Chapter 96

Meng Hao was stunned, his mind buzzing. All the bizarre and strange events he had encountered in his life paled in comparison to the shock he felt at this moment. His mind went blank, as if he had lost all his ability to think, and he could only stare dumbfounded at the unbelievable scene before him.

The Ancestor of the Mountain, it turned out... was a massive, evil tortoise!

And the State of Zhao... was actually a land supported by the Ancestor of the Mountain!

He, for the past twenty years, had actually been living on the back of the Ancestor of the Mountain. No wonder he was called the Ancestor of the Mountain. He... was not just a support for individuals, but the support for the entire State of Zhao, for both cultivators and mortals, he was the support for this land!

The Ancestor of the Mountain in the Mountain and Sea Sect was merely a divine consciousness that had been forced out to sever the inheritance of the Sealing Demon Sect after the Ancestor's true form had been sealed and was in a state of slumber!

No wonder the Mountain and Sea Sect was once called the Sealing Demon Sect, yet few knew of it now. No wonder the Mountain and Sea Sect was called a demonic sect, with cruel rules and self-slaughter among its members...

A mere divine consciousness had cultivated to the Soul Severing stage. So, how powerful was the Ancestor of the Mountain's true form?

But Meng Hao still had many questions that remained unanswered. For example, if the Ancestor of the Mountain was so powerful, why didn't he save himself back then? If Meng Hao hadn't appeared, wouldn't the Ancestor have perished? And with such a powerful true form, why did he need to absorb the life force of cultivators?

On the land supported by the Ancestor of the Mountain, the three fake infant cultivators were now staring blankly at the scene, their minds buzzing and their expressions dazed. This scene was beyond their comprehension, leaving them unable to even feel shock, only a blank, dazed state. They still couldn't believe what they were seeing.

Tian Ji Shangren was also stunned, staring at the massive head that was countless times larger than himself, a head so vast that its end could not be seen. His heart trembled, his eyes filled with horror and fear. He never imagined that the Ancestor of the Mountain, whom he had shouted to come out, would be like this.

Especially as the Ancestor of the Mountain's voice echoed, each word falling into Tian Ji Shangren's ears, making his body tremble and his scalp tingle, leaving him with no fighting spirit at all.

There was no need for a fight. The mere presence of the Ancestor of the Mountain, the pressure he exuded, made Tian Ji Shangren's entire body buzz, as if his blood had stopped flowing. The Dao comprehension and will he had gained at the Soul Severing stage had completely collapsed. In front of the Ancestor of the Mountain, he felt as fragile as an ant, and the Ancestor could kill him countless times with just a breath.

The overwhelming presence and pressure from the massive head made Tian Ji Shangren's mouth dry and his tongue parched. Even with his considerable cultivation and status as an ancestor of a nation, he was now drenched in cold sweat. The Tian Ji Bell by his side gave him no sense of security, and even the divine consciousness of Li Xian on the bell could not make him feel safe.

He finally understood why the Ancestor of the Mountain had disregarded his words and paid no attention to the so-called Li Xian. The Ancestor himself was an existence that defied description.

He finally knew where the Ancestor of the Mountain's confidence in ignoring Li Xian came from...

What terrified him even more was that, from the earliest records he could remember, and even from the ancient texts he had read, the State of Zhao had existed for a very, very long time. This made Tian Ji Shangren's mind even more terrified. He didn't know... whether the Ancestor of the Mountain existed before the State of Zhao, or the State of Zhao existed before the Ancestor of the Mountain!

The latter was still manageable, but if it was the former... Tian Ji Shangren's scalp tingled, and he trembled uncontrollably.

"Do you still want to fight?" The Ancestor of the Mountain's massive head slowly spoke, each word surpassing thunder, the rolling thunder making Tian Ji Shangren's body retreat thousands of feet, spitting out over ten mouthfuls of blood. Even the bell in his mouth became like ordinary iron, cracking extensively.

"No... no, I was just joking, Ancestor... Senior... please don't take it to heart..." Tian Ji Shangren's face was pale, and he quickly spoke, his voice trembling under the Ancestor of the Mountain's massive head's gaze.

"If it weren't for your two palms, I wouldn't have been able to come out. Those damned turtles, their Sealing Demon Imprints, though weakened over time, still needed a final push. When I had recovered some of my cultivation, someone outside needed to use Soul Severing power to break the seal, allowing the Sealing Demon Imprint to loosen. Once it loosened, I could break it!" The Ancestor of the Mountain's voice boomed, echoing in all directions, making Meng Hao's body shake when it reached his ears.

"Originally, I planned to let this divine consciousness incarnation break through to the Soul Severing stage and sever the seal on its own, but cultivation for mortals is not suitable for me. Even with the partial Great Spirit Scripture I remember, it was still difficult to break through.

"Finally, when I was about to succeed, I was brutally betrayed by a little turtle. Damn it, the Sealing Demon Sect are all turtles, they stole the spirit energy I was using to break the seal and took my demon lamp..." The Ancestor of the Mountain growled, and Meng Hao's heart raced. How could he not recognize who the Ancestor was talking about...

"You did well, very well. It's fortunate that you acted, allowing me to break free. I will repay you." As the Ancestor of the Mountain spoke, Tian Ji Shangren was stunned for a moment, but quickly his expression brightened with joy. He never imagined that his accidental actions would bring him such fortune. Just as he was about to bow, suddenly, the Ancestor of the Mountain's massive mouth opened, so fast that no one could see, and in an instant, it swallowed the sky.

It swallowed Tian Ji Shangren and his Tian Ji Bell in one gulp!

The massive mouth made a few crunching sounds, and no screams were heard, but Meng Hao's breathing quickened, and he understood even more about the Ancestor of the Mountain's unreliability. As he instinctively stepped back, the Ancestor of the Mountain's massive head suddenly turned, heading straight for Meng Hao. It stopped a hundred feet in front of him, the indescribably large head staring directly at Meng Hao.

Meng Hao forced a smile, but he didn't fully believe the Ancestor of the Mountain's words to Tian Ji Shangren. Based on his understanding of the Ancestor, most of what he said was likely not true.

"Congratulations on your emergence, Ancestor. Your might is awe-inspiring, Ancestor..."

"Do you know fear now?" The Ancestor of the Mountain glared at Meng Hao, his voice like rolling thunder, deafening Meng Hao's ears and making him spit out blood.

"You Sealing Demon Sect are all turtles, the old ones are like this, and you, the little brat, are the same. You all betrayed me!! Forget it, forget it, you are still a member of the Mountain and Sea Sect, so I will give you a blessing..."

As the Ancestor of the Mountain spoke, Meng Hao's scalp tingled. He thought of Tian Ji Shangren's fate and his mind raced. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him. He remembered something!

He recalled the little girl named Gu Yiding San Yue, who had told him something in the Northern Sea.

"Big brother, there's its aura under your feet. Don't provoke it, remember... the ancient path of sealing demons, its thoughts are like scriptures."

At the time, Meng Hao didn't understand, but now he suddenly realized. The aura under his feet... was the Ancestor of the Mountain!

Don't provoke it, remember, the ancient path of sealing demons, its thoughts are like scriptures.

"The ancient path of sealing demons, its thoughts are like scriptures, don't provoke it..." Meng Hao's mind raced like lightning, and at that moment, the Ancestor of the Mountain's voice slowly continued, finishing the sentence he had left unfinished.

"...a blessing, I will repay you!"

Almost as soon as the Ancestor of the Mountain finished speaking, Meng Hao's right hand suddenly reached into his storage bag and pulled out the ancient Sealing Demon Jade.

Almost as soon as the ancient jade appeared in his hand, a fierce wind blew towards him. The wind came and went quickly, and when it disappeared, the Ancestor of the Mountain's massive head was less than three feet away from Meng Hao...

The massive head, so vast that its end could not be seen, only the dark green skin and the eyes, which seemed as large as a city to Meng Hao, were visible.

The eyes clearly showed a struggle.

"Ancient path, hold the thought of sealing heaven, the mountains and rivers are great and benevolent, the nine mountains and seas need the Dao to face calamity, my life is boundless!" Meng Hao, inspired, immediately spoke, reciting the first sentence he had seen in the ancient Sealing Demon Jade.

As soon as he spoke, the Ancestor of the Mountain's massive head suddenly pulled back, and he let out a roar that shook the sky, creating countless ripples that spread out.

On the Ancestor of the Mountain's forehead, a nine-pointed rune suddenly appeared, ancient and weathered, deeply imprinted. As it flashed, his body trembled.

"Stop it, you damned Sealing Demon Scripture, damned Sealing Demon Sect!!" The Ancestor of the Mountain's expression turned fierce, his roar shaking the heavens. He stared at Meng Hao, who suppressed his inner tension and looked back at the Ancestor.

"Those old bastards are too devious. The seal on my true form may be broken, but the first seal from long ago is imprinted in my soul, making me the ninth generation protector of the Sealing Demon Sect. This is impossible. The Sealing Demon Sect is not tolerated by heaven and earth, thus it faces many disasters. They calculated that the Dao is nine, and nine is the limit, so it will suffer the strongest heavenly backlash, with all calamities concentrated in this generation, aiming to destroy it!

"So they prepared in advance, making me the ninth generation protector. But how can a mere Qi Condensation cultivator like you be worthy of me recognizing you as my master? Those damned turtles, I had already changed the name from Sealing Demon to Mountain and Sea, and established rules of self-slaughter to deplete the sect's foundation, ensuring no disciples would feel a sense of belonging. But how did a Meng Hao still appear!"

As the Ancestor of the Mountain pondered, on the land he supported, a mist rose from the Northern Sea. In the mist, the shadow of an ancient boat appeared. An old man rowed the boat, and the little girl stood at the bow, looking at the Ancestor of the Mountain and bowing respectfully.

"Gu Yiding San Yue, pays respects to the Ancestor." The little girl's voice was clear and crisp, echoing with a light and graceful tone.

The Ancestor of the Mountain frowned and glanced at the little girl.

"You are the raindrop with spiritual essence that fell on my back in the ancient times of the Yiding year. Now... you have become this lake."

The little girl smiled and nodded, winking at Meng Hao.

Meng Hao took a deep breath, suddenly understanding the origin of the little girl's strange name.

At that moment, the Ancestor of the Mountain snorted, not looking at the little girl but glancing up at the sky. In the sky, where Meng Hao couldn't see, a blurry blood shadow appeared.

He silently bowed to the Ancestor of the Mountain below, turned, and disappeared.

"Alright, Meng Hao, stay away from me!" The Ancestor of the Mountain lowered his head and blew hard, instantly sending Meng Hao flying. In a swirl of green light, he was carried away from the land of Zhao, landing at the edge of what was once Zhao but was now a deep pit.

"Damn it, I can't see him, and I will never recognize a master in this life. I might as well avoid him, go far away, so he can't find me! As for the treasures he took, since he took them, consider it even. This way, my Dao heart will be stable, and I can continue my cultivation." The Ancestor of the Mountain's eyes flashed, and he suddenly turned. In Meng Hao's stunned gaze, the massive tortoise, supporting the entire land of Zhao, transformed into a rainbow and headed straight for the distance.

The direction it went was towards the Heavenly River Sea, which from then on had a legend. The legend spoke of a floating island of immortal mountains, sometimes moving, impossible to find, and sometimes appearing, where some lucky people had stepped inside and seen a land of mortals.

That land was Zhao.

For a long time, the sky gradually returned to normal, and Meng Hao stood there, staring at the endless deep pit before him, and the direction the Ancestor of the Mountain had left. He stood silently.

After a while, rain began to fall from the sky, pouring down and splashing into the deep pit of Zhao. Perhaps after many years, it would become a sea.

In the rain, Meng Hao took a deep breath, the scenes of the past few days flashing through his mind, making him feel as if he had experienced an incredibly surreal dream.

Zhao was gone... Meng Hao looked at the rain around him, at the misty sky, and thought about the past four years of his life.

"I was just a scholar..." Meng Hao murmured.

"My life is like snow, only able to exist in winter, yearning for the summer of the mortal world, but it is no longer my life..." Meng Hao was silent for a long time, then he turned and walked away in the rain, heading down the path away from his hometown.

In the rain, his figure gradually became desolate, blending with the rain, making even the hot wind unable to disperse his presence, for this was the life he was about to enter.

Life is a series of experiences, or rather, different experiences shape different lives. Experiencing cold winds turns one into snow, experiencing scorching sun turns one into rain...

The kind of life one experiences shapes who they become, making life colorful.

"South Domain, I'm coming. But before I enter the South Domain, I must reach the Foundation Establishment stage!" Walking in the rain, Meng Hao gradually raised his head, his eyes slowly gaining a sharp and determined look.

He would never forget the desire to become strong that he felt under Tian Ji Shangren's palm. In this world, only the strong are invincible.

"Where did that blood light come from..." With this question, Meng Hao's figure gradually faded into the distance.

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The first volume has ended, and the second volume will now begin! This week's recommendation and click rankings have been brutal. Since we've dropped, let's fight our way back up! Please, fellow Daoists, help me with your recommendation votes and clicks! I'll release a series of funny comics about the Ancestor of the Mountain, drawn by myself... Do you want to see them?

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