Chapter 111: The Monster

Just as Lin Hao was feeling a sense of disappointment, a flash of pleasant surprise crossed his eyes. Before him stood five men, each radiating a fierce and imposing aura. They were dressed in robes of distinct colors, standing in formation as if they had been waiting specifically for him. Lin Hao’s intuition told him that this was the next stage. So, there was still one more trial to go.

Although he was heartened by this discovery, Lin Hao did not rush in recklessly. Instead, he paused vigilantly in mid-air before slowly drifting toward them. Facing the five men, he stepped forward, raised his hands, and asked respectfully, "May I ask, senior brothers, are you waiting for me?"

"You must be Lin Hao, then?" asked the man in the golden robe, who appeared to be the leader of the group.

"I am indeed Lin Hao," he replied with a nod.

"Good. We have been waiting here for you. Today, you shall leave your life behind. We are here to purge a traitor from the Qingcheng Sect. It seems you possess some real ability to have cleared the previous two trials, and we are eager to test our skills against yours."

The man in gold stood forth, his gaze fixed on Lin Hao. Unlike those he had faced in the earlier stages, there was no disdain or contempt in his eyes—only a sense of professional respect for a worthy opponent. The other four shared his demeanor, watching Lin Hao with grave expressions, fully prepared for battle.

They were not fools. They knew exactly what the first two trials entailed, and they understood that they were the final barrier. Initially, they had felt quite relaxed, never imagining that Lin Hao would actually make it this far. To reach this point alone, on his own merits, proved that his success was not merely a matter of luck. If the first stage could be attributed to good fortune, the second was a different story; they had crossed paths with those three half-beasts themselves and knew they would not have let Lin Hao pass so easily. The only reason he had succeeded was his formidable strength.

As the five men watched him, Lin Hao was sizing them up in return. Their robes were gold, yellow, silver, red, and earth-brown. These five were the members of the Qingcheng Sect’s renowned Five-Spirit Array, the most prized disciples under the Great Elder. They were almost as famous within the sect as the head disciple, Cao Yi. Although Lin Hao had never met them before, he had certainly heard of their reputation.

Recalling the rumors, Lin Hao asked, "Might I inquire if you are the Five-Spirit Array?"

"Precisely. Today, the five of us shall challenge you, the legendary prodigy, to see if you can truly break our Five-Spirit Array!" the man in red replied in a resonant voice.

Receiving this confirmation, a look of realization dawned on Lin Hao’s face. So it was as he had suspected. His expression grew solemn. While he had never encountered them, he had heard much about them over the past few days. Both the Five-Spirit Array and Cao Yi held high status and were held in great esteem within the Qingcheng Sect.

Lin Hao knew that the array was composed of five individuals, each possessing a different elemental spirit root. Generally, people understood that these five elements were mutually inhibitory and could not coexist within one person. Because of this, someone with impure, mixed spirit roots rarely achieved great success. While Lin Hao was an exception, he was a rarity among millions.

To most people, the concept of a "Five-Spirit Array" sounded bizarre. How could five people forming such a formation be anything but weak? However, the difference with these five was that they had grown up together, training as one. Though their spirit roots differed, they practiced a secret, exclusive technique belonging to the Great Elder. Each year, the Great Elder selected five such individuals, raising them together, teaching them a unified lineage of cultivation, and forging an unshakable synergy.

While the five elements naturally suppressed one another, the Great Elder had discovered that if utilized correctly, they could mutually reinforce one another. Through careful refinement, this array had become a signature display of the Qingcheng Sect’s power. Many were intimidated at the mere mention of it, as it was said that unless one was a master of the highest tier, anyone caught within the Five-Spirit Array would be executed.

If an individual had five spirit roots, they were typically weak, but if they had only one, they would inevitably be countered by one of the five elements in the array. Even if one possessed the most powerful gold-attribute root, one could not defend against the combined forces of the other four elements. Facing the Five-Spirit Array alone was a losing battle with very slim odds of survival. It was clear that Cao Yi had put a great deal of thought into this final hurdle.

Back at the Qingcheng Sect’s main hall, the silence was suffocating, the atmosphere thick with tension. Everyone watched with bated breath, hoping the brothers of the Five-Spirit Array would strike Lin Hao down. At first, they had thought deploying the array was overkill, but Lin Hao’s performance in the previous two trials had been an eye-opener. The impossible had become reality. They had shed their earlier arrogance and were now filled with curiosity. A burning question remained in their hearts: just how far could Lin Hao go? Would he truly reach the teleportation array?

Doubts began to creep in. If even the Five-Spirit Array could not suppress him, then his true strength was beyond imagination. No one dared to make any more rash predictions. Even the Great Elder, the master behind the Five-Spirit Array, wore a grave expression. He remained silent, though his eyes burned with a mixture of intensity, urgency, and underlying worry.

In the eyes of the crowd, Lin Hao was a monster—a true, terrifying monster. He possessed all five spirit roots without being hindered by them. While the Five-Spirit Array was incredibly powerful for others, it was unpredictable against Lin Hao. He was, in essence, a living Five-Spirit Array himself. While the five brothers required coordination to achieve that synergy, Lin Hao did not.

It was impossible to predict what kind of epic clash would ensue when these two forces collided. As everyone held their breath, Lin Hao watched his opponents, his expression growing ever more serious—a mark of respect for his adversaries.

Lin Hao slowly descended, riding his Cloud-Swallowing Sword until he floated before the five men. He cupped his hands and said, "Then, I shall rely on you senior brothers for guidance today. Let us spar."

As his voice faded, the five men exchanged a glance and moved with lightning speed, surrounding him in an instant. They closed their eyes, chanting something under their breath. Then, opening their eyes, the man in red shouted, "Explode!"

In an instant, each of them pointed their fingers toward the sky, causing a blinding light to erupt above Lin Hao’s head.