[/expand]

Meng Hao hovered in mid-air. Up above was the massive rift ripped in the sky, the sight of which was incredibly shocking.

𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

The surrounding Blood Demon Sect disciples, regardless of who they were, looked at Meng Hao with trembling minds and hearts. As of this moment, he had everyone’s complete attention.

Even the sect’s Spirit Severing cultivators felt awe in their hearts, an awe that was now permanently branded there.

The complete and utter silence that filled the Blood Demon Sect was suddenly broken by an archaic voice that echoed out from the centrally-located Mount Blood Demon.

The voice, hoarse and filled with the feeling of countless ages of time, filled the entire Blood Demon Sect, and was heard by all disciples.

“Meng Hao was originally a scholar, born three hundred years ago in the State of Zhao in the Southern Domain...

“By chance, he began to walk the path of cultivation. He had a Perfect Foundation with ten Dao Pillars, and slew Core Formation cultivators!”

The voice, of course, belonged to Patriarch Blood Demon. As it echoed about, all of the cultivators of the Blood Demon Sect listened intently. When the State of Zhao was mentioned, Wang Youcai’s expression was one of reminiscence. After all, the State of Zhao was his hometown, too.

“Later, he made his way to the Southern Domain. In the Song Clan’s search for a son-in-law, he clinched victory in the competition, but then abandoned his status as a son-in-law of the Song Clan to join the Violet Fate Sect!

“In the Violet Fate Sect, his skill in pill concocting reached the highest of levels. He was promoted to Violet Furnace Lord, and became known as... Grandmaster Pill Cauldron!”

By the time these words rang out in the Blood Demon Sect, the silence was impossible to maintain. Gasps could be heard, and a massive commotion erupted. Once again, all eyes came to focus on Meng Hao, who hovered there calmly in mid-air.

“Meng Hao... I remember now! Meng Hao was Grandmaster Pill Cauldron back in the Violet Fate Sect!”

“Heavens! Last year I went to an auction where a pill marked with Grandmaster Pill Cauldron’s emblem was sold at an astronomical price!”

“It’s him!! Grandmaster Pill Cauldron!!”

“I remember! Meng Hao caused a huge disaster that year, and then just disappeared!”

People were now staring at him with even more fervor than before. Earlier, they had submitted to Meng Hao’s cultivation base, but now, his experiences were shaking them, filling them with incredible admiration.

Li Shiqi gazed silently at Meng Hao as images of all the past events flitted through her mind.

“In Foundation Establishment, he could vanquish Core Formation. In Core Formation, he could slay Nascent Soul. All of you have heard stories about Meng Hao over the years. He left the Southern Domain and went to the Black Lands, where he quickly rose to prominence. He entered the Western Desert, where he single-handedly led his tribe out of the Violet Rain Apocalypse. He slaughtered countless enemies and his name rocked the Western Desert!

“Later, he sank to the bottom of the Violet Sea, the waters of which have the power to decay all living things. It was on the seafloor that he gained enlightenment of a great Dao and entered the great circle of the Nascent Soul stage!”

Patriarch Blood Demon’s voice was as ancient as ever. When all the disciples heard his words, it gave rise to massive waves of shock. They stared in disbelief at Meng Hao; to them, his experiences were the stuff of legend.

Even the previously hostile Legacy Apprentices of the Spirit Severing Patriarchs were now staring at Meng Hao with awe and fanaticism.

“He’s done so many things!”

“Compared to him, our lives are soft and easy! Sure, we might kill a few people here and there, but compared to him... our experiences aren’t even worth mentioning!”

Meng Hao said nothing. Hearing Patriarch Blood Demon recount his experiences was almost like listening to the stories of a stranger. However, he wasn’t surprised that Patriarch Blood Demon knew so much about him.

“When Meng Hao was in the great circle of the Nascent Soul stage, he battled with a First Severing cultivator. In a war that rocked the Black Lands and shocked the Western Desert, he exterminated the man’s entire tribe.

“The war didn’t last long, nor did word of it spread very far, before he left for the ancient Demon Immortal Sect!

“As for the details of what happened there, I’m not entirely clear. One thing I do know... the events that occurred there because of him were nothing short of incredible!

“After leaving the ancient Demon Immortal Sect, Meng Hao encountered the 10th Wang Clan Patriarch, a peak Dao Seeking expert. Meng Hao slew his clone, and was then forced to go to the Milky Way Sea. After multiple encounters, his cultivation base was stolen away, and he became mortal!!”

At this point in the tale, gasps rang out. The listening disciples could scarcely believe what they were hearing. What they had heard before already left them with the sensation that Meng Hao’s experiences were a legend, but then the story encountered an even more shocking twist.

“He... became mortal?!”

“He lost his cultivation base? He made an enemy of a Dao Seeking expert? The Blood Prince... he’s incredible!”

“He lost his cultivation base? But look at him now! He’s obviously incredibly fierce and valiant. What happened in the meantime?”

The buzz of conversation filled the air. The three Demonfire Patriarchs were gobsmacked, and Patriarch Darkheaven was staring at Meng Hao with an expression of intense astonishment. As for the hunchbacked old man from the fifth mountain peak, his eyes radiated a strange glow.

The pretty young woman next to him, as well as the other Legacy Apprentices, were hearing the story of Meng Hao for the first time. All of them were panting as they looked up at him floating there calmly in mid-air. Gradually, they began to realize that there was something about him that seemed... lonesome.

Wang Youcai was staring at Meng Hao in a daze. He was aware of the rest of the story, although he wasn’t sure of all the details.

Meng Hao continued his silence. He wasn’t surprised that Patriarch Blood Demon even knew about his encounters with the 10th Wang Clan Patriarch in the Milky Way Sea. What happened in the Black Sieve Sect showed that.

Clearly, Patriarch Blood Demon was not holding back anything about Meng Hao. He revealed everything he knew.

“After becoming mortal, Meng Hao chose to go to the Rebirth Cave!

“There, his beloved chose to give up everything for him. In the end, he was reborn. He performed his Second Severing, becoming the number one figure under Dao Seeking. As for his beloved, she was captured by the Black Sieve Sect!

“Meng Hao, acting alone, slaughtered his way into the sect. He killed tens of thousands of Black Sieve Sect disciples, including several Spirit Severing Cultivators. In the end, he fought with the Black Sieve Sect’s number one Patriarch, Six-Daos!

“I intervened in that battle, which is how the Blood Demon Sect came to have a new Blood Prince, Meng Hao!

“This is his story. Who among you... choose not to submit?” As the echoes of Patriarch Blood Demon’s archaic voice faded away, the heart of each and every disciple surged with waves of shock.

They were completely shaken by hearing of Meng Hao’s experiences. The shocking path which he had walked, as well as his cultivation base, filled them with intense zealotry.

In their astonishment, the three Demonfire Patriarchs and Patriarch Darkheaven now understood everything.

As for the seven Legacy Apprentices of Patriarch Darkheaven on the second mountain peak, the fan-wielding young man on the fourth mountain peak, and the pretty girl on the fifth mountain peak, they gazed at Meng Hao with minds and hearts reeling.

They now clearly understood how powerful Meng Hao was, and it filled them with a terror that far exceeded that which any other Chosen could impart.

To them, this was not just a matter of Meng Hao being worthy of becoming Blood Prince. In fact, few sects could ever have a Sect Prince like this.

A person like him could actually found his own Sect!

One by one, everyone began to clasp hands and bow to Meng Hao.

“Blood Prince, we offer our respects!”

Meng Hao’s cultivation base had crushed anyone who refused to bow their head in submission. The recounting of his experiences had shocked the hearts of anyone who inwardly refused to acknowledge him. Patriarch Blood Demon’s words ensured that Meng Hao was now truly worthy to be... Blood Prince of the Blood Demon Sect!

Meng Hao said nothing. He waved his right hand, causing the Black White Pearls and the Ninth Mountain to vanish. At the same time, the Nascent Divinities of the two Ironblood Patriarchs were released. Meng Hao had not truly wiped them out of existence.

Their Nascent Divinities trembled; from their position within the Black White Pearls, they had seen everything that had happened, and had also heard Patriarch Blood Demon’s words. Currently, they didn’t even have the tiniest intention of provoking Meng Hao. Quite the opposite. They were filled with deep awe, and went along with everyone else to bow to Meng Hao.

Meng Hao’s gaze swept across the crowds. Then, he turned silently and made his way off into the distance. He did not choose to occupy one of the mountains within the area of the five mountain peaks. Instead, he chose to occupy a beautiful valley on the outside.

The valley had no name, but after Meng Hao occupied it, the blood Demon Sect disciples came to view it as a Holy Land second only to Patriarch Blood Demon’s mountain peak.

There were plenty of disciples who were more than happy to stand guard outside, transforming the valley into one of the most important locations in the Blood Demon Sect.

Because of Meng Hao, Wang Youcai became even more famous in the Blood Demon Sect. In fact, the hunchbacked old man from the fifth mountain peak personally appeared to take him as an apprentice.

As a result, Wang Youcai became a Legacy Apprentice of the fifth mountain peak, a position far higher than what he had occupied before.

As for the valley Meng Hao occupied, the Blood Demon Sect disciples secretly began to refer to it as... Blood Prince Gorge.

The Blood Prince liked peace and quiet, and therefore no one dared to enter Blood Prince Gorge unless they were summoned.

Time passed. Nine nine-day-cycles later, on the eighty-first day, Meng Hao sat in his log cabin in the valley. The fragrance of flowers drifted through the air, and green grass carpeted the entire area. It was like a utopia hidden away from the turmoil of the world.

A woman lay in front of Meng Hao, her eyes closed. She was beautiful, and she radiated the aura of an Immortal spirit. Her skin was as pure as flawless white jade.

Meng Hao looked down at her and continued to wait patiently.

Around dusk, the woman’s eyelashes trembled, as if she were gathering the strength to awaken. A moment later, she slowly... opened her eyes.

At first, her eyes were filled with a confused look, as if countless memories were streaming into her mind. The process continued for a long moment before finally, the blankness vanished and transformed into lucidity. It was then that she realized that someone was sitting next to her, looking at her with warmth in his eyes.... Meng Hao.

Xu Qing looked at Meng Hao, and smiled a warm, beautiful smile.

She slowly sat up, and then reached out to stroke the side of Meng Hao’s face.

“It feels wonderful to wake up....”

Meng Hao looked back at her and also smiled. However, it was a smile that, deep down, contained sadness. He knew that what he was experiencing now could last no more than ninety-nine years.

“I won’t leave this valley for the next ninety-nine years,” Xu Qing said. “I’ll accompany you... until the time for reincarnation comes.”