Chapter 1496: Decision by Battle (1/2)

Chapter 1496: Decision by Battle

Meng Hao did nothing to conceal his purpose in coming. In fact, there was no need for him to do so. Considering the level of his cultivation base, acting wishy-washy could affect his mental state.

To powerful experts like Meng Hao, hiding one’s cultivation base and then suddenly exploding out unexpectedly was boring and meaningless. They wouldn’t do things like that unless absolutely necessary. In the long run, it could destabilize one’s Dao heart. Relying on such paltry tactics could be an obstacle to striving for a great Dao.

After possessing a certain level of power, the best thing was to call upon such power openly.

No matter what plots or plans were afoot, the best thing was to be open and aboveboard, to crush everything in one's path.

The Flamephoenix found it hard to deal with Meng Hao’s straightforward demeanor. She took a few steps back, panting, then said, “I’ve never seen anything like that thing. But since you’re already here, Fellow Daoist, I can help you look for some clues. However, I have to warn you, the Ice-Fire Realm is very large. You need to prepare yourself to waste a lot of time.”

Meng Hao looked at the Flamephoenix, then chuckled and shook his head. Looking very sincere, he said, “This object is very important to me. If it’s truly impossible to find, then I’ll leave. However, if I’m prevented from leaving the Ice-Fire Realm before it's sealed up again, then... I’ll have no choice but to destroy it. This is a very important matter. I hope you can understand, Fellow Daoist.”

Upon seeing the copper mirror shard moments ago, the Flamephoenix didn’t have much of a reaction at all. Her face didn't even flicker. However, Meng Hao had experienced far too many things in life for her to be able to hide her shock from him.

Everything became especially obvious when she hinted about taking a long time.

He knew that this world wouldn’t stay open forever. He had waited outside for hundreds of years before it had opened, and based on his calculations, he was quite sure that it would close again in about one sixty-year-cycle. If he didn’t leave at that time, he would have to wait a very, very long time for another chance. It would only be when the flower bloomed again that he would be able to leave.

There would be too many opportunities for mishaps during that time, and Meng Hao wasn’t willing to risk that.

Thus, the words he had spoken moment ago were no threat. They were merely a clear explanation of his intentions.

“Your lands can be destroyed, as can the ice plains,” he continued in a calm voice. “If that happens, then the temperature created by the two will vanish, and all the living beings that exist here will be destroyed.

“As for you and that Patriarch Icemountain, I might not be able to kill you two, but if I can seal one of you, then I can seal the other.

“If I can’t find what I’m looking for, I'm confident that, in my fury, I will seal you in a way that will ensure you can’t free yourselves for a very, very long time. So long that... when the flower blooms again, I’ll return and seal you again.

“A thousand years? Ten thousand years? I’ll keep you sealed away indefinitely. One day, my cultivation base will be powerful enough to kill you, and then I’ll do just that. However, before you die, I’ll Soulsearch you, and get all the answers I’m looking for. In the end, I’ll get what I want.

“Of course, that will take a very, very long time. Many people will die. Too many. I really don’t want to do that, and so I’m hoping... that you won’t force my hand, Fellow Daoist.” With that, he clasped hands and bowed. Then he looked up, smiled, and said, “As for which decision you choose to make, it’s all up to you.”

Each sentence he spoke caused the Flamephoenix’s heart to pound. By the time he finished, her heart surged with waves of rage. And yet, she had no choice but to suppress them, as she knew that everything Meng Hao had just said was true.

He really would do just as he had said, and it was highly likely that things would happen just as he had described. Although things might not play out exactly as he intended, he would likely make up for any discrepancies in his plan, and ensure that the outcome was the same.

Everything came down to the cultivation base. Neither she nor Patriarch Icemountain, despite being beyond the peak of the 9-Essences level, were a match for this young man.

What was even more telling was that, despite the calmness of his gaze when he looked at her, she could tell that there was explosive violence hidden therein. His pupils were bright red, and when she looked into them, it was almost as if she could hear countless howling voices. There was a fury inside of him that left her mentally shaken. Even her cultivation base was thrown into chaos, and the sea of flames around her faltered.

Time ticked by, but Meng Hao didn't seem anxious. He simply waited for her reply, a smile on his face the entire time.

After the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the Flamephoenix sagged in place a bit, and let out a bitter sigh.

Then she looked up at Meng Hao and said, “The Ice-Fire Realm didn't always look like this. According to the legends, a long time ago, a precious treasure fell out of the starry sky and split open the lands.

“It was a mirror shard, one side of which emitted intense light and heat. That side created the world of fire. The other side of the shard emanated intense coldness, which was what created the lands of ice.

“The living beings here were also changed. They gradually transformed, until years later, the Icemountain Tribe appeared, as well as the Flamephoenix Tribe.

“If you take the shard away, then you will have no need to attack the Ice-Fire Realm to destroy it. It will happen automatically. All life will perish.