Chapter 97

The foundation-building stage, for cultivators, is of great significance, a transformation that completely changes one's strength and extends one's lifespan. A longer lifespan means more vitality, and thus foundation-building cultivators have abundant vitality, far surpassing those at the condensation stage.

The same injury that would kill a condensation stage cultivator would only wound a foundation-building cultivator due to their robust vitality.

Meng Hao walked through the vast mountains, far away from the border of the Zhao Kingdom, the vanished land, and his hometown, heading towards the Southern Domain.

However, although the Zhao Kingdom is part of the Southern Domain, it is quite remote, far from the center of the Southern Domain. With his current cultivation, it would take him many years to reach there.

But Meng Hao was not in a hurry. Entering the Southern Domain was just his direction. What he was most determined about was to break through his cultivation and step into the foundation-building stage, becoming a foundation-building powerhouse.

Thinking about how there were only a dozen or so foundation-building cultivators in the entire Zhao Kingdom, Meng Hao's heart raced with anticipation. He yearned for foundation-building and longed to fly through the sky for extended periods after achieving it.

"Going to the Southern Domain is fraught with unknown dangers, and I still need to find a way to resolve the poison in my body. All of this requires sufficient cultivation to achieve..." As Meng Hao took a step, his eyes flickered. He knew that by cultivating the Qi Condensation Scroll of the Great Spirit Scripture, he could achieve a flawless foundation-building, which was already rare. But Meng Hao also had the perfect foundation-building pill formula from Shangguan Xiu!

The materials were almost complete, and Meng Hao had obtained some more from the cave of the Mountain Relying Ancestor. With the bronze mirror, Meng Hao was confident he could replicate all the materials in a short time. If he could successfully refine the pill, he would leap to become a perfect foundation-building cultivator, a legend in the cultivation world.

"I wonder how strong a perfect foundation-building would be..." Meng Hao's eyes shone as he sped forward.

Three months later, Meng Hao had left the Zhao Kingdom far behind, even crossing another small mortal kingdom, delving deep into the remote mountains of the Southern Domain, where he had not seen any signs of human habitation for a long time.

All he saw were desolate mountains, which seemed to have no end. During the day, the sounds of birds and beasts occasionally echoed, the sky was a clear blue, and the horizon stretched endlessly. At night, the sounds of nature were everywhere, the stars twinkled, and the moonlight was gentle, making one's heart drunk.

Standing on the peaks, Meng Hao felt the world before his eyes, deeply etched in his heart, slowly unfolding.

"Reading ten thousand books and traveling ten thousand miles, I have come this far, not knowing how many thousands of miles I have traveled. What I have seen and heard, the mountains and forests, have become like a vast sea in my heart, growing larger and larger." Meng Hao's eyes were very bright.

"Choosing a location for foundation-building, it is best to find mountains with good spiritual energy, which will increase the chances of success." Meng Hao knew the difficulty of foundation-building. As he sped forward, he continuously searched. Time passed slowly, and another three months went by.

Meng Hao had been away from the Zhao Kingdom for half a year. During this time, he did not cultivate, as his cultivation had already reached the peak of the condensation stage. The next step was foundation-building. His heart was calm, and he felt a premonition that he could break through to foundation-building at any time.

"Foundation-building has a certain probability, and one must find a place with dense spiritual energy to reduce the loss." Meng Hao pondered and continued on his way. Along the way, if he encountered fierce beasts, he mostly avoided them, not causing unnecessary slaughter. The poison in his body also flared up twice during this half year. Each time it flared up, it caused Meng Hao intense pain, as if countless ants were biting inside his body. The first time it flared up, Meng Hao fell from the sky, his body enveloped in three-colored smoke. He gritted his teeth and endured for three days before the pain subsided. Each flare-up caused his body to secrete large amounts of black, foul-smelling fluid, which could rot leaves upon contact.

After studying, Meng Hao vaguely felt that the various toxins in his body, except for the three-colored poison pill, seemed to be repelled and expelled from his body as the poison flared up.

In addition, during this half year, Meng Hao also frequently tried the treasures he obtained from the Mountain Relying Ancestor, such as the lightning flag. After refining it, its effects were better than before. Once it was released, it formed a mist covering a ten-zhang radius. If any person or beast approached, lightning would immediately strike, with a power comparable to a foundation-building cultivator. It became his essential protective treasure whenever he rested.

The only thing he could not figure out was the Ruyi Seal, which seemed to have no significant effect.

Another month passed, and in front of Meng Hao appeared a valley. Around the valley were several suspension bridges. Some people, dressed in rough hemp clothing and wearing hats, were carrying baskets and crossing the suspension bridges.

Seeing these people, Meng Hao's eyes suddenly narrowed. This was a wilderness, and there should have been no human habitation, but now there were mortals here.

Moreover, the clothing of these people was clearly different from that of the people in the Zhao Kingdom. Meng Hao's gaze swept over them, and after a moment of thought, he was about to leave when he suddenly turned around, his eyes shining as he looked at one of the valleys.

A moment later, a sword light flashed under Meng Hao's feet, and he rushed straight to that valley. As he approached, a dense spiritual energy immediately enveloped him, making his eyes bright. This was the place with the densest spiritual energy he had encountered in over half a year.

This valley was very deep. Standing in the air and looking down, one could not see the bottom, only the increasingly dense mist. Despite this, the dense spiritual energy continuously emerged from the bottom of the valley, making the surrounding plants lush and extraordinary.

"The spiritual energy here is even slightly better than that of the Eastern Peak of the Mountain Relying Sect." Meng Hao was very surprised. His gaze fell on the mist in the valley, but at that moment, the mist suddenly trembled, and the ancient demon-sealing jade in his storage bag also vibrated. Meng Hao's eyes flickered, and he took out the jade.

The moment Meng Hao took out the ancient demon-sealing jade, a thunderous sound immediately echoed in his mind, and a line of text appeared.

"Once a thought, intended to become a demon, was cut down by the eighth generation demon-sealer. Out of pity, a small piece of fragrant soil was left, allowing its descendants to worship."

The text appeared suddenly and disappeared just as quickly, dissipating from Meng Hao's mind, and everything returned to calm. However, Meng Hao's eyes shone brightly. He looked at the mist in the valley and then at the ancient demon-sealing jade in his hand, his eyes flickering.

"Cut down by the eighth generation demon-sealer... the Mountain Relying Sect, the ancient jade, the demon... what secrets are hidden here..." Meng Hao pondered and looked around. At that moment, the mortals on the suspension bridges of the valleys also saw Meng Hao, and they all showed signs of fear, kneeling and bowing.

Just then, a sharp whistle suddenly sounded from another valley nearby. With the sound, two long rainbows rapidly approached. They were two vultures, clearly much larger than usual, with two people standing on their backs.

These two people were about forty years old, dressed in blue and green, looking somewhat disheveled. Their faces were slightly dark, and their bodies were lean. One of them had a small green snake coiled around his arm, with fierce eyes and a flicking tongue, emitting a faint mist from its mouth.

The other person had a brightly colored, foot-long centipede perched on his shoulder, which was clearly highly venomous.

The cultivation levels of these two people were one at the ninth layer of the condensation stage and the other at the peak of the eighth layer of the condensation stage. They had unfriendly expressions and were about three hundred zhang away from Meng Hao, looking at him coldly.

Meng Hao remained calm, putting away the ancient demon-sealing jade and looking at the two approaching people. He had killed many cultivators of this level in the Zhao Kingdom.

As the two people were sizing up Meng Hao, a sharp whistle sounded again. From another valley, a winged toad suddenly flew out. The toad was entirely purple and, as it flew, it stirred up a light mist. This toad alone had the strength of a cultivator at the eighth layer of the condensation stage. On its back, a seated old man was meditating.

The old man was dressed in red and yellow, with colorful mud painted on his face, forming a mask that looked like a totem, making him appear very fierce. After flying out, he stopped about three hundred zhang away from Meng Hao, looking at him coldly.

This old man had a cultivation level of the peak of the ninth layer of the condensation stage. As he sat on the toad, the expressions of the other two people changed.

"I am the patriarch of the Spirit Toad Tribe. Fellow Daoist, if you are just passing through, please leave. This place does not welcome any outsider cultivators." The old man's gaze fell on Meng Hao, and after sensing his cultivation, he frowned slightly before speaking.

Meng Hao remained calm. This was the place with the densest spiritual energy he had encountered in over half a year. If he left, it would be unknown when he could find another place with such dense spiritual energy.

Moreover, this place had triggered the vibration of the ancient demon-sealing jade, so Meng Hao could not leave.

Meng Hao did not speak but formed a hand seal with his right hand, and a hundred flying swords instantly shot out, forming a rain of swords that swirled around him, creating a whirlwind that spread out.

The old man on the toad and the other two people's expressions changed as Meng Hao pointed his right hand at the valley below. Immediately, the hundred flying swords rushed to the valley's rock walls, and with a series of bangs, a simple cave appeared in the rock wall.

"I will stay here for a few months." Meng Hao said calmly, not looking at the three people but moving straight toward the cave.

The hundred flying swords had already formed a deterrent, making the old man on the toad frown and the other two cultivators hesitate.

As Meng Hao was about to enter the cave in the valley, the cultivator with the green snake on his arm's eyes flickered. He raised his right hand and pointed, and immediately, the spirit snake on his arm moved swiftly, like a green lightning bolt, rushing toward Meng Hao.

At the moment the spirit snake approached, a cold light flashed in Meng Hao's eyes.