She hesitated for a moment and then blurted, “What… what level is your Cultivation base, really?”
“I’m at the peak of early Foundation Establishment,” he said with a little smile. He now appeared to be a completely different person than the one who had just been fighting. He really had changed because of all his experiences through the years. However, this change was in the way he dealt with enemies. His disposition toward his friends was as scholarly as ever, and hadn’t changed in the least bit.
Actually, his ruthless killing had a lot to do with the poison within him. Someone infected with the three-colored Resurrection Lily would become increasingly cruel and ferocious until the day they transformed into an actual Resurrection Lily.
“How can you kill people of the mid Foundation Establishment stage…?” asked Xu Qing, her brow furrowed.
“Oh, there are many reasons,” he said simply. “I may be at the early Foundation Establishment stage, but I can hold my own against the late Foundation Establishment stage.”
Not much time passed before they reached a mountain. From the mountain peak, Meng Hao could see the large man-made area and the big black tower that was being erected.
He could just make out the nearly one thousand Black Sieve Sect disciples sitting cross-legged around the tall tower, along with the faint sound of scriptures being chanted. He couldn’t make out the details of the scriptures, however.
“I can’t get any closer,” he said. His gaze shifted from the scene below, to Xu Qing. “There shouldn’t be any rogue Foundation Establishment Cultivators in this area, you should be able to proceed on your own without being in danger. Take this, it’s an invisibility item. You’ll be able to use it after you reach Foundation Establishment.” He handed her the invisibility talisman.
She accepted it. She still had Meng Hao’s robes draped over her. They were a bit large, but she still was beautiful. She looked at Meng Hao and was about to open her mouth as if to say something. Instead, she leaned forward and embraced him lightly. Her head pressed against his chest, and she could hear his heart beating.
This was not an embrace of passion, but the embrace of a sister to a brother, of family.
The sky was growing light, and the darkness was fading away. Meng Hao looked down at Xu Qing’s beautiful hair. It seemed as if her hair knew he was looking at it; or perhaps it was the wind. It floated up gently to caress his face.
A long time passed, and then Xu Qing stepped back and looked him deep in the eyes.
“You need to be careful,” she said. “Get out of this place as soon as you can.” Then she turned, stepped onto a flying sword and shot down the mountain. She glided up and down a few times, eventually entering a small forest at the bottom of the mountain. When she emerged from the other side of the forest, Meng Hao’s clothes were gone and she was dressed in a fresh Black Sieve Sect robe.
Meng Hao stood there the whole time, watching her disappear into the distance. A sense of departure filled him, and for a moment, he felt like he was back in the Reliance Sect when it was being disbanded.
Now, though, he was no longer a Qi Condensation Cultivator. He was of Foundation Establishment, with a Perfect Foundation. He was no longer a child, but a young man. Wisdom birthed from maturity helped him to understand that it didn’t matter whether you are a man or woman; every person has the right to make their own choices.