"No...." Meng Hao was trembling as tears of anguish rolled down his cheeks. His world was crumbling. This was the second time he had experienced the pain of a father passing away. The first time had been with Ke Yunhai, and now, it was with his true father, Fang Xiufeng.

Memories from his childhood rose up in his mind; how his father had slaughtered Fang Clan cultivators to protect him, and how he had agreed to be stranded on Planet South Heaven for 100,000 years for him.

He remembered reuniting with his parents, and the look in his father's eyes as he passed on his sword technique, simultaneously cowing all of South Heaven.

He remembered his father's quiet encouragement when he had finally left Planet South Heaven.

He remembered how tall and strong his father seemed, like a mountain in his heart....

He remembered how, after becoming the Crown Prince of the Fang Clan, he had taken the whole clan to pay respects, and the tears of pride which had glistened in his father's eyes.

He remembered how, after his cultivation base had reached towering heights, and the war had broken out, his father had looked at him with such awe and reverence. Back then, he didn't understand that, and had even felt hurt, and alone. But he had buried those feelings, and focused on being strong. Now, in that single look that his father gave him, Meng Hao realized that it had all been done intentionally by his father.

He realized that his father chose to die because, at this critical and deadly crossroads in the war, he didn't want to become... a hindrance to his son.

He hoped that his own death would give Meng Hao a chance to survive.

His love for his son was clear, and profoundly deep.

Everything he did was for his son, for Meng Hao....

A father is often stern, and doesn't express his love for his children. But when the critical moment arrives... he will sacrifice himself, even if all that gives them is a bit more time to flee for their lives.

Meng Hao was trembling, and his hands were clenched tightly into fists. His heart was broken, and as his tears spilled down his face, they began to turn red. A strange sound began to echo in his throat, and it was hard to tell whether it was weeping or laughter, despair or rage.

Off in the distance, Fang Wei's head flew off of his shoulders as he was decapitated.... In the moment before he was killed, his glaring eyes seemed to shout I am Fang Wei, I will defend... the Fang Clan.

Countless members of the Fang Clan wept with madness as they fought. One after another self-detonated, using that power to batter at the Outsiders.

Fang Yu was attacking like mad, just as everyone else was. Sun Hai was by her side. She was the true love of his life, and he would protect her even if he died doing so. Shielding her with his body, they slaughtered their way into the Outsiders.

Meng Hao's mother was standing there in a daze, her hand extended as if she were trying to grab hold of something. However, there was nothing there.... She watched as her husband transformed into a blazing inferno, then into ash, taking numerous Outsiders with him into death. Trembling, she smiled.

It was a poignant smile, a soft smile, and at the same time, her eyes filled with both understanding and determination.

"When we got married, you said... that we would live together and die together....

"During Meng Hao's Seventh Year Tribulation, you said that together we would defy fate.

"That night, you went, sword in hand, to cut down the vile clan members who persecuted Hao'er. You thought that I wasn't watching, but I was. You returned, soaked in blood, and wept softly as you looked over Hao'er as he slept.

"In the Tower of Tang, you stopped me from going to save him, but I knew that at the same time, your heart was breaking. You were struggling just like I was, and I knew because when you held my hand, your hand was shaking even harder than mine.

"When Hao'er brought the clan to pay respects, you put on a casual front, but I know that you were more excited and proud than you had ever been.

"When Yu'er brought Sun Hai to meet us, I know that you had already run a thorough investigation on him. You wholeheartedly approved of your son-in-law, because you realized how sincere his feelings were for Yu'er.

"To ensure that everyone revered and respected Hao'er, you had to pretend that you were awestruck. I know that you did that... for Hao'er....

"You aren't the type of person who is good at expressing himself, but I know that you love Hao'er and Yu'er just as much as I do....

"We were married on Planet East Victory, and sent to stand guard on Planet South Heaven. We spent many years together, but today, you've gone.... And I'll go with you, because I remember that oath we made on the day we were married.

"We live together... and we die together!"

Even as the booms echoed out on the battlefield, Meng Li turned to look at Meng Hao and Fang Yu, and she smiled. She was loathe to part with them, but she understood the meaning of Fang Xiufeng's death. And so, she began to walk out onto the battlefield.

"Hao'er, Yu'er, flee from this place. It doesn't matter how, get away... Flee, and live."

Meng Hao trembled as he watched his mother walk out into the Outsider army. As they swept over her, a sudden explosion ripped through their ranks.

Blue veins popped out on Meng Hao's face and neck. His eyes were bloodshot, and he was shaking so hard that wisps of smoke began to rise up from his head.

"Dad.... Mom...." Tears flowed down his face. He wanted to cry, and at the same time, to laugh. He wanted to howl in anguish, and roar in rage. However, all the sounds were stuck in his throat.

In that moment, Meng Hao's world seemed to stop moving. His blood ceased flowing. Everything went still.

The only sound that could be heard was the beating of his heart, which pounded like thunder. It filled his mind, as if it wished to burst out from within him, to sweep through the starry sky and put an end to everything!

Suddenly, the cold voice of the female Paragon echoed out. "This planet will be destroyed. That man who just died was your father? And that woman who died with him was your mother? How amusing."

Her words were like a key that unlocked the cage within which Meng Hao had been festering. He suddenly began to laugh, a laughter filled with misery, dementia, and defiance!

"Gone...? Are they really gone...?

"You people, should die. You... shall die. You... MUST DIE!" As Meng Hao laughed, tears of blood streamed down his face. He was shaking harder than ever now, and at the same time, a terrifying aura erupted out of him.

When the female Paragon heard his laughter, she shivered uncontrollably, and her heart seized. For some reason, she even felt a bit frightened.

When the large-headed cultivator heard Meng Hao's laughter, his pupils constricted.

Meng Hao slowly looked up, his eyes shining with grief as he looked out across the battlefield. "You want to corrupt my Dao? You want to defile my blood? You want to befoul my soul....?

"I was fighting back before. I didn't want that defilement. But now I think, maybe that was a mistake....

"Who cares about a bit of befoulment!?!?" Eyes shining with coldness and insanity, he embraced the grief, and suddenly, the look in his eyes transformed into something bizarrely shocking.

"Who cares about some defilement? I don't need my Dao. I don't need my blood. I don't need my soul. I only need... to kill you people!" Even as the words left his mouth, it was without the slightest hesitation that he stopped fighting back against the corruption and defilement within his blood. In the blink of an eye, he began to shake as the power of the curse transformed his blood, stained his soul, washed over his bones, and besmirched his Dao foundation.

All of a sudden, the aura which erupted from within him was no longer that of the Immortal Realm or the Ancient Realm. Instead, it was some type of fusion, an indescribable, unspeakable aura.

It was a multifarious aura. Moments ago, it had been completely ordinary, but now it was almost diabolical. Before, it was pure and clean, but now it was corrupt and defiled!

Black veins spread out across his face, and then his entire body. His hair grew incredibly long, and shrill laughter rang out as he stood there shaking.

As the laughter filled the air, he shattered his Dao foundation, and his Immortal meridians!

The surrounding Outsiders were completely and utterly shocked. They could sense something terrifying within Meng Hao, something that was neither Immortal, God, nor Devil. It was like a mutation!!

A shocking aura which had mutated out from an Immortal!

"You... you...." the female Paragon said with a gasp. She seemed astonished, even incredulous. She was sure that her corruption magic shouldn't do anything like this. After unleashing it, the victim should have turned into a pool of defiled blood, but now... although Meng Hao clearly was being corrupted... he wasn't dying, but instead was undergoing some strange transmogrification.

"How could this be!?" she thought. Her scalp was tingling from the bizarre, indescribable sensation she was now getting from Meng Hao.

It was almost as if Heaven and Earth were being affected, as if the starry sky were being influenced. All Immortals, all Gods, all cultivators, everything in existence could sense the incredible pressure coming from Meng Hao.

"What... what is that?!"

The large-headed cultivator's eyes went wide, and he began to pant as he started at Meng Hao, his mind reeling.

Rumbling could be heard as Meng Hao slowly looked up. His eyes were now bright red, not from being bloodshot, but because, in his pain and anguish, they had actually turned crimson.

They were like gemstones, but if you looked at them long enough, they seemed like seas of blood.

He had bright red eyes, skin covered with black veins, and long pitch-black hair. As he stood there, all creation seemed to be trembling, and ripples were surging out through the starry sky. At the same time, a sensation of utter terror began to rise up in the hearts of the Outsiders.

It was as if... some sinister and mysterious pressure had suddenly begun to radiate out from Meng Hao.

"The only person who knows what choice I made back then," he murmured, "is me." With that, he waved his hand, and his Soul Lamps suddenly appeared.

They were different than before; these Soul Lamps burned with a mysterious, blue-violet flame!

The blue-violet fire made no noise as it burned, and yet the entire starry sky shook.

Both on Planet South Heaven and outside of it, Outsiders and cultivators alike, everyone, even the Paragons, even Shui Dongliu, felt a terrifying sensation!