Chapter 1143: Echelon Battles!

Chapter 1143: Echelon Battles!

Meng Hao looked at the black-robed Paragon, and his overwhelming murderous aura that seemed to embody death. The sensation he got was that of an unmatchable Paragon, someone with incredible dignity, hidden within which was a trace of blankness. And yet, that strange confusion did nothing to lessen the man’s Heaven-shaking energy.

He got further and further away, and eventually stepped out into the void. It was at this point that Dao-Heaven’s roar echoed out.

“Meng Hao, give me back my Paragon magic! Give me back my Master!” Face twisted with rage, Dao-Heaven shot toward him, performing a double-handed incantation gesture that caused black fire to burst out all over his body. It spread out around him, making a black sea of flames, within which numerous enormous creatures appeared, roaring viciously like primordial beasts.

There were a total of eighteen beasts, which joined Dao-Heaven as he closed in. He waved his hand, and the eighteen beasts emitted shocking roars that shook Heaven and Earth so violently that it seemed everything would be ripped apart. They almost looked like they were pouncing out from ancient times to destroy Meng Hao.

At the same time, Lin Cong gritted his teeth and once again told himself that he couldn't afford to be defeated again. Having gained enlightenment of 3,000 Essences, he had no reason whatsoever to be defeated.

He had found his path to power, had found the path which conformed most to his Dao of Immortal cultivation!

“I won't be defeated!!

“Dao of the Yellow Springs; Open Up the Underworld!” he roared, raising both hands into the air and stretching them to either side in a ripping motion. A huge ripping sound could be heard as the air was torn asunder, and a Yellow Springs river shot out, instantly sweeping out across the sky. Within the Yellow Springs were countless vengeful souls that issued bloodcurdling screams.

At the far end of the river was an illusory city, completely sinister in appearance. It seemed to be incredibly ancient, and written above its main gate were three words.

Fengdu Ghost City! [1. Fengdu Ghost City is a famous city in China dedicated to the afterlife]

The city stood strong and tall, and the Yellow Springs coiled explosively. The Underworld was opened, unleashing massive, boundless pressure, as if all of its power was being unleashed. Lin Cong gripped it like a whip and raised it above his head, causing incredible pressure to bear down on Meng Hao.

Off to the side, Han Qinglei wiped the blood off of his mouth and roared: “Meng Hao, it's time for you to DIE!!”

Green lightning swirled around him, and his entire person began to transform into what looked like a lightning bolt. His flesh and blood withered until he was nothing more than skin and bones, and then, nothing more than a skeleton.

He sucked all the power of his flesh and blood into his skeleton, and then brandished the green lightning. His energy surged, and the lightning crackled as he lashed it toward Meng Hao. In addition to all of this, vicious poison was added to the attack, which bore down on Meng Hao’s head as if to exterminate his soul!

Three Echelon cultivators joined hands, holding nothing back, unleashing mad power.

Dao-Heaven left himself no room to fall back; he hated Meng Hao down to his bones!!

Lin Cong could not accept another defeat. He wanted to expunge Meng Hao’s shadow from his heart, to use this battle to thoroughly wipe him away.

Han Qinglei’s dignity and honor would not allow him to accept yet another defeat in his current state. He wanted to win, and in the end, to drink Meng Hao’s blood!

Rumbling could be heard as all three cultivators closed in. At the same time, Meng Hao’s eyes flashed with a cold light. He lifted his right foot into the air and took a step outside the temple. The temple itself shook violently, and began to crack apart.

Meng Hao used the power of that step to emerge into the open. He moved so fast that he left behind only afterimages as he blasted forward in the shape of a golden roc.

As the golden roc flew through the air, it flickered with light as it changed colors to azure. It was now an azure roc that suddenly appeared directly in front of Han Qinglei. Meng Hao completely ignored the green lightning as he slashed out viciously with his claws.

A massive boom echoed out as the lightning collapsed. Han Qinglei’s eyes went wide as Meng Hao in azure roc-form slashed at his chest with razor-sharp claws.

Han Qinglei let out a roar and performed a double-handed incantation gesture. His body burst into flames, and his cultivation base roared with power. However, at the same time that his energy surged, Meng Hao in roc-form let out a powerful shriek and sent divine sense stabbing into Han Qinglei’s head.

Han Qinglei let out a bloodcurdling scream, and blood sprayed out of his mouth. He was just about to fall back in retreat, when Meng Hao once again closed in and slashed at the top of his head with his azure roc claws.

You want to exterminate my soul? How about I exterminate YOURS!

A boom could be heard as Han Qinglei’s head exploded. Then, his body trembled violently and followed suit, exploding into bits.

Meng Hao was about to slaughter him yet again when Dao-Heaven’s Daoist magic, the eighteen primordial beasts, closed in. Meng Hao was fine with ignoring Han Qinglei, and even Lin Cong. To him, they were almost nothing. But Dao-Heaven, despite not being a full match for Meng Hao, was the most threatening of the three.

With a cold snort, Meng Hao flickered and shot toward Dao-Heaven. Razor-sharp claws raked through the air toward the eighteen primordial beasts.

A boom echoed out between the two of them, and a shockwave surged out. One attack by Meng Hao destroyed all eighteen beasts. He was like a streak of azure light that smashed them as easily as rotten wood.

Finally, the azure roc flickered, and Meng Hao's human form reappeared, whereupon he extended his right hand and pushed it out toward Dao-Heaven.

Dao-Heaven roared and waved both arms, causing black flames to surge out, transforming into a huge hand that slapped toward Meng Hao.

From a distance, Meng Hao seemed incredibly tiny compared to that huge black hand. In fact, the two seemed almost impossible to compare. However, as the hand neared him, Meng Hao’s eyes glittered.

Demon Sealing, Fifth Hex!

Inside Outside Hex!

Within his extended palm appeared a rift, which, in the blink of an eye, became dozens of meters wide. It almost looked like an eye, which first shrank down, then rapidly expanded.

RUUUUUUMMMMBLLLLE!

As it expanded, the incoming hand of black fire exploded, then the flames recoiled toward Dao-Heaven’s direction as if they were being blasted backwards by an indescribably fierce wind.

Dao-Heaven’s face fell, and he immediately retreated. In that same moment, Meng Hao suddenly charged forward, waving his left hand to send an azure beam of light to block Han Qinglei’s green lightning. Next, he pierced through Lin Cong’s Underworld pressure, appearing once again in front of Dao-Heaven, toward whom he slapped his right hand.

Blood sprayed out of Dao-Heaven’s mouth as Meng Hao’s palm suddenly transformed into a fist, the God-Slaying Fist.

Massive rumbling filled the air, and Dao-Heaven immediately shot backward, his expression fierce, blood spurting out of various wounds. At this point, Meng Hao's fist transformed into a finger which waved toward Dao-Heaven with deadly intent. Dao-Heaven’s eyes began to glow red, and his hand suddenly snaked out and latched onto Meng Hao’s arm.

“Heavenly Demon Devouring!” Dao-Heaven roared, eyes shining with madness and killing intent.

At the same time, time seemed to flow in reverse in the spot where Han Qinglei had died moments ago. Blood and flesh rapidly reformed, and Han Qinglei appeared once again, his face pale. As soon as he appeared, he fell back, looking at Meng Hao with both terror, and at the same time, killing intent.

Seeing that Dao-Heaven apparently had Meng Hao pinned down, Han Qinglei gritted his teeth, let out a roar, and charged again.

Lin Cong did the same thing. Both cultivators took advantage of the situation to shoot toward Meng Hao like lightning. The fastest of the two was Han Qinglei, who sped forward like a green lightning bolt!

Lin Cong bit down on the tip of his tongue and spit out a mouthful of blood, causing his Underworld Realm to suddenly turn blood-red, and crush viciously down toward Meng Hao.

“DIE!”

It was in this exact moment that the cultivator from the Fifth Mountain, the overweight young man, suddenly gained enlightenment of 3,000 Essences.

Rumbling filled the air as he rapidly grew in size. His aura immediately changed, and his energy spiked. His eyes flashed with light as he immediately charged into the fray, joining the other three Echelon cultivators to take on Meng Hao.

Although he had never encountered Meng Hao before, and should actually view Dao-Heaven as an enemy, at the moment... he could tell that the strongest of them all was no longer Dao-Heaven. If they didn't take out Meng Hao right now, then none of them would ever have a chance to acquire that supreme World Essence.

However, just as the Fifth Mountain’s Echelon cultivator began to move, Yuwen Jian let out a powerful roar. Face twisted into a vicious smile, he leapt up, reaching out into the air to summon the Ancient Realm treasure, the battle-axe, which he instantly slashed down toward the fat young cultivator.

Rumbling echoed out, and the Fifth Mountain’s Echelon cultivator dodged to the side, face flickering.

“Yuwen Jian, what are you doing!?”

“Oh, nothing. You just annoy me!” Yuwen Jian replied with a loud laugh. He hadn't gained enlightenment of 3,000 Essences, and yet had decided to stop contemplation. Without another word, he swept out another time with the axe, and fierce fighting instantly broke out between him and the Fifth Mountain’s Echelon cultivator.

Meanwhile, Lin Cong and Han Qinglei were both closing in. Dao-Heaven’s right hand was clasped onto Meng Hao’s arm, and he was unleashing the Heavenly Demon Devouring. At the same time, Meng Hao stretched out the rest of his fingers to form a palm, which he slapped down onto Dao-Heaven’s arm with lightning speed.

Even as Dao-Heaven unleashed the Heavenly Demon Devouring, Meng Hao coldly said, “Blood Demon Grand Magic!”

Rumbling sounds could be heard as Meng Hao’s body withered. His life force, his flesh and blood, and everything else was rapidly absorbed by Dao-Heaven. However, when the Blood Demon Grand Magic was unleashed, Dao-Heaven’s life force, his soul, his flesh and blood, everything about him was likewise sucked into Meng Hao’s palm.

Two very similar Daoist magics were both unleashed at the same time, causing Dao-Heaven’s face to flicker. After all the times he had fought back and forth with Meng Hao, this was his first time seeing a Daoist magic from Meng Hao that so closely resembled his Heavenly Demon Devouring.

In fact, Dao-Heaven was shocked to find that his Heavenly Demon Devouring could not quite measure up to Meng Hao’s Blood Demon Grand Magic in terms of its absorption and consumption. His face fell, and he began to howl as his cultivation base rotated in reverse, and explosive power began to build up in his arm.

Being as familiar with the Heavenly Demon Devouring as he was, he was naturally aware of how to counteract magics of this kind. Rumbling sounds began to build up between him and Meng Hao, and he suddenly shoved back. The price to be paid was that his right arm exploded into bits. Dao-Heaven sped backward, face ashen. He suddenly slammed into a random cultivator from the Mountain and Sea Realm, and before the man could react, Dao-Heaven smashed his palm into the man’s chest, once again unleashing the Heavenly Demon Devouring. The man screamed as his body withered up. At the same time, Dao-Heaven’s right arm rapidly reformed.