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! “

3. 61

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Chapter 61: A Shocking Event in the Southern Domain

An earth-shaking boom rumbled out from the heavens.

The source of the sound wasn't close, but seemed to billow forth from quite some distance. It wasn't directed toward the location of Meng Hao and the others, but rather seemed to cover the entire State of Zhao. At this moment, every Cultivator within the nation could hear the massive roar.

A red glow appeared, so large that it was impossible to tell how much area it covered. It seemed as if the entire sky was crimson. No one knew what was happening.

Far away from the State of Zhao and the eyes of its Cultivators, in the middle of the Southern Domain, an enormous rift had appeared in the sky.

It was a Heavenly Rift!

The booming grew more intense, rolling across not just the State of Zhao but the entire Southern Domain. Every place, every Sect, every Clan in the massive Southern Domain eventually heard it.

Meng Hao's face changed. He was shocked to see the black aura roiling out from his body at an increased rate of speed. He moved forward even faster, his body turning into an iridescent streak of light.

Yan Ziguo and the others were awestruck. Their hearts began to race, and their Cultivation bases suddenly seemed unstable, as if they were about to fly out of their bodies.

At this moment within the mountains of the State of Zhao, a thick mist swirled around the Cold Wind Sect, one of the three great Sects. When the roaring boom sounded out, the mist began to seethe and the mountain peaks trembled. Within the Sect, hundreds of pale-faced disciples stared up into the heavens in shock.

On a mountain behind the Sect, its two strongest members, both Elders at the Core Formation stage, awoke and emerged from a secret chamber. They flew out and hovered in the air, looking up into the sky and gasping. Their Cultivation bases rotated rapidly. Even though they couldn't see exactly what was happening so far away, they could feel an enormous, shattering pressure from the Heavens. And then, because of their extraordinary Cultivation bases, they were able to sense the Heavens splitting.

"What happened? The noise is coming from the center of the Southern Domain. Impossible! That's such an incredible distance away, how can a sound travel so far?!"

Five of the Cold Wind Sect's Foundation Establishment Elders flew up behind them in succession. Their faces were pale and their bodies trembled.

Within another of the State of Zhao's three great Sects, the Upright Evening Sect, two Eccentrics of the Core Formation stage and four Elders of the Foundation Establishment stage floated in mid-air, gazing numbly toward the distant Heavens. The entire sky was crimson, as if it were on fire. Seeing this left them in shock.

"What… is this…?"

It wasn't just the members of the Cold Wind Sect and the Upright Evening Sect. The disciples of the Winding Stream Sect also heard the sound and stared dumbly up into the heavens, looking awestruck. The Sect's Core Formation Eccentric was trembling. His Cultivation base was profound, and yet he stared off into the distance, wondering what was happening. Even more shocking, amidst the burning screen which covered the entire sky, there suddenly appeared what looked like countless fissures.

"This is not a normal sound, otherwise it wouldn't transmit so quickly across the State of Zhao. Its speed… this sound could exterminate everything!"

The situation in Sects in other surrounding countries was the same as that of the State of Zhao. Far away in the Southern Domain, the Patriarchs of the five great Sects and three great Clans, with their profound Cultivation bases, also felt the enormous pressure bearing down from the Heavens. Being in the center of the Southern Domain, they could see what all those other could not.

They saw the enormous rift in the sky. Disbelief covered their faces.

On this day, at this moment, the entire Southern Domain was in an uproar. Countless Cultivators flew into the air, and an innumerable amount of experts looked up in amazement. This strange sign which had appeared in the air shocked them all to the core.

Meng Hao flew along as quickly as he could; more black aura than usual was pouring out of him, as if it were answering a summons. This, combined with the strange sign in the sky, had him scared nearly witless. He shot forward at full speed until he arrived at the top of a tall mountain. He stood there, looking off into the Heavens.

Far away, it seemed as if the Heavens were slowly being split open. Then, a dark glow spread out, filling heaven and earth both with pitch-black darkness.

A moment passed, and then the entire Southern Domain began to quake, as if a powerful force were shaking its very center, sending tremors rippling outward. Mountains crumbled and the land was rocked.

The Southern Domain was very large, so it took time for the effects to spread. It started in the center and then spread out in every direction, all the way to the borders. Mountains continued to collapse, but because the State of Zhao was so far away, the reaction there was not as strong. It only experienced minor earthquakes about seven days later.

Even that left the Eccentrics of the State of Zhao shocked. Some of them had been to the central district in the Southern Domain and knew how incredibly far away it was. Even a massive earthquake there would not have been able to travel seven days away to the State of Zhao.

Within those seven days, a rumor spread like wildfire through the Southern Domain. Soon, everyone had heard the shocking tale.

A corpse had fallen from the sky!

And it had fallen roughly five hundred kilometers from one of the three Danger Zones of the Southern Domain, the Rebirth Cave!

The news caused a huge sensation in the Southern Domain and sent everyone into a commotion. It was even said that experts from the Western Desert were gathering in the Southern domain because of it.

"Which expert did that corpse belong to? It fell down from the Heavens. It's said… you can only step foot into the Heavens after achieving Immortal Ascension! Could it be that the roar which echoed out was emitted by that corpse before it died?!"

"Achieve Immortal Ascension? It's easy to use those words, but according to the ancient records, only seven or eight people in the Southern Domain have ever done it. But that corpse… it was just too astonishing. When it hit the ground, it caused seven days of earthquakes.

"Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment, Core Formation and Nascent Soul, Spirit Severing and Dao Seeking, finally Immortal Ascension. A total of seven stages to ascend to Immortality. To achieve Immortal Ascension and conquer emptiness is difficult, difficult. Oh so difficult!"

This news spread through the Southern Domain. However, the State of Zhao was a somewhat remote place, so the rumors didn't reach there. Only a few Elders from the great Sects learned of the information.

As for Meng Hao, he continued to move through the deep mountains, a frown on his face. During the seven-day period, the death aura in his body had been reduced significantly. But then it had started to seep out again like before. He estimated that it would take about twenty more days for it to dissipate.

"This death aura is very annoying. If it weren't for it, I could be out accomplishing things." Meng Hao's mood was one of vexation. Because of the inexplicable event seven days ago, all the Cultivators in the State of Zhao had been aroused, forcing Meng Hao to hide himself constantly. He had even been found out a few times and put into dangerous situations.

Each time he had to think of some way to extricate himself. He didn't like killing, but lately he had felt killing intent more and more often.

"This won't do. If I'm forced to kill someone, it will cause even more problems. It's much better to just hide." He thought for a bit, then suddenly looked up. There ahead of him in the multitudinous mountains, everything was quiet. Meng Hao stopped and looked around, but didn't see any clues as to why everything was so peaceful.

He had a bad feeling, though. He frowned, slapping his bag of holding to produce the treasured fan. He shot forward through the forest.

There was a banging sound, along with a wind that sent leaves rustling throughout the area. Then, everything was still again, without the slightest trace of anything strange. Meng Hao's facial expression, however, changed. The event from seven days ago had been shocking, but, things had calmed down since then, and none of the wildlife in the area had died. The boom that had sounded out just now should have sent the animals fleeing, and yet, everything was calm.

Without hesitating, Meng Hao sent the treasured fan shooting forward, this time, in a different direction. Just then, a cold snort sounded out, and from the peaks of several surrounding mountains, black beams shot forth. The beams of blackness connected, enveloping the entire area, like a seal.

Meng Hao was within the sealing area, although he wasn't at the center, but rather toward the edge. If he had not been cautious just now, and had instead continued on forward, he would have been smack dab in its middle.

Eight figures appeared, their bodies blurs. Soon, the group became visible. Meng Hao saw a strange, water-like shield which he had been unable to sense before, that had been hiding them just now.

Eight people: six men and two women. One of the women wore a long white dress, and her face was pale. In her hands she held an aqua-blue pearl. The pearl emitted waves of water-like ripples which had served to conceal her presence. Except, the pearl was covered with cracks; it appeared to be a single-use treasure.

She didn't approach him, but rather stayed off in the distance. The others approached him at top speed, surrounding him. One of them was Yan Ziguo.

Meng Hao's face grew dark as he looked around coldly at the group of Cultivators. A killing air swirled around Yan Ziguo, but his Cultivation base was not the highest among the group. The highest belonged to someone who wasn't even standing on the ground. Floating in the air on a flying sword above Meng Hao, was a middle-aged man wearing a sky-blue Daoist robe. His eyes were calm, but he emitted an air of supreme condescension.

His cultivation base was at the ninth level of Qi Condensation!

Among the Sects of the State of Zhao, people at the ninth level of Qi Condensation were in a unique position. If within a sixty-year cycle they could successfully establish their Foundation, then they would become Sect Elders. If they could not establish a Foundation within a sixty-year cycle, then they would no longer be members of the Inner Sect, but rather an Honor Guard.

If Shangguan Xiu had been a member of the Reliance Sect when it was powerful, then he would have been an Honor Guard and not an Elder.

The middle-aged man had only been at the ninth level of Qi Condensation for about two years. You could say that his future was limitless. If he succeeded in establishing his Foundation, he would have a completely different identity.

"You're clever," said Yan Ziguo coldly. "If you weren't, you wouldn't have been able to swindle the Violet Fate Sect. But even though you're not in the center, once you're in the perimeter of this spell, you're dead. After all, Elder Brother Liu is here, and we're going to take the real treasure from you. When we do, maybe we'll leave your corpse intact." He looked greedily at Meng Hao's treasured fan. In the past days, he found out a lot about Meng Hao, including the details of his trade with the Violet Sect disciples, which he had learned from Sun Hua. Now he coveted Meng Hao's items even more.

Meng Hao, his face grim, didn't even look at Yan Ziguo. Instead, he stared at the ninth level Qi Condensation Cultivator.

This was the Elder Brother Liu that Yan Ziguo had mentioned. He looked ordinary, and didn't speak; instead, he just stood there on his flying sword, emanating a powerful aura. When Meng Hao sensed his strength, his pupils constricted.

"If you want Meng Hao's treasures," he said coldly, "then you will have to pay the price." He slapped his bag of holding and a silver light shot out. A glittering silver spear appeared in Meng Hao's hand. He planted it in the middle the treasured fan next to him, its point straight up.

As soon as the silver spear appeared, it caught the attention of the onlookers. Even Elder Brother Liu's eyes flickered, coming to rest on the spear.

In the same moment as their eyes focused on the spear, Meng Hao, eyes glittering, flung open his scroll painting. Howling sounds poured out from within the painting, and three mist-beasts appeared. They charged forth toward the group of people.

Taking advantage of the sudden chaos, Meng Hao quickly flashed an incantation pattern, and a black beam shot out at indescribable speed. Yan Ziguo's heart leapt, and he ripped himself out of the shimmering glow caused by the magical item behind him, shooting backwards at the same time. Before he could barely even move, the black light sunk into his head, right between his eyebrows.

This was the Hellfighting Spike!

And this was Meng Hao's temperament. Not attacking was fine. But when attacking, one must be the first to strike! Yan Ziguo was looking to die, so Meng Hao would send him to the yellow springs of the underworld!

This chapter was sponsored by Hein Haugeberg

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Chapter 62: One Wave Settles Down

As soon as the Hellfighting Spike touched the space between Yan Ziguo's eyebrows, a black frost began to spread out rapidly. In the blink of an eye, it had covered his entire body. A cracking sound could be heard, and Yan Ziguo's eyes widened. His pupils shrank, and an astonished expression filled his face. Then, his entire body shattered into chunks of black, frozen flesh, which then fell to the ground.

Originally, Meng Hao had wanted to flee. But Yan Ziguo had arranged for his escape routes to be blocked. Therefore, Meng Hao made the decision to strike him down.

He had been a part of the Cultivation world for a while now, and was well aware of the law of the jungle. Not attacking was fine, but when the time came to attack, it should be without a shred of compassion; otherwise, it meant your own death.

This sudden turn of events instantly caused expressions of shock and horror to appear on the faces of the surrounding Cold Wind Sect disciples. The three mist beasts that had emerged from Meng Hao's scroll painting were almost upon them, howling savagely.

Their appearance was fierce, and their roars enveloped the area with a powerful pressure. They looked like three conglomerations of black mist as they charged directly toward the Cultivators, then smashed into them.

A boom resounded out, and an expression of shock appeared on the face of Elder Brother Liu, the Cultivator of the ninth level Qi Condensation. He slapped his hands together and then waved them forward; a red banner flew out. It rippled in the air, causing a massive flame conflagration to shoot out, over thirty meters in every direction. The flames shot toward the mist beasts.

Meng Hao ignored the other Cultivation Monks, who were in complete disorder. He moved downward, charging straight toward the woman with the aqua-blue pearl. He could tell that the pearl was the magical item maintaining the special spell.

Her face suddenly filled with anxiety, and she retreated backwards rapidly. But Meng Hao was faster than her; he was upon her in an instant. He waved his hand, sending her spinning, blood spraying from her mouth. Terrified, she released the pearl, which went flying away.

The woman might be beautiful, but her presence here made her Meng Hao's enemy. He looked at her coldly, then raised up his hand with a claw-like gesture. The pearl shot toward him and landed in his hand.

Almost as soon as it touched him, a thunderous roar could be heard. The three mist beasts were completely destroyed as Elder Brother Liu's flame conflagration encompassed them. It then spread out toward Meng Hao.

"You might have a lot of treasures," said Elder Brother Liu with an unsightly expression, "but you killed members of my Cold Wind Sect. You're dead!" His fellow disciples behind him looked to be in very poor condition. But that was of secondary importance. He would have a hard time explaining the death of Yan Ziguo when he returned to the Sect. He made no attempt to conceal his intention to murder Meng Hao.

Meng Hao said nothing. As the flame conflagration descended towards him, his left hand slapped his bag of holding and a large, black net appeared. He flicked it out, and it shot up into the sky. It passed through the flame conflagration, extinguishing it instantly. The net expanded, growing larger and larger, making a beeline for Elder Brother Liu.

Elder Brother Liu's face twisted. He lifted his right hand, which contained a jade slip that he snapped. Suddenly, his body blurred as he just barely ducked out of the path of the net. Behind, two of the other disciples were caught up by the net. The net radiated an intense heat, which instantly set their clothing aflame. Within a moment, their charred bodies began to be sliced into pieces.

Horrifying shrieks rang out, causing the remaining Cold Wind Sect disciples' faces to grow pale. They trembled with fear. Even Elder Brother Liu looked on with wide eyes. He would never have been able to guess that Meng Hao would have magical items such as this.

Even while all of this was happening, Meng Hao continued to move, his right hand grabbing the pearl and smashing it. The giant sealing spell that covered the area flickered and then began to disperse. Meng Hao's left hand flickered in an incantation pattern which he aimed at the treasured fan. He grabbed the silver spear as the fan's sixteen feathers circulated around him to form a shield, which then carried him forward, shooting toward a hole in the unravelling spell.

"You want to run? Stop dreaming!" Elder Brother Liu jabbed his forehead, whereupon a sword aura emerged from his mouth. A small, translucent flying sword appeared, the size of a pinky finger. A glittering sword aura billowed out as it shot in pursuit of Meng Hao.

Meng Hao was moving fast and seemed just about to make his escape. He waved his hand behind him, and the black net made loud, reverberating noise. The two Cultivators who had been caught up in it were now cut completely into pieces. The net began to roll up, dragging their bags of holding along with it as it flew back into Meng Hao's sleeve.

By this time, Elder Brother Liu's glowing, crystalline sword had almost reached Meng Hao. It was just about to stab into him when he sensed the imminent danger. He was not in the position to stand up to the power of the ninth level of Qi Condensation. Seeing the fierceness of the sword aura, Meng Hao's eyes flashed. The sixteen feathers rolled together and then became sixteen swords which shot toward Elder Brother Liu's crystalline sword.

A thunderous boom rolled out. Eight of the sixteen feathers were destroyed, and the crystalline sword was sent spinning. The remaining eight feathers returned to form a fan beneath Meng Hao's feet. However, the fan was clearly slower than before.

"With fewer feathers, your fan just won't be fast enough!" said Elder Brother Liu with a savage laugh. And yet, even as the words were coming out of his mouth, his eyes widened. Meng Hao slapped his bag of holding, whereupon eight more identical feathers appeared. The treasured fan was once again whole, and Meng Hao transformed into a blur of light as he shot into the distance.

"Dammit!" Elder Brother Liu's killing intent grew even stronger. He raced off in pursuit. Seeing this, the remaining disciples had little choice but to follow. Gnashing their teeth, they produced their magical items and ran after him.

Only the female disciple, whose Cultivation base was not strong enough, hesitated and did not follow.

Meng Hao stood on his fan, his face grim, the death aura still emanating from his body. He took out the two bags of holding he had just acquired and looked them over. The magical items and medicinal pills inside were of little value to him. But, he did find three white pearls, items that he definitely needed.

He took one out, and it instantly began to suck in the death aura. In the space of about ten breaths, it had become completely black and unable to absorb any more.

Meng Hao frowned, looking at the pearl for a moment before dropping it.

"I can't do any duplication at the moment. Once I shake off these people, then I can make some copies of the pearl. That will take care of the problem of the death aura attracting people's attention." He looked behind him to see figurative thunder brewing. A glittering glow surrounded the Cold Wind Sect's Elder Brother Liu as he soared after Meng Hao in pursuit. Behind him, on the ground, three figures could be seen, racing along at breakneck speed.

"Those three people are nothing," muttered Meng Hao to himself. "Killing them won't be a problem. But that guy surnamed Liu is at the ninth level of Qi Condensation. He also has a lot of magical items. In our short battle just now, he didn't even use any magic. Getting wrapped up in a fight with him wouldn't be good…." A sneer appeared on his face. Even if Elder Brother Liu was of the ninth level, he couldn't possibly have as many medicinal pills as Meng Hao. He would just keep running until the other party was exhausted.

His plan settled in his mind, he slapped his bag of holding and retrieved three Earthly Spirit Pills, which he popped into his mouth. He felt a bit of regret.

"I wasted eight duplicated feathers, and now I have to waste medicinal pills. If I keep fighting like this, I'm going to become poorer and poorer. I also forgot to grab Yan Ziguo's bag of holding. I need to be more careful in the future." He felt a little depressed. The Earthly Spirit Pills infused into his body, filling him with boundless spiritual energy. His speed increased.

Time passed, and soon it was dusk. Meng Hao sped along at top speed the entire time. Sometimes he would soar on the treasure fan, other times he would race along on foot. Elder Brother Liu was behind him the entire time, laughing grimly. Meng Hao was much more experienced now. Even though gliding via flying sword was not as fast as the treasured fan, he was still completely at ease.

Far behind him, the three Cold Wind Sect disciples who had been pulled into the chase were currently moaning and groaning. They didn't dare give up, though, for fear of arousing Elder Brother Liu's displeasure.

Meng Hao sped along as dusk fell. Suddenly, his expression grew intent. The death aura which continuously emitted from his body was now floating off into the distance. His heart began to thump. He looked off in that direction and suddenly saw a beam of prismatic light screaming through the air. Behind it were ten or more figures racing along on foot.

The beam of light turned out to be two people. Both were about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, and were at the eighth level of Qi Condensation. Each one stood on a green jade flute, nearly two meters long. Their eyes flashed like lightning, especially one of them, who wore a red robe. From the power emanating from his Cultivation base, he was clearly just a hair away from entering the ninth level of Qi Condensation.

Among the people following them on foot was Sun Hua. He carried a pearl in his hand, which was currently absorbing the death aura.

"So, you're still in the State of Zhao, Meng Hao!" said Sun Hua with a loud laugh. He stared greedily at Meng Hao. "Elder Brother Zhou, Elder Brother Xu, this is Meng Hao. He has the treasure of Patriarch Reliance. Even the Violet Fate Sect is interested in it! He tricked them and aroused their ire. He definitely still has the treasured item with him!" He palpitated with eagerness as he thought about the treasured item that Meng Hao possessed. He had been dreaming of getting his hands on it ever since he'd witnessed what happened that day.

Fortunately, he had run into Elder Sister Han of the Cold Wind Sect a few days before. During an intimate moment, he'd been able to coax some information out of her regarding Meng Hao. Then, he'd immediately found some Elder Brothers from the Sect and begun to use the death aura absorbing pearl to track down Meng Hao.

When they appeared and caught sight of the Elder Brother Liu chasing Meng Hao like thunder, murder on his face, their expressions changed in rapid succession.

Sun Hua's eyes flickered, and the two soaring in the air, Zhou and Xu, let out cold snorts. They moved to block Meng Hao's way, fingers flashing in incantation patterns. The flutes beneath their feet began to emit ghastly, shrieking sounds, accompanied by thin wisps of mist. The mist transformed into a gigantic hand which shot toward Meng Hao.

"Beat it!" said Meng Hao, his eyes flashing. He raised his right hand, and instantly, an twenty or thirty meter long Flame Python appeared. Radiating intense, scorching heat, it shot to meet the flying hand.

Meng Hao flicked his right sleeve, whereupon two wooden swords appeared. Glowing brightly, they became the fangs of the Flame Python as it surged forward.

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Chapter 63: Another Wave Rises Up!

A boom rolled out. The giant mist hand had been created by the combined effort of two eighth-level Qi Condensation disciples from the Winding Stream Sect. Meng Hao by himself couldn't possibly stand up to it directly. This was why he had used the second most mysterious items in his bags of holding, the wooden swords. The first most mysterious item was, of course, the copper mirror.

The wooden swords, which had been the object of Wang Tengfei's desire, now flew out from Meng Hao's hand. They slashed through the giant mist hand and proceeded toward the two Winding Stream Sect disciples.

The swords didn't emit a powerful sword aura, but as they flew through the air, they sucked in the surrounding spiritual energy in a roiling current. Shocked, the two Winding Stream Sect disciples evaded immediately. Without so much as a cold snort, Meng Hao shot off into the distance.

The wooden swords circled back to him. He didn't even look back, just increased his speed forward.

Behind him, Elder Brother Liu's eyes narrowed, and the avarice in his eyes grew even stronger.

"This Meng character has way too many magical items. Those wooden swords are incredibly mysterious. It just goes to prove that the spear the Violet Fate Sect was after is incredibly extraordinary! But why hasn't he used its power yet?" Elder Brother Liu's eyes flickered as he continued in pursuit. Similar to Meng Hao, he did not have the ability to sustain long-term flight, but needed magical assistance to soar.

Sun Hua and the other Winding Stream Sect disciples had dark looks on their faces. This was especially true of Zhou and Xu. With cold harrumphs, they shot off in pursuit. Sun Hua clenched his jaw and followed them. Zhou and Xu transformed into multicolored streaks of light as they shot off in mid-air. They kept their distance from the Cold Wind Sect's Elder Brother Liu, but continued in pursuit of Meng Hao.

Meng Hao had a grim expression on his face. He knew that Elder Brother Liu from the Cold Wind Sect had not even really made a move yet. With the appearance of Sun Hua and the others, he now had two waves of Cultivators to deal with. He frowned.

"I just don't have enough Spirit Stones," thought Meng Hao somberly. "If I had enough, I could have duplicated a Heavenly Spirit Pill and broken through to the ninth level of Qi Condensation… If I were at the ninth level, these people wouldn't dare to pursue me.

"It seems I might have to go sell some of my treasures after all…" Meng Hao had thought of using the copper mirror to duplicate some of the magical items, then selling them. But the State of Zhao was small, and only had a few Sects. If he started selling magical items, then later used an identical magical item, it would arouse suspicion.

As he muttered to himself, conflicted, his eyes suddenly filled with determination. He dropped to the ground and began running, swallowing some Earthly Spirit Pills until his body was filled with plentiful spiritual power. Then, he jumped back onto the treasured fan and shot onward. Unfortunately, there were many mountains in this area, but few demonic beasts. The ones that he did see were weak, making it impossible for him to use his usual tactic to evade pursuit.

As he was trying to figure out what to do, the two Winding Stream Sect Disciples, Zhou and Xu, suddenly made incantation patterns. Another whistling sound rang out from the flutes beneath their feet.

It sounded out like a wailing spirit, circling around the two of them as their fingers flickered.

"Heavenly Thunder Spirit!"

As the words rang out, a fierce wind sprung up around Meng Hao, and black clouds appeared in the air. Lightning began to crackle within the clouds, then shot toward Meng Hao.

A look of shock appeared on his face, as this was the first time he had dealt with a lightning bolt attack such as this. He stamped his foot down onto the treasured fan, and immediately, ten feathers flew up, overlapping across each other. The lightning bolt slammed into them.

A thunderous sound rolled out, sending the feathers spinning. The lightning bolt had been created by the combined effort of two Qi Condensation Cultivators. Although it didn't contain the power of heaven and earth, it was not weak, and as far as Meng Hao was concerned, was actually quite powerful.

His face drained of blood, he looked back, killing intent flickering in his eyes. The attack had not been strong enough to cause him to spit up blood, but at the moment, his spiritual energy was unstable.

"An excellent Heavenly Thunder Spirit," said Elder Brother Liu coolly, his eyes flashing. "The Winding Stream Sect's lightning bolt magic is very refined. Sadly, your Cultivation base isn't high enough. Even with your combined efforts, the result is this. Were you stronger, he would be injured if not dead." Despite his talk, he didn't make any move on Meng Hao. Having fought with him already, he knew that he had a multitude of magical items. He'd decided that the best thing to do would be to rely on his own profound Cultivation base to exhaust his opponent, then attack.

He was happy to see the others attack him, forcing Meng Hao to use up his spiritual power.

"We haven't finished with the magical technique," said the Winding Stream Sect disciple surnamed Xu. "Don't shoot your mouth off so much, Liu Daoyun!" Exchanging a glance, the partners each swallowed a medicinal pill and then began making incantation patterns, their fingers moving in unison.

Immediately, the black cloud roiling in pursuit of Meng Hao began to churn. Again, lightning began to form. A massive roar rumbled out across the land, and again the feathers from the treasured fan moved to defend. This time, the lightning didn't end. Bolt after bolt struck, booming ceaselessly.

In the blink of an eye, three bolts had struck, causing Meng Hao to spit up a mouthful of blood, and the killing intent in his eyes to solidify. He flicked his right sleeve, and the scroll painting appeared. He poured his spiritual power into it and two roars could be heard. Mist seethed, and two mist beasts sprung from the scroll painting, shooting toward Zhou and Xu.

The two men grew pale. They had already consumed medicinal pills to perform their magical art, which was the only technique they had. Even with their combined effort, they could only keep it going for so long. They were discussing this as the fourth lightning bolt struck, which was when the mist beasts emerged from Meng Hao's scroll painting.

These mist beasts had the appearance of wolves. Heads twisting with fierce howls, they charged the two men, black ripples spreading out from underneath their paws as they ran.

Liu Daoyun stared at Meng Hao with flashing eyes. He lifted his right hand, and at the exact moment that Meng Hao unfurled the scroll painting, and the lightning bolt was about to fall, he bit his tongue and spit out some blood. His fingers flickered, causing the blood to circle around his hand. His face began to glow red. He waved the finger at Meng Hao.

"Qi Condensation, Cold Wind Finger!"

The finger attack came without warning. The red blood suddenly became black and began to emit an intense coldness. In the blink of an eye, it had transformed into a finger made of ice crystal. This in turn transformed into a prismatic beam which shot directly toward Meng Hao. In an instant, it was within about nine meters of him.

The finger attack was cunning and powerful. As it approached, the mist beasts from the scroll painting collided with Zhou and Xu. Above Meng Hao, the fourth lightning bolt began to descend.

Meng Hao felt a sense of critical danger in his heart. A grim smile appeared on Liu Daoyun's face, and he advanced a pace. Beneath him, a glittering light could be seen as his crystalline sword shot toward Meng Hao.

"Let's see you dodge his time," he said, watching with flashing eyes. "You can't! You must produce your silver spear and show us its might. I'm really looking forward to seeing it!"

Meng Hao's pupil's constricted. There was no time to pull out another magical item, so he released the scroll painting to float at his side. It was a critical juncture, with no time even to think. He stamped his right foot down onto the treasured fan. It instantly disassembled, the sixteen feathers transforming into a rain. Ten of them shot toward the crystalline sword, with six remaining behind to defend against the lightning bolt.

To deal with the incoming Cold Wind Finger, Meng Hao dropped toward the ground and then extended his right hand upward. A flame python twenty or thirty meters in length shot out from the center of his palm, rushing to intercept the Cold Wind Finger. At the same time, his left hand flashed an incantation, then waved forward. A Wind Blade emerged, lending its power to the Flame Python, which grew even larger as it shot toward the Cold Wind Finger.

All of this takes some time to describe, but in actuality it happened in the time it takes for a spark to fly up from a piece of flint. A massive boom rang out as the lightning slammed into the six feathers. It was weakened, but it still hit Meng Hao, causing him to vomit up a mouthful of blood.

At the same time, the crystalline sword collided with the ten feathers. A series of explosions could be heard as the feathers were shattered. The sword aura continued on, stabbing through Meng Hao. He coughed up more blood, his body trembling.

Next was the most powerful attack of all, the Cold Wind Finger. Once a lost art, it had been improved to allow Cultivators of the Qi Condensation level to use it. Currently, it could only be used by someone of the ninth level of Qi Condensation.

A boom resounded out. The disparity between the Cultivation base levels was immediately apparent. Despite the considerable combined might of the Flame Python and the Wind Blade, they were still torn to pieces. They managed to destroy about half of the black colored Cold Wind Finger. The rest of it continued on through, stabbing into Meng Hao's chest. He coughed up even more blood, which instantly turned black and congealed into chunks of ice. His body spun backwards.

Intense coldness filled his body, making him feel as if he were about to freeze. He knew that this was a critical moment. His right hand shot out, and the elusive Hellfighting Spike emerged, along with two banners, which coiled around his body.

Currently, Meng Hao was seriously injured, but hadn't lost his will to fight back. He gritted his teeth and made to flee. But then something happened that no one had expected, neither the fleeing Meng Hao, nor Liu Daoyun, nor the currently bedraggled Zhou and Xu from the Winding Stream Sect. Suddenly, a third party arrived to join the fight!

An arrow shot forth from the distance, accompanied by a shrill, piercing scream. It flew directly toward Meng Hao, filled with intense killing intent. It clearly was meant to pierce his heart and kill him.

It moved with incredible speed toward him. He suddenly felt a stabbing pain in his chest, whereupon he let out a roar. The two hovering banners moved to block the arrow. An explosion rang out as the banners were shattered. As the arrow continued forward, Meng Hao waved his right hand, sending the Hellfighting spike, which he had originally wanted to use to counterattack, to intercept the arrow.

There was a boom, and Meng Hao spit out more blood. He watched as the black spike disintegrated. The arrow slowed some, but continued on toward him.

He retreated, dropping toward the ground, but finding no place to conceal himself. Even if the few remaining unsheltered feathers caught him and carried him off, there were too few of them. He wouldn't be fast enough to evade the arrow.

Borrowing some momentum from the explosion of the Hellfighting Spike, Meng Hao took in a ragged breath. A fierce look appeared in his eyes, and he smacked his bag of holding again. A wooden sword appeared. He didn't even have time to point the sword towards the arrow. It came in so quickly that it slammed into the side of the blade.

Boom!

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Chapter 64: A Massacre Caused by a Silver Spear

When the wooden sword connected with the arrow, it began to emit a droning sound. It was pushed back by the force of the arrow and smacked into Meng Hao's forehead. Blood sprayed from his mouth, as he was sent spinning backward. As for the arrow, its power was spent, and it transformed into ash, which drifted away in the wind.

As Meng Hao flew backwards, he slapped his bag of holding, and produced a Demonic Core, which he swallowed. He was running low on Earthly Spirit Pills, so he opted for the Demonic Core. His eyes were shot with blood, and his injuries were severe. This was perhaps the worst he had been hurt since becoming a Cultivator.

Thankfully, the wooden sword was truly a treasured item and hadn't been damaged at all. Actually, the reason Meng Hao had been sent flying back was because his Cultivation base wasn't high enough to completely control the sword. If it were, the arrow wouldn't have even been able to make the wooden sword move back an inch.

Meng Hao's body was wracked in pain, and his mind a bit clouded. But his innate desire to survive still existed. He bit his tongue, and used the pain to focus. He lifted his pale, bloodless face and looked off into the distance. Currently approaching was a young man in a white robe, flying on an enormous green leaf.

His face was calm, and his eyes cold, without a trace of arrogance. However, a single look at him would leave anyone without doubt that he was superior to others.

His Cultivation base was at the ninth level of Qi Condensation, and yet he appeared to be only twenty-two or twenty-three years old. Seeing him approach, Liu Daoyun, who was also at the ninth level of Qi Condensation, narrowed his eyes.

He instantly understood. "At his age… he must be a Chosen from a great Sect," he said to himself.

"White robes…." Meng Hao wiped the blood from his mouth, staring at the white-robed youth.

"I am Ding Xin 1 from the Violet Fate Sect," he said coolly. "I'm here to take your life, on orders from the Sect Leader." He had been dispatched months ago to the State of Zhao to search for Meng Hao. Using his own special methods, he had finally caught his trail today. He had actually been watching for some time, waiting to make his move.

He was completely different from Qian Shuihen and Lu Song. As an Inner Sect disciple, he was frequently sent out on Sect business. He was one of the Chosen of the Violet Fate Sect, destined to reach Foundation Establishment. When that happened, he would be a true Chosen. Handling matters outside of the Sect was simply training for him.

He was vastly more experienced than Qian Shuihen, and had even made a name for himself in the Southern Domain in the past two years. His personality was cold, his attacks ruthless. Back in the Southern Domain, he would always consider the reputation of his Sect. But here in the State of Zhao, he could be a bit less restrained.

He had attacked Meng Hao when he was in critical danger, and had never imagined that Meng Hao would actually be able to survive the lethal arrow.

Meng Hao's face was grim. Three waves of attackers had appeared today. Two were of the eighth level of Qi Condensation, and two were of the ninth. Based on his Cultivation base alone, he couldn't stand up to them. Furthermore, he was seriously injured. The situation was very dangerous.

Watching Ding Xin approach, Liu Daoyun's eyes flickered, and he felt somewhat nervous. Yet his eyes were determined. He would not give up.

Zhou and Xu from the Winding Stream Sect, seemed even more hesitant. If they only had to deal with Liu Daoyun, they could do it. But now that the Violet Fate Sect had made an appearance, they were less convinced.

Meng Hao's eyes glittered faintly. His right hand slapped his bag of holding and five feathers flew out, combining with the four beneath his feet to make a nine-feathered fan. It took to flight, carrying him away at high speed.

Ding Xin's eyes were calm. He flicked his sleeve, and the giant leaf beneath his feet flashed as he shot off in pursuit. Liu Daoyun burst into motion as well. Zhou and Xun from the Winding Stream Sect gritted their teeth, then joined in the pursuit.

Sun Hua wasn't fast enough and had already been forced to drop to the ground. But, he wasn't willing to give up, so he followed as fast as possible on foot.

The three waves of people were incredibly fast, so Meng Hao swallowed another Demonic Core. The coldness within him was still very strong, and his body was covered with sword wounds which oozed blood.

He clenched his jaw and circulated his spiritual power, then slapped his bag of holding. A silver light flashed in his hand. It was none other than the silver spear!

Liu Daoyun's vision immediately became focused on it, and he slowed down a bit. Ding Xin, with his flashing eyes, as well as Zhou and Xu from the Winding Stream Sect, had never before laid eyes on the long silver spear. But Sun Hua, who was still running along on the ground, had. He immediately shouted out: "That's the silver spear! That's the treasured gift from Patriarch Reliance!!"

Hearing this, Zhou and Xu slowed down a bit, their eyes shining fiercely.

"You are all after this silver spear?" said Meng Hao. "Very well then. It requires a lot of spiritual power to use. Its true might can't even be utilized unless you are at Foundation Establishment stage. If you are powerful enough to use it, then be my guest!" His face twisted with an expression of incomparable pain, as if he were throwing everything away in an attempt to save himself, he tossed the spear away as hard as he could.

He put all the spiritual power he could muster into his arm as he flung it. The silver spear hummed, transforming into a silver-colored rainbow as it shot off into the distance, shining so brightly that it virtually forced everyone's eyes to follow it.

The instant it flew off, Meng Hao's treasured fan transformed into a beam of light that shot off in the opposite direction.

Interestingly (whether or not it was on purpose was hard to tell) the spear just happened to fly in the direction of the three pursuing disciples from the Cold Wind Sect. When they saw the silver spear flying toward them, they gaped in shock.

Sun Hua's eyes were red, and with a hoarse shout, he changed directions, running directly toward the silver spear. Killing intent billowed from his face, he slapped his bag of holding, and a sword aura emerged. He clearly intended to kill anyone who dared to take the spear from him.

Further behind him, the ten or more Winding Stream Sect disciples raced forward even harder.

Liu Daoyun's facial expression changed as he debated to himself about whether or not the spear was real. Because he was not at the Foundation Establishment stage, he didn't have Spiritual Sense, so it was difficult to make a judgement about this matter. There was a fifty-fifty chance about it, but in his mind, it didn't matter. He couldn't just let the Winding Stream Sect disciples gang up on his fellow disciples.

If they did, and word got out, he would be severely punished when he returned to the Sect.

And if the spear was real… well, if he gave up under those circumstances his punishment would be even more severe when he returned to the Sect. He was damned if he did, damned if he didn't. He clenched his jaw.

"Dammit!" Liu Daoyun abandoned his pursuit of Meng Hao and made a beeline for the spear.

Zhou and Xu hesitated, watching as the long spear flew off, pursued by both Sun Hua and their fellow Winding Stream Sect disciples. At first, they weren't sure if they should chase after the spear, but when they saw Liu Daoyun speeding off after it, they made their decision, shooting off in the same direction.

Only Ding Xin from the Violet Fate Sect stopped, his eyes flashing. His task was to slay Meng Hao, so he didn't care whether the treasure was real or fake. With a cold laugh, his eyes shining, he pushed his giant leaf into a beam of prismatic light, speeding after Meng Hao.

Two people, one up ahead, one behind. One fleeing as fast as he could, the other pursuing with a magical item backed by the power of the ninth level of Qi Condensation. They disappeared over the horizon.

As for Liu Daoyun, he flew quickly in the direction of the silver spear, and seemed to be on the verge of reaching it, when someone howled out from behind him.

"Heavenly Thunder Spirit!"

As soon as the sound rang out, a black cloud formed in the sky above Liu Daoyun, and the crackling of thunder could be heard as a lightning bolt struck down toward him.

His face grew dark. He slapped his bag of holding, and a coldness spread out and shot toward the lightning bolt.

The lightning bolt dissipated with a booming sound, and the intense coldness continued onward to enter the black thundercloud. It began to rumble, as if it were about to break apart.

"Heavenly Thunder Spirit, detonate!"

Under normal circumstances, Zhou and Xu would never do something like this. But with the silver spear in play, and the Winding Stream Sect disciples on the ground having the upper hand, they couldn't allow Liu Daoyun to enter the fray. Now that they had abandoned their pursuit of Meng Hao, they could pour all their combined power into play.

A massive explosion reverberated out as the thundercloud exploded. The force of it shot out in all directions. Zhou and Xu coughed up blood. Liu Daoyun, also injured, was not in a good position. A crystalline glow appeared in front of him as blood seeped from the corners of his mouth.

It was at this moment that the silver spear slammed into the ground. As it did, the Cold Wind disciples were about to grab. But then Sun Hua arrived, a savage look on his face. Behind him swarmed the Winding Stream Sect disciples, their faces radiating ferocity.

"This treasured item belongs to the Winding Stream Sect!" shouted Sun Hua excitedly. If he was the first person to lay hands on the spear, it might not end up belonging to him, but the Sect would definitely reward him. Perhaps he would end up having a breakthrough in this Cultivation base, and reach the eighth level!

The three Cold Wind Sect disciples were just reaching their hands up to take the spear, when they were surrounded by the ten or so others. They howled as the Winding Stream Sect disciples attacked them. They could do little more than watch as the prize which had just moments ago been theirs, was taken away.

"So brazen!" shouted Liu Daoyun, turning his head to see what was happening. His roar rumbled out, and he completely ignored Zhou and Xu. He waved his hand toward Sun Hua, and the Cold Wind Finger appeared, shooting forward as fast as lightning.

Considering the level of Sun Hua's Cultivation base, he simply couldn't avoid the attack. His facial expression changed into one of savagery, and he gritted his teeth. His only hope lay in the treasured item. As the Cold Wind Finger approached, he snatched up the long silver spear, brandishing it in an imposing manner.

"You're defeated!" he shouted. Liu Daoyun's eyes focused on the spear as it flew into the air. Zhou and Xun held their breath.

The silver spear flashed as it flew forward, making a beautiful, silver arc. The instant it met the Cold Wind Finger, a bang sounded out. It wasn't a very loud bang. The spear broke apart, most of it shattering into dust, with only a few fragments remaining intact.

Sun Hua gaped in astonishment. It was the last astonished look he would ever give, as the Cold Wind Finger pierced into his chest. His body shuddered, and a boom rang out, louder than that emitted by the silver spear, as he exploded.

Liu Daoyun stared in shock, as did Zhou and Xu. The Cold Wind Sect and Winding Stream Sect disciples were also dumbfounded.

Everything was suddenly quiet, except for the sound reverberating out from the attack that had killed Sun Hua.

Liu Daoyun was the first one to move again. He went forward and began to collect up the remaining fragments of silver. Zhou and Xu also approached and picked up some of the pieces.

"Silver… it's really silver. It's just a damned silver spear!!" Liu Daoyun's eyes were crimson, and it seemed as if he was about to go berserk. He raised his head to the sky and let out a ferocious roar. He was humiliated, and furious. He had killed Sun Hua; had the spear actually been a treasured item, it would not have been a huge problem. But he had killed a Winding Stream Inner Sect disciple over a simple silver spear…. This could cause a huge conflagration between two great Sects.

"Meng Hao!!" He wanted to chase after him, but Meng Hao had long since disappeared. Zhou and Xu were also furious. And while they felt indignation toward Meng Hao, Sun Hua had been killed by Liu Daoyun. They couldn't just let him go.

This chapter was sponsored by Hein Haugeberg, Tommy Iskandar, and Morten Stakemeier

1. Ding Xin's name in Chinese is 丁信 (dīng xìn) – Ding is a common family name. Xin means "believe" or "faith"

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Chapter 65: Battle at the North Sea

An iron spear had cheated the Violet Fate Sect disciples.

A silver spear had cheated Sun Hua and Liu Daoyun, and had caused friction between two great Sects.

If Fatty's father knew about this, his eyes would definitely grow wide. The iron, silver and gold spears were crafted by his artisans.

If Fatty had a chance to hear about it, he would definitely find it incredibly amusing.

Meng Hao hadn't even known how useful the silver spear would be. The people from the Winding Stream Sect and the Cold Wind Sect had already stopped chasing him. And now, even if they wanted to pursue him, they wouldn't be able to track him down.

And yet, his face was as grim as before. He stood on the treasured fan, popping down Demonic Cores. Ding Xin pursued him on his giant leaf, his face cold. In order to kill Meng Hao, he would follow him to the ends of the earth if necessary.

If it was a simple pursuit, Meng Hao would be able to lead him around in circles, considering his vast amount of Demonic Cores. But he was seriously injured, which made things difficult. The Demonic Cores were just barely enough to keep him going.

He could suppress the injury for a while, but eventually he would reach the point where he couldn't. When that happened, the injury would become even more dangerous.

Even more frustrating, an occasional arrow would scream toward him from behind, forcing him to use the treasured fan to defend himself. The most dangerous position was when he reached the end of a glide and had to drop to the ground and run, decreasing his speed and agility. Thankfully, the land was mostly covered by forests, and by the time he reached the top of next mountain in his path, he would be able to jump onto the treasured fan again.

Of course, Ding Xin was also incapable of sustained flight. Just like Liu Daoyun, he also had to drop to the ground occasionally, waiting to find some favorable terrain to once again begin gliding.

"You can't get away," said Ding Xin with a smile, his eyes glittering. "If you give up without a fight, I can take you back to the Sect and let them deal with you."

"There are some special circumstances regarding the matter between myself and the Violet Fate Sect," said Meng Hao as he continued to speed forward. "Fellow Daoist Ding, do you understand what I mean?"

"I don't need to understand," he responded coolly, his eyes growing colder. "If I take you back to the Sect, the Sect Elders will surely punish you. The Violet Fate Sect is one of the great sects of the Southern Domain. Naturally, they will be reasonable, and discern what is true and false."

"What happened that day was beyond my control," Meng Hao explained. "Qiu Shuihen and Lu Song forced me to sell my item. I told them it was just an ordinary spear, but they insisted. They even threatened me! You can't put the blame on me for that!" Having reached the top of a relatively high hill, he pulled out the treasured fan and began to glide once again.

"How could the fault not be yours?" said Ding Xin, his voice as cold as ever. He continued to move forward with great speed. "You could have broken the spear on the spot, then pulled out the real treasure. Then none of this would have happened." He slapped his bag of holding, and a black wooden bow appeared in his hands. He pulled it back and released a screaming arrow toward Meng Hao.

There was a boom as Meng Hao used a magical item to defend himself. Coughing up blood, he laughed. The blood on his teeth made his smile even more ferocious.

"This is your so-called 'being reasonable?'" he said. His eyes shone with killing intent, and he didn't say anything more. Swallowing a Demonic Core, he pushed the treasured fan forward even faster.

Several hours passed. Afternoon came, then evening. Meng Hao was exhausted, but he could see that this pursuit might go on for days. He could see from the cold eyes of the person chasing him that he was ruthlessly toying with him.

He was prey, not to be killed forthrightly, but to be toyed with. Then, even as he began to go crazy from it all, he would be felled in a single blow.

The land of the State of Zhao whizzed beneath Meng Hao and Ding Xin. Time passed. Meng Hao's Cultivation base of the eighth level of Qi Condensation was at the point that it seemed about to wither up. He continually consumed Demonic Cores, but that in itself was harming his body. Even his blood seemed to reek with a Demonic air.

To a Cultivator, this was essentially intentionally harming one's own Cultivation base. Meng Hao had never heard of this before, but based on what he was seeing, he now had a clue. And yet, he had no choice.

As for Ding Xin, he had noticed what was happening, so had intentionally slowed his pursuit. An inquisitive look had appeared in his eyes, as if he had caught sight of some interesting toy.

"I really want to see what happens when you consume so many Demonic Cores that your entire aura becomes Demonic? When I kill you, will I find an eighth-level Demonic Core inside?" Ding Xin laughed.

Meng Hao heard his words, and more veins of blood appeared in his eyes. His face grew somber.

He was not the type of person to speak a lot during a fight. Just now he had tried to explain himself, only to find out that his opponent didn't care. After that, he didn't say a single word. This was just like the time he had faced up against Wang Tengfei. He had not roared or howled; he had faced everything with dark silence.

He continued to flee for some time, pushing himself to the limits of his speed. Finally, up ahead, he caught sight of Mount Daqing. He had been hiding away for about half a year, and had finally come back to the mountain again, a big circle.

As he continued on, he could see a vast, mirror-like lake off in the distance. It was the North Sea.

When he saw it, his eyes suddenly lit up.

"The North Sea…."

Meng Hao thought of the little ship, the old man and the young girl, and about how the North Sea had revealed the Dao!

His gaze grew hard, and he changed his direction, aiming for the lake.

He sped along on his treasured fan. Behind him, Ding Xin sneered. He had quite enjoyed forcing his quarry to continuously consume Demonic Cores.

"I'm not sure why this guy has so many Demonic Cores, but it doesn't matter. I'll force him to tell me before he dies. In any case, I really want to see what his body looks like after he eats too many." He smiled, stamping down on his giant leaf and continuing on in pursuit.

The two of them continued on for a while, until suddenly a booming sound rang out in the air. Just as they flew out over the surface of the North Sea, Meng Hao slapped his bag of holding, then tossed out the black net.

It immediately grew out to a diameter of approximately nine meters and shot toward Ding Xin. Ding Xin immediately flicked his wide sleeve, and a violet-colored jade slip flew out, which transformed into a violet whirlwind. The whirlwind sent the net spinning. Its connection with Meng Hao seemed to have been severed, and it flew off into the distance.

"Using a useless treasure like that shows how incompetent you are," said Ding Xin coldly. The net appeared to be extraordinary, so he had used the jade slip just now. He'd never imagined that it would be defeated in one move.

Meng Hao's eyes flashed. He bit down on his tongue and then spit out some blood. His face was even paler than before. As he moved across the surface of the North Sea, the water began to ripple as if a fierce wind were blowing across it. Its calmness had been broken.

The treasured fan stopped when he reached the center of the lake. It was the first time since Ding Xin had begun chasing him that he came to a full stop. He turned around, slapping his bag of holding, and the scroll painting appeared in his hands. His eyes glittered, emanating killing intent.

He would flee no longer. He would fight with Ding Xin, Cultivator of the ninth level of Qi Condensation!

Meng Hao was not in the upper hand, but he would fight. He had to fight. He couldn't carry on much longer, so if he didn't fight, he would die. There was only one option… fight!

"So, you're not running anymore," said Ding Xin as he approached. A sneer appeared on his face when he saw the look of murder in Meng Hao's eyes. He waved his finger, and instantly a violet light appeared in front of him which transformed in a bird. It flapped its wings as it shot toward Meng Hao.

Meng Hao's eyes flashed. The instant the violet-colored bird appeared, the scroll painting trembled, and the sounds of roaring beasts could be heard. Meng Hao went all in with his Cultivation base. Perhaps because of the vast quantities of Demonic power within his spiritual energy, the roars of the beasts were particularly frightening. Four streams of mist appeared, solidifying into four Demonic beasts which charged toward the violet-colored bird.

At the same time, Meng Hao took a step forward. The treasured fan beneath his feet disassembled, the feathers circulating around him and then shooting toward Ding Xin like flying swords.

Meng Hao didn't retreat. A flying sword appeared beneath his feet to support him, and he himself shot toward Ding Xin.

"You overestimate yourself," said Ding Xin with a cold laugh, his eyes filled with ridicule. His right hand flickered in incantation patterns and then he pressed down on his forehead. A vortex emerged, accompanied by a roaring sound.

"Violet Fate Aura!"

Dense Violet Qi poured out from within the vortex, instantly transforming into a violet-colored ring, which expanded, and then flew toward Meng Hao.

Thunderous sounds continued to reverberate, causing the feathers around Meng Hao to crumble and collapse. As the massive sound roared out, it caused him to vomit up blood. And yet, stubbornness filled his eyes. He slapped his bag of holding, and roughly one hundred flying swords emerged, shooting toward Ding Xin.

The sword rain screamed forth, filling the sky. The light from the sword auras filled the sky. The swords reached Ding Xin in an instant, and yet his sneer grew thicker.

"So reckless," he said, slapping his bag of holding. A red beam emerged, transforming into a red-colored whisk. He twirled the whisk, and a screaming red gust of wind appeared which cracked the nearly one hundred flying swords. Many of them simply shattered.

The wind gust smacked into Meng Hao, and he coughed up more blood. But then, within the fragments of the hundred flying swords, appeared two wooden swords. They flew out, piercing through the red wind and shooting toward Ding Xin.

Ding Xin's eyes narrowed. His fingers flashed in incantation signs as he shot backwards.

Meng Hao lifted his right hand into the air, his face radiating killing intent.

His finger pointed up, and suddenly the black net which had been spinning away moments ago, expanded to a size of thirty meters, then dropped down with incredible speed.

All of this takes quite a bit of time to describe, but all happened in the space of just a moment. Ding Xin's expression changed instantaneously. Before he could react, the huge net had caught him up. The two wooden swords shot toward him, and it seemed they would stab into his chest.

It was a simple tactic that had just occurred to Meng Hao. It wasn't perfect, but it was the best he could come up with on the spur of the moment. He had even used the feathers of the treasured fan and sacrificed the multitude of flying swords in an attempt to catch his opponent off guard. He had done it all for one purpose: to distract his opponent. And it had worked.

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Chapter 66: A Great Kindness!

Everything was all to give the wooden swords a chance at a kill!

Ding Xin's eyes narrowed as a feeling of sudden, intense danger welled up in his heart. This was the first time he had experienced this feeling in the backwater State of Zhao. Even in the Southern Domain, he had never provoked the wrath of Foundation Establishment Cultivators; he'd only ever been in tousles with people of the same stage as himself.

Astonished to be in such a perilous situation, he raised his right hand and pushed down on his forehead. An exploding sound rippled out, and a massive amount of Violet Qi poured forth from his head. It rapidly congealed into the figure of a person, his back facing Meng Hao.

The vague figure was dressed in a violet robe. An explosive pressure burst out from it, and Violet Qi roiled out everywhere, causing the net to stop in place.

Ding Xin's face paled as the massive net slowed to a halt. He immediately shot backward. The two wooden swords gave no indication that they would stop. They continued to shoot forward without the slightest hesitation, passing through the violet cloud and speeding toward Ding Xin.

"Impossible!" Ding Xin's scalp went numb and his face filled with astonishment. How could he ever have imagined that Meng Hao's two wooden swords could defy the power of his lifesaving magic!?

This lifesaving magic was bestowed upon disciples of the ninth level of Qi Condensation, and was capable of resisting the complete power of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. It could only be used once, and even after all these years, he had never employed its power. Finally, in the face of imminent peril, he had used it today. And yet, it couldn't stop the two wooden swords.

"What type of sword is this!?" The blood drained from Ding Xin's face. At such a critical moment, he didn't have time to think about it. He clenched his jaw and then let out a mighty roar. He bit his tongue and spit out some blood. This was blood from his Cultivation base, and was connected to his longevity. As soon as he spat it out, his Cultivation base dropped a bit. It would take a significant amount of time in secluded meditation before it could recover.

As soon as he spit the blood out, it transformed into a red mist that was sucked in by the violet mist form that had emerged from his head. He let out a shout:

"Violet Qi from the East!" Immediately, the purple-robed figure turned around. Its face was blurry, but its eyes were clearly radiating a powerful, violet glow.

When the violet glow appeared, Meng Hao's body shook and pain washed over him like floodwaters. He retreated backward, blood spraying from his back. A roaring sound filled his body, and his consciousness began to waver. He floated backward like a kite with its string cut, then dropped down onto the surface of the North Sea. He slowly sank down into the water.

At the same time, the two wooden swords started to shake. One of them turned violet, seemingly no longer under Meng Hao's control. It spun out of control, then fell down into the North Sea.

But… that was only one sword. Ding Xin had gone all out, reducing his own life expectancy and damaging his Cultivation base to employ the full power of the lifesaving art. But he had only been able to target one of the wooden swords. The second one, though it was shaking, continued onward. In an instant, it passed through everything to stab into Ding Xin's chest. Then, it seemed to lose the spiritual power which controlled it. It too fell down into the North Sea.

The sword had stabbed Ding Xin, but not in through the heart. With the aid of the Violet Qi from the East, he was able to avoid being critically injured. Even still, he let out a miserable scream as blood showered out of his chest and mouth.

His hair flew around wildly, and his white robe was soaked with blood. His eyes bloodshot, he covered the wound in his chest and let out a horrified howl. In all the battles he had fought from the beginning until now, he had never received a serious injury. Now here, in this backwater State of Zhao which he looked down on so much, he had been severely injured by a nobody Cultivator who he had completely disregarded. Furthermore, he had been forced to use his lifesaving method. His eyes were grim as he looked down at the North Sea.

"Your life has been taken by my Violet Qi from the East. But since you dared to injure me, I will drag up your corpse and hack it to pieces!" Ding Xin's chest burned with pain. He had used blood from his Cultivation base and had damaged his longevity. At this point, he had sunk to the eighth level of Qi Condensation. His face was pale and filled with fury. He produced a medicinal pill and consumed it. And then, suddenly, his facial expression changed. He looked down at the wound in his chest, and his face was seized with terror.

"My spiritual power is being sucked out through the sword wound…." This was something Ding Xin had never experienced before. He gasped as he suddenly realized how amazing Meng Hao's two wooden swords really were. He immediately shot down into the waters of the North Sea to search for Meng Hao's corpse, and the two swords.

Deep down in the North Sea, Meng Hao's body slowly floated down. His eyes were shut, and he didn't move. It seemed as if he were dead. Ding Xin's Violet Qi from the East had wrecked his longevity and his Cultivation base. Even though Ding Xin's power could not compare to that of the Foundation Establishment stage, he was at the peak of the ninth level of Qi Condensation. Meng Hao was at the eighth level. He simply had no chance of surviving.

Right now, his body was cold, and the only thing that remained was the tiniest spark, flickering inside his spirit. It wouldn't take long for that spark to vanish, and then there would be no more Meng Hao.

His Qi passages were shattered, his flesh devoid of life force. His Core sea seemed to be completely dried up.

But he was not willing. He was not willing to die. Unfortunately, this was the Cultivation world's law of the jungle. He couldn't fight or resist that. As his body sank deeper and deeper, the spark of life grew more and more faint. Everything was quiet. The spark was about to go out.

A wisp of Qi flowed out from within the North Sea. A droning sound could be heard, and deep within the waters, ripples flowed out to surround Meng Hao. His body suddenly began to glow.

As the glow spread, spiritual energy from the North Sea poured into Meng Hao from all directions, filling his body, mending his Qi passages. Violet-colored blood spilled out from his orifices and pores.

All of the damage inflicted by the Violet Qi from the East was mended. In fact, every single one of his numerous injuries were healed as the spiritual energy of the North Sea poured into him.

Popping sounds rang out from within him as his Qi passages began to flow again. His lifeless body was reformed, and in an instant, once again hummed with life force.

A thunderous roar sounded out as vast amounts of spiritual energy rushed into his Core sea. Once again it rippled boundlessly. He was still at the eighth level of Qi Condensation, but had actually made significant advancement, and his current power level was almost as much as someone at the ninth level of Qi Condensation.

Within his Core sea, the Demonic Core undulated, sending out a Demonic aura. It began to absorb all of the Demonic Qi that Meng Hao had accumulated. Its Demonic aura grew stronger and brighter.

Finally, Meng Hao opened his eyes.

He looked calm. He was not excited or shocked or astonished. He had intentionally picked the North Sea as the spot for the showdown. It had all been a gamble, in the hopes that the North Sea Demon would help him.

As he opened his eyes, he straightened his body. There was only water beneath his feet, although some distance away he could see the bottom of the lake. Everything should be pitch black. But because of the silvery sand that spread out, there was a little bit of a glow, which faintly illuminated the surroundings.

Within the murky waters, Meng Hao could see a boat.

The boat was dilapidated, sunken and resting on the lake floor. Meng Hao suddenly realized that he recognised this boat. It was… the boat he had ridden in that day when he crossed the lake!

He stared silently at the boat, and then cupped his hands and bowed in respect.

Even as he bowed, he heard the twittering laughter of a young girl echoing out across the lake bottom. The laughter circled around, making it impossible to determine its origin. Meng Hao narrowed his eyes, looking down at the floor of the lake.

As the laughter rang out, he saw arms emerging from the silver sand at the bottom of the lake. The hands were all as white as jade. Along with the arms appeared corpses. They were the corpses of young women, floating up from the silver sand.

Black hair swept across the faces of the dozens of them as they floated up from the depths of the lake. Their eyes were closed, their faces pale white but beautiful. Amidst the rippling lake water, Meng Hao watched on, an expression of astonishment on his face as he realized that all of the women… looked exactly the same!

At that same moment, a small girl appeared, standing there in the dilapidated boat. She gave Meng Hao a bashful smile. She seemed to be filled with childlike innocence, but as Meng Hao looked at her, his mind began to spin, and he felt a roaring inside his head.

He had just noticed that the faces of the corpses strongly resembled this girl's face, as if they were her after she had grown up!

"Big brother, will you stay with me here forever?" said the little girl with a light laugh. Her voice was young, and when she spoke, the dozens of corpses floating around her stopped moving, and despite their eyes being closed, it seemed as if all of them were looking straight at Meng Hao.

Meng Hao mind spun, and the roaring sound seemed to consume his thoughts. Everything in front of started to grow dim, and then to shatter.

He suddenly opened his eyes. He was still floating in the lake water, some distance away from the lake floor, further away than he had been just now. Had it all been a dream? There was no boat, no corpses, and no laughing little girl.

Meng Hao gaped in shock. After a moment, he realized that his body had been healed. He gave a silent nod to the distant lake floor, even though he couldn't see anything down there.

He knew that everything he had just seen had not been an illusion. It was real!

He raised his hands and bowed deeply with clasped hands.

"Meng Hao will always remember your two great kindnesses. I speculate that you wish to become a sea, and that this is what is most important to you. I, Meng, of the junior generation, promise that one day, when my Cultivation base soars to the heavens, that I shall come to your aid. If there is any other way that I can aid you, please tell me." Meng Hao bowed again, holding the bow for the space of ten breaths. Everything was quiet. He straightened up. He looked down one last time, then shot up towards the surface of the lake.

At the exact moment that he began to move toward the surface, his two wooden swords, which had sunk into the water, began to shake. Then, they shot toward Meng Hao.

One of the swords had just been tracked down by Ding Xin. His eyes gleamed as he reached out to pick up the sword. But then it began to move. Ripples spread out from it, and then, in the blink of an eye, it shot off into the distance.

When Ding Xin saw this, a look of surprise appeared in his eyes. Without hesitation, he raced in pursuit.

"This treasure is sentient!" thought Ding Xin. His heart began to thump wildly as he eagerly sped even faster to intercept the wooden sword.

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Chapter 67: The Death of Ding Xin

Meng Hao sped along through the North Sea, moving faster and faster. The Core sea within him seethed and roiled, and before long he caught sight of the surface of the lake. He burst out of the water, sending waves surging in all directions.

At the same time as he shot out of the lake, his two wooden swords appeared, whistling through the air from different directions as they flew toward him. They circulated around him, one of them coming to rest beneath his feet, the other flying next to him.

Just then, Ding Xin burst out from the lake, and as he flew out, his eyes came to rest on Meng Hao. His face was immediately covered with a look of disbelief. How could it possibly be that Meng Hao… was alive!?

"Impossible! He's not at the Foundation Establishment stage. Nobody can withstand my Sect's consummate Violet Qi from the East, backed with the sacrifice of my own Cultivation base and longevity!!" He glared at Meng Hao, retreating backward a bit, still not quite believing what he was seeing.

Perhaps he wasn't willing to believe because, at the moment, he was no longer at the ninth level of Qi Condensation. Even his eighth level of Qi Condensation was a bit unstable. The wound in his chest was not healed, and spiritual energy continued to leak out. He feared that he might soon slip from the eighth level of Qi Condensation down to the seventh.

His face immediately grew pale. However, he wasn't like Qiu Shuihen and those others. Despite being shocked at seeing Meng Hao alive, he recovered in the blink of an eye. Without hesitation, he shot away, the giant leaf appearing beneath his feet and carrying him off into the distance. He was not fighting, he was fleeing.

He had no choice but to flee. He could tell that Meng Hao was completely recovered, and had in fact improved his Cultivation base, whereas he himself had suffered severe internal injuries. He had no other option than retreat.

Meng Hao watched coldly as Ding Xin fled. He didn't pursue at first, but instead looked down at the lake, making yet another respectful salute.

"I will remember this great kindness for the rest of my life!" said Meng Hao in a voice that could sever nails and slice iron. Then he lifted his head and flicked his sleeve. The sword beneath his feet hummed, and he transformed into a radiant beam of light as he shot in pursuit of Ding Xin.

"Starting now, the hunter becomes the hunted," he said, his eyes filled with the intent to kill. After leaving the Reliance Sect, Meng Hao had never felt the desire to kill anyone as much as he did Ding Xin, except perhaps Shangguan Xiu. His desire to kill spread into his eyes until they shined. During his entire life of Cultivation, he had never been so seriously injured before. In fact, it actually did not count as being injured. He had already… been killed!

A dazzling gleam filled his eyes as he raced in pursuit. In an instant, he left behind the North Sea. In the time it takes an incense stick to burn, he had caught up with Ding Xin, who was consuming medicinal pills even as his Cultivation base continued to drop.

Meng Hao didn't say anything. Instead, he simply lifted his finger, and the wooden sword flying next to him sped forward toward Ding Xin. Pale-faced Ding Xin looked back, well aware of the strange powers of the sword. He smacked his bag of holding, and immediately, the long black bow appeared in his hand. Ignoring his continual loss of spiritual energy, he pulled back on the bow and shot an arrow.

The arrow thundered toward the wooden sword. When they met, an explosion rang out and the arrow collapsed. The wooden sword shuddered.

Meng Hao was expressionless. He lifted his finger again, and the wooden sword sped forward again. Ding Xin, his face pale, had no choice but to shoot another arrow.

A boom rang out. The wooden sword continued on.

Veins of blood filled Ding Xin's eyes. Could he not see that Meng Hao was exacting his revenge, intending to drain his Cultivation base and push him to complete exhaustion?

After dropping from the ninth level of Qi Condensation, his injuries had worsened. He was weak, but he feared the wooden sword, so he could do nothing else but use his arrows to defend himself. Unfortunately, because of his weakened state, his arrows were also weak, and did not carry the power that they did before. When he shot out his sixth arrow, his body suddenly quivered as his Cultivation base suddenly began to drop from the eighth level of Qi Condensation to the seventh.

The wooden sword was upon him in an instant, stabbing into his chest. It wasn't a critical wound, but blood surged out nonetheless. Ding Yen let out a miserable cry and tried to flee faster.

His body shook as he felt even more spiritual power flowing out of him. His tottering Cultivation base fell rapidly, from the eighth level of Qi Condensation to the seventh!

Of course, his Cultivation base wasn't actually regressing. But he was losing spiritual energy at a rapid rate, and without any recovery. The spiritual energy loss was so great that his level of power was essentially at the seventh level of Qi Condensation.

He was consuming medicinal pills, but unfortunately had two sword wounds, both of which were leaking spiritual energy. There was no way for him to recover at the moment.

"I'm a Violet Fate Inner Sect disciple!" cried Ding Xin with a fierce howl. "If you dare to kill me, the Violet Fate Sect will track you down even if it takes a hundred years! They won't stop until you're dead!" His situation was desperate. He let out another blood-curdling scream as Meng Hao's wooden sword passed by. It didn't stab him, but cut him, whereupon his spiritual energy drained even faster.

"I've already died once," said Meng Hao coolly. His eyes were cold as he waved his finger once more.

Time passed. An hour went by in the blink of an eye, during which time Ding Xin's miserable cries continued to ring out. His body was numb, and appeared to be covered with hundreds of sword wounds. He was soaked in blood. None of his wounds were critical, but he dripped with so much blood that he looked like a dead person.

Ding Xin was a Cultivator, and as things grew dim, what frightened him the most was not his wounds, but rather, the fact that his body had seemed to become like a sieve. Spiritual energy poured out of him at a shocking rate.

The sixth level of Qi condensation, the fifth, the fourth…

A bang rang out, and Ding Xin fell onto the ground, spitting up blood. He scrambled forward, fleeing as fast as he could move. He was no longer capable of any sort of flight. His Cultivation base had dropped so low that it was the same as if he were at the third level of Qi Condensation.

"Meng Hao, if you kill me, you will be slaughtered without a proper burial! I'm a Violet Fate Inner Sect disciple. If I die, it will cause problems for the entire State of Zhao. You don't dare to kill me!" His body trembled. He fought back the dread in his heart and coughed up more blood.

Meng Hao snatched up Ding Xin's giant flying leaf. Without a word, he moved his finger again, and the wooden sword shot toward Ding Xin.

Enough time passed for an incense stick to burn. There in the middle of the woods, Ding Xin no longer resembled a disciple of a great Sect. He stared at Meng Hao, his eyes filled with venom. And yet within that venom was also regret. He regretted his desire to watch his opponent consume Demonic Cores. Instead, he should have held nothing back and killed him immediately.

"I should have butchered you!" he said, gnashing his teeth, chest heaving. It seemed he was more interested in venting his anger than breathing.

"You know, you taught me something," said Meng Hao. He was done with his revenge. His hand lifted, and the sword fell. Ding Xin's head flew into the air, showering blood everywhere. It landed off in the distance, rolling across the ground to rest underneath a large tree.

His eyes were still filled with disbelief. He couldn't believe it, because he was a disciple of the Violet Fate Sect, at the ninth level of Qi Condensation. He was a Chosen, he was to reach Foundation Establishment, whereupon he would be a true Chosen, and his name would rock the Southern Domain.

But here he was, dead in the backwater State of Zhao, killed by Meng Hao, an insect he had held in the palm of his hand.

Meng Hao closed his eyes for a long time. This was not the first time he had killed someone, and this time, he was not filled with emotions. He had already died.

"That day when I ran into Yan Ziguo, I should have killed him, as well as all the people with him." Determination filled his eyes. He had now experienced the result of his indecisiveness back then, when he had the chance to kill Yan Ziguo.

"I don't want to die a second time." He lifted his right hand and made a beckoning gesture. Ding Xin's bag of holding flew over. Then he flicked his sleeve and a Flame Python appeared. It consumed Ding Xin's body and head, turning them into ash.

Meng Hao turned and walked away.

It was evening, and as he walked off into the distance, snow began to fall from the sky. It covered him, his footprints, and the reek of blood. The snow accompanied him as he walked further and further away.

"I am the snow during winter. If I get too close to summer, then… summer will melt me. That is not the world of snow, nor is it my world." Meng Hao disappeared into the distance. He looked like a scholar, but deep down, he was as cold as snow.

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Chapter 68: Milky Way City

After the battle at the North Sea, and his rebirth in the depths of the lake, the death aura had been completely dispelled. As he walked through the wind and snow, not a sliver of it emanated out.

The fact that the black aura, which had encircled him for more than a month, was now gone, made Meng Hao's pace a bit more leisurely as he moved through the snowfall.

Snow fell more and more heavily, making seem as if this was the year's last and heaviest snowstorm. The snowflakes appeared to be pushed along by the incoming season, falling out of the sky as fast as possible.

The snow covered him, until he finally reached the cave in Mount Daqing that he had been taken from years before. He sat cross-legged, looking out at the world of snow and listening to the cry of the wind.

Night fell.

Snowfall blocked the night sky, making it impossible to see the stars. The only things visible were the endless sheets of snow which covered the landscape.

A small bonfire burned in front of Meng Hao, illuminating the surroundings with flickering firelight. The light fell onto his face as he sat there thinking.

Nearly four years had passed.

It was almost four years since he had joined the Reliance Sect. He had started out as a youth and had grown into a young man; he was now twenty years of age.

For a long time, Meng Hao sat there, looking down at his hands. They were clean, without a spot of dirt on them. But Meng Hao knew without a doubt that they were stained with blood.

He had killed many times in the past four years. At first, it had caused him much mental tribulation. Now, though you couldn't say he was numb to it, at least he had come to accept it. He had adapted. It was as if some invisible force of heaven and earth had changed his spirit, his fate, and his future.

"What will I become in the end…." Meng Hao looked out at the snow outside of the cave, but it contained no answers.

Time passed by slowly, and soon dawn approached. Everything was pitch black. The only thing present was the whimpering of the wind and the frigid snow. The bonfire in front of Meng Hao slowly burned out, and the cave was consumed by darkness.

Meng Hao sat there in the dark, and a sense of deep loneliness filled his heart. The feeling grew stronger and stronger until it seemed as if it would consume him.

"Father, mother, where are you…." His voice was soft as he thought of his parents. He missed them so much.

"Fatty, what are you doing right now?" Meng Hao sighed as an image appeared in his mind of Fatty filing away at his teeth.

"Elder Sister Xu, Elder Brother Chen, you are in the Southern Domain… that's great…." He looked out at the dark night outside the cave, and it was almost as if he could see the Southern Domain. An absentminded expression filled his face.

"Reading hundreds of books is like travelling ten thousand roads…. One day I will leave the State of Zhao and go to the Southern Domain." A look of determination appeared in his eyes. The State of Zhao was on the very edge of the Southern Domain. The middle of the Southern Domain was very, very far away.

He remembered the map he had seen of the Nanshan Continent. There was a vast wilderness between the State of Zhao and the core of the Southern Domain, as well as several countries.

Given the current level of his Cultivation base, if he tried to travel by soaring, it would take an incredibly long time.

"If only I could become a Foundation Establishment stage Cultivator!" A fire seemed to burn in his eyes, a fire that contained a fierce longing. It was a longing to be able to fly in the sky, and a thirst to reach the Foundation Establishment stage.

"Reaching Foundation Establishment is being a true Cultivator. Then, my longevity will be extended to one hundred and fifty years." The concept of extended life was a distant reality to Meng Hao. Usually, people wish for a longer life only when they get older. As of now, Meng Hao didn't really care about that; what he was most concerned with was continuing to live on and not be in danger.

Unless one wants to live an average life, one must accept the limitations of one's Cultivation base and latent talent, and fight on.

Meng Hao breathed deeply and looked out as dawn broke over the world. He pulled out Ding Xin's bag of holding and looked over its contents. His eyes began to glitter.

"He really was the disciple of a great Sect. Even though he hadn't reached the Foundation Establishment stage, he was filthy rich." There were seven or eight thousand Spirit Stones inside, as well as the black, wooden bow.

When he pulled the bow out, his entire body felt cold. When he pulled back on the bowstring, it felt as if the spiritual energy of heaven and earth were being pulled into it.

Inside the bag of holding were several hundred black arrows, each one carved with strange markings. He collected them up. In addition to the Spirit Stones and treasured items, there were some pill bottles, assorted message plaques, and other random items.

Most of the pill bottles were empty. However, one small bottle caught Meng Hao's attention. It was sealed, but when he heard the sound of the pill rattling around inside, his heart thumped. He broke the seal, whereupon a thick, fragrant odor buffeted his face. The entire cave was instantly filled with a medicinal aroma.

This aroma seemed even stronger than that of a Heavenly Spirit Pill. It seemed to be even stronger than Meng Hao's most powerful pill, the Plateau Charging Pill. In fact, there was really no way to even compare them. It would be like trying to compare a firefly with a full moon. As far as Meng Hao could tell, one was like a tiny sapling, the other like a mighty tree.

"This is…." Meng Hao's eyes shone, and he began to breathe quickly. He turned the bottle over and dropped the medicinal pill onto his palm. It was about the size of his thumbnail, and the color of amber. It emanated a powerful fragrance as well as a feeling of boundless spiritual energy. With a simple glance, you could tell this was no ordinary item.

He stared at the pill for a moment, then tapped his bag of holding, retrieving the ancient Pill-name jade slip he had purchased at the Hundred Treasures Pavilion. There were more cracks on its surface than before, although Meng Hao didn't seem to care. Pressing the jade slip against his forehead, he poured spiritual energy into it.

A moment later, the ancient jade split into pieces, collapsing into ash. Meng Hao opened his eyes. They glowed with powerful excitement.

"A Foundation Establishment Pill! It's a Foundation Establishment Pill! It's hard to even determine how much it's worth!" Palpitating with eagerness, he clutched the pill against his chest. His heart raced, and it took quite some time before he could calm down.

This Foundation Establishment Pill was one of the reasons Ding Xin just couldn't believe that he would die. It had been made by his master and then gifted to him. Considering that he was at the ninth level of Qi condensation, if he came across a bit of good fortune in his travels, then he might be able to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage. He had kept it on his person so that he could have it handy when that critical juncture arrived.

Even in a great Sect in the Southern Domain, a Foundation Establishment Pill was not common. It was even less common for them to be distributed to disciples. The requirements to acquire one were very high. Even if more than the usual amount of pills were available, the supply would still fall short of the demand. Most people could not establish a Foundation with only one pill. Usually two or three were required. Some people with only average latent talent but the support of Sect Elders, might be able to break through with five pills.

Foundation Establishment Pills were truly treasured. Perhaps this had something to do with the fact that two of the medicinal plants required to concoct the pill only grew in the Three Danger Zones in the Southern Domain.

Ding Xin had an exceptional master, which gave him a special position within the Violet Fate Sect. When he had reached the ninth level of Qi Condensation, his master had bestowed him with the Foundation Establishment Pill. If he failed in breaking through to the next stage, when he returned to the Sect, his master would not hesitate to give him another.

Meng Hao opened his hand and looked more closely at the Foundation Establishment pill. It was then that he noticed a strange seal on its surface.

The seal bore the image of a demonic face. It was expressionless, solemn, and imparted the feeling that the face was looking at you. Meng Hao's heart thumped. Upon further observation, he determined that the seal did not have any mystical properties. It was simply carved onto the surface of the pill, almost like a logo.

Meng Hao hesitated for a while, then clenched his teeth and put the pill away. Outside, the snowfall was growing lighter, and the rising sun was just becoming visible. He stepped onto the treasured fan and flew out into the cold.

"If I want to break through from the eighth level of Qi Condensation to the ninth, I will need more Spirit Stones. What I have now… it's just not enough. I'm going to need to go sell some things to get more. Eyes glittering, he slapped his bag of holding and produced a jade slip, which he pushed up against his forehead.

This was a jade slip from the Cold Wind Sect, a map that depicted several of the Cultivator Cities within the State of Zhao. Meng Hao saw Eastern Refinement City, but he had no desire to go back there. He needed to go somewhere far away from there, to a place not controlled by the three great Sects, a place where the Cultivators would be more random.

"Milky Way City," Meng Hao muttered to himself. Having made his decision, he raised his head, eyes flashing, and soared ahead as fast as the wind.

In the direction of the Milky Way Sea was an area protected by protective spells, a place that mortals could not even see, within which was a city.

Its walls were black, and were patrolled by cold-faced, black-robed Cultivators. They stared out at the people coming in and out of the city.

Milky Way City hadn't existed before three hundred years ago. At that time, an eccentric with a Cultivation base at the Core Formation stage had appeared. His magical power and items were shocking. He had established this city, then gone into secluded meditation. Three hundred years later, no one knew if he was still alive, or dead. It actually didn't really matter. Either he had extended his longevity, or had begun to form his Nascent Soul.

Currently, the city was controlled by his descendants. As for Patriarch Milky Way, he had never had poor a relationship with the three great sects of the State of Zhao. That, coupled with the relaxed rules of the city, had made it grow into the bustling place it was, filled with people of all sorts.

One day, a person appeared outside of Milky Way City. He wore a black robe, and his face was covered by the wide bamboo hat on his head. It was impossible to distinguish his features, although his body seemed to be a bit pudgy.

His getup looked strange, but didn't attract any attention at all in Milky Way City. After all, this place was a jumble of all sorts of strange people. There were more than a few who didn't want others to know who they were or what they were up to.

Of course, this person was none other than Meng Hao.

He had made up his mind to sell some of his magical items and medicinal pills. So, he had disguised himself and come to this place. He strolled in through the city gates, looking around. As he did, his eyes narrowed. He immediately lowered his head, and, putting on a nonchalant air, entered a shop.

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Chapter 69: Young Lord Ding

Shangguan Xiu, garbed in a black robe, frowned as he walked down the street in Milky Way City. Two Cultivators of the seventh level of Qi Condensation, also wearing black robes, walked behind him. From the looks on their faces, they seemed to admire Shangguan Xiu quite a bit.

Accompanying Shangguan Xiu in his inspection of the city, they walked past the shop Meng Hao had just ducked into.

Meng Hao's expression was the same as ever. Even if it wasn't, no one would have been able to see anyway, because of the wide bamboo hat that covered his face. His gaze swept around the place he had entered.

It was a pill shop, only one story high and not very large. Racks filled with pill bottles filled the small space. The bottles were obviously empty, although on the surface of each one was written the name of a pill along with a price.

Off in the corner, a young man sat cross-legged. Other than him, Meng Hao was the only person in the shop.

Meng Hao walked along, examining the names of the various medicinal pills. Eventually, he found a bottle upon which was written the characters "Earthly Spirit Pill." It instantly caught his eye.

"So it's worth three hundred Spirit Stones…." Meng Hao frowned. The copper mirror required two hundred Spirit Stones to duplicate an Earthly Spirit Pill. Although there was a bit of difference in the two prices, it wasn't very much.

Seeing Meng Hao muttering to himself, the man sitting cross-legged in the corner opened his eyes and coolly said, "Earthly Spirit Pills are from the Southern Domain. We don't have many in stock, only five."

Meng Hao nodded. Looking around one final time, he made to leave, but then suddenly stopped. "Do you happen to have Foundation Establishment Pills?"

When the man heard this, he smiled, although it contained a barely perceptible air of doubt. "Fellow Daoist, this must be your first time in Milky Way City. Foundation Establishment Pills can easily run over one hundred thousand Spirit Stones. They are truly precious. Unfortunately, we don't have any in stock at all. I've only seen one in my entire life. If you are really interested in purchasing one, you'll have to go to the Milky Way Workshop."

"So expensive!!" said Meng Hao, his voice filled with awe. Hearing his tone of voice, the young man's doubt seemed to disappear. He could tell that Meng Hao was simply inquiring, and didn't have the resources to actually make such a purchase.

Hearing Meng Hao mutter to himself enviously about the incredible price of Foundation Establishment Pills, the young man ignored him and close his eyes again.

Meng Hao left the shop and moved along down the streets of Milky Way City, his eyes shining. Moments later, though, he frowned, for two reasons. One reason was that it didn't seem it would be that simple to sell medicinal pills and magical items. The other reason was Shangguan Xiu.

"He was wearing a black robe, and was accompanied by more black-robed Cultivators. Those robes are the same ones worn by the city guards. It seems that after leaving the Reliance Sect, he didn't join another Sect, but rather came to this place." Meng Hao lowered his head. Instead of leaving, he continued to stroll through the city, checking out shop after shop. As he did, his frown deepened.

It seemed that pills for every level of Qi Condensation were available here. On the one hand, there weren't a huge amount of pills available, but on the other hand, the prices were not much higher than what he would have to pay to duplicate them. In other words, the profit margin would not be very high.

"Forget about Medicinal Pills. I'll go check out some magical items." Meng Hao turned, heading down a different street. There were many Cultivators coming and going, their Cultivation bases of various levels. Most seemed to be between the third and fifth levels. Meng Hao had only seen three Cultivators who, like him, were at the eighth level of Qi Condensation. Their faces were covered, making it impossible to see their faces clearly.

There were many Treasure Pavilions here. Meng Hao visited them one by one, carefully examining their wares. Soon, evening fell. Meng Hao sighed. Low-level magical items fetched a high price, but nothing close to the hundred thousand Spirit Stones he wanted. To get that much, he would have to sell nearly one thousand flying swords, but such an astonishing event would attract unwanted attention. He simply could not do such a thing.

His other magical items varied in price, but none alone would earn him that many Spirit Stones. And if he sold all of his magical items, it would attract too much attention.

What he wanted to do was handle everything at once, then leave immediately.

Meng Hao currently sat cross-legged in a room in an inn. "If I really want to sell the Foundation Establishment Pill… I have to do it very carefully," he said to himself quietly. "I can't act rashly."

Milky Way City wasn't very big. By the evening of the second day, he had explored the entire city. Finally, he ended up standing across from a luxuriously decorated building. Muttering to himself, he walked toward it.

An inscribed board above the main door read, "Milky Way Workshop."

It was three stories tall. Meng Hao wandered around the first floor, but was prevented from going up to the second. To gain access to the second floor, one must produce evidence of a large number of Spirit Stones.

Meng Hao didn't force the issue. He turned and walked around for a bit looking at things, as if he were just an ordinary customer. Finally, he left.

He sat cross-legged back in the inn, frowning to himself. "There's only one door, guarded by three Cultivators of the eighth level of Qi Condensation, and one of the ninth level…. I can't go up to the second floor, nor see past the curve of the stairs. Everything on the first level is ordinary items, without any spiritual energy… I need to know what's on the second level. You can tell by looking at the windows on the outside that there is an abundance of spiritual energy there. But the windows are sealed tight." After a long moment, he pulled out the copper mirror.

In his bag of holding, he currently had just a bit over ten thousand Spirit Stones. Gritting his teeth, he took out the Foundation Establishment Pill and placed it onto the copper mirror. It instantly sank into the mirror, disappearing. With a deep breath, Meng Hao began feeding Spirit Stones into the mirror.

When he put the ten-thousandth Spirit Stone into the mirror, a bright light shone out of it, and then a second Foundation Establishment Pill appeared. Meng Hao was prepared; as soon as the fragrant medicinal aroma began to spread out, he put the two pills into his bag of holding, looking around cautiously.

Because of his speed, barely any of the aroma escaped out, and therefore no one noticed.

He sat cross-legged on the bed, his eyes filled with thought. After a moment, he slapped his bag of holding, producing a long, white robe. This was some clothing he had obtained from Ding Xin's bag of holding. He put it on, then hung Ding Xin's jade identification slip around his neck. He stood and started to pace back and forth in the room, looking even more thoughtful than before.

At dawn, two days later, Meng Hao once again donned the bamboo hat, as well as a long outer garment which concealed the white robe underneath. Lowering his head, he left the inn.

He strode directly toward the Milky Way Workshop, arriving in a very short period of time. A cold-faced middle aged man sat there cross-legged, a Cultivator of the ninth level of Qi Condensation. Meng Hao walked past him, heading directly toward the stairs.

As he approached, a cultivator of the eighth level of Qi Condensation glanced at him.

"Show a minimum of ten thousand Spirit Stones to get access to the second level," he said."

"Beat it!" said Meng Hao, lifting his bamboo hat and glaring at the man threateningly. He filled his voice with as much arrogance as possible. "We're in a small town in the insignificant State of Zhao, and you dare to block the path of Ding Xin?" All of the Cultivators in the room looked at him.

The eighth-level Cultivator stared at him in shock. In all his years, no one had ever dared to speak to him in such a way. But considering the arrogance and veiled threats contained within Meng Hao's words, the man hesitated, unsure of how to respond.

The pleasant voice of a woman drifted down from upstairs: "Young Lord Ding, please come up."

The eighth-level Cultivator let Meng Hao pass. With a cold snort, Meng Hao climbed the stairs. As he turned the corner, his eyes quickly scanned the entire second floor.

The pleasant voice from just now belonged to a woman wearing a gauzy dress. She smiled at Meng Hao.

The second floor was richly decorated, and looked much more magnificent than the first floor, filled with a dazzling aura. There were no racks of treasures, but rather an enormous incense burner in the middle of the room, so large that three people could place their arms around it. The thick aroma of incense wafted out from it.

The surroundings were luxurious but also refined. Several tables could be seen around the room, as well as ornamental rock displays. It was the type of place that would make one's eyes shine just upon seeing it.

The woman standing there in front of Meng Hao appeared to be about thirty years of age. She was elegant and poised, and didn't say anything at first. She simply smiled, making her seem very warm and considerate.

"Young Lord Ding," she said, looking over him causally, "please have a seat. I am the second floor attendant. Please do not hesitate to tell me how I can help you." She took a seat off to the side. When she caught sight of the white robe underneath his long outer garment, a look of surprise flickered in her eyes, and then quickly disappeared.

Meng Hao looked around thoughtfully. There were seven tables spread about in various positions. Without hesitation, Meng Hao chose to sit, not at a table next to the stairs, or a window, but right in the middle of the room.

"Do you have Foundation Establishment Pills here?" he said as he sat down, not beating around the bush. He stared at the woman, his expression somber.

When the woman saw him sit down where he did, her eyes flickered again, as if he had just confirmed something to her. And yet, she still seemed to be uncertain about something.

"There are not many things in the State of Zhao that we don't have here at the Milky Way Workshop," she said with a smile. "Of course we have Foundation Establishment Pills. The price is two hundred thousand Spirit Stones per pill."

Meng Hao nodded slightly, then slapped his bag of holding. A pill bottle appeared in his hand. He flicked his sleeve, and the bottle shot toward the woman.

Her eyes flickered as she caught the bottle. When she opened it and looked at the contents, her expression changed to one of surprise.

"One Foundation Establishment Pill," said Meng Hao coolly. "Name your price."

"Young Lord Ding, you are quite audacious," she said calmly, an unusual expression in her eyes. "You dare to casually hand me something so valuable. Don't you fear that I might take it and flee?"

Meng Hao didn't say anything. Staring at her coldly, he loosened his outer garment, revealing more of the white robe, as well as the jade medallion hanging around his neck.

It was violet-colored, and emitted a soft, flickering violet glow.

When she caught sight of the jade medallion, the woman's expression changed.

"If you dare to swallow that pill," said Meng Hao coldly, "Milky Way City will be reduced to rubble in less than a month."

The woman's expression changed several times as she looked back down at the pill bottle. She glanced back at Meng Hao sitting there. Having taken note of all the various clues regarding his identity, she finally smiled again.

"Young Lord Ding, please don't take offense. I was simply making conversation." She tipped the bottle over, sending the Foundation Establishment pill tumbling into her palm. Then she held it up and examined it closely. When her gaze fell upon the demonic face carved into the surface of the pill, her expression changed dramatically, and she stood up.

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Chapter 70: Breaking Through to the Ninth Level of Qi Condensation!

"This pill was concocted personally by Grandmaster Pill Demon of the Violet Fate Sect. Its…. Young Lord Ding, what is your relationship to Grandmaster Pill Demon…?"

"Name your price." He said nothing else. He frowned, his eyes filled with a look that made it seem as if whether he wanted to or not, he had no choice but to sell the pill.

"A pill personally concocted by Grandmaster Pill Demon could be auctioned off for an amazing price. This pill…." The woman hesitated for a moment, then seemed to come to a decision. "I can give you two hundred fifty thousand Spirit Stones!"

Meng Hao was silent for a moment. Finally, he nodded and said, "Done." He stood up.

The woman lifted her hand and flicked her finger toward the incense burner in the middle of the room. A clear and melodious sound rang out, and about ten seconds later, a young girl came down from the third floor bearing a jade platter. She quickly reached Meng Hao, then offered up the platter with both hands.

On the white jade platter was a bag of holding.

Meng Hao took it and looked inside, then turned and walked down the stairs. Amidst the gazes of the Cultivators on the first floor, he walked out of the Milky Way Workshop and off into the distance.

A while later, when he reached a place that wasn't very crowded, he ducked into an alley and stripped off the outer garment. He quickly changed into another robe and then made his way off as quickly as possible, his head lowered.

Meanwhile, back on the second floor of the Milky Way Workshop, the woman stood respectfully next to an old man. The old man, who wore a resplendent garment, was currently standing at the window, looking off into the distance. In his hand was the Foundation Establishment Pill that Meng Hao had sold.

A long time passed before he finally opened his mouth. "Are you sure?" he said coolly.

"I of the junior generation already did some checking," she said in a respectful tone. "There was indeed a Violet Fate Sect disciple surnamed Ding who arrived recently in the State of Zhao."

"Are you sure that was him?" said the old man slowly.

"At first, junior was not certain. After all, Ding Xin is of the ninth level of Qi Condensation, and this person was of the eighth. However, his arrogant behavior on the first floor certainly seemed like that of a disciple of a great Sect. This was the first clue.

"Upon reaching the second floor, he didn't select a chair near the window or the stairs, but rather in the middle of the room. This gives evidence of his confidence, as if he didn't care that we might have made a move against him. This level of confidence is impossible for someone of the eighth level of Qi Condensation to have, unless of course they are a member of a powerful Sect. That was the second clue.

"Moments later, junior saw his white garments, as well as a jade pendant from the Violet Fate Sect. He revealed it intentionally, but this is the State of Zhao, after all. He has to take some precautions. This was the third clue.

"More telling, he directly gave the pill bottle to junior, as if he didn't care whether or not I might consume the pill. When junior inquired about this, his response was one that a member of a State of Zhao Sect could never match. This was the fourth clue.

"Finally, the Foundation Establishment Pill is marked with the seal of Grandmaster Pill Demon. No one would dare to make a counterfeit of such a pill. Furthermore, junior has researched such things, and am certain the seal is genuine.

"Because of these five clues, junior is certain that this person was Ding Xin of the Violet Fate Sect. It is said that two years ago, Grandmaster Pill Demon accepted a novitiate with that name. It seems the person here today was none other than him." The woman smiled, her expression filled with confidence, shrewdness and intelligence.

"Unless…." She suddenly seemed to hesitate.

"Unless what?" asked the old man, turning to look at her, his expression both warm and encouraging.

"Unless the person today was incredibly intelligent, and purposefully did all of these things. Perhaps he created the perfect cover story, and the seal on the Foundation Establishment Pill is actually fake. But, the probability of such a thing is remote. There is no disciple among the so-called Sects of the State of Zhao who could accomplish something like that." The woman smiled, her expression once again one of confidence.

"Correct," said the old man. "Being able to sort through all these clues in this way shows how intelligent you are, Mu'er. It seems you've really grown sharper in the past few years. This medicinal pill is real. It seems eighty to ninety percent likely that this person was none other than Ding Xin." He looked fondly at the woman.

"Many thanks for your praise, Patriarch," she said with a smile. Looking up at him, she asked, "Are you really going to let him go, just like that?"

"We cannot afford to cause trouble with the Violet Fate Sect. As for Grandmaster Pill Demon's Foundation Establishment Pill…" The old man seemed to think for a moment, before softly saying, "Mu'er, considering that your latent talent is ordinary, why don't you give the pill to your father?"

When she heard his words, her eyes suddenly flashed.

"He's back?" Her voice suddenly seemed grim.

"He came back a few months ago. He left all those years ago to join the Reliance Sect, but the Sect was disbanded. As usual, he has yet to reach Foundation Establishment… you should go see him." Looking at the woman, the old man frowned, then sighed.

She was quiet for a moment. "I have my responsibilities here to take care of," she said coldly. "Whoever Patriarch gives the Foundation Establishment Pill to, well, it doesn't have anything to do with me."

"He's your father, after all. Furthermore, it seems to me he has some weighty matters on his mind, and might leave again soon. You should think about it carefully." Shaking his head, the old man turned and left.

"Father…." Shangguan Mu sat down quietly, looking out the window, her eyes filled with bitterness.

As for Meng Hao, after changing clothes, he left the black-walled Milky Way City without the slightest bit of hesitation. Some distance away from the city, he hopped onto the treasured fan and sped off into the distance, his body turning into a prismatic rainbow.

He kept going for several days, until it became apparent that no one was pursuing him. At that point, he felt a bit more relaxed. In the wilderness some distance away from Mount Daqing, he used a flying sword to cut out an Immortal's Cave for himself and then entered into secluded meditation.

This time, he was determined to break through to the ninth level of Qi Condensation.

He had plenty of Spirit Stones which he could use to duplicate Heavenly Spirit Pills. When he consumed enough Heavenly Spirit Pills, and his Cultivation base reached the appropriate level, he would begin to push toward the next level.

Time passed slowly. Soon, several months had passed. Meng Hao did not leave the Immortal's Cave. He sat there quietly, cross-legged, consuming medicinal pills and circulating his Cultivation base. As time passed, his Cultivation base grew more and more refined.

By the time the fifth month arrived, it seemed boundless. His Cultivation base roared, and his Core sea roiled. He had long since arrived at the peak of the eighth level of Qi Condensation. He was only a sliver away from the ninth level, and yet had been stuck at this sliver for two months already.

Thinking about the over one hundred thousand Spirit Stones he had spent already made Meng Hao's heart hurt. But what hurt even more was that after spending all of those Spirit Stones, he still hadn't been able to break through.

"Elder Xu told me that the fourth, sixth and eighth levels of Qi Condensation were bottlenecks. The year I broke through the fourth level, I had lots of Dry Spirit Pills. I broke through the sixth level when the North Sea demonstrated the Dao. Now I'm at the eighth level bottleneck… How do I break through?!" Meng Hao opened his bloodshot eyes.

Of the well over two hundred thousand Spirit Stones he'd had, only about fifty thousand now remained. The rest had been turned into Heavenly Spirit Pills. Currently, he was running low on Heavenly Spirit Pills as well.

As he had speculated, when relying only on medicinal pills to grow his Cultivation base, the effects grew weaker and weaker the more pills he consumed. He needed larger and larger amounts, a vicious cycle.

"I wonder what other people do in this situation," he thought, frowning. Despite pondering the situation over and over, he couldn't figure it out.

It seemed that no matter how many Heavenly Spirit Pills he consumed, and no matter how his Cultivation base grew, he just couldn't make that final step.

Another month passed. Meng Hao had already spent half a year in secluded meditation. Today, he sat there, hair in disarray, eyes bloodshot. In the past month, he had duplicated ten Plateau Charging Pills, which were supposed to be effective in the ninth level of Qi Condensation. He had hoped that using them would enable him to break through the bottleneck. While they had been somewhat effective, they hadn't produced the desired result.

"I must reach the ninth level of Qi Condensation!" He ground his teeth as he looked at what remained of his fifty thousand Spirit Stones. Not hesitating any longer, he took out the copper mirror. He had decided to duplicate the Foundation Establishment Pill!

A glow appeared, and there in front of him were two Foundation Establishment Pills. Including the original, he now had three Foundation Establishment Pills. If you showed these three pills to a disciple of one of the great Sects of the Southern Domain, they would gasp with astonishment. In the State of Zhao, it would be enough to cause a bloodbath if anyone saw them.

Today, Meng Hao would use these pills, not to reach Foundation Establishment, but to break through the bottleneck. Anyone who knew he was using the pills in this way would surely go crazy at the thought of such luxurious waste.

Through history, there were likely few people who would ever go to such extravagant lengths to break through a Qi Condensation bottleneck.

Meng Hao took a deep breath, then lifted up a pill, put it into his mouth, and swallowed it. A thunderous roar filled his mind, and his body shook. A majestic spiritual energy filled him that he never before could have imagined, exploding throughout his body.

During his half a year in secluded meditation, some events had occurred which he was unaware of. These events actually affected the entire State of Zhao. The first was the wildfire-like spread of the news of Meng Hao's deal with the Violet Fate Sect disciples. It didn't take long before Meng Hao's name was known across the land.

Everyone knew that Meng Hao had mercilessly cheated the Violet Fate Sect.

Soon after this, the Cold Wind Sect and the Winding Stream Sect nearly declared war on each other. In the end, Sect priests of the Core Formation stage emerged and managed to calm things down. Shortly thereafter, the two Sects issued a joint order of arrest.

The evildoer Meng Hao of the Reliance Sect was now wanted. Anyone who killed him would receive a reward of Spirit Stones, medicinal pills and magical items. This was the first time in hundreds of years that two great Sects had joined together to issue an order of arrest. This news caused a great sensation in the Cultivation world of the State of Zhao.

Of course, no one really knew how to track down the man who had caused the bloody incident regarding the silver spear. But he had been marked for punishment, and the news spread quickly. Soon, Meng Hao was yet again the subject of discussion among all the Cultivators of the State of Zhao.

Whenever Cultivators gathered, they would end up talking about Meng Hao.

"I heard that when he was in the Reliance Sect, he robbed someone from one of the great Clans of the Southern Domain, a guy named Wang Tengfei who had joined the Sect. When he became a member of the Inner Sect, Wang Tengfei left in a rage."

"That's nothing. I heard directly from some former Reliance Sect members that Meng Hao opened a shop there. He ripped off a lot of his fellow disciples. They were all furious, of course, but didn't dare to say anything."

"Wow, it seems he's been developing this devious personality for quite a while. It's no surprise he cheated the Violet Fate Sect disciples, as well as Liu Daoyun and Sun Hua…."

"It looks like he just rips off whoever he runs into. He's been cheating people ever since he left the Reliance Sect…."

Conversations and discussions like this filled the Cultivation World of the State of Zhao. If that was the extent of it, it would not have been a very big deal. Eventually the buzz would have died out. Except before that could happen, the three great Sects joined forces to recall the original arrest order and issue a new one. There was no discernable reason for this action.

The new arrest order was still for Meng Hao. However, killing him was now prohibited. Rewards would now be given, not for his death, but for his capture, or clues regarding his whereabouts!

According to the order, he could be injured or crippled, but not killed.

Such a strange arrest order instantly aroused the attention of quite a few people. Eventually, some of the most well-informed people were able to put the clues together to understand what was going on.

"The Core Formation Eccentrics of the three great Sects went last month to visit the State of Revelation. They paid respects to Lord Revelation, and asked him to divine whether or not Patriarch Reliance is really dead or not. According to his divination, Patriarch Reliance is weak to the point of death. However, the Immortal's Cave he is in can only be opened by an Inner Sect disciple. Lord Revelation is already here with them in the State of Zhao, searching for where Patriarch Reliance is sealed in secluded meditation!"

As soon as the news began to spread, the three great Sects went to great lengths to stamp down the rumors. Anyone found spreading them would be punished by death penalty, and any city where the rumors appeared would be enveloped by a sealing spell casted by the three great Sects, preventing anyone from going in or out.

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Chapter 71: Dong Hu

In the remote wilderness not too far from Mount Daqing, Meng Hao sat in the Immortal's Cave, his body shaking. Sweat poured off of him, soaking him as he emanated an intense heat. This in turn produced a thick mist that circulated around the cave, filling it with the aroma of sweat.

Meng Hao's entire body was bright red, and it felt as if an immense fire were raging inside of him that would soon wither up his flesh and blood and turn him into a pile of ash. At the moment, his body was completely stiff, incapable of the slightest movement.

Actually, this is one of the detriments of consuming a Foundation Establishment Pill. After swallowing it, the body becomes immovable. Until the power of the pill is disseminated, it wouldn't matter if there was a flood or a storm, or if a person stood in front of you with a sword, ready to stab you through, you wouldn't be able to move a muscle. This is why Cultivators are incredibly careful when selecting the area where they will consume a Foundation Establishment Pill.

After all, if one encountered an enemy while suffering from the side-effect of the astounding pill, death would be the result.

Meng Hao was the first person to ever consume a Foundation Establishment Pill while in the eighth level of Qi Condensation. Furthermore, this pill had been concocted by a Grandmaster.

But, he had no other choice. It was just too difficult to break through the bottleneck of the eighth level of Qi condensation without the aid of either some stroke of good fortune, or special medicinal pills.

The Plateau Charging Pills had not been effective, so now the only thing he had left were the Foundation Establishment pills. Of course, he didn't dare use too many at once. They were incredibly powerful, and his body was not. Consuming them was actually gambling with his own life.

By now, Meng Hao felt quite certain he knew why this eighth level bottleneck was so difficult to break through. It definitely had something to do with his years of consuming so many Demonic Cores. Despite his rebirth in the North Sea, the Demonic power within his bones could not be dispelled easily.

Because of this reason, the blockage caused by the bottleneck was thicker than that experienced by the average person. Of course, there were also advantages to this situation. Once he broke through the bottleneck, he would explode into the middle of the ninth level of Qi Condensation. Furthermore, his body, although it seemed weak, was now much tougher than it had been during his scholar days. The change was slow, but sure.

This change had not been brought about by his Cultivation, but rather because of the Demonic power within his body, as well as the Demonic Core in his Core sea.

Days and days passed. Soon two months had gone by, during which time Meng Hao had continued to consume his scant supply of Foundation Establishment Pills. Just now, he had fully absorbed the power of a pill. Suddenly, he opened his eyes. He could move again! He felt a roaring within himself, along with a severe pain, as if various parts of his body were being ripped apart. He spit out a mouthful of black blood.

As he spit out the blood, his eyes grew dim, as if he were about to lose consciousness. Instead he bit his tongue, forcing himself to stay awake. He rotated his Cultivation base as it shot toward the ninth level of Qi Condensation.

A look of determination filled his eyes. Gathering together the explosive spiritual power within him, he pushed forward.

In an instant, the spiritual energy charged ahead, filling his head with a roaring like thunder. He felt as if his body were about to explode. Then suddenly, it felt as if the spiritual energy had opened up a new realm inside him. Instantly, he felt a wonderful sensation, difficult to describe. It was a tingling feeling, as if someone were caressing him with countless feathers.

He immersed himself in the feeling, and a long time passed before he opened his eyes. They glowed dazzlingly. It was as if the darkness of the cave were being split by brilliant lightning bolts.

Meng Hao took a deep breath, and the spiritual energy of the cave seemed to be sucked into him strand by strand. Then it left him, and massive amounts of filth extruded from his pores. His body grew lighter, his eyes brighter.

The boundless Core sea inside him was twice its previous size, as if you couldn't see from one side to the other. The golden water billowed and roared. Deep within, the Demonic Core rested, unmoving, sending out massive amounts of spiritual energy, making the golden light even more dazzling, filling Meng Hao's body. He almost felt like lifting his head up and letting out a long, loud cry.

"The ninth level of Qi Condensation! I, Meng Hao, have finally reached the ninth level! My next step will be Foundation Establishment!" His eyes filled with exuberance, he took several deep breaths.

"With the Sublime Spirit Scripture, I can establish a Flawless Foundation, far superior to a Cracked or Fractured Foundation." He stood up, filled with confidence and hope regarding the future.

He looked forward to traveling to the Southern Domain and seeing the lands there. He looked forward even more so to the day when he could reach Foundation Establishment. He wondered what it would be like to have a Flawless Foundation. What would other Cultivators think when they ran into him then?

Of course, having not reached Foundation Establishment, he didn't understand how rare a Flawless Foundation was. Despite his ignorance, he still looked forward with eager anticipation.

He flicked his sleeve, and a fist-sized Water Globe appeared. It stretched out, forming a sheet of water the size of his body. He walked forward, through the water. When he came out on the other side, the filth that covered him was gone, and instead, a fragrant aroma drifted off of him.

The door of the Immortal's Cave shattered. It was midday outside, and the season had long since changed. Meng Hao walked out to feel a hot, dry wind on his face. His entire body felt relaxed and fresh.

"When I reach Foundation Establishment, I will finally be able to achieve true flight." He looked up at the blue sky and his smile grew wider and wider. He walked forward a bit, then hopped onto his treasured fan and sped along.

He was flying along some distance away from Mount Daqing when he suddenly caught sight of someone racing in his direction. This person was moving as fast as possible, and was being chased by a large, vicious looking man.

The person being chased was pale-faced, but had hard eyes. He wasn't very tall, and rather skinny, appearing to be about thirteen or fourteen years old. Despite this, his Cultivation base was at the fifth level of Qi Condensation.

He was being chased by a cultivator of the sixth level of Qi Condensation. The man wore a tattered aqua-blue robe and it seemed as if he had been wounded. Murder roiled within his furious eyes.

"It doesn't matter where you try to run, Dong Hu. If you give me the pearl, considering my status in the Upright Evening Sect, I can leave you with your life. Otherwise, you're dead!" The big man raised his right hand, and a frigid glow appeared which solidified into a Full Moon Scimitar. He tossed it spinning toward the youth.

The youth was none other than one of Meng Hao's group who Elder Sister Xu had taken to the Reliance Sect, Little Tiger. (TL Note: The character "Hu" in the name "Dong Hu" means "tiger")

After the dissolution of the Sect, he had been swept away and then disappeared. Meng Hao floated above, looking down at Little Tiger.

Little Tiger's face was pale, but killing intent flickered within his hard eyes. He waved his sleeves, whereupon several beams of cold light shot out, glittering arrows. Based on their gleam they seemed to be coated with poison. The arrows shot toward the big man.

He laughed, waving his sleeve, which caused a wind to spring up and brush the arrows away. His hand flickered in incantation patterns, causing his scimitar to shoot toward Little Tiger. It was upon him in the blink of an eye. Little Tiger's bloodshot eyes spun. Suddenly, an aqua-blue pearl appeared in his hand. It was partly transparent, and was filled with layers of curling clouds. A stream of clouds erupted from within the pearl, coalescing into a vague figure, which shot toward the scimitar.

When they collided, a bang rang out, and the scimitar collapsed into pieces, as did the vague figure.

The big man coughed up some blood, and the greed in his eyes grew stronger. He continued his pursuit.

The blood drained from Little Tiger's face. It seemed the attack just now had been quite difficult to pull off. He staggered forward, running a few paces before tumbling to the ground.

"You can't escape!" laughed the big man viciously, quickly approaching Little Hu, whose eyes filled with desperation. Off in the distance, Meng Hao sighed, looking back at the scene. Finally, he lifted a finger on his right hand, causing a furious wind to spring up in the forest. The crushing pressure of the ninth level of Qi Condensation instantly enveloped the big man. Trembling, he looked up in shock to see Meng Hao floating down toward him.

Simultaneously, Little Tiger, who was still on the ground, pulled a poisoned dagger out of his sleeve. He leaped up with surprising speed, and the dagger flashed. At the exact moment in which the big man was surprised by Meng Hao, the dagger slashed through his neck.

He let out a miserable cry as blood showered everywhere, covering Little Tiger. Little Tiger was still weak and exhausted, but falling down just now had actually been a trick. When the man approached with his guard down, he had planned to make his move.

The big man collapsed to the ground, twitching. He tried to cover the gash in his neck, but blood flowed out in vast quantities. Within moments, he was dead. His eyes stared blankly off into the distance.

Little Tiger took a few steps away, looking back at Meng Hao, seeming ready to flee at any moment. Then he felt the power of Meng Hao's Cultivation base, and his body began to tremble.

Meng Hao didn't say anything. He walked over and stood over the corpse, examining it. Then he looked at the obviously nervous Little Tiger, staring at him silently.

Little Tiger didn't say anything either. He just looked at Meng Hao, a complicated expression in his eyes.

A long moment passed, after which Meng Hao opened his mouth. "It was because of this pearl that you killed Wang Youcai," he said calmly. An imperceptible look in his eye revealed that he was bluffing, but Little Tiger didn't see it.

Instead, Little Tiger stood there silently, refusing to speak. He was short, with dark skin and a skinny frame. His clothes were dilapidated, and he was obviously in a difficult position. He almost looked like a beggar. But the coldness he had just exhibited when killing the man just now seemed to make everything obvious.

Meng Hao looked at him for a while, before shaking his head. He let out a sigh, and turned to leave.

Just as he did this, however, a look of hesitation appeared in Little Tiger's eyes. He suddenly spoke, his voice hoarse and filled with nervousness.

"Elder… Elder Brother Meng, are you going to Mount Daqing to save everyone?"

Meng Hao halted in his tracks and looked back at Little Tiger. "What are you talking about?" he said, his voice low.

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Chapter 72: A True Man

Little Tiger looked closely at Meng Hao. He had been naive as a child, but after joining the Reliance Sect, had experienced many unimaginable misfortunes. In his heart, he had become as hard as iron. No one knew how many Cultivators he had secretly slain.

He stared at Meng Hao and gradually came to the realization that he really did not know about what had happened recently.

"Elder Brother Meng, in recent days, the entire Cultivation world of the State of Zhao has been searching for you. The three great Sects issued a joint order for your arrest. Multitudes of Cultivators have spread out in all directions to hunt you down." He hesitated a moment before continuing.

Meng Hao's expression did not change even in the least bit. He floated in the air, looking down wordlessly at Little Tiger.

"The three great Sects ordered that you were not to be killed," he said slowly. "You could be injured or crippled, but not slain." The entire time, he continued to look at Meng Hao, unable to tell what he was thinking.

"If what you're saying is false," said Meng Hao coolly, his expression the same as ever, "then don't blame me for forgetting our past ties."

Hearing this, Little Tiger inadvertently took two steps backward, his face flickering.

"Elder Brother Meng must surely remember Master Uncle Shangguan from the Inner Sect. Two months ago, he surrounded the three counties near Mount Daqing with a horrific, enormous spell." His voice rang out as he spoke. He clenched his fists. "He plans to use the blood of the mortals there to concoct Blood Pills to reach Foundation Establishment. It's been going on for two months already. With my Cultivation base, I'm no match for him, but I came to try to save my father and mother!"

Meng Hao stared at him in shock, his head spinning. Fury erupted within him, and a violent aura of killing intent began to emanate from him. He knew that Shangguan Xiu's true goal was not to concoct Blood Pills, but rather to lure him out.

His face grew incredibly grim.

"Shangguan Xiu has involved the mortals of three counties, and the Cultivation world of the State of Zhao does nothing to stop him?" Meng Hao's voice was as cold as ice as he spoke. "Does anyone actually believe his goal is establishing a Foundation?"

"Everyone says that Shangguan Xiu longs for Foundation Establishment," said Little Tiger, "and that he intentionally picked the three counties around Mount Daqing because of the auspicious sign that appeared here years ago. With Blood Spirit Pills, he can easily break through to Foundation Establishment. In the past, the three great Sects would never allow him to do something like that, but right now they seek out Patriarch Reliance's meditation zone. That's why they sent everyone looking for you, and have ignored what is happening here. They don't want to have to deal with extra trouble. Furthermore, Shangguan Xiu is no ordinary person. I looked into it and found out he's from Milky Way City. Apparently, the three great Sects did attempt to interfere at first, but then backed off for some reason."

Meng Hao listened quietly, then began to smile, a cold, dark smile. The killing intent which existed in his heart far outmatched the killing intent he had felt in the past toward Wang Tengfei or even Ding Xin. The intensity of this desire to kill sent this Core sea churning. It was fiercer than anything he had felt in his twenty-one years of life.

"Shangguan Xiu…." Meng Hao spun and looked off toward Mount Daqing. He flicked his wide sleeve and Little Tiger flew up onto the treasured fan, a shocked look on his face.

"Elder Brother Meng, what's going on?" blurted Little Tiger, his breath quickening.

"We're going to Mount Daqing. If what you've said is true, very well. But if you've lied to me, then you will never again have to worry about people chasing after you to get your treasure." The treasured fan flickered, and they shot off.

Little Tiger was quiet, having nothing more to say. He stood on the treasured fan next to Meng Hao, a conflicted look in his eye. Soon the look disappeared, replaced by determination.

It didn't take long before Mount Daqing loomed up in front of them. Meng Hao did not charge in directly. The treasured fan flashed, and they landed on the ground. Up ahead, everything was enveloped by a glowing red aura. It seemed that outside of the aura, every five hundred kilometers, a black robed Cultivator sat cross-legged, meditating.

There were a dozen or so of them, and they appeared to be the supporting the base of the spell which surrounded the three counties.

Far away on top of the mountain, someone sat cross-legged in meditation.

In the counties below the mountain, everything was quiet. Wispy strands of Blood Qi rose up from them.

Meng Hao's killing intent grew stronger. Taking a deep breath, he released the bonds he had placed on Little Tiger.

"When I call your name, you must come," said Meng Hao slowly. Then he walked forward, his body whistling in the wind and emanating an ice-cold air.

"Wang Youcai isn't dead," blurted Little Tiger. Meng Hao ignored him as he raced forward.

Little Tiger watched him disappear, then sighed and sat down silently to meditate. He had looked into Meng Hao in addition to Shangguan Xiu. He knew that Meng Hao had no immediate family in Yunjie County and that Shangguan Xiu was most likely using this blood magic specifically to draw him out.

"Elder Brother Meng, I just want to save my father and mother. If you live through this, then I will owe you a great debt." He looked up, complex emotions flickering in his eyes.

Meng Hao shot forward, straight toward the blood-red aura. Little Tiger, though young, was clever and had been correct in his suppositions. As for Meng Hao, he had always been intelligent. Despite failing as a scholar, he had undergone a baptism of sorts in the Reliance Sect. After everything he had experienced there and after, how could he not see through to his opponent's true purpose?

Shangguan Xiu had set a trap for him. But how could he not go? Even though he had no immediate family in Yunjie County, it was his home. His childhood memories were there, and they were beautiful.

Shangguan Xiu was utterly devoid of conscience, and his actions offended Meng Hao to the bone. His desire to kill billowed to untold heights.

Even though he was risking death, even though he was playing into Shangguan Xiu's hand, Meng Hao knew that in life, there are some things a man must do…. even if it was dangerous, he would go anyway.

Fear and doubt were not for true men.

His murderous intent had never been so strong, his desire to kill never so intense. It could not be dispelled by the death of one person, but rather every person involved in maintaining the blood spell.

"In my years of Cultivation, there are people who I haven't killed. It's not because I couldn't, but because I didn't want to." His speed increased, his eyes flashing with death, but his heart calm. By now he had reached the area of the blood spell. He shot toward a Cultivator of the sixth level of Qi Condensation who sat there meditating.

He wore black robes and looked to be about twenty-six or twenty-seven years old. As Meng Hao rushed toward him, he opened his eyes. Shocked, he lifted his hand, but in that instant, Meng Hao, his face expression cold and filled with death, shot past him.

There was a sword in Meng Hao's hand. Behind him, a head flew up into the air, its face filled with confusion. The body fell over onto the ground.

The reek of blood filled the air. The corpse twitched a few times and then was still.

There was no shout of pain, no struggle. To Meng Hao, it was as simple as slaughtering a chicken. As he had said, it was not that he couldn't kill, he just didn't like to.

"When you try to cut off a chicken's head," said Meng Hao to himself, "it will usually put up a bit of a struggle. People usually struggle even harder. But without a head, you don't even match up to a chicken." Not even glancing back at the corpse behind him, he moved on, eyes filled with killing intent.

He moved quickly, and before long, another cross-legged figure appeared in front of him. This person had clearly not sensed the death of his compatriot; he sat there meditating, maintaining the spell.

He didn't even have a chance to open his eyes before his head flew off his body.

"Shangguan Xiu, you force me into killing. Very well… today I will kill everything in front of me." He flicked the wooden sword in his hand, sending droplets of blood flying about everywhere, then vanished.

Because of the death of the two Cultivators, ripples had appeared in the red-colored spell. This in turn shocked the rest of people who were maintaining it; one after another, they opened their eyes and stood up, glancing around cautiously.

Meanwhile, atop the mountain, Shangguan Xiu's eyes flickered open. They glittered as he looked down at what was going on below.

The Blood Qi seemed to grow thicker, but he couldn't see clearly what was happening. He frowned and harrumphed. He lifted his right hand, and a Globe of blood appeared, about the size of a human head. Blood Qi swirled around inside. With the flick of a sleeve, he sent the Blood Globe shooting down Mount Daqing, where it slammed through the blood-colored spell with a reverberating boom.

The blood-colored spell was growing weak. Suddenly, a shrill scream could be heard, echoing out from within the spell. Difficult to describe, it seemed to be filled with pain.

Moments later, another scream rang out. This scream clearly came from someone else, but it was equally blood-curdling. Shangguan Xiu frowned. Looking down at the blood-colored spell, it appeared to have shrunk by almost half and was somewhat murky.

A third person screamed, then a fourth, almost at the same time. More screams echoed out, over and over, until finally the blood-colored spell was completely translucent. Shangguan Xiu looked down to see… a dozen headless corpses.

His eyes narrowed, and his body spun. There, on a small mountain path, wearing a blue scholar's robe, was Meng Hao. He was spattered with blood and gore, and despite looking somewhat frail and weak, walked slowly up the mountain, his face expressionless.

In his hands, he carried a dozen severed heads. Shangguan Xiu looked at him as he approached. Meng Hao tossed the heads forward, and they plopped to the ground in front of Shangguan Xiu, who then flicked his sleeve, sending them scattering about.

"Your turn," said Meng Hao, his voice hoarse. He usually didn't want to kill, but today. He did.

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Chapter 73: Fierce Fighting

"Ninth level of Qi Condensation!" Eyeing Meng Hao, Shangguan Xiu took a deep breath. He had been maintaining the spell here for two months. The Cultivators from Milky Way City didn't know the true reason he was here, and he didn't want their top level experts around anyway. He was here for Meng Hao.

Based on everything he had seen and heard recently, he had been sixty-percent certain that Meng Hao possessed some sort of unholy treasured item that could endlessly duplicate treasures.

Otherwise, how could he have so many medicinal pills and flying swords? Also, how could Meng Hao have not noticed that ten of his flying swords went missing on the day of his battle with Wang Tengfei?

They appeared to have been broken, but in fact, had been secretly taken away by Shangguan Xiu and carefully studied. He had discovered that all ten of the swords were composed of exactly the same materials.

Even though all flying swords look the same in general, there will always be tiny differences left behind in the manufacturing process which can be spotted later. Except, among Meng Hao's swords, the details were exactly the same. This, of course, aroused Shangguan Xiu's suspicions.

And yet, he wasn't completely convinced because of that evidence. But now, seeing that Meng Hao's Cultivation base had already reached the ninth level of Qi Condensation, he was even more sure. Eighty percent or more.

"You may have reached the ninth level of Qi Condensation, but clearly you just broke through," said Shangguan Xiu, his eyes shining coldly. "Should you try to run away again today, I will detonate that Blood Globe I just sent down the mountain. If that happens, then the people of the three counties will be reduced to ash and smoke in the blink of an eye." He really was worried that Meng Hao would flee, so before attacking, had taken preparations to prevent him from doing so.

"I won't be running away today." As Meng Hao looked at Shangguan Xiu, nearly five years of memories flooded into his mind. Their issues from before the Sect dissolved, the chase after the Sect disbanded, all of these things flashed before Meng Hao's eyes. His killing intent flashed. He lifted his hand, and a massive Flame Python appeared, over thirty meters in length. Not only was its size impressive, but from its head protruded a large horn. Flames flickered off of its body as it shot toward Shangguan Xiu, radiating intense heat.

The severed heads surrounding Shangguan Xiu crackled and burned from the heat, and some of them even began to roll in his direction. He laughed, slapping his bag of holding and producing a five-colored banner. The massive banner unfurled and a five-colored mist roiled out from within it. The mist then transformed into five mist spirits, each of them dozens of meters tall. With hideous grins, they charged toward the Flame Python.

A massive explosion occurred, smashing nearby boulders into dust and reducing the surrounding trees and rattan vines of Mount Daqing into powder. Dust and ash swirled in the air, making the scene somewhat blurry.

Amidst the haze, Meng Hao dashed forward at incredible speed. The remaining severed heads which had not been incinerated continued to tumble toward Shangguan Xiu. His eyes flashed, and his fingers flickered in an incantation sign. Then he shoved his hands out in front of him.

"Five-colored Death!" he shouted, and a shrill shrieking sound suddenly rose up around him. Meng Hao smacked his bag of holding. The scroll painting appeared in his hand. He unrolled it, and six beasts leaped out, howling.

A massive thunderous rumble surrounded them. Meng Hao charged toward Shangguan Xiu, whose cold eyes flickered radiantly. Shangguan Xiu moved forward as well. More severed heads were crushed into pulp.

"Do you know what the Reliance Sect was called before Patriarch Reliance?" said Shangguan Xiu coolly. "It was called the Demon Sealing Sect!" He suddenly looked toward the peak of Mount Daqing and stamped his foot down. Mount Daqing began to rumble, and then suddenly, an impossible-to-describe aura erupted out from within the mountain. It was only a strand, yet that strand seemed to quiver with the very power of heaven and earth. It was not sentient, but rather, under the control of Shangguan Xiu. It roiled up from the ground beneath Meng Hao's feet.

Shangguan Xiu suddenly seemed to grow older, as if he had aged ten years. He looked almost like a corpse that had crawled its way out of the grave.

Clearly the magical technique he had just used was extremely difficult to employ, and required a sacrifice of longevity. Originally, he would never have used it, but seeing the level of Meng Hao's Cultivation base, he decided that he had no other choice. He wanted to bring about a swift end to the battle. After all, all the Cultivators in the State of Zhao were hunting Meng Hao right now.

This battle would surely attract their attention. If he could end the fight quickly, then he would have plenty of time to get his hands on the treasure he sought.

"The Demon Sealing Sect sought out the great Demons of the world, sealed them, released their spirit, and took their power to trample on the Heavens! You just entered the ninth level of Qi Condensation, what could you possibly use to fight me with? If I wanted, I could have reached Foundation Establishment fifty years ago!" As Shangguan Xiu spoke, Meng Hao waved the scroll painting, using it to resist the aura strand that had burst out around his feet.

But as soon as the scroll painting touched the aura, an explosion rang out, and cracks appeared on its surface as it was thrown violently away. The aura strand shot toward Meng Hao.

There was a bang, and Meng Hao coughed up a mouthful of blood. The feathered fan had appeared in front of him in the blink of an eye to shield him. Cracks split the feathers, as Meng Hao took advantage of the moment to evade. Evade he did, but he was still sent tumbling backward, coughing up three mouthfuls of blood.

Only one move had been made, and Meng Hao was already injured. It was clear that Shangguan Xiu possessed unfathomable secrets. He laughed coldly. He had expended some of his longevity to make this attack. Even though it hadn't killed Meng Hao outright, Shangguan Xiu was still determined to win. He walked forward, stepping over the smashed, bloody remains of the severed heads.

Meng Hao's mouth was filled with blood, but his eyes shone with viciousness. At the same moment that Shangguan Xiu began to walk forward, Meng Hao lifted his hand, and within the pulp of the severed head, a black aura arose. In an instant, the aura coalesced into a black scorpion. It moved like lightning, so quickly that Shangguan Xiu had no time to pull back his foot, nor to leap away. The scorpion's stinger sank into the flesh of Shangguan Xiu's foot.

As the stinger sank in, the scorpion turned into strands of blackness which poured into Shangguan Xiu.

His face twisted. This turn of events was too sudden and unpredictable. The scorpion, of course, was from the rare magical pill that he had acquired that day from Qian and Lu from the Violet Fate Sect. This magical scorpion was hyper toxic!

The black aura entered Shangguan Xiu's foot, and then merged into his Qi passageways, filling his entire body in an instant. His face turned black and he spit up a mouthful of black-colored blood, which stank like rotten fish.

"What poison is this!?" said Shangguan Xiu, his expression shocked as he retreated. A feeling of weakness spread through him like floodwaters. Knowing he had little time to think, he slapped his bag of holding and produced a medicinal pill, which he swallowed.

Meng Hao had planned things well to make a move in a moment just such as this. Even his three mouthfuls of blood had been coughed up intentionally, all to make Shangguan Xiu think that he had the upper hand. As soon as his opponent retreated and pulled out a medicinal pill, Meng Hao charged forward. He smacked his bag of holding, and the black net shot forth, threatening to envelop Shangguan Xiu.

It takes longer to describe what was happening than the actual time it took to happen. Shangguan Xiu's expression flickered as he downed the medicinal pill. His fingers began to flicker in an incantation, even as the net began to cover him. Meng Hao moved forward without pause. The black, wooden bow appeared in his hand, and he pulled back on the bowstring, then sent an arrow screaming toward Shangguan Xiu.

Shangguan Xiu moved backward at high speed. A medicinal pill, a black net, an arrow and an incantation. He didn't have time for all, he would have to pick two.

A booming sound rang out. Shangguan Xiu downed the pill, but abandoned his incantation. He managed to evade the black net, but couldn't avoid the arrow. It shot into his right shoulder, emerging from the other side in a shower of blackened blood.

Intense pain flashed through him, but Shangguan Xiu let out a low snort. Meng Hao didn't pause for even a moment. A second arrow whistled forth, followed by a third and a fourth. Meng Hao moved forward relentlessly. Every step he took, he shot an arrow; seven steps, seven arrows.

The seven arrows shot forward, screaming through the air with shocking killing intent!

Shangguan Xiu continued to retreat, struggling to control the spread of the black strands throughout his body. And yet, he also had to dodge the incoming arrows. But being at the ninth level of Qi Condensation, he could only do so much. He might be at the absolute peak of the ninth level of Qi Condensation, a hair away from the Foundation Establishment stage, but he was still not at the Foundation Establishment stage.

No, he was still far from Foundation Establishment stage. Just like Meng Hao, he was still in the Qi Condensation stage. The difference in the level of power between the two was like the difference between the sky and the ground.

He couldn't do everything perfectly at the same time. A booming sound reverberated through the air as the seven arrows pierced his right arm, completely destroying it. This was the only thing he could do to defend against the arrows. He paid the price of a right arm in order to be able to focus on bringing the poison in his body under control temporarily.

Even as he did so, an eighth arrow shot toward him from Meng Hao, then a ninth. He raised his head to the sky and howled.

From the day he began to walk the path of Cultivation until today, he had never been in such a dangerous, tight situation. He had lost an arm! The price he had paid, the pain he felt, drove his desire to kill Meng Hao to a new, intense height.

His eyes were bloodshot; the poison was under control, but could not easily be expelled. In fact, as of now, he could tell that it would be impossible to expel the poison while he was in the Qi Condensation stage. Only if he reached Foundation Establishment could he do so.

"Milky Way Sea!" he shouted, his hair flying about him crazily. He bit the tip of his tongue and spit out a glob of blood. A violet pearl flew out from within the blood, within which could be seen what appeared to be a seething mass of wind. As soon as it appeared, a fierce gale arose, sending Meng Hao's latest three arrows into a spin. Then, they simply collapsed into pieces.

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Chapter 74: Not Past One Hundred Years

The pearl spun back into Shangguan Xiu's mouth, whereupon he used his remaining arm to slap his bag of holding. Multiple flying swords, banners and other magical items appeared, all flying forward at the same time. Then, one by one they exploded into pieces. Shangguan Xiu lifted his hands, and the fragments of the various magical items rose up to create something like a sea.

From a distance, the multiple fragments glinted blindingly, making it seem as if there really was a sea floating in the sky. The sea began to spin, and then shot directly toward Meng Hao, whistling through the air.

This was the Milky Way Sea, a magical technique that had earned Patriarch Milky Way his name many years ago. Eventually, he divided the technique into multiple levels. The lowest level could be used only by someone of the ninth level of Qi Condensation.

Of course, any Cultivator of the Foundation Establishment stage could flick a sleeve and create a Milky Way Sea out of fragmented items. However, during the Qi Condensation stage, this was truly something powerful.

As such, it was not an easy technique to pull off. Only someone at the peak of the ninth level could do it, and they would have to have the support of a vast amount of spiritual power. In all of Milky Way City, Shangguan Xiu was the only Cultivator at the Qi Condensation stage who could do it.

At the moment, he wanted to end the fight as quickly as possible, not only to acquire Meng Hao's treasures, but also to get back to Milky Way City to dispel the poison from his body. So, he attacked with his most powerful technique, sending the cloud of fragmented treasures speeding toward Meng Hao. As it approached, Meng Hao took a deep breath and then slapped his bag of holding.

Flying sword after flying sword emerged. Ten swords, fifty, one hundred, until a total of three hundred flying swords were spinning around him. Meng Hao lifted his hands, then pushed them out ahead of him.

As he did, the three hundred flying swords formed a massive sword rain, which then congealed into the shape of a Flying Rain-Dragon. He walked forward, and two golden strands of light appeared in his hands: the two wooden swords. His body turned into a beam of light as he flew up into the Flying Rain-Dragon sword rain.

It was as if he had become the spirit of the flying-sword Flying Rain-Dragon. It raised its head to the Heavens and roared, then shot toward the Milky Way Sea.

An explosion reverberated out which shook heaven and earth. The Milky Way Sea of fragmented treasures lashed against Meng Hao's flying swords. Popping sounds could be heard as sword after sword collapsed into pieces. But if the Sea smashed ten swords, then Meng Hao would produce ten more to replace them.

Right now, the most flying swords he could control simultaneously was three hundred. Within his bag of holding, he currently had about seven hundred, which he had slowly duplicated over the last year. After his fierce battle with Ding Xin, and during the process of breaking through to the ninth level of Qi Condensation, he had prepared himself completely.

Seeing this, Shangguan Xiu's face changed. His left hand flickered in an incantation pattern, then produced more magical items which he added to the conglomeration.

Meng Hao's flying swords screamed as they continuously battered the Milky Way Sea. The sound of it reverberated out in all directions, and yet the power of this Milky Way Sea was formidable. At the moment, he wasn't able to move forward very easily. Suddenly, he spun his body, causing the flying swords around him to begin to rotate around him. They rotated faster and faster until they became a whirlwind, with Meng Hao at the center. He stopped moving, but the flying sword whirlwind continued to spin faster and faster.

From a distance, it looked as if a rapidly spinning tornado were slicing through the middle of the Milky Way Sea. The fragmented treasure items of the Milky Way Sea continue to smash against the flying swords, but after the space of a few breaths, the swords pushed forward, slicing clean through the sea.

Shangguan Xiu's face twisted. Meng Hao's Cultivation base was shocking, as was the number of magical items he had. The most shocking thing, though, was his battle experience. His ability to quickly change his magical battle techniques was something that left Shangguan Xiu in utter disbelief.

Amidst the reverberating roar, Meng Hao and his sword rain ploughed through the Milky Way Sea, sending pieces of it scattering about. Meng Hao suddenly leaped forward, the two golden strands that were the wooden swords emitting shrill whistles as they shot through the air with him. Shock covered Shangguan Xiu's face.

"Meng Hao!" he cried, shooting backward as fast as possible, his face panic-stricken. In complete contrast, when Meng Hao attacked, he didn't say even a word. His expression was the same as ever. He increased his speed even more, aiming the two wooden swords, one to stab directly toward his opponent's heart, the other, his forehead.

Shangguan Xiu was vexed to the extreme. He had held the upper hand at first, but had then been poisoned. Things had only gone downhill from there. He couldn't dispel the poison, which meant he couldn't use the full power of his Cultivation base. He constantly needed to use some of his power to suppress the effects of the poison. Now, he was forced to retreat, one step at a time.

His hand flashing, Shangguan Xiu smacked his chest; he coughed up a mouthful of blood, amidst which was the pearl that had appeared a moment ago. A curving arc of light appeared, shooting forward to block the two wooden swords. The shield immediately began to tremor, and then shattered, shoving Shangguan Xiu backward even faster as he retreated.

Seeing the shield shattering, Shangguan Xiu quickly said, "Meng Hao, let's stop here. The three great Sects are looking for you, and our fight today will surely have attracted their attention. They could arrive at any moment. I won't harm the inhabitants of the three counties. Let's abandon our enmity, what do you say?"

Meng Hao didn't respond. His spiritual energy soared, and the wooden swords glowed, pushing through the shield. Shangguan Xiu was now extremely alarmed. With a howl, he waved his arm, pointing down toward the bottom of the mountain.

"If you keep going, I will exterminate the people of the three counties!"

"Little Tiger!" shouted Meng Hao. This was the second time he had spoken during the battle.

As his shout echoed out, a twinkling, blood-red color could be seen at the bottom of the mountain. A head-sized Blood Globe appeared. It began to expand, as if it were about to explode. An emaciated figure appeared; it was none other than Little Tiger. His jaw was clenched, and he held a pearl outstretched in his hands.

The pearl shot out toward the Blood Globe, spinning around it rapidly to form a restrictive barrier that caused the blood to stop expanding.

"Meng Hao, I can only hold on for the time it takes an incense stick to burn!" Having said this, Little Tiger coughed up a mouthful of blood, then sat down cross-legged to meditate.

Seeing this happen caused Shangguan Xiu's face to flicker with more emotions. But he didn't have time to do anything more. With a boom, the shield collapsed and Shangguan Xiu's pearl shattered. The wooden swords advanced again, Meng Hao behind them, his killing intent rising to the heavens.

Blood sprayed from Shangguan Xiu's mouth, and he lost control of the poison in his body. It exploded out, threatening to send him into unconsciousness. He continued to retreat, a sad smile on his face.

"The Heavens will give me no aid…." he said with a bitter laugh. "Meng Hao, I will not lose this battle. And you… I vow that I will smash your Qi passageways!" His smile seemed to contain intense discontent along with complete helplessness. But it did not contain despair. However, the discontent and helplessness created an air darker than any despair.

His left hand smacked his bag of holding. Ignoring the incoming wooden swords, he held up a medicinal pill. As soon as it appeared, the nearby spiritual energy seemed to surge, and a strong medicinal aroma filled the air. With a bitter laugh, he swallowed the pill.

When he saw the pill, Meng Hao's eyes narrowed. It was amber-colored, and was none other than a Foundation Establishment Pill. Inscribed on its surface was a seal; this pill was the exact same Foundation Establishment Pill he had sold at Milky Way City.

"I, Shangguan Xiu, reached the first level of Qi Condensation when I was seven years old," he muttered to himself. "At thirty, I was at the sixth level. By thirty-nine, I was the ninth level. Today, I'm ninety-nine years old…." He didn't even look at Meng Hao, but instead stared up into the sky. In an instant, the power within his body surged. He didn't move, of course; he wouldn't be able to until the Foundation Establishment Pill had been fully absorbed.

However, even though this was a weakness, the power in his body was immense, already much more than that of the ninth level of Qi Condensation. As he soared toward Foundation Establishment, the two wooden swords slowly came to a stop about seven inches from his body.

Meng Hao's expression changed. He could sense his opponent's aura growing stronger and stronger. He was establishing his Foundation right here on Mount Daqing. If Meng Hao's expression changed, then Little Tiger's changed even more.

"I could have established my Foundation fifty years ago," said Shangguan Xiu, a dark expression on his face, his appearance wild. "But I didn't want to. I didn't want a Flawless Foundation. I've been planning for fifty years to establish a world-shaking Foundation that would surpass a Flawless Foundation! I wanted a Perfect Foundation. But today…. Sadly, today I've been wounded and poisoned. If I don't reach Foundation Establishment, then I will surely die. Fifty years of preparations, and the last step… ruined by you! Meng Hao, do you know how much I hate you!?" Shangguan Xiu lowered his head and stared at Meng Hao. He did not grind his teeth or howl. His face was calm, and yet his eyes were filled with an intense hatred that was clearly carved into his bones and onto his heart.

Meng Hao's heart began to race, and he felt the shadow of death upon him. But he didn't retreat. His eyes flashing, he thought back to his own experience consuming the Foundation Establishment pill. He hadn't been able to move for two months.

"I was at the eighth level of Qi Condensation, so it took me two months," thought Meng Hao. "Shangguan Xiu has been at the peak of the ninth level for fifty years, he will be able to absorb the energy much faster. But, there has to be a way!" His eyes glittering, he produced a Plateau Charging Pill and popped it into his mouth. As the spiritual energy billowed outing his body, he waved his hands toward the two wooden swords.

With a rumbling sound, the two wooden swords trembled and then began to emit a powerful air. Slowly but surely they moved closer to Shangguan Xiu. They were about three inches away from him when they slowly grounded to a halt. This was Meng Hao's limit. He didn't have enough spiritual power, and just couldn't make the swords move any further.

"You don't know your own limitations," said Shangguan Xiu with a cold laugh. "I could have established my Foundation fifty years ago. With the profundity of my Cultivation base, I will be able to absorb the Foundation Establishment Pill in less than an hour. You'd best do whatever you can now to flee. But even if you run to the edges of the earth, I can tell you now, you're dead." He stared at Meng Hao, his hatred conjuring up hundreds of ways to kill Meng Hao.

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Chapter 75: An Ancient Path Appears Again!

Meng Hao's face was grim. He looked at the two wooden swords, which hovered three inches away from Shangguan Xiu. Those three inches were like a massive ravine that Meng Hao could not cross with his current Cultivation base.

As for Shangguan Xiu, at the moment, he couldn't really be considered a Qi Condensation Cultivator. Although he was still some distance from Foundation Establishment, a Dao pillar was forming within his Core Lake. As of this moment, despite the fact that Meng Hao was at the ninth level of Qi Condensation, he was so weak compared to Shangguan Xiu that he wouldn't be able to withstand a single blow.

The gap between the Foundation Establishment stage and the Qi Condensation stage is like that between the sky and the ground, and is something that will never change. With the exception of some unexpected event which goes against the will of the Heavens, it would be impossible for someone of the Qi Condensation stage to kill someone of the Foundation Establishment stage.

A contest between the two would be like a fight between an infant and a strong man. Even if the strong man were weakened somehow, he could still slay the infant with the movement of a hand.

Today, Meng Hao had little more than an hour before a Foundation Establishment Cultivator appeared in front of him. His chances were already small, but at that time, he would have no chance at all.

Time slipped by, and the shadow of death grew closer. Even if he fled, in a very short time, it wouldn't matter where he went, even if it were to the remotest corner of the Milky Way Sea, he would still be unable to evade death.

"What should I do…." Meng Hao's eyes were bloodshot. He wasn't the only nervous one. Down at the bottom of the mountain, Little Tiger's face was growing pale. Seeing the developments just now, he gritted his teeth.

"Meng Hao!" he shouted. His fingers flickered with an incantation, and then he pushed down on his chest. He spat up a massive amount of blood, which flew out in front of him and then formed into a handful of red-colored clouds. "This pearl is my life, allow me to offer some assistance."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he collapsed into unconsciousness. The pearl sucked Little Tiger's blood cloud into it and then began to shine with a red glow. It circulated a few more times around the Blood Globe, but then suddenly shot toward Meng Hao. When it reached him, the glow intensified, enveloping Meng Hao with its light.

At that moment, a strange sensation filled Meng Hao's heart. It felt as if is Cultivation base were suddenly climbing higher!

His golden Core sea began to roar as it expanded. Within an instant, it had suddenly doubled in size. Its boundlessness increased so much so that it felt as if it would explode out of his body.

Meng Hao body suddenly shined with a golden light, making him look completely extraordinary.

The Demonic Core within him did not undulate, but instead began to spin rapidly. As it did, intense spiritual power flooded through Meng Hao's body, filling his mind with a thunderous roar, and … a thread of Qi!

The Qi was weak, just like the thread he had felt when he reached the first level of Qi Condensation.

What Meng Hao didn't know, was that this strand of Qi in his mind was actually something that only Foundation Establishment Cultivators should possess; Spiritual Sense!

Even Shangguan Xiu couldn't develop it, because he hadn't completely passed into the Foundation Establishment stage.

And yet, Meng Hao hadn't passed into Foundation Establishment either. Instead, he had reached the tenth level of Qi Condensation! Popping sounds rang out through his body. Vast quantities of filth were pushed out through his pores as he experienced a sort of baptism into a higher level of Qi Condensation than anyone else in the world.

The tenth level of Qi Condensation!

Meng Hao's head spun. In the blink of an eye, his body was much tougher and stronger. Not only had he developed Spiritual Sense, but his body has miraculously grown much more powerful.

In the Cultivation world, the tenth level of Qi Condensation was something rarely seen. In fact, throughout the years, many of the most powerful members of a given generation had done research about the Qi Condensation stage… to determine whether there really even was a tenth level, an eleventh level and a twelfth level.

Theoretically speaking it was possible; in some ancient text fragments these levels were mentioned. Supposedly, in ancient times, there were a total of thirteen levels in the Qi Condensation stage! According to the legends, even in ancient times, it was rare for someone to reach the tenth level, and even more rare the eleventh level. Any person who reached that level inevitably went on to rock the world.

In the modern Cultivation world, the tenth level of Qi Condensation was nothing more than a legend.

Over the years, generation after generation of Cultivators had researched it and eventually a consensus had been reached. In ancient times, there had been thirteen levels of Qi Condensation. But, the ninth level had been set as a limit. The tenth level and beyond had been crippled in accordance with the will of the Heavens. From that time on, there were only nine levels!

There was another opinion, rejected by most as being absurd, that the ancient will of the Heavens was dead, and that a new will of the Heavens had arisen. The new will of the Heavens only approved of nine levels of Qi Condensation, and had thus broken the path of the tenth level. This was because following the path of the tenth level allowed one to fight against the Heavens, which was prohibited.

If a Cultivator could accumulate enough spiritual energy of heaven and earth, then they could once again forge the path to reach the fabled tenth level of Qi Condensation of ancient times!

The path was the focal point. Unfortunately, that path had been broken since ancient times, and though it still existed, was essentially broken beyond all repair.

But today it appeared in Meng Hao's body, visible not only to him, but also to a dumbfounded Shangguan Xiu. How could he possibly believe that right there in front of him, Meng Hao… had actually entered into the legendary tenth level of Qi condensation?

"Impossible… the tenth level of Qi Condensation is just a legend." Shangguan Xiu's face was filled with disbelief. "According to the stories, the tenth level of Qi Condensation is a body-strengthening stage… It exists in theory, and even in ancient times, it was rare for it to be achieved…. Impossible!"

Were Little Tiger not unconscious, he would also be shocked. Even though the pearl was his, and was composed of his life force, it had never had such a shocking effect on him. Whatever level he was at, it allowed him to wield a level of power equal to half of the following level. For example, now he was at the fifth level of Qi Condensation, but in terms of power, he was already half way through the sixth level.

Meng Hao's hair flew about wildly and his eyes glowed brightly. He took a deep breath, feeling the immense power that surged through him. He felt the thread of Qi in his mind, as well as the strength rippling through his muscles and blood. He knew that as of now, he wasn't in the least bit weak.

And yet, there was a side-effect. As soon as he reached the tenth level of Qi Condensation, it seemed as if the Heavens immediately severed any connection to him. He couldn't sense any of the power of heaven and earth, as if he had been completely cut off. He felt a wild sucking feeling within him, as if he were a newborn child who needed nutrients… but was denied.

At the moment, his body still appeared to be that of a weak scholar, but in reality, his flesh was filled with enough strength that he felt as if he could rip a city wall in half.

Right now, there wasn't time to consider all of this, though. His eyes flashed as he looked Shangguan Xiu and the disbelief written on the man's face. Meng Hao took in a deep breath and then lifted up his right hand, pointing his finger toward the wooden swords.

This finger strike contained all the power of Meng Hao's tenth level of Qi Condensation, all of his Spiritual Sight, all of the strength of his physical body.

This was Meng Hao's most powerful attack. In fact, this was probably the most powerful attack than any Qi Condensation stage Cultivator in the State of Zhao could muster.

A boom rang out as he tapped the wooden sword. It erupted with sword might, piercing through the three-inch gap and stabbing deeply into Shangguan Xiu's chest. A bang sounded out as it stabbed completely through his chest, emerging from the other side in a shower of blood.

Shangguan Xiu's body shook, and yet he couldn't move. His eyes filled with dread as he sensed massive amounts of spiritual energy flooding out from the wound. In the blink of an eye, the energy seepage had caught up with this Foundation Establishment. Now the time it would take to reach the Foundation Establishment stage was much, much longer.

It was at this time that Meng Hao's hand lifted up again, and tapped the other wooden sword. It hummed as it proceeded forward toward Shangguan Xiu's neck.

"Meng Hao, you don't dare to kill me…." Shangguan Xiu was completely in a panic now. His previous cold arrogance and killing intent had vanished, replaced with a desperate struggle to evade death.

Meng Hao said nothing. His eyes glowing darkly as the sword he had just tapped passed through the three-inch gap and stabbed into Shangguan Xiu's neck. In the instant that it pierced into his neck, Shangguan Xiu suddenly twisted his head to the side in an impossible fashion. The wooden sword sliced open a massive wound which erupted with blood, and yet it didn't kill him.

Dread permeated Shangguan Xiu. He could feel his life force beginning to fade and his spiritual power dissipating. As the spiritual energy poured out of him, his body was beginning to grow a bit more responsive.

"Meng Hao, there's no hatred between us that can't be resolved. If you let me go, I will give you the Sublime Spirit Scripture…." Shangguan Xiu couldn't be any more terrified. Even before he finished speaking, the two wooden swords circled back, stabbing back through his chest, showering blood everywhere. Shangguan Xiu let out a blood-curdling scream filled with weakness and despair.

Meng Hao didn't care in the least bit when he mentioned the Sublime Spirit Scripture. His eyes were as hard as ever; it didn't matter what Shangguan Xiu said, he wouldn't stop until he was utterly and completely dead.

This was Meng Hao. Once he made a decision, he wouldn't change his mind easily.

This chapter sponsored by Sai Pakalapati, Tjandra Johannes and Anand Manthripragada

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Chapter 76: Beyond Flawlessness

The two wooden swords circled around, emitting a shocking sword aura. They sped toward Shangguan Xiu's head, one from the left, one from the right, carrying Meng Hao's killing intent with them. This time, it was clear that Shangguan Xiu would not be able to evade.

"There is something more precious than a Flawless Foundation," shrieked Shangguan Xiu in a piercing voice. "It's something that in the Southern Domain, in fact in all the four continents, is a hundred thousand times more rare than your tenth level of Qi Condensation. I'm talking about a Perfect Foundation!! Meng Hao, you…." Then Meng Hao's two swords stabbed into his head, sending fountains of blood in all directions.

Shangguan Xiu died instantly. He had not lived past one hundred years, but rather, had died feeling infinite grievance.

His non-reconciliation to death was due to his great plans, and due to the fact that he was in the middle of establishing his Foundation. But then his head exploded, and his body dropped down off of Mount Daqing and splashed into the river below. His aspirations, and his body, floated away into the distance.

Meng Hao snatched his dark green bag of holding as he fell. He didn't look at it, but instead tucked it into his robe.

He panted. Despite having reached the tenth level of Qi Condensation, he had just wielded the two wooden swords to slay someone who was on the verge of reaching Foundation Establishment. He now felt extremely drained.

He watched Shangguan Xiu's body disappear in the distance, and then turned and hopped onto a wooden sword. His body transformed into a beam of light, and he shot down the mountain to where Little Tiger lay unconscious.

The boy's face was as pale as death, and his eyes were tightly shut. His aura was like gossamer threads, and his life force flickered like a tiny flame that could be extinguished at any moment.

Meng Hao looked at Little Tiger thoughtfully, and then glanced at the pearl which floated in the air next to him. The power of the pearl was shocking to the extreme, and was truly a treasure. Its power could even be compared to that of the copper mirror.

"To duplicate it would cost an astronomical amount of Spirit Stones… what a pity." Meng Hao sighed and looked up into the sky.

He'd known from the beginning that the pearl was linked to Little Tiger's life force. If he stole it, then Little Tiger would die.

"You entrusted me with your life. How could I, Meng Hao, act the villain? If I did, it would plague my conscience for the rest of my days. I would never be able to think clearly, and my days of Cultivating would come to an end." His eyes glittering, he flicked his sleeve, and tapped Little Tiger's forehead.

Little Tiger's body spasmed, then his eyes snapped open. He was instantly on guard, getting to his feet and retreating backward several paces. He glanced at the pearl in Meng Hao's hands, and his body began to shiver slightly. A look of despair crept into his eyes.

Meng Hao lifted the pearl with a finger, causing it to shoot straight toward Little Tiger, who snatched it out of the air. A complex expression filled his face, and he stared at Meng Hao blankly.

"Many thanks for your assistance. This treasure is astonishing. You need to be cautious and take care of yourself." As soon as the pearl left his hand, Meng Hao's body began to grow weaker. The telltale signs of the tenth level of Qi Condensation began to disappear. As his Cultivation base dropped, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth which had just been cut off from him, slowly began to return.

The unbridled gravitational force within his body slowly vanished.

Meng Hao didn't regret his decision. There were some things that he just couldn't do. He refused to defy his own conscience in such a way.

The Blood Globe that Shangguan Xiu had used to threaten the lives of the people of the three counties was instantly smashed between Meng Hao's fingers. It transformed into a vast amount of Blood Qi, which floated back toward the three counties.

As far as the common people went, all they knew was that for the past two months, they had felt somewhat dizzy, and now were much more clear headed. They also felt a bit weak. This was because, unbeknownst to them, their longevity had been damaged, and close to five years had been taken from the life spans.

Meng Hao could see this, but there was nothing he could do except sigh to himself. He flicked his sleeve and made to leave.

"Elder Brother Meng," said Little Tiger, "Shangguan Xiu…."

"There is no such person in the world anymore." He didn't look back, just continued off into the distance. The battle here would definitely attract the attention of the three great Sects. And Meng Hao could guess why they had permitted Shangguan Xiu to cast this massive spell here; it was because of Meng Hao. Shangguan Xiu wanted his bag of holding, and the three Great Sects wanted him. At the moment, he had no way to deal with the situation. The only thing he could do was go somewhere remote to hide and think for a while.

Little Tiger didn't say anything more. He watched Meng Hao leaving, and then a look of determination filled his eyes.

"Meng Hao, you didn't covet my most valuable treasure. I, Dong Hu, am not a good person. But you can rest easy. In this life, I will never do anything to let you down." He turned, casting his vision into the town far off in the distance. He caught sight of his father and mother, and a gentle look filled his eyes. Then the warmth vanished. Lowering his head, he quickly made his way off into the distance.

At that exact moment, the sky filled with countless beams of prismatic light. In the lead was none other than Liu Daoyun from the Cold Wind Sect.

"Meng Hao, you won't escape this time!"

Meng Hao frowned, turning into a flash of light as he sped off into the distance. He used the last remaining vestiges of the power of the tenth level of Qi Condensation to instantly put a vast distance between himself and the pursuers. Far off in the distance, he had caught sight of more disciples of the three great Sects, and among them had been Foundation Establishment Cultivators and Core Formation Eccentrics. They had obviously been unwilling to show up themselves, and had instead sent some lower level disciples over to check things out. But now that Meng Hao's presence had been confirmed, they would surely make appearances.

"Shangguan Xiu was backed by Milky Way City. It seems that power was not small…. The three great Sects must have stayed away because that was their agreement. When they felt the battle magic disappear, then they could approach. Shangguan Xiu had his secrets, and didn't want people to see what was happening. He was even careful about the people from Milky Way City. He didn't let them know his true purposes either."

He left Mount Daqing, passing the North Sea and crossing the wide wilderness, heading in the direction of the Reliance Sect.

About half way through the wilderness, in a random mountain range, Meng Hao sped along at top speed, an indistinct expression on his face. As he raced along he would occasionally look down at a piece of turtle shell which he held in his hand. This was an item he had taken out of Shangguan Xiu's bag of holding.

It was about the size of his palm, and its edges were rough. Obviously it had been broken off from a larger turtle shell.

It surface was inscribed with rows and rows of small characters. They were difficult to make out. Only by infusing his eyes with spiritual energy was he able to read them clearly.

"In the Cultivation world, it is possible to achieve the so-called… Perfect Foundation!" Meng Hao gasped.

On the surface of the turtle shell were two medicinal pill recipes. One was for a Perfect Foundation Pill, the other was for a Perfect Gold Core Pill.

"The turtle shell spells it out clearly. The Foundation Establishment stage doesn't just have three types, the Flawless, Cracked and Fractured. There is a fourth type, the Perfect Foundation. It's extremely rare, being seen only one ten thousand cases…." Meng Hao breathed rapidly, staring down at the turtle shell and thinking back to what Shangguan Xiu had said before he died. Now he understood his opponent's regret at being forced to ascend to Foundation Establishment after being poisoned. And now he understood the raging hatred in Shangguan Xiu's eyes.

Meng Hao contemplated things silently. He had read a lot about Foundation Establishment back in the Magic Pavilion of the Reliance Sect.

In Foundation Establishment, Dao pillars would come to being within the Core Lake. Because Foundation Establishment increased one's longevity, it was categorized as stealing good fortune and defying the Heavens. As a result, the Dao pillars could never be perfect, but would always contain cracks. This was in accordance with the Dao of the Heavens. It could be summed up in the expression, "you get some, you lose some" or perhaps "when something comes in, something goes out." It was part of the cycle of heaven and earth, and was permitted to exist.

Foundation Establishment consisted of early, mid and late sub-stages. In total, nine Dao pillars would appear. If each pillar had one crack, it meant a total of nine cracks would appear. This is what is referred to as a Flawless Foundation. A Flawless Foundation contained the least amount of cracks, and leaked the least amount of spiritual energy. After long periods of breathing exercises, the body would become incredibly powerful, much more so than other Foundations.

In the modern Cultivation world, this was the most powerful Foundation type. The special methods to achieve it could only be found amidst the clues in the great classic scriptures, for example the Qi Condensation manual of the Sublime Spirit Scripture. Such secrets could lead to horrific bloodbaths. In fact… that was why the Reliance Sect had been disbanded.

Without such a scripture, the only way to have a chance at establishing a Flawless Foundation was to have incredible latent talent or outstanding good fortune. Most often, it was a Chosen who could piece together the clues to do so.

If an additional crack appeared on each of the Dao Pillars, this was called a Cracked Foundation. Although this type of Foundation was weaker than a Flawless Foundation, it could not be looked down upon. Usually, only disciples of the great Sects were able to achieve it.

Last, of course, was the Fractured Foundation. This was when, after reaching late Foundation Establishment, more than eighteen cracks existed on the Dao pillars, which is too much. This Foundation could be considered nearly shattered. In terms of both Cultivation speed as well as battle prowess, both were much weaker. With this type of Foundation, the chances of forming a Core were much lower.

Meng Hao thought about all of this and then looked down at the turtle shell. According to the description here, by concocting and consuming a Perfect Foundation Pill, there was a high probability of establishing a Perfect Foundation. In this case, no cracks whatsoever would appear. This was a type of Cultivation that defied the Heavens, and was a path that could not be returned from.

Because this Foundation was not permitted by the Heavens, it would provoke Tribulation Lightning. True success required defiance of the Heavens. In this respect, it was similar to the tenth level of Qi Condensation.

"From what Shangguan Xiu said, it seems the tenth level of Qi Condensation is not tolerated by the Heavens. Apparently, establishing a Perfect Foundation is the same…."

"If you have a Fractured Foundation and then consume this pill, you have a ten percent chance of establishing a Perfect Foundation. With a Cracked Foundation, you have a thirty percent chance, and with a Flawless Foundation, a sixty percent chance. The pill repairs the cracks, enabling you to establish a Perfect Foundation. But… you have to be particular about when you consume the pill. The sooner you take it after Foundation Establishment, the better. If too much time passes, the effectiveness will be reduced. And it takes two months to concoct the Perfect Foundation Pill." Meng Hao's heart raced as he sped along.

"No wonder Shangguan Xiu wanted to join the Reliance Sect… Just like Wang Tengfei, he wanted a chance to get the Qi Condensation Manual of the Sublime Spirit Scripture! After establishing a Flawless Foundation, his chances would be much higher… It's also no wonder he disappeared on the day the Sect was disbanded. With secrets like this on his person, he didn't dare to show his face…" Meng Hao clutched the turtle shell tightly in hand, continuing to race forward.

In addition to the turtle shell, Shangguan Xiu's bag of holding also contained a small pill furnace fashioned from translucent green crystal, about the size of a hand. He also had large quantities of medicinal plants, all of them placed in jade boxes. There were hundreds of different types.

Many of the medicinal plants were unfamiliar to Meng Hao, but thankfully, there was also a jade slip in the bag of holding with complete records regarding identification methods for all of the plants. Perusing this, Meng Hao grew more and more excited.

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Chapter 77: Lord Revelation

Although these medicinal plants were not heavenly material or earthly treasures, they were still rare. Many Cultivators would spend decades attempting to collect them.

And yet here in Shangguan Xiu's bag of holding were hundreds.

There were also two medicinal pills placed inside of jade boxes, one orange and one blue. Obviously, they were extremely valuable.

"These plants are all materials needed to create a Perfect Foundation Pill… As for these medicinal pills…" After examining them thoroughly, he looked again at the turtle shell, eyes shining.

"Concocting the Perfect Foundation Pill requires seven minor pills. These are two of those seven that Shangguan Xiu already concocted." Meng Hao understood things now, but was still a bit shocked. Shangguan Xiu had spent fifty years collecting all of these things together, and yet that was still not enough time for him, a Cultivator of the Qi Condensation phase.

"And he was even backed by Milky Way City…."

Meng Hao felt that there were still things he didn't quite understand, though. In order to concoct the Perfect Foundation Pill, it seemed Shangguan Xiu had secretly taken items from Patriarch Milky Way's treasure storehouse, as well as items accumulated over hundreds of years by his clan. In addition, he had scoured the lands, all to collect these items together.

And yet, he still lacked a few necessary medicinal materials. He had one stem of a particularly rare plant, but required three. At long last, Meng Hao understood the insanity with which Shangguan Xiu had pursued him in his attempt to acquire the copper mirror.

In the end, he had delivered all his fortunes directly into Meng Hao's hands. If Shangguan Xiu had known this would happen, he never would have caused problems for Meng Hao. But he had, and his fifty years of preparations were irrevocably lost.

Meng Hao took a deep breath, placing the turtle shell and the medicinal materials into the bag of holding, which he then placed, along with his other bags of holding, into the bag of the Cosmos.

He stood there in the forest and looked up at the sky. His eyes slowly began to shine as he thought about the Perfect Foundation. His heart pounded.

"After consuming the pill, Tribulation Lightning will fall. I shouldn't even be thinking about a Perfect Foundation right now. I can make a decision about it after I reach Foundation Establishment. What I need to think about now is the matter between the three great Sects and Patriarch Reliance." He closed his eyes and took a few breaths, pushing down all the anxious thoughts. When he opened his eyes again, they were calm

"A year has already passed, and the time set by Patriarch Reliance has arrived. He promised that if I could gather the experts of the State of Zhao here, he would give me a handsome reward…" Meng Hao's eyes glittered.

"But to do such a thing would be very dangerous." He frowned, hesitating. "My Cultivation base is at the Qi Condensation stage. I would be like an egg thrown up against rocks."

"I probably shouldn't get involved. After all, Patriarch Reliance said a year later, but didn't give a specific date. When my Cultivation base is a bit higher, maybe after I reach Foundation Establishment, then I can think about it. At that time I'll be in a bit of a safer position." He lifted his head. Ever since the time Patriarch Reliance had suddenly caused the three-colored spear to disappear, he had lost a little bit of his faith in the Patriarch's trustworthiness.

"However, because of the arrest warrant of the three great Sects, their disciples are looking for me everywhere. If I get in a tight spot, then I'll just have to face the danger and lead them into the Patriarch's meditation zone." Meng Hao raced on silently through the wild mountains, his decision having been made.

But even as he raced forward, he suddenly felt a strange, jittery sensation. His heart lurched, as if a giant, invisible hand had just passed through his chest and squeezed his heart.

He suddenly felt as if all of the vegetation around him had eyes that were staring at him coldly.

The feeling passed almost immediately. Even though the feeling was no longer there, Meng Hao's face was pale. He looked around. Everything was silent, and nothing around him gave any clue as to what had happened. Had it been his imagination?

"What was that?" he thought, hesitating. After a moment, though, his eyes glittered, and he shot forward at top speed.

Meanwhile, somewhere very far away from Meng Hao but still in the State of Zhao, an old man in a purplish blue robe sat cross-legged on a mountain. His eyes were closed, but his right hand flickered as if he were performing an incantation. His eyes opened slowly and he looked off into the distance.

"There you are," he said coolly. "The three Sects wanted to hide you from me. How laughable." He took a step forward, and then disappeared.

At the same moment, Liu Daoyun was speeding along. Meng Hao had lost him, but he'd seen where Meng Hao had entered the mountains. He had followed in pursuit, his face filled with incredible hatred and murder.

His hatred for Meng Hao reached down his bones. The bloody incident of the silver spear had turned him into the butt of all the jokes of the State of Zhao and had nearly caused a war between two of the great Sects. Even though the war had been averted, he had paid a heavy price for his actions.

It nearly drove him insane to think about the day he had been brought up before the Elders of the great Sects. He had been bound on the Sealing Pole, then lashed with a Fire Whip over one hundred times. Oh, the misery and pain!

The lashes had torn his skin and left the flesh gaping. The pain had stabbed down into his bones. Even to this day, he would often wake in the middle of the night, and every time he did, his desire to kill Meng Hao grew stronger and stronger.

Unlike everyone else who was chasing Meng Hao, he did not plan to capture him. He would kill him!

It might arouse the displeasure of his Sect, but he had already decided to forsake them. At worst, he would flee the State of Zhao after killing Meng Hao. The Southern Domain was large, and filled with countries of Cultivators, especially in the center. As a Cultivator of the ninth level of Qi Condensation, he would surely be able to find somewhere willing to take him in. Then one day he would come back to the State of Zhao and wipe out the Cold Wind Sect. He would cleanse the pain of his lashing with blood.

At the moment, he moved at top speed, using all the power he could muster. He was determined to find Meng Hao and kill him before the Sect's Foundation Establishment experts and Core Formation Patriarchs arrived.

"Meng Hao, you can try to run, but there's nowhere to run to!" Liu Daoyun's killing intent soared. He was even more confident of being able to kill Meng Hao when he thought of the astonishing treasure he had borrowed.

He stood on his crystalline sword as he entered the mountains. His gaze swept back and forth. Because he was of the ninth level of Qi Cultivation, and also an Inner Sect disciple, he had a voice transmission jade slip, which he used to inform all disciples in the area to notify him immediately if they saw Meng Hao.

A short time passed. As he soared along in the air, Liu Daoyun suddenly slapped his bag of holding, and a glowing jade slip appeared in his hand. He pressed it against his forehead and then laughed. He changed his course, shooting off toward the disciple who had just contacted him.

Time passed enough for half an incense stick to burn. It was then that Liu Daoyun caught sight of Meng Hao, moving forward on his treasured fan. Yes, this was the man who had killed a Cold Wind Sect disciple in one move by piercing his head.

At this same moment, Meng Hao looked back, and his cold eyes caught sight of Liu Daoyun. He frowned to himself. Ever since he had experienced the sensation of an invisible hand squeezing his heart, he had felt that he was being watched. Sure enough, after a while, he noticed that there were quite a few Cultivators around from the three great Sects.

There was no way to avoid them. Even if he attacked and killed them as quickly as possible, the word would surely spread via jade slips.

"Meng Hao!" shouted Liu Daoyun. His right hand flickered in an incantation pattern, and immediately, the flying sword beneath his feet issued a droning sound and shot toward Meng Hao.

"Let's see you run away this time! I, Liu, will rip you to pieces today! That is the only way I can resolve the hatred in my heart!" Liu Daoyun's eyes had grown red as soon as he caught sight of Meng Hao, and his killing intent grew even fiercer.

Meng Hao's eyes flashed, and he was about to continue on forward when suddenly his mind trembled. A bit of Spiritual Sense still remained, which caused Meng Hao to suddenly move backward. Even as the flying sword approached him, a fierce wind arose, sending the crystalline sword spinning away.

At the same time, an old man suddenly appeared. He wore a purplish-blue robe, and had some age spots on his face, but his eyes shined with a fear-inspiring might that could make one's spirit tremble.

His eyes seemed to contain the sun, moon and stars, making it seem as if you might be lost if you looked into them. A strange design was stitched onto his blue robe; it appeared to be an altar, in the middle of which was a solitary eye. This eye seemed to be filled with even more woe than the old man's eyes.

"Such strong grievances," he said coolly, looking at Liu Daoyun. When the old man spoke, the spiritual energy around Meng Hao seemed to be thrown into chaos, and suddenly he felt as if he were bound in place. Once again, he experienced the sensation of an invisible hand clawing at his heart. His face flickered, and his heart pounded.

When Liu Daoyun saw the old man, his face fell, and he immediately took a few steps back and raised hands in a salute.

"I am Liu Daoyun of the junior generation. Greetings, Lord Revelation."

At the same moment that Liu Daoyun made his salute, six figures appeared in the sky. They were quite some distance away, but in the space of a single breath had arrived onto the scene.

When he saw the six people, Meng Hao's heart sank. They were familiar to him. These were the Core Formation Eccentrics of the State of Zhao who had appeared on the day of the dissolution of the Reliance Sect. One of them was a woman, who had left quite a deep impression on Meng Hao.

Shortly after they arrived, the sky filled with droning streaks of light as over ten people approached. They were not soaring, but actually flying, sending out thunderous roars into the air. The nearby birds and beasts quivered. As the people arrived, their eyes all came to fall on Meng Hao.

His face grew grim as he looked around. He saw the irritable Foundation Establishment Cultivator who had attempted to attack him that day.

A powerful pressure was exerted on everything in the area. Liu Daoyun's face grew pale and he retreated backward several paces. He glared at Meng Hao; his killing intent was hidden for the moment, but the venom in his face was very clear.

Meng Hao's heart sank; today there was nowhere to hide. After a moment, his expression returned to normal. He took in a deep breath and looked around at the experts of the State of Zhao. He said nothing.

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Chapter 78: No Choice but to Believe!

"Fellow Daoist Revelation truly deserves his reputation of being able to make ingenious divinations," said one of the Core Formation Eccentrics from the three great Sects. He laughed.

"He arrived here even faster than us."

"You three Sects didn't notify me, so I was forced to divine things for myself," said Lord Revelation in a cool tone.

"Very well," said one of the Cold Wind Sect Core Formation Eccentrics. He wore a long black robe. "Now that the kid has been found, it won't be long before we can get into Patriarch Reliance's meditation zone. This matter has been going on for quite a while. Even the great Sects in the Southern Domain are aware of what's going on." His gaze had fallen onto Meng Hao, and he looked at him expressionlessly, as if he were cricket.

The lot of them didn't pay him any heed whatsoever as they spoke, as if they knew that their words could decide his life or death. In fact, their conversation would determine his fate.

Meng Hao said nothing. He knew that if he wanted to fight back against their bullying, he would have to think of a method. His mind spun as he analyzed the situation.

"Patriarch," said Liu Daoyun, bowing with clasped hands toward one of his Sect's Core Formation Eccentrics. "This person has a treasured spear hidden on his person." He lifted his head and looked at Meng Hao with a sneer, the venom written clearly on his face.

"So, the tiny Qi Condensation Cultivator turns out to be of the ninth level…." said the black-robed Cultivator coolly, his face seemingly permanently red. "No wonder he was able to throw the Cultivation World of the State of Zhao into such chaos." He lifted his hand toward Meng Hao as if he were about to grab him.

"I am here, and so is the spear," said Meng Hao suddenly, his eyes flashing. His voice could sever nails and slice iron. A wild look appeared in his eyes that seemed to say he knew he was powerless to prevent them from taking his treasures, but if they did, he would end his own life immediately.

Hearing Meng Hao speak, the old man who had been about to make a move on him stopped and frowned. The onlookers also frowned.

"My Cultivation base is low and weak," said Meng Hao. "If the older generation wishes to rob my treasures, please do so. But if I lose even one treasure, then I will end my life. And if I am dead, then I can't take you to Founder Patriarch's meditation zone. I would rather die than be robbed by you!" As he spoke, his face shone with determination.

"I can just kill you," said one of the six Core Formation Cultivators, "then use a heaven-defying Soul Search to drag the location out of you."

When Meng Hao heard this, he let out a hearty laugh. Not the slightest look of fear could be seen in his eyes. His laughter echoed through the mountains, stabbing into the ears of the old Eccentrics.

"If you plan to Search me then go ahead. Only Inner Sect Disciples know the location of the Patriarch's meditation zone. But even if you know the location, without me alive, conscious, and unharmed, you'll never be able to get inside." When they heard this, all the old Eccentrics stared at him with eyes as cold as ice.

"You of the elder generation have profound Cultivation bases. Surely you know some Spirit Puppetry arts. But without my consciousness there, or if I have been injured in any way, you won't be able to enter. You must have my complete and utter support!" Decisiveness filled Meng Hao's voice. He gave them the feeling that he had thrown all caution to the wind, which made them frown.

Actually, when it came to Meng Hao, they didn't care so much about him; what they truly were interested in was Patriarch Reliance's Sublime Spirit Scripture. The Eccentrics frowned and then looked toward Lord Revelation.

He stared at Meng Hao, his eyes flashing. Even though he was capable of divining many things, he wasn't able to divine anything at all about this particular matter. All eyes were on him as he spoke.

"I can't divine the details. But even if ninety-five percent of what this kid says is false, we still can't afford to gamble on it." His words echoed the thoughts of all the onlookers. These Eccentrics were experienced and astute, as well as crafty. However, all their scheming couldn't assure victory under these circumstances. This was because… they couldn't afford to bet. Even if most of what Meng Hao said was a lie, there could be some truth to it.

If they lost, they lost the chance to get into Patriarch Reliance's Immortal's Cave. That in turn would mean they lost any chance at the Sublime Spirit Scripture. Anyone, be they at Foundation Establishment or Core Formation, could use Qi Condensation Manual of the Sublime Spirit Scripture to form a second Core Lake within their bodies. They could also repair the Dao pillars they had formed during their Foundation Establishment. If successful, it could make a Cracked Foundation into a Flawless Foundation. To a Core Formation Cultivator, this would also have a big influence on their Core level, which was something they all yearned for.

There were only three great books in the world which contained the secrets methods of how to Cultivate a new Core Lake, even beyond the Qi Condensation stage.

"Very well," said one of the six, a noble-looking old woman with a hoarse voice. When her words rang out, everyone grew silent. "We are here for the Sublime Spirit Scripture. There's no need to cause further complications. Child, we won't steal any of your treasures, nor will we Soul Search you or turn you into a puppet. But you must assist us, otherwise you are well aware of what the consequences will be. Which is more important, your life? Or the Patriarch's? As for which decision is best, I'm sure you don't need our advice on that."

Meng Hao was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Give me one million Spirit Stones! And, I demand the right to kill this person!" His eyes flashed as he pointed at Liu Daoyun.

Liu Daoyun's face grew somber and venom flickered within his eyes. He had just been contemplating various ways to kill Meng Hao. To be suddenly singled out by Meng Hao caused him to reflexively step backwards a few paces.

His heart raced, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He knew that these Patriarchs would most likely give in to Meng Hao's every demand to get what they wanted.

"Patriarchs…" said Liu Daoyun, his face pale as he looked up at the two Core Formation Patriarchs from the Cold Wind Sect.

The red-faced old man gave a cold snort. He flicked his sleeve and looked at Meng Hao with cold eyes.

"That will not happen! Tiny Qi Condensation Cultivator, you have an exaggerated opinion of yourself. You dare to make demands of us?!"

"Meng Hao," said one of the Core Formation Eccentrics, an old man in a red robe. "Don't bring up the matter of killing again. And as for the Spirit Stones, we have no way to meet your demand."

"If I get no Spirit Stones, and if this man doesn't die, then I, Meng, will absolutely not agree to take you of the elder generation to the Patriarch's meditation zone. Without my heartfelt consent, you'll never get into his Immortal's Cave." Meng Hao's voice was resolute, and his face emanated an expression that said he was ready to risk everything. He would die without even a frown if he had to.

"Meng Hao…" Liu Daoyun stared at him murderously, his eyes filling up with killing intent.

"Very well," said the dignified old woman in her husky voice. "As for this Cold Wind Sect disciple, your request is denied. Regarding the Spirit Stones, I will take the responsibility for that. I will give you one hundred thousand now, and the rest after we open the Immortal's Cave." If Meng Hao hadn't made any demands, it would have aroused suspicion. She flicked her sleeve, and a bag of holding flew toward Meng Hao. He didn't catch it, but instead moved backward and let the bag fall to the ground.

"Very well," said Meng Hao slowly. "The killing is off the table. Liu Daoyun, pick up that bag of holding and take the Spirit Stones out of it."

The woman's eyes flickered imperceptibly. The other Core Formation Eccentrics also gave him flickering looks.

Liu Daoyun was furious to the extreme. However, Meng Hao's request was not overly excessive. Even the red-faced old man didn't say anything, but rather indicated for Liu Daoyun to comply.

Liu Daoyun took a deep breath, pushed down his fury, then walked forward to pick up the bag of holding. He shook the bag, and a massive amount of Spirit Stones poured out onto the ground. They glittered brightly. Liu Daoyun looked at them for a moment, and started to breathe a bit faster.

Meng Hao looked over the Spirit Stones, his expression calm. Then he collected them into his own bag of holding. He had no choice but to exercise caution. These people were not Foundation Establishment Cultivators, but rather of the Core Formation stage. If they wanted to kill him, it would be easier than stepping on a bug.

If it wasn't for the fact that they couldn't afford to gamble in this matter, he wouldn't be able to stand up to them at all, regardless if it were regarding Cultivation base or scheming.

Therefore, Meng Hao did not attempt to pull of some tricky, crafty plot. Instead, he plotted openly. He was betting that even if these people didn't believe him, they had no choice but to believe.

"You have your Spirit Stones. But this is a weighty matter. Please consume this medicinal pill." The old woman lifted her right hand, and a black-colored medicinal pill appeared.

When it did, a wind instantly picked up, as if a massive amount of spiritual energy were being gathered up. Slowly, the image of a wicked centipede came to be visible on the surface of the medicinal pill.

Meng Hao's expression changed. He looked at the pill cautiously.

When Liu Daoyun saw all of this happening, a hideous grin appeared on his face. The Foundation Establishment Cultivators floating in the air watched on, their faces expressionless, but their eyes sneering at Meng Hao.

As for the Core Formation Eccentrics, none of them batted an eye. If the old woman hadn't produced a pill, they probably would have. Their eyes glittered as they watched.

In terms of scheming, Meng Hao was like a child compared to them. If his plots had truly displeased them, then any ideas he came up with would be useless.

"If you consume the pill, then you can lead the way. If you don't consume it, then we will have to try out our Soul Search and Spirit Puppetry arts." The old woman spoke coolly, her expression containing neither happiness nor anger. She flicked her fingers, and the poison pill shot forward to hover in front of Meng Hao.

Meng Hao hesitated for a moment in thought. He wasn't sure whether or not the pill really was poisonous. Perhaps it was something else even more nefarious. But he didn't seem to have any other choice. He clenched his jaw, then reached out and grabbed the pill.

"Speaking of poison pills, I have one as well," said the red-faced old man with a laugh. He flicked his wide sleeve, and a reddish pill appeared in his hand. It flew to Meng Hao.

"Actually, our Sect happens to have one as well." It turned out the Core Formation Cultivators from the three great Sects all had poison pills. The pills transformed into beams of light as they flew toward Meng Hao.

The old woman's face was calm, and it was impossible to tell what she was thinking. She looked around coolly at her fellow Eccentrics, saying nothing. They were all circumspect and far-seeing. If Meng Hao swallowed one poison pill, he might as well swallow more. This way, he wouldn't just be under the control of the old woman. This was the most fair method.

"Seeing the Fellow Daoist's actions, I must humbly act to save my own face." Lord Revelation smiled and waved his right hand. A three-colored medicinal pill appeared and raced toward Meng Hao.

Compared to the other medicinal pills, this pill appeared extraordinary. Meng Hao wasn't sure why, but when his gaze fell onto this pill, his entire body felt jittery.

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Chapter 79: Kill!

"Four poison pills," said Meng Hao, his voice grim and his expression unsightly. "I of the younger generation am worried that if I consume this pill, I won't be able to lead you forward. If the poison takes effect, I will die. If it doesn't take effect, then how will the elder generation ensure that I can dispel the poison later? Or have you not even considered that?!"

"Of course there is a poison dispelling technique," said the red-faced old man from the Cold Wind Sect, his face expressionless. "Whether or not you chose to believe is up to you." In this, he used Meng Hao's own tactic against him. The complete resolution of all the various matters now rested on Meng Hao.

He stood silently for a moment. As the man had said, the choice to believe lay in him alone. Unfortunately, if he chose not to believe, then the current situation would never be resolved.

Meng Hao's eyes glanced over the four pills. Three of them he recognized. "This is… a Centipede Dragon Pill. This one is a Frigid Corpse Pill and this is a Blood Withering Pill. As for this one…." The three-colored pill from Lord Revelation was something he had never heard of before. There had been no information about it in the ancient jade slip.

"Patriarch Reliance's Cultivation base is as high as the Heavens," Meng Hao muttered to himself. "He should be able to figure it out." He clenched his jaw, then lifted his hands and put one of the pills into his mouth. It appeared to contain something alive within it, and sure enough, Men Hao felt a searing pain as it slid down his throat. And yet, the pain didn't cause him to hesitate. His eyes bloodshot, he forced down all of the pills. As he swallowed the pill given to him by Lord Revelation, he looked the man in the eyes.

Lord Revelation smiled the entire time. Meng Hao didn't hesitate at all. He knew that he had to swallow the pills to allay everyones' suspicious.

The instant Lord Revelation's pill entered his mouth, it dissolved into an aura which seeped into his flesh and blood. Seeing Meng Hao swallow the four pills in succession left Liu Daoyun feeling quite pleased.

The ten or more Foundation Establishment Cultivators watched Meng Hao with strange expressions in their eyes. Seeing his resoluteness left them feeling the need to be more vigilant.

Meng Hao took a deep breath. His expression grim, he looked up at the Eccentrics. He said nothing.

"Let's go," said the old woman with a nod. She waved a finger toward Meng Hao, then turned into a prismatic rainbow and shot away. The other Cultivators present followed, one by one. Her wave of a finger caused the bag of holding that lay on the ground at Meng Hao's feet to suddenly transform into a hideous mist spirit. Its body flickered as it wrapped around Meng Hao and then shot into the sky.

Liu Daoyun followed along, looking at Meng Hao with a cold smile.

"You're dead!" he said grimly.

Meng Hao didn't reply. He just looked coldly at Liu Daoyun's twisted face.

"After you take the Patriarchs into the Immortal's cave, just wait until you come back out. You're dead for sure. Even if you dispel the poison, I won't let you go. There's nowhere you can run to in the State of Zhao. By the way, you're a Reliance Inner Sect disciple, yet you have no choice but to lead people to kill your own Sect's Patriarch. How does that feel? Liu Daoyun's malicious words were filled with ridicule.

"You killed Sun Hua over a silver spear. How does that feel?" said Meng Hao coolly, looking down at Liu Daoyun below him. The earth sped past beneath him. This was a speed Meng Hao had never achieved before.

As far as Liu Daoyun went, Meng Hao didn't care about him at all. But Meng Hao's words hit him like a stick jabbed into a fresh wound. His eyes were red through and through, and he looked at Meng Hao with a matchless hatred; he wished to rip him into pieces. The incident with Sun Hua was the most humiliating thing that had ever happened in his life. In fact, it had ruined any future prospects within his Sect. He had basically been cast aside. Right now, his eyes seemed as if they would shoot flames. He clenched his fists tightly as he glared murderously at Meng Hao.

Seeing Meng Hao's lack of expression arose a hard-to-describe feeling that threatened to drive him mad. He punched the air with his fist.

Panting, he gritted his teeth for a long moment before saying, "You swallowed four poison pills. I'll just wait until the poison takes effect. Your body will rot and your heart will be torn apart."

"Today, you will die beneath my sword," said Meng Hao coolly, sounding neither happy nor angry. He looked down at the barren mountains whizzing by beneath him, and then at the four mountain peaks of the Reliance Sect off in the distance.

"You sure can talk big," said Liu Daoyun with a cold laugh and a sinister expression. It seemed he didn't take Meng Hao's words seriously at all. "You'll do that all by yourself? I can't wait to see the poison kick in!"

After he finished speaking, a booming sound rang out. The group of people had arrived at the Reliance Sect main square. It was deserted, occupied only by fallen leaves, bird droppings and a few animals which scattered in fright.

A fierce wind accompanied the group's arrival, sweeping clean the Outer Sect square. Seeing the place, Meng Hao's face flickered with a variety of expressions.

"What does it feel like to see your Sect become like this, Meng Hao?" said Liu Daoyun with a sneer. As he spoke, Meng Hao turned and looked at him, killing intent springing from his eyes. He had already begun moving. He lifted his hand, and fifty flying swords appeared, flying straight toward Liu Daoyun.

"I think this place is the perfect location to bury you in."

There had been no indication whatsoever that Meng Hao would attack. Even as his words echoed out, the swords were upon Liu Daoyun. His expression changed; he had never imagined that Meng Hao would dare to attack him in the presence of all the Patriarchs.

He shot backward quickly, biting down on his tongue and spitting out some blood, along with a pearl. This pearl was different than the treasures he had used before. As soon as it flew out of his mouth, it began to radiate an intense killing aura. It transformed into a hideous, black demonic face, which then slammed into Meng Hao's fifty flying swords.

An explosion reverberated out as the demonic face blocked most of the flying swords. However, one flying sword pierced through and continued on toward Liu Daoyun.

Liu Daoyun's face twisted; he knew that he was in a dangerous life-or-death situation, a critical juncture. He let out a howl, throwing up his arm to defend against the sword. The sword stabbed through his right shoulder, sending blood spraying about. A horrified shriek rang out throughout the deserted Reliance Sect.

Even as the sword stabbed into his shoulder, it suddenly exploded, causing Liu Daoyun's right arm to disappear into a cloud of blood. Blood also sprayed from his mouth, and he retreated backward, face pale and eyes shining with fear and astonishment.

Everything happened too quickly, in the space of time it takes for a spark to fly up. His right arm was destroyed, and his horrified screams still echoed through the air. The Eccentrics from the three great Sects looked back one by one, their eyes cold. This was especially so of the people from the Cold Wind Sect.

Liu Daoyun retreated, shrieking and howling.

"Patriarchs, this guy…."

His expression cold, Meng Hao stepped forward. Even as Liu Daoyun was in the middle of speaking, Meng Hao waved his right hand, and one hundred flying swords appeared, covering the entire square in a massive sword rain. It descended upon Liu Daoyun. Liu Daoyun might have been at the ninth level of Qi Condensation, but so was Meng Hao. Furthermore, Meng Hao's Cultivation was based on the Sublime Spirit Scripture, and he had a golden Core sea. He even has a sliver of Spiritual Sense in his mind. This was more than enough to crush Liu Daoyun. The sword rain whistled through the air. Liu Daoyun had no more time for speaking.

There was a boom, and Liu Daoyun spit up more blood. A glittering light shone in front of him as his crystalline sword defied the might of Meng Hao's one hundred flying swords. And yet, this in itself caused more injury to Liu Daoyun, who retreated further, howling.

"Patriarchs, save me!"

"Meng Hao, hold your hand!" came a voice from among the four Formation Establishment experts from the Cold Wind Sect. They frowned, obviously unwilling to allow Meng Hao to slay Liu Daoyun in front of all these people. Their bodies turned into beams of light as they sped forward.

"This is between me and him," said Meng Hao, not even looking at the four Foundation Establishment experts. "Even if the poison takes effect on me right now, I will kill this man!" His expression was filled with murder and resolve.

The person he wanted to kill was Liu Daoyun of the Cold Wind Sect. But there were others present from the three great Sects other than the Cold Wind Sect. They, of course, would not stand by idly and watch Meng Hao be poisoned to death before opening the Immortal's Cave. They would not allow small matters from other Sects to interfere with their interests.

The others flew forward, blocking the path of the Cold Wind Sect Foundation Establishment experts.

"Fellow Daoist Zhang, there's no need to pay attention to the trifling matters of Qi Condensation Cultivators. Come, come, we haven't seen each other for years. Why don't we chat a bit about the old days?"

"Correct. Brother Chen, we haven't seen each other for three years. I have a few questions about Cultivation that I was hoping to discuss with you." The four Cold Wind Sect Foundation Establishment Cultivator's faces grew livid when they heard all of these words. They were about to speak when suddenly Liu Daoyun let out another horrified scream.

Meng Hao's fingers flickered in incantation patterns, and two hundred flying swords filled the sky. They descended upon Liu Daoyun with ear-piercing whistling sounds. Meng Hao took another step forward, and flashed an incantation pattern. A Flame Python emerged, several dozen meters long. Its roars reverberated out across the square. Blood sprayed from Liu Daoyun's mouth as his crystalline sword shattered into pieces. He retreated backward constantly, desperation filling his eyes.

On the other hand, Meng Hao's eyes shone with killing intent and determination. He flew forward, and a sword appeared in his right hand. It was the wooden sword, and it sped toward Liu Daoyun with unstoppable force.

"Get out of my way!" The faces of the four Foundation Establishment experts changed. They howled and attempted to force their way through to block Meng Hao.

"This man tried to kill me many times. This is a personal grudge. If anyone gets in my way, I'll kill myself before opening the Patriarch's Immortal's Cave!" As his voice rang out, he completely ignored the four Foundation Establishment experts. Without a shred of hesitation, he shot toward Liu Daoyun, the wooden sword outstretched, clearly intending to slay him.

"Patriarchs, save me!!" screamed Liu Daoyun shrilly. It seemed the Foundation Establishment experts were about to attack, when a dry cough could be heard. It came from the old woman. Shock filled the hearts of the four experts, and they instantly stood stock still, their faces pale. The dry cough had slammed into their hearts like a lightning bolt from the Heavens, sending their minds spinning.

"This is too much!" said the red-faced old man from the Cold Wind Sect. He snorted, and a cold look appeared in his eye, which shot out toward Meng Hao. Even as this happen, Lord Revelation let out a hearty laugh. He flicked his sleeve; the cold look that had been shooting toward Meng Hao instantly fell apart.

"You!" said the red-faced old man, his eyes filled with rage.

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Chapter 80: Meng Hao's Scheming

"Fellow Daoist, there's no need to lose your temper," said Lord Revelation, smiling. "As far as these trifling issues amongst the junior generation, why don't we just watch on?"

As these words were exchanged between the two of them, Liu Daoyun let out another miserable cry. Meng Hao stepped forward, and with the slice of a sword, sent Liu Daoyun's left arm flying off from his body. Blood sprayed everywhere. More flying swords flew out from Meng Hao's bag of holding. One after another, they stabbed into his opponent. Blood spread out everywhere. In the space of an instant, Liu Daoyun's body was penetrated by a dozen swords.

Leaning up toward him, Meng Hao quietly said, "If I say that you will die this day, then die you shall."

Despair filled Liu Daoyun's wide eyes. Blood seeped out of his mouth.

The four Foundation Establishment Cultivators watched in shock as the scene unfolded. They were especially astounded by Meng Hao's vicious expression.

"Enough!" said one of the Core Formation Eccentrics from the Cold Wind Sect, his face extremely unsightly. He waved his finger, and suddenly the spiritual energy in the area seemed to churn into motion and race toward Meng Hao. It wrapped around his body, leaving his own spiritual energy untouched, but pulling him away from Liu Daoyun.

As Meng Hao drifted away from him, hope gleamed within Liu Daoyun's eyes, despite his severe wounds.

"Boom!" said Meng Hao coolly, the killing intent in his eyes flashing.

At the same time as the word left his mouth, the dozen flying swords impaled in Liu Daoyun's body suddenly detonated. A blood-curdling scream echoed out in all directions. Liu Daoyun's body was torn to pieces. Not even his head was left intact as chunks of flesh flew out in all directions.

As for the four Foundation Establishment Cultivators, the pupils of their eyes shrank to dots. They stared at the gore, and then at Meng Hao, whose face was expressionless. They would never forget this moment for the rest of their lives.

Especially memorable was the speed with which Meng Hao attacked, and the decisiveness in his voice. It revealed that his way of thinking was anything but ordinary. He had turned everyone who was not a member of the Cold Wind Sect into his assistants. The grisly result revealed how stubborn he truly was.

Anyone else might be able to think of such a plan, but few people would have the gall to pull it off. As of this day, they had witnessed Meng Hao's first true kill!

"He's dead, you can release me now," said Meng Hao, his voice indifferent.

The Core Formation Eccentrics floated in the air, staring down at Meng Hao. His resoluteness to kill left a deep impression in their hearts.

Even Lord Revelation took a long look at him. Everything that had happened just now gave him a glimpse of the cruelty Meng Hao was capable of.

The Core Formation Patriarch from the Cold Wind Sect who currently held Meng Hao bound had a grim look on his face. Meng Hao had killed Liu Daoyun right in front of him, even after he had intervened. He had lost face because of this. With a mere thought, he could rip Meng Hao to pieces in much the same fashion as Liu Daoyun had died. But considering the expressions on the faces of the surrounding Cultivators, that was not an option.

With a cold snort, he flicked his sleeve, and the invisible bonds around Meng Hao disappeared. But he still hit Meng Hao with an invisible attack, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood. Meng Hao looked at him, his face pale, but his eyes shining with a dark look.

"Liu Daoyun constantly ridiculed me and swore to kill me," said Meng Hao, looking at the Core Formation Eccentric who had injured him just now. "I of the junior generation had no choice but to attack first. I request that you members of the senior generation preside over manners in an impartial manner. At the moment, I am somewhat worried that the Cold Wind Sect will withhold their antidote pill. Could you please produce the pill so that I of the junior generation can rest at ease when I open Patriarch Reliance's Immortal's cave?"

The eyes of the four Foundation Establishment Cultivators flashed as they suddenly seemed to comprehend how cruel and treacherous Meng Hao was.

The Core Formation Eccentrics had been around a long time, and their eyes flickered upon hearing Meng Hao's words. They instantly understood what he was thinking, and they frowned as they looked toward the two Cold Wind Sect Core Formation experts.

Their faces were as cold as ice.

"With a scheming heart like yours, you will find it hard to stay behind in the State of Zhao," said Lord Revelation. "I have an opening for a servant, Meng Hao. You should consider it." His eyes twinkled as he looked at Meng Hao. His smile seemed as grim and mysterious as the decoration on his long robe, a solitary eye set in the middle of a mystical square.

The red-faced old man from the Cold Wind Sect harrumphed. The three great Sects didn't usually get along, and at the moment, he was well aware that the surrounding Cultivators were gazing at him with flashing eyes. He didn't want to cause further complications, but in his heart, he had marked Meng Hao for death. He waved his right hand, and a white-colored medicinal pill appeared and shot toward Meng Hao.

It emitted a fragrant aroma. From his study of the ancient jade slip, Meng Hao could tell at a glance that this was the antidote for the Frigid Corpse Pill.

He grabbed it. He didn't eat it, though, but put it into his bag of holding. Then he took a breath and headed toward the peak of the East Mountain.

As for the experts from the three Great Sects, they watched him closely, ready to make a move in an instant if he tried to do anything out of the ordinary. Lord Revelation floated next to them, eyes glittering as he gazed at the East Mountain.

Meng Hao didn't soar directly up to the top of the peak. The Eccentrics would just have to be patient. Meng Hao walked the path up to the East Mountain, passing Wang Tengfei's Immortal's Cave. He also caught sight of Elder Brother Chen's and Elder Sister Xu's caves. Images from the past coalesced in his mind, and he let out a sigh.

Finally, he stopped in front of the Immortal's Cave that had belonged to him. He looked at it quietly, then moved on, eventually reaching the peak of the East Mountain, and the Reliance Sect's main temple hall.

The setting sun shone onto the hall, making it look very dignified. Taking broad steps, Meng Hao strode inside. His gaze swept over the statues inside, coming to rest on the statue of Patriarch Reliance.

The day that Patriarch Reliance had frightened off the Cultivators from the other Sects, he had told Meng Hao of the secret method to open the way to his Immortal's Cave. Now, over a year later, Meng Hao had finally returned.

The appointed year had already passed, actually. As Meng Hao approached the statue of Patriarch Reliance, the experts from the State of Zhao watched him from behind.

He took a deep breath, then lifted his right hand and pushed his finger against a spot on the statue. Every few seconds, he would push his finger against the same spot. Again and again he pushed, until he had pushed it one hundred seventy-nine times. Suddenly, the temple hall began to shudder. The statues shook violently, then shattered, causing the entire hall to collapse into pieces. Then, a brilliant light shined out from the statue of Patriarch Reliance, sweeping away all the debris and rubble, leaving only the statue itself.

Underneath the statue was a stone platform. When the surrounding Cultivators caught sight of this, their eyes shone with anticipation.

The statue radiated an incredible power, and its eyes shone as if they were alive. This caused the Cultivators to be even more excited, although none of them dared to approach the statue.

Meng Hao took a few steps back, then cupped his hands and bowed deeply. "Disciple Meng Hao wishes to disturb the Patriarch's slumber. Patriarch, can you please open the door to your Immortal's Cave?" He lifted his head, and his eyes glittered. His back to the State of Zhao experts, his lips moved as he murmured some complicated sounds.

"Converge!"

The instant the word left his mouth, the statue began to vibrate, and an even more brilliant light shone from its eyes. The light grew intensely bright, and a fierce wind kicked up. Looks of astonishment covered the faces of the State of Zhao experts.

Cracks appeared on the surface of the statue, more and more. Within the space of a few breaths, it exploded with a bang, sending pieces flying around in all directions. Now, the stone platform which the statue had stood on began to issue a blinding light.

The blinding light issued by the rotating spell caused the State of Zhao experts to breath heavily. Anyone familiar with spells like this could tell that it was a sealing spell which was being unbound.

A thunderous roar echoed out, and a wide beam of light shot up into the sky. Then the beam began to twist around until it formed a giant ring.

The inside of the ring grew blurry, and then transformed into a vortex, a passageway to another location.

As soon as the ring of light formed, Meng Hao leaped into the air and shot forward. He disappeared into the ring. Behind him, the experts from the State of Zhao hesitated, their faces twisting.

"Foundation Establishment disciples, you go first," said Lord Revelation. The six Core Formation Cultivators nodded their agreement, and the dozen or so Foundation Establishment Cultivators gritted their teeth and flew forward. They disappeared into the vortex.

After the space of ten or so breaths, Lord Revelation and the Core Formation Eccentrics exchanged glances. One member from each of the three great Sects went next. After they entered, the remaining Eccentrics as well as Lord Revelation followed.

Upon entering the vortex, their minds spun, and they began to breathe hard. Looking around, the first thing they caught sight of was an enormous stone stele. Golden characters were inscribed onto the stele. The characters at the very top instantly sent their eyes shining.

"Sublime Spirit Scripture!!"

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Chapter 81: The Patriarch's Immortal's Cave

In Patriarch Reliance's meditation zone, all of the Cultivators from the State of Zhao were staring at the stone stele which had been left behind by Chen Fan 1. With great enthusiasm, they copied the text onto jade slips.

"This stone stele is the Sublime Spirit Scripture!"

"I never imagined it would be so simple to get! Haha! Even though I've already established my Foundation, with this scripture, I can form a second Core sea. With this Qi Condensation manual, I can raise the Dao pillars of my Foundation from Fractured to Cracked. It might even be possible to form a Flawless Foundation!"

Lord Revelation approached, followed by the dignified old woman. "No," she said, "only half of the scripture is here…." She could tell the truth of it from a single glance.

Lord Revelation continued forward a few steps, his eyes shining with a strange light.

Suddenly, the stele, as if it couldn't withstand being the subject of so many gazes, began to fracture. Popping sounds could be heard as cracks spread out across it. Everyone watched on in shock.

As the cracks spread, the golden characters faded, to be replaced by another set of characters, these ones dim and barely readable. These characters were the second half of the Qi Condensation manual of the Sublime Spirit Scripture.

Before everyone could finish reading the text, a boom rang out and the stone stele exploded, fragmenting into eight pieces.

Eight multicolored beams of light could be seen as the pieces flew off in various directions.

The onlookers were shocked, but immediately scattered about. The seven Core Formation Eccentrics each shot after one of the pieces, as did Lord Revelation. The eighth piece was left to the ten or so Foundation Establishment experts to deal with.

Within an instant, everything was thrown into chaos. Upon scattering, the newcomers discovered that Patriarch Reliance's meditation zone was filled with magical items, spirit stones and medicinal pills. This of course caused quite a sensation among them. Unfortunately, all of the items were protected with restrictive spells. Unless they could force the spells open, the items were untouchable.

Suddenly, roaring sounds erupted within the meditation zone. Within the gray light appeared multiple figures. With crazed appearances, they charged toward the intruders.

As for Meng Hao, as soon as the chaos broke out, he pulled out a Vorpal Jade Blood Crystal and stepped off to the side. He had used quite a few Blood Crystals the last time he was here, but in the end had two left over, which he'd stuffed into his bag of holding. After pulling one of them out, the crazed automatons which had suddenly appeared refused to approach him.

"I've brought everyone here. Now let's see how Patriarch Reliance deals with them." Meng Hao's eyes glittered coldly. He didn't have any good feelings whatsoever about these people. He watched as they went chasing after the fragments of the stone stele, a cold smile on his face. He couldn't wait to see them dead.

Of course, the stone stele was a fake. He'd known that the instant it had appeared, a year ago. Exercising caution, he slowly walked forward, avoiding the other Cultivators. He wasn't sure of the exact location where Patriarch Reliance sat in secluded meditation. But he knew that he couldn't leave this place until the Patriarch helped him dispel the poison from his body.

Also, there was the reward that the Patriarch had spoken of.

Shortly afterwards, Meng Hao stopped and looked around. Booms filled the air and explosions shook the ground. Off in the distance, he could see the dignified old woman, her hair flying about in disarray as she used one magical art after another to batter a glowing shield in front of her.

Within the glow of the shield was one of the stone stele fragments.

The old woman was of the Core Formation stage. Her attacks caused everything around her to shake wildly. Her magical arts shot out one after another like a silver river, sending out bone-piercing coldness which caused everything around her to freeze into pieces of ice. Within the river, there could be heard what sounded like the shrieks of countless wailing souls from the yellow springs of the underworld. It was as if the river itself had sprung from the nine hells.

She flicked her sleeve, and the murky image of a mountain appeared, bearing down toward the glowing shield. The mountain, which seemed to be composed of stars, solidified into a burning point, which then became black. Despite being black in color, it radiated a bright light.

In a spectacular display, the river and mountain began to interlock with each other.

Meng Hao took a deep breath. The silver strands which surrounded the old woman made it seem as if she had the power to destroy heaven and earth. She could definitely slay him as easily as stepping on an ant. There wouldn't even be a need for her to use the river from hell or mountain made from stars.

"So this is Core Formation…." Meng Hao watched closely, at the same time moving a bit further away. He didn't dare to get any closer.

The woman let out a howl, and an explosion reverberated out. Despite being some distance away, Meng Hao's body was shaken, and he spit up some blood. He moved back further, watching as the woman spit out a round pill from her mouth. The pill was composed of three intertwined colors. As soon as it appeared, Meng Hao felt a sensation as if everything in the world was about to crumble to pieces. In his eyes, this multicolored pill was the beginning and end of everything.

Shining brightly, the pill shot toward the shield, whereupon a massive explosion rang out. Meng Hao continued to retreat backward, his face pale.

"A Core Formation Cultivator could wipe me from existence in the blink of an eye!" As he moved backwards, he thought back to the Dao Protector Wang Xifan 2 from the Wang Clan.

"I'm at the ninth level of Qi Condensation. But even if I could get to the tenth… I would be so weak I couldn't stand up to a single bit of battle magic from a Core Formation Cultivator!" He stared at the proceedings, continuing to retreat.

"All these people are over one hundred years of age each. In terms of wisdom and experience, I can't match up to them…. It's a good thing my schemes just now all worked, otherwise…." When he thought about this, his heart twitched with fear.

"After the Core Formation stage is the Nascent Soul stage. I wonder how truly powerful a Nascent Soul Cultivator is…." When he thought of this, his heart began to thump, and he thought about Eccentric Song, whom he still had never met.

"What is the level of Patriarch Reliance's Cultivation base again? I remember the Sect Leader talked about it before. He's at the Spirit Severing stage… That's even beyond the Nascent Soul stage!" Meng Hao began to pant, and a look of envy appeared in his eyes. Stubbornness filled his heart. He desired to be powerful. He knew that only by being powerful could he avoid being an insect that others could trample upon and crush. Only by being powerful could he achieve his desires and fulfil his dreams.

On a more practical level, only by being powerful would he be able to survive in the Cultivation world!

Meng Hao watched in awe as the power of a Core Formation Cultivator was unleashed. Massive explosions filled Patriarch Reliance's meditation zones. The explosions did not sound out from one location, but from seven. The entire area filled with thunderous roars, and the various protective spells appeared to be rippling.

The explosions caused by the seven Core Formation Eccentrics seemed as if they would cause the entire place to collapse.

"The Patriarch just said to bring the State of Zhao experts here. He never said what to do after that…." Meng Hao hesitated, and he considered making an escape. But then, a massive roaring sound could be heard, and far off in the distance a beam of light shot up.

From this distance it didn't look very thick. However, Meng Hao could tell that it must be approximately thirty meters in diameter. It filled the sky of the Immortal's Cave with its power.

A laugh echoed out from the same direction as the beam of light, and Meng Hao recognized Lord Revelation's voice. He had obviously broken the shield and acquired one of the fragments of the stone stele.

Just then, another boom rang out, and another beam of light ascended up. This beam shot up from the direction of the dignified old woman. Her hair flew about wildly as the shield shattered. She stepped forward and took the stone stele fragment.

Meanwhile, within the secluded meditation zone, Patriarch Reliance's eyes shined and he breathed rapidly. His body was gaunt and wizened, and he stared fixedly at seven oil lamps which were spread out in front of him. At first glance, they seemed to be scattered about randomly, but upon closer inspection it was clear that they had been organized in a mystical pattern.

Just now, two of the lamps had been extinguished. The other five flickered weakly.

"The kid was a few months late. I was starting to get more and more nervous. But in the end, he brought the people here!" Excitement filled his eyes as he looked at the oil lamps.

"Extinguish, dammit! These people are so weak. After all this time, they've only managed to extinguish two sealing lamps. I'm expending power from my own Cultivation base to weaken them so that the Core Formation level people can handle them. But they still haven't succeeded. Dammit! Without my training these State of Zhao brats don't know how to practice Cultivation. Back in the day, I would go beat them up every once in a while. Those people had much better Cultivation bases." Thinking back to the old days, Patriarch Reliance let out a sigh. His desire to break out of the secluded meditation zone was even stronger than before.

"After I absorb these peoples' Cultivation bases and scour their memories, I should be able to achieve enlightenment and succeed in my second severing. Then I can carry out my master plan! Dammit! For every severing, I need to achieve Dao enlightenment. Upon success, the severing can proceed. But afterwards, I will be incredibly weak. Without a bit of good fortune to help me recover, the severing can lead to death, and becoming one with the Dao." Patriarch Reliance ground his teeth. But as he thought of his master plan, a look of hope gleamed in his eyes. It was a look that had existed there for many, many years.

About this time, an explosion thundered out, and another of the lamps in front of him went out. The look of anticipation in his eyes grew stronger.

As for Meng Hao, he stood outside in the meditation zone, trembling with fear. He wasn't walking around any more. Instead, he had concealed himself in a distant corner, a look of vigilance on his face.

He was waiting for Patriarch Reliance to appear, put an end to these people, then dispel the poison in his body and give him his reward.

A short time later, another thunderous roar could be heard. Lord Revelation and the dignified old woman had joined the others in their struggles. The remaining shields soon broke. The third, fourth, and fifth shields broke…. In the time it takes an incense stick to burn, thunderous explosions rang out constantly. Soon, seven pillars of light shot up into the air.

Finally, the seven Core Formation Cultivators transformed into beams of light as they converged on the final shield, which was currently surrounded by the Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

They combined their powers, and within the space of about ten breaths, a boom shook everything, and an eighth pillar of light climbed upwards. The whole Immortal's Cave seemed on the verge of collapse.

At this exact moment, amidst the roaring and shaking, massive cracks appeared in the ground. The roaring grew even more intense. The ground seemed to ripple, as if it were going to collapse into nothing.

The experts from the State of Zhao looked shocked at this sudden event. They flew up into the air and looked down at the collapsing earth. Within a moment, the shaking ceased. It was then that they noticed that all of the rubble and cracks had formed into… a massive face!

The face belonged to none other than Patriarch Reliance!

This chapter was sponsored by Patrick Laplante, Zameel Mejia, and Jago Spencer

1. Chen Fan left behind the in Chapter 40

2. If you forgot about what happened between Wang Xifan and Meng Hao, then check out chapter 35

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Chapter 82: The Great Art of Demonic Life

Upon the forehead of the giant face appeared seven ancient-looking oil lamps, all of them extinguished. A massive and ancient aura emanated out in all directions. The exquisite aura seemed to contain the essence of heaven and earth.

When the giant face appeared, the State of Zhao Cultivators all looked shocked, and some of them made to flee.

"Don't panic," said Lord Revelation, his voice booming out. "I knew from the beginning that Patriarch Reliance wasn't dead. He's incredibly weak, and we are of the Core Formation stage. If we join hands, we can easily wipe him out." Everyone from the State of Zhao stopped moving.

A laugh rang out from the giant face, hoarse and potent. Filled with crazed excitement, it pierced the ears and hearts of everyone present.

As the laughter echoed out, the faces of the floating Cultivators changed. Without saying a word, the dignified old woman turned and shot toward the exit, panting.

Even as she attempted to fly away, a massive, indistinct hand popped into being next to her and wrapped itself around her body. A boom rang out, along with a blood-curdling shriek, as the hand crushed her to death. Everything shook. Meng Hao looked on in shock.

The giant hand opened, and inside could be seen a three-colored mixed Core. The hand made a flicking motion, and the Core shot toward the first of the seven lamps below on the ground. The lamp was now alight, burning the Core as fuel and emanating flames composed of life force!

Flickering firelight emanated out, filling the darkness with light.

"We cannot flee!" barked Lord Revelation, his face growing pale. "Kill what is left of Patriarch Reliance, and our spoils of victory will be immense!" The other Cultivators had looks of astonishment on their faces after watching the miserable fate of the old woman. They clenched their jaws.

Suddenly, a booming sound could be heard. The area around the mouth of the giant face suddenly collapsed, and a black, shadowy figure emerged.

Laughter accompanied the figure, echoing out in the Immortal's Cave.

"Patriarch Reliance!" The echo of the laughter thundered out, and the Immortal's Cave shook. The shocked Cultivators coughed up blood.

Amidst the blackness, Patriarch Reliance could be seen. His body was gaunt, almost nothing but skin and bones, as if he had just climbed up from the grave. His eyes were dim and dark, yet seemed to be filled with ferocity and power.

Up above them, clouds roiled, and around Patriarch Reliance's body, ripples began to emanate out. It seemed as if he were standing on top of the world. His power, arrogance, and thirst for blood struck fear into the hearts of the other Cultivators.

"Patriarch Reliance…." The red-faced old man from the Cold Wind Sect suddenly looked pale, and his body trembled. He was a Core Formation Cultivator, but facing Patriarch Reliance, he was as powerless as a cricket. The only reason he had dared to come to this place for the Sublime Spirit Scripture was because Lord Revelation had divined that the Patriarch was weak to the point of death. At the moment, however, Patriarch Reliance seemed anything but weak.

"Revelation, things aren't settled between us!" he said, spinning and rushing toward the exit. The others with him moved to follow, one by one. Their bodies transformed into prismatic beams as they shot away.

Meng Hao stood down below staring up at them, his fists clenched.

Patriarch Reliance laughed, and it was filled with both excitement and bloodlust. His body flickered, and suddenly he was floating in mid-air. He moved his hand in a downward motion, and a booming sound filled the air. A massive pressure pushed downwards, and the red-faced old man and his followers spat up blood. They fell down to the ground, their bodies no longer under their own control.

Patriarch Reliance's body flickered again, and then he was standing in front of the red-faced old man. The old man's pupils shrank in astonishment as Patriarch Reliance's body suddenly fused with his own.

A blood-curdling scream sounded out, causing the scalps of the onlookers to go numb.

The red-faced old man's body began to wither. His hair fell out as his flesh and blood dried up. A blackness appeared that seemed capable of consuming all blood and life. In the blink of an eye, it had completely swallowed him up.

His skin grew as thin as paper, and his bones began to crumble. Soon, his entire person had turned into a mist of blood, which then coalesced into another figure; Patriarch Reliance. Except now, he was not as gaunt as he had been moments ago. His figure was more fleshed out, and a slight death aura radiated out from him. It seemed as if some of his life force had been restored. In his hand, he held the red-faced old man's three-colored mixed Core. He flicked his sleeve, and it shot into the second oil lamp.

"The Great Art of Demonic Life!"

"It's the legendary Great Art of Demonic Life! Unending life! The Great Art of Demonic Life which can borrow bodies and spirits!" A buzz of voices sounded out. When the remaining Core Foundation Cultivators and the trembling Foundation Establishment Cultivators watched the scene unfold, looks of despair appeared on their faces.

"This is a Demonic magic from the Demon Sealing Sect, before the Sect's name changed!" A strange look flashed through Lord Revelation's eyes.

Meng Hao watched in astonishment. This was the second time he had heard of the Demon Sealing Sect. The first time had been from the lips of Shangguan Xiu. At the time, Meng Hao hadn't paid it much heed. How could he believe what Shangguan Xiu had said? If Meng Hao truly was connected to such prestigious name, how could he have so many enemies in the State of Zhao?

At that time, Meng Hao had committed the name to memory, with the intention of getting further corroboration later.

Now, having seen the shocking events of moments ago, he'd heard the name again. Currently, the three words "Demon Sealing Sect" seemed to float in his head.

He thought back to the rumors he'd heard when in the Sect. It was said that a thousand years ago, the Reliance Sect had gone by a different name. However, no one had ever spoken the original name. Now that he thought about it, it seemed as if the name were taboo within the Sect.

He thought of the Demonic beasts in the black mountain outside of the Sect. Then he thought of the North Sea, and grew even more confused. When he had encountered the North Sea for the first time, why had it helped him?

Even though he didn't completely understand everything, at least now he was gaining a bit more understanding.

"Demon Sealing Sect…." Meng Hao took a deep breath, thinking to the Demonic magic that Shangguan Xiu had used, and the fearsome power that had erupted out of Mount Daqing.

"If Shangguan Xiu reached Foundation Establishment, the power of his Demonic magic would have been extremely potent…." Meng Hao's heart began to race as he realized that as a member of the Reliance Inner Sect, he was also… an Inner Sect disciple of the ancient Demon Sealing Sect!

A new question appeared in Meng Hao's mind. "Why did Patriarch Reliance change the name of the Sect?"

As Meng Hao considered these things, the slaughter above him continued. Patriarch Reliance's body had transformed into a fiery mist that filled the air. From the cries that rang out, it was clear that the Foundation Establishment Cultivators were completely incapable of escape. One by one, their bodies spasmed and began to dry up. Their life force was sucked out of them until they turned into nothing more than bones, which in turn were crumbled into dust. Every thread of life force shot toward Patriarch Reliance.

The remaining five Core Formation Cultivators couldn't flee either. Under the command of Lord Revelation, they produced various magical items and prepared magical techniques, launching them toward Patriarch Reliance in a last ditch effort to defeat him.

The four Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the Cold Wind Sect had died miserably, their bodies reduced to little more than dust. Their counterparts from the Winding Stream Sect and the Upright Evening Sect suffered the same fate. These were people who could shake the Cultivation world of the State of Zhao by simply stamping a foot. Yet here, they were as weak as children.

A partially intact head rolled to a stop in front of Meng Hao's feet. His face grew pale. The bloody slaughter was causing his heart to tremble. Looking down at the head, he recognized the face as that of the Foundation Establishment expert who had attempted to kill him a year ago in the Reliance Sect. A white aura emanated off of the head. Within moments, the head dissolved into blood, which soaked into the ground.

Just then, a horrified scream rang out from one of the Winding Stream Sect's Core Formation Eccentrics. His body began to rot. He continued to scream as he dried up. Even before he was dead, a third three-colored mixed Core flew out to land in the third lamp, which then began to burn brightly.

As of now, Patriarch Reliance's body was no longer gaunt and shriveled. Instead, he was a middle-aged man.

His long hair swept about his tall frame. A dignified air emanated out from him, making him seem powerful to the extreme. And yet, buried deep within that power, was a Demonic aura.

However, there were still areas on his chest that were still withered, as well as some parts of his face and the rest of his body. There, the flesh seemed to twitch and writhe; clearly he was not completely recovered yet.

"I can already use the full power of my Nascent Soul," he said with a smile. Combined with his partially recovered, writhing skin, the smile was utterly gruesome. Four people were left to observe this. With the exception of Lord Revelation, their faces drained of blood. One of them lifted up a trembling hand. In it was a jade slip, which he snapped. Instantly, his body began to grow blurry; it seemed he was attempting to teleport away.

At the same time, one of the Core Formation Cultivators from the Winding Stream Sect retreated rapidly. Suddenly, a burning fire shot out from his feet, which then wrapped around his body, enveloping him. He seemed to turn into a burning pillar of light as he shot away.

The other person, a Grand Elder from the Cold Wind Sect, suddenly seemed to be growing younger. His face, originally filled with wrinkles, now suddenly appeared to be middle-aged. His aura billowing, he took three steps, during which time he transformed into a beam of light.

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Chapter 83: Patriarch, What About Disciple's Poison…?

As he took the first step, blood and Qi roiled, and he was no longer middle-aged, but a teenager, and he moved three times faster than he had been before.

He took a second step, and his body quivered. His robes fell off, as he had turned into an infant. Again his speed tripled. His body was almost entirely transparent at this point, and a three-colored light began to envelop him.

By his third step, his infant's body had shrunken into a spinning Core. Again, his speed tripled as he shot toward the vortex exit.

These three people were all Core Formation Eccentrics. Obviously, they would not come to such a dangerous place without taking certain precautions. As for everyone else who had died already, things had just happened too quickly. As for these three, if even one escaped, he could spread word to the experts from the great Sects in the Southern Domain, and they would come to slay Patriarch Reliance.

All of this took some time to describe, but happened extremely quickly. As the three of them attempted to make their escape, Lord Revelation chose to stay put, his eyes flickering. His right hand flashed an incantation sign. The large eye on his robe suddenly seemed to come to life. Light sprang forth from it, shining out to target, not Patriarch Reliance, but the three fleeing Core Formation Cultivators.

"You've overstepped your bounds," said Patriarch Reliance in an awe-inspiring voice. He stamped his foot into the ground, whereupon ripples spread out to fill the air. A horrified cry filled the air as the Cultivator from the Winding Stream Sect, who was just about to make his escape, was suddenly thrust back down and into the fourth oil lamp.

At the same time, Patriarch Reliance's right hand slammed onto the ground. It trembled as a restrictive spell appeared, out from which flew a thin band of black of light that turned into a black skull. The skull circled around Patriarch Reliance, and then shot toward the Cultivator who was attempting to escape via teleportation jade slip.

As the ripples of teleportation spread out, the black skull cackled evilly, then disappeared.

Next, Patriarch Reliance lifted his left hand toward the Core which was shooting toward the vortex. Just as it seemed it was about to enter the vortex, a bloodcurdling cry sounded out and the Core exploded. But the power of the explosion remained contained as it flew back toward Patriarch Reliance.

He snatched it out of the air, and within the white glow could be seen the shape of the Cultivator's body, struggling wildly. Patriarch Reliance squeezed the white glow and it slowly congealed into a three-colored Core. He flicked his sleeve, sending it to light the fifth oil lamp.

At the same time, he waved his left hand, slamming into the light that currently shot forth from the eye on Lord Revelation's robe.

A boom filled the air, and a large amount of cracks appeared on the restrictive spell that covered the ground. Blood dribbled from the sides of Lord Revelation's mouth, and his face grew pale, but his eyes didn't contain the least bit of panic. Instead, they shone with a strange light as he quickly retreated backward.

Massive amounts of life force streamed toward Patriarch Reliance, infusing his body. His face was almost completely recovered. He stood there looking at Lord Revelation, hands clasped behind his back.

"Whose Nascent Soul stage clone are you? You dare to mix with these Core Formation whelps who plot against me?"

"You truly live up to your reputation, Patriarch Reliance," said Lord Revelation with a smile, his voice hoarse. "You could tell with a single look that I'm a clone. However, I'm not here to plot against you. Without me, these Core Formation Cultivators wouldn't have dared to come here. Actually, there is a matter regarding Heavenly fortune that I wish to discuss with you." His lips quivered a bit as he finished speaking.

Patriarch Reliance frowned, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

Suddenly, something black flashed up above them. The flying skull reappeared. In its mouth was a three-colored Core. It flew to Patriarch Reliance's side. He flicked his sleeve, and the Core flew to light the sixth oil lamp.

Having seen all this, Meng Hao's heart trembled. He looked at Lord Revelation. It turned out, he was actually just a clone, and yet was at the Nascent Soul stage! Hearing what he said, Meng Hao realized that the goings-on here were more complicated than he had imagined.

"If his clone is at the Nascent Soul stage, then… what stage is his true self at?" Meng Hao took a deep breath, thinking of the three-colored poison pill, his face twisting.

"Patriarch Reliance," said Lord Revelation with a smile, "the Southern Domain is doomed to fall into chaos. What are your thoughts on this matter?"

"You mean the crap about the Dawn Immortal? I couldn't care less. But since you're here with your Nascent Soul, I might as well take the opportunity to replenish myself a bit more." His eyes glittered as he took a step forward and raised his hand toward Lord Revelation.

"Patriarch Reliance, you really should think things through more clearly. You're a simple Spirit Severing Cultivator, do you really dare to defy the Dawn Immortal?" Lord Revelation's face fell as he watched Patriarch Reliance lifting his finger. A boom resounded out as a powerful mist came into being and began to surround him. Patriarch Reliance let out a cold snort.

The mist seethed, and the roaring sound mixed together with the howls of Lord Revelation until it seemed that the Immortal's Cave would collapse. At first, it seemed as if the restrictive spells nearby would disintegrate, but they began to repair themselves before that could happen.

Meng Hao watched on in shock as the restrictive spells fluctuated between collapse and repair. The mist lifted Lord Revelation higher into the air. He let out a blood-curdling scream as the mist squeezed, causing blood to squirt out of his body and drench his clothes. His eyes were filled with hatred.

"Demonic art, Wolf Smoke!" Patriarch Reliance's grim voice rang out into the mist. The mist seemed to devour Lord Revelation. Deep inside, a brilliant light shone out, and the vague image of flames and smoke could be seen. Nothing could be seen clearly, though. Only blood-curdling screams could be heard.

"Patriarch Reliance, I can do without this clone, but don't think it will be so easy to consume me!"

The images and feelings seemed to lash against Meng Hao. This battle could no longer be described in terms of magical techniques. He couldn't even think of any words that would do. Patriarch Reliance's powerful voice and the howls of Lord Revelation made Meng Hao realize how much beyond the Core Formation stage this battle was.

He stared blankly, his mind reeling, as if a new door along the pathway of life had been opened. This was what being a Cultivator truly was. This was the true path of defiance against the Heavens. This was the true all-powerful might of a Cultivator.

A short time passed, during which the booming continued to sound out. The mist suddenly contracted, then returned to surround Patriarch Reliance. When he looked closely, Meng Hao was shocked to see that Patriarch Reliance's features now closely resembled Lord Revelation's.

It was almost as if Patriarch Reliance had occupied Lord Revelation's body. Then the features began to melt down until Lord Revelation was completely gone, fully absorbed.

An immeasurable amount of black sealing marks rotated around Patriarch Reliance. As he floated there in the air, he exuded an extremely bizarre air.

In his hand he held the small image of a person. Its face was twisted ferociously, but its eyes were shut. It looked … like Lord Revelation!

This was his Nascent Soul!

The mist dispersed, and everything was quiet. No more breakage appeared on the restrictive spells. They seemed to be in the process of restoring themselves rapidly. From the look of it, it wouldn't take very long for them to recover completely. Patriarch Reliance flicked his sleeve, and Lord Revelation's Nascent Soul shot into the seventh oil lamp. The Nascent Soul acted as oil, and Lord Revelation's life force became flames as the lamp burned.

Lamplight filled the Immortal's Cave, illuminating everything with a flickering light that felt both ghastly and horrific.

Patriarch Reliance looked around, and his gaze came to fall on Meng Hao. He gave him a slight nod, and then turned to head back into the large fissure in the ground.

Meng Hao strode forward several paces nervously. Clasping hands, he bowed, and in a loud voice said, "Patriarch, in order to bring those people here, Disciple consumed some poison pills. Patriarch, can you please dispel the poison?"

"It's just some poison, I can dispel it as easily as taking a breath. Just wait a bit. I need to absorb this Nascent Soul, as well as this guy's true self. Then I'll dispel the poison for you. Don't worry about it. Oh, you did pretty well. I have a reward for you. Take this. This is your prize." Without so much as looking back, Patriarch Reliance flicked his sleeve, sending a low-grade Spirit Stone shooting toward Meng Hao. His body had already landed on the ground, and he was beginning to step into the fissure.

Meng Hao stared blankly at the completely ordinary low-grade Spirit Stone. He clenched his jaw and then spoke again.

"The reward is a low-grade Spirit Stone?"

"Low-grade Spirit Stone?" he said coolly. "That's right. It's a low-grade Spirit Stone. But if you look closely, is it really a low-grade Spirit Stone?" He jumped toward the fissure.

Meng Hao gaped in astonishment, looking back at the Spirit Stone in his hand. As he watched Patriarch Reliance disappearing into the fissure, he spoke again. "Patriarch, you… how long before you can dispel Disciple's poison?"

"Not very long. It'll be soon. I only have three, maybe five hundred years of work to do. Okay, well I need to go into secluded meditation now." He muttered to himself about the difficulty of dispelling poison, and the fact that his Cultivation base wasn't completely recovered yet. Based on what it would cost him, it wouldn't be worth it. Furthermore, he had his master plan to think about. As for the Spirit Stone… it really was just a common low-grade Spirit Stone. He didn't have any qualms about deceiving members of the junior generation. He had done such things many times in the past. He had cheated many Cultivators back during the days of the Demon Sealing Sect. Giving another dry cough to try to gloss everything over, he lowered his head and disappeared into the fissure. As soon as he entered, it closed up behind him.

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Chapter 84: Meng Hao, What Are You Doing?

"Patriarch, Disciple went through innumerable trials and tribulations to bring those people here. I don't mind if there's no reward, but this poison…." A look of indignation had appeared on Meng Hao's face. But before he could even finish speaking, the fissure in the ground closed up completely. There was no trace that it had even existed. Patriarch Reliance was nowhere to be seen and didn't speak. The only things that remained were the seven burning lamps and the flickering light they cast. The seven Cores and the one Nascent Soul let of thin streams of Qi. The streams didn't emanate up, though. As soon as they left the lamp, they were sucked into the ground.

"Patriarch Reliance, I allowed myself to be poisoned because of you. You're from the senior generation, and you're a powerful expert. How could someone as powerful as you do something like this?!"

"I'm neither an expert nor powerful," replied the Patriarch with a light cough. "I've been like this since I was young. And that is not an ordinary Spirit Stone, kid. Your Cultivation base just isn't high enough to be able to tell. Wait until you're at the Spirit Severing stage, then you will know how amazing that treasure is."

"You… Patriarch, what's going on? I went through a lot of trouble! Why are you doing this!?" Meng Hao was furious. But everything around him was completely silent. Patriarch Reliance didn't say anything; in fact, he seemed to be ignoring Meng Hao.

"Patriarch, I don't need any other rewards. I just need help dispelling this poison. You… Patriarch, Disciple was constantly trying to figure out ways to bring those people here to help you recover your Cultivation base. How can you do this to me?!?!"

Meng Hao shouted out a few more times, but could see that Patriarch Reliance wasn't responding. Even though he was just a simple scholar, he was enraged to the extreme at the moment. He had been deceived, and couldn't help but begin to curse.

"Patriarch Reliance, you're a bastard!" For Meng Hao to say something like this showed that he was exceedingly incensed.

Suddenly, Patriarch Reliance's voice could be heard. "Kid, who do you think you're cursing? Do you really dare to cuss at me? I'll slap you to death!"

"I'm cursing you!" replied Meng Hao angrily. "If you're gonna slap me, then go ahead. I'm poisoned, so I'll die soon anyway. Get out here!"

Patriarch Reliance coughed a couple times. "Ahhhh. Never mind, never mind. I've always had a good temper. Hey, you're the sole heir of the Reliance Sect. At the moment, we're the only people in the whole Sect! I'm not going to get angry at you. Actually, a lot of people have cursed me over the years. It doesn't really matter. Look, you can't really blame me. I can't even go back out! My secluded meditation zone has been sealed. I could only come out if you brought another group of people. I couldn't help you now even if I wanted to." His words became more and more convincing as he spoke. He really had just renewed the seals, and if he wanted to break through, would need to spend several months doing so.

"You bastard!" said Meng Hao, finally understanding the truth of the situation. He could only gnash his teeth and continue to curse. But no matter what he said, Patriarch Reliance didn't respond. In the end, he just started humming a little tune. The happy little tune echoed out, and eventually Meng Hao realized that nothing he did would accomplish anything. Shameless Patriarch Reliance was not going to make an appearance.

His face filled with dark anger, he looked around. There were no bags of holding left behind from the Core Formation experts. Patriarch Reliance was obviously incredibly stingy and had taken them for himself. Meng Hao's gaze fell upon the seven Demonic lamps. Gritting his teeth, he slapped his bag of holding. Ten flying swords appeared and flew straight toward the lamps.

Before they could even get close to the lamps, however, the swords began to tremble and glow brightly. Then they shattered into pieces.

Meng Hao was livid. Seeing the Qi from the oil lamps seeping into the ground, he smacked his bag of holding again and the two wooden swords few out. They didn't meet the slightest resistance, but when they reached the oil lamps, they passed right through them, as if they weren't even there. There wasn't the slightest reaction from them.

"A Nascent Soul Cultivator and six Core Formation Cultivators," said Patriarch Reliance, his voice cheerful. "Their spiritual energy is quite abundant. As for your crappy swords, well, my seven demonic lamps are cut off from all other magical items. Non-sentient items can't affect them. Maybe if you were a bit more skilled, you would have some more options. But sorry, you can't steal things from me!" He continued to hum his merry little tune. At the moment, he sat cross-legged in front of a small Feng Shui compass about the size of a hand. The strands of Qi that sank down from above became bright red, and then were absorbed by the compass.

Meng Hao's face grew more and more grim as he retrieved the wooden swords. He had never imagined that Patriarch Reliance, being of the senior generation and having such an elevated Cultivation base, would treat Qi Condensation Cultivators with such shamelessness. A reward of a simple low-grade Spirit Stone? What was worse was how he claimed the Spirit Stone was an extraordinary object.

No matter from which angle Meng Hao looked at it, it appeared to be completely ordinary. It was nothing more than a low-grade Spirit Stone.

Before, Meng Hao had thought he cared a lot about Spirit Stones. But it turned out Patriarch Reliance was as stingy as an iron chicken from which feathers could not be plucked! He was a complete miser!

"One low-grade Spirit Stone. You bastard, you did this on purpose!" Meng Hao clenched his fists. He felt like he was about to go crazy. Not only were his words impolite, but in his heart, any and all good impressions he'd even had of Patriarch Reliance were wiped clean.

After a while, he turned, his jaw clenched. He wanted to throw the low-grade Spirit Stone away, but finally, he put it into his bag of holding. Then, he stalked off angrily.

"Aiya, you're leaving? Okay, okay. Don't forget to come back some time to hang out with Patriarch! You're my only heir, and the Sect only has the two of us now. This is your home; you can come back any time. I get lonely sometimes, so make sure to come back and keep me company." He continued to hum his happy tune.

Meng Hao didn't say anything. He walked away angrily, Patriarch Reliance's little tune echoing in his ears.

"Ai, it's too bad I'm sealed in here, otherwise I would see you off personally." Patriarch Reliance's voice was incredibly cheerful as he watched Meng Hao from within his secluded meditation chamber. "Meng Hao, you're such a good kid. You're just a bit too uptight. Hopefully in the future you can learn to be a bit more like me."

"You're really not going to come out?" said Meng Hao wrathfully. At the moment, he was walking past an area covered with a gray-colored restrictive spell. Suddenly, he stopped walking.

"Of course. Listen, I never tell lies. If I say that I can't go out, then I can't. It's not that I don't want to help you, it's just, hey…. Uh. What are you doing?" In the middle of his complacent little speech, he suddenly stopped talking and his eyes went wide.

Meng Hao had turned and was looking closely at a gray restrictive spell. During the battle between Lord Revelation and Patriarch Reliance, the restrictive spells in the entire area had been damaged. They were slowly recovering, but at the moment, there were still cracks visible. Some of the cracks were large enough to be holes, actually, although they were slowly sealing back up.

Within this restrictive spell was a veritable mountain of Spirit Stones. They had been collected by Patriarch Reliance over the course of his entire life. Most of them were low-grade Spirit Stones, but more than a few were mid-grade Spirit Stones, which were far more valuable.

Without a word, Meng Hao slapped his bag of holding. A wooden sword appeared and stabbed directly into the hole. Immediately, the sword's ability to absorb spiritual energy was manifested. The restrictive spell shook, trying to repair itself, but was unable to. The second wooden sword appeared, and it too was stabbed into the hole. The swords spread apart, and soon the hole was as wide as the hand of a child.

Normally, Meng Hao couldn't do something like this. But because of the cracks and holes in the spell, he had a unique chance.

"What are you doing?" echoed Patriarch Reliance's voice from within the ground. He stared in shock. He had a stingy personality, but enjoyed being able to put his lifetime accumulation of treasures on display. He liked to watch people's eyes turn red when they could look at, but not touch the treasures. He was also supremely confident in his restrictive spells. They were connected to his life force, so unless he died, no one would be able to break through them.

However, because of some strange properties that existed in Lord Revelation, some problems had cropped up when Patriarch Reliance absorbed him. Because of that, the restrictive spells were a bit slow in their recovery. This was a bit of a slip-up on his part.

"Meng Hao, even with that hole there, you won't be able to take all those Spirit Stones," laughed Patriarch Reliance. "There are too many. You won't be able to fit them inside. Oh well, it doesn't matter. I'm a generous person. Go ahead and take a few, I don't care."

Meng Hao let out a cold harrumph. Now that the wooden swords had opened up a hole, he reached deep into his robe and pulled out the bag of the Cosmos and aimed it at the little hole.

Meng Hao's Cultivation base charged into action like a wild horse. The mountain of Spirit Stones began to shudder, and then, one by one they began flying out of the hole, sucked into the bag of the Cosmos.

Faster and faster, the Spirit Stones flew into the black-hole that was the bag of the Cosmos. Patriarch Reliance watched the dazzling display, and a horrified shriek rang out from his mouth.

"A bag of the Cosmos…. Dammit, how can you have that! It's invisible to Spiritual Sense, and can contain mountains and rivers. You, you, you…. My Spirit Stones! I went through innumerable trials and tribulations throughout my life to accumulate that many Spirit Stones. Meng Hao, leave some behind for me!" His agonized cry continued to echo out, and the ground began to quake. He was obviously releasing some of his power. And yet the seal had just been put in place….

Meng Hao laughed coldly as he listened to Patriarch Reliance's miserable cries. Soon the mountain of Spirit Stones shrank to become a small hill. Meng Hao was truly venting his spleen.

"You dare to rip me off?" thought Meng Hao, gritting his teeth. "Then I'll rip you off even more! I'm going to clear out all of your treasures!"

"Meng Hao, you traitor! This is too excessive!" Patriarch Reliance felt as if the organs in his body were going to explode. He wanted to burst out of the seal, but it had just been put in place. It would take months before he could break it.

He could never have imagined that Meng Hao would have a bag of the Cosmos, nor that he would be able to snatch away his lifetime accumulation of Spirit Stones. At the moment, Patriarch Reliance felt as if a giant invisible blade were rotating around him, slashing him for every Spirit Stone that he lost.

It was as if he were being hacked to pieces. His heart ached.

He had always had a strange personality. In comparison to other Cultivators of his generation, he was a true weirdo. His greed and stinginess grew along with his Cultivation base and his age. He didn't have even the slightest bit of an aura of a powerful expert. He didn't seem to have a bottom line in anything either.

Several hundred years ago, during his first Severing, his Dao enlightenment had been regarding greed. You could say that it had been branding onto his spirit, and was a part of his Cultivation.

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Chapter 85: Ancient Demon Sealing Jade

Greedy and stingy. A miser to the core, even in terms of Cultivation. This was his Dao. In his enlightenment, treasures were the most important thing. These were the things that led to his First Spirit Severing.

This was why his meditation zone had so many areas protected by restrictive spells. It was his life savings. Accumulating all these items was not just a hobby, it was his version of the Dao.

To see it all disappearing before his eyes filled him with grief and indignation.

Within the space of ten breaths, the mountain of Spirit Stones was gone. There was even a random piece of jade underneath the mountain. It too was sucked into the bag of the Cosmos.

"That was my good luck charm. Dammit, Meng Hao, leave my good luck charm behind. You…." Before he could finish speaking, his eyes went wide again. After taking all the Spirit Stones, Meng Hao looked around, his eyes gleaming. Patriarch Reliance began to tremble.

The look in Meng Hao's eyes was like that of a master thief.

His gaze fell onto a small courtyard. Behind the cracked restrictive spell could be seen a variety of medicinal plants of many different colors. They were clearly beyond ordinary.

Meng Hao recognized some of the plants as ones described in Shangguan Xiu's treasured turtle shell. As he strode forward, his fingers flickered, and the two wooden swords appeared. They stabbed into a crack in the shield created by the restrictive spell. The crack slowly widened.

"Meng Hao, are you really going to steal my treasured items too? I'm your Patriarch! I paid a heavy price to steal that medicinal courtyard all those years ago…." Patriarch Reliance was growing even more anxious. The rumbling noise from under the ground grew stronger, but Meng Hao didn't even blink. He was happy to finally be able to vent his anger.

"My divine spirit plants… you, you… you're plucking them all out!" Patriarch Reliance's anger soared to the heavens. "That's my Outlander Tree. I cared for it for hundreds of years before it sprouted, you can't take it…." Amidst Patriarch Reliance's shrill protestations, Meng Hao cleared out the courtyard as cleanly as if he'd used a razor. He sucked everything into the bag of the Cosmos. By the time he withdrew the two wooden swords, the courtyard looked as if it had been swept by a massive gale.

"Enough, enough," said Patriarch hastily, looking over the emptiness. "Listen, little Patriarch, leave some things behind for old Patriarch here. Don't take anything else…. You're not allowed to touch any more of my things. Meng Hao, you listen to Patriarch, okay? As a member of the junior generation, you should have a bit of respect. You…."

"I've been like this since I was young," said Meng Hao with a cold snort, throwing Patriarch Reliance's words back at him. Looking around, he caught sight of a lone restrictive spell shield. Beneath it were what appeared to be three withered little trees. However, on each tree was a leaf that occasionally sparkled with arcs of energy, making them appear extraordinary.

Meng Hao had never seen anything like it, but considering this was Patriarch Reliance's meditation zone, and it was protected with a restrictive spell, he figured it must be very valuable. His eyes glittering, he strode over and stabbed the wooden swords into a crack in the still-recovering restrictive spell.

"Those are my Thunderclap Leaves. It's a Lightning type medicinal plant that's even rare in the Southern Domain!" Patriarch Reliance once again howled fiercely. Completely ignoring him, Meng Hao lifted the bag of the Cosmos up to the hole in the restrictive spell. The trees began to shake back and forth. Then, the three leaves ripped off of the trees, transforming into three arcs of black lightning which shot into the bag of the Cosmos.

Even more infuriating to Patriarch Reliance was that after the leaves entered his bag, Meng Hao didn't stop. The trees continued to sway back and forth until suddenly they flew up from the ground, roots and all, and were sucked into the bag of the Cosmos. Next to the trees was a little purple flag stuck into the ground, which was also sucked into the bag.

"You even… you ripped the Thunderclap Trees up by the roots and took them too! You're really pissing me off!! Meng Hao, you little bastard, you took the Lightning Flag as well? It's not very strong; it can only defend against a Foundation Establishment attack. But it can absorb lightning bolts! You need it to grow the Thunderclap Leaves!! Patriarch Reliance's heart dripped with blood as he howled and cursed in his subterranean chamber.

"I've always had a good temper," snorted Meng Hao, throwing more of Patriarch Reliance's words back in his face. "You're Patriarch of the Reliance Sect. At the moment, we're the only people in the whole Sect! I of the junior generation am not going to get angry at you. Actually, a lot of people have cursed me over the years. It doesn't really matter." Once again, he looked around.

This caused Patriarch Reliance's heart to seize. When he saw Meng Hao's gaze slide past another area with medicinal plants, he let out a small sigh of relief. His meditation zone contained his life's accumulation of treasures, but even still, the treasures could be categorized into high and low quality items.

"Just don't touch my baby," thought Patriarch Reliance. "Everything else… they're just trifling worldly possessions. I can gather more together later if I want." Patriarch Reliance's teeth were clenched, but his heart still continued to drip blood. In actuality, the word "trifling" had been a bit forced.

Within moments, Meng Hao had cleared out a few more courtyards of medicinal plants. Then he moved on to another area. Patriarch Reliance could only clench his jaw. He could do nothing more than let loose a torrent of abuse upon Meng Hao. He cursed and cursed, never repeating himself for more than half a sentence.

As he cursed, Meng Hao started to hum a little tune. It was a happy little tune, and just so happened to be the one Patriarch Reliance had been humming earlier. When Patriarch Reliance heard it, it made him so mad that he almost coughed up blood. The feeling he experienced was impossible to describe, but suffice to say, he was now experiencing the full repercussions of incurring Meng Hao's wrath.

Patriarch Reliance watched as Meng Hao looked around. When his gaze came to fall on a stretch of short wall, Patriarch Reliance's heart began to race, and he furiously said, "You little bastard, you're too cruel! I didn't dispel your poison, that's all. I even gave you a reward. A low-grade Spirit Stone is still a Spirit Stone."

Meng Hao had inspected almost all of the restrictive spells for cracks. In this area, many of the restrictive spells were completely recovered.

He circled the area, his eyes flashing back and forth. Suddenly, he realized that Patriarch Reliance had stopped speaking. He had only taken about thirty percent of the treasures in the area, and most were medicinal plants. He still wanted to vent some anger, so he decided to make one more circle to check for damaged restrictive spells.

When he returned to the place he'd started from, he frowned. There didn't seem to be anything special in there. He looked around and noticed a stretch of short wall. When he started to walk toward it, Patriarch Reliance suddenly began talking again.

"Alright, alright. Meng Hao, you're my only heir." As Patriarch Reliance watched Meng Hao walking toward the short wall, he grew more and more anxious. But his anxiety couldn't be detected in his voice. He sounded somewhat emotional as he said, "I'll dispel your poison. Just wait three months. I'll break out and take care of it for you. Then you can give me my treasures back. What do you say? Don't worry, I always keep my word. This time, I'll swear it in the name of the Sect. I definitely won't deceive you."

Meng Hao stopped walking and looked down at the ground. His eyes flickered, and he didn't say anything. He walked around, seemingly lost in thought; eventually he drawing close to the short wall.

"I never said that I wasn't going to dispel the poison," said Patriarch Reliance. He let out a sigh. "It's just that dispelling the poison would require quite a sacrifice of my Cultivation base. I would have to spend a lot of the energy I had just absorbed." His voice seemed to be deep and profound, but in actuality, as he saw Meng Hao nearing the short wall, his heart was filled with acute nervousness.

Meng Hao was silent. After the space of several breaths, he suddenly spoke.

"Why did you start talking when I began walking toward this wall, Patriarch? And why did you suddenly mention dispelling my poison? Could it be that there is some special treasure hidden here?" As the words came out of his mouth, Patriarch Reliance's eyes went wide. He realized he had said the wrong things. He secretly cursed Meng Hao for being so crafty.

"I'm just trying to do the right thing," said Patriarch Reliance with a cold harrumph. "Look kid, you…" Before he could finish speaking, Meng Hao jumped over the wall.

This filled Patriarch Reliance with fear and trepidation. His heart began to pound and his face fell. After leaping over the wall, Meng Hao looked around. As it turned out, there was a restrictive spell here.

It didn't look very special. Sealed inside was a jade slip. As for the restrictive spell, it was not complete; it still had some cracks in it. Meng Hao had no idea what the jade slip was, but without hesitation, he flicked his sleeve, stabbing the two wooden swords into the spell. He pried open a hole, then used the bag of the Cosmos to retrieve the jade slip.

Seeing the jade slip disappear into Meng Hao's bag caused Patriarch Reliance to emit a shrill shriek. The ground shook so hard it seemed it might crack. Before, Patriarch Reliance had been upset to see Meng Hao taking his treasures, but this fury was much more intense.

"Meng Hao, you cannot take that jade slip away! Even I don't dare to go near it. It belongs to a friend who left it here for safe keeping. You do not have the latent talent or the destiny to touch it! Do not remove it!"

Paying him no heed, he leaped onto a flying sword and flashed toward the vortex exit. At the same time, he slapped the bag of the Cosmos and pulled out the jade slip. Pressing it against his forehead, he cast some spiritual power into it. His expression changed as three characters appeared in his mind, filled with a Demonic aura.

"Demon Sealing Sect…."

"Meng Hao, you little bastard, get back here! You wait until I break through this seal. Then you're finished!" Patriarch Reliance let out a furious howl.

As the howl echoed out, Meng Hao's eyes flashed. He stopped at the mouth of the vortex, and then looked back down.

His eyes began to glitter. When Patriarch Reliance saw this, his heart began to thump again, and a strange premonition filled his heart. In his heart, in his mind, Meng Hao looked like nothing more than out-and-out thief.

This chapter was sponsored by Randall Klatt

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Chapter 86: Demonic Lamps that Separate Heaven and Earth!

"Break through the seal?" Meng Hao's eyes glittered as he glanced down at the seven oil lamps on the ground. He looked at them for a moment, then shot toward them.

He ignored the howls of Patriarch Reliance. After pillaging all the previous treasures, he was now certain that the Patriarch wouldn't be coming out.

"What are you doing!?" In his subterranean chamber, Patriarch Reliance's fury rose to new heights. However, seeing the look on Meng Hao's face, fear blossomed in his heart. He was starting to regret having let Meng Hao go. The look in his eyes was even stronger than the look which had appeared when Meng Hao began to steal his treasures.

Ignoring Patriarch Reliance, who he now knew was completely unreliable, Meng Hao stared at the seven lamps. He walked slowly around them, looking contemplative.

Every step he took seemed to land directly onto Patriarch Reliance's heart.

"It doesn't matter," Patriarch Reliance said in an attempt to comfort himself. "This little bastard is only at the ninth level of Qi Condensation. He can't take any of the spiritual energy from the demonic lamps…." His eyes went wide when he saw Meng Hao, after making a few circles around the lamps, sit down cross-legged to meditate.

Meng Hao sat there, his eyes flashing. He seemed hesitant, but before long, determination filled his eyes.

"Patriarch Reliance deceived me. Taking a few of his precious treasures isn't enough to calm me down. I'm going to take this spiritual energy as well. Then I will finally be able to relax." Meng Hao gritted his teeth when he thought about the single low-grade Spirit Stone the Patriarch had given him. And then there was the matter of the poison. As far as Meng Hao was concerned, not dispelling the poison had shoved him onto a road of hopelessness.

"Treasured items can't absorb the spiritual energy from the seven lamps, because they aren't sentient…. Fine, I'll absorb it myself!" He suddenly closed his eyes and rotated his Cultivation base, attempting to breath in the spiritual energy pouring out of the burning oil lamps.

But no matter how he tried to absorb the spiritual energy, as soon as it left the oil lamps, it was sucked into the ground. Deep in his subterranean chamber, Patriarch Reliance let out a great sigh of relief.

"Meng Hao, you little punk, whatever you try will be useless. Do you really dare to try to steal my spiritual power?" Patriarch Reliance let out a hearty, although somewhat bitter, laugh. When it reached Meng Hao's ears, he frowned for a moment. Then his face became calm again.

"No need to get antsy, Patriarch," he said coolly. "I've only just begun."

Patriarch Reliance stared in shock.

Meng Hao's eyes, which he had just closed, moved about as he recalled the image of his battle with Shangguan Xiu, and Little Tiger's pearl which had enabled him to reach the tenth level of Qi Condensation.

This was the method he wished to employ. He would return to the tenth level of Qi Condensation. Even though the incredible power of the tenth level of Qi Condensation left him cut off from heaven and earth, Meng Hao wanted to see if it could enable him to absorb the spiritual power of the lamps.

The legendary tenth level of Qi Condensation had existed in ancient times, but was now prohibited by the Heavens, cut off. But Meng Hao… had reached the tenth level once before… he had walked the severed path.

As he gathered his thoughts and his breath, his body gradually seemed to grow withered. The slender strand of Spiritual Sense in his head seemed to fill his thoughts. He sank into a strange and unusual state as he focused his entire being on remembering what it had been like to enter the tenth level of Qi Condensation.

Time slipped by. A day, two days, then three. Patriarch Reliance was growing more nervous. He couldn't quite tell what Meng Hao was doing, but could tell that his body was changing in a very strange way.

"Just what are you doing?" he asked hesitantly, as he came to realize that he was unable to discern what Meng Hao was up to.

On the night of the third day, a tremor shook Meng Hao. His eyes opened, and his body began to tremble violently. Once again he felt power filling his body; he now could employ force strong enough to topple a mountain. At the same time, the powerful gravitational force once again appeared within him, and he was cut off from heaven and earth!

At the moment, he couldn't absorb any of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. His eyes glowing, he slowly stood up, fighting to remain in this state. He knew that without Little Tiger's pearl, he could only hold on for the space of about ten breaths, after which he would sink back down.

He took a deep breath and then took a step forward. As his foot fell, the spiritual power emanating from the lamps quivered. Then, one tiny strand, instead of being sucked into the ground, drifted toward Meng Hao and was absorbed into his body.

When he saw this, Meng Hao's eyes shone even brighter. As for Patriarch Reliance, his body trembled and a look of astonishment appeared on his face.

"Holy crap!" he cried. "This is impossible!! That's… the tenth level of Qi Condensation! Dammit. Wasn't the path to the tenth level severed by the current will of the Heavens? You, you, you…. You got to the tenth level of Qi Condensation?!?!"

Patriarch Reliance let out a miserable cry as he watched Meng Hao take three more steps forward. About ten percent of the spiritual energy from the lamps rushed toward him. As he absorbed it, Patriarch Reliance howled even louder. "How is it possible? The damned tenth level of Qi Condensation isn't that awesome, but it was prohibited because it has the power to steal good fortune from the Heavens. If it's strong enough to do that, then as for my spiritual energy… Dammit. And what about my Demon Sealing Jade? Back then, those old bastards said that it could only be taken and used by someone who had reached the thirteenth level of Qi Condensation. This, this…."

After three steps, Meng Hao's body began to tremble, and he couldn't go any further. Boundless spiritual energy from the lamps rushed into him. Panting, he sat down and began to meditate, absorbing tremendous amount of spiritual energy. Patriarch Reliance could only howl angrily.

The gravitational force inside him was astonishing, like a starving wolf who hadn't eaten for years. Vast quantities of spiritual energy were sucked into him, and as it was, his body began to tremble more and more violently. He felt his physical body growing tougher and more powerful. It seemed as if even his bones were absorbing spiritual energy and becoming stronger.

The ancient tenth level of Qi Condensation was a stage of refinement for the physical body. Now here, in Patriarch Reliance's Immortal's Cave, he was seizing fortune for himself and entering this ancient state.

This level required lots of spiritual energy. Heaven and earth would not give it, but Patriarch Reliance had prepared a Nascent Soul and six Cores as fuel, and life force as flame. The spiritual energy pouring out of the demonic lamps was the nutrition that Meng Hao needed.

"Meng Hao!!! Stop! Stop! Let's discuss things a bit. I need that spiritual energy. I really, really need it. DO NOT absorb it! Dammit, cut it out, Meng Hao. That's my spiritual energy. I went to a lot of trouble killing all those people to get it. My seal! Meng Hao, if you don't stop, then I will expel you from the Sect!!" Flustered and exasperated, Patriarch Reliance had already forgotten about the treasures Meng Hao had taken, as well as the Demon Sealing Jade. You could say that all the things taken by Meng Hao before couldn't compare at all with this.

Meng Hao ignored him, continuing to absorb the spiritual energy like mad. His body continued to grow stronger. Soon, cracking sounds could be heard as his skin began to split and new flesh and blood grew.

More and more cracks spread out, and then the old flesh began to fall off. Meng Hao's hair grew longer, and his eyes brighter. The tenth level of Qi Condensation was now completely solidified within his body!

He would never lose the tenth level again, it was there permanently. In addition to the power of the tenth level of Qi Condensation, Meng Hao realized he had a new ability; if he wished, he could at will return to the ninth level of Qi Condensation to absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and then return back to the tenth level.

Some time passed, and Meng Hao's mind began to reel. The remnants of dried up flesh which remained on his body turned into ash and drifted away. His eyes glowed even brighter, and an incredible feeling of power filled Meng Hao. He was completely confident that with the power of the tenth level of Qi Condensation, he could use a single fist… to crush anyone of the ninth level of Qi Condensation.

This power was even stronger than what he had experienced when using Little Tiger's pearl.

Meng Hao took a deep breath. He stood up, not to leave, but to take another step forward. He was now only five paces away from the seven oil lamps.

Panting furiously, Patriarch Reliance let loose a torrent of intense curses as he watched Meng Hao absorbing an even greater amount of spiritual energy. He had solidified his tenth level of Qi Condensation, but instead of leaving, he moved on. Patriarch Reliance's heart pounded.

Now, thirteen percent of the spiritual energy emitted by the lamps was rushing toward Meng Hao. As the boundless amount of energy entered his body, a roaring sound filled him. His eyes were filled with determination. He took another step forward. He was now only four paces from the oil lamps.

The flames flickered as even more spiritual energy flew toward Meng Hao. As of now, he was taking sixteen percent!

"The gravitational force within me is not dispersing, it's actually growing stronger. Is it possible that… after the tenth level of Qi Condensation, there's an eleventh level?" Gritting his teeth, he called upon the power of the tenth level of Qi Condensation to take another step forward. He was now only three paces from the seven lamps. The flames within the lamps danced wildly as twenty percent of the spiritual energy they produced was sucked up by Meng Hao.

He took a deep breath, then sat down cross-legged to meditate.

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Chapter 87: I Shall Reach the Peak of the Thirteenth Level of Qi Condensation!

"Meng Hao…." Patriarch Reliance ground his teeth. He felt quite grieved, and was even more regretful. If he had known things would turn out this way, he would have said some nicer things to Meng Hao.

How could he have imagined that Meng Hao would be so cruel? Forget his cruelty, he had a bag of the Cosmos! Forget his bag of the Cosmos, he had entered into the tenth level of Qi Condensation!

The scene unfolding before him made him want to weep, except he had no tears to do so. He gnashed his teeth as an even further sense of trepidation filled his heart. He remembered the requirements of the Demon Sealing Jade; it could only be taken away and used by someone who had reached the thirteenth level of Qi Condensation. When those old bastards had said that back in the day, his heart had filled with contempt. He'd believed that he could prevent the legacy of the Demon Sealing Sect from continuing on to future generations. But, now that he saw Meng Hao passing into the eleventh level, his trembling heart filled with anxiety.

Unfortunately for him, there was nothing he could do other than grit his teeth and continue to absorb as much spiritual energy as possible. He needed to get more than Meng Hao did, and be faster at doing so. He needed the Feng Shui compass in front of him to be completely repaired, and prevent Meng Hao from advancing any further.

The spiritual energy being sucked into the ground and absorbed into the Feng Shui compass was bright red in color. It seemed as if it were sucking something out of the very earth it passed through.

"Dammit, Meng Hao. All I did was give you a low-grade Spirit Stone and not dispel your poison. Haven't you gone far enough? Haven't you? I'm still your Patriarch after all." Patriarch Reliance felt profoundly wronged.

As for Meng Hao, a roaring sound filled his entire body. With twenty percent of the lamps' spiritual energy being absorbed into him, his body was trembling, and he felt himself changing. The change was occurring to his Core sea. It grew larger, and as it did, his Qi passageways grew thicker. A bang rang out in his head, and he felt the sensation of breaking through to another level.

The eleventh level of Qi Condensation!

His Core sea spread out to fill his entire body. This type of Core sea really was impossible for someone of the Qi Condensation stage. Its majesty would ensure unending future growth and fighting power.

It would be more difficult for Meng Hao to reach Foundation Establishment with such a Core sea but… if he succeeded, then he would be twice as powerful as someone of the same stage!

The eleventh level of Qi Condensation does not refine the body, but the Core sea!

The extent of his Core sea caused Meng Hao's body to be filled with a thunderous sound. Spiritual energy as boundless as a sea filled him. The waves of the Core sea crashed and churned limitlessly.

Meng Hao opened his eyes and took a deep breath. The sound of the intake of his breath was like a clap of thunder. He stood up, his eyes gleaming with persistence. He took another step forward. Then two. Then three!

He now stood directly next to the seven oil lamps, close enough to touch them. He was absorbing thirty percent of their spiritual energy.

Thirty percent might not sound like a lot, but it would be impossible for Meng Hao were it not for the abilities of the tenth level of Qi Condensation. That was the stage of Qi Condensation that could steal good fortune from the Heavens, after all.

"Meng Hao, aren't you finished yet…." Patriarch Reliance watched Meng Hao take his three steps forward, his anxiety increased even more. If Meng Hao reached the twelfth level, he would be only one step away from being able to use the Demon Sealing Jade.

"Many thanks for your help, Patriarch," said Meng Hao calmly. "I'll be finished soon." He closed his eyes and began to absorb more spiritual energy into his body. His body shook as he stepped into the twelfth level of Qi Condensation.

Since ancient times, no one had ever entered… the twelfth level of Qi Condensation.

The instant he did so, Meng Hao felt a severe pain in his mind. His Spiritual Sense didn't go anywhere. But he felt as if his mind were being split in two. Now he felt… something like a stream within his mind.

This was… the Sea of Perception!

In modern times, Cultivators who broke through from the Qi Condensation into Foundation Establishment would form a Sea of Perception from nothing. Usually, this type of Sea of Perception would not be very large. It had nothing to do with latent talent, but rather with the method used. Obviously, the larger the Sea of Perception, the more power it could wield, and the more boundless the Cultivator's Spiritual Sense would be.

In ancient times, Cultivators preferred to break through to Foundation Establishment in the twelfth level of Qi Condensation. This is because the twelfth level is when the Sea of Perception opens up. By practicing Cultivation in this fashion, the Sea of Perception would be far more powerful than others of the Foundation Establishment stage.

In the modern Cultivation world, Meng Hao was the first Cultivator to ever enter the twelfth level of Qi Condensation. If news of this spread, it would shake the entire Cultivation world.

At the moment, Patriarch Reliance was shaken. He stared dumbly at Meng Hao, able to watch unimpeded as Meng Hao's previous ninth level of Qi Condensation now rose to the twelfth. He didn't know what to say.

"….In ancient times," he muttered, "the legends said that the great circle of Qi Condensation could be completed at the thirteenth level. But even in ancient times, such a thing was rarely seen. It was said that the thirteenth level of Qi Condensation was related to the good fortune of Heaven, and…. could change the latent talent of a Cultivator! It wouldn't change much. But latent talent is birthed from the Heavens, so even the slightest change would definitely be a defiance of the Heavens.

"I don't remember how many years ago it was that the old bastards from the Demon Sealing Sect boasted that I was incredibly lucky… but compared to me, this kid is the lucky one. Dammit, he's too lucky! How could I have possibly provoked this reaction!"

As Patriarch Reliance spoke, Meng Hao opened his eyes. They shined with a profound light. He felt splitting pain within his head, but within that pain, he also could sense an unprecedented clearness.

The world seemed different when he looked at it, although he couldn't quite tell which particular things weren't the same. It was as if everything now shone with radiances that he had never noticed before.

At this time, the massive gravitational power seemed on the verge of dissipating, as if his body knew that he was reaching his absorption limit.

Soon, the amount of spiritual energy he was absorbing from the oil lamps dropped from thirty percent to twenty, and then to ten.

This caused Meng Hao to frown. He could tell that his Cultivation base had not reached its peak…. he could sense that there was another layer beyond his current layer. He could feel the great circle of Qi Condensation.

It was a powerful feeling, but as the gravitational power grew weaker and weaker, it seemed as though that next level would be forever closed off to him.

"Haha, it's like I said," laughed Patriarch Reliance, his eyes glittering. "The thirteenth level of Qi Condensation was even rare in ancient times. It was such a thing of legends that you could basically say it didn't exist. The twelfth level is the limit. Meng Hao, there's no need to try any further. Quickly, back away. Don't get in the way of my master plan. If you do, then just wait till I get out of here and see how I mop the floor with you! You need a spanking, you little bastard!" Even though Meng Hao had sucked away some of the spiritual energy, it actually wasn't very much. There was still enough left to accomplish his master plan. And if Meng Hao didn't reach the thirteenth level, then there was no way for him to have the required latent talent to use the Demon Sealing Jade.

"Seems this kid's good fortune isn't that amazing after all," said Patriarch Reliance complacently. But then, Meng Hao's eyes flickered. He had a stubborn personality. Now that he had reached the twelfth level of Qi Condensation and caught a glimpse of the next level, he would do everything possible to break through.

"The gravitational power is weakening…. How can I continue to add spiritual energy…" Meng Hao's mind spun with thousands of possibilities until finally his eyes began to glitter and he smacked his bag of holding. The two wooden swords whistled out.

He looked at them, then gritted his teeth and caused one of them to fly straight toward himself. Patriarch Reliance watched on in astonishment as the sword slashed Meng Hao. Soon, over ten gaping wounds covered his body.

Meng Hao clenched his jaw as the sword slashed the bloody marks across him. His eye shone with determination. As the blood splashed from the wounds, Meng Hao felt the spiritual power in his body seeping out as well.

This was exactly what he wanted!

As the spiritual power leaked out of his body, the gravitational power within him suddenly trembled, then gradually grew stronger. When this happened, Meng Hao's mind was set. Taking control of the second sword, he sent both of them flying around him, slashing his body with wound after wound. In the blink of an eye, nearly one hundred cuts covered his flesh.

The wounds sent the physical power of his body into action, and at the same time caused the gravitational power within him to grow more and more powerful.

Patriarch Reliance was simply dumbstruck. He could never in his wildest dreams imagine that Meng Hao would use such a method. When he saw the multitude of bloody wounds, and the determination in Meng Hao's eyes, it gave him a deep sense of how ruthless Meng Hao could be. If he could treat himself with such cruelty, how ruthlessly could he treat others?!

The more wounds that covered him, the stronger the gravitational force became. The amount of spiritual energy he siphoned from the lamps jumped from ten percent to forty. And yet, even though the spiritual energy poured into his body, he couldn't break through to that next level.

After some time passed, Meng Hao laughed. With a cold smile, he raised his right hand, causing one of the wooden swords to whistle around and fly toward his chest. It stabbed through him, sending out fountains of blood. Blood also sprayed out of his mouth. Instantly, the spiritual power in his body dropped by a huge percentage. This, in turn, caused the gravitational power to climb higher by several percentages.

By now, he was absorbing fifty percent of the spiritual energy coming from the seven oil lamps.

A booming sound rang out. Filled with boundless spiritual energy, Meng Hao launched everything at the barrier between the levels. Blood sprayed from his mouth, and the wooden swords once again slashed through his body. The spiritual energy from the seven lamps surged; as of now, Meng Hao was sucking away seventy percent of it!

It was in this way that Meng Hao launched his attack from the twelfth level of Qi Condensation into the thirteenth.

Time slipped by. More wounds appeared on his body, a product of Meng Hao's ruthlessness. Soon, his body began to tremble and his vision grew blurry. He was now absorbing ninety percent of the spiritual energy from the seven oil lamps. It was as if he were bathing in thick, pure spiritual energy.

"You're going to kill yourself…." Patriarch Reliance watched the scene, his breathing agitated. Meng Hao's stubbornness left him reeling.

"I will become powerful! There's no reason. I must become powerful!" Meng Hao began to lose consciousness, but his stubbornness wouldn't allow him. Despite his current condition, he wouldn't even think of giving up. He continued to murmur to himself, that he, must, become, powerful!

Meng Hao MUST break through to the thirteenth level of Qi Condensation.

"This is his Dao…" Patriarch Reliance took a deep breath, finally understanding.

This chapter was sponsored by Patrick Nguyen, Nur Arif, Sai Pakalapati, Subtle Inc., and Hein Haugeberg

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Chapter 88: Lord Revelation's True Self

Boom!

The two wooden swords stabbed simultaneously through Meng Hao's body, sending showers of blood flying out. The flame of Meng Hao's life force was growing dimmer. However, the gravitational force within him had grown to an unprecedented height. It was so strong that it seemed as if it might be able to suck in everything around him. It was as if regardless of whatever obstacle faced him, regardless of whatever danger he was in, nothing could block his path to becoming a powerful expert.

The gravitational force seemed to be affecting Meng Hao's stupor. His mind expanded into boundlessness.

Patriarch Reliance looked at him and murmured, "This is… stealing good fortune from the Heavens!"

At the moment, Meng Hao's desire to be powerful had fused with his Cultivation base, a stubbornness which belonged to the thirteenth level of Qi Condensation; he would steal from the Heavens; he would defy the Heavens to change his life force.

A thunderous boom sounded out as the full and complete spectrum of spiritual energy from the seven oil lamps poured into Meng Hao. As it entered his body, it became his blade with which to attack and break through the level gap.

It was the combined power of six Core Formation Cultivators and one Nascent Soul Cultivator. But that was only part of it. The most important part of his attack, the truest part, was his stubborn desire to become powerful. This desire was completely in line with the thirteenth level of Qi Condensation, which had been rejected by the Heavens. This was what forged his thirteenth level of Qi Condensation!

Amidst the roaring, the level gap disintegrated. The instant it did, Meng Hao, bathed as he was in inexhaustible spiritual energy, felt his Cultivation base soaring up from the twelfth level to the thirteenth level. He had now become the first Cultivator since ancient times to complete the great circle of Qi Condensation.

In that instant, the latent talent in Meng Hao which enabled him to practice Cultivation, suddenly changed. There was no sound or any other indication that it had happened. Even Meng Hao was only vaguely aware of the change. However, if an outsider were to examine his current latent talent, they would see that it was no longer average, as it had been in the past. Although he couldn't be considered Chosen, his latent talent was now much higher.

From time immemorial, no one had ever been able to change their own latent talent. No heavenly material or earthly treasure had the power to change the destiny appointed by the Heavens. And yet today, Meng Hao had done just that!

He was the first person since ancient times to complete the great circle of Qi Condensation, as well as the first person to change his latent talent. This was a new beginning, a fresh start on the path to becoming a powerful expert.

The instant he completed the great circle of Qi Condensation, all of the wounds in his body healed instantly. Immersed in spiritual energy, his body had experienced another rebirth.

You could even say that Meng Hao himself had been reborn anew.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Meng Hao's eyes flashed open. The surrounding spiritual energy once again began to surge down into the earth. Now that he had completed the great circle of Qi Condensation, the gravitational force within him was completely gone.

Having witnessed Meng Hao's transformation with his own eyes, Patriarch Reliance was left speechless.

Even more astonishing was that after Meng Hao opened his eyes, he reached out with his right hand and picked up one of the seven oil lamps. This was the lamp which contained Lord Revelation's Nascent Soul. After picking it up, he turned, and his body turned into a beam of light as he shot toward the vortex exit.

"You, you, you… aren't you afraid of getting burned to death!?" Patriarch Reliance sat in a daze for a moment, and then started cursing again as he watched Meng Hao disappear through the vortex.

"You little bastard! You're shameless!! You people from the Demon Sealing Sect are all bastards! Shameless to the extreme!!" He paced back and forth furiously, letting out a torrent of howls.

As soon as Meng Hao left through the vortex, the Immortal's Cave began to seal up behind him. Only a rapidly closing fissure remained, from which emanated the stench of death.

Within the Southern Domain, outside of the State of Zhao, was a bordering nation called the State of Revelation. The land itself wasn't much different from that of the State of Zhao, but its people were somewhat bizarre.

Whereas the State of Zhao revered the Eastern Lands, the State of Revelation did not. They did not pay obeisance to the Great Tang, but rather, the mysteries of the Heavens. Therefore, all the Sects within the State of Revelation were branches of the Revelation Sect.

In the mysterious eastern regions of the State of Revelation were three mountain ranges which wound back and forth like twisting dragons. One particular mountain peak had the appearance of two dragon heads locked in combat. This was the pinnacle of the State of Revelation. Mist curled around the peak, on top of which was a bell. Once per year, the bell would toll, and the echoes would reverberate out for three days.

Beneath the bell was a forest of ornate buildings. This was none other than… the most powerful Sect in the nation, the Revelation Sect!

Atop the main gate of the Revelation Sect sat a Cultivator who wore black robes. He was very old, and had the demeanor of a transcendent being. In the memories of the disciples of the Revelation Sect, it had been a very, very long time since he had sat down there in meditation. No matter how the wind and rain buffeted him, no matter how many years passed by, he sat there like a rock, eternally still.

Many disciples didn't even know who he was. Considering how he sat cross-legged in meditation underneath the Revelation Bell, he was clearly an Elder of the Sect. However, whenever the powerful experts of the Sect looked at him, their eyes would fill with intense looks of veneration.

At the moment, the Revelation Sect was filled with the uninterrupted sound of disciples chanting scriptures. The sound formed an invisible force which drifted about, then slowly congealed at the top of the mountain, where there seemed to be some type of vortex. The vortex would slowly suck in the power of the chanting.

This was something that only Cultivators could see. The chanting of the Revelation Sect disciples rose up and then merged into the Revelation Bell. In fact, the bell seemed to be sucking in, not just the chanting of the Cultivators, but the prayers of everyone in the entire nation.

At this moment, the old man who had been sitting under the Revelation Bell for seemingly an eternity, began to tremble, and then coughed up a mouthful of blood. Suddenly, the bell tolled, its sound echoing into the sky and sounding out through the entire State of Revelation.

The disciples within the Revelation Sect were shocked. The Sect Elders and powerful experts instantly opened their eyes from meditation. One by one, they turned into prismatic beams which shot toward the Revelation Bell.

When they arrived, they saw the black-robed old man sitting there, his eyes wide open.

"Greetings, Patriarch!"

"Patriarch, are you in good health?" Dozens of Cultivators surrounded him, bowing respectfully with clasped hands.

The black-robed old man's eyes flashed as if with lightning. His left pupil blazed with an intense brightness and looked like the sun, whereas his right pupil exuded darkness and had the appearance of a crescent moon. The two pupils were completely different. One look at this man, and you would never be able to forget him.

When he opened his eyes, it seemed as if his forehead had split, and another eye appeared. However, this was an eye invisible to others. The only thing an observer would see was a blood-red glow. Above him, storm clouds began to gather, and a fierce wind whipped about.

"Patriarch Reliance! You destroyed my clone and refused my good intentions. You're… You're finished! I'm not the only one with a few tricks up my sleeve. What do you have to fall back on, your trifling Spirit Severing? You truly dare to arouse the wrath of the Dawn Immortal?!" The old man's face was grim. He slapped his hand onto the ground, and the mountain peak trembled. Ripples shook the ground, sending the surrounding Cultivators retreating in shock.

At the same time as the mountain began to shake, the Revelation Bell sounded out, then rose up into the air. Surrounding the bell were countless magical symbols which flew and twisted about, glowing brightly. The glow was nearly blinding, and spread out throughout the entire State of Revelation.

"The Demonic forces are descending! It is exactly as our ancestors divined! This shall prove to be a calamity for Heaven and Earth, but also a chance for Revelation to rise! I shall take back my clone's Nascent Soul, and then we will see if Patriarch Reliance still dares to be arrogant!"

Of course, this black-robed man was none other than Lord Revelation. His clone had been consumed by Patriarch Reliance, and this was his true self. As he spoke, he stood and flew up into the sky. He snatched up the enormous Revelation Bell and then transformed into a multicolored rainbow and shot toward the State of Zhao, radiating killing intent.

Meanwhile, within the state of Zhao, a buzzing sound could be heard within the ancestral hall of the Cold Wind Sect. With a strange look on his face, the disciple on duty pushed open the door. When he looked inside, his entire body began to shake, and a look of astonishment and intense dread appeared on his face.

Within the ancestral hall, the life slips of various Sect Cultivators were neatly lined up on display. Suddenly, the life slips belonging to the Sect's Core Formation Priest as well as Elder Taishang began to crack and crumble!

This meant that the Core Formation Priest and Elder Taishang had died!

Furthermore, the slips belonging to the Foundation Establishment Elders fell apart. When this happened, the disciple on ancestral hall guard duty shook. A look of disbelief filled his face.

When the Core Formation Priest had departed with the others, he'd left behind a Foundation Establishment Elder to guard the Sect. When that man learned of the news, his face went pale, and he immediately ordered that no one be told. He knew that if something like this happened to a Sect, if its Core Formation experts were killed, it was nothing other than a catastrophe. It would likely lead to the downfall of the entire Sect. For almost all of the Foundation Establishment Cultivators to be wiped out would only hasten the fall.

"What happened in Patriarch Reliance's meditation zone?!" The Foundation Establishment Elder immediately gathered a group of Qi Condensation disciples and sent them in the direction of the Reliance Sect.

Next, trying to calm his mind, he took hold of a special horn that hadn't been sounded out for hundreds of years.

This horn had a name: Horn of the Dao.

Sounding the Horn of the Dao would awaken the Sect's Dao Reserves!

Every Clan and Sect had Dao Reserves, which would be passed down from generation to generation. For the three great Sects, their Dao Reserves would generally consist of a Sect Patriarch who had failed in reaching the Nascent Soul stage, but postponed death by resting in suspended animation in a Pseudo Nascent Soul condition. Only they would be able to suppress the panic that would arise because of the impending catastrophe.

When the horn call sounded out in the Cold Wind Sect, it reached the ears of an old withered man sitting cross-legged in a top-secret Immortal's Cave. He looked dead; his body was so emaciated it was little more than skin and bones. But when he heard the call of the horn, his eyes opened.

His Spiritual Sense instantly roared out, enveloping the entire Cold Wind Sect. When it entered the body of the Foundation Establishment Cultivator, the man began to tremble, and a look of pain appeared on his face. He was filled with a powerful feeling that seemed as if it could obliterate him. This was Spiritual Sense, which was being used to rifle through his memories.

After a while, the Spiritual Sense departed, and the Foundation Establishment Cultivator fell to the ground panting, his body limp and his face pale. He knew that if he wasn't of the Foundation Establishment stage, the memory search that had just been performed on him would have killed him.

A profound voice echoed out throughout the Cold Wind Sect. "Take my Freezing Jade and seal off all the mountains around the Reliance Sect. Do not let anyone out of the region. I will be awake in a few hours. In the meantime, you go search the area for any clues." The Foundation Establishment Cultivator immediately struggled to his feet, then clasped his fists and bowed deeply.

An ice-cold piece of blue jade flew into his hand.

Similar scenes played out in the Winding Stream Sect and the Upright Evening Sect. When the life slips belonging to their Priests and Elders crumbled, they all used their Sects' Dao Reserves.

As of this moment, the Cultivation world of the State of Zhao had been thrown into an uproar.

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Chapter 89: Guyiding Tri-Rain 1

Patriarch Reliance sat in his sealed meditation zone, the flames of his fury rising to the heavens. He cursed continuously in anger and pain. Regarding Meng Hao, the Patriarch had a somewhat helpless feeling. After all, he was the Reliance Sect's only heir….

"That little bastard is just too ruthless. I'm his Patriarch! First he steals half my treasures, then takes away my Demon Sealing Jade. After that, he robs me of my spiritual energy, and then shamelessly pillages one of my demonic lamps!!" He was nearly out of breath from cursing. When he thought of the ancient demonic lamp, he suddenly looked worried.

"Okay, so I didn't dispel the poison, that's true, but that doesn't mean you can act like this! An upright person should be reasonable. When I stole treasures from people, I discussed things with them reasonably first.

"He really reached the thirteenth level of Qi Condensation. All those years ago those bastards said that the Demon Sealing Jade couldn't be taken away by someone who hadn't reached the thirteenth level of Qi Condensation…. Originally I thought they were just trying to make it sound mysterious, and was really happy. Obviously, those old bastards tricked me. If the Demon Sealing Jade couldn't be taken away, then even if my plan worked, I wouldn't be able to break the seal. But… wow! He actually reached the thirteenth level!! And the little bastard took it away! I can feel that… the seal is weakening!

"I might be missing one of the demonic lamps, which reduces the chances of opening the Demonic Seal, but still, it's been unstable for years now. And now, it's showing even more signs of weakness… Holy crap, how come the Cultivators of the Demon Sealing Sect always deceive me!? Those bastards were like this years ago, and now the little bastard is the same…" Patriarch Reliance ground his teeth, but as he thought about all this, he remembered Meng Hao throwing his words back at him. Then he thought of his stubbornness in reaching the thirteenth level of Qi Condensation, and couldn't help but sigh.

"This kid really does things in line with my style. I didn't want to put myself in a bad position that time; you deceived me, I deceived you. The old bastards from the Demon Sealing Sect didn't tell the truth. They thought that if they ran away, I couldn't get at them. Well, maybe that was true, but at least I could change the name from Demon Sealing Sect to Reliance Sect. I couldn't deceive them, but I could deceive their descendants…. Dammit, if I'd known Meng Hao would reach the thirteenth level of Qi Condensation and then get the required latent talent to take away the Demon Sealing Jade, I would have just dispelled his poison and sent him on his way as fast as possible. Then he would never have had the chance to reach the thirteenth level. But if that happened, then I probably would never have the chance to open the seal, right?" Patriarch Reliance was somewhat at a loss. Even though he was upset, he could only sigh and feel torn.

Patriarch Reliance had a very eccentric personality and was not easy to get along with. Meng Hao didn't know that, of course. In fact, before the Sect had been disbanded, no one else had known either. Only the people who were of the same generation as Patriarch Reliance could know of such matters. To them, the mere mention of Patriarch Reliance would arouse feelings of hatred.

But you cannot use normal methods to analyze people with eccentric personalities. For example, even though Meng Hao robbed his treasures, stole his spiritual energy, took away one of his demonic lamps and angered him to the point of driving him crazy, he actually felt admiration for him. This type of thing is not something that ordinary people can understand.

Actually, if Meng Hao had just silently left, then Patriarch Reliance would have forgotten about him completely within a couple years. But acting as he did had left a deep impression on Patriarch Reliance. He would never be able to forget the complicated, torn feelings he was experiencing.

Outside of the Reliance Sect, in the State of Zhao, it was a warm and sunny day. However, storm clouds were brewing on the horizon. Meng Hao's face was calm as he sat cross-legged on his treasured fan. He soared forward at high speed.

He had lowered his Cultivation base back to the ninth level of Qi Condensation. He wouldn't reveal the great circle of Qi Condensation unless he needed to. Even though his achievements were significant, the poisons in his body had not been dispelled. It was like a fishbone stuck in his throat. He sat in silent contemplation, trying to figure how to get rid of the poison.

"Of the four poisons, I was able to get rid of one. Excepting the poison from the three-colored poison pill, the other poisons will be easy to dispel…. I need to figure out the fastest way to find the poison dispelling pills." Regarding everything that had happened with Patriarch Reliance, Meng Hao's hatred and anger had already subsided.

He glided along, and before long thunder and lightning filled the sky; big raindrops the size of beans fell down. The land was covered with sheets of rain, making everything look dim and hazy.

It was raining now, but the general temperature was as hot as ever. The heat was stifling enough to make it difficult to breathe. Only within the rain could a bit of coolness be felt.

Amidst the heavy rain, Meng Hao stopped gliding and stood atop a mountain top. Looking off into the distance, he pushed the rain away so that it wouldn't fall onto him. It was like he was standing in his own land, separate from the rest of the murky world.

He looked out at the earth surrounding him and thought of all his experiences over the past years. He had completed the great circle of Qi Condensation, which seemed like something from a dream. After thinking about everything for a long time, he sighed.

"I wonder… I wonder how Elder Sister Xu is doing now," he said softly as her face appeared in his mind. He looked off in the direction he supposed was the center of the Southern Domain.

He lifted up his right hand, and a jade slip appeared. The jade slip was carved with mountains and rivers, and was covered with cracks. It looked as if it might crumble at any moment.

This was what Patriarch Reliance had called a good luck charm, which he had found at the bottom of the mountain of Spirit Stones. He looked at it closely, then sent a bit of his spiritual energy into it. There was no reaction.

Muttering to himself, he put the good luck charm back and then pulled out the palm-sized black flag. There appeared to be a spark of energy moving about inside it. Muttering to himself again, he opened his mouth and blew out some Qi from his Cultivation base, sending it into the flag.

"This item isn't sealed to Patriarch Reliance, so I can use it. I'll need to refine it a bit before I can use its full power, though…." He infused it with some more Qi before putting it back.

Next, he carefully brought out the burning oil lamp, within which was a tiny figure sitting cross-legged. When Meng Hao pulled out the burning Nascent Soul, streams of spiritual energy once again roiled out.

Flames appeared in front of his eyes, but he didn't feel any heat. However, he knew that it was powerful. After all, the flame was life force and the Nascent Soul was the fuel.

"This item will be extremely useful. I can use it as a life-saving treasure!" Eager to the extreme, Meng Hao tucked it back into the bag of the Cosmos.

At last, he pulled out the ancient jade piece. It carried a sense of profound ancientness, as if it had existed for countless ages.

Meng Hao looked at it, heart thumping. He sent some spiritual energy into it, upon which three characters appeared in his head. "Demon Sealing Sect…."

Some mnemonics also appeared, which he couldn't quite see clearly. Only the first three characters were legible.

He poured a greater amount of spiritual energy into it, whereupon a roaring sound filled his head. He involuntarily took a few steps back and immediately stopped forcing spiritual energy into it. He could tell that someone who hadn't completed the great circle of Qi Condensation would only be able to see the three characters and a bit beyond that. As of now, he was only able to read the first line.

""Ancient Dao; Tenacious Desire to Seal the Heavens; Benefaction for All in the Mountains; Inevitable Dao Tribulation of the Nine Mountains and Seas; Perennial Will." Meng Hao's body trembled and suddenly his vision cleared. The rain was currently falling on him, soaking him.

A strange light filled his eyes. He looked back down silently at the jade slip. In his head, images appeared of the Demonic technique used by Patriarch Reliance, and the Demonic magic Shangguan Xiu had used to control the aura of Mount Daqing.

After contemplating for a long time, he still didn't understand. He sat down cross-legged, again pouring some spiritual energy into the jade slip. Once more, he contemplated the words' deep meaning.

Enough time passed for an incense stick to burn. The rain had come quickly, and it passed quickly. Meng Hao suddenly opened his eyes. Even as a child, he had been very smart. Even though he hadn't succeeded in his life as a scholar, once he entered the Reliance Sect, he had been very quick to grasp magical techniques. He didn't need to spend a lot of time practicing. In fact, this was the first time he had ever had trouble utilizing a mnemonic.

It was as if the mnemonic was something which required enlightenment to understand. Without enlightenment, it could only be observed from the outside, never entered.

"The words seem extremely complicated, their true meaning obscure. It's like trying to look at flowers in the midst of fog, or the moon on rippling seawater…." He pondered silently for a while, until a bright look appeared in his eyes. He lifted his head and gazed up at the sky, looking a bit hesitant.

More time passed. Finally, determination rose in his eyes. He leaped up, and a flying sword appeared beneath his feet as he shot off into the distance.

"If I can reach Foundation Establishment, then I can fly for long periods. That will be much better than this." The wind buffeted his face as he soared forward. After a while, the flying sword's momentum began to fade. Meng Hao dropped to the ground and continued to run.

Time passed slowly. The first time he had left these mountains, he had been at the sixth level of Qi Condensation, and it had taken him two days. Now, he was of the great circle of Qi Condensation, and it only took about an hour. Soon, he was out of the mountains, and had reached the North Sea. 2

He stood once again on the shore, looking out at the lake. He took a deep breath, and then, face filled with sincerity, clasped his hands and bowed deeply two times.

The first bow was for the North Sea's kindness in demonstrating the Dao and helping him break through his bottleneck.

The second bow was for when the North Sea had helped him during his battle with Ding Xin, when it had saved his life and caused him to be reborn.

"I've already made my promise two times, so I won't say it again. It has been imprinted onto my heart." He lifted his head, looking out toward the center of the lake. After some time, he closed his eyes and sat down cross-legged to meditate. In his mind, the mnemonic from the jade slip appeared.

""Ancient Dao; Tenacious Desire to Seal the Heavens; Benefaction for All in the Mountains; Inevitable Dao Tribulation of the Nine Mountains and Seas; Perennial Will." A long time passed, and the words continued to reverberate in his mind. And yet, he still did not understand what they meant.

More time passed as Meng Hao continued to try to decipher the meaning of the words. Suddenly, a hearty laugh echoed out from across the lake.

"Young sir, do you want to cross the sea?"

Meng Hao lifted his head and saw a boat approaching. On the boat was an old man wearing a woven rush raincoat. Inside was a young girl, eight or nine years old, with big eyes. When she looked at Meng Hao, an innocent smile appeared on her face.

Meng Hao laughed, clasping hands and bowing to the old man and the girl. Then he leaped up onto a flying sword and shot toward them. He dropped down into the boat.

Just like before, there was a bottle of alcohol being warmed. The young girl took it out and poured a cup for Meng Hao, but didn't hand it to him. She put her chin onto her hands and looked at him.

"Big Brother, why did you come back?" she said, her voice pure and clear. "Did you come to see Guyiding Tri-Rain?

Meng Hao stared at her blankly.

"Guyiding Tri-Rain is my name. But, you can't tell anybody, okay Big Brother?" She laughed and winked at Meng Hao, looking very charming.

Meng Hao smiled and cupped his hands again in a bow, then accepted the cup of alcohol.

The old man laughed as the boat continued on toward the center of the lake. He looked back at Meng Hao. "We haven't seen each other for many days. Young sir, your demeanor is much more refined than in the past. Are you heading for the other shore this time?"

"I of the junior generation am not here to cross the lake," Meng Hao said lightly, taking a sip of alcohol. "I'm here to clear up some confusion."

This chapter sponsored by Hein Haugeberg

1. In the original release of this chapter, Er Gen challenged the audience to figure out the meaning of Guyiding Tri-rain's name. There was much debate about it. Here is the breakdown of her name:

Chinese characters: 古乙丁三雨

Transliteration: Gu Yi Ding San Yu

Characters:

古 – Gu – ancient, old

乙 – Yi – second; the second of the Heavenly Stems; bent; winding

丁 – Ding – surname; man; fourth of the Heavenly Stems

三 – San – three

雨 – Yu – rain

2. Previous related chapters about the North Sea: Chapter 44 and Chapter 66

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Chapter 90: The Great Path of Demon Sealing, a Concept Like a Scripture

The old man put down the oar and looked back at Meng Hao. Laughing, he walked over, poured himself some alcohol, and then took a drink.

"Clear up what confusion?"

Meng Hao held his cup of alcohol and then softly said, "I'm confused about something I read. It said, '"Ancient Dao; Tenacious Desire to Seal the Heavens….'" Shock suddenly covered the face of the old man. The blood drained from the face of the young girl. Waves suddenly surged across the North Sea, causing the boat to rock back and forth violently.

"Stop!" cried the old man. The cup of alcohol in his hand suddenly disappeared into a dark mist and he stared at Meng Hao.

Meng Hao gaped.

"Don't say that again. I can't explain those words to you. Neither can anyone else in heaven or earth. If you truly seek enlightenment, then enter the heart of the sea." He closed his mouth and looked at the young girl. Some time passed, and finally her countenance returned to normal. She gave a slight nod.

Meng Hao was silent for a while, before asking, "What do you mean by the heart of the sea?"

In a tone of voice which carried deep profundity, the old man said, "There are things which have been concealed at the bottom of the sea for a thousand years. That is the heart of the sea. If you seek an answer to your questions, perhaps you should also examine your own heart."

Meng Hao found himself lost in thought for a long time. When he finally looked up, his eyes widened in shock. There was no trace of the old man or the young girl. He was alone on the lake. In fact, the boat had disappeared too.

He stared blankly for a while, until his vision came to focus on a spot some distance away. There, on the far bank, a group of people was lowering a brand new boat into the water. It slowly entered the lake, and then laughter rang out. The sounds of the peoples' celebratory cheers surrounded the boat.

The boat slowly approached the center of the lake. Rowing it was a middle-aged man, accompanied by a woman and a child. Meng Hao watched as, day after day, year after year, he rowed back and forth across the lake. Many years passed, and the man grew old. The man's son grew up, and took over rowing the boat. Years and years passed. Generations and generations.

The boat, once brand new, slowly began to crack and grow old. It began to age.

Eventually it grew so dilapidated that it couldn't be repaired. Like a life that has reached its limit, it couldn't be forced to go on any further. It slowly sank to the bottom of the lake.

It had lived its life on the surface, and died at the bottom. Its existence had been on the waters of the lake, accompanying generation after generation of mortals who had created it. Other than them, the lake was its entire life.

In its life, the lake was its companion. No one could hear the voice of the lake, but it could. When it sank to the bottom, it died, but was also reborn.

At that moment, it awoke.

The moment it awoke, it saw a young girl standing at the bottom of the lake, smiling at him.

"Will you… accompany me forever?"

"I don't know how long forever is, but in my past life, I could hear your voice. Now that I've died… I want to accompany you. I want you to be part of my next life." At this moment it came to understand that… it was the spirit of the boat. Listening to the voice of the lake over the countless years had caused the boat's spirit to come into being.

Before dying, its life had been the waters of the lake. After death, its spirit would protect the lake forever, into eternity.

It was then that a boat once again appeared on the surface of the lake. Inside the boat was a young girl warming a bottle of alcohol. Together, they floated to and fro across the lake.

Meng Hao's mind shook as he saw all of this transpire in front of him. Everything grew blurry for a moment, and then came back into focus. He was once again in the boat. The old man was there in front of him, grinning at him and holding his cup of alcohol. The girl looked up at him, smiling, her chin resting in her hands.

The old man took a drink. "This is my heart. Do you understand… successor of the Demon Sealing Sect?"

Meng Hao was silent for a moment. Frustration shined in his eyes. He… did not understand.

"Don't search too hard for an answer. If you do, the answer you find might be false. At some point in your life, perhaps you will be able to find the answer. Don't give up." The old man looked at Meng Hao solemnly.

"Big Brother," said the young girl, "its aura … is beneath your feet. Don't provoke it. Remember… the great path of Demon Sealing…" Waves once again surged across the lake in all directions, great, tall waves that seemed to touch the sky. Everything turned dark amidst the thunderous roar. The boat sank into the water.

Meng Hao didn't leap out of the boat. Instead, he closed his eyes. After some time passed, he opened them, and found himself sitting cross-legged on the lakeshore. The lake was still. There were no waves and no boat. What that had just happened had been an illusion.

The girl had not appeared, nor had the old man. Everything had occurred in a dream.

"Its aura is beneath my feet…." Meng Hao's eyes shone with confusion. He looked down at his feet. He saw nothing but his shoes.

"The great path of Demon Sealing, a concept like a scripture." Meng Hao frowned, still unable to comprehend the meaning of the words. He slowly got to his feet, then clasped his hands and bowed a third time to the lake.

He looked out at the waters. "I don't understand today," he said softly, "but I will achieve enlightenment one day."

Waves suddenly rippled out upon the lake, seemingly in response to Meng Hao. Meng Hao was just about to leave, when suddenly his eyes flickered. Turning his head, he saw that off in the distance, several beams of light were flying toward him.

"Meng Hao!"

"So here you are. The Priest sent us searching for you!"

"Grab him, and then everything will be made clear!"

There were three flashing beams, and three Cultivators. One of them was at the ninth level of Qi Condensation, the others were at the eighth. All three of them rode massive jade flutes. The two eighth-level Cultivators were known to Meng Hao. They were Zhou and Tu of the Winding Stream Sect, who had attempted to chase and kill Meng Hao before.

The person of the ninth level of Qi Condensation was a young man of about thirty years of age. A cold, indifferent look covered his face as he stared at Meng Hao.

They were being followed by five more people who sped along on foot.

Meng Hao's expression was calm. He gave the people a glance, then ignored them, bowing once again to the North Sea. As he did, the eyes of Zhou and Tu flashed. Their hands flickered with incantation signs, and dark clouds began to accumulate in the sky, accompanied by the rumble of thunder.

The young man of the ninth level slapped his bag of holding, and an enormous drum appeared. He beat the drum once. It emitted a thunderous boom which caused surrounding rocks and dirt to leap up into the air and fly toward Meng Hao.

At the same time, a lightning bolt shot toward Meng Hao. As it approached, he calmly made a fist and punched the lightning.

A boom echoed out as the it shattered, transforming into a multitude of sparks which then dissipated into the air. Meng Hao's eyes flashed.

"Are you looking to die?!" he shouted. He leaped forward, and a whistling flying sword appeared beneath his feet. He transformed into a multicolored beam of light as he shot toward the three people flying above him. At this moment, the mass of flying dirt and rocks was almost upon him. He punched a fist toward it.

The power of the thirteenth level of Qi Condensation, the great circle of Qi Condensation, erupted within Meng Hao's body. He was now cut off from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. However, the approaching cloud of sand and stones was smashed into nothing by the power of his fist. A massive wind rose up. His three opponent's faces filled with shock as they felt a force like that of a mountain pushing against them.

They spat up blood, especially Zhou and Tu. Their jade flutes shattered, and they retreated, their faces filled with astonishment. Even as they moved backwards, two sword auras shot past them. Their heads flew into the sky, showering blood everywhere. Two Cultivators of the eighth level of Qi Condensation, dead in an instant.

Meng Hao turned and looked at the ninth-level Winding Stream Sect disciple. His face was pale and his body trembled as he retreated. The people on the ground had stopped moving, astonished expressions on their faces.

"What… what is the level of your Cultivation base!?" said the ninth-level Winding Stream Sect disciple, his heart trembling, disbelief covering his face. In his mind, someone of the ninth level of Qi Condensation couldn't simply kill two eighth-level Cultivators in one instant. Perhaps he was… Foundation Establishment?

However, although Meng Hao emanated an enigmatic air, it was not the power of Foundation Establishment. Therefore, the Winding Stream Sect disciple was incredibly surprised and bewildered.

Even as the words came out of the man's mouth, Meng Hao moved forward, his face tranquil. Seeing this, the Winding Stream Sect disciple's heart began to race. He turned and fled.

Unfortunately for him, he was only of the ninth level of Qi Condensation. Even if he could go a bit faster, his speed could never come close to matching Meng Hao, who was of the great circle of Qi Condensation. He had barely begun to flee before Meng Hao was next to him. Meng Hao's fist descended.

The ninth-level disciple's pupils constricted, and a profound sense of life-and-death danger encompassed him. With a low shout, he slapped his bag of holding. Several flying swords appeared, as well as a drum and a jade slip covered with mystical carvings.

Meng Hao's expression did not change in the least bit. His fist continued to descend. The flying swords shattered into pieces. The drum made a crashing sound as it exploded. Next was… the jade slip.

This jade slip could withstand an attack from someone of the ninth level of Qi Condensation. But Meng Hao was of the great circle of Qi Condensation. The jade slip was incapable of blocking him. It was shattered into tiny pieces.

None of these things were even slightly capable of providing a defense. The Winding Stream Sect disciple was now out of magical items. He watched wide-eyed as Meng Hao's fist came closer and closer, until it landed onto his chest.

A bang rang out. This Winding Stream Sect disciple was famous in his Sect, and was even known throughout the State of Zhao. But now, his chest sank in, and a fountain of blood shot out of his mouth. Like a kite whose string has been severed, he tumbled backwards twenty or thirty meters, dead.

From beginning to end, it took the space of a few breaths for Meng Hao to kill three people!

The rest of the Winding Stream Sect disciples on the ground had looks of profound fear written on their pale faces. It was hard to tell who fled first, because they scattered almost immediately. The only thought in their minds was: run!

Meng Hao's expression was the same as ever, but inside he sighed. Because of the incident with Yan Ziguo, Meng Hao had learned the importance of leaving behind no witnesses. He knew that killing must be done resolutely. Even though he didn't want to, attacking… was a necessity.

The old Meng Hao would never have made a move against the fleeing people. But today was different. Meng Hao's eyes flashed. Ten flying swords flew out, infused with the power of the great circle of Qi Condensation. The quality of the swords was poor, and incapable of containing such power, so they exploded, transforming into countless fragments, which continued to fly forward.

Blood-curdling screams rang out one after another. Each and every one of the fleeing Winding Stream Sect disciples dropped dead.

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