The 33 h.e.l.ls!

The place Meng Hao planned to go was none other than... the 33 h.e.l.ls!

After the 1st Heaven descended and the Mountain and Sea Realm exploded into war, he came to the realization that the Paragon's blood in his Dao Fruit was boiling. That also gave him the sensation that his cultivation base, his enlightenment, his everything... was on the verge of advancing by leaps and bounds!

Actually, that feeling wasn’t limited to just him. All of the cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm felt the same thing. It was as if... the arrival of war prompted the Mountain and Sea Realm... to unleash years of reserves which had been built up for the purpose of empowering its people.

However, that also caused Meng Hao’s heart to sink. He well knew that the fact the Mountain and Sea Realm was doing this meant... this war would be extremely difficult.

“Live for the Mountains and Seas, die for the Mountains and Seas!” Meng Hao’s eyes flickered with determination. He had no idea what the future would bring, nor what his life would be like later on.

Even more of an unknown was what would happen to his family and friends throughout the course of the war. Would they survive...?

He was not a person who fundamentally liked fighting and killing. He just wanted to have plenty of money and be able to live a peaceful and wonderful life with his family and beloved partner.

It was a simple dream, but to make it into a reality was no simple thing.

Meng Hao understood himself, and knew the truth.... He was not some wildly ambitious person. His ideals were not far-reaching, nor did he have aspirations to shake Heaven and Earth.

His Dao and his heart were both focused on freedom and independence, on avoiding being constrained or held back.

He held no unquenchable thirst to constantly acquire a stronger cultivation base. In fact, if he had anything that could count as a true obsession, it would be his simple desire to be rich.

In this life, he had simply gone with the flow and found his own type of happiness. He loved conning people, and he loved collecting promissory notes.... To him, that was happiness. But when the 1st Heaven descended, all of those beautiful ideals were swept out of sight because of the Outsiders. When Meng Hao saw the cultivators of the Mountain and Sea Realm fighting and dying, his heart grew dark and quiet.

The pain he was experiencing made all of his dreams seem like childish fantasies. It was as if he had awoken, or perhaps... grown up.

“If the Mountains and Seas did not exist, then what would be the point of my own, solitary, existence...?” Determination flickered within Meng Hao’s eyes. It was a sudden and intense determination and hope that his cultivation base could become even more powerful.

It was not because he wanted to become rich, nor because of his simplistic ideals. Instead, it was because... of his home!

The Mountain and Sea Realm was his home....

His home had been invaded, and his people were already fighting and soaked in blood. He was the future Lord of the Mountain and Sea Realm, the Ninth Generation Demon Sealer, and the successor of Paragon Nine Seals. He... had to get stronger!

“I can’t even kill an Outsider Dao Sovereign....” he thought, eyes glowing coldly. Without a moment’s hesitation, he shot as fast as possible into the HeavenG.o.d Alliance.

His divine sense had been suppressed, making it impossible to send it ahead to scan his destination. However, that did nothing to prevent him from unleas.h.i.+ng lightning-like speed.

RUUUUUUMMMMBLLLLE....

He became a scintillating beam of light that shot along, followed close behind by a sea of flames. The 3,000-meter tall Outsider strode along, pursuing him relentlessly. Considering his status and battle prowess, to be unable to kill Meng Hao was a complete humiliation.

That was especially the case considering he had personally witnessed Meng Hao cut down his Junior Tribal Brother. Because of that, his hatred soared to the Heavens.

They shot along, piercing through the starry sky, shattering the void. Wherever they pa.s.sed, shocked Outsiders and Mountain and Sea cultivators alike got out of the way and didn't dare to approach.

Booms rang out as the 3,000-meter-tall giant unleashed magical techniques that were bizarre, completely different from the type seen in the Mountain and Sea Realm. Occasionally, he would transform into a beast which lunged at Meng Hao, gobbling up everything in its path, or slas.h.i.+ng at him with razor claws that seemed to appear out of thin air.

Most shocking of all was his long tail, which he swept around in a completely domineering fas.h.i.+on. It shattered the starry sky, sending shockwaves out that left Meng Hao completely shaken.

Blood oozed out of the corners of Meng Hao’s mouth, but he managed to nimbly avoid the blows. Even still, he could feel his cultivation base growing unstable.

More than ever, he could sense... the slight gap that existed between himself and the Dao Sovereign level, a gap that could prove fatal...however small it might be!

“Drakewyrm Earthfire; Heavens Forget!” Seeing that the numerous attacks he had unleashed were incapable of even touching Meng Hao, the 3,000 meter tall Outsider’s eyes flashed with red light as he roared, performing a double-handed incantation gesture that instantly caused the roaring sea of flames beneath his feet to rise up and transform into the form of an enormous Earthfire lizard, which opened its mouth and spat a column of flames out toward Meng Hao.

The flames moved with indescribable speed, instantly surging over Meng Hao. Even as blood sprayed out of his mouth, the meat jelly appeared.

It let loose a torrent of curses as it transformed into a defensive barrier that protected Meng Hao from the scorching flames. Although it hovered on the verge of melting, it managed to hold out until the end of the attack. Afterward, Meng Hao guiltily sent the meat jelly back into his bag of holding, then gritted his teeth and continued on.

“Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT!!” the Outsider raged. Unwilling to give up, he continued to chase Meng Hao.

With enraged shouts echoing behind him the entire time, Meng Hao eventually reached the territory that had once been the HeavenG.o.d Alliance. After speeding along, he soon reached the location of the entrance to the 33 h.e.l.ls.

It was a pitch black region that seemed capable of consuming anything and everything, a region which emanated an aura of rot that caused the Outsider Dao Sovereign’s eyes to flicker.

“This aura....” he thought, heart trembling.

Meng Hao didn’t hesitate for a moment before charging in. Although the 33 h.e.l.ls hadn’t actually opened, as soon as he entered the area, Greed’s life force Essence stirred into action and began to spread out.

Instantly, powerful ripples sprang up in the void, distorting everything, as if the opening were just about to begin. Meng Hao suddenly stopped in place, then turned around with cold eyes to look at the Outsider Dao Sovereign outside of the region of pitch black.

“You’ve been chasing me for long enough. If you want to fight, well then... let’s fight here!” Meng Hao’s voice echoed out, filled with deadly antagonism. Then he wiped the blood from his mouth, and the murderous gleam in his eyes grew even more intense.

The 3,000-meter tall Outsider looked on with flickering eyes, then snorted coldly. The aura in this area was bizarre, but considering the level of his cultivation base, he didn’t hesitate to step in and charge toward Meng Hao.

Meng Hao reached out with his right hand, and Demon Weapon Lonelytomb appeared. Without any hesitation, abandoning all thoughts of fleeing, he charged forth and began to fight the 3,000-meter giant.

Booms rang out as they exchanged thousands of blows in the blink of an eye. Meng Hao summoned numerous mountains, the Blood Demon, his mastiff, and the Paragon Bridge.

Demon Weapon Lonelytomb screamed as it stabbed through the air, and Meng Hao unleashed his three fist strikes, each one more dreadful than the last.

The Outsider also performed incantation gestures. Its scales lifted up, and a windstorm sprang into being. Essence power exploded out, transforming into incredible pressure. The black flames surged, forming into a black flame lizard that roared as it tried to consume Meng Hao.

Rumbling echoed out, and blood sprayed out of Meng Hao’s mouth as he was battered backward relentlessly. As for the Outsider Dao Sovereign, his face flickered as Demon Weapon Lonelytomb stabbed a b.l.o.o.d.y gash into his chest.

Although his wounds healed rapidly, Meng Hao, despite being injured more severely, was actually healing even faster. Meng Hao’s eyes flickered with starlight as he transformed into a meteor which shot dazzlingly through the starry sky. As he closed in, the Outsider performed a double-handed incantation gesture, then waved his hands, causing the black flame lizard to b.u.t.t out with its head.

A boom could be heard as the meteor shattered. However, even as that happened, Meng Hao in azure roc-form shot out like a bolt of lightning, piercing through the lizard and appearing directly in front of the Outsider Dao Sovereign.

The Outsider’s face flickered, and just when he was about to fall back, azure-colored talons slashed out with the strength to shatter metal and stone.

“Looking to die?!” the Outsider Dao Sovereign said, eyes gleaming with ferocity. He allowed Meng Hao’s roc claws to dig out his right eye, ignoring the resulting pain as his own right hand shot out to grab viciously onto the roc.

A boom rang out as the azure roc was crushed. However, no blood and flesh exploded out, only countless motes of light. Meanwhile, a figure was speeding off into the distance.

“DIE!” screamed the Outsider as Meng Hao fled. A blood-colored light rose up from the Outsider as a boundless aura of death converged upon it. Astonis.h.i.+ngly, this was Death Curse Magic!

A boom could be heard as a sealing symbol appeared in front of Meng Hao. Blood sprayed out of Meng Hao’s mouth as he was forced back. He uncontrollably coughed up mouthful after mouthful of blood as his chest began to rot and his life force faded. A powerful aura of death began to consume him.

“You took my eye and killed my Junior Tribal Brother. Don’t worry, after I kill you, I’ll refine your blood to find everyone related to you, and kill them all!” The 3,000-meter Outsider flickered into motion, lifting his right hand up to transform the sea of flames into a huge statue which struck out toward Meng Hao with its palm.

That palm caused the aura of death that permeated the area to roil and emit rumbling noises, the starry sky to tremble, and the Heavens to fade.

However, it was at this point that Meng Hao’s mouth twisted into a derisive smile. The Outsider suddenly felt a profoundly uneasy feeling spring up in its heart, but before it could do anything, a gigantic rift suddenly appeared in the void beneath Meng Hao’s feet.

As soon as that rift appeared, Meng Hao shot inside.

The 3,000 meter giant s.h.i.+vered as a sensation of deadly crisis rose up in its heart. That sensation came from within the rift itself, wherein in the Outsider could sense... the fluctuations of a shocking aura.

He had the premonition that if he entered that rift, he would be facing some deadly situation. Without any hesitation, he turned to leave.

However, even as he did, Meng Hao reached out with his right hand, unleas.h.i.+ng the Star Plucking Magic. Rumbling sounds echoed out as the Outsider Dao Sovereign was viciously dragged backward.

The Outsider’s eyes burned with rage, and he unleashed all the cultivation base power he could muster to break free. Even as he fell back, breaking away from Meng Hao’s Star Plucking Magic, Meng Hao’s derisive smile grew wider.

“Form Displacement Transposition!” he said softly.

Rumbling could be heard as he and the Outsider Dao Sovereign switched places. The Outsider was still moving backward, but now, he was moving backward into the rift. Although his face fell and he stopped almost immediately, he was still some distance away from the exit!