Saturday, May 30, 2026
Novel 204 : I Shall Seal the Heavens
I Shall Seal the Heavens
I Shall Seal the Heavens
Chapter 204: The League of Demon Sealers!
Chapter 204: The League of Demon Sealers!
Demon Sealing, Eighth Hex!
This was the only technique among the Demon Sealing Sect's magic that Meng Hao had truly mastered. You might even say that it was not a magical technique, but a divine ability!
Every generation of Demon Sealers must create a new hex, and this one was created by the Eighth Generation Demon Sealer. As the Ninth Generation Demon Sealer, Meng Hao should have been prepared to face everything. However, Patriarch Reliance had ruined everything. Had it not been for a host of coincidences, as well as good fortune, Meng Hao would never have been able to learn the Eighth Demon Sealing Hex.
He took a deep breath and lowered his right hand. Ghost images appeared of everything in sight. Meng Hao’s body trembled, and the world shook. Everything folded in onto Zhou Jie, causing countless ghost images to appear around him.
All of this takes some time to describe, but in fact happened in an instant. The ghost images began to vanish. Miserable screams echoed out from Zhou Jie; the voices did not belong to him, but rather the spirits which had entered his body.
Zhou Jie’s body trembled, and his eyes were filled with confusion. A pulsating black aura drifted out from his body. The aura was extremely dense, and within it could be seen nine phantoms, images of old men with faces twisted in insanity and horror. They glared at Meng Hao.
No observer would be able to see these images… neither could they hear… the blood-curdling shrieks!
Meng Hao was the only one who could see or hear any of it. He was the Ninth Generation Demon Sealer, and despite having not yet fully realized his potential, his drop of blood had already confirmed his identity as the Ninth Generation. That was irrefutable.
Therefore, he could see these things.
The phantom spirits screamed miserably and then began to speak.
“The League of Demon Sealers, you’re the Ninth Generation….”
“The day our Dao was realized, you Demon Sealers blocked us, refined us, preventing us from becoming Demons!”
“Who cares about the League of Demon Sealers? They’ll become like us eventually, discarnate souls of Heaven and Earth!”
As their words echoed out, their bodies began to tremble, and their screams grew more intense. The black aura around them began to dissipate, and they began to be absorbed into the ground. Their figures grew indistinct and then began to disappear.
Meng Hao watched on thoughtfully. He didn’t know much about the League of Demon Sealers; he was gradually learning along the way. Looking at the discarnate souls had caused a coldness to flash through his eyes. He waved his right hand.
As he did, the discarnate souls vanished. Their dying cries echoed into Meng Hao’s ears.
“Shatter the League of Demon Sealers! Lord Ji has replaced the Heavens and forged the Immortality Bestowal Dais. We struggled to become Immortal, and then died. What of it? Your League prevented us from achieving our Dao. Just wait until things change, then see which of the countless discarnate souls in Heaven and Earth will devour you!!”
As the sound of the voices continued to echo out, Zhou Jie’s pale face began to recover its complexion. His eyes were still filled with confusion.
Meng Hao glanced at him thoughtfully for a moment, then turned with the flick of a sleeve and began to walk off into the rain.
Zhou Jie watched Meng Hao’s figure disappearing. He took a deep breath, and then clasped hands and bowed deeply.
“Next time we fight,” he said under his breath, “I won’t kill you, even if I win. I will repay your kindness, and prove the determination of my Cultivation.” Then he turned weakly, disappearing into a beam of light.
Meanwhile, deep in a limestone cave in the Hundred Thousand Mountains of the Black Sieve Sect…. The moment the discarnate souls died, furious howls could be heard. Although they echoed up into the sky, not a single Black Sieve Sect disciple could hear them.
“The League of Demon Sealers! He’s of the League of Demon Sealers!!”
“Damn those Demon Sealers, each and every generation! Lord Ji fears them, and cursed the Ninth Generation Demon Sealer to die! This is the Ninth Generation….”
“Death, death, death…. The League of Demon Sealers must die! Every generation!!”
“Immortality Bestowal Dais lacks only the spirit of a Demon Sealer. Find him! Snatch his spirit and drink his blood to gain an Immortal body!!”
As the howls rang out, the entirety of the Hundred Thousand Mountains suddenly shook. The mountains shook, the ground shook, as if the spirit of the mountains was aroused. Pulses of black aura drifted up, causing the sky to grow dark.
However, at the very moment in which the pulses of black aura were about to shoot out, the corpse which had fallen from the sky to land near the Southern Domain’s Rebirth Cave, suddenly shook. As it shook, and aura emerged from it, an aura not visible to any living person. It instantly spread out throughout the Southern Domain, filling it with terrifying force.
This terrifying force caused the discarnate souls beneath the Hundred Thousand Mountains to tremble. Everything grew silent.
“Who are you!?” Amidst the deathly silence, a powerful aura exploded out from deep beneath the Hundred Thousand Mountains. It seemed powerful enough to cause the corpse to tremble. When the other discarnate souls saw it, they prostrated themselves as if this aura were their sovereign.
The billowing aura filled the sky above the Black Sieve Sect, covering the land for millions of kilometers in every direction. Everything became pitch black. The strangest thing was… no one could actually see this! To any onlooker, the sky was as blue as the deep blue sea!
The voice which responded was deep and archaic. “I came seeking destiny,” it said. The sound echoed throughout the Hundred Thousand Mountains of the Black Sieve Sect, filled with the ancientness of countless years. It seemed… somewhat tired.
Within the exhaustion was a barely detectable… killing aura.
It seemed as if this person had lived a life of battle, had killed so many times that it was impossible to describe. The voice seemed to contain a shocking will.
“What do you want?!” said the sovereign-like aura above the Black Sieve Sect.
“Destiny comes and destiny goes. The Dao will always exist. This kid has destiny. If you interfere, I will abandon rebirth, change my plans, and instead slaughter all of you.”
The sovereign-like aura said nothing. After some time passed, it faded away. As it did, a haughty voice rang out.
“There’s no need to change your plans. We will come for you! Select thirty Chosen from the Black Sieve Sect and send them to our Black Underworld Cave! We will return to the mortal world!”
Meanwhile… deep in the recesses of the Rebirth Cave, was a corpse. It was not the corpse of a human, but rather, a fish. It was a small fish, about the size of a hand.
The place where the fish’s eyes once had been suddenly began to burn with a underworldly fire.
Next, deep beneath the Milky Way Sea, the long rope stretched along the seafloor toward the wooden coffin that rested amidst the massive formation of stones [2. For more details on the rope and the fisth, see the entry “Roc” in the glossary]. A scratching sound could be heard, as if someone was inside the coffin, scratching the lid with their fingernails.
A raspy voice sounded out: “League of Demon Sealers….” The voice was filled with melancholy, and reminiscence. The words drifted slowly up, causing a violent storm to break out on the surface of the Milky Way Sea.
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PREVIOUS CHAPTER
Novel 203 : I Shall Seal the Heavens
I Shall Seal the Heavens
I Shall Seal the Heavens
Chapter 203: I am Strong! I Shall Take My Stand!
Chapter 203: I am Strong! I Shall Take My Stand!
Blood Immortal Legacy!
Without a face, a single word, the flames of war unify
Sundered clouds, a bloody rain, seas that fill the sky
Capture the gods, advance the troops, fire consumes the towers
Forge all spirits and bloodlines into the 9 killing powers! [1. These words first appeared in Chapter: 37: 10th Patriarch of the Wang Clan. Please don’t memorize these lines, because I may go back later to adjust them.…]
These words contained magical powers. For the power to be unleashed required a sufficient Cultivation base, namely, Core Formation. Meng Hao was well aware that he was incapable of using it.
However, the Blood Finger, the Blood Palm and the Blood Death World, did not have a Cultivation base requirement. With sufficient spiritual energy, they could be unleashed. In addition to the Eighth Demon Sealing Hex, these were his killing moves.
Upon the path he trod to reach this day, Meng Hao had used the Blood Finger technique multiple times. It was clearly uniquely powerful, enough to shock anyone who saw it being used. The world in front of Meng Hao appeared to be red, which was a sign of the Blood Finger. Meng Hao had long since gotten used to this blood-red world. He looked at Zhou Jie, and the massive hand formed by the Black Sieve Sect’s magical technique, Great Black Clouds Palm. It screamed through the air toward him.
The hand itself seemed to be formed from black colored mist, and yet it was also interlaced with a strange Qi. As the hand approached, it seemed to grow larger and larger. Meng Hao could imagine that soon it would fill his entire vision, and blot out the rest of the world.
It made him think back to the time in the State of Zhao when Lord Revelation had floated in the air above the Reliance Sect, and sent a palm strike down into the ground. At that time, he had been too weak to even struggle. The palm destroyed the Reliance Sect, and left a massive hand print in the earth.
But a red blur had appeared in the sky, like a sword that could sever Heaven and Earth. It split the hand in two, saving Meng Hao. In his mind, Meng Hao could see that massive hand descending upon him. [2. The events with Lord Revelation happened in Chapter 93: Sever the Dao, Change Heaven and Earth, Demonic Will!]
Of course, Zhou Jie couldn’t even come close to comparing with Lord Revelation. And yet, the scene today was very reminiscent….
Meng Hao suddenly smiled, a wordless, soundless smile. He lifted his hand toward the incoming palm. The incoming palm attack grew closer and larger, kicking up a fierce wind which sent Meng Hao’s clothes and hair whipping about….
Meng Hao lifted the thumb of his right hand, and then slashed it toward the incoming Great Black Clouds Palm.
This slash was like a flash of blinding light in the midst of pitch blackness. It was a slash like the brightness seen when opening the eyes for the first time. This slash was just like the one the Demon Lord had used to sever Lord Revelation’s palm attack. This slash… was evidence of the enlightenment Meng Hao had experienced underneath that massive palm in the Reliance Sect in State of Zhao!
I am strong! I shall take my stand!
A roaring boom filled the air. Meng Hao stood there, not moving a muscle. The massive incoming palm was a mere seven inches from him when a huge crack appeared, beginning at the top of the middle finger and snaking down all the way down through the gigantic palm. Then it split out, growing wider and wider. Meng Hao stood there calmly, safely, as the palm passed by. Wind screamed, buffeting his hair wildly. However, in the midst of the whipping hair, his eyes shined brightly. They were like sunlight in the dark of night. Anyone who caught sight of it would find the light… blinding!
“Do you want to keep going?” asked Meng Hao calmly, flicking his sleeve.
Zhou Jie stood there silently, looking at Meng Hao. Bitterness arose in his heart, but a moment later, the will to fight once again sparked to life in his eyes.
“Of course I want to keep going,” he replied coolly. “From the moment I became Dao Child until now, I’ve never been defeated.” He took a breath, waving his hand toward the incense burner off to the side. Instantly, the incense burner began to tremble. Cracks appeared on its surface, and popping sounds rang out as it collapsed into pieces. “No one should interfere with our fight now.” His words were simple, and so were his actions. However, this simplicity revealed incredible power, the power of a true expert. It was only the seed of power, but even that little bit caused Meng Hao’s eyes to narrow.
“He’s cut off his own path of retreat,” thought Meng Hao. “With nowhere to run to, he can only rely on himself, and will be forced to utilize all of the power he can muster. This Zhou Jie really is an outstanding person.[3. This is a slight play on words, because the “jie” character in Zhou Jie’s name means “outstanding”]" He nodded.
Zhou Jie lifted his hand and then pressed down onto his bag of holding. From within, five glittering strands of light emerged. Suddenly, the darkness around them disappeared as brilliant light filled the air. The bright light was emanated from what now hovered in front of Zhou Jie. Five glowing swords!
Five glittering swords, glowing with a variety of colors!
Zhou Jie reached out and extended his fingers. The five swords moved to his fingers, one hovering beneath each.
“Sieve Moon Mother Earth, Heaven Splitting Sword Formation!” Zhou Jie’s hand pushed down toward the ground. As it did, the brightly glowing swords also shot down, and then disappeared.
The instant the swords disappeared, Meng Hao’s pupils constricted, and he shot backward six paces.
Almost simultaneously, the five swords suddenly reappeared out of thin air. They shot upward, heading directly toward Meng Hao, who was still in the midst of retreating.
The glittering light they emitted was dazzling as they screamed through the air. They were winding beams that were instantly upon Meng Hao, their sword auras billowing up to the sky. The sword Qi seemed to have locked Meng Hao up tightly; death surrounded him in all directions.
“Interesting,” said Meng Hao, his eyes narrowing. He lifted the thumb of his right hand and waved it toward the five swords.
A boom filled the air, and suddenly a blood-colored shield surrounded Meng Hao, thirty meters in each direction. The five swords slammed into the shield, causing a massive roar to echo out.
Zhou Jie coughed up some blood and then flickered in an incantation with both hands. The five swords emitted a shrill screaming sound. A flash of light burst out, and the five swords turned into twenty five swords!
The swords filled the air as they shot once again toward Meng Hao. Their intense power caused Meng Hao to be filled with a sense of life-or-death danger.
However, his expression remained the same as ever. As the twenty five swords shot toward him, he flicked his sleeve. The power of his Cultivation base roiled out. He slashed his index finger with his thumb causing blood to pour out. Using the power of two Blood Fingers, he gestured up into the air.
Boom!
The massive explosion was enough to distort one’s vision. Everything in the area seemed to twist. The twenty five swords were blocked. Zhou Jie let out a howl. He pushed his hands against his chest, and veins popped out on his face. The twenty five swords flew up into the sky, and in an instant, transformed. One hundred and twenty five swords now filled the sky. From all directions, they descended upon Meng Hao.
They slammed into the glowing blood shield, which distorted and began to retract. In the blink of an eye, it had shrunk by nearly ten meters. Nearly half of the swords passed through it, pressing on toward Meng Hao.
Meng Hao took a deep breath and slashed a third and fourth finger. Four fingers were now filled with the power of the Blood Immortal Legacy. The glow of blood filled the air as Meng Hao slashed the fifth finger!
The five fingers were covered in blood, forming the shape of a bloody handprint. This was the second of the three Legacy techniques, which contained power exceeding the Blood Finger. This was… the Blood Palm!
The Blood Palm appeared, filling the sky with a shocking roar. A massive blood-colored palm magically coalesced above Meng Hao’s hand. He waved his hand, and the bright red, bloody glow spread out, sweeping through the sword formation and causing the more than one hundred glittering swords to tremble and fly backward. Meng Hao took a step forward, waving his hand once again.
A roaring sound could be heard as the space three hundred meters surrounding Meng Hao suddenly was filled with the image of an enormous, blood-colored hand. Meng Hao stood at its very center. The massive hand shot into the air, then clenched into a fist.
Zhou Jie’s face twisted. He coughed up more blood and rapidly flashed some incantation gestures in an attempt to regather his glittering swords. Instead, his face drained of blood.
The more than one hundred swords were apparently under the control of the massive clenched fist. They struggled as if they wished to free themselves, but were unable to.
Thirty of the swords trembled so violently that they eventually let out plaintive whines and collapsed into pieces.
Meng Hao snorted coldly. Roaring filled the air as thirty more flying swords disintegrated, and then another thirty. Finally, another thirty….
In the space of a few breaths, all of the flying swords were shattered to pieces by the massive clenched fist. The blood-colored hand slowly disappeared. As it did, five glittering, crack-filled swords appeared in front of Meng Hao.
“I have one last technique!” said Zhou Jie through clenched teeth. His eyes were crimson as Meng Hao waved his hand, sending the five glittering swords into his bag of holding.
“Black Sieve, Immortal Subjugation!” howled Zhou Jie. His left hand pushed down on his forehead. At the same time, he waved his right hand. Instantly, dozens of jade slips flew out. Cracking sounds filled the air as each and every one cracked into pieces. A sweet, beautiful aroma filled the air. However, it quickly turned into a disgusting odor which made one wish to vomit out their internal organs.
Suddenly, a Qi filled the entire area, which seemed to belong to Zhou Jie…
Meng Hao’s eyes flickered. Suddenly, the archaic voice from the Demon Sealing Jade echoed in his mind.
“A hosts of evil spirits which call themselves Immortals (仙). But why fear a man (人) and a mountain (山)? If you encounter them, seal them immediately!” [3. As you should be able to see by looking closely, the character for Immortal is made up of the character for "person" and "mountain." In this passage, the voice is kind of making fun of these spirits which claim the title "Immortal." There was an analysis of the character "Immortal" in Chapter 118: Without Entering Mount Heaven, Immortal Ascension is Impossible]
Meng Hao was used to the sudden appearance of the voice in his mind. He looked over at Zhou Jie, sensing the increasingly powerful Qi which radiated out from him. Zhou Jie’s twisted face no longer looked handsome. Instead, it seemed as if countless faces of others were flickering atop his own.
Anguish filled Zhou Jie’s face, and it appeared as if he couldn’t hold on much longer. Slowly, the life began to drain away, and his face began to grow dark. It turned out this technique could not be used by someone of the Foundation Establishment stage, not even…
A Dao Child!
“Demon Sealing, Eighth Hex!” Meng Hao slowly lifted his hand. A Qi suddenly began to emanate from him that outsiders would not notice, but was absolutely visible to the countless bizarre spirits which were currently pouring into Zhou Jie.
The legion of faces which hovered on top of Zhou Jie’s face, one and all, filled with expressions of terror…
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PREVIOUS CHAPTER
Novel 202 : I Shall Seal the Heavens
I Shall Seal the Heavens
I Shall Seal the Heavens
Chapter 202: Confrontation of the Peaks!
Chapter 202: Confrontation of the Peaks!
The multiple layers of clouds overhead smashed into each other, and the sound of thunder shook the earth. Down below, Meng Hao and Zhou Jie strode toward each other. Their eyes locked, and the power of their Spiritual Sense rocketed forward.
An attack of Spiritual Sense is formless and invisible. In terms of killing potential, though, its power far exceeds that of magical items!
Mutually caught in each other’s gazes, Meng Hao and Zhou Jie both began to tremble. Zhou Jie felt like he was being crushed by innumerable mountains. Blood oozed out from the corners of his mouth. He set his jaw, and a look of ferocity sprang up onto his face.
Meng Hao seemed affected too. He pursed his lips, however, and no blood appeared. He snorted coldly, and then continued to walk forward. As the step descended, both people once again trembled.
Zhou Jie’s face was a bit pale. He could tell that he was not superior in terms of Spiritual Sense. Without hesitation, he retreated several paces, flashing an incantation gesture with his left hand. The foot long joss stick in his right hand immediately let off twisting strands of smoke which transformed into a curved blade that shot toward Meng Hao.
As the blade flew through the air, the smoke which comprised it began to spread out. Soon the outline of a figure could be seen. It appeared as if a person were holding the curved blade, chopping it directly toward Meng Hao.
Meng Hao’s eyes flickered. His left hand formed an incantation gesture, and the two seemingly eager wooden swords emitted an intense droning sound and then transformed into two beams of light which split the air as they sped toward the curved blade.
They arrived in an instant. There was no evasion, no twirling around. The two attacks seemed to be archenemies. They slammed into each other so powerfully, that it was clear one would be destroyed.
A boom echoed out, and Meng Hao waved both of his hands. It was as if there were invisible strings attaching the wooden swords to him; they immediately began to emit an intense sword aura that rippled out to fill the area. Everything started to shake. Who would possibly dare to approach?
A booming sounded out, and a strange look appeared in Zhou Jie’s eyes. He lifted his left hand and waved it in front of him, then pressed down on the joss stick in his right hand. More smoke billowed out; in the blink of an eye, it transformed into more than ten weapons, each of them wielded by a phantom figure. All of them charged toward Meng Hao.
Meng Hao’s face was the same as ever as he looked at the approaching smoke phantoms. He lifted his hands, then extended them outward. The two wooden swords emitted explosive screeching sounds. Suddenly, all of the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth seemed to rush toward them. The sword auras surrounding them expanded by thirty meters, and the swords themselves seemed to transform into two flying Sword Dragons which circled around Meng Hao.
A roaring sound echoed out from the approaching smoke phantoms as, one after another, they disintegrated, incapable of approaching Meng Hao.
“So you like defense,” said Zhou Jie coolly. “I can help with that.” A cold light shone in his eyes as his left hand flashed with another incantation gesture and then pressed up against the joss stick. It burned more furiously, and large quantities of smoke poured out. The smoke formed layers which expanded out in concentric rings.
Each new smoke ring was larger than the one before it. Soon, more than a hundred rings had formed, which then shot toward Meng Hao. They spun around him, as if in an attempt to envelop him.
The smoke rings seemed about to swallow him up, and yet Meng Hao’s expression didn’t change in the least bit. He opened his mouth, and the lightning mist appeared. In the past, the lightning mist had absorbed Tribulation Lightning, as well as some of the will of the lightning in the square cauldron. At the moment, it seemed to be undergoing another bizarre transformation. As it spread out, thunder crashed up above in the sky.
The lightning mist seemed to be affecting the clouds, causing them to congregate, as if lightning would begin to crash down at any moment. It seemed that the area outside of Meng Hao’s lightning mist would soon become a sea of lightning!
The mist expanded, and then the lightning crashed down; roaring filled the sky. The instant the smoke rings were touched by the lightning, they exploded into fragments.
Zhou Jie’s eyes narrowed. He had never expected such a tactic. Meng Hao walked forward, surrounded by the lightning mist.
The mist around him roiled, and thunderous booms filled the air. Incited by the lightning, the two wooden swords exploded with the vicious will of extermination. Meng Hao’s hair whipped around his head and rain poured down around him. Anyone who saw him would be struck to the heart with a frightening, demonic sensation.
Suddenly, a domineering aura began to emanate from Meng Hao, the first time such an aura had appeared on him!
“Actually,” said Meng Hao casually, “what I like best is attacking.” He strode forward, seemingly filled with overwhelming power. He was like some sort of ancient wild beast, ready to conquer the world.
Zhou Jie’s expression flickered as he suppressed the desire to retreat. Meng Hao now seemed completely different than he had been moments ago when he had been defending himself. He seemed to overflow with ferocity, as if he had previously been a sheathed sword… which had just been drawn!
It was time to display some skill!
One step, two steps, three steps…. With each step that Meng Hao took, thunder boomed even louder. Lightning filled the sky. The complete power of Meng Hao’s Cultivation base exploded out, bolstered by his expanding Spiritual Sense. Zhou Jie was shocked, and he knew that he must not allow Meng Hao to gather more momentum. If that happened, he would be very difficult to stop.
Just as Meng Hao’s third step landed, Zhou Jie’s eyes filled with determination. He loosened his right hand, and the joss stick, which was now little more than half a foot long, suddenly flew up.
Veins of blood shot through Zhou Jie’s eyes as both hands flickered with an incantation gesture. He shoved his hands out in front of him.
“Green Smoke Exterminating the East Pass!” He spoke the words in conjunction with the outstretching of his hands. The joss stick ignited, burning a significant amount of its length to create a thick smoke which flew straight toward Meng Hao.
“Burst!” cried Zhou Jie. The thick smoke suddenly exploded outward. Everything in the area shook violently, and the noise from the explosion drowned out the sound of thunder. The smoke even covered up the lightning as it rippled out in greenish waves that carried deadly, exterminating power.
Meng Hao’s body shook. The lightning mist around him quivered, and then simply burst apart under the strength of the attack. The two wooden swords fought against the incoming attack, and Meng Hao flew backward four or five paces. Blood seeped out from the corners of his mouth.
“It seems that Dao Children from the great Sects really are pretty badass….” Meng Hao took a deep breath, and his eye flickered. Zhou Jie stood there, his face somewhat pale. However, his eyes gleamed as he extended his hands forward in another incantation.
More of the joss stick burned away. Now, it was barely two inches long. Thick smoke roiled toward Meng Hao.
“Burst!” howled Zhou Jie, more lines of blood appearing in his eyes. Even as the smoke exploded out, Meng Hao lifted his right hand and struck it forward five times.
Black Sieve Five Strikes! [2. This technique was learned by Meng Hao in Chapter 149: Killing Intent! and the following chapter, and was also used in Chapter 184: Seven Exterminations]
The five strikes were executed with extreme speed, and were completed in the blink of an eye. As the exterminating smoke mist expanded out, an enormous hand appeared in front of Meng Hao. It shot directly toward the smoke.
An earth-shaking boom resonated out. All of the raindrops in the area exploded into minuscule drops of water. Meng Hao’s eyes narrowed, and he shot backward a pace. His five Perfect Dao Pillars rotated, and made the five-strike attack over and over again.
One giant hand, two giant hands. In the blink of an eye, no less than ten giant hands appeared in front of Meng Hao. It was a frightening sight. All of the hands glowed with a golden light as they whistled through the air toward Zhou Jie.
Zhou Jie’s eyes were nearly completely filled with blood. His hands flickered continuously with incantation gestures. The joss stick was now completely burned away. The smoke mist it created shot toward Meng Hao’s incoming hand attacks. When they slammed into each other, a huge boom filled the air.
A gale force wind shot outward, and ripples emanated out in the air. The trees swayed backward, and the rainwater was transformed into a mist. Blood sprayed out of Meng Hao’s mouth, and yet, his expression grew fiercer.
Zhou Jie staggered backward seven or eight steps, and, unable to control himself, coughed up a huge mouthful of blood. His face was pale, and yet his eyes gleamed brightly.
Neither of them spoke, as they stared at each other. Both of them knew that this battle… was far from over.
Zhou Jie had only used one magical item. He hadn’t even employed any of the magical techniques of his Sect, nor any killing moves. Neither had Meng Hao.
They looked at each other for the space of three breaths, whereupon Zhou Jie lifted his head up to the sky and laughed. “The Great Black Clouds Palm! What a familiar magical technique! Brother Meng, since you know this technique, I think today would be a good opportunity to exchange some pointers. Let me show you why the Black Sieve Sect’s Great Black Clouds Palm is known by the moniker Black Clouds!” He lifted his right hand, and his breathing suddenly seemed to become strange and ragged. As his hand rose, illusory images appeared.
Each image was the shape of a hand. In total, twenty-six of them appeared. Zhou Jie’s eyes narrowed, and he stretched his hand out toward Meng Hao.
“This is the true Great Black Clouds Palm!” As Zhou Jie’s voice rang out, he struck forward, and an enormous hand appeared. It emitted a black glow, and as it formed it seemed to be composed of mist. This black mist was none other than the namesake black clouds!
The Black Clouds Palm screamed through the air toward Meng Hao, filling the area with a thunderous roar. Be it in terms of profundity or power, this attack vastly exceeded the incomplete version which Meng Hao had learned.
Meng Hao’s eyes gleamed, but he said nothing. This was his personality; when engaged in magical battle, he would rarely speak. Everything he wanted to say was said in attacks. By not speaking, he increased the viciousness of those attacks.
He lifted his right hand and used his index finger to slice open a cut on his thumb. As the blood flowed out, everything in Meng Hao’s eyes turned red.
PREVIOUS CHAPTER
Novel 201 : I Shall Seal the Heavens
I Shall Seal the Heavens
I Shall Seal the Heavens
Chapter 201: The Dao Child Fights!
Chapter 201: The Dao Child Fights!
This could also be considered bloodless killing, because any shed blood was instantly cleansed by the pouring rain. The cleansing nature of the rain made Meng Hao more than happy to fight in the downpour. He didn’t waste power from his Cultivation base to push the rain away from him.
He slowly released his hand and then turned. Rainwater poured off of his chin and hair, soaking his clothes. Lightning flashed in the darkness of night, and Meng Hao suddenly seemed to emanate a demonic aura.
The surrounding Black Sieve Sect disciples were shocked. They looked at Meng Hao, not with contempt, but with concentration.
The Black Sieve Sect Dao Child Zhou Jie looked at Meng Hao with narrowed eyes. He didn’t attack, though, but continued to hold aloft the incense burner. Smoke curled up from it and was rapidly coalescing in mid-air. “Kill this person at any cost,” he said, his cold voice ringing out in the dark, stormy night.
There were more than ten Cultivators surrounding Meng Hao. Hearing the words of the Dao Child, they immediately prepared to attack. Magical techniques and treasured weapons of all sorts instantly bore down on Meng Hao. Booming sounds filled the air. This would be the most intense battle Meng Hao had ever faced; each and every one of these Cultivators was of the late Foundation Establishment stage.
As a matter of fact, a small Sect wouldn’t even be able to produce so many Cultivators of this level. A medium-sized Sect, even if they had so many, would never dispatch them all simultaneously. To any Sect, disciples of the late Foundation Establishment stage were good fortune from the Heavens. If even one from a group this size could reach Core Formation, he would be crucially important to the Sect.
Only a super Sect like the Black Sieve Sect had such extensive resources to be able to afford to dispatch so many late Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
Meng Hao’s eyes flickered. If he had not created his fifth Dao Pillar, then this battle would be extremely difficult, and potentially fatal. But now, with his fifth Dao Pillar, he was invincible to the battle power of the Foundation Establishment stage. Actually, you could say that currently, Meng Hao was the most powerful person under the Core Formation stage in the entire Southern Domain!
He laughed coldly as the Black Sieve Sect disciples approached. His left hand made a grasping motion in the air, and immediately, the Flame Dragon appeared in the form of the Flying Rain-Dragon. It didn’t completely appear, however. Meng Hao simply borrowed some of its heat to transform the surrounding sheets of rainwater into a thick mist.
As the mist roiled about, Meng Hao slapped his bag of holding, and the two wooden swords flew out. They circled around him for a moment, and then shot away.
The mist seethed, covering up the entire area so that nothing was visible. The heat in the area continued to turn to the rain into mist. Thunder pealed out, and lightning crashed down. One after another, blood-curdling screams rang out from within the mist.
Meng Hao’s shadow flitted about inside, carrying death with it. The two wooden swords swept out in front of him, severing the head of a Black Sieve Sect disciple. The disciple’s eyes filled with astonishment in the instant before he died.
The sounds of slaughter drifted out. Meng Hao moved like a specter. Cracking sounds rang out from his right hand as he crushed another Cultivator. He tossed the body up ahead to block an incoming spear. A boom rang out as the corpse exploded to pieces. Meng Hao strode forward.
He waved his right arm, summoning the Wind Blade. It shot out, slicing another body to bits. The pieces of the corpse shot out from the mist and fell onto the ground.
Zhou Jie frowned when he saw this. However, he continued to manipulate the incense burner. The smoke drifting up from it appeared to be about sixty percent congealed.
Suddenly, another miserable shriek sounded out from within the mist. A Black Sieve Sect disciple, his body half destroyed, stumbled out. Just when it seemed he would escape successfully, Meng Hao’s hand shot out and grabbed him by the top of the head. He pushed down, and the Cultivator screamed. Meng Hao’s face emerged for a moment from the mist. He looked over at Zhou Jie.
Zhou Jie looked back, and as their gazes locked, Meng Hao smiled, and then disappeared back into the mist. He released his hand, and the Black Sieve Sect disciple slumped to the ground dead, his eyes still wide open.
Zhou Jie trembled at the sight of it, and an unsightly expression appeared on his face. The screams from within the mist seemed to be growing further and further apart. The booms grew weaker. Suddenly, a figure emerged from the mist.
“Elder Brother Zhou, save me!” cried one of the Black Sieve Sect disciples. His right arm had been severed, and a horrified expression covered his face. Despite his all-out push to escape, the words were barely out of his mouth when a meter-long phantom hand shot out from the mist. It moved at incredible speed, catching up to the escaping Cultivator in the blink of an eye.
It slammed into him, and a deafening explosion filled the air. The Cultivator’s body began to tremble, and he opened his mouth to say something. Before he could, his body exploded.
By this time, the mist surrounding Meng Hao was beginning to dissipate. Meng Hao walked out. From the look of his robe and long hair, he seemed like a weak scholar. But the coldness in his eyes caused Zhou Jie to tremble.
More than ten Cultivators of the late Foundation Establishment stage… and only Meng Hao had emerged alive from the mist.
“Your excellency’s methods are a bit too ruthless,” said Zhou Jie, slowly lowering his hand. He knew that he had run out of time, and wouldn’t be able to continue his work with the incense burner.
The Black Sieve Sect had completely misjudged Meng Hao’s Cultivation base.
Actually, Patriarch Violet Sieve had received information regarding Meng Hao’s Cultivation base from the their Sect Elder who was currently in the Song Clan. He knew that his power exceeded that of the mid Foundation Establishment stage, and was more akin to the late Foundation Establishment stage.
However, Zhou Jie was now well aware that Meng Hao’s battle power was not comparable to the late Foundation Establishment stage. In fact, it could exhibit terrifying pressure that exceeded such power.
After close observation just now, Zhou Jie got the powerful sense that his opponent’s spiritual power was completely different from that of others. It looked like spiritual power, but it seemed to somehow be branded specifically to Meng Hao.
Logically speaking, the spiritual power of magical techniques with which Meng Hao attacked, should eventually dissipate back into Heaven and Earth. However, the power left over by Meng Hao’s attacks did not dissolve away. Instead, they seemed to be rejected by Heaven and Earth. They just floated there like oil on water.
It seemed that the explosiveness of this rejected power was one of the reasons Meng Hao was so powerful. Zhou Jie reached these conclusions quickly, but couldn’t figure out any solution to the problem. Fear filled his heart.
Because of this explosiveness, Meng Hao might be only at the mid Foundation Establishment stage, but decimating the late Foundation Establishment stage was as easy for him as crushing dry weeds and smashing rotten wood. That… was obvious!
Meng Hao’s spiritual power was different. It belonged only to him. The spiritual energy of others belonged to Heaven and Earth. By practicing breathing techniques, Cultivators could borrow it. Based on the various stages of Cultivation, the amount of time it could be borrowed varied. However, regardless of anything, all of the spiritual energy would once again return to Heaven and Earth upon death.
It was a cycle. Just like the nine paths in front of the gray-robed old man atop the World Tree, it was a rule of Heaven and Earth.
“I’m actually not ruthless,” said Meng Hao indifferently, “you people are. Actually, I’m pretty softhearted. However, your presence here is a bit of a problem.” He waved his hand, causing the mist behind him to disperse fully. The rain descended onto the two of them, seemingly dividing them inseparably. However, their gazes locked, and their expressions grew fiercer.
“I am Zhou Jie, Dao Child of the Black Sieve Sect!” Zhou Jie suddenly lifted his hand. In it appeared a one foot long, blue-colored joss stick. The joss stick was lit, and smoke curled up from its end to form the shape of a sword that glowed mysteriously. This was clearly no ordinary joss stick.
“I am Meng Hao from the State of Zhao,” said Meng Hao coolly. His right hand flashed an incantation gesture, and the two wooden swords appeared and rotated around him slowly. They emanated glowing sword auras, and emitted a droning buzz that made seem as if they thirsted for blood.
This was not the first time Meng Hao had faced a Dao Child in battle. The first time was when he had fought Li Daoyi, and had forced him to flee, severing his arm in the process. Then he had encountered Li Shiqi, and had competed against her in demonstrations of strength. Now he was up against Zhou Jie.
“I had three Dao Pillars when I fought Li Daoyi,” Meng Hao thought. “I had four when I faced Li Shiqi. Now I have five. I will now prove that the power of my five Perfect Dao Pillars is invincible in the Foundation Establishment stage!” An exuberant gleam appeared in his eyes. The two wooden swords seemed as if they could sense Meng Hao’s desire for battle. Their droning grew even louder, and their sword auras gleamed even more brightly.
“You look just like a woman I met while traveling a few years ago. I pursued her, but nothing ever came of it. She wasn’t named Meng, though.” Zhou Jie shook his head. Actually, Meng Hao was a person who he believed deserving of his respect. In truth, among the Foundation Establishment Cultivators of the Southern Domain, he had only ever respected about ten people. Each and every one of them was a Dao Child!
But today, he recognized Meng Hao’s existence. Meng Hao was someone who could stand shoulder to shoulder with the current generation of Dao Children.
Even as the words left his mouth, Zhou Jie’s body exploded with the power of the great circle of Foundation Establishment. It rippled out, causing his hair to fly about. The rainwater around him shot away from him, as if it didn’t dare to touch him. A fierce look filled his eyes as he strode toward Meng Hao.
Meng Hao’s eyes flashed, and he too began to stride forward. His Spiritual Sense shot out.
Rain fell around them as this battle of those at the peak of the Foundation Establishment began!
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Novel 200 : I Shall Seal the Heavens
I Shall Seal the Heavens
I Shall Seal the Heavens
Chapter 200: Killing Amidst the Night Rain!
Chapter 200: Killing Amidst the Night Rain!
At the same moment that the five Sects and two Clans appeared outside of the Sun and Moon mountains of the Song Clan, Meng Hao was inside the world of the cloud vortex, shooting upward. All eyes were upon him as he pressed down on the good luck charm in his hand, pouring power from his Cultivation base into it.
He had begun to prepare the good luck charm much earlier, so the instant he poured spiritual energy into it, an enormous black hole appeared just in front of him in the sky. All of the Chosen and Nascent Soul eccentrics saw this happen.
The swirling vortex seemed to transform into a gaping mouth that instantly swallowed up Meng Hao. From below, the Chosen of the various Sects watched on in open-mouthed shock. The Nascent Soul Cultivators could only watch as he disappeared right in front of them. How could they ever have predicted that this would happen?
Seeing Meng Hao disappear, the Nascent Soul Cultivators were incapable of maintaining their calm. At almost the exact same time, they shot to their feet and flew toward the cloud vortex. Patriarch Song Tian sighed inwardly. He’d had no choice but to speak the words he had just now. However, even if this was Song Clan territory, it would be difficult to stand up against all the five Sects and two Clans. For Meng Hao to make an escape on his own was actually for the best.
At the moment, Song Tian couldn’t really prevent the Nascent Soul Cultivators from attempting to pursue Meng Hao. However, moments later, unsightly expressions appeared on their faces. They could clearly see that Meng Hao had used some sort of powerful magic to teleport away.
“It turns out a trifling Foundation Establishment Cultivator like him has a precious teleportation treasure. What other mysteries is this Meng Hao hiding?!”
“The Sublime Spirit Scripture, a precious teleportation treasure. The Violet Fate Sect will definitely get our hands on him!”
The Nascent Soul Cultivators returned, and the representatives of the five Sects and two Clans approached. Meng Hao’s good luck charm teleported him away. Meanwhile…
In the Black Sieve Sect, in the number one mountain which was situated in the very center of the Hundred Thousand Mountains, smoke curled into the air above a massive incense burner. At the moment, dozens of Cultivators began to shoot up and disappear into the smoke.
Down below, Patriarch Violet Sieve and the beautiful, middle-aged woman stood there grimly. They watched as the Cultivators above began to vanish.
Patriarch Violet Sieve frowned and said, “He’s using that good luck charm, which makes him difficult to track. If we dispatched Core Formation disciples, or magical items that can employ the power of Core Formation, then it would interfere with the Tri-Black Incense Burner, making it difficult to accurately pinpoint the teleportation ripples. The slightest mistake, and we could be hundreds of kilometers off. Furthermore, the Tri-Black Incense Burner can only be used once per month.”
“It doesn’t matter,” replied the beautiful woman coolly. “We may not be able to use Core Formation disciples, but Zhou Jie [1. Zhou Jie’s name in Chinese is 周杰 Zhōu jié - Zhou is a common family name. Jie means “outstanding” or “heroic”] is among the Foundation Establishment disciples we sent. Considering his Cultivation base, as well as his status as Dao Child, he’ll be able to distract Meng Hao. He only needs to keep him in place for a bit. The others can prepare the spell, and then we can be there in an instant. At that time, Meng Hao wouldn’t be able to escape even if he was given wings.”
“Don’t forget, we don’t know how many times he can use the good luck charm. If it was complete, then he would be able to use it seven times in total.” He watched thoughtfully as the last of the disciples vanished into the smoke above the Tri-Black Incense Burner.
“Don’t worry,” replied the beautiful woman, smiling. “Meng Hao is only at the mid Foundation Establishment stage. Based on the information in the ancient records, I did some calculation. Based on his Cultivation base, it should take him the time it takes two incense sticks to burn to be able to activate the good luck charm. As long as Zhou Jie and the others can hold him off for that amount of time, and prepare the spell, then Meng Hao is doomed. He’s nothing but a trifling Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Don’t worry, Elder Brother Violet Sieve. After that much time passes, we will be there in front of Meng Hao.”
As they continued their discussion, somewhere in an unnamed part of the Southern Domain, in the midst of a mountain range filled with hundreds of mountains, dark clouds filled the sky and lightning crashed down. A roaring filled the sky, causing the wild beasts in these desolate mountains to tremble, seemingly awed by the Heavens.
Great, bean-sized drops of rain poured down from the sky in a torrent. It was currently sunset, but the sun was completely covered by the clouds, making everything completely dark and hazy.
A lightning bolt slashed through the sky, and then suddenly ripples expanded out into the air, splitting the sheets of rain. A massive, swirling black hole appeared, and out staggered Meng Hao, his face pale. He immediately looked around.
The black hole disappeared, and rain fell onto Meng Hao. He didn’t even seem to notice it as he examined his surroundings. Finally, he let out a sigh of relief.
A cracking sound emanated from his hand. He looked down and could see that another large fissure had appeared on the surface of the good luck charm. It seemed he would only be able to use it a few more times before it shattered.
“This is a life-saving treasure,” he thought. “I can’t just use it lightly….” He hesitated for a moment, and then took a deep breath. His body suddenly vibrated. The rainwater shot away from him, and his clothes were no longer soaked.
“At the moment, I imagine all the Sects and Clans are looking for me.” He frowned. The golden glow of the Sublime Spirit Scripture had not been something he’d anticipated. Of course, he’d had no other choice than to flee.
“Thankfully, I got the Cubic Pearl. I wonder if it will be able to dispel the poison of the three-colored Resurrection Lily…?” His eyes began to glow, and he decided to go search for a quiet place in the mountains to carve out an Immortal’s cave and test out whether or not the poison could be dispelled. He had just taken a step when suddenly his expression flickered.
The place where the black hole had appeared moments ago had already returned to normal. And yet suddenly, he could see that another hole was opening up. It was pitch black inside and emanated a rippling power that caused the rain in the area to fly away.
Killing intent flickered within Meng Hao’s eyes. He could choose to flee. After all, the sudden appearance of this vortex could not be a coincidence. It must be someone pursuing him by tracking the ripples of his teleportation.
But he did not choose to flee. Rather, a cold light, threatening and determined, appeared in his eyes. He could flee for ten or so breaths worth of time, but instead, he decided that he might as well stay and attack.
As the thought coalesced into his mind, he began to stride forward. He waved his hand, and an enormous Wind Blade and Flame Dragon appeared, which shot toward the black hole and then slammed into it.
As the roaring Flame Dragon slammed into the black hole, a booming sound filled the air. The black hole began to fall apart. As it did, the shadows of dozens of Cultivators appeared. They began to coalesce, as if they were about to emerge.
Without hesitating, Meng Hao lifted his hand and bit down hard on one of his fingers. The Blood Finger technique instantly descended onto the weakened black hole.
Boom!
The massive booming sound drowned out the sound of crashing thunder. The black hole shook and then exploded into pieces. There were no blood-curdling screams. However, of the dozens of Cultivators who had been about to emerge, only half made it out alive!
The other half were wiped out with the destruction of the black hole!
Bloodless killing. It was only possible because of Meng Hao’s decisiveness. Had he hesitated or fled, daring not to make a move, then he would now be facing not a dozen or so enemies, but double the current amount.
The dozen or so people who had appeared immediately erupted with the power of late Foundation Establishment. One in their midst was a man with long, dark hair. He was tall, slender and handsome, with thin lips and a strange glow in his eyes. His Cultivation base was at the great circle of Foundation Establishment, the Pseudo Core stage!
“Black Sieve Sect!” Meng Hao’s eyes narrowed. He instantly recognized the garments of these Cultivators. His killing intent climbed higher. Now that he knew it was the Black Sieve Sect, everything made sense. He didn’t say another word. From this moment forth he would attack with decisiveness, and not the slightest bit of hesitation.
He stepped forward, his five Perfect Dao Pillars rotating. They didn’t leak the slightest bit of power. The raindrops around him vibrated as he approached the nearest Black Sieve Sect Cultivator.
The man gave a cold snort. He lifted his hand, and the illusory image of a large hand appeared, which shot toward Meng Hao. Without so much as a word, the other surrounding Cultivators also made beelines for Meng Hao.
Only the Pseudo Core stage Cultivator didn’t make a move. Off in the distance, he slapped his bag of holding to produce an incense burner about the size of a hand. He rubbed it, which caused it to ignite.
Smoke rose up into the air, congealing into concentric rings of magical symbols. It looked very much like a teleportation portal.
At the same time that the portal appeared, Meng Hao was closing in on the Black Sieve Sect Cultivator who had summoned the illusory hand. The Cultivator smiled ferociously. As far as he was concerned, this whole mission was really making a mountain out of a mole-hill. Being in the late Foundation Establishment stage, he could easily deal with a mid Foundation Establishment stage Cultivator. Wiping him out would be simple.
“I, Xie, shall get the credit for this one!” he said, laughing. He shot forward, and as he did so, a multitude of glowing spikes suddenly emerged from his shoulders. He clearly planned to slam them directly into Meng Hao.
Meng Hao’s expression was the same as ever. He lifted his hand and pressed his finger into the approaching illusory hand. A boom sounded out, and the hand immediately disintegrated into countless shards. The Black Sieve Sect Cultivator named Xie stared in shock as Meng Hao closed in on him.
Meng Hao didn’t even look at the man. The power of his Cultivation base, which he had been concealing up to now, suddenly exploded out.
Boom!
Pressure billowed out from Meng Hao, and suddenly he was directly in front of the Cultivator. His hand shot out and clasped around the man’s neck. Eyes cold, he squeezed.
A cracking sound could be heard, and the Cultivator’s eyes bulged in death!
This was killing amidst the night rain!
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Wednesday, May 27, 2026
Novel 199 : I Shall Seal the Heavens
I Shall Seal the Heavens
I Shall Seal the Heavens
Chapter 199: The Tenth Path!
Chapter 199: The Tenth Path!
Currently, all of the Nascent Soul eccentrics up in the clouds watched on with shining eyes. If they weren’t in the Song Clan, they would have long since taken action. They were frightened, but had already made preparations. In their opinion, Meng Hao was like a turtle in a jar. He couldn’t escape even if he sprouted wings.
The only thing they needed to worry about was the Song Clan. The importance of the Qi Condensation Manual of the Sublime Spirit Scripture was hard to describe. Actually, many of them couldn’t understand how it was possible that their various Sects had permitted the scripture to remain in the Reliance Sect, and had chosen not to go take it….
Their eyes flickered as they watched on. They were simply waiting for Meng Hao to come out, and for backup from their Sects to arrive.
However… the Nascent Soul Eccentric from the Black Sieve Sect’s eyes flickered with something else, undetectable to the others. The jade slip which he had crushed contained details different from that of the others. Not only had he passed on the information about the Sublime Spirit Scripture, but also news that he had tracked down Meng Hao.
Orders had already been issued by the Patriarchs of the Black Sieve Sect to search for the person who had snatched away Ultimate Vexation. The news hadn’t been broadcast on the outside, of course, and their search could only be conducted secretly. Therefore, the appearance of the Sublime Spirit Scripture was not a good development for the Black Sieve Sect.
“All of the Sects are now paying attention to him,” thought the Black Sieve Sect Nascent Soul Cultivator, his eyes flickering. “I need to grab him first, before all his secrets are revealed!” A cold smile appeared on his face. “Ancient Blessed Lands cannot contain this guy. He has a good luck charm from the ancient Good Luck Sect. He can go anywhere in the world.” He was the only one among the Nascent Soul Cultivators who knew that this phantom fragment of the World Tree was incapable of keeping Meng Hao trapped within it. He wasn’t worried, though. Once the Black Sieve Sect learned that Meng Hao had the good luck charm, they had instituted a slew of contingency plans.
Down beneath the cloud vortex, in the glowing, golden world, Meng Hao took a deep breath. He stared at the old man, who stood only a few hundred meters away on the treetop.
They were separated by nine paths, all of which glowed with golden light. Three of the paths actually seemed to glow a bit brighter than the others.
“How do I pick…?” Meng Hao stood there thoughtfully for a brief moment. Then, a cold light gleamed within his eyes. He had made two choices before and had failed both times. This was his third chance. If he failed again, he knew that he would never get a fourth chance.
In actuality, Meng Hao had already guessed which path was the correct one to take. It was the same path he had walked before. If a person truly wishes to practice Cultivation, they must have persistence, and not easily change their mind. This was the key to treading the nine paths in front of him.
“But that choice… is not a choice born of my will….” Meng Hao’s eyes shone with coldness. He moved forward, and as he did, all of the Nascent Soul Cultivators above watched on. Even though the entire world was filled with the blinding golden light, their vision could pierce through it to observe the proceedings.
The instant Meng Hao shot forward, his five Perfect Dao Pillars exploded with power invincible to the rest of the Foundation Establishment stage. The golden glow grew thicker, and his speed increased.
However… he did not pick any of the nine leafy paths. Instead, he flew up into the air and… shot directly toward the gray-robed old man. All of this takes some time to describe, but actually happened in the blink of an eye. Meng Hao completely bypassed the nine paths to appear directly in front of the old man. He lifted his hand, and his Cultivation base rippled out. Instantly, a six hundred meter long Flame Dragon appeared and then slammed down onto the old man.
Meng Hao lowered his hand, causing the Cubic Pearl to fly out of the old man’s hand and into his own. The old man didn’t do anything whatsoever to stop him. As the Flame Dragon engulfed him and the pearl was snatched away, a mysterious light appeared in his eyes, and a slight smile touched the corners of his mouth.
The old man’s archaic voice filled the air. “You obviously realized which path was the correct one to take. Why make this choice?” As the voice echoed out, the golden glow that filled the world was suddenly suppressed. Now, all of the Chosen from the various Sects and Clans could clearly see what was happening on top of the tree.
The sight filled them with shock. Expressions of disbelief covered their faces as they saw the gray-robed old man being engulfed in flames. Meng Hao floated in mid-air. It was impossible for them to miss the fact that he had not picked any of the paths on the treetop, but had instead chosen to kill the old man.
“He dared to attack?!”
“This… this… this Meng Hao chose not to walk one of the paths. He chose to attack?! How could this be?”
“That old man is completely unfathomable…. You can tell from a single glance that he’s beyond ordinary. This place is just too bizzarre. I can’t believe Meng Hao dared to attack! Dammit… how come I didn’t think of that!?!?”
Even as the Chosen beneath the treetop expressed their shock, the Nascent Soul eccentrics up above instantly shot to their feet, their eyes fixed upon Meng Hao.
This was especially true of Patriarch Song Tian. He gasped, and a glow of disbelief radiated from his eyes. A serious expression filled his face.
It wasn’t just him. Eccentric Song, Han Bei, Li Shiqi, Li Daoyi, as well as Song Clan Dao Child Song Yunshu all stared with completely disbelief.
Panting, Song Yunshu stared fixedly at Meng Hao. He had participated in this test and had succeeded on the second try after picking the same path as the first time. However, he had never imagined that you could actually raise a hand against the gray-robed old man.
“How could he do such a thing?” said Song Yunshu said hoarsely. “That’s the Spirit of the tree….”
It was at this moment that everyone heard the old man’s question echoing out from within the flames. It was the exact same question that was running through the heads of all the observers.
Why had he chosen such a path?
“Conforming to convention is emptiness,” replied Meng Hao. “Yielding to and complying with the Heavens is well and good. Unending persistence is fine, too. However, I cannot choose either of those.” Having said this, he shot up into the air!
He would not comply with rules of this place, but would instead create his own path. He was like the Perfect Foundation, not permitted by Heaven and Earth, and the target of extermination by Tribulation Lightning. However, he would continue onward. That was how he differentiated himself from others; his path was not one of inflexible adherence to the rules. As such, why would he follow the rules of this place? Why would he pick the correct path out of the nine?
He had chosen to break through and take the pearl by force, by slaughtering! He knew that he could succeed by persisting in treading the path from before. However, this so-called persistence was actually just a method of following the rules; it was not true persistence!
The old man’s laughter rang out from within the flames. His ancient smile was filled with happiness, as well as anticipation. He gave Meng Hao a deep look, allowing the flames to consume him. Soon, his body was gone.
As the old man disappeared and Meng Hao shot up into the air, the Chosen down below in the tree looked up mutely. They stared at Meng Hao in shock, their hearts in turmoil, incapable of calming down. Meng Hao’s choice had been simple, but not many people were capable of simplicity such as this.
They lived lives of compliance, lives in which rules must be followed. Perhaps the subconscious desire existed within them to break out of the rules, but they would never be able to imagine how to do so.
Meng Hao, however, was different!
Wang Tengfei’s face was pale white, and Wang Youcai was speechless. Fatty’s face slowly filled with even deeper admiration. Meng Hao’s words just now had left a permanent impression on all of their hearts.
When they heard his words, the Nascent Soul Cultivators in the clouds above all gasped. As they looked at Meng Hao, the same thought filled each and every one of them.
“If this kid lives, he will definitely achieve a high position within the Southern Domain!”
Such a personality, such mentality, such tactics… all of it led the Nascent Soul Cultivators to the same conclusion. Meng Hao might have the Sublime Spirit Scripture, but as of now, they didn’t want to capture him and use Soulsearch to retrieve it. That would lead to his death.
If they could get Meng Hao to join their Sect, they could help him grow into a truly powerful expert of the Sect!
Li Daoyi’s eyes glowed with a powerful light; an intense desire to do battle fermented within him. Li Shiqi’s eyes also glowed brightly; looking at Meng Hao down beneath the cloud vortex, she also suddenly desired to have a rematch.
Han Bei looked at Meng Hao thoughtfully. Deep within her eyes flickered a sense of admiration and praise. She couldn’t help but think that if she had been in Meng Hao’s place, she would have picked to follow the original path. She would never have had the resolve of Meng Hao. In retrospect, it seemed like an easy decision, but in reality, it was something almost no one would ever think of doing.
Song Yunshu sat in thought. Next to him, Song Jia gazed at Meng Hao. Everything that was happening was being burned deeply into her mind.
“Conforming to convention is emptiness,” said Patriarch Song Tian. “Well said!” His voice echoed out as he stood up.
The surrounding Nascent Soul Cultivator’s hearts began to thump; the situation was not unfolding well for them.
“This kid has managed to take the Cubic Pearl. Whoever he is, whoever he has offended in the past, this daughter of the Song Clan is now his! Who here dares to touch him!?” Hearing his words caused everyone to sit there thoughtfully. And yet, none of them seemed to notice the meaning within Patriarch Song Tian’s words. What he had said was strange; he never mentioned anything about marrying into the family. He words seemed to have a deeper meaning.
At this exact moment, the bright glow of multiple spells filled the air outside of the Sun and Moon mountains of the Song Clan. Powerful Qi suddenly appeared, as figure after figure emerged.
The five Sects and two Clans had arrived to investigate!
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