Chapter 981: Illusory Soul Lamp!

　　The voice came from… the Ancient Demon Immortal Sect!!

　　It was a mysterious location in the starry sky of the Ninth Mountain and Sea, a place that opened at a set interval of years. It was not part of the Ruins of Immortality, nor as mysterious as those ruins, but due to other historical events, had become a taboo area within the Ninth Mountain and Sea.

　　Whenever it did open up, Chosen from the various planets would travel to the Ancient Demon Immortal Sect, a place which was both familiar and strange to everyone.

　　It was a location originally created by Lord Li, and was where the Ji and Fang Clans had resided and flourished. It had existed for ages, during which time the so-called sects of modern times were mere denominations of the Ancient Demon Immortal Sect.

　　That was true of both the modern day Holy Lands as well as the Three Churches and Six Sects. Only the Three Great Daoist Societies were not part of the Ancient Demon Immortal Sect at that time.

　　According to the legends, a fierce creature existed there who frightened even Lord Ji, something named Night!

　　The stories said that Night could control the power of time, and could send people into ancient times in a dreamlike state….

　　Supposedly, there was also a person in the Ancient Demon Immortal Sect who lived on top of a mountain peak. Sometimes he would laugh, at other times he would cry, and occasionally, he would just stand there silently….

　　Now, a voice echoed out from the Ancient Demon Immortal Sect, and as soon as Meng Hao heard it, he recognized that voice. It was… Ke Jiusi!!

　　Because he had been a rash and impulsive person, because he had been arrogant and domineering, because he had instigated catastrophe after catastrophe, his father Ke Yunhai changed his name to Jiusi, to remind his son that instead of considering a matter three times before taking any action, he should consider it nine times! 1

　　Meng Hao began to tremble. He had never imagined that in the middle of opening his Immortal meridians, after all of his destiny had erupted, that his destiny from the Ancient Demon Immortal Sect… would also erupt.

　　Ke Jiusi. It was an unforgettable name. Even more unforgettable was… Ke Yunhai.

　　He was Meng Hao’s foster father, someone who caused Meng Hao to finally experience fatherly love. It was a memory that he would be unable to forget for all eternity, no matter what.

　　Whenever he thought about Ke Yunhai, Meng Hao’s eyes turned red, and he couldn’t stop the tears from welling up. He missed Ke Yunhai. He missed all the things about the Ancient Demon Immortal Sect, and he especially missed the man whose fatherly love was like a mountain.

　　“Hey little brother, I’m going to take father’s place to give you a meridian….” When Meng Hao heard those words, he knew that because of the the approval he had earned from Ke Yunhai… Ke Jiusi was now effectively his older brother.

　　Meng Hao looked thoughtfully out into the starry sky. The words he had just heard seemed to take him back in time.

　　Out in the starry sky in the vicinity of the Ancient Demon Immortal Sect, was a place covered over by mists. Deep within that mist were endless ruins… ruins in which there was no Heaven and Earth, only darkness.

　　There, you could just barely see… a mountain peak, atop which stood a figure in a white robe. The robes swayed, and the man seemed as quiet as eternity.

　　Also on top of that mountain peak was a coffin….

　　That white-robed man was none other than Ke Jiusi, who stood there quietly, a slight smile on his face. He looked ancient, filled with both memories and emotional sighs.

　　“Little brother,” he murmured, “father is gone, but… I’m here to look after you.” Even as he spoke, he waved his right hand, then pointed off into the distance. Immediately, the ruins of the Ancient Demon Immortal Sect began to quake, and for a moment, it seemed as if slumbering Night was about to rise up.

　　At the same time, time seemed to suddenly pass by in front of Ke Jiusi. It went in reverse, ten years, a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand… tens of thousands….

　　Countless buildings could now be seen, and there were no corpses. The collapsed ruins were gradually restored, and the dead people rose to their feet, once again in possession of flesh and blood bodies. The vanished Heaven and Earth were restored to perfect clarity.

　　The sound of chatting and laughter could be heard, and rainbows could be seen in the sky. Someone was giving a sermon about the Dao, and roaring Immortal beasts could be seen on all of the mountain peaks. There was a Flying Rain-Dragon, like a sovereign of the skies, whistling through the air.

　　Everything… was restored. The mountain that Ke Jiusi stood on, and even Ke Yunhai’s Immortal’s cave, were all restored to glorious splendor. Brilliant light shone up into the sky, and massive pressure weighed down on everything.

　　A rumbling sound could be heard as the door of Ke Yunhai’s Immortal’s cave slowly swung open. A middle-aged man stepped out, his expression serious but not angry. It was none other than… Ke Yunhai!

　　His aura radiated out brightly, and not the slightest bit of Death aura could be sensed on him. He had the aura of a Paragon, the type that, if it exploded out, could cow all Heaven and Earth.

　　Ke Yunhai walked out, then climbed up to the peak of the mountain to stand in the same position as Ke Jiusi. The two of them overlapped with each other….

　　It was impossible to say exactly what year it was, or what month, or what day, that Ke Yunhai stood on top of that mountain peak, superimposed with his son, to pass through years of time.

　　After a long moment, Ke Yunhai slowly extended his hand, and his Soul Lamp flew out. It had the body of a dragon and the wick of a phoenix, and when it landed on his palm, Ke Yunhai looked at the soul fire for a long moment, and then smiled. Then he waved his hand, and a dragon flew out, which instantly emanated a powerful Demonic sensation. Clouds and mist roiled as it roared a shocking roar that caused everything to shake.

　　“Demon Immortal Dragon,” Ke Yunhai said coolly.

　　In the same moment that Ke Yunhai spoke the words, Ke Jiusi also murmured the same thing.

　　“Demon Immortal Dragon.”

　　His motion was the same as Ke Yuhai’s as he waved his hand. The only difference was that there was no Dragon-Phoenix Soul Lamp in his hand.

　　“This dragon embodies the fate of the Demon Immortal Sect. It contains some of the Essence of the Ninth Mountain, and is perfectly suitable for opening an Immortal meridian.” Ke Yunhai said. He pointed out with his finger, and the Demon Immortal Dragon shot up into the clouds, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

　　When the dragon vanished, Ke Yunhai’s image slowly began to fade. Soon, only Ke Jiusi remained behind. During the course of the following few breaths of the time, the Ancient Demon Immortal Sect passed back through many years of time to the modern age. It once again became ruins, filled with corpses.

　　A sigh could be heard echoing across the lands as Night’s eyes opened.

　　Atop the mountain peak, Ke Jiusi’s eyes had filled with tears.

　　“Dad… I miss you….” he murmured. After a long moment, he looked up into the dark sky and pointed his finger. The clouds up above churned, then opened up to reveal an ancient dragon flying down.

　　It was… that same Demon Immortal Dragon.

　　Moments ago, that dragon did not even exist. It was the power of Night that caused it to materialize from ancient times.

　　“Go….” murmured Ke Jiusi. “Little brother, I’m standing in for father to give you this gift.” He waved his hand, causing the Demon Immortal Dragon to roar, and then shoot through the clouds off into the distance.

　　As it sped off, Ke Jiusi’s figure gradually began to darken, and the entire Ancient Demon Immortal Sect once again began to sink quietly into the mists….

　　The Demon Immortal Dragon ripped through the starry sky, and soon appeared in front of Meng Hao, outside Planet East Victory.

　　Meng Hao was trembling as he looked at it; he could clearly sense Ke Yunhai’s aura upon it.

　　“Foster father….” he murmured, his heart filled with grief. Rumbling sounds echoed out as the Demon Immortal Dragon fused directly into Meng Hao. He didn’t do anything to resist. He allowed it to enter him and immediately open up a murky Immortal meridian.

　　It was… the 121st meridian!

　　It was… bestowed upon him by Ke Yunhai, and presented by Ke Jiusi.

　　BOOOOMMMMMM!

　　Meng Hao’s aura exploded up wildly, far exceeding its previous level. Furthermore, it was even possible to see the vague image of a lamp behind him!!

　　Suddenly, the Door of Immortality, which had been on the verge of fading away, seemed to be wrenched open by some massive, invisible hand. Immortal light poured out, and Immortal qi once again exploded forth, filling Meng Hao, pouring into his 121st Immortal meridian, causing it to rapidly solidify.

　　Soon, the Immortal meridian was completely formed, and another Immortal dragon soared past the Door of Immortality.

　　The 121st Immortal dragon brimmed with a Demonic aura that seemed to pass through time itself. It was impossible for anyone to see exactly what color the dragon was, but it was possible for them to tell that it was extremely ancient, as if it had existed for countless ages.

　　In the same moment that this new Immortal dragon appeared, Zhixiang sat in the modern Demon Immortal Sect. The entire sect began to shake violently, and the offerings within the sect began to vibrate as if they had formed a resonance with something.

　　Meng Hao’s aura rose up rapidly, and all cultivators who could see the illusory lamp behind Meng Hao were shocked and felt their minds reeling. Although they had been astonished by Meng Hao multiple times, they couldn’t prevent themselves from once again being completely moved.

　　“Is that… a Soul Lamp!?”

　　“Fang Hao is powerful to an incomprehensible degree! He… he actually caused an illusory Soul Lamp to appear!!”

　　“It might just be illusory, but that’s definitely a Soul Lamp!”

　　Conversations buzzed through various regions of the Ninth Mountain and Sea.

　　In the Kunlun Society, Chu Yuyan had been staring at Meng Hao this whole time, watching as he opened one Immortal meridian after another. Her face was flushed, and her eyes shone with a bright light.

　　Meng Hao had long since become indelibly imprinted onto her heart.

　　Pill Demon stood off to the side, smiling as all of the Kunlun Society looked at the illusory image, gasping. He shook his head, and his smile was filled with kindness.

　　“To be surpassed by one’s own disciple is a true joy,” he thought.

　　At the same time, Planet East Victory was in a huge commotion. The members of the Fang Clan watched the scene with wide eyes. Fang Xiushan staggered backward several paces. From the moment Meng Hao’s Immortal Tribulation had begun, he had been shocked over and over to the point where he was on the verge of collapse.

　　“Impossible. Simply impossible….” He almost couldn’t believe that he was looking at the dim lamp behind Meng Hao.

　　Fang Wei hovered in midair. Although he didn’t say anything, his body was trembling, and his determination to fight Meng Hao was rapidly waning.

　　The Grand Elder was as shocked as a wooden chicken, and his mind was reeling.

　　“I really was… mistaken.” It was at this point that he finally gave voice to the feeling that he had been suppressing in his heart for so long.

　　1. As a reminder, Ke Jiusi’s name is a play on a Chinese expression which says “think three times before you act.” The “Jiusi” could replace the first two characters of that expression to say “think nine times before you act”