“The Heavens will give me no aid….” he said with a bitter laugh. “Meng Hao, I will not lose this battle. And you… I vow that I will smash your Qi passageways!” His smile seemed to contain intense discontent along with complete helplessness. But it did not contain despair. However, the discontent and helplessness created an air darker than any despair.
His left hand smacked his bag of holding. Ignoring the incoming wooden swords, he held up a medicinal pill. As soon as it appeared, the nearby spiritual energy seemed to surge, and a strong medicinal aroma filled the air. With a bitter laugh, he swallowed the pill.
When he saw the pill, Meng Hao’s eyes narrowed. It was amber-colored, and was none other than a Foundation Establishment Pill. Inscribed on its surface was a seal; this pill was the exact same Foundation Establishment Pill he had sold at Milky Way City.
“I, Shangguan Xiu, reached the first level of Qi Condensation when I was seven years old,” he muttered to himself. “At thirty, I was at the sixth level. By thirty-nine, I was the ninth level. Today, I’m ninety-nine years old….” He didn’t even look at Meng Hao, but instead stared up into the sky. In an instant, the power within his body surged. He didn’t move, of course; he wouldn’t be able to until the Foundation Establishment Pill had been fully absorbed.
However, even though this was a weakness, the power in his body was immense, already much more than that of the ninth level of Qi Condensation. As he soared toward Foundation Establishment, the two wooden swords slowly came to a stop about seven inches from his body.
Meng Hao’s expression changed. He could sense his opponent’s aura growing stronger and stronger. He was establishing his Foundation right here on Mount Daqing. If Meng Hao’s expression changed, then Little Tiger’s changed even more.
“I could have established my Foundation fifty years ago,” said Shangguan Xiu, a dark expression on his face, his appearance wild. “But I didn’t want to. I didn’t want a Flawless Foundation. I’ve been planning for fifty years to establish a world-shaking Foundation that would surpass a Flawless Foundation! I wanted a Perfect Foundation. But today…. Sadly, today I’ve been wounded and poisoned. If I don’t reach Foundation Establishment, then I will surely die. Fifty years of preparations, and the last step… ruined by you! Meng Hao, do you know how much I hate you!?” Shangguan Xiu lowered his head and stared at Meng Hao. He did not grind his teeth or howl. His face was calm, and yet his eyes were filled with an intense hatred that was clearly carved into his bones and onto his heart.
Meng Hao’s heart began to race, and he felt the shadow of death upon him. But he didn’t retreat. His eyes flashing, he thought back to his own experience consuming the Foundation Establishment pill. He hadn’t been able to move for two months.
“I was at the eighth level of Qi Condensation, so it took me two months,” thought Meng Hao. “Shangguan Xiu has been at the peak of the ninth level for fifty years, he will be able to absorb the energy much faster. But, there has to be a way!” His eyes glittering, he produced a Plateau Charging Pill and popped it into his mouth. As the spiritual energy billowed outing his body, he waved his hands toward the two wooden swords.
With a rumbling sound, the two wooden swords trembled and then began to emit a powerful air. Slowly but surely they moved closer to Shangguan Xiu. They were about three inches away from him when they slowly grounded to a halt. This was Meng Hao’s limit. He didn’t have enough spiritual power, and just couldn’t make the swords move any further.
“You don’t know your own limitations,” said Shangguan Xiu with a cold laugh. “I could have established my Foundation fifty years ago. With the profundity of my Cultivation base, I will be able to absorb the Foundation Establishment Pill in less than an hour. You’d best do whatever you can now to flee. But even if you run to the edges of the earth, I can tell you now, you’re dead.” He stared at Meng Hao, his hatred conjuring up hundreds of ways to kill Meng Hao.