Chapter 35: Choice

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One by one, the members of the Clearwind Sect approached, yet none could pass through the barrier of Tianyu Mountain. This alleviated much of the suspicion among the elders of the other sects. However, a new question troubled them all: who exactly was Lin Hao, and how had he managed to enter so effortlessly?

As everyone pondered this, the white-robed youth who had just sparred with Lin Hao stared at the barrier with a hint of amusement, curiosity flickering in his eyes as he reached out to touch it. He was particularly intrigued by Lin Hao’s earlier actions.

Noticing the elders still caught up in their deliberations, the youth stepped forward and addressed the elders of his own sect, “Now is not the time for endless discussion. Since one sect has already entered, we should waste no more time. Elders, please work together to break this barrier so that we may proceed without further delay.”

The authority in his words immediately struck the elders, and their eyes lit up. “Indeed, instead of wasting time on mutual suspicion, we should combine our strength to break the barrier and go in. The truth will reveal itself in due course.”

The other elders nodded in agreement. Working together, they broke the barrier. At once, a surge of spiritual energy swept over them—so strong that everyone instinctively closed their eyes, savoring the influx.

When they opened their eyes again, they found countless roads stretching out before them, the landscape nothing like the Tianyu Mountain they knew. They all halted in their tracks, uncertain.

None of the elders dared to proceed further. The white-robed youth scanned the area, hoping to catch sight of Lin Hao, but even after searching with his spiritual sense, Lin Hao was nowhere to be found within his range.

He lifted his foot, ready to step into Tianyu Mountain, but his sect’s elder quickly grabbed his sleeve. “Do not act rashly.”

But the youth arched an eyebrow and replied, “We must go in sooner or later. I’ll go first.”

The elder, helpless, turned to the others. “Since that’s the case, our White Robe Sect will go in first.”

With that, he led his disciples in after the youth. The other sects soon followed, with Clearwind Sect entering second, and the rest after them.

Once inside, the disciples of Clearwind Sect began searching for Lin Hao, using their communication talismans to contact him. But no matter how they called, there was no reply.

A heavy look settled over the faces of the Clearwind Sect members. Zhou Hai, however, was secretly delighted, hoping Lin Hao would perish inside. He feigned concern and said, “Elder, we’re not here just for Lin Hao. We should focus on our mission. Otherwise, how will we answer to the sect upon our return?”

The elder could not refute this and, after weighing the situation, said to the disciples, “Let’s take things as they come. I trust in Lin Hao’s strength.”

Wu Wen and the other disciples were filled with worry for Lin Hao, but understanding the elder’s reasoning, they could only suppress their concerns for now. At present, not knowing Lin Hao’s whereabouts, they had no choice but to proceed cautiously.

Meanwhile, the Lin Hao they all worried about was facing a choice of his own.

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He surveyed the unfamiliar roads and environment before him, nothing like what Qingyun had once described. Clearly, something dramatic had changed on Tianyu Mountain. During his recent duel with the white-robed youth, Lin Hao had accidentally entered the barrier and been sucked into the mountain.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself in this place, with countless roads branching before him and no other soul in sight.

Just then, the system’s voice echoed in his mind: “Ding! Congratulations, Host, on completing the side mission: First to enter Tianyu Mountain. You are awarded 100 mission points.”

Delighted, Lin Hao checked his stats:

Host: Lin Hao
Realm: Foundation Establishment, Level Three (Some Progress)
Spiritual Root: Innate Fire Spiritual Root (Enhancement Level 2, hidden attributes locked—please advance your realm soon.)
Root Quality: Earth Grade, Lower Tier
Techniques: Basic Taiqing Purple Profound Art (Note: Basic technique only cultivates to early Foundation Establishment. Further techniques must be exchanged in the system shop.)
Identity: Outer Disciple, Clearwind Sect (Only one ceremony away from inner disciple status—keep it up!)
Mission Points: 1640
Main Quest 1: Find the newly emerged Phoenix Feather.
Main Quest 2: Take revenge on Zhou Yichen and the disciples of the Clearwind Sect.
Side Quest 1: Retrieve the lost Xuan Yuan Pill.

Looking at his points and missions, Lin Hao saw that his most pressing goal was to find the Phoenix Feather. Scanning his surroundings, he called out in his mind, “System? System?”

“Ding. How may I assist you, Host?”

“System, you want me to find this Phoenix Feather, but Tianyu Mountain is huge. At least give me a hint, or tell me what it looks like.”

Lin Hao felt his request was reasonable, but the system tersely replied, “All mission information has been provided. The rest is for the Host to discover. Too much aid would reduce the mission’s difficulty.”

Lin Hao was left speechless. Only one instruction: “Find the Phoenix Feather.”

Was that really all?

He was thoroughly exasperated with the system and saw no point in arguing further. Glancing at the many roads ahead, he asked, “Then can you at least tell me which road leads closer to the Phoenix Feather?”

“Please explore on your own,” the system replied flatly.

Lin Hao’s lips twitched—why did he even bother asking? Resigned, he closed his eyes and picked a path at random, then set off.

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What Lin Hao didn’t know was that as soon as he chose a path, the remaining roads began to shift, shrouded in white mist, and soon new roads appeared in their place. It was as if the path he had taken had changed, and yet it hadn’t—a silent, fleeting transformation that no one, not even Lin Hao, could detect.

He continued walking down his chosen path. At first, it was utterly silent, with nothing but trees, flowers, and grass—a scene of perfect normalcy. Yet the silence was so profound, it made him uneasy.

His instincts screamed that this peace was deceptive, the calm before the storm.

Sure enough, after about half an hour, the path seemed endless. Fatigue crept in, and Lin Hao began to suspect something was wrong—every stretch of road looked identical.

He leaned against a tree to ponder, still unaware of any threat. But as he rested, from an outsider’s view, the tree’s green leaves slowly turned blood red, and its branches began to creep toward him, as if to ensnare him.

Lost in thought—wondering if he was trapped in a formation, and why the road stretched on endlessly—he let his hand drop to the tree behind him, pushing off to stand.

At that moment, he felt something tug at his wrist. Reacting instantly, he summoned a surge of strange fire, incinerating the thing binding him, and leapt away.

Steadying himself, Lin Hao realized the ordinary-looking tree was now entirely crimson, especially its leaves, which resembled bloody blades. What he had burned away was a branch.

A chill ran through him. What kind of tree was this? If he hadn’t noticed in time, would he have been bound and left helpless?

The experience left him deeply wary. He asked the system, “System, what is this thing? Why is it so vicious?”

“This is a Bloodthirsty Tree. It entangles living creatures with its branches and slowly drains their blood to nourish itself,” the system replied.

Lin Hao shuddered in the aftermath, grateful for his quick reaction—otherwise, this place might have become his tomb.