Chapter 176: Believe Your Granny

Originally Meng Hao had planned to speak placatingly, but then opted to sound scornful and disbelieving. “If you can transform into a shiny bag of holding that obviously contains a precious treasure, then I’ll believe you, ” he said. He worked hard to make himself sound as antagonistic as possible.

In a rage, the meat jelly instantly transformed into a shining, golden bag of holding. It was transparent, and within could be seen a square cauldron as well as four circulating demonic swords. The four swords revolved around the cauldron, and at a single glance, it was obvious that it was a precious treasure.

Even more realistic was how the cauldron and four swords seemed to be trying to push their way out of the bag of holding, as if they wanted to escape.

“Well, what do you think…? ” The voice of the meat jelly emanated out from the bag of holding.

Inside, he was surprised, but on the outside, a look of disdain covered his face. “There’s no glow! ”

There was a rustling sound, and even as the words left his mouth, the bag of holding began to emit a blinding glow which shot up into the sky. The golden light shined up, instantly catching the attention of the eight Cultivators. Immediately, they flew in Meng Hao’s direction.

“Do you believe me n….? ” came the voice of the meat jelly from within the bag of holding. Before it could finish speaking, Meng Hao grabbed the bag of holding and threw it toward the approaching Cultivators.

“Believe your granny!! ” Meng Hao had been raised not to curse, but in this case he couldn’t help it. He shot away from the meat jelly as quickly as possible.

He had thrown the glowing, golden bag of holding away from himself with all the power he could muster from his Cultivation base. As it neared the approaching eight Cultivators, they stared open-mouthed. They all had slightly different expressions. Some were suspicious, some were cautious, some even looked pleasantly surprised. However, each and every one reached out with outstretched arms to snatch the bag of holding.

“You tricked me! That pisses me off! ” sounded out the voice of the meat jelly. Just when it was about to be grabbed by one of the Cultivators, it vanished. Then it reappeared off in the distance, directly on Meng Hao’s head. It once again transformed into a green hat.

As if that didn’t satisfy it, popping sounds rang out as one hat after another piled up on his head, over and over again, high up into the air….

Soon, the stack of hats was taller than Meng Hao’s entire person. The eight Cultivators looked on, completely dumbfounded. They had never seen something like this in their entire lives.

Meng Hao’s face grew even more unsightly. He felt like he was about to go nuts. If the meat jelly took this shape, then he would be the center of attention no matter where he went….

“Fellow Daoist with the green hats, ” said one of the Cultivators coldly, a middle-aged man with a frown. “This is Blood Demon Sect territory. Outsiders are not welcome. Even less welcome are people who come here to make fools of us. Take your green hat and get the hell out of here! ”

Meng Hao had just been about to leave when the words reached his ears. He suddenly stopped, turning to look at the eight Cultivators. His eyes shone fiercely. At the moment, he was in a horrific mood, and these words did not please him whatsoever.

“You still dare to turn your head back? ” said the middle-aged Cultivator with a cold laugh. “In that case, why don’t you leave your eyes with me after you leave. With those green hats, you’ll be a laughingstock anyway.” With that, he and his companions shot toward Meng Hao.

“Screw off! ” said Meng Hao, suddenly lifting his hand and waving his sleeve toward them. The power of his Cultivation base exploded out. A massive wind screamed out and then slammed into them.

A booming filled the air, and blood sprayed from the mouths of the eight patrolling Blood Demon Sect disciples. Their bodies trembled. A look of disbelief covered the face of the man who had taunted Meng Hao, and his pupils constricted. From what he could see, Meng Hao was at the mid Foundation Establishment stage, but his attack just now had been filled with the might like that of the late Foundation Establishment stage. Blood oozed out of his mouth as he skidded backward in retreat. When he saw the cold look in Meng Hao’s eyes, his heart shook.

Realizing he had been rash, the middle-aged Cultivator said, “Fellow Daoist, this….” Even as he began to speak, however, Meng Hao’s eyes shone with even more ferocious iciness.

The man’s face fell. He and his companions turned into beams of prismatic light that shot away into the distance. When they were far away from Meng Hao, they finally came to a stop and exchanged glances.

“That guy is just too aggressive. Where did he come from? Elder Brother, let’s report him to Master. Master will surely dispatch some people to apprehend him! ”

“Correct. Elder Brother, this is Blood Demon Sect territory. Can we really allow that guy to just run amok? ”

“Shut the hell up! ” growled the middle-aged man, his face dark and unreadable. “He’s young, and with just a single sweep of his hand, look at what he did to us. Do you really think he’s just some random person? He’s obviously not a Cultivator of the Solitary Sword Sect. With war brewing between our Sect and the Solitary Sword Sect, we can’t afford to provoke the wrath of additional Sects! He’s obviously just passing through and doesn’t want to make enemies, that’s why he went easy on us. All of you, shut your mouths. Forget about what happened here. There will always be friction among Cultivators like us. There’s no need to report some trifling incident like this to the Sect.” Having made his decision, he continued on into the distance, his fellow Cultivators in tow.

After they were some ways away, the vines on the ground beneath them that they hadn’t noticed this entire time, burrowed into the earth and disappeared.

Back in Meng Hao’s location, Meng Hao stamped his foot onto the ground. The soil seethed as the dark red vines emerged to sway back and forth in front of him. Moments later, they transformed into a small, dark red fruit, which he placed into his bag of holding. Finally, he turned his attention to the hat on his head.

“You can’t do that! It’s wrong. If you let them go, you should trust them completely. You can’t secretly dispatch something to follow them. That’s wrong. That’s immoral. Eee? I just remembered something. You cussed at me just now!!

“Cussing is wrong. It’s immoral. My granny never did anything to offend you. Why did you have to bring her up? It’s very strange. What relationship do you have with her? Unless…” Suddenly, the meat jelly’s pedantic voice filled with a strange tone. “Unless the two of you….”

Meng Hao ignored it. He slapped his bag of holding to produce a set of clothing. He ripped off some strips of fabric and stuffed them into his ears. Immediately, the meat jelly’s voice became quieter. But then, the meat jelly gave a dry cough. It started to talk, and this time, its voice could be heard directly inside of Meng Hao’s head.

Meng Hao’s expression was somewhat haggard. He stared off into nothing for a while, then finally sighed and tossed the strips of cloth away.

“Now I know why people call you Ultimate Vexation, ” he said. Immediately, the meat jelly began to tremble with excitement.

“Why? Why?! This name was given to me a very, very, very long time ago by an old friend. I asked him about it many times, but he would never tell me what it means.” The meat jelly’s full and undivided attention was now focused on Meng Hao.

Meng Hao didn’t say anything. Instead, he pondered why the person who named the meat jelly wouldn’t explain the meaning of the name. Then he thought of the meat jelly’s long-windedness, and he shivered. He understood. By providing an answer regarding the name, it would give the meat jelly a conversation topic that would certainly last for months.

The thought of that made his scalp go numb. Anyone who had no experience dealing with the meat jelly couldn’t comprehend the nature of the torment it brought. He decided to change the topic.

“With you looking like this, we really can’t proceed onward, ” said Meng Hao. “Is there any way you can take some form other than a pile of hats? ” He was careful in his wording, fearful of agitating the thing. He could only imagine what it would look like if it decided to become a mountain of green hats perched on top of his head. What would happen then?

His tone was non-argumentative, but inside, his heart was filled with helplessness. He thought of the Blood Mastiff, and suddenly missed it terribly. Unfortunately, it was sleeping now.

Actually, Meng Hao’s words seemed to excite the meat jelly. “Eee? If I’m not a hat, then what shape should I take? ” Meng Hao was used to this, so he didn’t say anything at first. He sat cross-legged within the mountain forest and retrieved the Time-refining jade page. He cast his Spiritual Sense into it and began to study the contents.

Some time passed, and then Meng Hao’s eyes glittered. He began to mutter to himself. “Time of Spring and Autumn requires a Spring tree and the frost of Autumn. The fire of mid-Winter, the spirit of Summer. Refine the four seasons, fuse with the Cultivation base. Refine the four seasons again to produce a small sword.

“This sword must be carefully nurtured. With enlightenment of Time, the veins of a hundred years can fill the sword. After the hundred years, a thousand years will pass, and it will take shape. In ten thousand years, it will appear to shake heaven and earth, the first Sword of Time.” Meng Hao frowned as he gazed at the jade page. The sword contained no small might, but the time involved in its creation seemed too vast.

“Han Bei is really focused on this sword, so it can’t really take that much time, can it…? There must be other methods that can be used to speed up the appearance of the sword.” Lost in thought, Meng Hao thought to the third jade page that the meat jelly had swallowed, as well as the first jade page, which had been sucked back into the circular cauldron.

“The answer must be on the third page. Too bad this damned meat jelly ate it.” Meng Hao lifted his head and looked at the meat jelly. About an hour had passed since he began studying the Time refining information. Of course, the meat jelly had been talking the entire time.

“What do I change into? What do I change into? What do I change into? ” It had flown off of Meng Hao’s head and was now hopping back and forth in front of him. It looked very excited.

“Can you change into that jade page you swallowed? ” Meng Hao said suddenly.

“Huh? Ok…” It agreed, and then immediately changed its mind. “Eee? Wait a second. What are you trying to pull? No way! It’s mine. You’re not getting your hands on it.”

Meng Hao’s eyes narrowed when he heard the words.

“Could it be that the things it swallows don’t get digested, but are just collected? ”

“Trying to fool me? Quit dreaming. Hmph.” The meat jelly’s tone became sagely, “Child, you’ve walked too far down the path of evil. Repent and be saved.”

“Change into whatever it was that left the most profound impression on you, ” Meng Hao said blithely. He was still thinking about what the meat jelly had said just now, and what it meant. He had to figure out a way to trick the meat jelly into coughing up the jade page.

“The most profound impression? There’s no need to even think about it. The thing which had the most profound effect on me in my entire life is this!! ” The meat jelly seemed to be gnashing its teeth. There was a popping sound, and suddenly it transformed into….

A brightly colored parrot! It was about half the size of his arm, glistening as if it were covered with rainwater. It was somewhat emaciated, with a curved beak and triangular eyes. It had a somewhat perverted demeanor, and seemed to be filled with an immoral air.

It stood there in front of Meng Hao, looking at him with its perverted, triangular eyes. It lowered its head and pecked a few times at its body.

Meng Hao gaped at the parrot. In his entire life, he had never seen such a perverted looking bird. Its triangular eyes and the brightly colored feathers which covered its body were especially strange.

The parrot coughed dryly, looking at Meng Hao out of the corner of its eye.

“This is what left the most profound impression on me: that damned bird. In my last life, I just wasn’t able to get it to give in and convert. In this life, I will definitely convert it! That immoral, perverted creature who likes things with fur and feathers!! ” The meat jelly sounded like it was gnashing its teeth. Its appearance and words just now instantly made this form seem even more lifelike.

Seeing the parrot and hearing the words caused Meng Hao to take a deep breath. He thought back to the day he had almost put on the blood-colored mask, and had heard a bird cry come from the copper mirror.

He thought about how fervently the copper mirror would attack furred creatures. His mind spun with various images. He didn’t really understand. Just what was this bird that the meat jelly kept talking about…?

Meng Hao hesitated for a moment before retrieving the copper mirror from his bag of the Cosmos. “You’re talking about this? ” he asked. The instant it appeared, the meat jelly parrot let out a squawk. Wings fluttering, it shot forward and grabbed the copper mirror in its claws and began to viciously peck at it.

“Dammit! Yes, this is it. I can sense its aura inside. I’ll peck you to death, you damned mass-murdering bird! Peck you! Peck you…! ” The meat jelly parrot seemed to have gone crazy. Its feathers stood on end as it squawked and pecked at the copper mirror.

Meng Hao watched on in a daze. He recalled the time he had acquired the mirror, and then when he had discovered its ability. From the very beginning, he had always wondered about its fantastical nature, but had never discovered any clues.

Meng Hao felt like he was going to be quickly driven insane by the meat jelly parrot. It was squawking madly and radiated a look of hatred. Meng Hao himself felt like venting a bit. He suddenly had an intense desire to meet the parrot that resided within the copper mirror.

“The parrot must be incredibly extraordinary to be able to make the meat jelly so angry. Maybe when it comes out, it can take care of the meat jelly for me.” Meng Hao’s eyes glittered as he suddenly reached an understanding. “Didn’t the meat jelly say earlier that when I reach Core Formation, the parrot can come out? Perhaps… it’s like the mastiff, a type of Weapon Spirit! ”

“Why don’t you fight back? Hmm? ” The meat jelly parrot blustered as it pecked at the mirror. “I won’t let you off this time, I’m going to convert you! Hahaha! You can’t come out. You can’t come out! I can piss you off as much as I want and you can’t come out.” The meat jelly quivered with excitement. However, it was at this point that the mirror suddenly flickered, and the meat jelly let out a cry. It released its claws and flew away. The copper mirror flew after it, repeatedly sending out invisible attack rays.

Meng Hao watched on contentedly, doing nothing to stop the copper mirror. However, it quickly became apparent that the meat jelly wasn’t being hurt at all. He flicked his sleeve, returning the copper mirror to the bag of the Cosmos.

The meat jelly parrot flapped its wings as it flew back over and landed on Meng Hao’s shoulder. It began to chatter into his ear like usual.

At least this form looked better than a stack of hats. Meng Hao’s desire to reach Core Formation was now even more intense. He took a deep breath. Ignoring the prattle of the meat jelly, he flew into the air and shot off toward the horizon.

“The poison within me is a big problem, ” he thought. “I really need to figure a way to infiltrate the Violet Fate Sect and see if I can find a way to become Grandmaster Pill Demon’s disciple. Then I can get rid of the poison once and for all.” His eyes glittered as he proceeded onward. He had considered this the last time he was in a city controlled by the Violet Fate Sect. The Spring and Autumn tree could only alleviate the symptoms of the poison and buy him some time.

The only way to truly dispel the poison was to get into the Violet Fate Sect.

“Besides, if I want to form a Perfect Gold Core, I first need to have a Violet Core. To form a Violet Core requires a suitable technique. That technique is none other than the Violet Fate Sect’s Violet Qi from the East! ” Meng Hao frowned. It was a good idea, but he couldn’t think of any way to infiltrate the Violet Fate Sect. He had offended too many people there. There was Wu Dingqiu and Chu Yuyan, as well as the disciples he had met in the State of Zhao, who were surely members of the Inner Sect by now.

“I need to switch identities. I need a way to become someone else.” He sighed. Obviously it was all a flight of fancy that should just be forgotten. Suddenly, his expression changed. He looked at the bag of the Cosmos, and his eyes shined with intelligence.

“The mask…. If I had an appearance-changing mask, then I could do it. As for a mask…I do have one! But who knows if the mask has that power? Furthermore, my Cultivation base needs to be at Core Formation before I can use it. Also, what if the mask just doesn’t work that way….” He slowly turned his head to look at the chattering parrot on his shoulder. His eyes glittered.

“What are you looking at me like that for? ” said the meat jelly parrot with surprise, staring at him.

Meng Hao ignored it. He flew down to the ground and sat cross-legged. He smacked the bag of the Cosmos and retrieved the blood-colored mask.

As soon as the meat jelly saw the mask, its eyes went wide and it flapped its wings violently, flying around Meng Hao in a circle and letting out raucous squawks.

“What’s that? What’s that? Heavens! What is that evil thing? Child, you’ve trodden too far down the path of wickedness. Fear not, I can pull you back. I will convert you. Eeeeee? What’s that inside? Why am I seeing an old man? Waaah! This old man looks so miserable. Child, you can’t do this. It’s wrong. It’s immoral. Eee? This old guy has performed possession! Old man, that’s immoral. That’s wrong….”

Meng Hao poured Spiritual Sense into the mask and was immediately able to see the blood-red form of the mastiff. It lay there sleeping, its aura majestic and boundless and growing even stronger. Meng Hao looked at it, and his expression grew soft.

“Hurry up and awaken…” he said with Spiritual Sense. The mastiff’s body twitched, and warmth emanated from it, a reply of sorts. Meng Hao’s smile grew warmer, and he thought back to everything that had happened during the Blood Immortal Legacy tournament.

“I’m waiting for you to wake up, ” said Meng Hao softly. His eyes flashed as they fell upon the flag with three streamers. He was fully aware that his Cultivation base was not high enough to use the flag. He could only pour some Spiritual Sense into it and brand it to himself.

“Core Formation…. If I can become a Core Formation expert, then I should be able to use this flag….”

Last, Meng Hao touched the Li Clan Patriarch with his Spiritual Sense. He sat recoiled in the corner, his body illusory and transparent, and his face wan and sallow. It seemed as if at any moment he might dissipate into nothing.

As Meng Hao looked at him, he raised his head and glared back. His gaze was as fierce as ever, sinister to the extreme.

“There’s a question I can’t stop thinking about, ” said Meng Hao calmly. “Why did you help Li Daoyi? The first time I saw you was in the sixth matrix, and you were a statue. The second time I saw you, you had become Li Daoyi’s Blood Divinity. Why? ”

The Li Clan Patriarch laughed coldly, refusing to respond.

“It turns out you possessed the Blood Divinity. That makes me curious. Before possessing the Blood Divinity… who were you!? ” His voice was as calm as ever. However, when the Li Clan Patriarch heard his words, his heart shook. His identity was his biggest secret, and no one had any clue about it. Even Meng Hao could only speculate about his relationship to Li Daoyi. Any details would be difficult to ascertain.

The Li Clan Patriarch laughed disdainfully. “You want to know? Beg me for a year, then maybe I’ll think about it.” He didn’t care about anything, not even death. After facing the loneliness of the Blood Immortal Legacy zone for four thousand years, he had incredible strength of will. Even Meng Hao’s previous threatening methods couldn’t really affect him now.

Meng Hao’s expression was the same as ever. He glanced one last time at the weak form of the Li Clan Patriarch, and then narrowed his eyes and retracted his Spiritual Sense. He gazed at the surface of the blood-colored mask, and then looked at the meat jelly.

“You like to convert people, right? ” asked Meng Hao.

“No, ” the meat jelly responded solemnly, “I don’t like to convert people, I like to persuade them. Understand? Persuade.”

Meng Hao sighed. “The old man in this mask lived a life of extreme wickedness. He’s performed the most evil of acts and is completely corrupted by immorality. He loves to bully the weak, and is extremely vile in all ways. I captured him and put him in here out of mercy, because I wanted to admonish him. However, his magic is just too powerful. I just can’t influence him…” Before he could even finish talking, the meat jelly parrot’s eyes grew wide and it began to fume.

“Do you dare!? This type of person should only be converted by me! I hate nothing more than evildoers! I must convert him! ” It suddenly looked extremely excited at the prospect of converting a bad guy such as this. Without waiting for a response from Meng Hao, its body flashed and it entered the blood-colored mask.

—–

As soon as it entered the mask, the meat jelly cried out in alarm.

“Th-th-that’s … a Yellow Springs Nine Burials Flag!! It already has three streamers! Evil! Profound evil! ” Looking very stern, the meat jelly approached the gaping Li Patriarch. “Old man, it turns out you are evil incarnate! In the name of Justice, I shall convert you! You can’t be like this, it’s immoral. You won’t meet a good end this way….”

Meng Hao coughed lightly and then put the mask away. He let out a deep sigh, and his eyes glittered sharply.

“Yellow Springs Nine Burials Flag? ” Lost in thought, Meng Hao was just about to fly out of the concealment of the forest, when he stopped. He hid his Cultivation base and narrowed his eyes.

His Cultivation base was at the mid Foundation Establishment stage, which meant that he could contend with Dao Children. However, he had no reason to do so. This area was the border region between the Blood Demon Sect and the Solitary Sword Sect. He must be very cautious, and not get carried away. He resolved to not forget this.

After the space of about ten breaths had passed, several colorful beams of light appeared in the sky overhead. Ten Cultivators appeared, each and every one standing on a flying sword. They all wore identical outfits, and looked very impressive and dignified. Their passage sent a roaring sound into the air.

Of the ten people, the three in the front were the most conspicuous. They wore robes of interlocking black and white. Sheathed swords were strapped to their backs, and the sword auras beneath their feet shined brightly, seemingly capable of slicing effortlessly through anything.

One of the three was a stately looking man of about forty years of age. He was at the late Foundation Establishment stage, and as he flew, his black hair whipped around him, interspersed with occasional strands of white hair.

Behind him was a young man of about thirty years of age with thin lips and a harsh expression. He had curved eyes like a red phoenix that radiated coldness. He was incredibly good looking, but seemed cold-blooded in nature. The sword under his feet issued a frigid pressure. He was at the mid Foundation Establishment stage, and seemed to be the picture of imposing power.

The last person appeared to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight. His features were ordinary, but he radiated an air of righteousness. He was only at the early Foundation Establishment stage, but his eyes glowed brightly. He seemed to be filled with a powerful aura.

When Meng Hao caught sight of him, his mind flooded with memories. This man filled with righteousness was none other than… Meng Hao’s Elder Brother from the Reliance Sect, who had been taken away by the Solitary Sword Sect.

Years had passed. Yet here, right in front of him, was Chen Fan. He thought back to the day they had parted, and it seemed like a very, very long time ago. The Reliance Sect was no more, and the State of Zhao was gone. Meng Hao wondered if Chen Fan was still the same person he had been before. ¹

He was silent as he observed the group of people. They were all disciples of the number one Sect in the Southern Domain, the Solitary Sword Sect. It wasn’t anything remarkable for the Solitary Sword Sect to appear here. After all, this area was a region of contention between the Blood Demon Sect and the Solitary Sword Sect.

Meng Hao knew about the constant friction between the two great Sects, as well as the occasional skirmishes that occurred.

Just as the group of people was about to disappear in the distance, Meng Hao’s expression flickered, and he looked back up into the sky.

Soon, he caught sight of ten beams of blood-red light whistling through the air. They were moving at top speed, kicking up a wind that buffeted the mountain forest below. Above the group of ten people were a handful of enormous creatures, flying along with them.

These ten Cultivators had grim expressions, filled with death. Killing intent circled around them and up to the beasts above them, who seemed to be feeding on it. The beasts roared and howled.

These, of course, were disciples of the Blood Demon Sect. Their speed was incredible as they passed over Meng Hao. From the direction they were heading, it seemed they were pursuing the Solitary Sword Sect Cultivators.

As they disappeared over the horizon, Meng Hao emerged from the forest. Muttering to himself, he looked at the direction the Cultivators from the two Sects had gone. Instead of flying after them, he stayed down into the cover of the trees to follow.

Meng Hao sped through the trees for the time it takes two incense sticks to burn. It was then that he heard the sounds of explosions ringing out. He increased his speed, and before long, caught sight of the Solitary Sword Sect and the Blood Demon Sect Cultivators locked in fierce magical combat. Booms echoed out, and ripples of magic spread out through the air.

To the Solitary Sword Sect people, a single sword was an instrument of death, incomparably sharp. As for the Blood Demon Sect people, their magic was ever-changing. Surprisingly, it wasn’t dominated by the color of blood; rather, they used an endless stream of techniques. The phantom beasts they controlled possessed extraordinary strength. There were only three of them, but they charged about violently, making them impossible to approach.

There were no Core Formation experts in the two groups of people. The strongest among them was of the Pseudo Core stage. The rest were all of Foundation Establishment. They fought back and forth wildly, surrounded by a bloody glow. Meng Hao watched as a few among them perished. At the moment, the Blood Demon Sect seemed to have the upper hand. Suddenly, though, the eyes of the Pseudo Core Cultivator from the Solitary Sword Sect flickered with a cold light.

“Solitary Sword Spell! ” he shouted. The Solitary Sword Sect disciples, including Chen Fan, flew toward him. Their swords glittered shockingly. In the blink of an eye, the sword merged together to form a single enormous sword, three hundred meters in length. The massive sword shot toward the three phantom beasts.

An explosion rang out in all directions. The phantom beasts trembled and roared, and then one by one, disintegrated into nothing. The massive sword then transformed into hundreds of glowing sword beams, which shot toward the remaining Blood Demon Sect disciples, as well as… toward the ground, where Meng Hao stood.

Meng Hao frowned, and then leaped up into the air. He waved his right hand, causing a gale force wind to spring up. The approaching sword beams instantly broke apart into pieces.

Meng Hao’s appearance, and his quick dispatching of the sword beams, immediately attracted the attention of the surrounding Solitary Sword Cultivators. This was especially so of the harsh-looking young man of the mid Foundation Establishment stage, whose eyes radiated iciness. The sword beams that had shot toward Meng Hao just now had been under his control.

“This Blood Demon Sect villain harbors evil designs, ” said the young man coolly. “Junior Brothers, hear my command. Snuff him out! ” He seemed disinclined to even verify Meng Hao’s identity. His appearance here was enough for the young man to pass judgement on him.

As soon as the words came out of his mouth, the forty-year-old late Foundation Establishment Cultivator frowned. However, he didn’t intervene. The eyes of the surrounding Cultivators flickered with coldness as they charged toward Meng Hao.

At this moment, however, Chen Fan caught sight of Meng Hao. After a moment passed, his eyes filled with joy.

“Stop! ” he cried, rushing forward with all the speed of the early Foundation Establishment stage. He passed the others, flying directly up to Meng Hao. “This is my Junior Brother! ” he cried excitedly. “Everyone stop! ”

His expression was one of intense happiness, almost trance-like, as he gazed at Meng Hao and recalled the past.

Meng Hao looked at Chen Fan and smiled. Chen Fan’s expression and words were filled with sincerity, and now Meng Hao was certain… he hadn’t changed. He was the same person he had been seven or eight years ago.

Meng Hao took a deep breath and then said, “Greetings, Elder Brother.” He clasped hands and bowed deeply.

Chen Fan laughed. He looked a bit different than he had seven or eight years ago, but his personality was the same. He stepped forward and embraced Meng Hao.

“Junior Brother Chen, ” said the harsh-looking young man with a hypocritical smile. “How come I’ve never seen this Junior Brother of yours? I didn’t know the Solitary Sword Sect had a disciple such as this.” His voice was filled with sinister accusation.

Chen Fan frowned, standing protectively in front of Meng Hao. “Elder Brother Zhou, he’s not a Solitary Sword Sect disciple. He’s my Junior Brother from when I was in the Reliance Sect.”

Meng Hao didn’t say anything, and his expression was the same as ever. He wanted to see how Chen Fan would handle the situation.

“So he’s a disciple from a tiny, backwater Sect, ” said Zhou, his voice sinister and yet leisurely. “He would normally be inconsequential. Yet here he is spying on us. He must take responsibility! ”

The surrounding Solitary Sword Sect disciples exchanged glances, then moved backward silently. It seems this was not the first time they had seen conflict erupt between Zhou and Chen Fan.

The middle-aged Pseudo Core Cultivator sighed, looking at the two of them with an annoyed expression, and then glancing down at Meng Hao.

“Take responsibility? ” said Chen Fan coolly. His eyes were cold as he stood there in front of Meng Hao. “Zhou Shanyue ², I would very much like to know exactly how you expect my Junior Brother to take responsibility? With me here, which one of you dares to cause problems for him!? ” He slapped his bag of holding, and a small black blade appeared, about the size of a hand. It flew up to circle around his head.

Meng Hao’s expression changed to one of shock the instant he saw the blade appear. So did the faces of the surrounding Cultivators. The Pseudo Core stage man gasped.

Zhou Shanyue’s face immediately grew extremely unsightly. A look of jealousy filled his eyes as he glared at Chen Fan. His heart, however, filled with dread.

The blade emanated the fearsome power of Core Formation!

“Zhou Shanyue, I’m waiting for your response, ” said Chen Fan calmly.

“That’s my father’s flying dagger! ” said Zhou Shanyue with a cold snort, staring at the black blade hovering around Chen Fan’s head.

“It’s a gift from my Master, ” replied Chen Fan, his expression cold. Immediately, Zhou Shanyue’s expression darkened. He flicked his sleeve and began to move toward Chen Fan.

“To take responsibility is simple, ” he said as he strode forward. “I want both of his eyes. Let’s see if you dare to try to kill me. If you do, you have my respect. But how will you explain that to your Master, my father?! ”

Meng Hao’s expression was the same as always. He watched calmly as the scene unfolded. In front of him, Chen Fan gazed coldly at the approaching Zhou Shanyue. He lifted his right hand, and the flying dagger immediately began to glow.

Everything seemed ready to dissolve into chaos. Zhou Shanyue proceeded forward, a savage expression covering his face.

“I can’t believe that you would dare to attack me over an outsider! ”

“To you, he’s an outsider, but to me, he’s a Junior Brother.” Chen Fan waved his hand, and the flying dagger shot toward Zhou Shanyue.

Zhou Shanyue’s hair stood on end, and he suddenly stopped moving. The black dagger had come to a stop right in front of his face.

“Don’t push me, Zhou Shanyue, ” Chen Fan said softly.

Meng Hao was just about to take a step forward when the Pseudo Core stage Cultivator suddenly said, “Just what do you two think you’re doing?! Zhou Shanyue, stand down! Chen Fan, if this is your Junior Brother from your former Sect, then you’ll need to vouch for him. You will be responsible for all his future mistakes.” The words obviously contained a threat. While it seemed on the surface that he was trying to smooth over the situation, he was actually making a small matter into a bigger one.

Meng Hao was quite experienced, so obviously he understood what was being said. He laughed coldly.

“My affairs have nothing to do with my Elder Brother, ” he said. “If you don’t take your words back voluntarily, your excellency, then I’ll be forced to make you take them back.” His voice was ice cold. When the middle-aged man heard them, his eyes grew icy and he stared back at Meng Hao.

Chen Fan, of course, had never imagined that Meng Hao would dare to speak. Without another word, he flashed an incantation sign, and the flying dagger re-appeared at his side.

“Chen Fan, it’s not that I didn’t try to give you some face. Your Junior Brother here needs to be taught a lesson.” With a grim smile, the middle-aged man flicked his sleeve and began to move toward Meng Hao.

Meng Hao’s expression was the same as ever. His Cultivation base had four Dao Pillars. He could contend with the late Foundation Establishment stage and could even stand up to Dao Children with Flawless Foundations. There was no need to even mention this middle-aged man who clearly had a Cracked Foundation at best.

Meng Hao could slay him with ease.

Granted, the man was a fellow Disciple of Elder Brother Chen. However, Meng Hao couldn’t allow people to level threats against him that could affect Elder Brother Chen later. That was why he had tried to separate himself from Chen Fan.

The surrounding Solitary Sword Sect disciples watched on with cold smiles, eyeing Meng Hao with looks of disdain. They obviously thought Meng Hao was being arrogant and conceited to think he could stand up to someone who had completed the great circle of Foundation Establishment.

Various thoughts ran through the minds of the surrounding disciples.

“I never imagined Elder Brother Chen would make friends with someone who so easily overestimates himself.”

“He’s relying on Elder Brother Chen’s presence, like a fox exploiting the might of a tiger.” ¹

“He’s looking to die! ”

A sinister smile appeared on Zhou Shanyue’s face. He moved backward a few paces, contentedly watching the commotion.

Meng Hao looked as calm as ever as the middle-aged man raced forward. A slight smile appeared on his face, and he was about to step forward, when Chen Fan held his arm in front of him.

“Elder Brother Li, my Junior Brother is young and insensible. Please give me some more face, and don’t take offense. Let’s just drop the matter.” Having said this, he clasped Meng Hao’s shoulder and gazed at him warmly. “Listen to Elder Brother, ” he said. When the four words entered Meng Hao’s ears, they were filled with a gentle warmth that he hadn’t experienced in a very long time. He looked into Chen Fan’s eyes and then nodded.

The man named Li stopped in his tracks, glaring coldly at Meng Hao for a moment, and then looking back at Chen Fan. Slowly, his face relaxed. A long moment passed, and then he said, “You need to help your Junior Brother learn not stop overestimating himself. If he doesn’t, he’ll end up a mutilated corpse sooner or later.” He flicked his sleeve and began to leave. Zhou Shanyue smiled mockingly and followed, along with the other Solitary Sword Disciples.

“We’ll wait for you up ahead, ” came the voice of Li. “You have the time it takes an incense stick to burn to catch up with your Junior Brother.”

As they disappeared into the distance, Meng Hao looked hesitantly at Chen Fan.

“Elder Brother, I….”

“You don’t need to say anything, ” said Chen Fan, his face covered with a wide smile. He embraced him warmly again.

Laughing happily, Chen Fan looked Meng Hao over, eyes filled with excitement because of their reunion. “You’ve grown up big and strong, I see! Haha! You’re not the little scholar you used to be.”

In a voice as earnest as it had always been, he grabbed Meng Hao’s arm and said, “Can you believe it? Here we are, fellow Brothers who’ve run into each other yet again in in the Southern Domain. We have to celebrate! Come come, tell your Elder Brother what you’ve been up to these past years. A while back, I heard that the State of Zhao disappeared! Ai….” He didn’t even give Meng Hao a chance to respond.

His personality had always been like this. He talked and talked, and before long, enough time had passed for an incense stick to burn. The entire time, Meng Hao didn’t have a chance to even say a single sentence. It was just like it had been back in the Reliance Sect.

Chen Fan was definitely long-winded, but even were he more so, Meng Hao wouldn’t mind. Meng Hao’s heart filled with warmth as he realized that everything Chen Fan was saying was out of concern for him. He was considerate, excited, and happy.

“That fatty Li Fugui, do you remember him? He used to follow you around all the time. Well, he’s a pretty important person in the Golden Frost Sect now. Last time I went with Master to pay a visit to the Golden Frost Sect, I saw him swaggering around. He’s definitely a darling of the Sect. If anyone dared to mess with him, a crowd of Golden Frost Sect disciples would instantly rush to help him….

“Junior Sister Xu is in sore straits, though. The only thing I could do was ask some people I know in the Black Sieve Sect to watch out for her. She’s been stuck at the ninth level of Qi Condensation for years now. She needs a Foundation Establishment Pill. In the past years, I’ve performed some meritorious services for the Sect. I think it won’t be long before I can get a Foundation Establishment Pill from Master to send to her.

“Oh, and then there’s Wang Tengfei…. You’d best not provoke him again, he has an impressive amount of power backing him. Oh, right. You wouldn’t believe the latest gossip. Rumor has it that his fiancee, Chu Yuyan from the Violet Fate Sect, is intimately involved with some stranger.

“The news is out, and all the Sects have heard about it. There was an eyewitness who saw Chu Yuyan wearing the clothing of some other man. There was obviously something shady going on…. Who do you think that guy could be? Whoever he is, I sure admire him. He was able to steal Chu Yuyan right from under Wang Tengfei’s nose….” Meng Hao wasn’t able to get a word in edgewise. When the topic of Chu Yuyan came up, a strange expression suddenly appeared on his face.

“So, ” he thought, “that Zhou Daya fellow did exactly as I predicted and immediately began to spread rumors….” He gave a dry cough, not admitting to anything. Instead, he said, “Wow, that guy really is amazing. I hope I have a chance to meet him some day and maybe be friends.” His face was covered with an expression of admiration similar to Chen Fan’s.

About this time, the clear sound of a sword could be heard ringing out in the air. Meng Hao looked up to see a Solitary Sword Sect disciple off in the distance, clearly urging them to hurry up.

Taking advantage in the break in Chen Fan’s dialogue, Meng Hao scratched his head and said, “Elder Brother, maybe you should….” Before he could finish, he was submerged by more words from Chen Fan.

“Little Junior Brother, have you found a suitable beloved yet? ” he said suddenly.

“Uh….” Meng Hao stared in shock. Chen Fan’s question seemed to have come completely out of the blue. Before he could respond, Chen Fan nodded.

“Oh, I understand. You’re still hung up on Elder Sister Xu. Junior Brother, listen to me carefully. There are a lot of female Cultivators in the Southern Domain, but there are four who are considered to be the most dazzling.

“Chu Yuyan is one of them, but you might as well forget about her. She belongs to Wang Tengfei and that other mysterious guy. However, the other three are really a match for your good looks and Cultivation base.” Chen Fan’s eyes shined brightly as he looked at Meng Hao. He sounded almost like a match-maker.

This topic completely exceeded Meng Hao’s powers of prediction. He stared blankly at Elder Brother Chen. How could he have imagined that after all these years, Elder Brother Chen would suddenly have taken up this new interest? Meng Hao cleared his throat a few times. “Elder Brother, I….”

“Don’t be so shy! Look, your Elder Brother has a lot of experience. There may be some things you don’t understand about this kind of thing, but don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything. There’s still plenty of time, plenty of time.”

“Er… plenty of time, plenty of time….” Beads of sweat broke out on Meng Hao’s forehead.

“Alright, you come with me to the Solitary Sword Sect. When we get there, the two of us can have a proper reunion.” Not even giving Meng Hao a chance to refuse, Chen Fan grabbed him and made to leave.

“Elder Brother, this….”

“Listen to your Elder Brother, okay? Besides, pretty soon one of the three great Clans, the Song Clan, is going to have a big get-together. They’ve invited Chosen and Dao Children from all over the Southern Domain. I’m going, so why don’t you come along? It will be a good chance to meet some of the current generation of Chosen from the Southern Domain. You just stick with me, and I’ll arrange everything.

“The State of Zhao is gone, and the Reliance Sect is no more. Throughout all these years, what I’ve worried about most is you! A few years ago, I sent someone with a message to find you, but by that time the State of Zhao had disappeared, and I feared that you had been killed.

“Let’s not bring that up. Little Junior Brother, even now, what concerns me most is still you.” He looked at Meng Hao earnestly. “You’re on your own, without a Sect! That won’t do. You listen to your Elder Brother, okay? ”

Meng Hao’s heart filled with warmth that spread out throughout his whole body. Unable to make himself refuse Chen Fan, he slowly nodded his head.

Chen Fan looked at Meng Hao and laughed heartily. Hearts filled with happiness, he and Meng Hao transformed into beams of prismatic light that shot off toward the other Solitary Sword Sect disciples.

When the man named Li saw Meng Hao approaching with Chen Fan, he frowned.

“My Junior Brother is acquainted with my Master and wishes to visit him, ” said Chen Fan coolly in explanation. “He will accompany us back to the Sect.”

The man named Li said nothing. He simply turned and transformed into a colorful beam that shot up into the sky.

“Little Junior Brother, after we get to the Sect, I’ll go implore Master to take you as a disciple. Then we can be fellow Brothers of the Solitary Sword Sect. It shouldn’t be a very big deal. I’ve never asked anything of Master, so there’s an eighty to ninety percent chance he’ll agree. Of course, I expect he’ll only accept you as a novitiate. However, his Cultivation Base is at the Nascent Soul stage, so being one of his novitiates is still a high position within the Solitary Sword Sect.” It seemed Chen Fan already had Meng Hao’s future planned out meticulously.

Meng Hao hesitated for a moment, and then said, “Elder Brother, for the moment, I don’t think that’s necessary. I actually have some matters I need to take care of.”

“Little Junior Brother! ” said Chen Fan, his expression suddenly very solemn. “I understand that you don’t want to join another Sect. I felt the same way back then. I only wanted to be a member of a single Sect for my entire life. However… we are Cultivators. Our Sect is the foundation of everything, especially in the Southern Domain. Anyone who is not a member of a Sect is a rogue Cultivator. Regardless of Cultivation base level, rogue Cultivators make progress only with great difficulty. Years can be wasted, and the results can be in vain.

“You need to listen to me in this matter. The Solitary Sword Sect is the number one Sect in the Southern Domain. It’s Dao Reserves are incredibly profound. It’s a place where both of us can grow up.”

Meng Hao didn’t respond.

As they traveled, Chen Fan continued to give him advice, all the way until afternoon of the next day. Eventually, the Solitary Sword Sect’s main gate appeared up ahead. Finally, Meng Hao nodded.

Chen Fan’s smile grew wider as he gazed at Meng Hao with the kind warmth of a member of the elder generation looking at a junior. Although he wasn’t very much older than Meng Hao, in his eyes, Meng Hao was still that young scholar who had just joined the Sect.

The Solitary Sword Sect was comprised of an enormous mountain, visible from far off in the distance. This mountain was the number one mountain in the entire Southern Domain, a hundred times larger than any other mountain.

The name of this mountain was… Solitary Dao Mountain!

Floating above it in the sky was another mountain that seemed to be a mirror image of it. From a distance, they made an outline like that of an hourglass. Anyone who caught sight of it for the first time would surely be shocked.

The name of the second mountain was… Solitary Sword Mountain!

The mountains were so large that it was almost impossible to look from one end to the other in a single glance. Meng Hao had never seen mountains as large as this in his entire life. He couldn’t help but tremble inwardly at the sight of them.

If it were only these two mountains, then it wouldn’t be a very big deal. But… in the center the two mountains was a massive sword, piercing through them into the ground!

The hilt of the sword protruded above the mountains and stretched up into the sky.

Boundless rays of morning sunlight filled the area, giving it a truly celestial feeling.

Meng Hao took a deep breath. Having laid eyes on the Black Sieve Sect and the Solitary Sword Sect, he had now seen two of the great Sects of the Southern Domain. The Black Sieve Sect was undeniably influential. The dread caused by their power would cause anyone to bow before them.

However, the Solitary Sword Sect’s sheer, raw might didn’t cause others to bow before them, but to fear them!

“I wonder what the other great Sects look like…” thought Meng Hao to himself as he gazed at the Solitary Sword Sect.

The group of people flew along quickly. As they approached Solitary Dao Mountain, they reached an area that was protected by a beautiful field of colorful light. Up ahead, the man named Li looked back coldly at Meng Hao and then gave a cold snort. With that, his disappeared into the light.

Meng Hao watched coolly as he left. In his estimation, the man was someone who couldn’t really see to the heart of things. If Chen Fan hadn’t stopped him earlier, the man would either have been injured or killed. It all would have depended on Meng Hao’s mood.

“Don’t worry, ” said Chen Fan, clearly worried for Meng Hao. “Once Master accepts you as a novitiate, then Elder Brother Li won’t dare to bother you.” He gave a comforting smile, and then pulled Meng Hao in through the colorful field of light. He pulled out a glowing jade slip. The light swirled up around the two of them. It flickered, and then they disappeared.

When they reappeared, they were at the foot of Solitary Dao Mountain. The air was filled with the scent of blooming flowers and the sounds of birds singing. Gurgling streams could be seen. There were quite a few Solitary Sword Sect disciples going to and fro. When they saw Chen Fan, each and every one gave him respectful salutes.

Chen Fan led Meng Hao to the courtyard of a house. “Little Junior Brother, ” he said, “you wait for me here. I’m going to go pay my respects to the Elders. After that, I’ll go look for Master. I probably won’t return until after nightfall. You rest a bit here, or go walk around if you’d like. Don’t go too far, though. When I get back, we can stay up all night chatting.” He clasped Meng Hao’s shoulder, and then turned and flew off in a beam of colorful light.

Meng Hao watched him depart, then looked around at his surroundings. He opened the gate of the courtyard and entered the house. It was decorated tastefully, although not extravagantly. Everything emanated refinement. This was especially true of the vast collection of scrolls. Meng Hao selected one of the ancient texts and sat down cross-legged to examine it.

After some time passed, he put the ancient scroll down, and a thoughtful look gleamed in his eyes.

“Maybe I should join the Solitary Sword Sect…” he thought, his brow furrowed. It wasn’t his first choice. However, the Black Sieve Sect surely wouldn’t just let go the matter of the meat jelly. Entering the Solitary Sword Sect might not be a bad choice.

His eyes glittered stubbornly at the thought of the Violet Fate Sect. Dispelling his poison wasn’t the only reason he wished to do so. “I’m still inclined toward the Violet Fate Sect, ” he thought. “I really want to learn Violet Qi from the East…” With that technique, he could form a Violet Core, which was the pinnacle of Core Formation.

“Furthermore, I need to study alchemy. I can’t rely on others to do it for me every time I need a pill concocted. That’s especially true of the Perfect Core Pill….” Meng Hao sat there for some time lost in thought. Soon, evening began to fall. Sunlight streamed in from outside. Meng Hao took a deep breath and, seeing that Chen Fan hadn’t returned, decided to step outside of the house for a bit to look at Solitary Dao Mountain.

The setting sun shone onto the mountain, giving it a somewhat hazy appearance. Mist began to rise up around the mountain, and as Meng Hao looked closer, his eyes narrowed.

He suddenly caught sight of a woman wearing a blue-green garment, floating down a path on Solitary Dao Mountain.

The appearance of this woman made the haziness of the surroundings suddenly seem clear. The sound of people dropping to their knees and prostrating themselves to her could be heard.

“It’s Elder Sister Shan Ling.” ¹

“It’s really Elder Sister Shan Ling. I’ve heard that on the ninth day of every month, at dusk, she descends the mountain to collect dewdrops…”

“Greetings, Elder Sister Shan Ling.”

The sound of voices drifted down to Meng Hao. He watched as the woman slowly floated down the mountain, and his heart trembled as suddenly, the voice of the Demon Sealing Jade sounded out in his head.

“A stone of the Ninth Mountain descended and became a new mountain (山.) The mountain (山) has a spirit (灵,) and the spirit (灵) is demonic. Its will is not of this world. If you encounter it… allow it to transform magically if it is good. Seal and exterminate it if it is violent. Make your choice after careful consideration.”

The sound echoed out in Meng Hao’s mind. He stood there silently for a moment recovering his composure. He was used to the bizarreness of the Demon Sealing Jade. He looked at the woman, and his eyes shone with a strange light.

Quite a large group of Cultivators had flown over and were bowing to the woman and offering respectful words. One of them was none other than the middle-aged man named Li, who bowed toward her politely.

The moment that Meng Hao’s gaze fell upon the woman, she looked down at him and seemed to pause in mid-air. A sharp look filled her eyes as she looked at him.

Their gazes locked for the space of a few breaths. The woman’s brow furrowed slightly, and then she looked away and continued off into the distance. She left, but the man named Li seemed to have taken notice of the look that had passed between the two of them.

He had also noticed Shan Ling’s furrowed brow. He gave a cold harrumph, and then his body flashed, and he shot down toward Meng Hao.

This aroused the attention of the surrounding Solitary Sword Sect disciples. In the blink of an eye, the man named Li arrived to float above the courtyard where Meng Hao stood. He looked down, a cold gleam in his eyes.

“You again! ” he said coldly. “First you overestimate your strength, and then you dare to be disrespectful to the Solitary Sword Sect’s Elder Sister Shan Ling! Just what is your purpose in coming here?! ” This caused many of the surrounding disciples to look at Meng Hao.

“Who is this guy? ”

“He looks a bit familiar, but I don’t think I’ve seen him before….”

“I remember him. That’s the guest who Elder Brother Chen brought with him earlier this afternoon. I wonder what Elder Brother Li wants with him? ”

Meng Hao’s expression was the same as ever as he looked up at the haughty Li character.

“What exactly do you mean, your excellency? ” said Meng Hao coolly.

“Whatever your purpose here, you’re in the Solitary Sword Sect. Considering your actions here, I think I need to take your Elder Brother’s place in teaching you a lesson.” He obviously wasn’t interested in providing any sort of education to Meng Hao. Meng Hao had left him with a bad impression originally, and when combined with the Shan Ling’s frown, caused him to be filled with ill feelings. He lifted his right hand, whereupon the power of the great circle of Foundation Establishment exploded out.

“Ridiculous, ” said Meng Hao coolly. The Li man’s hand descended, and the illusory image of a large sword appeared. It descended toward Meng Hao, bursting with the power of the great circle of Foundation Establishment.

Meng Hao’s eyes flashed coldly, and he lifted his own hand. He didn’t have any good feelings toward this person, after all. However, before he could actually do anything, a small black dagger shot toward them and slammed into the Li man’s phantom sword.

A boom rattled out, and the phantom sword disintegrated. The Li man’s face flashed as Chen Fan shot toward them in a beam of colorful light.

“Elder Brother Li, you continue to harass my Junior Brother. With a Cultivation base at the Pseudo Core stage, must you really cause me to lose so much face? I’m one of the Seven Solitary Sword Sons. Just who the hell do you think you are? ”

Chen Fan arrived at the same time as his words. He landed in front of Meng Hao, glaring up coldly at the man named Li.

The Li man’s expression became somewhat unsightly. He stared at Chen Fan, and his gaze especially seemed to take note of the black flying dagger.

“Do you really think you can protect him forever? ” he said with a cold snort. His face filled with disdain as he looked at Meng Hao. “He won’t amount to anything if all he can do is hide behind others. It seems mid Foundation Establishment is the end of the line for him! ”

“As long as I’m here, I won’t let you touch a hair on my little Junior Brother’s head! ” said Chen Fan, his voice cool, but hard enough to chop nails and slice iron.

Li glared hatefully at Meng Hao, his disdain growing thicker. “If it weren’t for your Elder Brother, I would kill you with the wave of a hand. Let’s see how long you can keep hiding! ” He turned, flicking his sleeve and disappearing into the distance.

Meng Hao sighed as he watched the man leave. He had read the man’s expression, of course, but could do nothing about it. Exterminating him would be simple, but twice now, Chen Fan had stood in front of him, making it impossible to proceed with battle.

Chen Fan looked back at Meng Hao, who gave a wry smile.

Chen Fan, of course, misinterpreted Meng Hao’s expression. “Don’t worry, little Junior Brother, ” he said comfortingly. “That Li fellow is nothing. With me here, he won’t dare to bully you.” His expression was one of concern, leaving Meng Hao without a word to say. “Unfortunately, Master went into secluded meditation last month, and it seems he won’t emerge for a few more months. I left him a message, though. He’ll get it as soon as he comes out.

“After you and I get back from the Song Clan, you can officially join the Solitary Sword Sect. Then that Li guy won’t dare to mess with you. Although, in the meantime, you need to be a bit more careful. Well, I’ll be here by your side anyway, so it doesn’t matter.”

Chen Fan’s concern made Meng Hao feel warm in his heart. “Many thanks, Elder Brother, ” he said, clasping hands and bowing.

“What’s there to thank? Don’t be so polite! Come come. Let’s light some candles and chat all night.” He laughed heartily as he pulled Meng Hao into the house. Once inside, he slapped his bag of holding to produce two jars of alcohol.

“Your Elder Brother doesn’t have much to offer here. But when I went to Master’s I grabbed these two jars of Sword Wine. This stuff is pretty good. I’ve really come to like it over the past few years.” He handed one of the jars to Meng Hao, then opened his own and took a swig.

Meng Hao accepted the jar and took a drink. His face immediately grew a bit red, and his entire body suddenly felt hot and dry. Sweat broke out all over. He took a deep breath, and then slowly let it out.

He felt as if his entire body had just been washed out. Sweating, he continued to breathe in and out. His eyes seemed to glisten a bit more brightly. He looked at Chen Fan.

“What alcohol is this? ”

“Master brews it himself. Heh heh. Come on, drink up. This alcohol is really good for Cultivators, especially for the Foundation Establishment stage. It’s comparable to medicinal pills! ” He smiled and took another drink. “I drink this stuff all the time. Oh, by the way, little Junior Brother, I see your Cultivation base is at the mid Foundation Establishment level. Don’t forget, we Cultivators are building mountains; you must establish a firm foundation.” His words were earnest, causing Meng Hao to put down his jar of alcohol and listen thoughtfully. Occasionally he nodded in agreement. “Don’t greedily speed through the various stages and ignore your fundamentals.

“Take me, for example. I could have created my fourth Dao Pillar and entered mid Foundation Establishment last year. But Master wouldn’t permit it. He always says that creating Dao Pillars is like turning trees into boats. It can’t be undone. The best thing to do is go with the flow, and exercise caution. Creating a fourth Dao Pillar isn’t as important as refining the third pillar. Once it is full and complete, then the fourth Dao Pillar can be created properly.

“Another thing, ” said Chen Fan, sounding extremely serious. “During the course of our Cultivating, we are bound to encounter friction with other Cultivators. But you cannot solve all problems by killing! You need to understand that regardless of whether you’re talking about magical techniques or magical items, they are all just ways to protect the Dao! They are protection, not the Dao itself!

“What is the Dao? My Cultivation base isn’t high enough, so I probably shouldn’t even bring it up. But Master told me that even though he doesn’t quite understand it himself, there’s something that should never be forgotten; killing and magical techniques are all just for protection!

“Don’t let your Dao be overwhelmed by killing. You need to listen to your heart, and follow your principles.” Chen Fan looked Meng Hao over. “You know, you seem to have a fairly strong killing aura.”

Even as the words came out of his mouth, a voice could be heard from within Meng Hao’s bag of the Cosmos.

“That’s right! That’s right! I said this child’s killing aura was too strong. You’re right. You make a lot of sense. Your words are extremely accurate! ” The suddenness of the voice’s appearance left Chen Fan dumbfounded.

Meng Hao’s face darkened. Before he could say anything, a flash of colorful light emerged from the bag of the Cosmos which turned into a parrot. It flapped its wings as it flew around the room.

The meat jelly parrot had previously been in the blood-colored mask, preaching to the Li Clan Patriarch. Now, it flew a few circles around the room and then landed on Meng Hao’s shoulder.

“What’s that…? ” said Chen Fan, still in shock.

“I picked this thing up and found that it can’t be thrown away…” replied Meng Hao. Before he could finish, the meat jelly parrot interrupted him.

“Son, you couldn’t be more correct, ” it said, eying Chen Fan energetically. “Meng Hao’s killing aura is too strong. It’s wrong! Immoral! Come come, let’s discuss a few things. I think I’m going to like you.”

Meng Hao took a deep breath and looked at Chen Fan sympathetically. He could only imagine the torture Chen Fan would be dealing with momentarily.

“So you’re my littler Junior Brother’s Spirit creature, ” said Chen Fan, looking curiously at the parrot on Meng Hao’s shoulder. “Pleased to meet you, sir. I’m happy to discuss anything with you.”

Seeing the gleam in Chen Fan’s eye, Meng Hao sighed to himself. There was really nothing he could do to save him…. But Meng Hao couldn’t bear to just do nothing.

“Elder brother, this bird….”

“Junior Brother, you misspoke, ” said Chen Fan in a serious tone. “This isn’t a bird, it’s a parrot. And it can speak! You can see from the look in its eye that it’s intelligent. It’s a Spirit! You really need to take good care of it.”

The meat jelly seemed to be on the verge of tears after hearing Chen Fan’s words. It seemed to have finally met a kindred spirit.

“You are so correct. You make so much sense. Why couldn’t I have met you first? Aiiii. There’s no need to bring that up. Now, why don’t we discuss the meaning of life? ”

“The meaning of life? Okay! ” said Chen Fan excitedly. “I’ve always wanted to have a discussion about the meaning of life. But for some reason, my Master is always in secluded meditation. In fact, so are my Junior and Elder brothers. I originally planned to chat with my little Junior Brother tonight, but if you want to join, the please, by all means do.”

“A