I Shall Seal the Heavens - Volume 1 - Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Chapter 17: I shall rely on myself!

Meng Hao stood there stiffly, staring at Wang Tengfei . He could suddenly feel the gaze of all the disciples who stood in the square . The Cultivators standing next to him moved away, creating an open area around Meng Hao .

A feeling of aloneness filled his heart, as if the world itself were about to forsake him . It was as if Wang Tengfei’s single utterance had pushed him over the edge of existence .

No one spoke a word . The Outer Sect disciples just looked at Meng Hao . Wang Tengfei was too famous . His words reverberated in everyone’s hearts .

No one was surprised at what was happening; news of yesterday’s events had spread, and many people had already guessed what would happen this day .

The sect elders remained unmoving upon the high platform, gazing down at Meng Hao .

“Sect rules state that what you take belongs to you,” said Meng Hao, forcing the words out one word at a time . He knew that compared to Wang Tengfei, his voice was laughably weak and small, and that he might be attacked . But, he still spoke up .

He knew that if he took out the jadeite gourd bottle, handed it over to Wang Tengfei, and made some tearful entreaties, then Wang Tengfei couldn’t reject his apology . Not in front of all these people . He might exact some punishments, but would leave Meng Hao with his Cultivation base .

Maybe if he begged and kowtowed, admitted that he was in the wrong, accepted the humiliation and even insult himself, then he would be completely out of danger .

But Meng Hao would never do such a thing! Call him stupid and crazy, but he would never do it!

Even though he knew he was facing a dire calamity, he would never beg . He would never humiliate himself, would never crawl on the ground and plead . Never!

This was his spirit, his integrity . Some things in the world are more important than life or death, and that noble, unbendable, unbreakable spirit is dignity!

That was why he had spoken first, one word at a time . Even though his opponent was the mountain-like Wang Tengfei . Even though he faced dire calamity . Even though the whole world was against him . Even though he was alone, with no one to rely on . Despite all this… he still had his dignity . He lifted his head up and spoke .

This, was Meng Hao!

His words seemed to galvanize all the energy in his body . Death? What is death? So what if I haven’t even lived to see 17! You can humiliate me, you can cripple my Cultivation . But you can never make me yield! You can never break my spirit!

His voice had rung out in the silence, clear and distinct, yet filled with a certain loneliness . As he spoke, his bitterness was plain, but perhaps only Meng Hao himself could understand it . His hands clenched into fists . No one else could sense it, but along with Wang Tengfei’s words had come an invisible attack that attempted to force Meng Hao to collapse .

His body seemed as if it were about to disintegrate, his bones about to shatter . He felt a massive pressure trying to force him to kneel . His body shook, but he gritted his teeth and stood there, ignoring the pain in his bones .

“That treasure is mine,” said Wang Tengfei with a friendly smile . “It belongs to whomever I give it to . I didn’t give it to you, so you have no right to take it . ” His words seemed friendly, but were filled with menace, clear for everyone to hear . Smiling, he walked forward, raising his hand and waving a finger in Meng Hao’s direction .

Winds surged in the square, screaming around in circles, causing the robes of the disciples to flap . Meng Hao stood still, as if the air in the square had become death itself and held him bound . He couldn’t move a muscle . Suddenly, a pink jade pendant flew out from within his clothes and hovered in front of him . A pink shield appeared, covering Meng Hao protectively .

Wang Tengfei looked as affable as ever . His movements seemed completely casual, and as he took a second step, his finger waved a second time .

A bang resounded as the second finger movement stopped . The shield warped and twisted, flickering three times, then shattered in a deafening explosion . The jade pendant in front of him, the gift given to him by Elder Sister Xu, broke into pieces . Blood poured out of Meng Hao’s mouth, and the pressure on him increased . He gritted his teeth, unwavering . He stood there, trembling, unwilling to yield .

An exceedingly dark look filled his eyes, and he clenched his fists harder . His fingernails dug deep into the flesh of his palms .

With his usual kind smile, Wang Tengfei took a third step forward, landing directly in front of Meng Hao . He waved his finger a third time, and a force like a giant invisible hand ripped open Meng Hao’s clothing, revealing the jadeite gourd bottle hanging around his neck . The invisible hand snatched the gourd bottle, wrenching it away from Meng Hao and depositing it in Wang Tengfei’s palm .

Meng Hao’s face grew pale, and he coughed out a mouthful of blood . His body trembled, yet he couldn’t move . Veins of blood appeared in his eyes, and his hands were clenched incredibly tight . He felt the pain of his fingernails digging deep into his flesh . Blood began to drip out from between his fingers and drop to the ground .

“Cripple your Cultivation base . Sever an arm and a leg . Leave the sect . ” Wang Tengfei continued to smile, his warm voice reverberating across the square . He extended a finger for the fourth time, pointing toward Meng Hao’s chest .

Meng Hao glared back at Wang Tengfei . This entire time, he had only spoken once, never opening his mouth to say a second sentence . He did not scream or roar, but remained silent . More veins of blood appeared in his eyes and he clenched his fists even tighter . Because of the power he exerted, his fingernails snapped, lodged in his flesh . Blood dripped like rain .

Everything grew silent as people watched, their faces filled with derision . Their ridicule seemed to cut him away from the world, pushing him away until he was placed outside of everything .

And yet he still would not submit! What was a bit of physical pain?

Just as Wang Tengfei’s finger was about to fall again, a sound rang out from a distant mountain peak and a gentle power appeared next to Meng Hao, blocking the crippling finger .

A bang rang out . Wang Tengfei flicked his wide sleeve and glanced to the side . An old man stood there, wearing a long gray robe . He had some mottled brown marks on his face, and though quite tall and big, didn’t appear to be very mighty . This was the same person who had admired Meng Hao on the two previous occasions .

“You’ve taken the treasure back,” said the old man . “Let the matter drop . ” With a frown, he looked at Meng Hao standing there silently, blood dripping from his fists . He sighed, then looked back at Wang Tengfei .

“Since it is Grand Elder Ouyang interceding, junior will give in . ” Wang Tengfei smiled, looking indifferent . During the entire time, he had only spoken to Meng Hao twice . Sunlight shone down on him, illuminating his elegant figure, his long hair, his perfect demeanor . As far as he was concerned, Meng Hao didn’t even match up to an insect . As of this moment, he’d already placed Meng Hao out of his mind .

Meng Hao, covered in blood, was like a bug standing up against an elephant, who could crush him with a single step .

To Wang Tengfei, the things that had just happened were nothing . It was not that he felt contempt toward Meng Hao . He just didn’t care about him in the least bit . With a smile, he walked back into the crowd, chatting indifferently, as if nothing had happened . He began to give pointers to lower level disciples, emanating cordiality .

All the female disciples seemed obsessed with him . The other Cultivators viewed him with utmost respect . Everyone ignored Meng Hao, as if they had already forgotten about his existence .

Meng Hao was like the antithesis of Wang Tengfei . Covered in blood, his clothing in shreds, he cut a truly sorry figure .

Meng Hao could sense what Wang Tengfei thought of him . It wasn’t scorn, it was disregard . As Wang Tengfei left, Meng Hao felt a bit more relaxed, although his body hurt so bad it seemed he might collapse . Gritting his teeth, he saluted Grand Elder Ouyang with cupped hands .

Without another word, Meng Hao coughed up another mouthful of blood, clenched his jaw, and slowly walked off . His feet felt as if they would disintegrate at any moment . He was soaked with sweat, and every step caused heart-rending pain . Looking like a whipped dog, he slowly disappeared into the distance .

As he walked off, Grand Elder Ouyang seemed to be about to say something, but decided not to, and simply watched him depart .

Meng Hao returned to the Immortal’s Cave, and the instant the main door closed, he collapsed to the ground, unconscious . Wang Tengfei was already at the peak of the sixth level . There was no way for Meng Hao to compare to him . By refusing to give in and kneel, he had of course received internal injuries .

He was comatose for two full days, after which he finally opened his eyes, his body wracked with pain . It was difficult to move, but he lurched up into a sitting position . When he touched the ground with his hands, they burned painfully, as if the skin had been stripped off of them . Gasping huskily, he sat there quietly in the middle of the Immortal’s Cave .

After some time passed, he looked down at his hands . Ten broken fingernails protruded from the skin of his palms . After two days of coma, scabs had formed over the fingernails, but in his struggle to sit up, they had broken, and now blood oozed out .

Meng Hao looked at his hands, expressionless . After a while, he began to dig the broken fingernails out of his skin, one by one . Blood flowed out of his mangled palms, dripping to the ground and filling the cave with the scent of gore .

Through the entire process, Meng Hao’s facial expression did not change . It was as if the hands didn’t belong to him . There was a certain ruthlessness within him that was now clearly visible .

He looked down at the ten bloody fingernails . After a while, he collected them together and placed them next to the stone bed in the room . He planned to look at them every day as a reminder of the humiliation he had endured .

The day would come when that humiliation would be repaid in double!

He hadn’t spoken for a long time, but now he opened his mouth: “As for me, I shall rely on myself!” The hoarse voice almost didn’t sound like his own .