In the next instant, Guru Heavencloud stepped toward Meng Hao. Before he could get close, Fang Shoudao snorted and prepared to make a move. But then, Meng Hao reached out and blocked his path.

"Hao'er, you...." Fang Shoudao looked at Meng Hao, and noticed the strange look in his eyes as he looked up at the vortex.

The vortex was slowing down, apparently having lost interest in Heavencloud. It began to dissipate, the nine sharp weapons having already returned back inside.

However... the four black-armored figures were still standing outside, almost as if they had forgotten about the vanishing vortex. They were all looking at Meng Hao, as if he was of incredible interest to them.

Meng Hao's heart was pounding. He didn't have time to pay any heed to Guru Heavencloud. The sight of the four black-armored figures caused the Paragon's blood inside of him to seethe, and the Demon Sealing Hexing magic to churn. Shockingly, he was somehow connected to those four figures.

It was an invisible connection, but Meng Hao was clearly able to sense the confusion which existed in the four of them.

He took a deep breath and said, "Come...." The instant the word left his mouth, the black-armored figures began to move. In the blink of an eye, they appeared directly in front of Meng Hao!!

Their speed vastly exceeded that of Guru Heavencloud with his towering murderous aura. Before he could even get close, the four black-armored figures were directly in front of Meng Hao.

This development caused Guru Heavencloud to stare in shock. He might only have one hundred years of longevity left, but he still believed that there was nothing left in the world that could shock or astonish him. However, as of this moment, his heart was pounding.

"This...."

He wasn't the only shocked one. Fang Shoudao gasped, and his eyes filled with an expression of disbelief. The other surrounding cultivators, including the members of the Fang Clan, were all gaping in astonishment.

How could they not be, considering that these four black-armored figures were... the third tribulation when stepping into the Dao!!

Now, that third tribulation wasn't dissipating, but listening to Meng Hao's words as if they were orders. The scene that was playing out left everyone's minds reeling.

"This is a trick!" Guru Heavencloud roared, continuing to charge toward Meng Hao. "There's no way that you can control the Mountain and Sea War--" However, before he could even finish speaking, he suddenly shivered as if he had just seen an evil spirit.

That was because he was currently witnessing the four terrifying armored figures suddenly... kneeling to Meng Hao!!

They bent down on one knee and lifted their right hands high into the air. That was... the most respectful form of salute that could be given in the ancient Immortal World. Anyone who used such a form of salute was showing that they were a complete inferior offering wholehearted respect to a superior!

Massive waves of shock battered Fang Shoudao's mind as he gaped at the scene. He simply couldn't believe what he was seeing. Actually, he knew a bit about the history of his clan, and knew of the word 'Allheaven'.

However, there were still many aspects of the matter that were unclear to him. Even his own cultivation base had been affected by the momentous bloodline changes not too long ago. A Dao seed had appeared inside of him as well, prompting an investigation by himself and Fang Yanxu. They had even gone to pay respects to the clone of the first generation Patriarch, and that was where they had gotten their answer.

"The clan's blood has changed; the will of the Patriarch has come. He is the source of the Dao, the Fang Clan's eternal Patriarch!" That was what the first generation Patriarch's clone had said. At the time, Fang Shoudao didn't quite understand what he meant. But as soon as he laid eyes on Meng Hao earlier, his heart had been shaken to the core. There was something completely shocking about Meng Hao, some aura that filled Fang Shoudao with fanaticism, and the desire to offer worship.

Meng Hao could control the life or death of every member of the Fang Clan, and could also control the Dao seeds within their blood!

Even more astonishing to Fang Shoudao was that Meng Hao was clearly not an ordinary clan member any more. He was like a shining light, and the closer Fang Shoudao got to him, the more he felt as if his blood were boiling. Furthermore, that desire to offer worship increased dramatically!

In that first moment of shock, he thought back to what the first generation Patriarch's clone had said.

Shortly thereafter, Meng Hao had wiped away the Dao seed in the Elder, and Fang Shoudao's doubts were completely dispelled. At that point, he was certain... that Meng Hao was the reason for all the transformations that had occurred in the Fang Clan. He was what the first generation Patriarch's clone had referred to as... the source of the Dao in the bloodline, the Fang Clan's eternal Patriarch!

All of that was shocking in and of itself. But even more shocking was what had happened just now with the black-armored figures. Fang Shoudao took a deep breath, and his eyes shone with a strange light.

Hao'er can actually make the Mountain and Sea War Generals kneel before him.... He can actually control them.... That means that from now on, whenever someone from the Fang Clan tries to step into the Dao, the third tribulation... will be much easier to pass!

The surrounding cultivators and Fang Clan members were all staring in shock at the scene playing out in front of them. It was something which they would never forget.

"Hao'er, you... you can control them?" Fang Shoudao asked, sounding uncertain.

"Kill him!" Meng Hao said suddenly, wanting to know the answer himself. Eyes flashing, he pointed directly at Guru Heavencloud, his killing intent swirling.

Meng Hao's action caused Guru Heavencloud's scalp to feel like it was about to explode, and he fell back. He might only have a hundred years of longevity left, and was already mad, but that didn't mean he actually wished to die.

Dying in this moment, and dying a hundred years from this moment, were two very different things. He obviously wanted to live as long as possible, so therefore, when he saw the black-armored figures rising up in response to Meng Hao pointing, when he sensed their towering murderous auras, when they began to head in his direction, Guru Heavencloud was finally... afraid.

All of the fear and terror of Meng Hao that he had been keeping under control until now finally exploded out!

"Who... who is he really? He can mobilize the entire Fang Clan for war, he can make Fang Shoudao suck up to him, and he can actually control the third tribulation Mountain and Sea War Generals!!"

The last part was the most critical aspect as far as Guru Heavencloud was concerned. When he saw that Meng Hao could control the very Dao Tribulation that he himself had failed at, his entire world was overturned. It was as if everything he knew had crumbled away.

Even as he fell back, the four black-armored figures closed in. Heaven-shaking, Earth-shattering murderous auras exploded out from them. It was merely energy, and yet colors flashed and the starry sky shook. Blood sprayed out of Guru Heavencloud's mouth, and he instantly grew five or six years older.

A strange light appeared in Fang Shoudao's eyes as he murmured, "According to the legends, the Mountain and Sea War Generals were cultivators who served the Paragons, and killed hosts of Outsiders on the ancient battlefields. Supposedly, they built up stupendous killing intent, to the point where they controlled the will of death! Obviously, the legends are true!"

Quasi-Dao experts were incredibly powerful, and under normal circumstances could never be taken lightly. But when fighting the Mountain and Sea War Generals... it was a completely different matter!

Their energy alone was enough to reduce Guru Heavencloud's longevity by five or six years. That alone attested to how terrifying they were, and left Guru Heavencloud in complete terror. He performed a double-handed incantation gesture and waved his finger in front of him, causing Essence power to erupt out. Just as he was about to begin fighting, one of the black-armored figures lifted its right hand and then made a chopping motion.

That chopping motion caused the starry sky to rumble, as if it were about to be ripped apart. All of Guru Heavencloud's defenses crumbled. His body trembled, and in the blink of an eye, he aged by another twenty years!!

Blood sprayed out of his mouth as the second black-armored figure made a chopping motion as well, followed by the third figure. The fourth black-armored figure followed up with a fourth fluid chopping motion!

Guru Heavencloud was completely incapable of evading these three strikes, nor could he resist them or fight back. Rumbling sounds filled the air, and more blood sprayed out of his mouth. He immediately aged by twenty years, forty years, sixty years, eighty years!

By this point, he had only a few dozen years of longevity left. He now looked completely ancient, and was surrounded by an aura of death.

"The Mountain and Sea War Generals rebuke the Quasi-Dao Realm!" Fang Shoudao observed the four black-armored figures with gleaming eyes. He could almost see images from some ancient era, in which a vast number of these Mountain and Sea War Generals had fought with the Paragons on countless battlefields.

Meng Hao's mind also trembled as he watched the scene play out. Suddenly, Guru Heavencloud threw his head back and laughed bitterly.

"Meng Hao, do you dare to fight one-on-one with me? If I die in this battle, at least I can die with no regrets!" He feared the Mountain and Sea War Generals, and how easily they could defeat him. He knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that he was going to die, but before that happened, he wanted to cut down Meng Hao!

Meng Hao looked away from the four black-armored figures toward Guru Heavencloud, and his eyes flickered with the desire to fight.

"You want to fight!? Allow me to fulfil your desire!" He began to stride forward, causing rumbling sounds to shake the starry sky. Shocking azure light rose up, and in the blink of an eye, he was in front of Guru Heavencloud. Immortal mountains descended, and the Supernova Magic exploded out, along with a Violet Moon. The Ninth Mountain appeared, and the Blood Demon roared. It all transformed into a maelstrom which rumbled out toward Guru Heavencloud.

He attacked relentlessly and with a completely domineering air. The wave of a hand caused the Essence of Divine Flame to rumble out, creating a burning sea of flames. Guru Heavencloud's face went pale, and he performed an incantation gesture, summoning countless divine abilities. In the blink of an eye, he and Meng Hao exchanged hundreds of blows.

The battle was shocking, causing numerous asteroids in the asteroid field to shatter. The void vibrated, and the starry sky rumbled. At the same time, Guru Heavencloud's longevity continued to waste away.

Thirteen years. Nine years. Six years. Three years... One year!

Ten months. Seven months. Five months. Three months.... One month!!

Twenty-seven days. Twenty days. Thirteen days. Six days.... One day!!

Meng Hao's qi and blood surged, and his desire to fight soared. He took a step forward and punched out.

It was the Life-Extermination Fist, followed by the Bedevilment Fist, and then the God-Slaying Fist!

"DIE!" he roared, his killing intent surging.

These three fists strikes filled Guru Heavencloud with a sense of impending doom that was no weaker than what he had felt from the black-armored figures. He threw his head back and roared bitterly, attacking with all his strength. Meng Hao was half a step into the Allheaven Dao Immortal Realm, and Heavencloud was a gasping, seriously wounded Quasi-Dao cultivator!

They were like two meteors which slammed into each other, causing colors to flash up above, and a huge wind to blast out.

A massive tempest sprang up, obscuring everyone's vision. However, when it cleared, Meng Hao was hovering there in the starry sky, looking every bit like some sort of celestial warrior!

In front of him was Guru Heavencloud, blood oozing out of his mouth as he looked at Meng Hao, his expression conflicted. He was filled with regret as his body cracked into pieces and transformed into ash that... faded out into the starry sky!

It was at this point that the four black-armored figures clasped hands and bowed deeply to Meng Hao.

Fang Shoudao and the other members of the Fang Clan suddenly felt something inside of them, an azure light which shone out, just like Meng Hao's!

"Eternal Patriarch of the Fang Clan...." Fang Shoudao murmured excitedly.