Chapter 1223: Is This a Dream? (2/2)

Colors flashed, the wind screamed, and the ground shook. However, Meng Hao remained in his little exam room, continuing to write down his answers. He truly wanted to finish the whole exam, and thus make peace with his failures in years past.

After about ten breaths of time passed, Meng Hao finished writing the final character. He took a deep breath and blew on the exam paper to dry the ink, then put the brush down.

“It's too bad I can’t wait until the results come in. I definitely won’t fail this time. It’s too bad that either way, I won’t be able to become a grand official to realize my dream of being super rich....” With a silent chuckle, he stood up. At that point, a wind blew outside, and suddenly something burst into the exam grounds with speed that exceeded all normal cultivators. It was... a donkey.

As soon as the donkey entered the exam grounds, everyone stared with wide eyes. The official conducting the examination gaped in disbelief as the donkey head-butted the wall of Meng Hao’s exam room, breaking it open and bursting inside.

Meng Hao laughed and jumped onto the donkey's back, which brayed as it crashed through the opposing wall. Then, everyone watching was thrown into an uproar as the donkey then flew up into the air.

“An Immortal....”

“But... why was an Immortal taking the Imperial examinations?”

“Heavens, I can’t believe I just took the Imperial examinations with an Immortal!!” Numerous cries of astonishment echoed up into the air.

In almost the same instant that Meng Hao flew up into the air on the donkey, a bright beam of light closed in, which was none other than the Daoist priest. He had a strange look on his face; he had not received one of the jade slips and therefore didn't know who Meng Hao was. Apparently, he didn't care about that though, nor did he care whether or not Meng Hao was even a cultivator.

“Hey little bro, don’t go!” the Daoist priest blurted. “Fear not, I am Xu Ran from the Righteous Noble Sect. Um... are you interested in joining up?

“If you join our sect, you can have anything you want. The Righteous Noble Sect has a thousand scrolls of Daoist magic, three thousand magical techniques, and countless disciples. We’re ranked seventh in the Heavengod Alliance!

“We even occupy thirty percent of Planet Luo River. Come on and join us! After you do, you can do anything you want!”

As soon as Meng Hao heard the man’s words, his eyes went wide. However, before he could respond, countless shocking beams of light suddenly shot down from up above.

“Meng Hao!! It’s Meng Hao!”

“So it turns out he’s here! Kill him and you can have Patriarch Blacksoul as a slave for a thousand years!!”

“Kill him!” Numerous excited shouts could be heard as no less than a thousand cultivators began to converge on the area from all directions.

Meng Hao’s donkey shivered, then looked pleadingly up at him. Meng Hao chuckled and leaped off the donkey, which then turned into the meat jelly with a popping sound, and then flew into Meng Hao’s bag of holding.

“What a pity,” Meng Hao said, shaking his head. A cold smile appeared on his face, and as soon as he did, his aura suddenly changed. No longer did he look like a scholar, but instead a demonic fiend, bursting with energy. Everything rumbled as he waved his hand, causing the sky to fill with a boundless blood-colored light. A huge rift then opened up and the Blood Demon emerged, roaring as it charged the surrounding cultivators. Meng Hao’s eyes flickered with killing intent; he would show absolutely no mercy to these cultivators of the Eighth Mountain and Sea who were trying to kill him.

A flash could be seen as Meng Hao transformed into an azure roc, which blasted into the enemy cultivators like lightning. Immortal mountains descended, a violet moon flickered, and a sun began to suck in all the light in the area, then released it with explosive force. In the blink of an eye, dozens of bloodcurdling screams could be heard echoing out as enemies fell out of the sky.

Blood sprayed in all directions, falling down toward the earth in a rain of gore.

Of the surrounding cultivators, a few hundred were wearing green Daoist robes. They didn't attack immediately, but instead began muttering, which then caused an astonishing explosive aura to build up that only they could see.

Meng Hao’s eyes flickered; he couldn't see the aura either, but he could sense that whatever magic these people cultivated was very unique.

It appeared to be a Daoist magic as distinctive as that of the Burning Incense Stick Society that he had encountered in the Ninth Mountain and Sea. [2. Meng Hao fought Xie Yixian from the Burning Incense Stick Society starting in chapter 876. He used a type of magic that forced Meng Hao into an illusion]

In the moment that Meng Hao noticed what they were doing, the Daoist priest was suddenly thrown into a rage. He strode forward and stood in front of the several hundred cultivators, then shouted, “What do you people think you’re doing? Wreaking havoc on sect allies? You should be calling him Elder Uncle!” As soon as the words left the man’s mouth, the cultivators lurched to a stop and stared in shock. The old man leading the group stepped forward, smiled wryly at the Daoist priest, then clasped hands and bowed.

“Elder Grandfather, this man... this man is, uh, Meng Hao.”

“So what if he's Meng Hao!?” the Daoist priest replied, glaring.

The old man hesitated for a moment, then thought about all the muddle-headed things the Daoist priest was known for doing, then quickly explained, “Meng Hao... he's, you know, the one who exterminated the entire Blacksoul Society?”

“Exterminated the Blacksoul Society?” the Daoist priest said, spinning around and looking at Meng Hao with an even stranger look than before.

“Hahaha! As expected of my apprentice. Excellent! Wonderful! I’ve been annoyed with those bastards from the Blacksoul Society for years now. You are obviously destined to be my apprentice. You haven’t even formally paid respects to me as your master, and you’ve already solved one of my headaches for me!”