Chapter 87

"Break the seal?" Meng Hao’s gaze swept over the land and landed on the seven oil lamps on the ground. After a few moments, his eyes flickered, and his body instantly rushed toward the seven oil lamps.

Meng Hao ignored the roar of the Old Ancestor of the Backing Mountain. From the previous treasure-taking and the words of the other party, he was certain that the Old Ancestor of the Backing Mountain could not come out at this moment.

"What are you going to do!" The Old Ancestor of the Backing Mountain, underground, was furious. However, when he noticed Meng Hao’s expression, he was already uneasy, and now he was beginning to regret not letting the other party leave. In his view, Meng Hao’s expression and the flickering in his eyes were almost the same as when he wanted to take away all his treasures, and even more intense.

Meng Hao ignored the unreliable Old Ancestor of the Backing Mountain and instead stared at the seven oil lamps, pacing around them thoughtfully.

Each step he took made the Old Ancestor of the Backing Mountain tremble with fear.

"It’s fine, this little brat is only at the Ninth Layer of Qi Condensation, he can’t absorb the spiritual energy of these seven demon lamps..." The Old Ancestor of the Backing Mountain was comforting himself when he suddenly widened his eyes. He saw Meng Hao, after circling a few times, actually sit down cross-legged.

Meng Hao sat cross-legged, his eyes flickering, showing hesitation, but soon his eyes became resolute.

"This Old Ancestor of the Backing Mountain has tricked me. Just taking some of his treasures isn’t enough to vent my anger. I must take away this spiritual energy to let out my frustration." Meng Hao gritted his teeth. He was already dissatisfied with the Old Ancestor of the Backing Mountain giving him only a low-grade spirit stone, and the other party not even giving him the antidote, which was like forcing Meng Hao to a dead end.

"Treasures cannot absorb the spiritual energy of these seven lamps; only something with spiritual nature can... so I will absorb it myself!" Meng Hao’s eyes suddenly closed, and his cultivation began to circulate, trying to absorb the spiritual energy emitted by the seven oil lamps burning nearby.

No matter how Meng Hao tried to absorb, the spiritual energy appeared and was immediately sucked into the ground. The Old Ancestor of the Backing Mountain, underground, let out a sigh of relief.

"Little Meng Hao, what you’re doing is useless. Do you dare to compete for spiritual energy with me, the Old Ancestor?" The Old Ancestor of the Backing Mountain laughed, though there was bitterness in his laughter. When Meng Hao heard it, he frowned, but his expression soon calmed down.

"Old Ancestor, don’t be in a hurry, this is just the beginning." Meng Hao said calmly.

The Old Ancestor of the Backing Mountain was taken aback.

Meng Hao’s eyes suddenly flickered, and he gradually closed them. In his mind, he recalled the scene when he fought with Shangguan Xiu, using Xiao Hu’s pearl to reach the Tenth Layer of Qi Condensation!

This was the method he thought of. He wanted to return to the Tenth Layer of Qi Condensation. Once he reached the Tenth Layer, the intense suction in his body, though isolated from heaven and earth, would allow him to try to absorb the spiritual energy of the seven oil lamps!

The Tenth Layer of Qi Condensation was a legendary realm from ancient times, but it was no longer allowed by heaven and earth, and the path was cut off. However, Meng Hao had once reached the Tenth Layer of Qi Condensation, though he later fell, he had once walked on this path that was cut off.

As Meng Hao’s thoughts flowed and his breathing continued, his body gradually seemed to wither. The little bit of spiritual awareness in his mind spread, immersing him in a strange state, using all his mind to feel the sensation of the Tenth Layer of Qi Condensation.

Time slowly passed, one day, two days, until the third day. The Old Ancestor of the Backing Mountain became increasingly alarmed. He couldn’t see through what Meng Hao was doing, but he could clearly feel the changes in Meng Hao’s body, with his aura becoming increasingly strange.

"What is he doing?" The Old Ancestor of the Backing Mountain hesitated, suddenly realizing that he couldn’t see through this Meng Hao.

On the night of the third day, Meng Hao’s body trembled, and his eyes suddenly opened. In the moment his eyes opened, his body shook violently. He finally felt the power in his body, as if a punch could shatter a mountain. Similarly, he felt the terrifying suction growing in his body. As this suction appeared, Meng Hao’s body was once again isolated from the surrounding heaven and earth!

No more heavenly power could be absorbed by him. At this moment, a sharp light appeared in Meng Hao’s eyes, and he slowly stood up, striving to maintain his body in this realm. He knew that without Xiao Hu’s pearl, he couldn’t last long, probably only for a dozen breaths before falling.

Meng Hao took a deep breath and stepped forward without hesitation. Almost the moment his foot landed, the spiritual energy emitted by the seven oil lamps in front of him trembled, and a tiny bit of it, instead of being absorbed by the ground, rushed toward Meng Hao, instantly merging into his body.

This scene made the sharp light in Meng Hao’s eyes even stronger, but the Old Ancestor of the Backing Mountain was suddenly shocked, his body trembling, and he spoke in disbelief.

"Damn, this is impossible!!"

"This is... the Tenth Layer of Qi Condensation. Damn it, wasn’t the Tenth Layer cut off by the will of heaven and earth? You, you, you... you actually reached the Tenth Layer of Qi Condensation!!"

"How can this be? Although the Tenth Layer of Qi Condensation isn’t particularly powerful, it is not recognized by the will of heaven and earth because it steals the essence of heaven and earth. It can even steal the essence of heaven and earth. My spiritual energy... damn it, and that ancient demon-sealing jade, those few old immortals once said that only the Thirteenth Layer of Qi Condensation could move it. This, this, this..." The Old Ancestor of the Backing Mountain screamed, his eyes wide open, watching as Meng Hao took three steps, and one-tenth of the spiritual energy from the seven oil lamps rushed toward Meng Hao, being absorbed by him, causing him to roar in pain again.

After taking three steps, Meng Hao’s body trembled, unable to take another step. The seven oil lamps emitted a powerful spiritual pressure, and Meng Hao, panting heavily, slowly sat down cross-legged, beginning to absorb the spiritual energy of the seven oil lamps, ignoring the Old Ancestor of the Backing Mountain’s roars.

The suction in his body was astonishing, like a starving wolf that had been hungry for years, now devouring the spiritual energy without restraint. As the spiritual energy merged, Meng Hao’s body trembled more, but he clearly felt his flesh becoming tougher and stronger, even his bones seemed to absorb the spiritual energy, becoming harder!

The Tenth Layer of Qi Condensation was a realm of body cultivation, a realm from ancient times. At this moment, Meng Hao, in the Old Ancestor of the Backing Mountain’s cave, was forcibly taking this essence.

Since heaven and earth did not provide the spiritual energy needed for this realm, the Old Ancestor of the Backing Mountain used one Nascent Soul and six Core Formation cultivators as oil, their lives as fire, to light the demon lamps, which now provided the spiritual energy that Meng Hao’s body desperately needed!

"Meng Hao!!! Stop, stop! Let’s talk, this spiritual energy is very important to me, I really need it, don’t absorb it."

"Damn it, Meng Hao, stop quickly. This spiritual energy, I worked so hard to kill so many people to get it. My seal, Meng Hao, if you don’t stop, I will expel you from the sect!!" The Old Ancestor of the Backing Mountain was furious, and at this moment, he had long forgotten about the treasures being taken and the ancient demon-sealing jade. Even if all the items were taken by Meng Hao, he was angry, but now, this was his most urgent concern.

Meng Hao ignored him and continued to absorb. With this intense absorption, his physical body became even stronger, and even a pounding sound could be heard from within his body. His skin gradually cracked, new flesh growing beneath it.

The cracks increased and began to peel off. Meng Hao’s hair grew longer, and his eyes shone brightly. The Tenth Layer of Qi Condensation, at this moment, was firmly established in his body!

It would no longer fall, but remain eternal. The power of the Tenth Layer of Qi Condensation, Meng Hao felt it in this instant. He clearly sensed that with a thought, he could return to the Ninth Layer of Qi Condensation, where he could absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and with another thought, he could instantly step into the Tenth Layer of Qi Condensation.

After an unknown amount of time, Meng Hao’s mind exploded. After his body cracked several times, the remaining skin fragments shattered and scattered. His eyes shone with an unprecedented sharpness, a powerful feeling permeated his mind. He was confident that at this moment, in the Tenth Layer of Qi Condensation, a single punch could shatter any Ninth Layer of Qi Condensation cultivator.

This power was even stronger than when he used Xiao Hu’s pearl.

Meng Hao took a deep breath and slowly stood up, not to leave, but to take another step forward. At this moment, he was only five steps away from the seven oil lamps!

The Old Ancestor of the Backing Mountain, underground, was breathing heavily. He had been cursing for days, running out of words, and watched helplessly as Meng Hao absorbed the spiritual energy he needed, consolidating the Tenth Layer of Qi Condensation. He thought Meng Hao would leave, but seeing him take another step, his heart sank.

As Meng Hao moved forward, one-third of the spiritual energy from the seven oil lamps rushed toward him. The moment this powerful spiritual energy entered his body, Meng Hao’s body resonated, but his eyes were filled with determination as he took another step, now only four steps away from the oil lamps.

The flames of the seven oil lamps flickered, and more spiritual energy rushed toward Meng Hao, now reaching one-sixth!

"The suction in my body hasn’t diminished but has become even stronger. Could it be... there is an Eleventh Layer of Qi Condensation after the Tenth Layer?" Meng Hao gritted his teeth, using the power of the Tenth Layer of Qi Condensation, and took another step, now only three steps away from the oil lamps. At this moment, the flames of the seven oil lamps shook violently, and one-fifth of the spiritual energy rushed toward Meng Hao.

Meng Hao took a deep breath, immediately sat down cross-legged, and continued to absorb.