The multiple layers of clouds overhead smashed into each other, and the sound of thunder shook the earth. Down below, Meng Hao and Zhou Jie strode toward each other. Their eyes locked, and the power of their Spiritual Sense rocketed forward.

An attack of Spiritual Sense is formless and invisible. In terms of killing potential, though, its power far exceeds that of magical items!

Mutually caught in each other’s gazes, Meng Hao and Zhou Jie both began to tremble. Zhou Jie felt like he was being crushed by innumerable mountains. Blood oozed out from the corners of his mouth. He set his jaw, and a look of ferocity sprang up onto his face.

Meng Hao seemed affected too. He pursed his lips, however, and no blood appeared. He snorted coldly, and then continued to walk forward. As the step descended, both people once again trembled.

Zhou Jie’s face was a bit pale. He could tell that he was not superior in terms of Spiritual Sense. Without hesitation, he retreated several paces, flas.h.i.+ng an incantation gesture with his left hand. The foot long joss stick in his right hand immediately let off twisting strands of smoke which transformed into a curved blade that shot toward Meng Hao.

As the blade flew through the air, the smoke which comprised it began to spread out. Soon the outline of a figure could be seen. It appeared as if a person were holding the curved blade, chopping it directly toward Meng Hao.

Meng Hao’s eyes flickered. His left hand formed an incantation gesture, and the two seemingly eager wooden swords emitted an intense droning sound and then transformed into two beams of light which split the air as they sped toward the curved blade.

They arrived in an instant. There was no evasion, no twirling around. The two attacks seemed to be archenemies. They slammed into each other so powerfully, that it was clear one would be destroyed.

A boom echoed out, and Meng Hao waved both of his hands. It was as if there were invisible strings attaching the wooden swords to him; they immediately began to emit an intense sword aura that rippled out to fill the area. Everything started to shake. Who would possibly dare to approach?

A booming sounded out, and a strange look appeared in Zhou Jie’s eyes. He lifted his left hand and waved it in front of him, then pressed down on the joss stick in his right hand. More smoke billowed out; in the blink of an eye, it transformed into more than ten weapons, each of them wielded by a phantom figure. All of them charged toward Meng Hao.

Meng Hao’s face was the same as ever as he looked at the approaching smoke phantoms. He lifted his hands, then extended them outward. The two wooden swords emitted explosive screeching sounds. Suddenly, all of the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth seemed to rush toward them. The sword auras surrounding them expanded by thirty meters, and the swords themselves seemed to transform into two flying Sword Dragons which circled around Meng Hao.

A roaring sound echoed out from the approaching smoke phantoms as, one after another, they disintegrated, incapable of approaching Meng Hao.

“So you like defense,” said Zhou Jie coolly. “I can help with that.” A cold light shone in his eyes as his left hand flashed with another incantation gesture and then pressed up against the joss stick. It burned more furiously, and large quant.i.ties of smoke poured out. The smoke formed layers which expanded out in concentric rings.

Each new smoke ring was larger than the one before it. Soon, more than a hundred rings had formed, which then shot toward Meng Hao. They spun around him, as if in an attempt to envelop him.

The smoke rings seemed about to swallow him up, and yet Meng Hao’s expression didn’t change in the least bit. He opened his mouth, and the lightning mist appeared. In the past, the lightning mist had absorbed Tribulation Lightning, as well as some of the will of the lightning in the square cauldron. At the moment, it seemed to be undergoing another bizarre transformation. As it spread out, thunder crashed up above in the sky.

The lightning mist seemed to be affecting the clouds, causing them to congregate, as if lightning would begin to crash down at any moment. It seemed that the area outside of Meng Hao’s lightning mist would soon become a sea of lightning!

The mist expanded, and then the lightning crashed down; roaring filled the sky. The instant the smoke rings were touched by the lightning, they exploded into fragments.

Zhou Jie’s eyes narrowed. He had never expected such a tactic. Meng Hao walked forward, surrounded by the lightning mist.

The mist around him roiled, and thunderous booms filled the air. Incited by the lightning, the two wooden swords exploded with the vicious will of extermination. Meng Hao’s hair whipped around his head and rain poured down around him. Anyone who saw him would be struck to the heart with a frightening, demonic sensation.

Suddenly, a domineering aura began to emanate from Meng Hao, the first time such an aura had appeared on him!

“Actually,” said Meng Hao casually, “what I like best is attacking.” He strode forward, seemingly filled with overwhelming power. He was like some sort of ancient wild beast, ready to conquer the world.

Zhou Jie’s expression flickered as he suppressed the desire to retreat. Meng Hao now seemed completely different than he had been moments ago when he had been defending himself. He seemed to overflow with ferocity, as if he had previously been a sheathed sword… which had just been drawn!

It was time to display some skill!

One step, two steps, three steps…. With each step that Meng Hao took, thunder boomed even louder. Lightning filled the sky. The complete power of Meng Hao’s Cultivation base exploded out, bolstered by his expanding Spiritual Sense. Zhou Jie was shocked, and he knew that he must not allow Meng Hao to gather more momentum. If that happened, he would be very difficult to stop.

Just as Meng Hao’s third step landed, Zhou Jie’s eyes filled with determination. He loosened his right hand, and the joss stick, which was now little more than half a foot long, suddenly flew up.

Veins of blood shot through Zhou Jie’s eyes as both hands flickered with an incantation gesture. He shoved his hands out in front of him.

“Green Smoke Exterminating the East Pa.s.s!” He spoke the words in conjunction with the outstretching of his hands. The joss stick ignited, burning a significant amount of its length to create a thick smoke which flew straight toward Meng Hao.

“Burst!” cried Zhou Jie. The thick smoke suddenly exploded outward. Everything in the area shook violently, and the noise from the explosion drowned out the sound of thunder. The smoke even covered up the lightning as it rippled out in greenish waves that carried deadly, exterminating power.

Meng Hao’s body shook. The lightning mist around him quivered, and then simply burst apart under the strength of the attack. The two wooden swords fought against the incoming attack, and Meng Hao flew backward four or five paces. Blood seeped out from the corners of his mouth.

“It seems that Dao Children from the great Sects really are pretty bada.s.s….” Meng Hao took a deep breath, and his eye flickered. Zhou Jie stood there, his face somewhat pale. However, his eyes gleamed as he extended his hands forward in another incantation.

More of the joss stick burned away. Now, it was barely two inches long. Thick smoke roiled toward Meng Hao.

“Burst!” howled Zhou Jie, more lines of blood appearing in his eyes. Even as the smoke exploded out, Meng Hao lifted his right hand and struck it forward five times.

Black Sieve Five Strikes! [2. This technique was learned by Meng Hao in Chapter 149: Killing Intent! and the following chapter, and was also used in Chapter 184: Seven Exterminations]

The five strikes were executed with extreme speed, and were completed in the blink of an eye. As the exterminating smoke mist expanded out, an enormous hand appeared in front of Meng Hao. It shot directly toward the smoke.

An earth-shaking boom resonated out. All of the raindrops in the area exploded into minuscule drops of water. Meng Hao’s eyes narrowed, and he shot backward a pace. His five Perfect Dao Pillars rotated, and made the five-strike attack over and over again.

One giant hand, two giant hands. In the blink of an eye, no less than ten giant hands appeared in front of Meng Hao. It was a frightening sight. All of the hands glowed with a golden light as they whistled through the air toward Zhou Jie.

Zhou Jie’s eyes were nearly completely filled with blood. His hands flickered continuously with incantation gestures. The joss stick was now completely burned away. The smoke mist it created shot toward Meng Hao’s incoming hand attacks. When they slammed into each other, a huge boom filled the air.

A gale force wind shot outward, and ripples emanated out in the air. The trees swayed backward, and the rainwater was transformed into a mist. Blood sprayed out of Meng Hao’s mouth, and yet, his expression grew fiercer.

Zhou Jie staggered backward seven or eight steps, and, unable to control himself, coughed up a huge mouthful of blood. His face was pale, and yet his eyes gleamed brightly.

Neither of them spoke, as they stared at each other. Both of them knew that this battle… was far from over.

Zhou Jie had only used one magical item. He hadn’t even employed any of the magical techniques of his Sect, nor any killing moves. Neither had Meng Hao.

They looked at each other for the s.p.a.ce of three breaths, whereupon Zhou Jie lifted his head up to the sky and laughed. “The Great Black Clouds Palm! What a familiar magical technique! Brother Meng, since you know this technique, I think today would be a good opportunity to exchange some pointers. Let me show you why the Black Sieve Sect’s Great Black Clouds Palm is known by the moniker Black Clouds!” He lifted his right hand, and his breathing suddenly seemed to become strange and ragged. As his hand rose, illusory images appeared.

Each image was the shape of a hand. In total, twenty-six of them appeared. Zhou Jie’s eyes narrowed, and he stretched his hand out toward Meng Hao.

“This is the true Great Black Clouds Palm!” As Zhou Jie’s voice rang out, he struck forward, and an enormous hand appeared. It emitted a black glow, and as it formed it seemed to be composed of mist. This black mist was none other than the namesake black clouds!

The Black Clouds Palm screamed through the air toward Meng Hao, filling the area with a thunderous roar. Be it in terms of profundity or power, this attack vastly exceeded the incomplete version which Meng Hao had learned.

Meng Hao’s eyes gleamed, but he said nothing. This was his personality; when engaged in magical battle, he would rarely speak. Everything he wanted to say was said in attacks. By not speaking, he increased the viciousness of those attacks.

He lifted his right hand and used his index finger to slice open a cut on his thumb. As the blood flowed out, everything in Meng Hao’s eyes turned red.