on the treasured fan, soaring through a forest. Suddenly, he lifted his head up, his eyes flickering. He could see four shapes speeding in his direction from a distance away.

With a frown, he stopped flying and dropped to the ground. He slapped his bag of holding and a flying sword appeared. It shot toward an old tree, chopping a hole in it into which Meng Hao entered.

He had attempted this method before and found that the mist would not pass outside of the tree. However, after the space of about ten breaths, the tree would wither up.

He had done this several times in the past week in order to avoid the detection of other Cultivators.

Sitting inside the hole in the tree, he waited for the four people to go away. Unfortunately, instead of passing by, they stopped nearby and began to look around carefully. One of them was a young man in a violet robe. His face was expressionless as he leaped to the top of a tree, the power of his Cultivation base radiating out. In his hand he held a white pearl.

The black aura which had been emanating out from Meng Hao was instantly sucked into the white pearl, whereupon it began to turn black.

Meng Hao's heart began to thump when he saw this.

The group of people was made up of three men and one woman. The woman wore a long skirt and was rather beautiful. A mysterious look gleamed in her eyes, a look that others might describe as demonic. "Come to speak of it, it really is strange," she said. "This thick death aura has appeared a lot recently in the mountains."

The two men standing next to her frowned as they gazed around the forest.

"Regardless of what's causing it, we should leave once we finish absorbing the aura," said one of the men, sounding a bit nervous. "Whatever is causing it is something very strange. It's probably better if we don't find out what it is."

"What are you afraid of?" said the woman with a smile. She gave a charming look to the violet-robed young man, her eyes shining with charm. "With Elder Brother Yan here, we're safe from any danger. He's an Inner Sect disciple of the eighth level of Qi Condensation. He can prevent any disasters from occurring. And who knows, maybe we might even have a bit of good fortune."

The young man with the pearl was of the eighth level of Qi Condensation, and was obviously the leader. The others were all at the sixth level.

It didn't take very long for the pearl to absorb all of the black aura. The pearl itself was now pitch black, and didn't seem as if it could even absorb any more. Meng Hao sat there watching, lost in thought.

"Let's go," said the man named Yan. He flicked his wide sleeve, and the four of them began to make their way off. As this happened, Meng Hao frowned. They were taking too long, and he had run out of time. The black aura was just now beginning to seep out from the top of the tree.

As soon as it appeared, the man named Yan turned and looked at it, his eyes flashing.

Meng Hao sighed, and then burst out from within the tree. He flicked his sleeve and sped off as fast as possible.

His appearance surprised the four people, as did the black aura emanating from him. The man named Yan stared at him.

"Fellow Daoist, please stay behind a moment," he called out. His hands flashed in incantation signs, and instantly, a black wind sprang up which formed into the shape of a hideous, grinning skull. It opened its jaw and shot toward Meng Hao.

He had asked for Meng Hao to stop. But this skull carried the full power of his eighth level of Qi Condensation. It moved as swift as lightning, with incredible power.

At the same time, the two other men and the woman, their eyes glittering, attacked. Two flying swords and a jade bracelet transformed into beams of light which shot straight toward Meng Hao. The woman's jade bracelet let out a buzzing sound as it flew through the air, expanding in size as it prepared to smash him.

Meng Hao frowned. He hadn't been in a good mood before, having been frustrated to the extreme by the black aura. At the moment, these people had arisen a strong killing spirit within him. He let out a cold snort.

His right hand lifted up, and a roaring Flame Python appeared, twenty or thirty meters long. It shot toward the four incoming magical items, radiating blistering heat.

A boom shook the air. The jade bracelet shattered and the two flying swords melted away. The skull dissipated because of the collision. The Flame Python let out a wail and then vanished.

"Eighth level of Qi Condensation!" said the woman. The two men next to her gasped, their expressions intent. The Cultivator surnamed Yan took a step forward, staring at Meng Hao.

"I am Yan Ziguo, disciple of the Cold Wind Sect," he said coolly, his eyes flashing like lightning. "Fellow Daoist, you don't need to be in such a hurry to leave. Could you please explain the thick death aura emanating from your body?" Meng Hao was at the eighth level of Qi Condensation, but so was Yan Ziguo, so he spoke in a voice as cold as ever.

Meng Hao returned his cold stare, and didn't say anything. He slapped his bag of holding, and in a flash, the treasured fan appeared. He shot away at high speed. Yan Ziguo looked at the fan in astonishment.

"A magic item which grants flight. He's not of the Foundation Establishment stage, so he can only glide. He'll be back on the ground shortly." Yan Ziguo's heart began to beat faster. The fan was a magical item that only disciples of the ninth level of Qi Condensation might get within his sect. With a cold harrumph, he charged off in pursuit. The other three hesitated for a moment, then followed him.

"Dammit!" said Meng Hao, his eyes growing even colder. His opponent had seen the power of his Cultivation base, as well as his use of magic, both of which were clearly warnings. And yet he still pursued. Meng Hao felt extremely annoyed.

His hand moved in incantation patterns, and then he pointed back at the four pursuers. Instantly, four beams of light shot out, four of the feathers from the fan. They cut through the air like flying swords, heading straight for the four people behind him.

Yan Ziguo narrowed his eyes and smacked his bag of holding. A small wooden shield appeared, about the size of his palm. It quickly expanded to the size of a head as it flew forward to meet the feather. A violent boom sounded out as they slammed into each other.

As for the other three, looks of shock appeared on their faces and they scrambled to produce magical items. Amidst the ensuing explosions, they spat blood out from their mouths and retreated, looking terrified.

Those three feathers weren't damaged at all. Meng Hao waved his finger, and they shot back toward Yan Ziguo.

Yan Ziguo's face twisted and he opened his mouth with a howl. A green mist suddenly emitted from his pores, forming a dense fog which circulated around him, turning into a giant green skull. It flew directly toward the three incoming feathers.

Banging sounds rang out, and the skull collapsed. The three feathers no longer glowed, and were now twisted and warped. They flew back to Meng Hao.

"I'm warning you," said Meng Hao coldly, his eyes flashing, "if you keep pestering me…." Without finishing his sentence, he turned and disappeared into the distance, his body transforming into a prismatic beam.

Yan Ziguo didn't pursue. He glared at Meng Hao's retreating form, his hands trembling slightly within his sleeves. Meng Hao was a stranger to him. And yet this stranger had just casually forced him to use a life-saving art.

"That fan is not just a flight-bestowing treasure, but a powerful weapon!" he said to himself, his heart pounding. He turned to look at his three bedraggled companions. "Have any of you heard of someone from the State of Zhao who is at the eighth level of Qi Condensation and has a treasured fan?"

"Someone so young who is at the eighth level of Qi Condensation would surely have made a name for himself here," said one of the other Cold Wind Sect disciples. "But I can't think of anyone among the three great Sects who matches his description."

"Who is he? He can't be a Cultivator from the State of Zhao, can he?" Yan Ziguo frowned, even more interested in Meng Hao's treasured fan.

"Elder Brother Yan," said the female disciple, sounding hesitant. "I remember someone mentioned a treasured fan about a month ago. It was Elder Brother Sun Hua from the Winding Stream Sect. He said that some disciples from the Southern Domain's Violet Fate Sect made a trade with a Reliance Sect disciple named Meng Hao. One of the items was a feather fan."

Yan Ziguo looked shocked. He slapped his bag of holding, and a jade slip appeared in his hand. This was an item distributed to Inner Sect disciples. Inside was a depiction of Meng Hao, sealed with orders that anyone encountering him were to feel him out to get an idea of how strong he was.

The orders were several months old, so Yan Ziguo had mostly forgotten about them. Scanning the jade slip, he looked closely at the picture of Meng Hao's face and, sure enough, it was the same as the person he had just encountered.

"So it's him!" said Yan Ziguo, his eyes gleaming. His mouth twisted into a cold smile. He was just about to say something when suddenly, the ground trembled and the sky above turned crimson. Something shocking was happening not too far away in the Southern Domain, and the side-effects were spreading out to cover the entire area.

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