The sun was setting in the west.
The afterglow of the sunset spread across the land, as if trimming the streets of War Dragon City with a layer of gold.
Yi Mingcheng gazed at the setting sun, feeling more at ease than ever before.
He had gone to the Treasure Hunting Pavilion again to relay Lin Hao's message to Wenren Yuxin, and the treatment he received… even now, thinking back on it, he felt like he was in a dream.
Not only had Ninety-Five become even more deferential, but even Wenren Yuxin herself had personally escorted him to the door.
He believed that not even the City Lord of War Dragon City was worthy of such an honor.
Floating on air, Yi Mingcheng didn't even know how he got back to the estate. The moment he stepped inside, he got a huge shock.
Nearly all the upper echelons of the Lin family were present, and they were all waiting for him.
Seeing these people who were usually high and mighty and treated him as less than human now wearing faces of false sincerity, Yi Mingcheng felt utterly uncomfortable.
Compared to this, he would rather be looking at Lin Hao's cold, young face.
The thought of Lin Hao startled Yi Mingcheng. He remembered what Lin Hao had said before he left.
After a long time of making excuses and brushing them off, Yi Mingcheng finally managed to get away. He then all but sprinted back to his own quarters.
Despite the prestige he enjoyed in front of others, the moment he saw Lin Hao, he immediately shed his airs.
Faced with this stark contrast, not only did he have no complaints, but he actually enjoyed it.
"Keep this safe. Let's go." Lin Hao tossed a small package to Yi Mingcheng and was the first to slip under the bed.
He had decided to take Yi Mingcheng out through the secret passage.
This was the result of careful deliberation. He could clearly sense the change in Yi Mingcheng, and besides, Yi Mingcheng's life was still in his hands. He wasn't afraid of the secret getting out.
Tonight, Lin Hao had decided to try creating his own bloodline.
But the process was extremely dangerous. If any unexpected incidents occurred, Yi Mingcheng could help.
Yi Mingcheng was clearly stunned to see that his own living quarters actually had a secret passage.
However, what followed was excitement. For Lin Hao to reveal such a hidden passage to him without reservation was a form of recognition in itself.
After walking for more than half an hour in the secret passage, the two emerged in a desolate area outside the city.
By now, the bright moon was already high in the sky.
"We're going to Heaven's End Mountain. I'll be cultivating tonight and need you to stand guard," Lin Hao stated his request succinctly, then said no more.
Yi Mingcheng hurriedly promised, "Rest assured, Young Master. I would lay down my life to ensure your safety!"
...
Returning to a familiar place, his state of mind was already different. Lin Hao found the spot where he had cultivated last time and sat down cross-legged.
Half an hour...
An hour...
Two hours...
Time ticked by, second by second. Lin Hao was as still as a mountain. If not for his normal heart rate, one would have mistaken him for a corpse.
In reality, Lin Hao's current state was more perilous than death itself.
During the day, Lin Hao had been constantly pondering how to create his own bloodline.
Right now, the only thing he could rely on was the Godslaying Celestial Slash Skill, so the breakthrough would have to come from this Cultivation Technique as well.
However, after countless deductions, Lin Hao was still completely clueless.
Creating one's own bloodline was easier said than done. It was harder than ascending to the heavens.
Lin Hao didn't know how long he had been sitting there when a flash of insight suddenly struck him.
Three years ago, he had been on the verge of successfully awakening his bloodline. Lin Hao remembered the feeling from back then.
With a flicker of thought, he abandoned the Godslaying Celestial Slash Skill and instead began to circulate the Cultivation Technique he had used three years ago in the Blood-Swapping Pool to awaken his bloodline.
Although he hadn't practiced it in three years, Lin Hao was incredibly familiar with this technique. The moment he began, he immediately felt a fluctuation in his blood essence.
Delighted, Lin Hao pushed it again.
But he had forgotten that he was not in the Blood-Swapping Pool now.
The reason the Blood-Swapping Pool existed was that during a bloodline awakening, all of the body's blood essence would be expelled.
The Blood-Swapping Pool was not only built in a place with the most abundant worldly yuan qi, but it also contained the blood of countless predecessors. After years and years of accumulation and sedimentation, this blood contained many inexplicable divine substances.
When an Awakened was in the process of awakening their bloodline, their body's blood essence would be almost completely drained. The substance that allowed the Awakened to persevere came from the Blood-Swapping Pool.
Now, by circulating that Cultivation Technique outside the Blood-Swapping Pool, Lin Hao had broken the balance. The consequences were severe.
Fortunately, Lin Hao realized his mistake and forcibly stopped his cultivation. Otherwise, his blood would have surely burst from his body, and he would have died.
"PFFT—"
Even so, he still spat out a mouthful of blood, his body swaying precariously.
"Young Master, you..." Yi Mingcheng's face paled in alarm as he started to rush forward.
Lin Hao stopped him with a gesture. After regulating his breathing for a moment, he began to circulate the Godslaying Celestial Slash Skill.
After the battle with Housekeeper Mo, Lin Hao knew very clearly that as long as the injuries were physical, there was nothing that circulating the Godslaying Celestial Slash Skill couldn't heal.
And then, Yi Mingcheng was stunned!
The moonlight! He personally saw the moonlight being drawn in, entering Lin Hao's body at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Although his cultivation was only at the Third Layer of Blood Coagulation Realm, his knowledge was not shallow.
Moonlight was the ultimate expression of qi between heaven and earth. For Lin Hao, at the Third Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm, to draw moonlight into his body... this was nothing short of a miracle!
In an instant, Yi Mingcheng had completely submitted to him!
However, the shock was far from over.
The next morning, when he saw Lin Hao drawing sunlight into his body, Yi Mingcheng's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
...
When Lin Hao awoke from his cultivation, Yi Mingcheng had already prepared a fresh set of clothes and a delicious breakfast.
They were out in the wild mountains, but Lin Hao didn't ask how he'd managed it. After tidying himself up, he appeared before Yi Mingcheng again, who was grinning from ear to ear.
"Let's go. We'll go meet her." Lin Hao, in a good mood, put on a conical hat draped with black gauze.
He had to admit, Yi Mingcheng was quite reliable. Knowing that his face shouldn't be seen for the time being, Yi Mingcheng had specially prepared many props.
"Yes, Young Master." Yi Mingcheng's respectful voice was filled with unprecedented sincerity.
Not long after the two of them left Heaven's End Mountain, they both halted in their tracks, stopping at the same time.
They had run into an acquaintance!
"Yi Mingcheng, to think I'd run into you here! Why aren't you staying put in the family estate? What are you doing out here?!" Lin Cheng hadn't expected to bump into Yi Mingcheng while he was out looking for Yan'Er.
After days of searching, there was still no news of Yan'Er. Lin Cheng was burning with anxiety and desperately needed to vent.
So now, no matter how he looked at Yi Mingcheng, he found him displeasing.
"Where I go is none of your business!" In the past, Yi Mingcheng would have given Lin Cheng some face, but now? He didn't even care about the Pavilion Master of the Treasure Hunting Pavilion, let alone Lin Cheng.
"You damn dog! You've got some nerve! How dare you speak to me like that? Watch out or I'll... You, take off that hat!"
Lin Cheng was furious, but when he saw the hatted Lin Hao, his eye suddenly twitched.
"Lin Cheng, even though your surname is Lin, you're still just a servant in the Lin family! You don't really think changing your name makes you a young master, do you?" Yi Mingcheng took a step forward, subtly shielding Lin Hao.
This time, however, Lin Cheng didn't argue. "Yi Mingcheng, I suspect he's a remnant from that little bastard Lin Hao's line. Tell him to take off the hat!"
The mysterious person in the hat wasn't tall, but for his sake, Yi Mingcheng actually dared to oppose him. Lin Cheng felt he was almost certainly right.
Lin Cheng had awakened his bloodline and possessed the cultivation of the Blood Coagulation Realm Fourth Layer. Moreover, behind him, two lackeys at the Third Layer of Blood Coagulation Realm were eyeing them like tigers.
A trace of panic flashed in Yi Mingcheng's eyes.
Lin Cheng keenly caught this expression. His eyes glinted, and he waved his hand.
The two Third Layer Blood Coagulation Realm lackeys behind Lin Cheng charged out like mad dogs.
"You dare!" Yi Mingcheng roared in fury and met their charge, actually intending to fight two Third Layer Blood Coagulation Realm Martial Artists by himself.
He was only at the Third Layer of Blood Coagulation Realm himself. How could he possibly withstand a two-on-one fight?
He had just gone up and exchanged a single punch before he was sent stumbling back, spitting blood.
"CRACK!"
Lin Hao was right behind him. Knowing he couldn't retreat any further, Yi Mingcheng forcibly stopped himself. The stone under his foot shattered from the immense impact.
As he was about to charge again, a raspy voice sounded from behind him. "Let me."
"No! I, Yi Mingcheng, can die, but nothing must happen to you!" Yi Mingcheng shook his head, his voice low and firm.
"It's just beating a few dogs!"
The moment Lin Hao's words fell, his figure moved like lightning, already throwing a punch!
"BANG! BANG!"
The two Third Layer Blood Coagulation Realm Martial Artists who had made Yi Mingcheng spit blood were simultaneously sent flying backward by Lin Hao's single blow, the scent of blood drifting in the air.
With a single strike, both were injured!
"Haha, I thought you had three heads and six arms, but it turns out you're just at the Third Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm!"
Lin Cheng's eyes were icy, showing no concern for his two men. The moment he finished speaking, his figure erupted forward.
The reason he had them attack first was to test Lin Hao's skills.
Although Lin Hao had repelled two Third Layer cultivators with one punch, the Fourth Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm was on a completely different level from the Third. Lin Cheng had seen through Lin Hao's true strength in a single glance.
With that, all his worries vanished. If he didn't strike now, when would he?
Although he had destroyed Housekeeper Mo, Lin Cheng was a Spirit Body, and his strength was a solid Fourth Layer. Lin Hao dared not be careless. He fully circulated the Godslaying Celestial Slash Skill, his essence, qi, and spirit instantly soaring to their peak.
"Stop! Lin Cheng, he is an honored guest of the Treasure Hunting Pavilion! Have you got a death wish?!"
Even though Yi Mingcheng knew how extraordinary Lin Hao's Cultivation Technique was, he also knew Lin Hao was only at the Third Layer. Facing a Fourth Layer Blood Coagulation Realm opponent without an awakened bloodline… no matter how heaven-defying your technique, there was only one outcome—death!
Lin Cheng let out a strange laugh. "Hehe, an honored guest of the Treasure Hunting Pavilion who can't even show his face? I'll do them a favor and send him to the western heavens!"
As his voice fell, Lin Cheng's fist let out a sharp crack and instantly swelled in size. He hadn't held back; his first move was the Yellow Level, Middle Grade martial skill, Celestial Wheel Fist.
Bloodline awakened, Bone Strengthening!
A Blood Coagulation Realm Fourth Layer expert could absorb yuan qi and transform it into True Essence, allowing them to unleash the full power of a Yellow Level, Middle Grade martial skill.
Celestial Wheel Fist: True Essence revolves, generating endless power. As long as the True Essence is not extinguished, the fist is relentless!
Although this martial skill was shockingly powerful in Housekeeper Mo's hands, he couldn't achieve the Bone Strengthening stage, which allowed one to surge power through once-fragile sinews and hard bones.
Although Bone Strengthening was only the most initial stage of a Martial Artist's True Essence manipulation, it was still far beyond what the first three layers of the Blood Coagulation Realm could compare to.
As the punch shot out, the very air cracked and popped. Yi Mingcheng wanted to step forward but was powerless. Under the immense pressure, he was forced back again and again, coughing up mouthfuls of blood.
Facing Lin Cheng's punch, Lin Hao found it incredibly difficult to even remain standing, let alone strike back. This was the strongest opponent he had encountered so far!