Chapter 712: Gathering at the Dao Lakes! (2/2)
Soon, more voices rose up from the region outside.
“The Li Clan is here!!”
“That’s… the 19th Li Clan Patriarch! They say he’s a Second Severing expert! Look at the people behind him! They seem to have an equal status, don’t tell me they’re also Spirit Severing Patriarchs?!”
“The Song Clan’s here too! I can see the Song Clan’s Inkstone Puppets!!”
“The Black Sieve Sect! The Black Sieve Sect people are here!”
“Just about all the sects and clans in the whole Southern Domain have arrived!”
Voices echoed about in all directions throughout the Ancient Dao Lakes. The person in the lead position of the Black Sieve Sect was none other than the Third Severing Patriarch who had survived Meng Hao’s attack. Clearly, his cultivation base had recovered quite a bit, but his face was grim as he glanced around and led his people into the Dao Lakes.
Within the group from the Song Clan was Song Jia. Her expression was placid, and she was followed closely by a middle-aged man. Somehow, he looked threatening despite the lack of any sort of anger on his face. Also in the group was Eccentric Song, whose cultivation base was slightly higher than before. He was now in the great circle of the Nascent Soul stage, just half a step from Spirit Severing. [2. Song Jia was the fiance who Meng Hao “won,” but then abandoned. She last appeared in the ancient Demon Immortal Sect in chapter 594. Eccentric Song was introduced in chapter 48, and was the one involved in the incident with the iron spear. Meng Hao ended up stealing most of the treasures from his “treasure mountain.” He was present later in the Song Clan search for a son-in-law, in which he bet that Meng Hao would win the competition in chapter 194]
Behind them were over ten thousand junior members of the Song Clan, as well as more than ten thousand puppets. The puppets were black, emanated an intense coldness, and were completely shocking in appearance.
Almost in the same instant in which the Song Clan entered the inner region of the Ancient Dao Lakes, a violet-colored auspicious cloud appeared in the sky off in the distance. As it neared, a sallow-faced old man became visible within. He was surrounded by several other old men who all bore similar auras. Their faces were grim and they did not speak. Behind them within the cloud were tens of thousands of disciples, as well as an enormous pill furnace, around which circulated a sword.
Their energy was bright and colorful, and as they neared, the cultivators outside the Dao Lakes immediately realized who they were.
“The Violet Fate Sect!”
“That’s Reverend Withered-Dao of the Violet Fate Sect! He’s a Spirit Severing Expert!”
“Look behind him! It’s the two beauties of the Violet Fate Sect… Chu Yuyan and Hanxue Shan!”
Within the crowd of Violet Fate Sect disciples, Chu Yuyan’s gaze swept over the scene down below. Her delicate brow was furrowed, as if she was looking for someone in particular, only to find that person not present. Next to her was a charming young woman with skin like snow, incredibly attractive. She was none other than the Holy Daughter of Holy Snow City in the Black Lands, Hanxue Shan.
She also seemed to search through the crowds, after which her expression grew somewhat gloomy. Next to her was a taciturn, middle-aged man with handsome features. Occasionally, he would look over at Hanxue Shan with a tender look in his eye that he kept well-hidden. [3. Chu Yuyan and Hanxue Shan last appeared together in chapter 388]
He was none other than Ye Feimu, the same person who vied with Meng Hao that year for the title of Violet Furnace Lord…. He was a Chosen of the Dao of alchemy, and after the hundreds of years that had passed he was now in the late Nascent Soul stage. [4. The last time Ye Feimu actually appeared in the story was in chapter 309, when Meng Hao saved his life and the lives of Chu Yuyan and other Violet Fate Sect cultivators, and then chapter 314, when he vowed to supersede Meng Hao in the Dao of alchemy]
There was another person within the group who seemed somewhat nondescript, and yet had an early Nascent Soul cultivation base. He also looked down below as if he were searching for a figure that existed somewhere in his memories.
“He didn’t come…?” the old man sighed. “Oh well, I bet he wouldn’t even remember who I am….” Within the old man’s mind flickered countless memories of past times in the Violet Fate Sect.
“Elder Brother Fang Mu, do you still remember Bai Yunlai…?” [5. Bai Yunlai was Meng Hao/Fang Mu’s assistant/partner in the Violet Fate Sect]
Surprisingly, among the forces of the Violet Fate Sect could also be seen An Zaihai and Lin Hailong, the two Violet Furnace Lords. Their gazes swept about, and complex expressions could be seen on their faces. [6. An Zaihai and Lin Hailong were recurring characters who appeared multiple times throughout the alchemy arc. Both were on good terms with Fang Mu/Meng Hao]
The auspicious cloud carried the group from the Violet Fate Sect into the region of the Ancient Dao Lakes, and then vanished. Finally, the region outside the lakes returned to its previous state.
Three days later, far off on the horizon, a blood-colored light shone out. The bloody glow spread out in all directions as something that bore the semblance of a blood-colored Demonic beast appeared. It shot forward at incredible speed, whereupon a gigantic face could be seen.
The vicious, blood-red sported a spiraling horn, which emanated an astonishing energy!
If you looked closely, you would be able to tell that, shockingly, the face was actually made up of tens of thousands of cultivators. As for the horn, at its tip was a young man wearing a blood-colored robe. His long hair whipped about his dispassionate face. Within his eyes could be seen a streak of ruthlessness.
He was handsome, but there was nothing scholarly about him. Instead, he seemed cruel and cold. This was… Meng Hao, who after experiencing death, had the ruthlessness of a Devil.
Behind him were six Spirit Severing Patriarchs of the Blood Demon Sect, as well as 40,000 disciples.
“The Blood Demon Sect!”
“That young man… could he be Meng Hao? He used to be called Fang Mu, Grandmaster Pill Cauldron. Now… he’s the Blood Prince of the Blood Demon Sect!!”
“To save his beloved, Xu Qing, he single-handedly battled the entire Black Sieve Sect! It’s Meng Hao!” Instantly, the region outside the Dao Lakes was thrown into a huge commotion. By now, more than a year had passed since the incident at the Black Sieve Sect, and the news had long since spread out through the masses.
Within the crowds, more than a few female cultivators gazed at Meng Hao with shining eyes and thought, “I want a beloved just like Meng Hao!”
As the buzz of conversation rose up from all the Cultivators, Meng Hao and the group from the Blood Demon Sect entered the region of the Ancient Dao Lakes.
In that moment, the entire region suddenly began to tremble. Along with the quaking, one Dao Geyser after another, along with a succession of Dao Lakes, all began to erupt. Innumerable Dao Projections appeared, and a riot of colors flashed in Heaven and Earth.
The Blood Demon Sect had arrived just in time for a Dao Lake eruption!