The two large, fierce-looking men eyed Meng Hao for a moment and then smiled. Whichever way you looked at their smiles, they appeared vicious. It was as if they were staring down a helpless little lamb.

The man with the fan seemed to be the most treacherous of the group, and his smile appeared the most sincere. He clasped hands and saluted Meng Hao.

“I, Huang, heard the birds singing earlier, and couldn’t help but wonder if a guest would be arriving. Fellow Daoist, a single glance at you and I felt the aura of a hero wash over me. Hearing Fifth brother’s words just now, I can tell that you are a dragon among men, venturing out of his Sect for the first time. Fellow Daoist, you are the type of person I revere the most. Please, come into our Immortal’s Cave and relax for a moment.”

“Well…” said Meng Hao, seemingly unsure of how to respond to such praise. Clasping hands, he bowed back to the man. However, he appeared to be hesitant to enter the cave. Inwardly, he sighed. The man’s flattering words were obviously full of lies. Meng Hao could have come up with something much better to say, were he in the other position.

“Little bro,” said the yellow-robed man, his eyes flickering, “we’re here at the main door. Come come, follow me in. Now that you’re here, you’re home!” He pulled at Meng Hao’s sleeve, dragging him into the Immortal’s Cave.

The other men cl.u.s.tered around hesitating Meng Hao as the yellow-robed man graciously led him inside. The limestone door slowly closed behind them. Immediately, the glow of luminescent pearls filled Meng Hao’s eyes.

The Immortal’s Cave was quite s.p.a.cious and luxuriously decorated. It was filled with a variety of different rooms, including a pill concocting room and a medicinal plant courtyard.

With a candid laugh, the yellow-robed man made introductions: “Little bro, this is Second Brother, and this is Third Brother. After Fourth Brother, is me the Fifth Brother.” As he made the introductions, he gave a meaningful glance to the treacherous looking man who ranked second.

“Greetings, Fellow Daoists,” said Meng Hao shyly, clasping hands to them. He glanced around, a pleased expression in his eyes. When his gaze fell upon the luminescent pearls, his eyes s.h.i.+ned brightly.

“Fellow Daoist Meng, what do you think of our Immortal’s Cave? Not bad, huh?” said Second Brother Huang with a smile, gently fanning himself. His expression was tinged with a disdainful look that he a.s.sumed others wouldn’t see, an expression that made it clear he was playing some sort of game. He stared at Meng Hao.

“It’s pretty good,” said Meng Hao, “pretty good. Very complete, with plenty of private rooms. Really, it doesn’t seem common in any aspect.” His praises sounded very sincere. “These luminescent pearls are especially incredible. It seems the spiritual energy here is quite abundant. Don’t tell me you have a Spirit Spring, too?” He asked the question in a very astonished tone.

“There absolutely is a Spirit Spring,” said Second Brother Huang with a laugh. “That’s exactly why the five of us decided to build our Immortal’s Cave here.” The contempt in his eyes grew more obvious. In his mind, Meng Hao was prey trapped in a tiger’s lair.

The Third and Fourth Brothers Huang both gazed at Meng Hao, their hideous grins growing wider. They clearly viewed Meng Hao as a sheep in a wolf’s den!

As for Fifth Brother Huang, he continued to eye the bag of holding strapped to Meng Hao’s waist. His smile grew more brilliant. He obviously thought that today was his lucky day to have s.n.a.t.c.hed up such a cash cow.

Meng Hao also smiled. Although he still looked a bit bashful, his smile was genuine, and quite happy. The Immortal’s Cave really seemed to contain some good opportunities, as did this group of men. They continued to herd him along.

“Eldest Brother recently brought in an artist to paint a portrait of him,” said Second Brother Huang. “It’s not really convenient for him to come out. Fellow Daoist Meng, why don’t we go see him?” Without giving Meng Hao a chance to refuse, he pulled him toward the middle of the Immortal’s Cave, where there was a vast, open area filled with luminescent pearls. At the far end was an enormous throne.

The throne was constructed from crystals, and upon it sat a large man. He appeared to be about fifty years old. He wore a long violet robe, and had a very dignified countenance. Even though he tried, it was impossible to cover up his fierceness. He radiated an intense killing aura.

His Cultivation base was not at the Qi Condensation stage, but the early Foundation Establishment stage!

In front of the large man sat a stooped, withered old man with long white hair. His body trembled and the paintbrush in his hand quivered. The outline of the large man could be seen on the canvas in front of him.

The man’s eyes flashed over the group as they approached. He completely ignored Meng Hao, focusing instead on the yellow-robed man. He gave a cold harrumph.

“If you don’t have something important to do, don’t leave,” he said. “I’ve been jumpy lately, and have a bad feeling. Now that you’re back, sit down. I’ll have this painter do a portrait of all of you.”

Eyes filled with veneration, the yellow-robed man nodded his head in agreement. He stepped forward and sat down next to the violet-robed man. Second Brother Huang and the others clasped hands in respectful salute. Ignoring Meng Hao altogether, they moved forward to sit down.

No one said anything, and soon Meng Hao was standing there alone, an awkward expression on his face.

The large, violet-robed man looked at the painter and said, “You paint some good portraits of us, you hear? If you do, then I won’t cause any trouble for you.” Hearing the man’s cool words, the stooped, white-haired old man s.h.i.+vered and nodded.

“Second Brother, I’ve really been feeling uneasy lately. Don’t forget to check the teleportation portal. If any problems occur, we can get out of here instantly. Third and Fourth Brothers, you two listen well. No going outside!” Each and every word uttered by the violet-robed man caused the others to nod in agreement. None of them payed any attention whatsoever to Meng Hao. He stood there awkwardly. In his opinion, the man should at least greet him. Finally, he gave out a dry cough.

They ignored the cough and continued talking. The violet-robed man didn’t so much as look at him. The others, including the yellow-robed man, didn’t look his way either.

Meng Hao sighed, then coughed a little louder, interrupting the dialogue. Finally, the eyes of the five men fell upon him.

“Who’s this?” said the violet-robed man with a frown, his voice sinister.

“That’s a kid that Fifth Brother picked up when he went out,” said Second Brother Huang, waving his fan. He laughed. “Apparently it’s his first time out of his Sect.”

“This kid is a real idiot,” said the yellow-robed man, laughing. “His bag of holding is clearly incredible, so I chatted him up. Who could have imagined that he would be taken in by my rambling!? I led him right here.”

Hearing this, the violet-robed man looked Meng Hao over, then coolly said, “Hand over your bag of holding.” His expression was one of arrogance; seeing that Meng Hao was at the Qi Condensation stage, he obviously felt that he was virtually beyond notice.

Meng Hao smiled and glanced around. The look in his eye made it seem as if he were looking at his own house. “This is a pretty nice Immortal’s Cave. Why don’t you give it to me? Oh, your throne looks pretty good too, if a bit extravagant. I’ll take that as well.”

The violet-robe man gaped at Meng Hao. The Third and Fourth Huang Brothers, as well as the yellow-robed man, all burst out into arrogant laughter. As it echoed throughout the Immortal’s Cave, Second Brother Huang’s eyes narrowed and filled with a look of concentration.

“Actually, I’ll take all of you along with the Immortal’s Cave,” said Meng Hao. With a chuckle, he began to walk forward. Before he could even take a step, the Third and Fourth Brothers Huang leaped up. They were tall and stalwart, with fierce expressions. Laughing contemptuously, they rushed toward Meng Hao.

“You brat, you dare to speak such nonsense in your Elders’ Immortal’s Cave!? Aren’t you scared!?” They weren’t very far away from Meng Hao, and it took only a moment for them to near him. They were just about to employ some magical techniques when Meng Hao again cleared his throat.

As he did, he completely ignored the two, and took another step forward. When they ran into him, it was like they had slammed into some immovable force. Blood sprayed from their mouths, and their trembling bodies tumbled backward, slamming up against the wall. They coughed up more blood and looked in shock at Meng Hao. Their Cultivation bases were suddenly suppressed, making them little more than mortals.

Everything happened too quickly. Before the others could even react, Meng Hao had reached the crystal throne.

“Are you looking to die!?” cried the yellow-robed man. His body shot forward. Next to him, Second Brother Huang’s eyes flickered, and he waved his hand. A Flame Bird magically appeared, which shot toward Meng Hao. Second Brother Huang himself, however, shot backward in retreat.

All of this takes some time to describe, but actually happened in an instant. Meng Hao didn’t even need to lift his hand. He glanced indifferently at the incoming yellow-robed man. The man’s mind suddenly reeled, and he felt a stabbing pain as some incredible power pulsed in his heart. His vision grew dim, and he began to tremble in despair. The incredible pressure inundated him, and he was powerless to resist it.

Blood shot from his mouth, and he tumbled backward, slamming into the wall. Fear and intense astonishment filled his eyes. His body trembled. The only thing he could think of was the weak, shy expression on Meng Hao’s face when he had met him, that made him look like a helpless animal.

“Who… who are you…?” he said, his heart filling with indescribable dread. How could he possibly have imagined that what he brought into his home was not a helpless lamb, but a vicious wild beast!?

As for Second Brother Huang’s Flame Bird, before it could even near Meng Hao, it shook, and then disintegrated. To Meng Hao, a Flame Bird technique such as this was like a child’s toy sword.

In the s.p.a.ce of an instant, four of the Huang Clan Five Immortals were reduced to a state of shock. The large, violet-robed man still sat on the crystal throne, his face draining of blood. He watched Meng Hao approaching, and his face distorted. With a cry of rage, he leaped up. The instant he did, Meng Hao’s gaze fell upon him.

When the gaze entered the violet-robed man’s eyes, it hit him like a world-shaking thunderclap. An incredible roaring filled his mind, causing his body to spasm. A feeling of imminent life-or-death crisis washed over him. It was as if this gaze could pierce the world itself, and instantly exterminate him.

“The great circle of Foundation Establishment….” gasped the large man, his voice faint. Disbelief filled his eyes.

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This chapter was sponsored by Fan from WA