Chapter 623: Sky, ten. Meng Hao, seven!

　　The crimson Blood Demon Mountain was originally sealed as quietly as death. However, after Meng Hao’s bow, an aura began to spread out from the figure on the throne…. It filled the entire Blood Demon Mountain, causing a bloody glow to shine up into the sky. In addition, an incredible rumbling sound could be heard.

　　Even as Meng Hao’s heart trembled, his eyes began to shine with a strange light. Earlier, he had suspected that the Blood Demon Mountain had something to do with the Blood Immortal mask. After all, the figure on the throne looked very similar to the figure Meng Hao had seen in the Blood Immortal Legacy tournament all those years ago.

　　Most shocked of all, however, was true spirit Night. It looked up, its eyes seemingly filled with lightning, its expression one of disbelief. The fact that Meng Hao could acquire the approval of the Frost Soil Demon Mountain was shocking enough.

　　But now, it was obvious that he had a connection to the Blood Demon Mountain. The reaction of the Blood Demon Mountain caused true spirit Night to involuntarily tremble mentally.

　　“Three portions of light from the Frost Soil. One portion from the Blood Demon. Together, that is four portions! Could it be that he really is the person Lord Li has been waiting for?

　　“If he is, then how come I can’t sense anything familiar about him?! He has no aura that I recognize, which does not conform with the requirements of Lord Li. That was why I didn’t bestow him with the qualifications originally!” Night’s eyes glittered as it looked at Meng Hao. It could clearly examine all of Meng Hao’s person, but no matter how it looked through everything… it still felt that Meng Hao was full of mysteries.

　　“Are you, or are you not that person?” thought Night. “Regardless of whether you are or not, bowing nine times to the three mountains is not a simple matter. He still does not have enough approval. The approval in the beginning is only the first step.

　　“The approval of a Demon Mountain can give rise to three portions of light. The path to the Third Heaven depends on the approval of all three Demon Mountains. Three to nine portions of light make it possible for that path to appear!

　　“However… the path that appears with three portions of light is ordinary. Failure on that path will lead to the revoking of the qualifications. Only the path of six portions gives the participant three chances at the legacy, once every five hundred years!

　　“As for the path of nine portions of light… that is the legendary great circle. When it appears, failure still is followed by nine more chances, like a blessing from above. The path of nine portions is also called One Step to Immortality. If that person is already an Immortal, their Cultivation base can rise up to another realm. If they are not Immortal, they can achieve Immortal Ascension!

　　“I must see exactly how many portions of light this fellow will acquire!” Night’s eyes glittered as it looked at Meng Hao.

　　In contrast to true spirit Night, Ke Jiusi’s thoughts were not so complex. He watched on with an admiring smile, sincerely desiring that Meng Hao could acquire as many portions of light as possible.

　　Meng Hao took a deep breath as he looked at the quaking Blood Demon Mountain. Then he clasped hands and bowed for the fifth time.

　　At the same time, it was his second bow to the Blood Demon Mountain!

　　“Junior is connected by destiny to the ancient Temple of Doom. I formed a Blood Violet Nascent Soul. I gained enlightenment to realize that a boundless will of life exists within blood. Therefore, I bow to you, senior Demon Mountain.” Meng Hao’s bow was deep as he spoke these words.

　　Instantly, roaring could be heard from the Blood Demon Mountain. Bloody beams of light rose up into the air, interlocking to gradually form a blood-colored Demon flower. As soon as the flower appeared, a boundless radiance shone out. Crimson sparks suddenly appeared in the figure’s right hand.

　　This was the fifth portion of light. Two Demon Mountains, five portions of light. It caused the scene up above in the air to grow a bit clearer. As of now, it was possible to see two enormous land masses floating in the air far, far up above.

　　Each of these land masses were matchlessly majestic as they floated there up above, like two Holy Lands!

　　They were high, high up, as if they were looking down upon the entire world. They… really were Holy Lands. It didn’t matter if you were speaking of the Demon Immortal Sect or the Ninth Mountain and Sea as a whole, the Ji Clan and the Fang Clan Holy Lands were secondary only to the palace of Lord Li himself!

　　Even now as in the past, they were illustrious and famous throughout the Ninth Mountain and Sea, these enormous land masses that had continued on down throughout the ages.

　　Five portions of light filled Heaven and Earth. Suddenly, though, the fifth portion of light suddenly flickered again. Next, something happened that exceeded even the imaginations of true spirit Night and Ke Jiusi.

　　Even as the sparks appeared on the hand of the figure on the Blood Immortal Mountain, the figure’s eyes suddenly began to shine with a bizarre light. It stared at Meng Hao, then slowly lifted up its left hand and stretched it out, as if it were asking for something.

　　Meng Hao’s mind shook, and he lowered his hand to his bag of holding. Immediately, the Blood Immortal Mask appeared in his hand.

　　As soon as Meng Hao took out the Blood Immortal mask, the figure on the Blood Demon Mountain slowly withdrew its hand. A voice suddenly echoed out that seemed to come from countless years in the past.

　　“Put on my mask.”

　　Meng Hao’s eyes glittered as he placed the Blood Immortal mask onto his face.

　　Boom!

　　Redness instantly spread out to cover Meng Hao’s entire body. His hair became red, his robe turned red, and in the blink of an eye, his entire body was surrounded by bands of blood-colored light. It looked almost like a sea of blood was raging around him.

　　In this instant, Meng Hao was the incarnation of the Blood Immortal.

　　Behind him, an image slowly came into being. An enormous throne was visible, seated upon which was a woman whose face could not be seen. Her hair swirled around her, and she seemed to be gazing off into the distance.

　　After the image appeared, the figure on the Blood Demon Mountain trembled. A huge roaring sound could be heard coming from inside it, and at the same time, a blazing tongue of Demonfire ignited. It instantly illuminated more of the sky above.

　　The entire sky was filled with the light of five portions of light, and now, close to six portions illuminated it even further. Within the light, an illusory staircase could be seen, leading up, up to the two Holy Lands and… the Third Heaven.

　　True spirit Night gasped. “He… he… he actually has destiny connecting him to the Blood Demon!!” Its face was a mass of disbelief. It could scarcely believe that Meng Hao would have destiny connected to both the Frost Soil Demon Mountain and the Blood Demon Mountain. It was really shocking good fortune.

　　True spirit Night looked at Meng Hao, its mind spinning. “The Demon Mountains lift the seal. They have spoken of their own volition, which could never happen unless a certain level of destiny existed. Since such destiny has clearly reached the necessary level, it shows that Meng Hao is none other than a successor of the Blood Demon!

　　“He formed a Blood Demon Divine Clone, has a treasure made of the skin of the Blood Demon, and has even formed what is essentially a Demon Nascent Soul. Is this person… a Cultivator, or a Greater Demon of my generation!?

　　“Furthermore, he hasn’t even performed the sixth bow! And yet, the sixth portion of light has almost fully appeared already.”

　　Meng Hao clasped hands to perform his sixth bow, the third to the Blood Demon Mountain. “The kindness of the Blood Immortal legacy. The kindness of the Blood Mastiff in the way it escorted me. Junior will never forget these things for the rest of his life. Once again, senior, I bow to you, the essence of the mountain!”

　　After he bowed, the mountain rumbled. An endless echo could be heard, along with an ancient voice which slowly spoke out from within the Blood Demon Mountain.

　　“Agreed!” said the voice. A single word. However, as soon as that single word could be heard, the Demonfire towered up. This represented the complete and utter approval of the Blood Demon Mountain toward Meng Hao.

　　At the same time, light shone up into the sky. This was no longer six portions of light, but seven portions!

　　The sky had room for a total of ten portions, and now Meng Hao occupied seven!

　　The seven portions of light illuminated the majority of the boundless sky. The two Holy Lands were now even clearer. Gradually becoming visible were the restrictive spells which had sealed the Holy Lands for so many years. Also visible were countless vines hanging downward.

　　They looked as if they had been in confinement for far, far too long, and were finally being revealed at long last!

　　An unsightly expression appeared on the face of true spirit Night, and complex feelings arose in its heart. It knew that it was incapable of doing anything to revoke the qualifications of this person. Once six portions of light were revealed, a minimum of three chances were guaranteed.

　　Even if Meng Hao completely failed now, Night was incapable of harming him in the slightest, let alone demand the continental mirror be returned.

　　As long as Meng Hao had the qualifications, it was incapable of doing anything to him. It could only watch on helplessly as Meng Hao proceeded onward at will.

　　“Three mountains, nine bows. Already, six bows have been performed. The final three bows are for the Withering Flame Demon Mountain. That is the most difficult mountain of all. Even if he already has seven portions of light, it will still be impossible for him to get nine total!” Night’s eyes flickered as it looked at Meng Hao.

　　Ke Jiusi also looked at Meng Hao, a thoughtful expression in his eyes.

　　Meng Hao closed his eyes and calmed his heart. Then he looked up toward the last of the Demon Mountains. This was the mountain of raging flame, with a pit of fire at its peak that countless withered figures struggled to enter.

　　It almost seemed to be a location of reincarnation. By leaping into the pit, they could release themselves from worldly cares, find their true bodies, then leave and be reborn anew.

　　However, what Meng Hao saw was that every person who leaped into the fiery pit would once again be born as a withered figure, who would then again begin to climb. It seemed to be an endless cycle.

　　The more he watched, the more he realized that this was reincarnation.

　　Actually, this mountain’s true name was Reincarnation Demon Mountain. As for the name Withering Flame, it fit with its appearance, but not the meaning of the mountain. Of course, the Greater Demon which had given rise to this mountain had a technique called the Withering Flame Demon Magic True Self Dao.

　　Therefore, the name Withering Flame was also not inappropriate.

　　Meng Hao looked silently at the Reincarnation Demon Mountain in front of him. He had been most confident regarding the Frost Soil, and secondarily, the Blood Demon. The only mountain he had no confidence in was this Reincarnation Demon Mountain.

　　If there was any destiny connecting him to this mountain, then at best it would be the technique he had acquired but not mastered in the Second Plane, the Withering Flame Demon Magic True Self Dao.

　　Even as he hesitated, the Reincarnation Demon Mountain began to rumble of its own accord. Black smoke poured out from the fiery pit, rushing out to fill the sky, followed by endless flames.

　　Next, a voice spoke out from within, ancient and emotionless.

　　“Reincarnation Mountain needs no bows!

　　“Many years ago, there was a withered slave on this mountain who said that life is pain, and that he wished to free himself from the sea of bitterness. That sea is like an inescapable flame which can burn everything.

　　“Afterwards, he called this place Withering Flame, and made a solemn vow that he would eradicate the sea of bitterness. He would ensure that all living things no longer experience bitterness, but rather, freedom!

　　“If you were in his place, what would you do?!”

　　—–

　　Note from Er Gen (this was actually posted as an entire chapter, as Er Gen did not post any other chapters on that day):

　　It snowed today, quite heavily. After coming back from the funeral procession, I cried for a long time.

　　I’ve never cried like that before, and I don’t know why I did this time.

　　I don’t feel like writing now, nor do I want to do anything. I just want to have some peace and quiet.

　　Brothers and Sisters, this will be my last day off. I’ll get back to work as usual tomorrow.

　　Thank you for your understanding. Thank you.