Unduh Aplikasi
2.17% I Shall Seal The Heavens / Chapter 35: I’m Not Willing!

Bab 35: I’m Not Willing!

Time slipped by, and at some point, Elder Brother Chen left. Even though Meng Hao had just entered the Inner Sect, he was still a junior Brother, and it was Chen Fan's responsibility to explain matters to him, to help him understand what Cultivation truly is. To help him to know what it means to move forward lest one fall behind, and to comprehend the life-and-death path that was the Cultivation world.

Entering the Inner Sect was his first true step across the threshold into that world. The next step was Foundation Establishment.

Meng Hao sat alone on the boulder, staring into the sky at the moon and the vast multitude of stars. He was silent, his mind filled with countless thoughts. He felt somewhat confused.

Time continued to pass, and soon it was the middle of the night. Wang Tengfei sat in his Immortal's Cave, looking down at his right hand with its missing index finger. He looked confused. In front of him was a jade slip, broken in half. When he had regained consciousness, that was the first thing he had done.

He hadn't managed to enter the Inner Sect, and thus had not accomplished his second goal. He was on the verge of despair. As soon as he had regained consciousness, he had snapped the jade slip in two with a bitter smile.

He had been defeated, thoroughly defeated, and by none other than an insect. He had been defeated by Meng Hao's sword and weak Cultivation base. Had He Luohua not intervened, he would be dead.

This defeat ended his path here at the Reliance Sect. He had not emerged from his Immortal's Cave after awakening. He had simply sat there in a daze.

He was a Chosen. His Clan's reputation in the Southern Domain was indomitable. He had been insufferably proud since childhood, as if the world lay at his feet. That was why he had refused to stay in his Clan, but rather came here to the State of Zhao and the Reliance Sect, to search for the Legacy and treasure. He had even postponed Foundation Establishment in order to pursue his two goals. As of now, though, everything had blown away like ash in the wind.

Wang Tengfei's bitter laughter echoed throughout the Immortal's Cave. He laughed and laughed, clenching his fists tightly. Although, his nails were not very sharp, so he couldn't experience the pain Meng Hao had that day.

He just could not accept it. If he had been defeated at the hands of a Chosen, then he could bear the loss. But the person who had robbed his place in the Inner Sect, who had trampled him underfoot, was someone he didn't even deign to look at, an insect whose name he hadn't even been able to recall. He just couldn't accept it.

At this moment, the main door of Wang Tengfei's Immortal's Cave suddenly disintegrated noiselessly. The entire door turned into ash, which floated down to the ground of the Immortal's Cave.

A middle-aged man stood in the doorway, wearing a black robe, hands clasped behind his back. He seemed somewhat emaciated, but carried a haughty air. The moonlight fell onto him, and seemed to quiver and turn into ripples. It was as this man's mere existence could cause the surrounding mountain chains to tremble.

Next to the middle-aged man was a young woman, perhaps eighteen or nineteen years of age. She was incredibly beautiful, tall and slender. She wore no makeup, and yet her face glowed like the dawn. Her hair was pinned up in the shape of a swallow's tail, and her body seemed as if it were carved from jade. She wore a thin, light green garment. Standing there in the moonlight, she emanated a magical aura, cool and composed, refined and free from worldly vulgarity. She looked just like a female celestial, descended from heaven.

"The Wang Clan is one of the three great Cultivation Clans in the Southern Domain," said the middle-aged man coolly. His voice contained an awe-inspiring coldness difficult to describe. "It has outmatched many Sects, and has existed for ten thousand years in the Southern Domain.

"You are a Chosen of the Wang Clan. From birth, you have been destined to do extraordinary things, to rise higher than the highest heavens. You were foreordained to engage in struggles with other Immortals."

As Wang Tengfei listened to the middle-aged man's words, he slowly lifted his head, ignoring his severed finger.

"What do some minor setbacks count for? This paltry State of Zhao wouldn't count for anything in the Southern Domain. It's filled with ants. If I sent a single Nascent Soul stage Clan member here, he could wipe this place clean." The middle-aged man spoke with complete certainty, leaving no room for argument. Wang Tengfei clenched his fists, and fire appeared in his eyes.

"Your true enemies are the other Chosen members in the Clan, the successors of the two major Clans in the Southern Domain, and the disciples of the rest of the five Clans. Only they are worthy to be your enemy. If they saw your sorry state now, how could you dare to claim the name Wang?!

"Tell me, what is your family name?" said the middle-aged man with a flick of his sleeve.

"My name is Wang!" Wang Tengfei stood, his eyes gleaming.

The middle-aged man looked at Wang Tengfei for a long moment, then his eyes grew soft.

"You are a Roc of the Wang Clan. In a few years, you will reach Foundation Establishment. In the future, on the great path to Core Formation, you will have the assistance of the Violet Qi from the East technique of your fiancée's Sect. You will successfully achieve Core Formation soon. After that, you will have your Nascent Soul. When that happens, you will find that the pitiable person who defeated you here in the State of Zhao, is still practicing Qi Condensation.

"Then you can truly look down on him like the insect he is." He gave Wang Tengfei a meaningful look, then turned away.

"Tengfei," said the beautiful girl. Her light voice was pleasant, and combined with her beauty, made her incredibly enticing. She was perfect, in the same way Wang Tengfei was perfect. Were they to be together, they would truly be a match made in heaven, the envy of anyone traversing the path of Immortality.

Wang Tengfei looked at the girl silently. This was his fiancée, Chu Yuyan1, daughter of the Sect Leader of the Violet Fate Sect. She was a Chosen of her Sect, and one of four most famous women in the Southern Domain.

"Let's go back," she said softly, gazing at Wang Tengfei tenderly.

Wang Tengfei nodded. He followed the girl out of the Immortal's Cave. Along with the middle-aged man, they walked forward, and suddenly a rumbling sound shook the night sky. A massive lightning bolt shot down from the sky, transforming into a flying battleship, nearly three hundred meters long. The ship was black, and emanated the feeling of death, especially the massive flagpole from which flapped a red flag, embroidered with the character "Wang."

On the ship stood numerous men with expressionless faces, standing at attention, radiating cold auras.

The massive noise which had just rung out, as well as the battleship, left the disciples of the Reliance Sect trembling in fear. They looked up at the sight, disbelief written across their face.

Meng Hao still sat on the peak of the East Mountain. Pulled out of his contemplation, he looked up at the shocking black battleship and red flag, and his heart quivered.

"I should never have agreed to let you come to this backwater place," said the middle aged man as they stepped foot onto the ship. "Even if the Sublime Spirit Scripture was rumored to have been seen here, that was something that occurred hundreds of years ago." Wang Tengfei stood there, looking out at the Reliance Sect. He slowly wiped away all the memories of the recent years.

No longer was his gaze warm and gentle, no longer was his smile kind and sincere. He had become cold, especially his eyes, which radiated hatred. He now seemed completely different from the old Elder Brother Wang.

He looked down at Meng Hao sitting there on the mountaintop. The two of them stared at each other for a moment, and then Wang Tengfei's eyes once again filled with disregard. As far as he was concerned, Meng Hao was a bug. Pride filled him, because his family name was Wang!

At this moment, the middle-aged man caught sight of Meng Hao sitting there. He didn't reveal his Cultivation base, but his gaze itself was enough to cause a thunderous roar which shook the entire East Mountain. Like a sharp sword, his it toward Meng Hao.

Meng Hao's expression changed, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood. His entire body felt ice-cold, and he sensed an intense, deadly force fall upon him. His head spun, and he lost the power to even think. He was so weak that he felt as if he could collapse from a single blow.

He felt death upon him. His body would shrivel up, his soul would wink out. Blood dripped down from his forehead.

Aloneness. Helplessness. Death. They melded together into a giant hand which pushed down on him, slowly crushing him to pieces, smashing him into a place beyond recovery.

Suddenly, a cold snort rang out, filling the entire Reliance Sect, and a figure in blue appeared in front of Meng Hao.

"Your Cultivation base is in the Core Formation stage. Not a Mixed Core, either, but at least Purple or Crimson. And yet you bully a Qi Condensation pup like this? Are you really Wang Xifan1 of the Wang Clan of the Southern Domain, Third Generation Dao Protector?" It was Sect Leader He Luohua. Suddenly, a deafening, earth-shaking roar erupted.

The sound thundered out, seeming as if everything in sight would crumble from it. Then it turned into layer upon layer of ripples, emanating from He Luohua. He stood there as if he were the only person in the world, staring coldly toward the Wang Xifan as he stood there in the battleship.

"I've incurred Fellow Daoist He's ridicule," said Wang Xifan with a gentle laugh. "I'm here to take Tengfei away. Thank you for caring for him these years." His eyes were filled with an indescribable arrogance. He flicked his sleeve. The battleship began to hum, then it transformed into a streak of colors and shot off into the starry sky, leaving behind only the twinkling starlight.

Meng Hao coughed up some more blood, but continued to stare off into the distance, his cold eyes glittering.

He Luohua looked back silently at Meng Hao, then sighed and left. Meng Hao gazed off into the distance toward the disappearing battleship.

"So that was a Core Formation Cultivator. He could crush me with a single look. And that's just Core Formation. After that is the Nascent Soul stage and then the Spirit Severing stage, and even more… The Southern Domain, the Wang Clan!" Meng Hao ground his teeth angrily, fire burning in his eyes.

"If you're not strong, you don't qualify to exist. If you're not strong, you don't qualify to practice Cultivation. If you're not strong, you don't have the right to keep living, but can only be taken advantage of…. Are you willing to live a life like this?" Elder Brother Chen's words echoed in his head, more and more strongly, burning indelibly into his mind, into his bones, into his soul.

"I'm not willing!" said Meng Hao slowly, clenching his fists. His voice was weak, but in his heart, the voice resounded like a thunderclap.

"I'm not willing to let anyone take advantage of me!

"I'm not willing to be weak!

"I'm not willing to be deprived of the right to fight back!

"I will be strong! I will become powerful!!" Meng Hao had always wanted to become rich and travel to the Great Tang in the Eastern Lands. He still had that desire, but in addition to that, he had a new belief. He would become powerful. On the path of cultivation, the path of defying the Heavens, if you are not powerful, you are dead.

  1. Chu Yuyan's name in Chinese is 楚玉嫣 (chǔ yù yān) Chu is a family name. Yu means "jade" or "beauty," and Yan means "captivating"
  2. Wang Xifan's name in Chinese is 王锡范 (wáng xī fàn) Wang is a family name. Xi means "tin." Fan means "model" or "example"

Bab 36: The Perks of the Inner Sect

Half a month passed, during which Meng Hao spent most of his time sitting cross-legged in the Sect's Magic Pavilion, studying the ancient records. Now he had a much deeper understanding of the State of Zhao and the Southern Domain.

He had even discovered a hand-drawn map of the sprawling lands of South Heaven, which showed the Great Tang in the Eastern Lands, the Northern Reaches with its Qiang Di flutes, the Barbarian Western Lands, and of course the Southern Domain, where he was currently located.

The whole world was neatly displayed on the map, and its image was now burned into Meng Hao's brain. The Southern Domain comprised a vast section of the lands of South Heaven, whereas the State of Zhao was just a tiny dot on its perimeter.

"The Southern Domain is so big that it could hold thousands of the State of Zhao…" He looked out at the blue sky outside the Magic Pavilion, his eyes filled with a fascinated look.

"So it turns out that traveling to the Great Tang in the Eastern Lands isn't that simple. You have to cross the Milky Way Sea…" After a while, Meng Hao looked back down at the map, looking at all the four major regions of the lands of South Heaven. The Eastern Lands and the Northern Reaches formed a subcontinent, separated from which by a large ocean were the Western Barbarian Lands and the Southern Domain, which formed another subcontinent.

When the sun began to fall behind the western mountains, and dusk approached, Meng Hao rubbed his eyes, returned the map to its place, and left the Magic Pavilion. He looked off into the distance toward the east for a while, then turned and headed back to his Inner Sect Immortal's Cave.

Inside the Immortal's cave, the luminescent pearls inlaid into the ceiling emitted a soft light onto the light green walls. There were five stone rooms, and a gurgling Spirit Spring, filling the cave with dense Spiritual Energy. This was a perk available only to disciples of the Inner Sect. Meng Hao entered and sat cross-legged onto a slab of white jade. It was not made of Spirit Stone, but meditating upon it helped one's mind to be clear, and was a relatively rare treasure.

This also was something only for Inner Sect disciples.

"Only Inner Sect disciples can truly be considered members of the Reliance Sect," thought Meng Hao, quietly looking around. The light green stone walls were carved with various birds and beasts, each of which seemed to be filled with deep meaning. Even looking at them left one feeling refined.

"These are very different perks from those in the Outer Sect. This is in order to emphasize the outstanding qualities of Inner Sect disciples. Just like in the mortal world, there is a division of layers. By struggling, one can surpass the Outer Sect. After that, if one wishes to become exalted, one must become stronger!

Soon, dusk fell, and then Meng Hao heard a respectful voice from outside.

"Elder Brother Meng, Li Fugui from the foot of the mountain requests an audience." It was the voice of a boy, a servant. After Meng Hao had joined the Inner Set, this boy had been assigned to help him care for his daily affairs.

This was yet another perk of life in the Inner Sect. At first, Meng Hao had a hard time getting used to it. He had never had someone waiting upon him before. But when he saw Elder Brother Chen's servant helping him, it was easier to accept. However, he still held firm to his desire to grow stronger.

Only the strong can have power over others, and prevent others from controlling them. The law of the Cultivation world and rules of the Reliance Sect were the same. It was not reasonable or fair, but it existed, and that was the way of life.

Existence was truth. The world is fundamentally unreasonable, and naturally, there is no true fairness.

"Send him in," said Meng Hao coolly. Filled with reverence, the young servant complied. After being assigned to wait upon Meng Hao, his very life belonged to him.

Shortly thereafter, Fatty entered, clicking his teeth and striding with long steps. This was not his first time to visit, but rather his third. Every time he came, he was filled with excitement. This was not a place Outer Sect disciples could visit without the consent of the person they called upon.

The young servant led Fatty in respectfully. Fatty looked around, rubbing his hands along various items in wonder, even the white jade slab that Meng Hao sat on.

"It's not your first time here," said Meng Hao with a laugh, watching him.

"Meng Hao, this place is just too amazing. Every time I come, I just can't control myself. The Immortal's Cave of an Inner Sect disciple. It's a place of legend! You know, after the last time I came here, a bunch of Outer Sect disciples crowded around me asking all sorts of questions. I'm important now!" His body trembled, and it took a moment for him to stop thinking about it. He sat down in front of Meng Hao.

"If you'd like, I can request for Wang Tengfei's Immortal's cave to be given to you."

"That… that would be incredible," said Fatty, looking excited, but at the same time a bit shy.

"Zhao Hai," said Meng Hao coolly. He waved his right hand, and the main door opened. The young servant rushed in and gave Meng Hao a deep salute.

He looked to be about fourteen or fifteen, close to Fatty's age. He had delicate features, and had only arrived on the mountain recently. It was said he was from the same village as Little Tiger, and that his family was rich.

"Take my spirit tablet to the Cave Dispensing Pavilion and retrieve the jade slip to Wang Tengfei's Immortal's Cave." He waved his hand, and a white jade slip flew out into the young servant's hand.

The young servant accepted the assignment, then left with a respectful expression on his face.

"Meng Hao, when are you going to come down off the mountain?" asked Fatty eagerly. "I promised the Outer Sect disciples you would go to inspect them. You can't go back on your word, I promised them."

"Grand Master Ouyang said that I would preside over the next Pill Distribution Day," he said with a smile. "I believe that would be the day after tomorrow." The two of them had entered the Sect together, three years ago. A deep friendship had long since grown between the two of them.

"Great, the day after tomorrow it is. Oh, right, our business has been doing well in the past half month. I already separated out your 80%." He handed a bag of holding to Meng Hao, looking pleased with himself. It seemed he too understood the meaning of the Reliance Sect. With Meng Hao to rely on, who in the Outer Sect would dare to even say one wrong word to him?

Even better, the beautiful female disciples of the Outer Sect had begun to fawn over him until he fairly floated in the air. For the moment, Fatty was quite popular.

"Has Shangguan Xiu caused you any problems recently?" asked Meng Hao suddenly, his eyes flashing.

"Nobody has seen that bastard recently," replied Fatty, his voice becoming grave. "I've assigned a disciple to do some spying for me, and he said that Shangguan Xiu sits in secluded meditation all day. He never comes out."

"Just be careful," he warned, and not for the first time. "If anything happens, snap the message token I gave you."

Soon, the young servant Zhao Hai returned with the jade slip to Wang Tengfei's Immortal's Cave. Meng Hao gave it to Fatty. The two of them laughed and chatted deep into the night. It seemed Fatty didn't want to leave. In fact, he seemed to be growing more excited.

Meng Hao was surprised at this, but when he remembered what day it was, and laughed.

"Today is the day Medicinal Fruits are distributed in the Inner Sect," said Meng Hao.

Fatty licked his lips and nodded, his heart filled with envy at the differences between the Inner and Outer Sect disciples. Every month Medicinal Fruits were distributed, a special type of Spiritual Fruit infused with Medicinal Pills. The fruit itself tasted like a Medicinal Pill, but was much more effective than ordinary Medicinal Pills.

Inner Sect disciples received the fruits once per month.

After the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the young servant Zhao Hai entered. He actually despised Fatty, but didn't show even the slightest hint of it on his face. In his hands he carried the Medicinal Fruits, wrapped up in a large green leaf.

A delicate aroma wafted out from it, causing Zhao Hai to swallow deeply. He put the fruits down and then left.

When the large leaf was removed, the medicinal fragrance filled the air. Inside the leaf were two small, semi-transparent, light-red fruits. They seemed so delicate that they might break if you touched them. Inside each one could just barely be seen a medicinal pill.

Fatty's eyes went wide. He had never eaten Medicinal Fruit before, but had heard it mentioned recently by some Outer Sect disciples. After making some enquires, he had discovered the distribution date, and so had hurried eagerly to visit Meng Hao. He picked up one of the fruits and put it into his mouth. He bit down, then swallowed, and a delicious flavor filled his mouth. Then, a hot sensation filled his head and spread out through his whole body.

"Amazing, amazing. I must be the first Outer Sect disciple to ever eat a Medicinal Fruit. When word gets out, the girls will be envious to death. Everyone will be envious of Master Fatty's good fortune." It suddenly seemed as if he had remembered something, and he snapped his mouth shut, not letting any of the fragrant aroma escape. Using his hands, he signaled to Meng Hao that he needed to leave, then ran off.

"I have proof!" he thought. "I have to find some of those female disciples and let them smell it." The more he thought about it, the more excited he got, and he raced down the mountain even faster.

Fatty's clever plan was obvious, causing Meng Hao to laugh. He slowly placed the remaining Medicinal Fruit into his mouth. It tasted delicious, filled with dense Medicinal flavor.

"This is something else that Inner Sect disciples…" As he ate the Medicinal Fruit, he sighed. This life was not something that Outer Sect disciples could enjoy. If he wanted to, he could simply make a gesture, and any of the beautiful female disciples would instantly become devoted to him.

Soon, two days had passed, and Pill Distribution Day arrived. Meng Hao walked out of his Immortal's Cave, followed closely by the young servant Zhao Hai. In his hand he carried a purple bag of holding, which was filled with Spirit Stones and Medicinal Pills to be distributed.

A mountain breeze welcomed the dawn as Meng Hao descended the mountain. Along the way, the Outer Sect disciples he ran into would look at him in surprise, then stop and give him a deep salute with clasped hands.

"Greetings, Elder Brother Meng."

"Elder Brother Meng is as elegant as ever. I haven't seen you in many days, Junior Sister has missed you."

"Greetings, Elder Brother Meng. Your latent talent is spectacular, your Cultivation base astonishing. You will definitely be a pillar of the Sect."

Amidst all the flattery Meng Hao walked along until he reached the square, which was already filled with a good number of disciples. Catching sight of him, they saluted, and then the air filled with their flattering words.

He nodded, smiling, then leaped up, carrying Zhao Hai with him onto the platform. This was not his first time here, but it was his first time to distribute Medicinal Pills.

His gaze swept across the crowd. Every single person's face was filled with reverent devotion. Gradually, Meng Hao's face grew distracted, and he thought back to his first Pill Distribution Day, and then to the time Wang Tengfei had humiliated him. Many memories flitted through his mind.

Finally, he heaved a deep sigh, and said, "Sound the bells."


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