Chapter 106: Entrusted with a Critical Mission in a Moment of Crisis

He had been planning to wait until his Earth Spirit Root stabilized to seek out the teleportation array. Little did he expect that before he could find the opportunity, his dual status as a Qingfeng Sect disciple and an imposter within the Qingcheng Sect would be exposed.

Reflecting on the moment, Lin Hao recalled the cryptic look Cao Yi had given him before leaving, as well as the direction he had headed. He remembered Cao Yi once mentioning that the teleportation array lay to the southeast—the very direction Cao Yi had taken. Relying on his judgment of Cao Yi’s character, Lin Hao decided to gamble, suspecting that the path Cao Yi took led directly to the array.

Having made his decision, Lin Hao’s gaze turned cold.

"Fire!" the elder bellowed.

*Swish!*

An arrow shot toward him. During that brief moment of distraction, Lin Hao had been surrounded by the members of the Law Enforcement Hall. The Qingcheng Sect’s Law Enforcement Hall possessed a formidable formation known as the Law Enforcement Array. It was composed of twenty disciples wielding mid-grade artifacts called the "Supreme Divine Bows." Though they were only mid-grade, the combined power of twenty such bows firing in unison was immense.

*Swish, swish, swish!*

Even as Lin Hao hesitated, the elder had already ordered the volley. The formation activated, and arrows rained down upon him one after another. Lin Hao snapped back to reality, brandishing his Swallowing Cloud Sword to deflect the barrage with a series of metallic clangs. He turned his focus entirely on the Law Enforcement Hall.

For miles around, with Lin Hao at the center, a storm of arrows descended. *Boom, boom, boom!* The air was filled with the sound of continuous explosions. At close range, Lin Hao defended himself with his sword, interspersed with Water Spirit Root techniques. While he remained uninjured, he was undeniably in a sorry state. The Supreme Divine Bows were no joke; within moments, Lin Hao was sporting several wounds.

Yet, Lin Hao was a prodigy. Even with the power of the bows, he only suffered minor injuries. In truth, he had already awakened three types of spirit roots. The Supreme Divine Bows fired flame-tipped arrows, which he countered with his Water Spirit Root, keeping the fight at a stalemate.

Furthermore, the bows required immense spiritual energy. The disciples chosen to wield them had been hand-picked by the elder, but because of the chaos Lin Hao had previously caused, many were already injured or drained of vitality, rendering them unable to maintain the formation perfectly. The array required all twenty arrows to be fired simultaneously to achieve its full potential; any gap or lack of energy from a single member significantly weakened its output.

Conversely, Lin Hao’s spiritual energy remained abundant. Having just awakened his Earth Spirit Root and leveled up, he knew that dragging out the battle would only benefit him.

After half an hour of combat, the power of the Law Enforcement Hall began to wane. The disciples’ spiritual energy was nearly exhausted, and several looked deathly pale, especially the five who had been called up as replacements later.

Lin Hao spotted one such disciple—his spiritual energy depleted, face pale, and struggling to hold his bow steady. Lin Hao lunged toward him.

"Hey!" Lin Hao shouted, slapping the man on the shoulder.

"Ah!" The disciple, startled by the sudden attack, panicked and clumsily aimed his bow at Lin Hao. His movements were far too slow. Lin Hao struck him with a single palm, and with a *whoosh*, the man was sent flying in an arc.

Having broken through the encirclement, Lin Hao sped off toward the southeast. The elder of the Law Enforcement Hall was furious, stamping his feet and shouting, "Useless fools! Pursue him! Catch him immediately!"

The elder had begun to take Lin Hao seriously. He had expected the Supreme Divine Bows to secure an easy victory, but Lin Hao’s strength was extraordinary, and their own preparation had been inadequate. To let him escape was a humiliating blow to the prestige of the Law Enforcement Hall.

Just as the elder vented his rage, a figure stepped forward to block the path of the Law Enforcement disciples.

Ignoring the elder’s fury, Lin Hao felt a wave of relief as he escaped and immediately began flying on his sword toward the southeast. He had hoped that leaving the hall behind would lead him straight to the teleportation array, but after flying barely a hundred meters, another figure stood in his path, as if waiting for him.

Lin Hao frowned, a bad premonition forming in his heart. Instead of landing, he cautiously continued his flight. As he attempted to soar past the man on his Swallowing Cloud Sword, the stranger pushed off the ground, leaping into the air with a massive broadsword, intercepting him.

A powerful blast of air surged toward Lin Hao. His sword shuddered, and he nearly tumbled from the sky. The stranger landed on his blade and, without a word, shouted, "Take this!" He swung the broadsword down toward Lin Hao’s head.

Sensing the danger, Lin Hao backflipped to dodge, simultaneously flinging a dragon of fire at his opponent. *Boom!* The stranger cleaved the fire dragon in two with a single strike of his blade. When the flames vanished, Lin Hao steadied himself, his expression turning grave.

Looking at the man’s fierce, bearded face, Lin Hao’s bad feeling intensified. It seemed the path to the teleportation array would not be easy.

The events that followed confirmed his fears. A voice boomed through the sky—it was undoubtedly Cao Yi’s, transmitted through the air.

"Lin Hao," Cao Yi’s cold, familiar voice resonated. "By refusing to remain in the Qingcheng Sect, you have become a traitor. And for traitors, the Qingcheng Sect shows no mercy."

"However, I will give you one chance. I am waiting for you at the teleportation array. If you wish to reach it, you must fight your way through the many trials I have set along the way. If you can pass them all and face me in battle, I may spare you and allow you to use the array."

"But know this: these trials are matters of life and death. If you cannot reach the end, you are not even worthy of being a traitor to the Qingcheng Sect. You will die as a member of this sect. Choose your path wisely."

The echoes of Cao Yi’s words lingered in the air. Lin Hao frowned. So, that meaningful look Cao Yi had given him earlier wasn't just a hint about the location—it was a warning of the obstacles to come.

The bearded man laughed heartily. "Did you hear that? Life or death! Consider this your first trial. I will end you here today, and your brothers waiting further ahead will have nothing to do. Hahaha! Come, receive your death!"

The man lunged with his broadsword. With his feet occupied by the Swallowing Cloud Sword, Lin Hao couldn't use it for combat. He channeled his fire energy, forming a wall of flame to forcefully block the attack.

*Bang!* The broadsword struck the fire wall. It held for a moment, but then, with a loud *boom*, the wall recoiled, rebounding against Lin Hao. The sheer force sent him stumbling backward. Caught in mid-air and distracted by the impact, his control over the sword slipped. *Whoosh*—Lin Hao plummeted toward the ground.

Surprised by the man’s immense strength, Lin Hao spat out a mouthful of blood as he hit the earth. The man seized the opportunity, raising his broadsword to strike again. Lin Hao scrambled to grip his sword, barely parrying the blow in time.

The force of the man’s downward strike was so great that Lin Hao was driven back several paces. When he finally stood firm, he saw that his feet had left two deep pits in the ground. Shocked by the man’s raw power, Lin Hao looked at the broadsword; its weight was clearly beyond the capacity of an ordinary warrior.

The man squinted at him. "Kid, with such pathetic strength, you dare provoke the Qingcheng Sect? You are courting death!" With a sinister glint in his eyes, he yelled, "Take another taste of my blade!"

He swung the sword horizontally, unleashing a flurry of strikes before charging forward. Lin Hao parried with his sword, infusing it with his own exotic fire to counter the force. *Clang!* Sparks flew as their weapons met.

Suddenly, the man wore a twisted smile. *Whoosh*—the one-meter-long broadsword instantly extended to over two meters, thrusting directly at Lin Hao’s head. Lin Hao instinctively leaned to the right.

*Buzz!* *Snap!*

A lock of hair fell from his head, and a cold, sharp light grazed his ear. Looking at the magically extending blade, Lin Hao felt a shiver of shock and lingering fear.