Chapter 65: Azure Blue Grass

The two clashed in an instant as they drew near.

"Die!"

With a chilling shout, Lin Hao’s eyes burned scarlet, their frigid gleam sharper than ever before. He took a single step, closing the distance in a blink, and drove his spear directly at the young man from the Li family.

“It’s you who will die!”

Startled, the Li family youth’s heart surged with dread. Despite the terror Lin Hao’s ruthless aura inspired, he forced himself to hold firm. His eyes flashed coldly as he drew from his storage pouch a compass radiating a fierce blue-green light, which he hurled straight at Lin Hao.

“Break!”

As his shout echoed, Lin Hao pressed his assault instead of retreating. His eyes, colder than ever, narrowed on his target. In a flash, the spear transformed by Heaven’s Execution was upon the blue compass, striking with unrelenting force.

A deafening explosion erupted. Lin Hao’s eyes blazed with icy intensity as he transformed into a bolt of lightning, sending the blue compass flying with a single, overwhelming strike.

The compass shone with a terrifying blue radiance, then abruptly burst into white light. Cracks spider-webbed across its surface, and suddenly it erupted into a blinding flash, unleashing a raging storm that swept outward in all directions.

Though described at length, it all transpired in the span of a heartbeat—from Lin Hao’s lethal strike to the compass’s destruction, everything happened in an instant.

“I’ll send you to your grave!”

Without hesitation, Lin Hao’s eyes gleamed with merciless light. In a blink, he stepped forward again. His hoarse voice was barely a whisper as, shrouded in red light, he became a streak of white, appearing beside the Li family youth and driving his spear at the young man’s throat.

In less than the space of ten breaths, the Li family youth was reduced to a mist of blood and flesh.

No matter how unimaginable it seemed, a mere outer disciple from a remote region had slain him. He had never expected that someone like this would dare to actually kill him.

Having finished, Lin Hao landed lightly, the spear of Heaven’s Execution dissipating from his hand. Turning to the others behind him, his gaze deep and cold, he spoke with quiet authority:

“Hand over your tokens, or die.”

The crowd’s eyes flickered with fear and awe. Without delay, they dropped to their knees, hastily producing their tokens and tossing them forward, then fled as quickly as they could.

Lin Hao wasted no time. With a wave of his hand, he collected the tokens, then gathered those left on the bodies as well, pausing to calculate his spoils.

In all, he had collected well over a hundred tokens—enough to guarantee his entry to the Inner Sect.

After a brief moment, Lin Hao strode quickly to Bai Li’s side. His gaze contemplative, he spoke softly:

“It’s over now.”

With that, Lin Hao found a quiet spot and sat cross-legged, tending to his wounds. After a while, he lay down, lost in thought.

By rights, he shouldn’t have so many tokens, yet with this many, he could bring Bai Li to many places. As for what awaited them after entering the Inner Sect, that was beyond his knowledge.

From this point on, everything would have to be carefully planned.

With these thoughts, Lin Hao soon drifted into sleep. Not long after, Bai Li opened her eyes and, seeing Lin Hao before her, shook her head with a trace of melancholy. She sat silently by his side, keeping him company without a word.

Time flowed quietly by, and dawn soon arrived. After that night, Lin Hao's wounds had stabilized, and Bai Li’s injuries were much improved. Yet to their surprise, the trial ended the very next day, and Zhang Lai—the man who had brought them—returned to escort them back to the sect. Bai Li noticed that the way the others looked at Lin Hao had changed; it was as if they already knew everything that had happened in the secret realm.

Bai Li said nothing, merely noting the matter in her heart before returning to her quarters and informing Lin Hao.

Lin Hao, however, seemed utterly unconcerned, simply shaking his head and saying nothing more. Bai Li did not press him, understanding he must have his own reasons and that it was best not to meddle.

What did surprise Lin Hao, though, was that their Inner Sect identity tokens did not arrive until the following day. He was puzzled, but upon reflection, it made sense. With the Qingluo Sect’s current situation, Inner Sect admission would require review. Having revealed such power in the secret realm, he was bound to attract attention. That his tokens were delayed was only natural.

With this, Lin Hao let the matter go. Taking Bai Li with him, they made their way to the Inner Sect residence assigned to them.

They crossed wooded paths and streams, wandering through the Qingluo Sect’s lands until they found themselves at a secluded pavilion.

Without hesitation, they entered. Looking at the elegant vases, landscapes, and woods around them, both felt a wave of emotion. Not long ago, they had been mere servant disciples; to now enter the Inner Sect was beyond anything they had imagined.

Meeting each other’s gaze, they both knew—these silent moments were full of stories that no one else would ever know, yet for them, these memories would never fade.

Their journey was only beginning; the road ahead would take them far.

With these thoughts, Lin Hao’s eyes glimmered with a smile. With a gentle laugh, he pulled Bai Li into his arms and carried her to the bed in the pavilion.

They had not dual-cultivated for some time.

As night fell, after their union, they lay side by side in silence, gazing into the distant sky. Their eyes sparkled with anticipation, as if peering through the heavens toward the future.

The days ahead were full of promise. Yet, the danger from the Li family youth slain in the secret realm had not passed.

All they could do was wait quietly and cultivate, hoping that when the next crisis came, they would survive unscathed.

With these thoughts, Lin Hao and Bai Li embraced again before dawn broke.

Strangely, since their arrival at the Qingluo Sect, many things had happened one after another. Lin Hao found himself full of questions about Bai Li; her appearance was mysterious, and his own memories of the past had grown hazy.

He could not understand, nor did he dare dwell on it. There were things that, for now, he simply could not probe.

After some contemplation, Lin Hao rose quietly, dressed, and slipped outside.

The night before, he had studied the new identity token and found it contained missions issued by the sect or other Inner Sect disciples. Under the sect’s rules, these missions were reliable, as disciples had to abide by their agreements.

Lin Hao had taken a mission to gather Qinglan Grass, which grew in the southern mountains of the Qingluo Sect. The area was filled with toxic miasma, dangerous to one’s spirit and body.

Considering Bai Li’s injuries were not yet healed, Lin Hao hesitated but ultimately decided not to bring her along.

He himself might be able to collect a good amount of Qinglan Grass, which could be exchanged for pills to aid Bai Li’s recovery.

With this in mind, Lin Hao set out for the mountains.

He didn’t know that shortly after his departure, Bai Li quietly left the house as well, following him at a distance, careful not to be seen.

When she realized where Lin Hao was headed, her lashes trembled and her beautiful eyes shone with emotion. That he would go to such lengths for her—what more could she ask?

Her heart overflowing with gratitude, Bai Li followed him at a measured distance, neither too close nor too far.

Before long, they reached the place where Qinglan Grass grew. Watching Lin Hao gather the herbs, Bai Li shook her head, her eyes shadowed with sadness as she, too, began picking grass.

Suddenly, a cool, clear voice rang out: “Come out. You’ve been following me for quite some time, haven’t you?”

It was unmistakably Lin Hao’s voice.

As Bai Li prepared to step out, her eyes suddenly narrowed, a glint of cold light appearing deep within them. She noticed three figures emerge swiftly from the nearby forest.

They stopped before Lin Hao. The leading woman spoke calmly:

“Master Lin, how did you discover us?”

Lin Hao did not reply. A faint red glow flickered in his eyes as he placed the Qinglan Grass aside and summoned Heaven’s Execution into his hand, where its cold, white light shimmered visibly.

The sword gleamed with an icy edge, killing intent radiating from it. Lin Hao spoke in his raspy voice:

“Who are you? What do you want?”

His tone was cold, and his gaze forbidding. Someone who had tracked him this long must have an agenda; otherwise, she wouldn’t have revealed herself so readily.

The woman replied, “I am Bai Ling, the fiancée of the man you killed from the Li family.”

Her eyes flashed with a profound, inscrutable light. Though her voice was calm and deliberate, it carried an immense pressure, instantly chilling the air and silencing all present.

The clearing seemed even more deserted.

“So…”

Lin Hao stared at her, silent for a long moment. At last, his hoarse murmur broke the stillness; his eyes gleamed red as he spoke softly:

“Since you’re here, you might as well leave your life behind.”

He raised Heaven’s Execution, white light swirling across its length. The spear seemed to pulse with a mysterious power, exuding a terrifying aura that filled the air with an unspeakable menace.

“Wait, please!”

The woman’s pupils contracted sharply as her heart tightened with dread. She quickly raised her hands in a placating gesture, her demeanor instantly wary. She knew that if Lin Hao could kill a Li clan member, he could certainly kill her.

“What do you mean?” Lin Hao’s eyes narrowed, his gaze growing deeper, a faint murderous intent seeping from him.

“I am here today on another matter. I come not to seek vengeance.”

Sensing the danger around Lin Hao, the woman did not dare act rashly. She cupped her fists respectfully and spoke in a clear, cold tone:

“It is known that the Qingluo Sect possesses a treasure called the Heavenly Dust Pearl. I have come to offer one hundred thousand spirit stones in exchange for your help in obtaining it and presenting it to my Wang family. In addition, we are willing to resolve past enmity by offering our family’s direct daughter in marriage.”

She bowed again, a show of respect.

“Leave. I’m not interested.”

Lin Hao’s eyes darkened. After a moment’s thought, he responded coolly.

“There’s no need to refuse so quickly. Here is a token of goodwill. Accept it, and my family will contact you again.”

As if having anticipated his answer, the woman smiled faintly. She drew a dagger radiating potent energy from her storage pouch and tossed it to Lin Hao.

“This treasure was obtained by my father in a perilous land. Today, I offer it to you as a gift.”

With that, she bowed and departed, her eyes thoughtful as she vanished into the distance.

“A gift before the blade, is it…”

Lin Hao’s eyes flickered with a cold, inscrutable light. With a faint, almost imperceptible smile, he put away the dagger and resumed gathering herbs.

Time flowed quietly by, and soon, an hour had passed…