Zhao Hai's words carried a sound as if he was on the verge of tears. This was because he clearly understood Meng Hao's identity: an inner sect disciple, with the battle record of defeating Wang Tengfei, known to everyone in both the inner and outer sects. Furthermore, he possessed a cultivation of the sixth level of Qi Condensation. No matter which point, it was like a towering mountain that could crush him at any moment.
"Disciple Zhao Hai, greetings... greetings, Senior Brother Meng..."
While Young Master Zhao was wailing miserably there, Zhao Hai let out a gasp, knelt down, and looked at Meng Hao, trembling.
As soon as Zhao Hai's words stopped, Young Master Zhao, who had just been slapped, instinctively opened his mouth.
"Little brother, what did you call him, Senior Brother Meng? Haha, so you're all family. Then Senior Brother Meng has also seen this little lady, so let Senior Meng..."
"Shut up!"
Zhao Hai seemed to be driven to the brink of death, his body trembling incessantly. Legends related to Meng Hao from his time in the Reliance Sect flashed through his mind. At this moment, he lunged forward, slapped Young Master Zhao's face again, and then panted heavily.
Li Dafu was stunned, took a deep breath, and then looked at Meng Hao blankly. Although he had previously guessed that the other party was an immortal, he never imagined that the powerful immortal of the Zhao family would be so terrified after seeing Meng Hao, even trembling uncontrollably.
Not just him, at this moment, everyone from the Li family was astonished by this scene, looking at Meng Hao with reverence.
"Senior Brother Meng..."
Zhao Hai knelt there, trembling, his eyes revealing intense fear.
Meng Hao's expression was grim; he said nothing, only looked at Zhao Hai coldly.
Zhao Hai's heart trembled incessantly. He gritted his teeth, turned his head to look at his elder brother, his eyes revealing a venomous hatred. He dared not resent Meng Hao, so his hatred was directed at his own brother.
At this moment, he waved his hand, and a small, thumb-sized Fire Serpent shot out, instantly striking Young Master Zhao, causing him to scream incessantly. Young Master Zhao rolled on the ground and finally turned into a charred corpse.
"Please, Senior Brother Meng, spare my life."
Zhao Hai paid no attention to his elder brother, only knelt before Meng Hao, kowtowing repeatedly.
"If you are still attached to the mortal world, then from now on, live peacefully as a mortal."
Meng Hao spoke indifferently, pointing his right hand from a distance. Immediately, Zhao Hai's face turned pale, and he spat out a mouthful of immortal blood. His Dantian was instantly shattered, and his second-level Qi Condensation cultivation was abolished. From now on, he was no longer a cultivator but returned to being a mortal.
Staggering, Zhao Hai cupped his fists and bowed to Meng Hao, then turned away bitterly, supported by his servants, and gradually disappeared.
"This is due to Meng's lax discipline. He was my disciple. When the sect faced changes, he ran out, causing Uncle Li to suffer harm."
Meng Hao paid no attention to Zhao Hai's departure but cupped his fists and bowed to Li Dafu.
"It's nothing, it's nothing, thank you, immortal."
Li Dafu quickly shook his head, then also quickly bowed to Meng Hao, but his mind buzzed repeatedly, for Meng Hao's words deeply moved him. That immortal from the Zhao family could actually be Meng Hao's disciple; it truly stunned him.
"Uncle Li doesn't need to be like this. I am good friends with Fatty... ah, Li Fugui. I came to his hometown on his behalf, so when I encountered this matter, I naturally couldn't ignore it."
Meng Hao smiled, shook his head, then cupped his fists.
"Meng will now take his leave."
After Meng Hao finished speaking, his body shot up and vanished. In just a few steps, he was no longer visible. Li Dafu was originally troubled, but when he thought of his own son, a smile appeared on his face, and even his eyes held a hint of pride and anticipation.
"My son has finally followed a good example. Now that he has become an immortal, I must go to the ancestral hall to offer incense. This is a glorious matter for the Li family."
Meng Hao left Yun Kai County, and it was already midday. The autumn wind blew, rustling his long robe. By the time the mountain wind grew stronger, he had already set foot on Mount Daqing.
Standing here, three years ago he had felt his future was utterly bleak. His expression was filled with emotion as he reflected on how three years had passed just like that. His once youthful face had matured, but Mount Daqing remained the same, unchanged, as did the great river at its foot, which flowed endlessly, as if it would never reach its end.
Looking at the river water at the foot of the mountain, Meng Hao recalled the gourd he had thrown away that year, and then meeting Senior Sister Xu, the fat man, Wang Youcai, and also Xiao Hu when he arrived here.
In silence, Meng Hao suddenly leaped down, rushing from the mountainside. His feet landed on his flying sword, and he headed straight into the crevice in Mount Daqing.
The cave still looked as it did before. Meng Hao stood there, quietly observing his surroundings. That year, Senior Sister Xu was at the seventh level of Qi Condensation, and now, he too was a cultivator at the seventh level of Qi Condensation. It was as if the past three years had ultimately been a circle, starting here and ending here.
"If these three years were a circle, then my return here today, could it be another starting point? Just as the sages said, if you don't take the first step, how can you find the way?"
Meng Hao closed his eyes tightly, then slowly opened them.
"Now I have taken a step, it's just that in the past I lacked money, and now I lack spirit stones. There's really no change at all..."
Meng Hao shook his head, thinking of the dwindling spirit stones in his storage bag. He couldn't help but feel a slight headache. He turned and left the place, heading towards the great river, soaring away on his flying sword.
Suddenly, Meng Hao's eyes narrowed. He looked up and saw a figure in a yellow long robe standing on Mount Daqing, where he had just been, coldly staring at him.
"You really would return to this place."
A deep voice echoed far, making even the sun above seem a little dim. Only on that mountaintop, a surge of killing intent rose with greedy eyes.
Shangguan Xiu!
When the sect disbanded earlier, he was the first to leave. After so many days, he finally appeared. After learning about the disbandment of the Reliance Sect, and hearing how the Old Ancestor of Reliance had terrified the entire Cultivation World of Zhao State, he had hesitated quite a bit before going into hiding, secretly searching for the medicinal herbs he needed and retrieving the items he had hidden many years ago.
It was only when he passed by Mount Daqing that he suddenly remembered that Meng Hao had also been brought back from Mount Daqing by Xu Qing. Therefore, he wanted to stay here for a few days to see if he could meet Meng Hao.
Killing intent flashed in Meng Hao's eyes, because with his current cultivation at the seventh level of Qi Condensation, he could somewhat gauge his opponent. He was a powerful cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Condensation. Although not yet at Great Perfection, he was close. As long as he had enough opportunities and successfully established his foundation, he would immediately become a powerful figure in Zhao State.
Meng Hao understood in his heart that he was not the man's opponent. Even with more magic treasures, there was a limit, and the magic treasures in his storage bag had not yet recovered. Spirit stones were also scarce, so it was inconvenient to fight.
Without a word, Meng Hao stomped hard on his flying sword, transforming into a streak of light and shooting away. Shangguan Xiu let out a cold laugh. Within the sect, he might have had to be wary of Elder Ouyang protecting Meng Hao, and he wouldn't have dared to lay a hand on an inner disciple. But today, all of that was in the past. Therefore, his desire to seize treasures and his murderous intent towards Meng Hao became extremely fierce. His body also shot up, and a talisman appeared, circling around him once before chasing after Meng Hao.
"At this point, there's no more inner disciple promotion trial. Let me see how you escape from my grasp!"
A sinister, smug smile appeared at the corner of Shangguan Xiu's mouth.