Although these medicinal plants were not precious materials, they were still rare. Many Cultivators would spend decades attempting to collect them.

And yet here in Shangguan Xiu’s bag of holding were hundreds.

There were also two medicinal pills placed inside of jade boxes, one orange and one blue. Obviously, they were extremely valuable.

“These plants are all materials needed to create a Perfect Foundation Pill… As for these medicinal pills…” After examining them thoroughly, he looked again at the turtle sh.e.l.l, eyes s.h.i.+ning.

“Concocting the Perfect Foundation Pill requires seven minor pills. These are two of those seven that Shangguan Xiu already concocted.” Meng Hao understood things now, but was still a bit shocked. Shangguan Xiu had spent fifty years collecting all of these things together, and yet that was still not enough time for him, a Cultivator of the Qi Condensation phase.

“And he was even backed by Milky Way City….”

Meng Hao felt that there were still things he didn’t quite understand, though. In order to concoct the Perfect Foundation Pill, it seemed Shangguan Xiu had secretly taken items from Patriarch Milky Way’s treasure storehouse, as well as items acc.u.mulated over hundreds of years by his clan. In addition, he had scoured the lands, all to collect these items together.

And yet, he still lacked a few necessary medicinal materials. He had one stem of a particularly rare plant, but required three. At long last, Meng Hao understood the insanity with which Shangguan Xiu had pursued him in his attempt to acquire the copper mirror.

In the end, he had delivered all his fortunes directly into Meng Hao’s hands. If Shangguan Xiu had known this would happen, he never would have caused problems for Meng Hao. But he had, and his fifty years of preparations were irrevocably lost.

Meng Hao took a deep breath, placing the turtle sh.e.l.l and the medicinal materials into the bag of holding, which he then placed, along with his other bags of holding, into the bag of the Cosmos.

He stood there in the forest and looked up at the sky. His eyes slowly began to s.h.i.+ne as he thought about the Perfect Foundation. His heart pounded.

“After consuming the pill, Tribulation Lightning will fall. I shouldn’t even be thinking about a Perfect Foundation right now. I can make a decision about it after I reach Foundation Establishment. What I need to think about now is the matter between the three great Sects and Patriarch Reliance.” He closed his eyes and took a few breaths, pus.h.i.+ng down all the anxious thoughts. When he opened his eyes again, they were calm

“A year has already pa.s.sed, and the time set by Patriarch Reliance has arrived. He promised that if I could gather the experts of the State of Zhao here, he would give me a handsome reward…” Meng Hao’s eyes glittered.

“But to do such a thing would be very dangerous.” He frowned, hesitating. “My Cultivation base is at the Qi Condensation stage. I would be like an egg thrown up against rocks.”

“I probably shouldn’t get involved. After all, Patriarch Reliance said a year later, but didn’t give a specific date. When my Cultivation base is a bit higher, maybe after I reach Foundation Establishment, then I can think about it. At that time I’ll be in a bit of a safer position.” He lifted his head. Ever since the time Patriarch Reliance had suddenly caused the three-colored spear to disappear, he had lost a little bit of his faith in the Patriarch’s trustworthiness.

“However, because of the arrest warrant of the three great Sects, their disciples are looking for me everywhere. If I get in a tight spot, then I’ll just have to face the danger and lead them into the Patriarch’s meditation zone.” Meng Hao raced on silently through the wild mountains, his decision having been made.

But even as he raced forward, he suddenly felt a strange, jittery sensation. His heart lurched, as if a giant, invisible hand had just pa.s.sed through his chest and squeezed his heart.

He suddenly felt as if all of the vegetation around him had eyes that were staring at him coldly.

The feeling pa.s.sed almost immediately. Even though the feeling was no longer there, Meng Hao’s face was pale. He looked around. Everything was silent, and nothing around him gave any clue as to what had happened. Had it been his imagination?

“What was that?” he thought, hesitating. After a moment, though, his eyes glittered, and he shot forward at top speed.

Meanwhile, somewhere very far away from Meng Hao but still in the State of Zhao, an old man in a purplish blue robe sat cross-legged on a mountain. His eyes were closed, but his right hand flickered as if he were performing an incantation. His eyes opened slowly and he looked off into the distance.

“There you are,” he said coolly. “The three Sects wanted to hide you from me. How laughable.” He took a step forward, and then disappeared.

At the same moment, Liu Daoyun was speeding along. Meng Hao had lost him, but he’d seen where Meng Hao had entered the mountains. He had followed in pursuit, his face filled with incredible hatred and murder.

His hatred for Meng Hao reached down his bones. The b.l.o.o.d.y incident of the silver spear had turned him into the b.u.t.t of all the jokes of the State of Zhao and had nearly caused a war between two of the great Sects. Even though the war had been averted, he had paid a heavy price for his actions.

It nearly drove him insane to think about the day he had been brought up before the Elders of the great Sects. He had been bound on the Sealing Pole, then lashed with a Fire Whip over one hundred times. Oh, the misery and pain!

The lashes had torn his skin and left the flesh gaping. The pain had stabbed down into his bones. Even to this day, he would often wake in the middle of the night, and every time he did, his desire to kill Meng Hao grew stronger and stronger.

Unlike everyone else who was chasing Meng Hao, he did not plan to capture him. He would kill him!

It might arouse the displeasure of his Sect, but he had already decided to forsake them. At worst, he would flee the State of Zhao after killing Meng Hao. The Southern Domain was large, and filled with countries of Cultivators, especially in the center. As a Cultivator of the ninth level of Qi Condensation, he would surely be able to find somewhere willing to take him in. Then one day he would come back to the State of Zhao and wipe out the Cold Wind Sect. He would cleanse the pain of his las.h.i.+ng with blood.

At the moment, he moved at top speed, using all the power he could muster. He was determined to find Meng Hao and kill him before the Sect’s Foundation Establishment experts and Core Formation Patriarchs arrived.

“Meng Hao, you can try to run, but there’s nowhere to run to!” Liu Daoyun’s killing intent soared. He was even more confident of being able to kill Meng Hao when he thought of the astonis.h.i.+ng treasure he had borrowed.

He stood on his crystalline sword as he entered the mountains. His gaze swept back and forth. Because he was of the ninth level of Qi Cultivation, and also an Inner Sect disciple, he had a voice transmission jade slip, which he used to inform all disciples in the area to notify him immediately if they saw Meng Hao.

A short time pa.s.sed. As he soared along in the air, Liu Daoyun suddenly slapped his bag of holding, and a glowing jade slip appeared in his hand. He pressed it against his forehead and then laughed. He changed his course, shooting off toward the disciple who had just contacted him.

Time pa.s.sed enough for half an incense stick to burn. It was then that Liu Daoyun caught sight of Meng Hao, moving forward on his treasured fan. Yes, this was the man who had killed a Cold Wind Sect disciple in one move by piercing his head.

At this same moment, Meng Hao looked back, and his cold eyes caught sight of Liu Daoyun. He frowned to himself. Ever since he had experienced the sensation of an invisible hand squeezing his heart, he had felt that he was being watched. Sure enough, after a while, he noticed that there were quite a few Cultivators around from the three great Sects.

There was no way to avoid them. Even if he attacked and killed them as quickly as possible, the word would surely spread via jade slips.

“Meng Hao!” shouted Liu Daoyun. His right hand flickered in an incantation pattern, and immediately, the flying sword beneath his feet issued a droning sound and shot toward Meng Hao.

“Let’s see you run away this time! I, Liu, will rip you to pieces today! That is the only way I can resolve the hatred in my heart!” Liu Daoyun’s eyes had grown red as soon as he caught sight of Meng Hao, and his killing intent grew even fiercer.

Meng Hao’s eyes flashed, and he was about to continue on forward when suddenly his mind trembled. A bit of Spiritual Sense still remained, which caused Meng Hao to suddenly move backward. Even as the flying sword approached him, a fierce wind arose, sending the crystalline sword spinning away.

At the same time, an old man suddenly appeared. He wore a purplish-blue robe, and had some age spots on his face, but his eyes s.h.i.+ned with a fear-inspiring might that could make one’s spirit tremble.

His eyes seemed to contain the sun, moon and stars, making it seem as if you might be lost if you looked into them. A strange design was st.i.tched onto his blue robe; it appeared to be an altar, in the middle of which was a solitary eye. This eye seemed to be filled with even more woe than the old man’s eyes.

“Such strong grievances,” he said coolly, looking at Liu Daoyun. When the old man spoke, the spiritual energy around Meng Hao seemed to be thrown into chaos, and suddenly he felt as if he were bound in place. Once again, he experienced the sensation of an invisible hand clawing at his heart. His face flickered, and his heart pounded.

When Liu Daoyun saw the old man, his face fell, and he immediately took a few steps back and raised hands in a salute.

“I am Liu Daoyun of the junior generation. Greetings, Lord Revelation.”

At the same moment that Liu Daoyun made his salute, six figures appeared in the sky. They were quite some distance away, but in the s.p.a.ce of a single breath had arrived onto the scene.

When he saw the six people, Meng Hao’s heart sank. They were familiar to him. These were the Core Formation Eccentrics of the State of Zhao who had appeared on the day of the dissolution of the Reliance Sect. One of them was a woman, who had left quite a deep impression on Meng Hao.

Shortly after they arrived, the sky filled with droning streaks of light as over ten people approached. They were not soaring, but actually flying, sending out thunderous roars into the air. The nearby birds and beasts quivered. As the people arrived, their eyes all came to fall on Meng Hao.

His face grew grim as he looked around. He saw the irritable Foundation Establishment Cultivator who had attempted to attack him that day.

A powerful pressure was exerted on everything in the area. Liu Daoyun’s face grew pale and he retreated backward several paces. He glared at Meng Hao; his killing intent was hidden for the moment, but the venom in his face was very clear.

Meng Hao’s heart sank; today there was nowhere to hide. After a moment, his expression returned to normal. He took in a deep breath and looked around at the experts of the State of Zhao. He said nothing.

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This chapter was sponsored by Anand Manthripragada, Pailin Tapaneeyaworrawong, Shawna Avila, and Patrick Laplante.