Chapter 76

Meng Hao’s expression was dark as he stared at the two wooden swords that were only three inches away from Shangguan Xiu. However, this three-inch gap was like a chasm, one that Meng Hao’s cultivation could not cross.

After all, Shangguan Xiu at this moment could no longer be considered a Qi Condensation Realm cultivator. He was rapidly advancing towards the Foundation Establishment Realm. Once the Dao Platform condensed within his body, at that moment, even if Meng Hao were at the Ninth Layer of Qi Condensation, he would still be as fragile as a single strike could end his life.

This was the gap between Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment, an eternal truth in the world. Without a heaven-defying miracle, a Qi Condensation cultivator could never kill a Foundation Establishment cultivator!

The two were like a fragile infant and a robust man. Even if the man were weakened, he could still crush the infant with a single hand.

And now, a Foundation Establishment cultivator was about to appear before Meng Hao in just half an hour. Meng Hao’s chances were already few, and it could be said that he had no chance at all.

As time passed, the shadow of death would descend. Even if Meng Hao fled now, in half an hour... as Shangguan Xiu said, no matter where he fled, he would surely die.

“What to do...” Meng Hao’s eyes were bloodshot. Not only was he anxious, but Xiaohu, who was below the mountain, also had a pale face. He naturally saw the danger of the situation and clenched his teeth.

“Meng Hao!” With Xiaohu’s loud shout, he suddenly made a seal with his hands and pressed it against his chest. Instantly, he spat out a mouthful of blood. As soon as the blood flew out, it immediately turned into a red cloud.

At the same time, his precious bead, which was no longer surrounded by a blood ball, instantly flew out, heading straight for Meng Hao.

“This bead is my life, it will aid you in your struggle.”

As the words echoed, Xiaohu’s face turned pale, and he fell unconscious. The bead, after absorbing Xiaohu’s blood cloud, suddenly emitted a bright red light, instantly reaching Meng Hao. As it approached, the red light spread out, enveloping Meng Hao’s body.

At the same moment, an indescribable feeling surged in Meng Hao’s heart. It felt as if his cultivation had been forcibly elevated by one level!

The golden Dan Sea within his body roared wildly, expanding continuously until it doubled in size, making the already vast Dan Sea even more immense, as if it were about to burst from Meng Hao’s body.

This made Meng Hao look as if he were glowing with golden light, extraordinary in appearance.

The demon core inside no longer fluctuated but rapidly spun. With the spinning, powerful spiritual energy instantly filled Meng Hao’s entire body, making his mind buzz. A faint trace of aura seemed to appear in his mind!

This aura was extremely weak, similar to the trace of aura Meng Hao had felt when he first reached the First Layer of Qi Condensation in his Dan Sea.

Meng Hao did not know that the trace of aura appearing in his mind at this moment was the spiritual awareness that only Foundation Establishment cultivators could possess. Even Shangguan Xiu, who had not yet fully entered the Foundation Establishment Realm, could not generate it.

Now, although Meng Hao was not yet a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he had become a Tenth Layer of Qi Condensation! His body echoed with a series of popping sounds as a large amount of impurities continuously oozed out. His body, in the Qi Condensation stage, had undergone an additional cleansing, more than anyone else.

Tenth Layer of Qi Condensation!

Meng Hao’s mind buzzed, and his physical body seemed to become much stronger in an instant. At this Tenth Layer, not only did spiritual awareness appear, but also a strange force that enhanced his physical strength.

It should be known that the Tenth Layer of Qi Condensation was an extremely rare level in the cultivation world. For countless years, many great figures had studied whether the Qi Condensation Realm truly had a Tenth Layer, and whether there were even Eleventh and Twelfth Layers!

Theoretically, it existed, as some incomplete ancient texts occasionally mentioned that in ancient times, the Qi Condensation Realm had thirteen layers! However, in reality, after the ancient times, only a few people occasionally reached the Tenth Layer, and the Eleventh Layer was extremely rare. Each of these few people later became renowned in the cultivation world!

In the current cultivation world, the Tenth Layer of Qi Condensation had become a legend.

For many years, through the continuous research of generations of cultivators, they gradually found a widely accepted and widely spread theory: in ancient times, the Qi Condensation Realm had thirteen layers, but nine was the limit, so it did not conform to the will of heaven and earth, and was thus weakened, stopping at nine!

There was another theory, but it was not widely accepted, considering it absurd. This theory proposed that the will of heaven and earth in ancient times had died, and a new will of heaven and earth had been born, which only recognized the limit of the Qi Condensation Realm as nine layers, cutting off the path to the Tenth Layer, as the Tenth Layer was considered to usurp the creation of heaven and earth, and thus was not allowed.

Without a path, cultivators at the Ninth Layer of Qi Condensation had to advance to the Foundation Establishment Realm, hence the creation of the Foundation Establishment Pill. Because... in ancient times, the Ninth Layer of Qi Condensation was not considered complete, so external assistance was needed!

If a cultivator could find the path and absorb enough heavenly energy, then he could continue the path and advance to the Tenth Layer and beyond of the ancient Qi Condensation Realm!

The path was the key, but unfortunately, after the ancient times, the path had been cut off. In the ancient times, there were still remnants, but now it was almost completely severed.

Now, on Meng Hao’s body, this phenomenon appeared, shocking not only Meng Hao himself but also Shangguan Xiu, who showed an expression of disbelief. He never thought that the Meng Hao before him would actually... advance to the legendary Tenth Layer of Qi Condensation.

“This is impossible... The Tenth Layer of Qi Condensation is a legend. It is said that the so-called Tenth Layer is the Body Refinement Realm... Although theoretically it exists, it has rarely been reached throughout history... This is impossible!” Shangguan Xiu’s face was filled with disbelief.

If Xiaohu were not unconscious, he would also be shocked. Although the bead was bound to him and cultivated with his life, it did not have such a stunning effect on him. It only allowed him to exert a half-layer higher power at any level, for example, at the Fifth Layer of Qi Condensation, his actual combat power was at the half-step Sixth Layer.

Meng Hao’s hair moved without wind, his eyes gleaming with a sharp light. He took a deep breath, feeling the vastness of his Dan Sea, the trace of aura in his mind, and the surge of power in his limbs and flesh. He could clearly sense that his body was constantly becoming stronger.

However, there was a drawback. Almost as soon as his cultivation reached the Tenth Layer of Qi Condensation, it seemed as if his body had been severed from the connection with the heavens, and no more heavenly energy came, as if he were isolated. Yet, Meng Hao clearly felt a shocking suction force within his body, like a newborn baby trying to absorb the nutrients of the heavens, but the heavens... directly rejected it.

Meng Hao’s body still looked like a weak scholar, but in reality, the strength in his flesh made him feel as if he could tear apart a city wall with his bare hands. However, Meng Hao did not have time to think much. As his eyes gleamed, and Shangguan Xiu’s face was filled with disbelief, Meng Hao took a deep breath, raised his right hand, and pointed at the two wooden swords.

This point hit one of the wooden swords, gathering all of Meng Hao’s Tenth Layer of Qi Condensation spiritual energy, the trace of spiritual awareness in his mind that Shangguan Xiu temporarily did not possess, and Meng Hao’s physical strength.

This was Meng Hao’s peak attack, and it could even be said that this was the strongest attack among Qi Condensation cultivators in the Zhao Kingdom’s cultivation world!

A loud boom echoed as Meng Hao pointed at the wooden sword. The wooden sword instantly burst with a sharp sword intent, piercing through the three-inch gap in an instant. The tip of the sword directly pierced into Shangguan Xiu’s chest, penetrating deeper and deeper until, with a loud bang, the wooden sword suddenly pierced through Shangguan Xiu’s chest, spewing out a gush of blood.

Shangguan Xiu’s body trembled, but he could not move. Fear and shock appeared in his eyes. He clearly felt that the large amount of spiritual energy required for Foundation Establishment was leaking out from the wound in his body at this moment, and the speed of this leakage was comparable to the speed of Foundation Establishment. This meant that the time for Foundation Establishment was being infinitely extended.

At this moment, Meng Hao’s right hand raised again, pointing at the other wooden sword. The wooden sword hummed and instantly shot towards Shangguan Xiu’s neck.

“Meng Hao, you dare to kill me...” Shangguan Xiu’s mind was in shock, the previous cold arrogance and killing intent instantly dissipating, replaced by a struggle against death.

Meng Hao said nothing, his eyes flashing with a fierce light. His right index finger touched the second wooden sword, which hummed and whistled, instantly piercing through the three-inch gap and directly into Shangguan Xiu’s neck. However, just as it was about to penetrate, Shangguan Xiu’s head inexplicably tilted, causing the wooden sword to only graze and open a wound, spewing out a large amount of blood, but not immediately killing Shangguan Xiu.

But at this moment, Shangguan Xiu’s eyes were filled with fear. He felt his life force rapidly dissipating, his spiritual energy wildly dissipating, and even the dissipation of spiritual energy made his body stiff, allowing a slight movement.

“Meng Hao, there is no irreconcilable hatred between us. If you let me go today, I am willing to give you the ancient formula of the Great Spirit Scripture...” Shangguan Xiu was already extremely terrified, but before he could finish his words, the two flying swords instantly arrived, piercing through his three-inch defense and directly through his chest. Blood splattered, and Shangguan Xiu’s anguished scream echoed, but the scream was weak and filled with despair.

Even though he mentioned the Great Spirit Scripture, Meng Hao did not care. His eyes still flashed with a fierce light. No matter what Shangguan Xiu said today, he was determined to kill him.

Meng Hao’s character was such that once he made a decision, he would never easily change it.