around the shield and drag it back to him. Using his Spiritual Sense, he erased the branding mark on the shield and then put it into his bag of holding. He looked at the woman surnamed Li.
The woman was in shock, her Spiritual Sense suppressed, her treasure un-branded and taken by Meng Hao. She retreated backward at top speed, coughing up blood, her face pale, her head buzzing. After she had moved backward a dozen or so meters, she finally came to a stop. She looked up at Meng Hao, astonished.
“You….” Her scalp was numb. It was clear that Meng Hao’s Cultivation base must not be at the early Foundation Establishment stage. She had never seen an early Foundation Establishment Cultivator display such incredible battle power. Nor had she ever experienced such terrifying Spiritual Sense.
Not even a Flawless Foundation could be like this, as far as she was concerned.
“This art contains a total of nineteen strikes,” Meng Hao said coolly, his expression the same as always. He didn’t even mention anything about the treasure he’d snatched from her.
Hearing his words, the Li woman sucked in a breath, and her face went a few shades more pale. Her body began to tremble. The attack just now had rattled her Dao Pillars, caused her to cough up blood, and had forced her to utilize a treasured item. If more than five strikes had been used, she wasn’t sure if her treasure could have resisted it. In that case, her Dao Pillars would surely have been damaged.
“Fellow Daoist, your Cultivation base is unfathomable,” she said in a strained voice. “I was crude and rash, please don’t take offense. Please keep my Cloud Peak shield as a token of my apology.” She clasped hands and bowed deeply to Meng Hao, her eyes filled with dread.
It wasn’t just her. Xu Youdao’s gaze was fixed on Meng Hao. He was now completely reassured that he had made the right decision not to attack Meng Hao earlier. Meng Hao could not be an early Foundation Establishment Cultivator. If he really was… then that was exponentially more frightening.
The gray-robed man’s eyes flickered open and came to rest on Meng Hao. He nodded.
Han Bei looked at Meng Hao thoughtfully, a light smile appearing on her face.
“Fellow Daoist Meng, you’re not late. The hour has arrived. Our chances of acquiring the Classic of Time has now increased thirty percent.”
Xie Jie laughed and said nothing. He didn’t bring up the Nineteen Clear Sky strikes. Fear of Meng Hao now existed in his heart, and he now knew that Meng Hao was not a person to be provoked lightly. After all, he had only seen Meng Hao’s colossal Spiritual Sense, and had no inkling what magical techniques or items he might have.
Whenever he dealt with people he didn’t understand, he would be careful not to provoke them. Only after coming to understand them completely would he strike like lightning.
“Forget about the Classic of Time for a moment,” said Meng Hao calmly. He looked at Han Bei, his expression the same as ever. “I came to this Blessed Land at the request of Fellow Daoist Han. However, your Sect controls this place. I’m very curious. If I help you to acquire the Classic of Time, will my Dao Pillars be ripped out afterward?”
Han Bei and Xie Jie’s eyes flashed. Before they could respond, Xu Youdao laughed grimly and said, “Fellow Daoist Meng doesn’t beat around the bush. I’m also very curious about this matter. Would the two Fellow Daoists care to provide an explanation to dispel our doubts?”
“I, too, would like to know the answer to this question,” said the gray-robed man. His eyes flashed with a cold light as he looked at Han Bei and Xie Jie.
It seemed the Li woman was also concerned with her safety. She said nothing, but moved back a few paces, effectively closing a circle around Han Bei and Xie Jie.