Chapter 73

The woman's lashes trembled lightly, her beautiful eyes shimmering with emotion as she gazed intently at Lin Hao. After pondering silently, Lin Hao slowly spoke, "What kind of transaction?"

"With my palace's remaining treasure, in exchange for a favor from you," the woman replied, her cool voice drifting softly as she looked at him. Lin Hao was taken aback, a trace of surprise flickering in his eyes as he asked in a deep tone, "You know who I am?"

"I do not," the woman shook her head. "But my palace's ancestors left a prophecy. The one it points to is you."

"What prophecy?" Lin Hao raised an eyebrow, questioning further. The woman fell silent for a moment, her tone tinged with bitterness, "With your current strength, knowing such things would be useless."

"Then how can I trust you?" Lin Hao chuckled lightly, his gaze fixed on her, as if searching for something in her eyes. But he was disappointed.

In her eyes, there was nothing but a deep, lifeless stillness, like an unfathomable pool, and endless sorrow...

After a long while, the woman sighed softly and spoke slowly, "If I were to tell you, it would only bring you harm... Forget it..."

As she finished, she waved her slender hand, and the scene around them shifted abruptly—Lin Hao felt a darkness fall before his eyes and instantly lost consciousness...

What Lin Hao did not know was that, within him, the jade pendant continued to flash with light...

In a haze, Lin Hao seemed to dream. In the dream, he stood atop a great height, surrounded below by endless corpses.

Blood stained the earth red, and suddenly, long chains appeared in the sky, binding his hands, feet, and neck, stretching off into the infinite heavens. Then, the world darkened, and boundless night formed into beasts ready to devour him whole...

"Where... is this..."

When the first ray of morning sunlight fell, Lin Hao slowly opened his bewildered eyes. Looking around, he saw he was beside a pool of water. Not far off, a figure in white sat cross-legged.

"Are you alright?" The figure in white, sensing Lin Hao's awakening, called out in a clear yet lazy tone. Lin Hao glanced at him and shook his head slightly, "Bai Chou... Where did you go that day?"

"I ran into Qin Fan and killed him," Bai Chou replied calmly, then, as if remembering something, smiled, "You’ve done well. Dozens of cultivators at the fourth level of Qi Condensation chased you, yet you survived. And the one at the fifth level—don’t tell me you killed him too?"

A trace of helplessness flashed in Lin Hao’s eyes as he gazed up at the vast sky, smiling faintly, "If his surname was Fang, then yes, that must be him."

"Well then," Bai Chou laughed teasingly, "Rest here, great wounded Lin. I’ll go hunt for you."

With that, he walked into the woods, leaving Lin Hao alone, staring blankly at the sky...

"The jade pendant is something I always carry... That voice told me to trust no one. Does it mean everyone? And what is fate... That person in last night's dream felt so familiar... like me, yet not me..."

"And that woman in white yesterday—I'm only at the third level of Qi Condensation. What help could I possibly offer her? Unless, like Bai Chou, she just wants to make friends?"

Thinking thus, Lin Hao couldn't help but show a wry smile. Since he began cultivating, he had encountered far too many strange events...

"Enough—no point overthinking. As the saying goes, 'When the boat reaches the bridge, it will straighten itself.' Surely the one who coined that phrase must have faced many troubles, too..." Lin Hao chuckled softly. Just as he was about to rise, his expression turned grave—he realized the Ice Spirit Pill within him had vanished! And his cultivation had broken through to the fourth level of Qi Condensation!

Feeling the clear, flowing spirit stream coursing through him, sensing the surging power within, Lin Hao was filled with astonishment. The transformation in his body was the sign of reaching the fourth level: cyclone turning to stream.

But unlike before, when his energy cyclone was tinged with red, his spirit stream now appeared utterly clear, radiating a faint aura of transcendence from his entire being!

"Let it be." Unable to fathom it, Lin Hao stopped worrying. He took out the storage pouches from yesterday and began sorting through them. Soon, bottles of elixirs, various magical tools, and a pile of spirit stones appeared by his side.

To his surprise, the pouch belonging to the man surnamed Fang contained a book of techniques!

"Frostblade Slash..."

After skimming through the technique, Lin Hao's eyes filled with understanding as he muttered, "This technique seems incomplete—just a fragment of a move, but its power is not to be underestimated..."

"Heaven's Execution." After reading, he uttered the incantation; in an instant, Heaven's Execution condensed in his hand as a silvery longsword, etched with eerie blood-colored patterns!

"Frostblade Slash!" Lin Hao called out softly. As he raised the sword, the spiritual energy within him was swiftly drawn away, causing a layer of white frost to form along the blade, and the surrounding temperature dropped sharply!

Sensing his dwindling spiritual energy, Lin Hao focused and gently slashed at the pool...

White frost gathered at the sword's tip and, as the blade descended, formed a nearly imperceptible arc of sword energy, glittering with cold light!

Within that cold radiance seemed to dwell a powerful, biting chill. As the sword energy materialized, the temperature plummeted further, carrying the intent to freeze all, and struck the pool water!

The moment the icy light touched the water, the surface froze instantly! Visible to the naked eye, frigid air spread rapidly outward! In just two breaths' time, a huge chunk of ice floated in the center of the pool before Lin Hao!

Suddenly, a loud crack sounded—the floating ice shattered violently under some mysterious force!

"Just at the introductory stage, and already such power. If I master this technique... and my cultivation improves..." Lin Hao gazed at the floating shards of ice, his eyes growing bright with excitement.

In battles between cultivators, aside from strength and cunning, the power of one's techniques often decides life and death. If he had used Frostblade Slash when facing Fang, even his formidable Fire Serpent Art might not have saved him...

But the reverse was also true; this technique was clearly more complex and powerful than the Fire Serpent Art. Had Lin Hao known it then, slaying Fang would not have been so difficult...

"Not bad at all," a clear voice rang out. Lin Hao looked up to see Bai Chou approaching, carrying a large tiger beast in one hand, a wine gourd at his waist, his white robes immaculate, and a playful look on his face.

"It's just a start," Lin Hao replied with a smile, shaking his head.

"To master a new technique in less than half a day—your talent is truly enviable," Bai Chou teased with interest, tossing the tiger beast aside. With a wave, an ethereal dagger formed from spiritual energy, and he began to slice the tiger meat.

"What technique is that?" Lin Hao's eyes shone as he watched the crystal-clear dagger in Bai Chou's hand. To him, it was entirely formed from Qi Condensation, razor-sharp, no less than the magical flying swords he'd obtained.

"If you reach the state of Clear Conduit in Qi Manipulation, you can do this easily," Bai Chou replied lightly. Lin Hao pondered this, channeling his spiritual energy and trying it himself.

He managed to quickly condense a dagger, but unlike Bai Chou, he couldn't keep it stable; the energy would always scatter, so he had to constantly infuse more just to maintain the shape.

"It's a bit tricky..." Lin Hao mused, trying to mold the energy using the Qi Manipulation Art, time slipping by as he practiced...

Unconsciously, he became completely absorbed, forgetting everything around him. His eyes flickered with thought, his movements growing ever more refined, and the spiritual dagger before him gradually gained a sharper edge...

As for Bai Chou, he finished cutting the meat and began roasting and eating without further ado.

By evening, a flash of brilliance lit Lin Hao's eyes, his face bright with joy! With a surge of spiritual energy and the Qi Manipulation Art, a clear, jade-like dagger formed instantly in his hand, its blade glinting coldly!

"I wonder if I can combine Frostblade Slash with this..." Lin Hao thought, swallowing two Qi Condensation Pills as a surge of energy rushed through him. His eyes sparkled; the dagger in his hand quickly transformed into a transparent longsword!

"Frostblade." Staring at the sword, he took two more pills and softly chanted. Spiritual energy flooded into the sword—the blade frosted over, a cold gleam flashed within, and the air temperature plunged!

Feeling the chilling aura emanating from the sword, Lin Hao's eyes shone with intensity!

"Slash!" With a swing, he swept the sword toward the dense forest ahead, sending a wave of frigid sword light slicing through the trees! Instantly, the trees before him were covered in frost, looking eerie and strange; even the ground beneath them turned white in a flash! Not even the harshest winter could create such frost!

Suddenly, a creaking sound came from the trees, and after two breaths, a loud explosion echoed—the trees shattered under his slash, turning to icy dust!

Sunlight streamed through the icy haze, painting a breathtaking scene. Looking at the shattered forest, Lin Hao's eyes shone brightly, "Immortal techniques are truly wondrous..."

What he didn't notice was that, inside the thatched hut nearby, Bai Chou's pupils contracted sharply upon witnessing that slash, a sense of danger rising in his heart!

He gave Lin Hao a meaningful look, then after some time calmed his emotions and said, "Come eat when you're done."

"Alright, coming," Lin Hao replied with a smile, grabbing the meat Bai Chou had prepared and roasting it himself...

...

"I'm going to Fangyun Town tomorrow—care to join me?" As Lin Hao was eating, Bai Chou approached, looking at him solemnly.

"What for?" Lin Hao asked between mouthfuls, barely audible after a full day's practice on the Qi Manipulation Art.

"An old friend of mine once lived there. I want to pay a visit and would like you to come along," Bai Chou said after a moment's thought.

"Sounds good. I've been wanting to look around anyway," Lin Hao replied with a smile. Bai Chou nodded, "Then it's settled. We'll leave at dawn."

After agreeing, Lin Hao paid him no further mind. Bai Chou returned to the hut, while Lin Hao glanced pensively at the dark forest behind him, sighed softly, and sat to cultivate.

Time passed quickly, and soon it was morning. As the sun rose, Lin Hao and Bai Chou flew out of the Celestial Profound Sect together...

Lin Hao was not skilled at sword flight, but with his Qi Manipulation Art now at the level of Clear Conduit, his control over spiritual energy had improved. By swallowing Qi Condensation Pills, he could just keep pace with Bai Chou.

Their pace was not fast, but before midday, they had crossed many mountains and rivers, arriving before a peaceful little town...

"Let's go," Bai Chou said, a contemplative look in his eyes. He strode toward the town, and Lin Hao, who had grown up in Mang Mountain Village and rarely traveled, looked around the new place with curiosity.

"Come and see, come and see! Fate readings, destiny revealed—only a copper coin! Know your past life, see your present fate, come and see for yourself..." Suddenly, a gentle, clear voice called out. Not far ahead, a young man in Daoist robes sat with eyes closed, loudly hawking his services—he seemed to be blind.

Lin Hao, intrigued, greeted Bai Chou before approaching the man.

"What would you like to know, friend?" The young man, sensing Lin Hao's presence, spoke with a gentle warmth. Whether it was the strange ambiance or something else, his voice brought a sense of peace and calm.

"My life and destiny, past and present," Lin Hao replied after some thought. At that moment, Bai Chou came over as well, somewhat exasperated, "Why are you still interested in these street fortune-tellers?"

"Friend, you misunderstand," the young man replied, shaking his head with a gentle smile. "You must know—when a maiden enters the tiger's den, the foolish lover cannot remain a coward."

"Who are you?" Bai Chou's pupils shrank sharply, shock surging in his heart. After calming himself, he stared at the young man and spoke coolly.

The young man chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm but a fortune-teller here in this town, slightly skilled in augury. I have never met you two before. Would you like a detailed reading, sir?"