He had a very bad feeling, a feeling that caused his face to go pale.
Meng Hao stopped in place and looked back at Lu Bai silently for a moment before replying.
“The Northern Reaches’ invasion failed. Most of your Dao Seeking experts were killed.”
“Impossible!” replied Lu Bai, his voice hoarse. “The Grand Elder, the High Priest, and all the others aren’t just at peak Dao Seeking. Some of them are comparable to false Immortals! Plus, they have powerful magical items! Even a false Immortal who went up against the Northern Reaches would perish! How could they all be dead?!
“The Northern Reaches has vast resources! How could an army of a million cultivators suffer a defeat like that!?!?”
Meng Hao’s voice was calm as he responded, “The Grand Elder you speak of, as well as the High Priest, and a few of the other strongest Dao Seeking experts are all suppressed under a mountain called Sin of the North. Their cultivation bases are being used to replenish the spiritual energy in the lands of the Southern Domain.
“As for the army you speak of, most of those million cultivators died. The surviving hundred thousand or so had their cultivation bases severed and were turned into felon citizens. For generations to come, the bloodlines of the Northern Reaches’ cultivators will never produce Nascent Soul cultivators.
“And then there’s you. If you get out of this place, you can go to Sin of the North to bear witness yourself. If, from this day forward, you agree to practice cultivation peacefully, then I won’t kill you where you stand. However, if you cause any problems… there are people in the outside world who will slaughter you.” With that, he ignored Lu Bai and stepped into the vortex.
Lu Bai’s face was pale white, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood. From the way Meng Hao spoke, he could tell that his words were not false. Everything he had said was true.
He was silent for a moment, and then began to chuckle bitterly. He thought of his friends from home, his master, his Patriarch. He had never imagined that while he was stuck in this place… the entire world outside would be turned upside down.
In the moment that Meng Hao stepped into the vortex, he felt as if he were passing through a boundless sea of flames. At the same time, a terrifying roaring could be heard.
The roaring became very clear as soon as Meng Hao stepped fully into the world of the third level. In front of him was no sea of flames, but rather, a blood-colored field.
The lands were also filled with white grass.
A total of 990,000 pagodas could be seen circling out in all directions, in the middle of which was a black city. The city was overgrown with the white grass, and a spark of flame hovered in midair above it. The flame seemed as if it would burn for all eternity, and cast brilliant, flickering light throughout the entire world.
Then, the same voice Meng Hao had heard the previous time he had been here echoed out.
“Dao Fang, you must die!!
“You killed me, Dao Fang, and if I’m reincarnated, I’ll definitely kill you!
“The world of Immortals is doomed to experience tribulation! The Immortal lands will grow old, and the Immortals will perish! But I refuse to give in!!
“I know the truth! No matter how long you suppress me, I won’t admit defeat!
“Damned monkey! If I can get free, I’ll have your hide!