Chapter 34: Nowhere to Hide

Many members of the Clear Breeze Sect were deeply worried about Lin Hao. Only Zhou Yichen and his two companions, however, watched Lin Hao with a venomous gaze, silently wishing for his demise in this very place. The honor of their sect meant little to them now—especially to Zhou Yichen, who burned with a desire to kill Lin Hao himself.

It was Zhou Yichen who had secretly delivered information to the Crimson Lotus Sect, suggesting that their elders should deal with Lin Hao. That was why the Crimson Lotus elder had made such a move. Yet, against all expectations, Lin Hao had managed to escape unscathed. His strength had proven formidable; he had not only survived but emerged with his life intact. Zhou Yichen felt a bitter sense of defeat—victory had been within reach, yet had slipped away at the last moment.

Now, as he watched Lin Hao facing off against the white-robed youth across from him—a foe whose power was clearly far superior—Zhou Yichen thought to himself that, had he been in Lin Hao’s place, he would have surrendered long ago. Yet Lin Hao stubbornly held his ground, though telltale signs of exhaustion and defeat were beginning to show.

Zhou Yichen’s heart was full of murderous intent—he wanted Lin Hao dead; of that, there was no doubt. Lin Hao, however, paid no heed to the crowd below. Immersed in the duel, he was oblivious to the whispers and speculation that swirled among the onlookers. With a serious expression, he faced his white-robed opponent.

The white-robed youth, in turn, could not help but be astonished by Lin Hao’s strength. He even suspected that Lin Hao’s true cultivation was being concealed by some magical artifact, for how else could someone at merely the third stage of Foundation Establishment wield such power? His curiosity grew; each of his attacks grew sharper, as he pressed Lin Hao further, eager to find out where Lin Hao’s true limits lay, and whether he had been hiding his strength all along.

At that moment, Lin Hao sent a strange flame toward his opponent, but it was quickly parried and deflected back, striking Lin Hao's arm. He dodged as best he could, but not before a deep, bleeding gash appeared on his arm. Lin Hao realized he was no match for his adversary.

Meanwhile, the system pretended to be dormant, insisting that Lin Hao must complete the task on his own strength. Lin Hao could only curse inwardly, but with no other options, he gritted his teeth and pressed on.

Wounded once more, Lin Hao had no choice but to draw his life-bound artifact, the Swallowing Cloud Sword. His opponent, seeing the battered sword, looked on with even greater curiosity, as if Lin Hao were playing some kind of joke. What was this thing—so ragged and unremarkable?

But Lin Hao immediately brandished the Swallowing Cloud Sword, thrusting it at his opponent. The youth had barely had time to recover from his surprise when a flash of white steel darted before his eyes. Instinctively, he used his fan to block, leaping away from Lin Hao’s side. Once steady, he looked down at his fan and saw a fresh mark upon it.

This was a top-grade magical instrument that had never before suffered even a scratch. The youth was truly shocked. When he glanced at the Swallowing Cloud Sword in Lin Hao’s hand, his gaze had changed entirely.

The youth’s curiosity gave way to astonishment. Sensing his advantage, Lin Hao pressed the attack. His opponent, regaining his calm, wore a faint, confident smile. He thought to himself that this must be Lin Hao’s final trump card.

He spun his fan and met Lin Hao’s thrust head-on. There was a sharp clang—not at all the sound one would expect from a sword colliding with a fan, but rather the ringing clash of two blades. Lin Hao’s heart sank; after a single exchange, he immediately retreated to a safer distance.

When he looked again, he saw that a row of blades had sprung from the fan—these were what had met the Swallowing Cloud Sword. Lin Hao was deeply shocked; so this magical artifact could transform?

The white-robed youth, smiling, called out, “Junior brother, you have some skill after all! This is a worthy fight—let us continue!”

It was as though something within him had been unlocked; he attacked with renewed excitement, exchanging blow after blow with Lin Hao. Lin Hao grew more grave—his earlier surprise attack with the Swallowing Cloud Sword had dealt a blow, but now that the sword’s power was revealed, his opponent was fully prepared.

Now, the Swallowing Cloud Sword was evenly matched by the transformed fan, and Lin Hao found himself completely suppressed. Frustration mounted within him—he felt that, with a single misstep, he would surely be defeated.

No! If he lost, he would fail his mission, and who knew what trouble the system would stir up next? The thought made Lin Hao restless. As he narrowly dodged another attack, he began to edge closer to the barrier surrounding Tianyu Mountain.

His opponent noticed and, with a glint in his eye, suddenly shouted, “Dance of a Thousand Blades!”

All the knives on the fan shot toward Lin Hao. At the same time, a spell immobilized him—he could not move at all. Panic flashed in Lin Hao’s eyes; with the barrier at his back, there was nowhere to run.

A sense of doom swept over him as the blades flew closer. For a fleeting moment, despair flickered across Lin Hao’s face.

But then, at the brink of death, his will to survive surged. Suddenly, the system reappeared: “Ding! Host’s survival instinct detected. The system is moved, and will now grant you a single chance to survive.”

As the system’s voice faded, Lin Hao found he could move again. Wasting no time on gratitude, he whirled around and dashed backward.

He knew the barrier should have been impassable to ordinary people, but in that desperate moment, he gave it no thought—his only instinct was to flee.

To everyone’s disbelief, as the blades closed in, Lin Hao passed straight through the barrier and vanished into Tianyu Mountain.

The crowd outside was left in stunned silence. What was even more astonishing was that, as Lin Hao entered, the flying knives from the white-robed youth were stopped cold by the barrier. A few ripples flickered across its surface, then all was calm again.

The onlookers could only stare as Lin Hao disappeared, unsure how to react. The Clear Breeze Sect’s members, who had been convinced Lin Hao was doomed, were overcome with shock and relief at this dramatic turn of events.

After a few heartbeats, the crowd erupted in a chorus of astonished voices.

“What just happened? How did he get through the barrier?”

“Exactly! And the white-robed senior’s attack couldn’t penetrate the barrier, but that man passed through it without trouble. It’s unbelievable—what’s going on?”

The disciples below buzzed with speculation, while the elders wore grave expressions. The Clear Breeze Sect’s elder, however, felt a surge of joy—Lin Hao’s entry meant the Clear Breeze Sect was the first to set foot within, seizing the initiative.

The other three elders, meanwhile, grew increasingly suspicious, their eyes fixed on the Clear Breeze elder. He was startled by their cold stares.

Composing himself, he said, “I have no idea how this happened. I was watching with everyone else, wasn’t I?”

His explanation did little to convince the others; their eyes brimmed with doubt, especially Elder Hong of the Crimson Lotus Sect, who stepped forward and declared, “Who would believe you don’t know? That was your sect’s disciple—what exactly happened just now? Is the Clear Breeze Sect plotting against the other three sects?”

His words deepened the suspicion of the other elders. Perhaps, they thought, they truly had fallen into the Clear Breeze Sect’s trap. The Clear Breeze Sect had been the last to arrive, yet now they were the first to enter—how could one not suspect a scheme?

The Clear Breeze elder, adopting a grave and earnest tone, replied, “Impossible. Our sect has always acted honorably. We were all present, watching together—how could we have tampered with anything? This is indeed a strange occurrence, but I assure you, it was not by our design. If we had known we could enter without breaking the barrier, would we not have gone in sooner?”

“You’re lying! Your sect is clearly scheming against the other three, avoiding a direct confrontation by using underhanded means. Elders, do not be fooled by their lies—we must demand an explanation from the Clear Breeze Sect!” Elder Hong pressed.

“Don’t talk nonsense! Our sect has always been aboveboard—unlike you, always resorting to treachery!” At this, Wu Wen could no longer restrain himself. He leapt forward, pointing an accusing finger at Elder Hong.

“See? The Clear Breeze disciples are already losing their composure. Even a mere disciple dares to speak so brazenly to me,” Elder Hong said smugly, pointing at Wu Wen.

Wu Wen’s impulsiveness only deepened the suspicion of the other two elders, who frowned in growing doubt.

The Clear Breeze elder, inwardly alarmed, shot Wu Wen a glare. “Stand down at once.”

He quickly added, “In any case, this matter has nothing to do with our sect—it was pure coincidence. If you’re all so concerned, why not have the other Clear Breeze disciples try to enter as well, and see if they succeed?”

This was the only solution he could think of. In truth, he was just as anxious as the rest, but he trusted in Lin Hao’s uniqueness. Besides, he knew that this event had not been premeditated in the slightest—it was entirely Lin Hao’s doing.