"I accept this proposal!"
A low voice rang out. It was, of course, Lin Hao.
Yi Mingcheng and Lin Cheng were both overjoyed.
Yi Mingcheng was naturally happy that Lin Hao had awakened, while Lin Cheng was happy because Lin Hao's agreement meant his life was saved.
"However, I don't have three months to play games with you. I'll come find you in one month. Also, binding one arm and one leg? You think far too highly of yourself."
Beneath the ghost-face mask, Lin Hao's eyes were like a deep pool, as tranquil as an old well.
However, Lin Cheng heard the intense scorn in those words.
A piece of trash at the Third Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm actually dared to speak so arrogantly. To be scorned like this filled Lin Cheng with extreme frustration.
But right now, he was furious yet didn't dare to speak.
Yi Mingcheng's eyes flashed as a multitude of thoughts crossed his mind in an instant.
'One month from now, isn't that War Dragon City's annual martial arts tournament?'
The tournament begins within each family, with a family competition to select the top ten.
These ten then represent their family in the city-wide tournament. The victor not only brings glory to their family but also gets a chance for a meteoric rise and entry into Imperial City. This is because the annual tournament is sponsored by the Treasure Hunting Pavilion.
'For the Young Master to make such a request now... could it be that he plans to reveal his identity within a month?!'
The thought made Yi Mingcheng's heart skip a beat.
Even with the cooperation of the Treasure Hunting Pavilion and the Wenren family, if news of Lin Hao's recovery reached the ears of Lin Wu's branch of the Lin family in Imperial City, the Wenren family would surely abandon Lin Hao.
'Could it be that the Young Master already has a foolproof plan?'
Just as Yi Mingcheng was about to think it over, he caught a flicker of venomous hatred in Lin Cheng's eyes out of the corner of his vision.
Without any warning, Yi Mingcheng suddenly erupted.
SLAP!
A vicious backhand sent a crisp sound echoing through the air. Lin Cheng was completely stunned.
He had no idea why Yi Mingcheng had suddenly gone crazy and dared to hit him.
"You son of a bitch, you really enjoyed cursing people out just now, didn't you!"
Although the Young Master had made an agreement with Lin Cheng, Yi Mingcheng never said he wouldn't get his hands dirty. He remembered every curse Lin Cheng had hurled at the Young Master. With the Pavilion Master of the Treasure Hunting Pavilion present, he felt he'd be letting himself down if he didn't borrow the tiger's might.
"And now you dare to shoot me dirty looks? It seems you don't have any respect for the Treasure Hunting Pavilion!"
"You had a grand time bullying my master earlier, huh? Well, go on, you bastard, fight back now!"
As he cursed, Yi Mingcheng used both his hands and feet. Before long, Lin Cheng's face was beaten swollen like a pig's head.
Ninety-Five had been watching coldly from the side. Now, seeing Yi Mingcheng's actions, he couldn't help but size up Lin Hao once more.
This time, Ninety-Five saw Lin Hao's exposed right arm.
The arm's muscles were taut, and its great tendons bulged, coiling and intertwining like dragons. The skin itself had a rare, dark yellow hue.
After a moment of shock, Ninety-Five's eyes suddenly brightened, a look of astonishment flashing within them.
His Martial Dao Cultivation was far superior to Lin Hao's, so he had seen through Lin Hao's condition at a glance. But now, he couldn't imagine how a Martial Artist at the Third Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm could have trained his muscles to such a degree.
The Blood Coagulation Realm was fundamentally about tempering one's tendons, bones, and flesh. Legend had it that if the physical body was trained to the extreme, one could form a corporeal Gang Qi, automatically releasing a Protective Gang Qi when faced with external force.
The stage before forming a corporeal Gang Qi was known as Dragon Tendon and Tiger Bone.
The great tendons throughout the body are like dragons, and the bone marrow is as substantial as a tiger's.
Coiling dragons and crouching tigers, their appearance dazzling!
Ninety-Five came from Imperial City and had stayed in many cities throughout the Cangnan Kingdom; it could be said he had seen countless people.
However, he had never seen anyone in the Blood Coagulation Realm who could train their muscles to the stage of Dragon Tendon and Tiger Bone. Even those so-called geniuses couldn't do it.
But now, a Martial Artist at the Third Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm had actually trained his muscles to this state. Ninety-Five swallowed hard and clicked his tongue in amazement.
Setting aside this person's Alchemy Dao cultivation, this Dragon Tendon and Tiger Bone state alone was enough to make Ninety-Five cast away his disdain.
"Old Yi, is that enough? My young lady is still waiting." Seeing Yi Mingcheng stop, Ninety-Five's eyes flickered as he spoke with a smile.
Hearing this form of address, Yi Mingcheng shuddered, then laughed heartily in reply. "Hahaha, that's enough, that's enough. Beating someone up feels damn good."
The three of them left, leaving Lin Cheng curled up on the ground like a dead dog.
"I don't care who you are! In one month, I, Lin Cheng, will repay today's humiliation a hundredfold!" Lin Cheng's face was savage as he stared at Lin Hao's departing back.
After awakening his bloodline and becoming a Spirit Body, Lin Cheng had gotten whatever he wanted. He had never been treated like this before. Such an extraordinary shame filled him with a towering inferno of hatred.
He climbed to his feet and straightened his appearance. Stumbling away, he was a completely different person from the arrogant man who had arrived.
...
At the Ten-Mile Slope pavilion, Wenren Yuxin sat elegantly. A gentle breeze caressed her, making her clothes flutter like an immortal fairy about to ride the wind and depart.
Ninety-Five stood respectfully before her, reporting on the situation. He then withdrew from the pavilion.
Outside the pavilion, Yi Mingcheng stood beside Lin Hao, reminding him in a low voice, "Young Master, that young woman is the young lady of the Wenren family. She's incredibly sharp. You need to be careful in a moment."
Yi Mingcheng knew he couldn't enter the pavilion on such an occasion. His mindset had changed; now, he was genuinely afraid of Lin Hao being at a disadvantage.
Lin Hao nodded, then strode forward with composure...
Inside the pavilion, Wenren Yuxin and Lin Hao sat facing each other. Neither spoke.
Wenren Yuxin's beautiful eyes, like stars, stared unblinkingly at the eyes beneath Lin Hao's ghost-face mask, as if trying to see right through him.
Lin Hao met her gaze without a hint of fear, his own eyes as deep as a lake.
'Using psychological tactics right from the start... this woman is truly remarkable.'
Lin Hao praised her silently in his heart, then prepared to make his move.
Wenren Yuxin had time to spare, but he did not. He had a great many things to do and couldn't afford to waste his time here.
With this thought, the corner of Lin Hao's mouth curled up, and his gaze suddenly became audacious.
Starting from her exquisite, flawless face, Lin Hao's gaze traveled down her fair, slender neck, swept over the full peaks of her chest, reached her flat abdomen, scanned her thighs, and finally rested on her snow-white, jade-like hands.
Wenren Yuxin's body trembled slightly. Lin Hao's gaze felt like a pair of soft, small hands, making her whole body tingle.
She, Wenren Yuxin, was a favored daughter of the heavens. No one had ever dared to look at her so impudently. At first, her Spirit Platform remained clear, and she knew this was just his tactic, so she didn't back down and endured it silently.
But gradually, Lin Hao's increasingly brazen gaze chipped away at her rationality, bit by bit, until she finally reached her breaking point.
Just as she was about to get angry, Lin Hao abruptly spoke.
"Miss Wenren's hands are truly beautiful. Like jade bamboo shoots, slender as spring onions, plump and fair." Lin Hao's voice was laced with fascination.
Lin Hao's timing was perfect, his control flawless.
Wenren Yuxin's breathing hitched. Then, outside the pavilion, a fierce wind suddenly kicked up. A violent aura raged as leaves danced wildly in the air before turning to dust.
Lin Hao's back was as straight as a sharp sword. He smiled faintly and said unhurriedly, "Hands like these are well-suited for Alchemy."
"You..." Wenren Yuxin was speechless with frustration. She knew that in this first round of their confrontation, she had been utterly defeated.
"Miss Wenren, if you truly want to talk, shouldn't you show some sincerity? Under such immense pressure, I'm afraid I'll kick the bucket before we can even finish our business." Lin Hao remained unfazed.
A trace of surprise flashed in Wenren Yuxin's beautiful eyes, and then she waved her hand.
The pressure on Lin Hao instantly decreased.
"Not even Ninety-Five knows of my governess's existence. I'm truly curious, how did you discover her?"
As the young lady of the Wenren family, it was impossible for Wenren Yuxin to be out alone without a Guardian protecting her in secret. What she couldn't understand was how Lin Hao, with a mere Third Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm cultivation, could have discovered someone hidden in the shadows.
"Let's discuss that question later. For now, let's talk business." Lin Hao shook his head.
Speaking of business, Wenren Yuxin's expression turned serious, and she spoke in a cool voice, "Fine! It's not impossible for you to have fifty percent of the shares in the Treasure Hunting Holy Hall, but the Rejuvenation Blood Pill alone is far from enough. What else can you offer?"
Lin Hao still shook his head, replying calmly, "Right now, I won't offer anything else. However, as long as you agree, I can give you the Alchemy Hand Seal for the Rejuvenation Blood Pill for free."
If Chu Sheng were here right now, he would definitely laugh and say Lin Hao was insane. Only a fool would agree to such terms. This was basically trying to get something for nothing.
Wenren Yuxin covered her mouth and chuckled lightly. Instead of answering directly, she said, "I have yet to see a Rejuvenation Blood Pill being refined with my own eyes. I wonder if I might have the chance today."
"You can." Lin Hao's expression remained as tranquil as an old well.
Wenren Yuxin waved her hand, and a Pill Furnace appeared in the pavilion. Then, she opened her right hand, and a ball of dark green flame materialized in her palm.
An exotic flame!
Besides using the continent's Fire Crystal Stones, Alchemy could also be performed with various exotic flames. High-level pills could not be refined without them.
The Carefree Divine Monarch had refined an extremely rare exotic flame. Unfortunately, after his body perished and his Dao vanished, the whereabouts of that exotic flame became unknown.
Exotic flames have tiers. The exotic flame Wenren Yuxin was using was a tier higher than even Cang Yan's.
Wenren Yuxin tossed her hand, and the flame, as if it had eyes, shot under the Pill Furnace and erupted into a raging fire.
Then, she tossed medicinal herbs into the Pill Furnace one after another.
A gorgeously styled ring on Wenren Yuxin's right middle finger shimmered with a dazzling light. Lin Hao knew it was a spiritual storage ring and wasn't curious about it. As long as he had the ingredients, he could refine the pill just as well.
After a single glance, Lin Hao began to control the fire.
The moment Lin Hao formed his first hand seal, Wenren Yuxin's beautiful eyes lit up.
An expert's touch is revealed with the first move.
The speed at which Lin Hao formed the hand seals and his sense of timing were both flawless.
As he formed one hand seal after another, Wenren Yuxin's beautiful eyes grew wider and wider, until they were perfectly round.
The hand seals Lin Hao used looked very simple, but they were intricately linked. What surprised her the most was that there were several details she found difficult to even follow with her eyes.
'Is this really an Alchemy Hand Seal for a Tier One pill?'
She was already an Earth-rank Pill Master. Seeing a completely new Alchemy Hand Seal naturally filled her with the excitement of a hunter spotting new prey. She wanted to ask Lin Hao for guidance but was afraid of disturbing him, so she hesitated to speak several times.
Alchemy, like practicing martial arts, required the unity of essence, qi, and spirit. The slightest mistake would not only waste all previous effort but could also be life-threatening.
Wenren Yuxin didn't dare take that risk.
However, in Lin Hao's hands, the Alchemy process that seemed so perilous to her was a piece of cake.
"Miss Wenren, if there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask," Lin Hao said, taking the initiative when he saw her expression.
"Ah!" Wenren Yuxin's beautiful eyes were filled with shock. 'Does he intend to guide me while refining the pill?'
'This is a long-lost hand seal technique; isn't he afraid I won't fulfill my promise after learning it? And to be able to split his focus during Alchemy with such ease—it's simply incredible!'
"I said I would give you this hand seal for free. I'm just fulfilling my promise now." Lin Hao shrugged, as if it was all no big deal.
Wenren Yuxin quickly collected her thoughts and began to ask for guidance with humility.