Chapter 23: A Golden Opportunity for Tempering

Today, Lin Hao brought the matter into the open, prompting Qingyun to reflect on himself. Coupled with the recent events, he took a closer look at Lin Hao. Seeing this, Lin Hao decided to leave things as they were, saying no more, and his expression softened.

Qingyun quickly shifted the topic with composure, asking, “By the way, didn’t you go to select your life-bound artifact today? What did you choose?”

Upon hearing the mention of his life-bound artifact, Lin Hao immediately summoned the Cloud-Swallowing Sword from within himself and handed it to Qingyun, saying, “This is the artifact I selected.”

Qingyun didn’t take it; he merely glanced at it and said, “Since you’ve chosen, be sure to keep it safe. Unless absolutely necessary, don’t let others see it. Remember, a life-bound artifact is a person’s last safeguard. If too many people know its abilities, your final bargaining chip will lose much of its value.

We’re only partners; you don’t need to trust me so much. It’s just mutual benefit.”

Qingyun did not bring up the incident between Lin Hao and the Elder of the Artifact Pavilion. Instead, he spoke to Lin Hao with heartfelt earnestness.

Hearing this, Lin Hao didn’t mention the artifact further and cooperatively returned the Cloud-Swallowing Sword to his sea of consciousness.

Because of Qingyun’s attitude, Lin Hao’s manner also softened. He said, “Don’t worry, I understand. As for you, my partner, I think I can trust you. Don’t you agree?”

“Indeed. Our partnership is still solid, and I do admire you as a person. When the Zhou family father and son are ousted, I hope we can remain good friends.

I promise, here in the Clearwind Sect, you will always be my cousin,” Qingyun said to Lin Hao.

Lin Hao could tell that Qingyun was extending goodwill. Lin Hao was not one to be ungrateful, and from their days of cooperation, Qingyun had proven himself a worthy partner. If things continued this way, Lin Hao saw no harm in maintaining the alliance and gaining a friend.

“Since you put it that way, wouldn’t it be ungracious of me not to respond?

From now on, just as you said, you are my older cousin. In the Clearwind Sect, I’ll count on you to look after me, cousin,” Lin Hao replied with a smile.

“Enough of this sentimental talk. As for the upcoming journey to Heavenly Feather Mountain, you must be extra cautious. It would be best to distinguish yourself, but above all, focus on your own improvement and safety. Don’t be too eager for quick gains.

At least for now, with me in the Clearwind Sect, the Zhou father and son won’t dare to do anything to you openly. There’s no rush to deal with them, either—I’ve waited this long, and I’m in no hurry,” Qingyun reminded Lin Hao when he heard himself called cousin.

He felt that, despite Lin Hao’s strength, youth brought a certain impulsiveness, and he worried Lin Hao might stubbornly chase merit. Hence, he spoke up to give advice.

“Rest assured, I understand all this. Besides, I’m the only disciple just admitted to the inner sect who’s participating this time. I won’t make myself a target by standing out too much, lest I give the Zhou father and son an excuse to act against me,” Lin Hao replied, understanding Qingyun’s point immediately.

Seeing that Lin Hao understood, Qingyun nodded in satisfaction.

“Since you say so, I’m relieved. Besides, today’s events might actually be a blessing in disguise.

Now, everyone is clear about your position in the Clearwind Sect. All those assigned to this mission are trusted followers or disciples recommended by various elders.

Your status is indeed low, and you’ve only just entered the inner sect.

Although I recommended you, it doesn’t mean they won’t look down on you.

But after what happened today, with you attending the mission as my cousin, they’ll have to take you more seriously. This should make things easier for you,” Qingyun said to Lin Hao.

“Is that so? It seems that in the Clearwind Sect, being Qingyun’s cousin carries quite a bit of weight,” Lin Hao replied with a grin.

“Of course. You’ll see in time. And this is just the beginning. When the Zhou family and their faction are finally brought down, you’ll truly understand the power of being my cousin.

When that day comes, many will look up to you with envy,” Qingyun said with quiet pride.

Lin Hao heard the implication in Qingyun’s words and understood he was speaking of the time when he would become sect master.

Recently, Lin Hao had come to understand the situation. In the Clearwind Sect, Qingyun had many rivals, but most were honorable men who valued strength. Only the Zhou father and son were truly scheming.

Having agreed to work with Qingyun to eliminate the Zhou elders, and with the current sect master’s support, Qingyun was all but assured to become the next master.

Thus, Qingyun’s goodwill was clearly an attempt to win Lin Hao’s support and network, to pave the way for his future influence.

When he did ascend to the top, Lin Hao would become a core ally—at the very least, he’d secure the position of elder. Qingyun was using the promise of future status to win him over.

But Lin Hao was confident in his own strength and, with the system’s help, he believed his future would extend far beyond the Clearwind Sect.

For now, with Qingyun looking after him, he was gaining the advantage, but in the long run, Qingyun would benefit as well.

Understanding Qingyun’s intentions, Lin Hao accepted his goodwill without hesitation.

Lin Hao was a man who repaid kindness. He thought to himself: as long as Qingyun doesn’t plot against or betray him, he’d be willing to stand by him in the future, and when he gained true power, he would repay Qingyun generously.

Having settled these thoughts, Lin Hao spoke with genuine sincerity:

“Then I’ll look forward to seeing just how much authority this title will one day carry.”

Qingyun, hearing Lin Hao’s response, knew his efforts at recruitment had succeeded, and was all the more satisfied.

From that moment, he began to act with true consideration for Lin Hao’s welfare.

He looked at Lin Hao and said, “Don’t worry, you’ll see in time. By the way, I’ve prepared a few things for your trip to Heavenly Feather Mountain. I suppose you’ve never been there before?”

“Your mission this time is to investigate the cause of the unrest within Heavenly Feather Mountain.

The accompanying elder will lead you into the mountain’s interior.”

As Qingyun spoke, Lin Hao nodded, committing his words to memory, recognizing this as guidance, and pondered them in his heart.

Qingyun continued, “Let me tell you about Heavenly Feather Mountain. Its outer regions are inhabited by low-level spirit beasts—some without even basic intelligence.

At first, the elder may have you all train individually and get used to the environment. Don’t underestimate the outskirts, though there may not be any rare treasures.

For you, it’s an excellent opportunity to temper yourself.”

With that, Qingyun handed Lin Hao a memory crystal. The crystal displayed the den of a unicorn, showing a herd of massive creatures.

Qingyun said, “Unicorns are among the more dangerous low-level spirit beasts, and they’re very fast. I hope you’ll seek them out for training, collect a few unicorn beast cores, and use them to strengthen yourself.”

He finished, and the crystal shattered, the image fading away.

Qingyun continued, “When you all proceed to the middle regions, the elder will send you to investigate the peculiarities among the various spirit beasts. In the middle region, most things are manageable for you—nothing too dangerous.

But there’s one place you must avoid: the Red Ant Forest in the west. That’s the lair of ant beasts, which live in huge colonies. They’re not strong individually, but their numbers are troublesome and offer little in the way of meaningful training.

Don’t waste time there, and be wary of anyone trying to set you up.”

This guidance from Qingyun gave Lin Hao a rough idea of what to expect at Heavenly Feather Mountain. He nodded gratefully and said, “Thank you. Don’t worry, I’ll be careful.”

“Oh, and there’s been a change in the roster for this trip. Elder Zhou’s son, Zhou Yichen, will also be going. One elder swapped his disciple for Zhou Yichen. I’m not sure what Elder Zhou said to the sect master, but he agreed to it.

So you’ll need to be extra careful. Zhou Yichen is definitely up to no good. You’ve embarrassed Elder Zhou and his son several times, and now you’re considered to be on my side. Elder Zhou will show you no mercy.

You’ve seen for yourself how devious Zhou Yichen can be, so you’ll need to be on your guard—not just to hone your skills, but to watch out for Zhou Yichen. I’m afraid Elder Zhou may even try to kill you,” Qingyun said suddenly.

Lin Hao was a bit surprised by this news. When the list was first announced, he’d wondered why Zhou Yichen wasn’t included—who would have thought it would come true so soon?

He looked at Qingyun, and said lightly, “Don’t worry about that. As for Zhou Yichen, he’s not worth my concern. Even if Elder Zhou himself intervenes,