Meng Hao and Xu Qing traveled throughout the world of the Mountain and Sea b.u.t.terfly to visit many old friends and acquaintances. They wept, and they sighed. In most cases, it was impossible to maintain the friends.h.i.+ps of the past. After all, Meng Hao’s status was now completely different from before, and led to a feeling of distance.

Eventually, they came to visit Fang Yu and Sun Hai. When Meng Hao saw the proud look on Sun Hai’s face, he cleared his throat and said, “h.e.l.lo, Li’l Hai.”

Those words immediately caused Sun Hai’s pompous, proud posture to wilt, and a fawning smile to cover his face.

One couldn’t blame Sun Hai for that. Meng Hao’s ferocity and fame from years past had influenced Sun Hai in a profound way. That was clear from the fact that he had no hair on his head. After all... when the two of them first met, Meng Hao had dragged him around by the hair. No matter how many years had pa.s.sed, Sun Hai couldn't recall that scene without s.h.i.+vering in fear.

Sun Hai very much wanted to look proud and complacent in front of his brother-in-law, and yet he couldn't shake his fear.

Before he could recover his composure, Fang Yu glared at him and then hit him with a glancing blow that sent him tumbling out of the house. Sun Hai had long since gotten used to being beaten in such a manner, and in fact, their children were also used to the arrangement.

A bruise quickly rose up on Sun Hai’s cheek, and yet, he was laughing loudly. It was as if the proud person from moments ago wasn't really him. This was the real him. He began to chat and joke with Meng Hao, and yet Meng Hao simply couldn’t hold back from once again saying, “Li’l Hai....”

Sun Hai s.h.i.+vered, and yet, the one to receive the beating this time wasn’t him, but Meng Hao. Fang Yu directly unleashed a fist strike, and of course, Meng Hao didn’t dare to evade it. Suppressing his cultivation base, he allowed the blows to land.

When Meng Hao and Xu Qing left, Sun Hai saw them off, his face covered with numerous purple bruises. Meng Hao looked exactly the same. When facing the explosive wrath of his sister, he could only sigh. Xu Qing, on the other hand, received much different treatment. Fang Yu held her by the hand and went into great detail explaining the benefits of being violent, which left Meng Hao trembling in fear.

Finally, he clapped Sun Hai on the shoulder.

“I really sympathize with you, brother-in-law....” he sighed.

Sun Hai smiled wryly, but seemed very happy.

“You don’t understand,” he said. “I love it. The stronger my woman is, the better. The more explosive, the better!” Sun Hai sighed and looked over at his wife, eyes burning with pa.s.sion.

A strange look could be seen on Meng Hao’s face as he grabbed Xu Qing, said his goodbyes, and then flew up into the air. When he saw the thoughtful look in Xu Qing’s eyes, he started to get nervous. After noticing his expression, she rolled her eyes, covered her mouth, and laughed.

Happy times always pa.s.s quickly. A month later, Meng Hao and Xu Qing had visited most of their old friends. On the way back, they happened to be flying over one particular sea when Meng Hao suddenly stopped.

“There’s an old friend here I want to see,” Meng Hao said, chuckling. Xu Qing wasn’t sure what he was talking about. Looking out over the sea, he said, “Patriarch, I've come to say h.e.l.lo.”

There was no immediate response. The surface of the sea remained as calm as ever. Meng Hao waited for a moment, then let out a cold harrumph.

The sound entered the water, which then began to seethe as a huge turtle appeared, carrying an entire country on its back. Patriarch Reliance’s voice echoed out, sounding very annoyed.

“Meng Hao, you little b.a.s.t.a.r.d, what do you think you’re doing? Come to bully your Patriarch with that cultivation base of yours? d.a.m.nation! This is the student bullying the master! Y-y-you, you just think about how well the Patriarch treated you back then. Very well, right? I even handed over a lot of my treasures to you!” Patriarch Reliance glared at Meng Hao, blinking, which was the sign that he was about to attempt to pull a fast one.

Meng Hao looked at Patriarch Reliance for a moment, and was just about to say something when, for no apparent reason, the land ma.s.s atop Patriarch Reliance suddenly moved, revealing a few words on his sh.e.l.l.

It was a partial line of text which read, “... Hao’s turtle.”

A strange expression appeared on Meng Hao’s face. He couldn't help but muse that Patriarch Reliance definitely had his moments of brilliance. At the moment, he was clearly very pleased with himself, and yet his face was still a mask of fury.

Meng Hao started chuckling.

Clasping hands and bowing deeply, he said, “Disciple Meng Hao has come to pay respects, Patriarch.”

The gesture caused Patriarch Reliance to suddenly soften up a bit. Eyes s.h.i.+ning with bright light, he reveled in the wonderful experience, and even s.h.i.+vered a bit. Inwardly, he said, “Heavens, Heavens! He’s Transcended, and yet he’s paying respects to me, the Patriarch. Hahaha! The Patriarch is once again the smartest. Hmph! The little b.a.s.t.a.r.d might have a Transcendent cultivation base, but in terms of intellect, he’s vastly below me.”

Inwardly, he was feeling wonderful, but outwardly he simply snorted coldly. Continuing to put on an expression of wizened experience, he said, “What matter has brought you here to offer respects to the Patriarch?”

“Patriarch, the new Mountain and Sea Realm has no Xuanwu turtles,” Meng Hao said with a smile. “Junior would like to request that the Patriarch take the lead in the Ninth Mountain and Sea. Please a.s.sume the mantle of the realm’s only Xuanwu turtle, eternally responsible for the qi flow of the Mountains and Seas. No other turtle can do such a thing. Only the Patriarch is capable of this task.”

Patriarch Reliance’s jaw dropped. After a moment of thought, he asked, “You want me to be the qi flow turtle of the Mountain and Sea Realm? To put me permanently in command for all eternity? Me, the Patriarch, the only turtle? I... can cultivate the qi flow magic of the Mountain and Sea Realm, and gain enlightenment of the Demon Sealing Hexing magics of the Nine Mountains and Seas?”

Patriarch Reliance’s heart surged with excitement. What was happening was like a dream come true, something which would be so beneficial to him it was virtually impossible to describe.

If he became the sole Xuanwu turtle of the entire Mountain and Sea Realm, he would benefit from the convergence of the qi flow of the entire realm, and would have an incredibly prominent position.

“Yes. Patriarch, you are the only one up to the task. The Mountain and Sea Realm has the League of Demon Sealers as its soul, the Hexing magic as its bones, and the Mountains and Seas as its flesh. Patriarch, you and I are the only members of the League of Demon Sealers within the Mountain and Sea Realm. I'm afraid no one else would do.” Meng Hao looked at Patriarch Reliance, smiling. His words had been spoken quite calmly, and he had even thrown in some flattering words.

He didn’t have to do things in this way, but since Patriarch Reliance was his old friend, he didn't mind resorting to such methods to bring him some happiness.

“But I'm not part of the League of Demon Sealers, am I?!” Patriarch Reliance blurted. However, he immediately regretted those words, and quickly changed his tone of voice. “Er, fine, fine!” he roared. “To give you some face, I agree.”

Meng Hao smiled. Voice soft, he said, “Patriarch, you are my Dao Protector, so naturally, you’re part of the League of Demon Sealers. I thank you for everything.”

With that, he extended his right hand, and the Mountain and Sea Realm appeared. He quickly performed an incantation gesture and pointed out at Patriarch Reliance.

“I call upon the power of my name to perform Righteous Bestowal on Patriarch Reliance. He shall become the sole Xuanwu turtle of the Mountain and Sea Realm, and take up residence on the Ninth Mountain!

“The Mountain and Sea Realm has Nine Mountains and Nine Seas. This Xuanwu turtle bears Mount Daqing upon his back, my Dao Corroboration Mountain. Let that mountain become the Mountain among Mountains!”