As his voice echoed about, Meng Hao’s vision changed. His incarnation as a withered slave no longer conformed to the cycle. It did not leap into the fiery pit, but rather, stood outside of the volcano. Unlike the other withered slaves around him, he looked up into the sky, his expression no longer blank, but rather, awash with emotion.
It was as if… he had awakened. It was as if a black and white painting had suddenly been splashed with color.
He turned his back on the fiery pit and began to stride away from the mountain. He allowed himself to drop into the abyss, running counter to the fiery pit…. Finally, a smile appeared on his face.
“The path of life does not just run from the bottom of a mountain to its top….” he said lightly. In his mind, his incarnation as a withered slave fell off of Reincarnation Mountain. He did not turn to look back, but rather strode off into the distance.
Behind him, the countless other people on Reincarnation Mountain continued to repeat the same actions they did day after day. As for him, he drew further and further away from the mountain….
“If you believe it to be a sea of bitterness, then a sea of bitterness it is. If you believe it to simply be scenery on the path of life, then scenery it is…. The sea of bitterness never ends, but the scenery does.
“That is my answer.”
Meng Hao opened his eyes.
In that instant, he heard his own voice echoing out around him.
Ke Jiusi was shaken inwardly as he looked at Meng Hao. Meng Hao’s answer far exceeded what he could have anticipated. He had assumed Meng Hao would chose to eradicate the sea of bitterness, and then be reborn.
“If he does not die prematurely,” thought Ke Jiusi, “then the possibilities for his future are incalculable!” The shock in his eyes gradually turned into admiration. “His Cultivation base is nowhere close to mine, but his heart… is far bigger!”
Even more astonished was true spirit Night. It stared at Meng Hao, its mind roaring. Echoing in its mind were Meng Hao’s words: “The sea of bitterness never ends, but the scenery does.”
“Such a choice seems simple,” thought Night, “but if you analyze it carefully… his ambition far exceeds that of others! The makeup of his inner being is infinitely large!
“To him, the sea of bitterness can be likened to scenery on the path of life! The further he travels, the more scenery he will encounter!
“Reincarnation examines of the heart. It inquires of one’s essence, one’s nature and one’s self. His answer cannot be false. This man’s will… although spoken lightly, can shake the Heavens!”
Off in the distance, Zhixiang was breathing heavily. She had long since come to the conclusion that Meng Hao was beyond ordinary. But now that she had personally heard the expression of his heart, she suddenly realized that she had underestimated him.
“His choice represents his heart. It doesn’t matter if you talk about South Heaven or the Ninth Mountain and Sea, if he can survive, then all of this here will be a mere rest stop on his journey.
“As he strides forward, everything in existence will be forced to do nothing more than watch him walk off into the distance….”
As of now, no more mist or fire was visible coming out of Reincarnation Mountain. Even the incense stick had ceased burning. Everything was incredibly quiet.
Meng Hao looked at Reincarnation Mountain, and it seemed as if the mountain were looking back at him.
After the space of a few breaths, a shocking roaring sound could be heard that split Heaven and Earth. Everything began to quake and tremble.
“I shall bestow favor upon him with high aspirations!” said the grim, ancient voice. The voice words echoed out in all directions, a clear approval of Meng Hao.
At the same time, endless flames shot up into the sky, illuminating the firmament. Before, there were seven portions of light, but now, the light expanded as one more portion was added.