Chapter 39

Time passed, and before they knew it, two months had gone by. Meng Hao had been an inner-sect disciple for nearly a season. He no longer frequented the outer sect, except for the little fatty, who was like a fish in water, feeling very at ease there.

As for Meng Hao, these days he spent almost all his time in the Dharma Pavilion.

On this day, he sat cross-legged inside the Dharma Pavilion, his expression calm as he read a bamboo slip. His right hand would occasionally rise to form seals, and a series of magical lights would circle around it, casting his face in alternating light and shadow.

Just then, a water ball that Meng Hao had just condensed in his right hand shattered, turning into mist that dissipated around him. He frowned, put down the bamboo slip, and took out a glowing jade slip from his bosom.

The jade was white, its surface blurry, as if shrouded in mist. But if one looked closely, one could see that the jade slip was actually crystal clear.

"Chen Fan, Xu Qing, Meng Hao, the three of you come to the Eastern Peak Hall." A stern voice slowly emerged from the jade slip, leaving no room for refusal. It was the voice of the Sect Master, He Luohua.

Meng Hao put away the jade slip, stood up, and took a step forward. The door of the Dharma Pavilion opened silently, and he quickly walked towards the mountain top.

Almost at the same time, two figures also headed for the mountain top. They were Chen Fan, who had a gentle face but exuded a sense of righteousness, and Senior Sister Xu Qing, who was beautiful but cold.

Xu Qing also saw Meng Hao. This was the first time they had met since that evening under the moon.

The three of them rushed to the mountain top and soon arrived at the main hall of the Mountain Rely Sect. The hall was ancient, with carved railings and jade steps, but it had a sense of沧桑 (cang桑sang, meaning "weathered" or "time-worn"). This was a sacred place in the Mountain Rely Sect, where only inner-sect disciples could enter.

Inside the hall stood nine statues. The one at the front was of an old man. This old man had a dignified and awe-inspiring presence, especially his eyes, which seemed to glow even though they were dim. His right hand was behind his back, his left hand raised, pointing forward, and his chin lifted as if he were looking down upon all living things, exuding an indescribable aura of dominance. Below him stood eight other statues in two rows, each with a sage-like appearance.

In the first seven days after Meng Hao joined the sect, he had already paid respects to these statues and knew that the old man with the dignified and awe-inspiring presence was the Mountain Rely Ancestor. The other statues were the ancestors of the Mountain Rely Sect from previous generations.

At the foot of the Mountain Rely Ancestor's statue, Sect Master He Luohua stood with his back to Meng Hao and the others, staring at the statue, lost in thought. Beside him, Elder Ouyang, with a serious expression, nodded slightly at Meng Hao and the others.

"Pay respects to the Ancestor." Elder Ouyang said solemnly.

Meng Hao, Xu Qing, and Chen Fan all had serious expressions and bowed deeply to the statue of the Mountain Rely Ancestor.

"Back when the Ancestor disappeared for a hundred years, I was just an outer-sect disciple who had just joined the sect. At that time, the Mountain Rely Sect was still in its glory." After a long pause, He Luohua sighed and turned around, his gaze sweeping over Meng Hao, Chen Fan, and Xu Qing.

"You have all read the sect's classics and know about the glory of the Mountain Rely Sect hundreds of years ago... You are also familiar with the three levels of Foundation Establishment. Today, I will no longer hide anything from you." He Luohua paused for a moment and then continued slowly.

"The reason the Mountain Rely Sect was glorious is that the Mountain Rely Ancestor's cultivation intimidated the entire State of Zhao and made a name for himself in the Southern Domain. All of this is related to a scripture called the Great Spirit Scripture!" As He Luohua spoke, Chen Fan's eyes immediately lit up with intense light, and even Xu Qing's eyes narrowed.

Only Meng Hao was momentarily stunned, not knowing what the Great Spirit Scripture was.

"The Qi Condensation Scroll?" Chen Fan said softly. As the top inner-sect disciple, he knew many secrets and had already guessed some things.

"The Great Spirit Scripture is one of the three great scriptures of the Southern Continent, with a long history. It should have seven scrolls, but most of them have been lost. The Qi Condensation Scroll can lead to a flawless Foundation Establishment, the Foundation Establishment Scroll can lead to the cultivation of a Purple Core instead of a Red Core or a mixed core, and the Core Formation Scroll can lead to the formation of a four-colored infant body... Each scroll can lead to the strongest realm of cultivation." He Luohua looked at the three of them and continued slowly.

"The Ancestor obtained the Qi Condensation Scroll, and the Wang family's descendants joined the Mountain Rely Sect precisely to obtain the Qi Condensation Scroll of the Great Spirit Scripture."

Meng Hao's eyes gleamed, and his heart raced. He had previously heard Senior Brother Chen Fan talk about the levels of Foundation Establishment, and now he understood that the Mountain Rely Ancestor had obtained such a powerful cultivation method, and why Wang Tengfei had come to the Mountain Rely Sect.

"If I could obtain it..." Meng Hao's desire to become stronger grew even stronger.

"Unfortunately, even I have never seen the Qi Condensation Scroll, let alone outsiders. The scripture has no lineage and exists only in the Ancestor's memory." He Luohua said calmly. Meng Hao remained silent, Chen Fan seemed to understand, and Xu Qing looked up at the statue of the Mountain Rely Ancestor.

The entire hall fell silent.

"For four hundred years, the outside world has mostly speculated that the Ancestor has died, but only a few of us know that the Ancestor... has not passed away." He Luohua's voice suddenly rang out, and it immediately turned into a thunderous boom in the ears of Meng Hao and the others.

"Four hundred years ago, the Ancestor had reached the peak of the late-stage Nascent Soul realm, but his lifespan was somewhat insufficient. He wanted to break through to the Spirit Severing realm. According to ancient legends, if one's age does not exceed a thousand years, one cannot defy the heavens, let alone sever the spirit!

"The Ancestor chose to enter seclusion to sever his spirit and create a new life. This seclusion lasted for four hundred years.

"Four hundred years ago, when the Ancestor entered seclusion, he left a command to send out ten Spirit Severing Jades every hundred years, to be held by the outstanding inner-sect disciples of the time. They would enter his seclusion place, using the Spirit Severing Jades to burn their blood and qi, to sense the will he left behind in his seclusion place. If they had the right conditions and opportunities, they could obtain... the Great Spirit Scripture!" He Luohua's words echoed, and Meng Hao immediately looked up, as did Chen Fan and Xu Qing.

"Success or failure, if this continues, there will surely be a disciple who can succeed. But two hundred years ago, the Ancestor encountered an accident during his cultivation. His life jade was about to shatter, and he was on the brink of death. This made the insights in his seclusion place weak, and the restrictions stronger. No more Spirit Severing Jades were sent out until five years ago... when the Ancestor sent out three Spirit Severing Jades.

"These three Spirit Severing Jades mean that only three people can enter, and that in the Ancestor's seclusion place, there are only three places where insights can be gained." He Luohua's voice echoed in the hall, and he waved his sleeve. Immediately, three beams of blood light shot towards Meng Hao, Chen Fan, and Xu Qing, floating in front of them.

These were blood crystals, smooth and lustrous like jade, known as Spirit Severing Jades.

"You three are the only inner-sect disciples now. These three Spirit Severing Jades are given to you. Whether you can gain insights from the Great Spirit Scripture depends on your own destiny." He Luohua finished speaking and waved his sleeve again. The statue of the Mountain Rely Ancestor immediately rumbled, and its eyes suddenly shone brightly, forming a vortex in the air.

"Enter it and gain insights!" He Luohua's voice thundered, and Meng Hao, Chen Fan, and Xu Qing, holding their Spirit Severing Jades, transformed into long rainbows and rushed into the vortex, disappearing inside. The vortex remained, but without a Spirit Severing Jade, even a Nascent Soul cultivator could not enter.

"Who among the three of them will obtain the Great Spirit Scripture, or will they all come out empty-handed?" Elder Ouyang looked up at the vortex and spoke softly.

"Personal destiny, overthinking is meaningless." He Luohua sat cross-legged beside him.

As Meng Hao stepped into the vortex, he was immediately blinded by a blinding light, forcing him to close his eyes. The sound of thunder echoed in his ears, and strange roars filled the air. After an unknown amount of time, he felt a sudden jolt, the thunder and roars ceased, and he opened his eyes to find himself standing on a platform several dozen feet wide. He looked around.

This was a vast area, with the sky above as dark as soil, dotted with tiny crystals that resembled stars, making the surroundings appear hazy and indistinct, as if seen through a veil. He could see numerous pavilions and buildings shrouded in mist.

"Very desolate, after all, no one has been here for hundreds of years." Chen Fan's voice came from nearby, and his figure appeared in the mist, coming from another platform of similar size.

"The sky above is restricted by soil. This should be the sect's underground palace." Xu Qing approached from another direction, her silver robes making her look exceptionally beautiful.

"I joined the sect earlier and once served as a guardian of the main hall, so I know some secrets that you don't. This is indeed the underground palace of the Mountain Rely Sect. Above us is the outer-sect area." Chen Fan looked around and spoke gently.

Meng Hao left the platform and stood beside Chen Fan and Xu Qing, looking at the gray and misty pavilions. He could see many withered flowers and plants, a desolate and lifeless scene.

"Is this mist the restriction, making everything appear in black and white, with no other colors?" Meng Hao asked, frowning.

"Exactly. Don't try to touch it. The restrictions have become uncontrollable due to the Ancestor's weakening. We each hold a Spirit Severing Jade and must find the three places of insight." Chen Fan said solemnly.

"The time for gaining insights is unknown. We must wait for each other and then leave together. Senior Sister Xu, Junior Brother Meng, I wish you success." Chen Fan looked at Meng Hao and Xu Qing, then sent his spiritual energy into his Spirit Severing Jade, which emitted a blood light and flew forward. Chen Fan followed, gradually moving away.

Xu Qing nodded at Meng Hao and followed the blood light of her own Spirit Severing Jade in another direction.

Meng Hao looked around, about to activate the light of his Spirit Severing Jade, when suddenly, a piercing roar sounded from nearby, growing louder and closer, and in an instant, it seemed to be only a few dozen feet away.