It didn’t matter who Meng Hao was fighting, once he seized the initiative, that opponent would definitely have to pay a heavy price.

It was the same with Lord White, and with all of the people Meng Hao had fought before.

People who knew a bit about him would be aware of this, and would do everything they could to avoid losing the initiative... not even once!

Even in the moment that the golden-armored Outsider Dao Sovereign’s rage flared, and he prepared to counterattack, Meng Hao’s eyes gleamed brightly, and he waved his finger, unleas.h.i.+ng the Eighth Demon Sealing Hex!

Although using this Hexing magic on someone with a cultivation base far higher than his own would lead to a powerful backlash, Meng Hao ignored the blood that oozed out of the corners of his mouth and unleashed it anyway. Immediately, the golden-armored Outsider Dao Sovereign lurched to a halt in midair, face flickering!

Then, Meng Hao’s energy ignited, and the copper mirror flickered out, transforming into the Battle Weapon, which Meng Hao slashed down viciously!

As the rumbling sounds echoed out, the Outsider Dao Sovereign felt a sensation of intense crisis explode up inside of him. He could sense that even though he was a Dao Sovereign, he was still only an inch away from death.

He had been prepared for Meng Hao’s divine sense, and had quickly suppressed it. However, he had never imagined that Meng Hao’s proficiencies would include things other than divine sense!

The current attack which was being leveled against him seemed as shocking as a lightning bolt from the Heavens.

“Dammit!!” howled the golden-armored Outsider Dao Sovereign. Ignoring whatever injuries might result, ignoring the pain of the organs inside his body being crushed and his qi pa.s.sageways shattering, he burst out with power to lunge backward by three meters!

The glittering glow of a blade then pa.s.sed right by him!

Meanwhile, on top of the Eighth Mountain, another shocking battle was beginning. An illusory figure shot past the celestial pond, and as it did, it glanced down at the Xuanwu turtle, grinned coldly, and waved a hand. Instantly, the Xuanwu turtle’s howls shook the entire Eighth Mountain.

The figure’s pupils constricted slightly, but it shot past the celestial pond nonetheless, heading directly toward the temple beyond. As it neared, it approached the door and prepared to barge in. And yet, almost immediately, it fell back.

In that moment, the door exploded into pieces that spiralled out like countless sharp blades, transforming into an explosive rain that surged toward the illusory figure.

Then, a tall man emerged from within the shattered remnants of the temple door. He wore a breathtaking suit of armor, and as soon as he emerged, he unleashed a fist strike that could shake Heaven and Earth. The void in the area suddenly solidified, forcing that illusory figure to actually appear in person. It was none other than the Outsider Dao Sovereign who had split himself into five incarnations.

The person who had forced him to appear was, of course, none other than Meng Hao’s grandfather, the Lord of the Eighth Mountain and Sea!

“So, it turns out you really were telling the truth, Senior Outsider,” murmured Grandpa Meng, clearly speaking only to himself. “I awoke from slumber on the very day my grandson rose to prominence, the same day... that the starry sky shattered and the 1st Heaven descended.

“It looks like he planned this entire situation all along.... Or perhaps the Fang and Meng Clans are just one piece of the bigger picture...” When he looked up at the Outsider, his eyes flickered with killing intent, and he began to run forward.

“What armor is that?!” the Outsider said, face falling. “Dammit... that armor... what is it with that armor?!?!” He once again backed up in retreat, but he wasn’t as fast as Grandpa Meng. The Lord of the Eighth Mountain and Sea shot forward and unleashed a punch!

A boom rang out as the Outsider tumbled away like a kite with its string cut, blood spraying out of his mouth. He flew back for 5,000 kilometers before finally grinding to a halt, his face flickering with shock as Grandpa Meng once again appeared directly in front of him.

“Dammit, you think I'm afraid of you or something?!” the Outsider Dao Sovereign growled through clenched teeth. Suddenly, he began to grow. In the blink of an eye, he was 300 meters tall, with a long tail that shattered the starry sky as it whipped toward the Lord of the Eighth Mountain and Sea.

Similar battles began to play out on the First, Second, Third, and Ninth Mountains. Compared to the battles being fought on the first three of those mountains, the one on the Ninth Mountain was especially strange.

The Outsider’s clone was simply hovering above the mountain, not moving. In front of him floated a huge eye, and the two of them were staring at each other as they fought a battle of divine will!

Furthermore... it appeared as if the Lord of the Ninth Mountain and Sea, Ji Tian was actually... attempting to possess the Outsider Dao Sovereign’s clone!

At the same time, countless battles had broken out within the Nine Mountains and Seas. The cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm were fighting back savagely against the Outsiders. Virtually all of the Dao Realm fighters had appeared, and ma.s.sive booms filled the entire Mountain and Sea Realm. Almost the entire Realm was a battlefield now!

The will of the Mountain and Sea Realm continued to bolster the people with power, simultaneously maintaining the barrier that separated the other 32 Heavens from the 1st Heaven. The 1st Heaven was now trapped, unable to receive any aid from the other Outsiders.

It was also continuing to maintain the pressure that pervaded the Mountain and Sea Realm, ensuring that any Outsider below a six Essences Dao Sovereign was significantly weakened!

The battle raged, causing both roars and screams to echo out into the vast expanse.

Back in the Eighth Mountain and Sea, Meng Hao’s Battle Weapon glittered like the sun and moon as it slashed toward the golden-armored Outsider Dao Sovereign.

Blood sprayed out of the Outsider’s mouth as the armor covering his chest shattered, and a huge wound appeared. A will of extermination poured into him, provoking an enraged roar. However, fear welled up in his heart; if he hadn’t paid an extreme price to avoid the attack just now, thus losing the initiative, he would definitely have been killed.

Meng Hao frowned, then waved his hand, causing numerous mountains to appear. A rift was torn open in the void, and the Blood Demon emerged, roaring, and the Essence of Divine Flame converged and shot toward the Outsider.

However, all of those things were distractions. The true killing blow was coming from Meng Hao’s left hand, from which exploded the power of the Mountains and Seas!

He was the future Lord of the Mountain and Sea Realm, and at this moment a sliver of the power of the Mountains and Seas descended towards him, then transformed into a huge hand which grabbed out toward the Outsider Dao Sovereign.

Meng Hao then transformed into a beam of light, hefting the Battle Weapon and then unleas.h.i.+ng another attack. All of this conformed with Meng Hao’s style of fighting... always attack!

As the hand formed from the power of the Mountains and Seas descended upon the Outsider Dao Sovereign, his eyes widened. Suddenly, all of the scales on his body rose up, and he let out a howl. The scales then shattered, transforming into a windstorm of 6-Essences energy which exploded toward the power of the Mountains and Seas.

Booming sounds rang out as the Mountain Consuming Incantation, the Blood Demon, and the Essence of Divine Flame all shot forward. Meng Hao’s eyes flickered with killing intent as he then waved his left finger.

The Seventh Demon Sealing Hex!

Instantly, Karma Threads appeared atop the golden-armored Outsider’s head. They rapidly formed together into a sealing mark, which then crushed down onto him. At this point, Meng Hao performed another incantation gesture, unleas.h.i.+ng the Sixth Demon Sealing Hex.

The Sixth Hex was the Life-Death Hexing, which caused a gray magical symbol to appear on the Outsider’s forehead. Then the magical symbol exploded, sending blood spraying out of his forehead. At the same time, however, a gleam of ridicule appeared in the Outsider’s eyes.

That look caused Meng Hao’s heart to flicker with fear. Simultaneously, the Outsider Dao Sovereign spoke two words in a sinister voice!

“Self Essence!” Almost immediately, the six streams of Essence power within the tempest merged together into one. A black sea of flames then rumbled out in all directions.

The tiny bit of power from the Mountain and Sea Realm faded away within the black sea of flames. The mountains melted, and the image of the Blood Demon dissipated. Then, the black flames took shape into an enormous creature, something like a lizard, which howled as it charged toward Meng Hao.

It was a moment of critical danger. Roaring, Meng Hao viciously attacked the flame lizard with his Battle Weapon. Meng Hao was like a bug compared to his gigantic opponent. However, his powerful Battle Weapon instantly slashed down onto its head, slicing it open!

A shriek rang out. However, this black flame lizard was formed from the Essence of Self, and was so powerful that it was only seriously injured and not killed.

The black flame lizard roared, ignoring the intense pain it was feeling as it attempted to consume Meng Hao.

Meng Hao's eyes flickered, and the Battle Weapon vanished. In its place appeared Demon Weapon Lonelytomb, which he violently hurled out. Demon Weapon Lonelytomb transformed into a beam of Demonic light which pierced directly into the black flame lizard.

The lizard shuddered, staring at Meng Hao for a moment before it suddenly exploded. However, that explosion caused a mountain of black flames to charge toward Meng Hao like 10,000 horses, instantly inundating him.

Even as the flames enveloped him, Meng Hao’s eyes flashed from the sensation of intense deadly crisis. In that moment, the Lightning Cauldron suddenly flickered into being above his head. Electricity danced, and he suddenly switched places with a 5-Essences Outsider not too far off in the distance.

That 5-Essences Outsider appeared exactly where Meng Hao had been, and didn't have time to react before the black sea of flames consumed it. A bloodcurdling scream lingered in the air as it was completely destroyed.

At the same time, the Outsider Dao Sovereign coughed up a mouthful of blood as Meng Hao’s Seventh and Sixth Hexes inflicted more damage.

“Dammit!!” he roared in extreme frustration. He was clearly far more powerful than Meng Hao, and yet after losing the initiative, he had suffered setback after setback.

Even as he roared, he flickered into motion. The black sea of flames recoiled into itself, once again turning into a lizard, although it was much weaker than last time.

The black flame lizard threw its head back and roared, then eyed Meng Hao with a deadly gaze as it charged forward in attack.

Meng Hao sighed inwardly, knowing that he had lost the initiative.

Without the slightest hesitation, he shot backward, unwilling to tangle any further with this Outsider Dao Sovereign. Based on the current level of his cultivation base, turning an extended battle into a victory would be very difficult.

Even though his Hexing magic could suppress his opponent temporarily, now that he would be expecting it, the Hexing magic wouldn’t be of much use. The best way to use the Hexing magic was in a surprise attack; furthermore, the backlash for using it against someone so powerful was something he could only endure one or two times. More than that would leave him seriously injured.

As he retreated, the Outsider Dao Sovereign threw his head back and let out an enraged roar as he gave chase. He wanted to kill Meng Hao more than he ever had before. Furthermore, the humiliation he felt from having nearly died just now ensured that he would not underestimate Meng Hao.

Quite the opposite, in fact. He was now more vigilant than before. By now, magical items were swirling around him which would prevent Meng Hao from using the Eighth Hex on him.

“Think you can just leave?” the Outsider Dao Sovereign roared, eyes gleaming with killing intent. As one of the two Dao Sovereigns of the 1st Heaven, he had an incredibly high position. If he couldn’t kill Meng Hao, it would be a complete and utter embarra.s.sment!