Chapter 128: Li Daoyis Sixth Matrix
As Meng Hao walked out of the fifth matrix carrying the mastiff, Wang Lihai also emerged. His Blood Divinity, the fierce-looking Xuanwu tortoise, was also covered in wounds.
Ahead of Meng Hao and Wang Lihai was Li Daoyi, who still hadnt passed through the sixth matrix.
Behind the two, five people were still stuck in the fifth matrix.
Wang Lihais gaze fell upon Meng Hao, and his eyes narrowed slightly. Then he sat down cross-legged off to the side. After he emerged from the spell matrix, the power of heaven and earth in the surrounding area rushed into Meng Hao, which he then channeled into the dying mastiff.
Meng Hao produced large amounts of medicinal pills, which he fed one by one to the mastiff to aid in the recovery process.
Thankfully, the spiritual energy was quite thick on the platforms, especially the one outside the fifth matrix. The mastiff absorbed the thick energy from Meng Hao, and its wounds slowly began to heal. Its shattered bones gradually grew back together. After a while, the mastiff was no longer on the verge of death. Having recovered some energy, it licked Meng Haos palm, and then struggled to its feet and began absorbing spiritual energy on its own.
In the outside world of the Southern Domain, everyone was in a stir. Nearly ten thousand pairs of eyes had all converged on Meng Hao and Wang Lihai; excited discussions filled the air.
Time passed. Seven days later, Song Jia staggered out from the fifth matrix. Her Blood Phoenix did not emerge with her....
She immediately sat down cross-legged. Soon after, a greenish beam of light emerged from the green stone altar off in the distance. It flew down toward Song Jia, who then spit out some blood from her Cultivation base. A blood-colored butterfly magically appeared and began to flutter around her.
Seeing this, Meng Hao came to the conclusion that her Blood Divinity had fallen. He wasnt sure how she had managed to pass through the fifth matrix, but whatever had happened, she now had the chance to select a new Blood Divinity.
A few more days passed. Wang Lihai finished meditating. With a look of determination on his face, he entered the sixth matrix. Song Jia sat there for a long time before following him.
One by one, the rest of the competitors emerged from the fifth matrix, except for the disciple from the Golden Frost Sect, who never appeared. He was the first competitor... to fall in the Blood Immortal Legacy tournament.
After his death, another Cultivator from the outside world entered the Legacy zone. However, considering everyone else had already passed the fifth matrix, unless this person had truly heaven-defying luck, they would never have a chance at acquiring the Legacy. There was simply not enough time.
The death of the Golden Frost Sect disciple caused the young competitor from the Violet Fate Sect to stand thoughtfully for a moment on the platform outside of the fifth matrix. Quite some time passed before he decided to leave, not confident of his ability to pass through the sixth matrix. This could very well be his last opportunity to make it out alive.
After a longer period of thought, the competitor from the Solitary Sword Sect, feeling it unwise to continue on, also opted to leave.
The disciple from the Blood Demon Sect, the one who looked like Wang Youcai from seven or eight years ago, emerged expressionlessly from the fifth matrix and immediately sat down to absorb spiritual energy for a few days. Then, he and his human-shaped Blood Divinity followed Li Daoyi, Wang Lihai and Song Jia into the sixth matrix, making him the fourth to enter.
Of the nine matrixes of the Blood Immortal Legacy tournament, the difficulty seemed to increase exponentially, especially after the fourth matrix. Even for those thoroughly prepared, it was still difficult.
This was especially true of the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth matrixes. In the past seven tournaments, only one person had ever set foot into the ninth matrix.
And that person was a Chosen of the Li Clan!
Other than him, only thirteen competitors had ever made it past the sixth matrix. Only six had ever made it past the seventh matrix.
Starting with the sixth matrix, the level of difficulty, and the consequences of elimination, were increasingly brutal. Therefore, many left after the fifth matrix. Their main goal in participating was not to acquire the Legacy, but to undergo training.
You could say that the experience gained in the Blood Immortal Legacy tournament was something that few Cultivators ever had the opportunity to get.
Several more days passed, and finally Meng Hao opened his eyes. The spiritual energy surrounding him was almost completely dispersed. The second Dao Pillar within him was approximately ninety percent complete. After passing through the sixth portal, he should be able to thoroughly complete it.
The mastiff stood in front of him, completely recovered from injuries and in very high spirits. Once again, its Cultivation base had grown; it was now at the middle Core Formation stage. Its body was fifteen meters long, and it looked like a small mountain. Its red eyes glowed savagely, and its coat of red fur was long and luxurious. Its long, terrifying teeth glittered brilliantly.
Its claws were especially frightening, as long as a persons face, and seemingly powerful enough to rip the earth to pieces.
When Meng Hao stood up, the mastiff seemed especially excited. Meng Hao walked forward, and its mountain-like shape followed along. The sight was an assault on the senses, filled with power, causing the thousands upon thousands of onlookers outside in the Southern Domain to watch on with quaking hearts. This scene would forever be imprinted in their memories.
The sixth matrix... Meng Hao looked at it and took a deep breath, then glanced back at the mastiff. Its fierce expression instantly changed. A charming expression showed in its eyes, and it lowered his head so that Meng Hao could pet it. It closed its eyes contentedly.
Im definitely going to take you out of here with me! said Meng Hao, smiling as he looked at the mastiffs happy expression. His eyes filled with determination. Patting the mastiffs head one last time, he walked forward, stepping into the sixth matrix. The mastiffs body turned into a flash of light as it followed.
The sixth matrix!
In this world, the sky was filled with thunder and lightning. As soon as Meng Hao entered, thunderclaps assailed his ears. It was immediately obvious that this world was not very large.
The ground was a sludgy swamp from which emanated the stench of decay and death. Off in the distance... was an enormous ancient temple. The entire temple was pitch black in color, and next to it was a gigantic statue. The statue was clothed in a simple robe, and its right hand was lifted up toward the sky. Its left hand touched the hilt of a sword.
The sword... was floating in mid-air.
The temple seemed almost primordial, and it radiated an ancient air. From this far away, it looked almost like a mountain. Lightning crashed down, seemingly desiring to destroy the temple, as if it did not approve of its existence.
The flashes of lighnting illuminated the sludge on the ground. Countless emaciated arms could be seen stretching up from the ooze, reaching and grasping for something. From a distance, the field of arms seemed to stretch out forever.
Also visible within the sludge were faces, from the mouths of which emitted tormented screams. There were men and women, old and young. Bizarre green tentacles grew out from the faces, which swayed back and forth....
Meng Hao looked at all of this, and though he wasnt familiar with this world, nor had he ever seen the temple which lay off in the distance, he was still able to guess its name.
Doom.... Screams echoed up from the faces within the ooze. The screaming was composed of countless voices combined together. The screams seemed to be filled with rage against the heavens from people who had died unwillingly. The fury would not subside, no matter how many years had passed. This was a part of the name of their Clan.
Doom!
The Ancient Doom Clan, not tolerated by the will of the Heavens. Tribulation extermination was sent, but the clan was not willing to die. They gathered the entire power of their clan to form their sacred temple. They claimed the land as theirs, and defied the heavens. The land could not be harmed, nor the temple destroyed. The Doom Clan could not be completely eradicated!
At the apex of the temple was an enormous drum, completely black in color, as if it had been dyed over and over with blood over the course of countless years.
At the bottom of the temple, next to the gigantic statue, was a stone door, half-open. A glowing light emanated out, illuminating the carvings of various ferocious creatures which decorated the door.
An archaic voice rumbled out like thunder: If you wish to acquire my Legacy, then enter my temple! It rang out over the sound of the screams, covering everything.
Meng Haos eyes flashed, and next to him, the mountain-like, fifteen-meter-long mastiff bared its razor-sharp teeth and glared about. A low growl rumbled in its throat, and a fierce look emanated from its eyes. Its huge frame, and its luxuriant, crimson fur, along with the sharp spurs which protruded from its bones, caused it to look shocking to the extreme.
Thunder rumbled in the sky, and lightning struck constantly, illuminating the land. Meng Haos body turned into a multicolored beam as he flew into the air, heading straight toward the ancient temple. Behind him, the mastiff let out a roar, and then followed him.
As soon as the two of them flew into the air, the outstretched hands within the sludge suddenly began to stretch out. In the blink of an eye, they had reached Meng Hao, and were about to grab him.
He let out a cold snort and slapped his bag of holding. The two wooden swords flew out, circling around him at high speed. Blood spattered out as approaching hands were immediately lopped off, before they could even get near Meng Hao.
Black blood spattered down like rain. A foul stench began to fill the air, and, in fact, this entire world. The mastiffs body began to glow red. Not a single arm was able to touch it; they were instantly ripped into shreds.
However, even as Meng Hao and the mastiff sped along, nearly to the half-way point, a forlorn, shrill sound arose from the various faces in the ooze. The green, parasitic tentacles which grew out from them suddenly stood up on end, one by one. They transformed into countless sharp spikes which shot toward Meng Hao.