Chapter 128: A World of Ice and Fire

Lin Hao was absolutely furious. What on earth was wrong with Cao Yi? After all the effort it took to rescue him, he had gone and gotten himself captured all over again.

He felt an overwhelming sense of resentment and anger, wishing he hadn't bothered saving him in the first place.

Just then, the interrogation room door creaked open. Lin Hao immediately looked toward the entrance and saw the same elder he had fought earlier. His pupils dilated, and his expression froze instantly.

The elder, seeing Lin Hao, also showed a flash of surprise. He stepped forward and said, "It has been a long time. I am truly astonished that you aren't dead yet."

Hearing this, Lin Hao was left bewildered. Why would he be expected to be dead? He did not yet know that the Su Jin he had encountered previously had been sent by this very elder. After pushing Lin Hao off the mountain, Su Jin had assumed him dead and reported as much, never seeing him climb back out.

Seeing Lin Hao alive, the elder felt a flicker of annoyance, thinking the boy was lucky to have survived the fall. However, a glimmer of interest soon replaced his irritation as he recalled his subordinate's recent report. He stepped closer, looked Lin Hao up and down, and gripped his meridians to sense his heart pulse.

Lin Hao felt a mass of black mist surging into his body, slithering through his meridians. The sensation was revolting, as if his very life force were being choked by another. He felt an instinctive repulsion toward this dark energy, but being restrained, he could do nothing but glare hatefully at the elder.

The elder opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing within them. "So, you are not just a three-element root, but a five-element root. This is the first time I have ever seen such a thing."

Lin Hao’s heart sank, a wave of foreboding washing over him. Why was he interested in his spiritual roots? It must have been because of the display he had put on earlier, which had been reported back to this man.

Feeling his hair stand on end, Lin Hao stared at the elder with cold defiance. "What, jealous? Who says one can't possess five spiritual roots?"

The elder curled his lip into a cold sneer. "Jealous? No one says it is forbidden, but I have never seen one like you. I am quite tempted to dissect you to see if I could cultivate another like you."

The elder’s gaze felt like a blade, slicing through Lin Hao. Trembling, Lin Hao retorted stubbornly, "You wouldn't dare. Your grandfather here is not someone you can afford to provoke. I advise you to release me immediately."

Internally, he was calling out to the system, "System! Damn it, I’m about to be dissected and you’re going to disappear too—hurry up and save me!"

Before the system could respond, the elder's subordinate stepped forward and punched Lin Hao in the stomach. "Audacious! How dare you speak to the Elder that way!"

Lin Hao coughed up a mouthful of blood. He spat it directly onto the Black Elder’s face.

"You!" The subordinate flew into a rage, ready to strike again, but the Black Elder raised a hand, signaling him to stop and step aside. The elder wiped the blood from his face, his eyes icy.

"Is your condition common in the cultivation world?" the Black Elder asked.

Lin Hao realized he was asking about his spiritual roots. Though he didn't know the elder's motive, he seized the chance to lie, hoping to deter him. "Of course. You indigenous people are hopelessly behind the times. The current cultivation world is not something you can just barge into!"

The Black Elder looked at him with skepticism. Lin Hao maintained a steady, unwavering gaze, though he was desperately trying to guess the elder's true intent. He knew it couldn't be anything good, so he decided to exaggerate the situation.

The elder watched him, his expression unreadable. The subordinate beside him, however, looked visibly unsettled, casting a nervous glance at the elder. Lin Hao caught this flicker of emotion and etched it into his memory.

After a moment, the elder’s expression became strange. "Is that so? If that is the case, I am curious to see if we are still suited to survive in the cultivation world."

He raised his hand, and a wave of black mist surged toward Lin Hao. Lin Hao held his breath, but the mist seeped through his skin, bypassing his lungs and invading his meridians. A wave of agony followed, accompanied by a maddening itch.

"Damn you! What have you done to me?" Lin Hao growled through gritted teeth.

The elder mocked him, "I am letting you taste what it is like to wish you were dead."

Lin Hao let out a muffled groan, but catching the elder’s gloating gaze, he bit his lip until it bled, refusing to make another sound. He stared back, his body trembling violently as the iron chains rattled. Soon, his face turned deathly pale, then flushed, sweat drenching his clothes. He felt as if he were trapped between fire and ice, while the dark energy inside him crawled through his veins like parasitic insects, biting at his meridians.

For half an hour, he endured, biting his lip until it was a bloody mess. He refused to beg.

Eventually, the elder remarked, "You have impressive endurance. It seems this punishment is a bit too light for you."

The elder raised his hand again, this time summoning a black mist thick with visible, insect-like entities. Lin Hao was horrified. If these creatures entered his body, the consequences would be catastrophic.

"Does the host wish to use the 'Feigned Death' convenience?" the system suddenly prompted.

Lin Hao’s eyes lit up. He had forgotten about that perk! He immediately commanded, "Use it now!"

In an instant, his breathing stopped. His head lolled, and to any observer—even the elder—his pulse and heartbeat vanished completely. He appeared to have died.

The Black Elder and his subordinate were startled. The subordinate stepped forward, checked Lin Hao’s neck, and felt for a pulse. His expression turned grim as he looked at the elder. "Elder, he is dead."

The elder, his hand still crackling with dark energy, was incredulous. He checked Lin Hao himself, channeling his own spiritual energy to probe for any sign of life, but found nothing.

With a look of regret, the Black Elder withdrew his hand. "Since he is dead, drag him to the Corpse Gu House and feed him to the insects. There is no need to keep him any longer."