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“Spirit automaton of the Mountains and Seas! You dissipated in the past, and the time has come for you to form anew. Merge with a strand of my divine sense and be born again!” As soon as Meng Hao’s words echoed out, a tremor ran through Patriarch Reliance. The seals which had been placed on him in the past vanished, and a surge of power erupted up. Gradually, a shocking qi flow appeared on him.

That qi flow connected to the Mountain and Sea Realm, forming a resonance. At the same time, the excited Patriarch Reliance shrank, transforming into a beam of light that shot into the Mountain and Sea Realm. As of this moment, he became the sole Xuanwu turtle of the Mountain and Sea Realm, protector of its qi flow.

The State of Zhao held something unique and special, the Mountain among Mountains. It was now a seed of the Mountains and Seas; should the realm ever meet destruction again, as long as that Mountain among Mountains existed, the Mountain and Sea Realm would be able to continue on.

Having accomplished these things, Meng Hao put the Mountain and Sea Realm away. Along with Xu Qing, he continued along through the world of the Mountain and Sea b.u.t.terfly. He looked for Choumen Tai, but was unable to find him. After sending some divine sense out, he confirmed that Choumen Tai was not within the Mountain and Sea b.u.t.terfly. However... he would soon be appearing in Meng Hao’s presence.

“Qing’er, there’s somewhere else I need to go....” Meng Hao said softly, his voice melancholy and tinged with reminiscence. Xu Qing looked at him thoughtfully.

A few days pa.s.sed. In another location in the world of the Mountain and Sea b.u.t.terfly was a mountain range, outside of which Meng Hao hovered. He looked at the mountains with a disconsolate expression for a moment before entering.

This particular mountain range was famous within the Mountain and Sea b.u.t.terfly. It was the location of the ancient Kunlun Society, and was now an autonomous state within the Mountain and Sea b.u.t.terfly world.

Meng Hao’s arrival was not detected by anyone in the Kunlun Society. It was almost as if he existed in a different s.p.a.ce that allowed him and Xu Qing to pa.s.s by all the cultivators without their knowledge. Soon, they were deep within the Kunlun Society mountains, standing at the foot of a towering mountain.

This mountain did not have a sharp peak, but rather, a basin filled with swirling mist, and the ripples of powerful spell formations. An old man sat cross-legged at the top of the mountain, completely unmoving.

A powerful medicinal aroma emanated out from him to fill the area.

It was none other than... Pill Demon!

He was Meng Hao's Master, as well as Chu Yuyan’s.

As Meng Hao stood there silently at the bottom of the mountain, his heart was filled with bitterness. He began to walk slowly up to the top, followed closely by Xu Qing. When they reached the top, they saw Pill Demon sitting there in front of a coffin, surrounded by spell formations which had been in place for many, many years.

Inside of the coffin was a beautiful woman, laying there peacefully, as if she were sleeping.

The instant Meng Hao laid eyes on the coffin, his sadness deepened, and various memories flitted through his mind. After a long moment pa.s.sed, Meng Hao clasped hands and bowed deeply to Pill Demon.

“Master,” he said softly.

Pill Demon s.h.i.+vered. Turning, he saw that it was Meng Hao standing there behind him, and a profound gleam appeared in his eyes as he rose to his feet. After a moment pa.s.sed, he sighed and walked over to Meng Hao, then clasped his shoulder. Looking over at Xu Qing, he nodded, then turned and left.

Meng Hao stood there quietly, looking at the coffin, thinking about how Yan’er had crushed Chu Yuyan’s soul right in front of him.

Xu Qing walked forward to stand next to Meng Hao. As she looked down into the coffin, her gaze softened. “Meng Hao,” she said quietly, “do you want to tell me what that happened while we were apart?”

Meng Hao stood there quietly for a long moment. Then he began to recount the story of what had happened on Planet Vast Expanse. He talked about Han Bei, and about taking in an apprentice named Yan’er.

He talked about the Ninth Hex, and about the nine incarnations. He talked about Little Treasure. He took his time explaining everything....

“After Little Treasure closed his eyes and vanished, Yan’er destroyed the memories of her previous life. I thought she had entered the cycle of reincarnation, but when I went to look for her, she wasn’t there. That was when I realized that she never did enter reincarnation. She actually returned to her original body.

“It was almost like she had been living in a dream, and in the end... she wasn’t willing to awaken.” By the end, his words were spoken in a hoa.r.s.e murmur as he looked down at Chu Yuyan’s body inside the coffin.

Xu Qing listened patiently. She could almost visualize everything that had happened with Meng Hao, Little Treasure, and Yan’er. Meng Hao simply wasn't capable of understanding the deeper meaning of everything involved, but as for Xu Qing, it gave her a profound understanding of Chu Yuyan.

“She does not wish to awaken because she would rather be alone in a world of her own making," she said softly. "She wants to forget you, Meng Hao, because she loves you. She is lost.”

She looked over at him, a smile on her face, a simple smile of determination and focus. “If she still remembers you when she wakes up, then... why don't we all practice cultivation together?”

Meng Hao reached out and clasped her hand tightly. He didn't say anything. Xu Qing looked down at Chu Yuyan laying there in the coffin, and felt both compa.s.sion and gratefulness.

Meng Hao didn't say anything more about the matter. Eventually, he and Xu Qing left.

About half a month later, everyone in the Mountain and Sea b.u.t.terfly was ready to depart. Meng Hao produced the Mountain and Sea Realm, which rapidly grew larger, sending powerful ripples out in all directions.

Gradually, nine huge vortexes appeared outside of the Mountain and Sea Realm, one for each of the Nine Mountains and Seas.

The people of the Mountain and Sea Realm were given their choice as to which vortex to enter.

Boundless light shone into the air as the excited cultivators vanished one by one. When they reappeared, they were inside of the Mountain and Sea Realm, back in their home.

Soon, everyone was inside, including Fatty and all of Meng Hao’s other friends, as well as Ksitigarbha and the Paragons. Once everyone was safely inside, Meng Hao waved his finger, causing the Mountain and Sea b.u.t.terfly to shrink down until it transformed into two people. They were none other than his parents, who smiled at him before entering the Ninth Mountain and Sea.

Xu Qing was the last person to remain outside.

“I’ll be waiting for you,” she said. She was well aware that Meng Hao still had revenge to seek. Giving him a profound look, she turned and entered the ninth vortex.

As Meng Hao hovered there alone, the Mountain and Sea Realm shrank down into the palm of his hand. After looking at it warmly for a moment, he put it away, then looked down... at the green bronze coffin.

After a moment, he clasped hands and bowed deeply.

“Many thanks!” he said.

The coffin emanated a pulse of gentle power, seemingly in response. Then, everything went quiet again. Slowly, a vortex once again rose up around the coffin, covering it over until it was no longer visible. Meng Hao looked away, turning his attention to the sea of flames up above, and the rest of the starry sky.