Chapter 91: What Goes Around Comes Around
Fire Globe after Fire Globe descended onto the corpses. The reek of blood still filled the air, but it was soon overpowered by the stench of scorched flesh. The disgusting odor emanated out in all directions.
Meng Hao collected the bags of holding. He sniffed the air, then with one last silent look at the North Sea, turned and left.
“I can’t stay in the State of Zhao any more… I need to leave.” Meng Hao knew that if the Winding Stream Sect had appeared, then the rest of the three great Sects must also be aware of the deaths of their Priests and Elders. Soon, the mountains would be crawling with Qi Condensation Cultivators seeking to determine how they had died.
Meng Hao frowned. Looking off into the distance, an image appeared in his mind, a map of the Southern Domain. On the other side of these mountains was a vast plain which was the border of the State of Zhao.
“It’s not far, but things will get violent here very soon. I can’t stay any longer.” Meng Hao changed his direction. These mountains belonged to the region of the Reliance Sect. He would leave the State of Zhao by a different route.
With his mind made up, Meng Hao raced forward. Unfortunately, before he could get far, his eyes narrowed, and he dropped to the ground. Frowning, he looked off into the distance with cold eyes. A few dozen kilometers ahead of him, an enormous glowing shield was descending from the sky. It transformed into countless flakes of flying snow which cut off the Reliance Sect outer reaches from the rest of the world.
Floating in the sky off in the distance was a middle-aged man wearing a long black robe. His Cultivation base was at the Foundation Establishment stage. In his hand he held a piece of frozen jade. Beams of light twirled around it slowly. This magical item was the source of the flying snow shield that surrounded everything, sealing it off.
Surrounding the man were seven or eight Qi Condensation Cultivators, with dignified looks on their faces. From their clothing, Meng Hao could tell that they were from the Cold Wind Sect.
“No wonder they’re called the three great Sects. Even with so many Foundation Establishment Elders dead, even more appear.” Meng Hao’s heart sank as he realized that this seal had completely cut off his path of escape. He had no way to leave now. Before he had time to examine the situation further, he suddenly shot backward. The flying snow shield had suddenly begun to contract rapidly.
As it did, it completely froze the land and trees it passed. It moved rapidly, heading directly toward Meng Hao’s position. Of course, it wasn’t targeting Meng Hao; this was just a normal function of the sealing spell. The contraction wouldn’t last for long; it would move inward a few hundred kilometers, then slowly come to a stop.
Meng Hao was not very far away from it. As he retreated, he had no time conceal his movements. As it approached, he hopped onto a flying sword, transforming into a beam of light, which of course attracted the attention of the Cold Wind Sect Cultivators.
“That person….”
“It’s Meng Hao! I saw his picture!”
“So, it’s Meng Hao. The Priests and the others are looking for him. Seize him! Then we can finally understand what happened here!” The eyes of the Cold Wind Sect Cultivators glowed with ill intentions.
“All of you, go capture him,” said the Foundation Establishment Cultivator. “I’m consolidating the sealing spell and still need few moments.” Having just activated the seal contraction, he wasn’t able to leave his position. However, as far as he was concerned, Meng Hao was incapable of escape.
As soon as the words left the man’s mouth, the seven or eight Cold Wind disciples shot after Meng Hao in pursuit.
Meng Hao’s eyes glittered. He shot forward, the seal contracting behind him, the Cultivators right behind it, hot in pursuit.
As he raced forward, the Cold Wind shield grew closer and closer, until it was only about thirty meters away. Finally, it slowed down and stopped contracting. It became a thick shield of ice, covering the entire Reliance Sect mountainous regions.
The seal was actually not completely solidified. If he was only at the ninth level of Qi Condensation, he would not have been able to tell. But he was of the great circle of Qi Condensation. Looking at the seal, he could tell that it would not last for very long.
“I can’t get out, and I can’t kill my way out. I need to get over the mountains as fast as possible. Looking at this seal, I can tell it will start to loosen up soon. Once it does, I can make my escape.” Meng Hao gritted his teeth. He knew that this plan was a bit of a stretch, but he didn’t have many other options. Finding a way to conceal himself for a bit of time would do, but first he had to take the initiative to get out of his current situation.
Eyes gleaming, he ceased his retreat. Instead, he stood there, watching coldly as eight Cold Wind Sect Cultivators approached.
“Eight people in all. Two of the ninth level of Qi Condensation, four of the eighth and two of the seventh. They all have magical flight items. It seems the three Sects are quite anxious. They didn’t spare any cost at all to get here as quickly as possible.” Meng Hao glanced back at the Foundation Establishment Cultivator; he was maintaining the spell and couldn’t move at the moment. However, as a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, he was extremely powerful. He floated there, looking coldly at Meng Hao.
As their gazes locked onto each other, the eight other Cultivators shot through the flying snow shield. This was one of the strange properties of this particular shield; it could be entered into, but not exited.
The eight people descended onto Meng Hao, their faces twisted with vicious grins. He sprang into action.
He clenched his right hand into a fist, stepped forward, and smashed it into the ground. The power of the great circle of Qi Condensation exploded out as a gale force wind slammed into the eight Cultivators. They stopped in their tracks, shock written on their faces.
At the same time, two wooden swords appeared in Meng Hao’s hands. They screamed through the air, and the heads of the two seventh-level Qi Condensation disciples flew into the air.
“One breath,” said Meng Hao to himself. The Foundation Establishment Cultivator had said he only needed a few moments. Meng Hao wasn’t sure if that was true or not. Either way, his own requirement was that he wipe out these eight people within the space of ten breaths.
Amidst the whistling screams of the wooden swords, the remaining six disciples scrambled to pull out magical items. Before that could happen, Meng Hao spun, dashing toward one of the eighth-level Cultivators. He didn’t use a magical item, but rather his shoulder.
Boom! Meng Hao slammed into him, and blood shot out of his mouth. His body caved in, and as he flew backward, Meng Hao flicked his right hand. A massive Flame Python appeared, sixty meters long. Roaring, it shot toward another eighth-level Cultivator. A blood-curdling scream rang out as the Flame Python consuming him whole.
“Four breaths.” In four breaths, Meng Hao had killed four people. The remaining four looked on in shock. Meng Hao had attacked with a viciousness they had never before seen. Now that he had revealed the power of his Cultivation base, the remaining four Cultivators trembled, unable to comprehend what was happening.
Off in the distance, the Foundation Establishment Cultivator looked on in shock. Moments ago, he had seen that Meng Hao was at the ninth level of Qi Condensation; but in the space of a few breaths, his Cultivation base had suddenly climbed to an incredible height.
“Six breaths.” Meng Hao’s hand flickered in an incantation, and the sword auras from the two wooden swords spilled out. The remaining two Cultivators of the eight level of Qi Condensation tried to defend with magical items as the swords shot forward. Horrified screams rang out as their hearts were stabbed through. Their bodies fell to the ground.
Now, only two Cultivators remained, both of the ninth level of Qi Condensation. Their faces pale, they had already begun to edge backwards. When Meng Hao’s cold gaze fell upon them, they scattered, each one running off in a different direction.
With a cold look on his face, Meng Hao raised his right hand, which flickered with an incantation. A massive Wind Blade appeared, fifteen or twenty meters long. It sped forth with a shrill whistling sound. At the same time, Meng Hao slapped his bag of holding. The black bow appeared in his hand. He drew back on the bow, and then shot an arrow toward the other person.
“Eight breaths,” said Meng Hao softly. Two booming sounds rang out. The Wind Blade slashed through the first ninth-level Cultivator, splitting his body in two and sending blood and gore splattering everywhere.
Simultaneously, a black arrow pierced the other Cultivator’s head, causing it to explode violently.
Eight breaths, eight kills!
Meng Hao, expressionless, looked out through the flying snow shield at the Foundation Establishment Cultivator for a moment. Then his body transformed into a glittering beam and he shot off into the distance.
He moved about, avoiding quite a few Cultivators. But the area covered by the sealing spell was not large. With so many Cultivators of the eighth and ninth levels of Qi Condensation, it wouldn’t take them long to search everywhere. As for Foundation Establishment Cultivators, they could fly, and would be able to search even faster.
Meng Hao continued to evade detection, until finally he approached the Reliance Sect itself. It was then that ten beams of light appeared in the sky, soaring forward at top speed. In the lead of this group of people was a grim-faced old man. Unlike the others who surrounded him, he was not soaring, but actually flying.
Cultivators of the Qi Condensation stage could not do this; this man was clearly a Foundation Establishment Cultivator!
“The Upright Evening Sect….” Catching sight of them, Meng Hao sighed. He finally came to accept that he would not be able to escape this day. He could try to hide, but he would be found eventually.
“Meng Hao!” Upon catching sight of him, the faces of the Upright Evening Sect Cultivators twisted. The old man of the Foundation Establishment stage raced toward Meng Hao, his eyes shining.
Meng Hao’s eyes grew dark as he watched the Foundation Establishment Cultivator approach. The massive power of the Foundation Establishment stage roiled out from the man. The immensity of this power caused the surrounding Qi Condensation Cultivators to shrink back, their Cultivation bases teetering.
This was the might of Foundation Establishment. He flew through the air with seemingly no effort, imposing to the extreme. Without even trying, he caused the Qi Condensation Cultivators to tremble.
But Meng Hao was not an ordinary Qi Condensation Cultivator. A thirteenth-level Cultivator of the great circle of Qi Condensation had not been seen since ancient times. He had Spiritual Sense. Although it wasn’t very strong, it was there. His Cultivation base was not thrown into chaos like the others.
His physical body was more powerful, his Qi vessels tougher, even his bones were stronger. Despite facing up against a powerful Foundation Establishment expert, he refused to retreat back even half a pace.
“So, the person who created all these waves in the State of Zhao is a Cultivator halfway to the Foundation Establishment stage,” said the Foundation Establishment Cultivator coolly. “Today, however, if I say you shall die, then die you shall.”
Just then, another beam of radiant light appeared from behind Meng Hao. It screamed toward them. This was none other than the Cold Wind Sect’s Foundation Establishment expert. He radiated a killing aura.
“I tread the path of Cultivation, and am not ignorant of the rules of life and death,” said Meng Hao coolly. “I can kill others, so naturally, others can kill me. But let me ask you a question. You three Sects permitted Shangguan Xiu to absorb the life force of the mortals of three counties. He even damaged their longevity. Mortals do not practice Cultivation. Harming a Cultivator is one thing, but you, for selfish personal gain, permitted such a horrific act. This is a violation of the theory of law. What goes around comes around!” He had wanted to say these words for a long time.
“Theory of law? In heaven and earth, the powerful people make the laws. And if what goes around comes around, then you’ve got something coming to you, wouldn’t you say?”
Meng Hao said nothing. He simply looked up into the sky.
—–
This chapter was sponsored by Robert Moran