"I..."
Meng Hao was stunned, momentarily at a loss for words.
He had never encountered such a situation back in Yun Jie County.
The girl before him smiled naturally, her slightly furrowed brows captivating, making Meng Hao blush even more.
Seeing Meng Hao's expression, the woman covered her mouth and chuckled, then turned and swayed her hips as she walked to where the man was sitting on the alchemy furnace. After a moment, she returned.
"One hundred seventy spirit stones, what do you think, Dao Brother?"
The woman winked, smiling as she looked at Meng Hao.
"Many thanks, Dao Friend!"
Meng Hao exhaled as if a heavy burden had been lifted, his mood instantly uplifted.
The more spirit stones he could save, the better.
He cupped his hands and bowed to the woman before him.
"You should call me Elder Sister," the woman said, raising her right hand and taking down a jade slip, which she handed to Meng Hao.
Meng Hao channeled spiritual power into the jade slip, and a series of images appeared in his mind, making his heart pound.
With just a quick glance, he saw information about the three types of elixirs currently in his storage bag.
He paid the spirit stones to the woman, cupped his hands and bowed once more, then departed.
The woman coughed lightly, leading Meng Hao out of the pavilion.
As they reached the door, she turned and softly said, "My name is Qiao Ling. Next time you come, look for me."
She smiled, her eyes full of affection as she looked at Meng Hao, making his already red face turn even redder. He quickly cupped his hands and hurried away from the place.
After walking for a while, his heart was still racing, only gradually returning to normal.
He turned his head to look back at the Bai Zhen Pavilion and still saw the woman, Qiao Ling, standing at the door, smiling.
Meng Hao felt embarrassed, realizing he had been teased by this woman.
It was the first time he had experienced such a feeling, and he didn't find it repulsive; rather, he felt a slight flutter in his heart.
He coughed once, lowered his head, and walked straight ahead.
Just then, a group of people emerged from the Bai Zhen Pavilion.
These people descended from the second floor, about seven or eight individuals, both men and women, chatting happily as they walked.
Among them was a young man in a blue robe, walking a little behind, giving the impression of an attendant.
Stepping out of the pavilion, this person looked up and just caught sight of Meng Hao's retreating figure.
"Meng Hao!"
He exclaimed in surprise.
The sound reached the ears of the people walking ahead, causing them to stop as well.
Meng Hao heard someone call out to him. He quickly tilted his head, glancing at the young man.
Upon seeing him, a complex emotion arose in Meng Hao's heart.
This person was Zhou Kai, a former outer sect disciple of the Kao Shan Sect, whose cultivation had reached the fifth level of Condensation.
On the day the Kao Shan Sect disbanded, he was swept away by the red mist. Meng Hao never expected to meet him here today.
Meng Hao saw Zhou Kai, looking dejected, walking behind several well-dressed individuals, each of whom exuded an imposing aura.
One of them had reached the seventh level of Condensation, and the others had also reached the sixth level of Condensation. They were all disciples of the major sects in Zhao State.
As for Zhou Kai, after the Kao Shan Sect disbanded, he must have joined other sects. Now, following these people, his status was no different from that of an attendant.
Meng Hao nodded slightly, said nothing, then turned and continued walking.
"Who is he?"
A young man standing in front of Zhou Kai, holding a folding fan, asked him indifferently.
His voice was not loud but contained a hint of arrogance.
Among the entire group, he was the only one whose cultivation had reached the seventh level of Condensation, naturally making him the center of attention.
His words immediately drew the gazes of those around him.
"Reporting to Senior Brother Zun, he was a former fellow disciple of mine."
Zhou Kai hesitated slightly before replying, not explicitly stating Meng Hao's identity as an inner sect disciple.
"Meng Hao? That name sounds a bit familiar."
"I remember now! He's the only inner sect disciple who wasn't taken away. He really does look like the person in the painting." A girl in the crowd laughed and spoke up.
Upon hearing her, the eyes of those accompanying her suddenly lit up. Two of them quickly used their movement techniques to circle around and block Meng Hao's path.
In the past few days, a earth-shattering event had been circulating throughout the Cultivation World of the Zhao State. The Reliance Sect had disbanded, but Patriarch Reliance was not dead. For the sake of an inner sect disciple, he had displayed divine abilities that shook the entire Cultivation World of the Zhao State, intimidating powerful cultivators across the nation. These individuals, after leaving, had spread the news throughout the Cultivation World. There were also rumors that Patriarch Reliance had personally bestowed upon this inner sect disciple a supreme treasure of terrifying power, enough to annihilate all cultivators. The rumors spread more and more widely. After much inquiry and seeking out former outer sect disciples of the Reliance Sect, cultivators in the Cultivation World finally learned that this inner sect disciple was Meng Hao.
Initially, the matter stopped there. However, the cultivators who were present at the Reliance Sect that day, after being intimidated by Patriarch Reliance and returning, recalled that the final sound the Patriarch emitted contained an unusual hint of weakness. They then thought of the Patriarch's usual temperament before; if his strength had been normal, they would not have been able to return alive. Immediately, many people speculated on the situation at the time, with some focusing all their questions on Meng Hao. The three great sects all issued orders, telling their disciples who were out on training to pay attention to this inner sect disciple and to definitely find him. It was just that they could not confirm whether Patriarch Reliance was dead or not. If he was not dead, did his cultivation still remain as before? The three great sects in the Zhao State therefore still dared not pursue and kill him completely, only announcing a generous reward for those who could find Meng Hao and gather information about the supreme treasure on his person.
Meng Hao stopped, coldly looking at the two cultivators blocking his path. Behind him, hurried footsteps sounded. His retreat was blocked by four other people who had positioned themselves, and both his left and right sides were also surrounded. Standing inside the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, the woman Qiao Ling saw this scene, her delicate eyebrows furrowing.
"What do you all mean by this?" Meng Hao's gaze swept over them, and he asked indifferently, his expression showing no fear whatsoever. His eyes, full of confidence, made the surrounding cultivators also become serious and cautious in their response.
"It means nothing. It's just that we heard you possess a supreme treasure passed down by Patriarch Reliance. Today, we are fortunate to meet you, and we just want to take a look at it." The young man who had previously stood in front of Zhou Kai, holding a fan and tapping it against his other palm, smiled and spoke. They were disciples of the three great sects, their ordinary status already more noble than others. When this young man spoke to Meng Hao, his voice inevitably carried a hint of arrogance, even though Meng Hao's cultivation was also at the seventh level of Condensation.
"That's right, Meng Hao. Since you have such a supreme treasure on you, why don't you take it out for us to admire?" The surrounding cultivators all opened their mouths and laughed loudly.
Meng Hao maintained his calm expression as before, only his eyes revealed a hint of coldness, the corner of his mouth slightly curved upwards, and his right hand lightly tapped the storage bag at his waist.
As he did so, the surrounding cultivators were all startled, and a few quickly took out their magic treasures.
With a dazzling glow, a black iron spear appeared in Meng Hao's hand. Spiritual power surged into the shaft, transforming it into a sharp weapon. One end plunged firmly into the ground. When Meng Hao released his grip, it created a buzzing sound as if it possessed sentience, causing the surrounding cultivators to instinctively react, leaping back several steps, their eyes fixed on the black iron spear.
"Anyone who wants to die, come and see for yourselves."
Meng Hao took two steps back, flicked his sleeve, and spoke indifferently.
His face was full of confidence. In his eyes, besides a hint of coldness, there was undisguised mockery, and the corner of his mouth curled into a smile full of arrogance.
In reality, Meng Hao took two steps back to stand closer to the city gate. He planned to make a surprise move when the others approached the black iron spear, then use the ensuing chaos to escape.
After all, these three individuals were from major sects, and Meng Hao did not want to get entangled with them.
Silence fell all around, and all eyes were focused on the black iron spear.
At a glance, the black iron spear appeared extraordinary. The shaft was intricately carved with complex patterns, making it dizzying to look at.
The sunlight shining on the spearhead further enhanced its awe-inspiring aura.
The woman Qiao Ling, standing in the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, also gazed intently at the black iron spear. Beside her, several other women were chattering and discussing.
"It doesn't look like anything magical, just some complex patterns carved on the shaft. At first glance, it looks a bit like the things drawn on talismans."
"Is this the ultimate treasure that Old Ancestor Kao Shan gave him?"
The surrounding disciples frowned, looking at each other for a long time.
The young man holding the fan also frowned, carefully observing for a moment before letting out a cold laugh. Just as he was about to have Zhou Kai, who was behind him, step forward, suddenly, many footsteps echoed from the west city gate.
The noisy sound immediately attracted the attention of these disciples, and also Meng Hao's gaze.
He turned to look and immediately frowned.
In front of him, more than ten cultivators in white robes were rushing forward.
These people were quite familiar to him, as he had encountered them many times on that treasure mountain.
These white-robed disciples advanced, invisibly blocking Meng Hao's escape route, causing him to frown deeply. His right hand slowly moved to the storage pouch at his waist.
"So it's the senior brothers of the Zi Yun Sect from the Southern Domain. I am Sun Hua of the Qu Shui Sect, greetings to all fellow Daoists."
The young man holding the fan in his hand showed a respectful expression upon seeing the white-robed cultivators. He quickly cupped his fist and bowed in salute.
The cultivators from the State of Zhao around him also stirred, all cupping their fists and bowing.
They were outstanding talents from the sects in the State of Zhao, normally maintaining a high and mighty attitude towards others. But in front of the disciples of a true major sect from the Southern Domain, they felt incredibly small and adopted a very polite demeanor.
During this time, they had also received news that if they encountered these disciples of the Zi Yun Sect, they must absolutely not cause any trouble.
The cultivators of the Zi Yun Sect, upon entering the city, saw the cultivators from the State of Zhao but didn't pay much attention. They were unexpectedly displeased when their identities were revealed. Their impatient gazes fell upon the black iron spear stuck in the ground, and their hurried footsteps abruptly halted.
After a moment of surprise, these white-robed disciples excitedly rushed straight towards where the cultivators from the State of Zhao were standing.