Chapter 87: Crescent Peak

A hoarse cry rang out from Lin Hao’s throat as he surged after Chen Ping in a relentless pursuit. At his words, the black-clad woman’s eyes flashed with icy light, and an overwhelming murderous aura burst from her body as she went straight for Chen Ping’s life.

“Spirit Armor!”

Seeing Lin Hao’s blood-soaked figure, like an undying asura, Chen Ping’s face was drained of color with utter terror. In frantic panic, he forced the assault of the Heavenly Execution blade back with a wave of his hand, then hurled a vicious punch toward Lin Hao.

With the Spirit Armor bolstering him, Chen Ping could barely hold Lin Hao’s ground. Yet Lin Hao stepped forward without the slightest fear of death, drawing in the boundless spiritual qi of heaven and earth. Another demonic punch crashed out, shattering the armor around Chen Ping’s body. Like a kite with its string cut, he was sent flying backward.

“Heavenly Execution!”

Denied even a moment’s respite, Chen Ping was met once more by that hoarse voice. The black-clad woman again brandished the Heavenly Execution blade and killed toward him.

Lin Hao, too, swallowed a vial of pills, forcibly enduring the feeling that his body might split apart from within. With a single step, his eyes bloodshot, he rapidly condensed in his hand a colossal sword of ice, powerful beyond measure.

Bolstered by the Seven-Step Spirit Immortal Art, he flung it straight at Chen Ping. Just as Lin Hao had expected, after Chen Ping desperately forced back the Heavenly Execution blade, the ice sword was already upon him. Before Chen Ping could react, Lin Hao bared his teeth in a cold smile, killing intent flashing in his eyes.

“Detonate.”

As though the word itself carried law, the giant ice sword burst apart at once, releasing endless frigid force. A monstrous storm of terrifying magnitude swept through the area, freezing everything in an instant. Amid the eruption of violent, chaotic energy, a deep crater appeared here as well.

“Heavenly Execution!”

Lin Hao did not dare be careless. He did not know whether Chen Ping possessed some life-saving measure like Chu Long had. With ruthlessness flooding his eyes, the Heavenly Execution blade abruptly transformed into a strange battle saber in his hand. Enduring the wounds inflicted by the storm of cold, Lin Hao stepped into it, rushing straight toward the half-frozen Chen Ping, whose face was now filled with utter horror. Then, at his dantian, he plunged the blade down.

“Beast… whelp…”

Chen Ping’s eyes were bulging wide as he stared fixedly at the battle blade piercing his body. His face was full of disbelief. No matter how he thought about it, he had never imagined that Lin Hao had only ever used him as a sparring partner for his fists. The intent of madness had taken form, and the demonic fist was complete. This, too, had been one of Lin Hao’s hidden cards for this crisis.

Beyond that was the Heavenly Execution blade. After absorbing the strange power within the mist, it had already developed a consciousness of its own and could now stand as a force in battle.

Glancing at Chen Ping’s unwilling eyes, and at the shattered jade pendant upon his chest, Lin Hao finally let out a breath in his heart. The crisis that had shadowed him since entering the sect several months ago had, at last, been resolved.

After collecting the storage pouches of the others, Lin Hao sat cross-legged to recover for a while. Taking a magical flying sword from among their belongings, he flew toward the sect…

What Lin Hao did not know was that not long after he left, the frost on Chen Ping’s corpse gradually receded. The dissipated aura at his dantian quickly gathered once more, and within those hollow eyes, a glimmer of brilliance suddenly flashed.

“Cough…”

Chen Ping coughed up a mouthful of blood, his expression terribly dark as his gaze remained fixed on the direction Lin Hao had departed.

“Heh…”

After a long while, Chen Ping gave a self-mocking laugh. In a hoarse voice, he murmured slowly, “To think you forced out the last means I left with that old monster… Lin Hao, since I am already dead… then let me see how you intend to bear the Heavenly Mystery calamity in my place…”

With Chen Ping dead, Tiger, go search for him…

Stepping on his sword, Lin Hao traveled through the sky. Watching the mountains and rivers below flow past beneath his feet, his heart finally settled into an uncommon calm.

Ever since the beginning, Chen Ping had been a knot in Lin Hao’s heart. From the earliest change in his attitude, to the later schemes, and finally to becoming an enemy, none of it had been what Lin Hao wanted. Now that this knot had been cut away, for the first time he felt a quiet peace within himself.

As for what Bai Chou had said, though Lin Hao had been somewhat puzzled, after a little thought he did not take it overly to heart. First, within the sect he was an inner sect disciple, a prodigy of the sect; no one would simply stand by and watch him be harmed. Second, Lin Hao had never once seen a Foundation Establishment cultivator act. To him, Foundation Establishment still remained no more than a concept on the level of the Qi Condensation stage.

Time passed slowly. About five days later, Lin Hao returned to the Heavenly Mystery Sect. After some hesitation, he did not go to the outer peaks, nor did he seek out Ji Tianya, but went straight toward the grand hall on the main peak.

Heavenly Mystery Hall…

Staring at the hall before him, which radiated an unusual and divine light, Lin Hao murmured softly, taking in the scene all around him. The entire hall seemed to have been built of spirit stones, its whole body a pale, icy blue. It was immense. Looking about, there was not a single structure in the entire Heavenly Mystery Sect that could compare to it. Encircling the hall was an exquisitely crafted white jade railing wall. Its air of transcendence filled the space, giving one a soul-shivering sense of awe. Merely this hall alone was enough to fully display the sect’s former greatness.

“Inner sect disciple Lin Hao has completed his mission and returned to the peak. I seek an audience with the elder.”

Standing before the exquisitely carved gate of spirit stone, Lin Hao cupped his fist and bowed, speaking respectfully.

Yet it seemed there was no one within. Long after his words had echoed out, there was still no response. Looking at the hall before him, Lin Hao pondered briefly, then once more cupped his fist and called out in a loud voice, “Inner sect disciple Lin Hao has completed his mission and returned to the peak. I have come specifically to report to the elder.”

Buzz…

After a short while, the doors of the spirit-stone hall slowly opened, and a cold female voice drifted out. Seeing this, Lin Hao stepped inside, and the scene within entered his eyes.

Just beyond the entrance lay a straight and refined red carpet leading directly to the upper seat of the Heavenly Mystery Hall. On either side of the carpet stood several massive pill furnaces. The walls were covered with many carvings, beside which were lines of text, as though recording the glorious past of the Heavenly Mystery Sect…

After glancing around, Lin Hao’s gaze finally settled on the woman seated at the head of the hall. She was breathtakingly beautiful, and the elegant green robe she wore gave her an air of nobility. The calmness in her brows and eyes added a certain dignity and authority.

Below her stood Zhong Ming and another elder Lin Hao had never seen before. All three were studying him, their gazes lingering over him in appraisal.

“Lin Hao greets the sect master, and the two elders!”

Lin Hao did not know the woman’s identity, but since she sat in the chief seat of the main hall, she ought to be the sect master here. Even if she were not, she surely would not turn her wrath on a junior for something like this.

“Lin Hao, since you say your mission is complete, then hand over the Dragon Soul Fruit,” said the elder Lin Hao recognized, Zhong Ming. As the old voice slowly rang out, a smile also appeared in his eyes.

“Yes.” Lin Hao respectfully cupped his fist and bowed, then took out a full hundred Dragon Soul Fruits from his storage pouch and piled them in the hall. Facing the three before him, he said respectfully, “Sect master, two elders, these are the results of this disciple’s journey.”

“Not bad, not bad.” Seeing this, Zhong Ming’s smile grew even broader, and he praised Lin Hao with evident satisfaction.

The man beside Zhong Ming, however, frowned deeply and continued to study Lin Hao before speaking flatly, “Have you ever seen the azure bull kept by this seat on South Peak?”

“Elder Sun… could it be he already knows it was me…” Lin Hao’s heart immediately went uneasy at those words, but his expression showed nothing. He still bowed respectfully and said, “To answer the elder, this disciple… has not seen it.”

“Oh?” Elder Sun seemed a little surprised. After a brief moment of thought, he said indifferently, “If that is so, then step back.”

“This…” Lin Hao looked at Elder Sun in some surprise, then toward the woman seated at the head of the hall. Seeing nothing unusual in her expression, he bowed once more and withdrew.

Only after Lin Hao had left did the woman look toward the two below and speak in her cool voice, “What do you think of this child?”

“Sharp and decisive, very shrewd, though his cultivation is…” Elder Sun stared in the direction Lin Hao had left, a thoughtful light in his eyes as he mused aloud.

“In my view, the inner sect is not limited to Chen Ping alone. That Zhao Min at the ninth level of Qi Condensation is also quite good. Since entering the sect, she has already passed through many of our tests. As a cauldron for the sect master, she would be ideal.” Zhong Ming said, glancing lightly at Elder Sun before cupping his fist toward the woman above.

“Then let us see, in the secret realm three months from now, which of those two breaks through first. The sect master does not have much time left.” After she gave the two of them a flat glance, the woman in green departed directly. The two elders said nothing further here, merely cupped their fists and left in their respective directions.

After leaving the main peak, Lin Hao flew straight toward South Peak. There were some things he needed to ask Ji Tianya about. Before long, when he arrived at Ji Tianya’s cave residence, he found that the man was already waiting outside.

“Long time no see. Brother Lin looks to be in even better spirits,” Ji Tianya said with a smile, his voice gentle and steady.

After landing, Lin Hao bowed to him with clasped fists. After a moment’s thought, he slowly said, “This time, there is something…”

“Brother Lin need only speak plainly.” Before Lin Hao could finish, Ji Tianya interrupted. Seeing this, Lin Hao no longer hesitated and said directly, “I want to know the past of the Heavenly Mystery Sect, as well as information regarding the elders and the sect master.”

“That can be arranged.” Ji Tianya nodded slightly when he heard this, then said warmly, “I can tell you tomorrow. Brother Lin will need to wait a little.”

“No matter. Then thank you, Brother Ji.” After bowing to Ji Tianya, Lin Hao left directly.

His destination was Zhang Tuo’s cave dwelling, for it was also time to investigate Tiger’s matter.

“Did you understand?”

After Lin Hao left, Ji Tianya gazed in the direction he had gone and said calmly.

Behind him, a black-clad figure suddenly appeared and bowed with utmost respect. “This subordinate will immediately return to the clan to obtain the Heavenly Mystery Sect’s records. However, Young Master, you…”

“I possess the Heavenly Mystery Array Diagram. With merely those few from the Yin family, they cannot touch me. Go without worry.” After giving the order in an indifferent tone, Ji Tianya received a respectful acknowledgment from the black-clad figure, who then stepped once and vanished.

“A fiendish fate. A man doomed to die…” Ji Tianya looked toward the distant horizon and murmured, though no one knew what he was thinking.

Within the Heavenly Mystery Sect, on West Peak, inside a certain cave dwelling, a figure who looked desolate and worn sat there in a daze. It was a man. In his eyes there seemed to be hatred toward the world, yet he lacked the strength to resist; all that remained within him was bleakness.

“Lin Hao!”

Suddenly, the man’s expression shifted in surprise. Looking toward a ragged figure approaching in the distance on a flying sword, he let a trace of loathing slip into his eyes and said coldly, “What have you come here for this time?”

Lin Hao did not answer. With a wave of his hand, spiritual energy spread out from his body and condensed in front of him into a jade slip. He sent his divine sense into it, imprinting within it the scene of Chen Ping changing into his own appearance, then tossed it to Zhang Tuo and said flatly, “Though I do not know what you all went through before, this was definitely not my doing. I do not expect you to understand, but at the very least, I need to know where Tiger disappeared.”

After speaking, Lin Hao said no more, quietly recovering from the weariness in his spirit.

He knew this was the result of overtaxed mental power. After a short rest, he would recover as usual. This method came from the Qi Condensation manual; at minimum, it required the cultivation of the ninth level of Qi Condensation. Lin Hao had only managed to use it by virtue of the improvement in his soul power back in the Five Dragons Valley.

“The Moon Fang Peak, a hundred miles north of the sect.”

After reading the jade slip, Zhang Tuo’s eyes showed hesitation. He looked at Lin Hao and enunciated each word carefully.

Lin Hao thought for a moment, then asked, “Will you go with me?”

“No.” Zhang Tuo looked at Lin Hao, a trace of desolation flashing through his eyes.

At this, Lin Hao slowly shook his head. After a faint sigh, he flew toward the outer sect area.

Between people, there are always many things that happen. Perhaps some matters create a rift in the heart. Yet that does not mean the bond between two people can never again be as it once was. Some choose to move forward; others choose to let go. Lin Hao had never interfered in anyone’s choices. No matter what result those beside him brought, he would always choose respect.

After leaving, Lin Hao soon arrived near where Fang Ling lived on the outer peak. However, the cave dwelling was empty, and Bai Chou was no longer there either. After a brief moment of thought, Lin Hao flew toward the place where the Yin Mountain had once been.

“The yin aura seems to have dispersed by the second day… Could it also be because that senior vanished?”

Looking at the lush forested hills below, Lin Hao suddenly felt that something was strange. From what he understood, the yin aura here should have existed for a very long time before it affected the trees and turned them so dark.

It could not possibly have dissipated in just a few days. At the time, he had been fleeing for his life and did not pay attention; only now did he remember it. For the moment, he could only set the matter aside and continue searching through the forest.

“Roar!!”

Suddenly, a pitiful beastly howl came from far away. Lin Hao’s eyes lit up, and his figure flashed as he flew directly over.

Looking closely, a young woman in white was currently battling a ferocious beast at the sixth level of Qi Condensation, while beside her stood a white-robed figure quietly watching. The young woman, however, seemed to be struggling. The beast, too, was covered in wounds and already appeared to be on the verge of death.

Looking closely, the woman’s long hair was tied with a red cord, and her eyes, as though holding brilliant stars, shimmered with a clear and graceful beauty. Her long lashes trembled lightly, giving her an air of immaculate elegance.