Chapter 69

After the battle in the North Sea, especially after Meng Hao's rebirth in the lake, the death aura that had enveloped him had completely dissipated. As he walked through the wind and snow, not a trace of death aura remained.

The black aura that had plagued Meng Hao for nearly a month was finally gone, no longer circling around him. This allowed Meng Hao to walk more calmly in the wind and snow.

The wind and snow grew stronger, seemingly the largest and last snowfall of the year. The snowflakes, unwilling to be driven away by the changing seasons, fell freely on this day.

They covered Meng Hao's entire body, until he reached the crack on Green Mountain where he had been taken away years ago. Meng Hao sat cross-legged inside, silently watching the snow outside, the sound of the wind wailing in his ears.

It was deep into the night.

The night sky was divided by the snow, with no stars or moon visible, only endless snowflakes, as if covering the entire world.

In front of Meng Hao was a fire, which flickered, casting a flickering light on his face. Meng Hao sat cross-legged in silence, not speaking a word.

It had been nearly four years.

Since entering Mount Reliance Sect, it had been almost four years. Meng Hao, once a young boy, had grown into a young man, now twenty years old.

After a long time, Meng Hao looked down at his hands. They were very clean, without any dirt, but Meng Hao clearly saw the blood on them.

In these four years, he had killed more than one person. From the initial unease to the present, although he was not yet numb, he could accept and adapt. It seemed that an invisible force of heaven and earth was quietly changing everything about Meng Hao, changing his soul, his fate, and his future.

"What will I ultimately become..." Meng Hao looked at the snow outside the cave, but he had no answer.

Time slowly passed, and as dawn approached, the world was pitch black. Only the wailing wind and the cold snow remained. The fire in front of Meng Hao gradually went out, plunging the entire cave into darkness.

In the darkness, a sense of loneliness gradually emerged in Meng Hao's heart, growing larger and larger until it engulfed his body.

"Father, Mother, where are you..." Meng Hao whispered softly, thinking of his parents, longing for them deeply.

"Little Fatty, what are you doing now?" After a long time, Meng Hao sighed softly, the image of Little Fatty grinding his teeth gradually appearing in his mind.

"Senior Sister Xu, Senior Brother Chen, are you well in the Southern Domain..." Meng Hao looked at the darkness outside the cave, as if he could see the world of the Southern Domain, his eyes gradually showing a look of longing.

"Read a hundred books, travel a thousand miles... One day, I will leave the Zhao Kingdom and go to the Southern Domain." Meng Hao's eyes showed determination, but he remembered that the Zhao Kingdom was on the edge of the Southern Domain, and the distance to the core of the Southern Domain was too far.

He still remembered the map of the entire Southern Land, where the Zhao Kingdom and the core of the Southern Domain were separated by endless wilderness and several other countries.

With Meng Hao's cultivation, even with the help of gliding, it would take a very long time to reach there.

"Unless I can become a Foundation Establishment cultivator!" Meng Hao's eyes lit up, filled with a strong desire, a longing for the ability to fly for long periods, and a yearning for Foundation Establishment.

"Reaching Foundation Establishment cultivation is considered a true cultivator, with a lifespan of 150 years." The concept of immortality was too distant for Meng Hao at this moment. Only those who were older would yearn for it. As for Meng Hao, he was more concerned with how to survive safely.

Unless one was willing to be ordinary, to have a colorful life, one must have the qualifications and cultivation to endure and survive.

Meng Hao took a deep breath. As dawn broke outside, Meng Hao took out Ding Xin's storage bag, opened it, and immediately a sharp light appeared in his eyes.

"Truly worthy of being a disciple of a major sect, not yet at Foundation Establishment, yet possessing such wealth." In the storage bag, Meng Hao saw about seven to eight thousand spirit stones, and a black large bow.

When Meng Hao took out the bow, it felt cold to the touch. As he slightly pulled it, he immediately felt the surrounding spiritual energy being absorbed.

At the same time, in the storage bag, Meng Hao saw nearly a hundred black arrows, each engraved with symbols. After putting away the arrows and the bow, Meng Hao's gaze swept over the storage bag. Besides the spirit stones and the magical treasure, there were also several medicine bottles and some miscellaneous tokens.

Most of the medicine bottles were empty, except for one small bottle that was sealed. Meng Hao took it out and shook it, hearing the sound of pills rolling inside. His heart stirred, and he quickly broke the seal. Instantly, a strong medicinal fragrance filled the cave.

This level of medicinal fragrance even surpassed the Heavenly Spirit Pill and the best Platform Pill Meng Hao had. They were incomparable, like comparing a firefly to the moon. To Meng Hao, one was like a sapling, the other like a large tree.

"This is..." Meng Hao's eyes flickered, his breathing quickened. He poured the pill from the small bottle into his palm. It was a pill the size of a thumbnail, with an amber color, emitting a warm yellow medicinal fragrance and a powerful spiritual energy, making it clear that this pill was extraordinary.

Meng Hao stared at the pill, suddenly slapped the storage bag, and immediately took out the ancient jade he had bought at the Hundred Treasures Pavilion. The jade had more cracks, but Meng Hao did not pay attention. He held the jade to his forehead, and spiritual energy immediately flowed.

After a moment, the jade shattered into ashes, and Meng Hao opened his eyes, his eyes filled with intense excitement.

"Foundation Establishment Pill! This is a Foundation Establishment Pill of immeasurable value!" Meng Hao's heart raced, and he tightly held the pill in his palm, taking a long time to calm down.

Part of Ding Xin's unwillingness to die was due to this Foundation Establishment Pill. It was personally refined by his master and given to him, so that he could use it when he had the opportunity to break through to Foundation Establishment while traveling outside. Even if he failed, his master would spare no effort to help him succeed upon his return to the sect.

Even in the major sects of the Southern Domain, Foundation Establishment Pills were not abundant. Distributed among the disciples, they were even fewer. The demand for these pills was great, so even if there were many, they were still in short supply. After all, few could break through with just one pill; most needed two or three. For those with ordinary talent, if favored by a sect elder, five or six might be possible.

Moreover, the preciousness of the Foundation Establishment Pill was also related to the three dangerous areas, where the two essential herbs for refining the pill could only grow.

Ding Xin had a good master, which made his position in the Purple Luck Sect somewhat special. Even at the Ninth Layer of Qi Condensation, his master had given him a Foundation Establishment Pill. Even if he failed, his master would spare no effort to help him succeed upon his return to the sect.

Meng Hao opened his palm, picked up the Foundation Establishment Pill, and carefully examined it. Soon, his eyes narrowed as he saw a strange mark on the pill.

The mark resembled a miniature ghost face, expressionless and stern, giving the impression of being watched. Meng Hao's heart stirred, and he carefully examined it for a long time before confirming that it was not a magical imprint but a simple engraving, like a symbol.

Holding the Foundation Establishment Pill, Meng Hao hesitated. After a long time, he gritted his teeth, put away the pill, and saw that the wind and snow outside had lessened. The first rays of the sun appeared, and Meng Hao stepped out, the treasure fan appearing under his feet, carrying him forward into the cold wind.

"To break through to the Ninth Layer of Qi Condensation from the Eighth Layer, I need a lot of spirit stones. With my own means, I cannot obtain them in a short time. I must sell some things to quickly gain them." Meng Hao's eyes flickered, and he tapped his storage bag, taking out another jade slip and placing it on his forehead, carefully examining it.

This jade slip belonged to a disciple of the Cold Wind Sect, containing information about several cities and markets in the Zhao Kingdom's cultivation world. Meng Hao saw East Beauty City, but he did not want to go there. After a moment, he chose a place some distance away, not controlled by the three major sects, but a relatively chaotic gathering place for cultivators.

"Heavenly River Market." Meng Hao whispered, his eyes flashing, making up his mind, and quickly gliding away with the wind.

In the direction of the distant Heavenly River Sea, within a restricted area invisible to mortals, there was a city.

This city was entirely black, with black-robed cultivators standing coldly on the city walls, their eyes scanning the ground, watching those entering and leaving.

The Heavenly River Market did not exist three hundred years ago. About three hundred years ago, an old monster appeared here, with Core Formation cultivation and astonishing magical treasures. He created this city within the Zhao Kingdom and then entered seclusion. Three hundred years had passed, and no one knew if he was alive or dead. If he was dead, it would be fine, but if he was still alive, he must have taken longevity-enhancing pills to survive, or he would have already reached the Nascent Soul stage.

Now, the city was controlled by his descendants, who called themselves the Heavenly River Ancestor. They did not interfere with the three major sects of the Zhao Kingdom, and because there were no strict rules in this place, it gradually became lively, attracting people from all walks of life.

A few days later, a person appeared at the gate of the Heavenly River Market. He wore a black robe, a hood on his head, and his face was covered, making it impossible to see his appearance. Even his body looked slightly bulky.

Although this attire was unusual, it was not out of place in the Heavenly River Market. This place was chaotic, with people of various identities, and many did not want to be recognized by familiar people. Thus, such attire was not uncommon.

He was none other than Meng Hao.

Meng Hao had made up his mind to sell magical treasures and pills. After much consideration, he had disguised himself and come here. He slowly walked into the city, looking around. At that moment, his eyes narrowed slightly as he looked ahead, immediately lowering his head and pretending to be casual as he entered a nearby shop.