Chapter 1295: The Lord of the Seventh Mountain and Sea Arrives! (1/2)
Chapter 1295: The Lord of the Seventh Mountain and Sea Arrives!
Meng Hao sat down cross-legged outside the enormous rift, waiting for the Lord of the Seventh Mountain and Sea to arrive. For Meng Hao, this coming battle would be a true test of his battle prowess.
The person he wished to fight was one of the Lords of the Nine Mountains and Seas, someone that countless cultivators viewed with awe. He was the Mountain and Sea Lord of the Seventh Mountain and Sea, and although he might not be the absolute most powerful among the Mountain and Sea Lords, he was still incredibly strong.
To Meng Hao, this would be a very important fight, considering that it was critical to helping his Grandpa Meng awaken from slumber. It was also key to ending the Mountain and Sea War. If he could defeat the Lord of the Seventh Mountain and Sea in battle, then the war with the Eighth Mountain and Sea would be over.
Meng Hao wasn’t completely confident in being able to win. His current battle prowess was equivalent to the 5-Essences level, and his divine sense was even beyond that. However... he would be facing a Mountain and Sea Lord!
Although his opponent would also be at the 5-Essences level, in terms of experience and cultivation, anyone with the status of Mountain and Sea Lord was years beyond Meng Hao. Within his Realm... he was essentially invincible when fighting anyone other than other Mountain and Sea Lords!
Furthermore, his five Essences would surely be extraordinary, the type that could send the entire world into darkness upon their unleashing.
Even though Meng Hao had already extinguished his first Soul Lamp, he still wasn’t completely confident that he could win. After all... the nine Mountain and Sea Lords were the most esteemed entities within the entire Mountain and Sea Realm.
To become a Mountain and Sea Lord, one had to experience endless slaughter and conquer countless enemies. It was a long path of fighting and struggle to secure the position of being the Lord of one of the great Mountains and Seas.
“But I still want to meet this powerful expert... and fight him!” Meng Hao’s eyes burned with the desire to do battle. Taking a deep breath, he slowly brought his urge to fight under control, then closed his eyes and calmed his heart.
The time had come to focus his energy!
That focusing of energy ensured that not a single ripple of power emanated out from him.
Days began to pass. On the first day, a muffled rumbling sound began to echo out from within the rift, causing the entire starry sky to distort briefly.
Meng Hao didn't open his eyes, but his heart thumped a bit faster for a moment before finally calming down.
On the second day, the muffled rumbling turned into five distinct booms. On the third day, those booming sounds rang out more than ten times. Meng Hao grew calmer, until even the sound of his heartbeat faded away from his consciousness. It was as if strength built upon strength, and the booming sounds were like a gentle breeze brushing against a towering mountain. [1. The last line in this paragraph is a huge nod to Jin Yong, the father of wuxia novels. It’s actually a mnemonic from the Ning Yang Manual, a powerful martial arts manual in the Jin Yong universe. If you haven’t read the Condor Trilogy, you should put it on your reading list. It should be considered part of the Old Testament for wuxia fans]
On the seventh day, the booming rang out ceaselessly. The starry sky outside of the rift was completely twisted and distorted, except for the portion where Meng Hao sat, which didn’t seem to be affected.
The red-haired old man and his fellows, who were still there in the area surrounding the rift, did not leave. They remained several thousand meters away, sitting cross-legged, watching the scene play out. As the seven days went by, the anticipation in their hearts rose, and they began to breathe heavily. After witnessing Meng Hao’s terrifying level of power, they had the deep desire to watch this coming battle.
It didn't matter whether Meng Hao won or lost in the end. In the cultivation world, the law of the jungle prevailed, so any cultivator who dared to challenge a Mountain and Sea Lord to battle was a person deserving of deep respect.
Even the fact that they were enemies could not suppress the respect and awe that came from meeting someone truly powerful.
Further off in the distance were the hundreds of thousands of cultivators from the Seventh Mountain and Sea. They had set up camp there, nervous, but also unwilling to leave.
They were all waiting. Waiting... for the Lord of the Seventh Mountain and Sea to emerge from the rift!
Meng Hao’s expression was completely calm, and he almost didn't seem to be breathing. His energy was completely focused inward, without the slightest bit leaking out. It was almost as if he had become one with the starry sky; he was so calm that it was almost impossible to detect his existence.
The thunder-like booms that shook the Heavens didn't seem to affect him at all. He was so calm that he was like a still, waveless sea in a painting. He was simply waiting... waiting for the wind and storms to arrive, like a volcano preparing to erupt.
A massive pressure gradually filled the area around the rift, growing more intense. The pulsing frequency increased, and eventually it became clear that the two opponents were a counterpoint and foil to each other.
One embodied action, the other embodied calm!
Such action could shatter the highest Heavens, such calm was the stillness of a world in ruins!
Another day passed, and the sounds emanating from the rift grew even more intense. At the same time, Meng Hao became so still and calm that not a single trace of his aura was detectable....
It was at this point that, amidst the intense rumbling sounds, a tall and imposing figure appeared... within the rift.
It was a middle-aged man wearing a long white robe. His hair floated around him, and he looked threatening without being angry. His clothing seemed simple, and yet anyone who looked at him would be able to tell that he commanded supreme and ultimate respect.
He walked as if strolling, and yet every step he took caused countless booming sounds to echo out. It was as if his cultivation base was so powerful that, as he walked, he destroyed all obstacles in his path. His simple footfalls were the source of all the incredible booming sounds during the past days.
Almost as soon as he appeared within that enormous rift, intense pressure radiated out, sweeping across everything. The rift trembled, and opened wider. Ripples tore through the starry sky, ripping it up layer by layer. Several thousand meters away, the red-haired old man and his fellows all backed up, faces flickering as they clasped hands and bowed.
“We offer respectful greetings upon your arrival, Lord White!”
Further off in the distance, the hundreds of thousands of cultivators were getting very excited, and they too clasped their hands and bowed in the direction of the rift.
“We offer respectful greetings upon your arrival, Lord White!”